Friends Wanting Benefits

by Young, Luke

  Inside the empty locker room, George belched loudly, made a sour face and put his hand to his slightly upset stomach. Shrugging it off, he pulled down his swimsuit, wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to the steam room. He plopped down on the bench and sighed.

  In the hallway, Ethan’s phone showed ninety seconds had elapsed, so he sprang into action, walking through the bathroom area of the locker room, past the lockers and spotting George’s swimsuit on the bench. Next he made his way to the shower room and peered through the glass to find the shadow of a lone man sitting inside the steam room. He smiled and retraced his steps.

  Suddenly, George’s eyes shot wide open with that horrendous feeling that something just wasn’t right inside his bowels and that something demanded immediate attention.

  Rising to his feet, he rushed out to the shower area and looked for the toilets but could not find them. He moved quickly to the locker room and spotted two urinals and two stalls in the outer area and headed for one of the stalls. Then a door opened on his left and an elderly man with a towel wrapped around his waist and carrying a newspaper stepped out from a small room, and they exchanged polite nods before the man turned toward the shower area.

  As the door slowly closed, George spotted the toilet located inside the room labeled Family Changing Area and his eyes widened. Quickly turning on his heels, he waddled into the room clenching his ass cheeks together. If ever a moment demanded privacy, this was it.

  In the hallway, Ethan glanced first to the front desk of the spa then moved to the door of the women’s locker room and knocked twice. The door opened and Jillian emerged wearing the robe with the hood covering her head. Victoria followed behind her smiling.

  Ethan said, “You’re set. He’s in there all alone.”

  Jillian took a deep breath, gathered her courage and headed into the men’s locker room.

  She made her way through the locker area to the shower room then turned right and found the steam room exactly where she was told it would be. Pushing the door open, she felt the warm humid air kiss her skin. She smiled, the excitement of it all was sending tingles up and down her spine.

  A lone man sat on the bench across the room with one towel covering his lap, another draped over his head, and his chin resting on his chest as he leaned forward. She heard snoring and giggled, whispering, “that’s my George.”

  Slipping down to her knees before him, she wiped the sweat from her eyes then slid her hands under the towel and ran them slowly up his legs toward his groin. The man moaned softly and his head moved a little from side to side. She pulled the towel from his lap and then saw it— the age spotted wrinkly skin of an elderly overweight man with his scrotum hanging at least ten inches below the edge of the bench. She recoiled in horror.

  The man woke suddenly and screamed as he stared directly into the eyes of the hooded figure.

  “Who the hell are you!” the man growled.

  Falling backwards to the wet floor, she scrambled toward the door then got to her feet, yanked it open and scurried away.

  Ethan and Victoria waited in the lobby area of the fitness center. Suddenly, they spotted Jillian as she burst from the door and turned left then disappeared inside the women’s locker room.

  “What the hell?” Victoria muttered as they shared a look before each taking off toward their respective locker rooms.

  As Ethan entered the men’s room he came upon the frazzled older man screaming, “Did you see him?”

  “Who?”

  “The hooded man!”

  “What?”

  “A man with a hood tried to rape me.”

  “Um, no…” Ethan’s eyes bugged out of his head. “I didn’t, um, see anyone.”

  Rushing past him, the man headed out to the hallway just as a door to Ethan’s right opened up and George emerged waving his hand in front of his grimacing face.

  “Hey Ethan.”

  “Hey,” Stunned, Ethan replied softly.

  “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.” George widened his eyes. “I don’t know what I ate last night, but geez…”

  Two security offers entered the room followed by the old man. One officer asked, “Where did it happen?”

  The other officer stopped in front of Ethan and George. “Did you see the man?”

  “What man?” George asked.

  “A hooded man.”

  “I was in there.” George pointed to the door.

  The officer stepped toward the room and pushed open the door.

  “Don’t do it,” George warned.

  The officer’s eyes closed and his nose crinkled as he turned back away from the small room.

  “Told you.” George shook his head then turning his attention to Ethan, he said, “The food on these ships has really gone downhill hasn’t it?”

  Ethan shrugged.

  Holding the bundled up hooded robe in her hand, Victoria looked at Jillian with deadly concern. “Would you just take a deep breath and tell me what happened?”

  Jillian pulled her bikini bottoms over her hips, then covered her face with her hands panting like a lunatic. “You want to know what happened? Do you?”

  “Yes, tell me.”

  “He wasn’t there and—”

  Suddenly the door flew open and a uniformed man burst into the room. Upon seeing Jillian’s naked breasts, the man’s eyes widened and he quickly turned to face the wall. “Sorry! Sorry! I just—”

  “Get out!” Jillian folded her arms across her chest and screamed.

  Victoria moved in front of her friend to shield his view. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

  “Sorry, just wanted to be sure everyone in here was okay?”

  “We’re fine!” Victoria shot back.

  Staring at the wall, the man continued, “Um, okay, but did you guys see anyone?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “A man was attacked in the men’s locker room by a hooded man. We thought he might have come in here.”

  Jillian and Victoria shared a panicked look as they gazed down to the robe in Victoria’s hand.

  “He was wearing a white long robe with a hood.”

  Tearing it from Victoria’s clutches, Jillian turned away holding it with her eyes darting around the room searching out a place to hide it. Victoria pointed to the dirty towel bin then shook her head no.

  “Did you see anyone like that?” The man asked, glancing over his shoulder.

  “Turn around! She’s still naked!” Victoria loudly said.

  “Sorry, I, um…” Placing his hands up as blinders on either side of his face, he moved closer to the wall.

  Victoria moved to the man, put her hand on his shoulder and directed him to the door. “Just let her finish getting dressed and we’ll come right out to talk to you.”

  “Okay.”

  When he was out the door, Victoria turned to face Jillian and held the door closed with one hand as she whispered, “What the hell did you do over there?”

  “Just shut up. I knew this was a stupid idea.” Glaring at her, Jillian shook the robe violently in the air and whispered in an angry tone, “What the hell do we do with this thing?”

  “Put it in my bag.”

  “No way, what if they search the bag?”

  “They won’t search it.”

  Scanning the room again, Jillian spotted a trash can. “The trash.”

  “Don’t you dare. That’s my favorite robe.”

  “Here you take it then.” Jillian tossed it to her then grabbed her bikini top. “I’m getting out of here.”

  “Shit!” Victoria moved to the center of the room and shook her head.

  There was a knock on the door and a loud voice called out, “Ladies we really need to search this room.”

  “Just one minute.” Jillian yelled back then she pointed to Victoria and growled, “Do something with it now!”

  “Okay, okay. I’m putting it in my bag.” She shoved the bundle into her bag, covered it with
a towel then zipped it up. “It’ll be fine.”

  After she slipped her cover up over her shoulders, Jillian frowned. “Whatever, but if they find it I’m rolling over on you. This was all your idea. You were the hooded man not me.”

  “All right. All right. Are you ready?”

  Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Jillian cringed. “I look guilty. I can’t do this. I’m no good at lying.”

  There was another knock at the door.

  “Hold on!” Victoria called back before turning to Jillian. “Relax. It’s going to be fine. Let me do all the talking.”

  “Okay.” Closing her eyes, Jillian took a deep breath.

  They headed for the door then entered the hall. Outside there was a crowd of passengers standing around and eight members of the security team.

  “Search it now.” The security officer they met in the locker room pointed to a team of two guards who sprang into action and entered the women’s locker room. He turned his attention to Victoria and Jillian. “I’m security officer Branson. Are you sure that you didn’t see a man slip past you?”

  “No, we didn’t see anyone,” Victoria replied.

  Jillian looked around nervously and spotted the elderly man from the steam room rubbing his forehead and giving a statement to security personnel. Gasping, she turned away and stood with her back facing the victim.

  Branson looked at her with concern. “Are you okay ma’am?”

  “What?”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, um, I just got scared. So you’re saying someone is running around attacking people in the locker rooms?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my God Victoria, we could have been attacked,” Jillian announced in a melodramatic voice. “Thank God we’re okay.”

  Victoria gave her a look and said slowly, “Yes, I’m so glad nothing happened to us.”

  Another security officer approached Branson. “We have another sighting.”

  Victoria mouthed to Jillian, ‘Stop talking!’

  Jillian returned a sneer.

  The officer continued, “Two days ago a hooded man was seen stepping out of a shower stall in the men’s locker room.”

  “Who reported that?” Branson asked.

  “One of the passengers. He said he was taking a shower and heard a commotion in the stall next to him and when he looked out, he saw the person rushing away. He thinks there were two people in the shower next to him.”

  “Did he get a look at either of them?”

  “No, he didn’t but I have him in the interview room if you want to speak with him.”

  “I do. Okay let’s pull the security footage from that day and today.”

  “I’m on it.” The officer rushed off.

  Branson turned back to the ladies who gazed up to him with their slightly guilty expressions changing to ones of put on concern. Victoria was pulling off the act just a bit better than her basket case of a co-conspirator.

  Branson wore a look of genuine concern as he sized them up. “Are you sure you’re both okay? I can have the doctor speak with you if you’re—”

  “No we’re fine,” Victoria cut him off a little harshly then she smiled and said in a calm voice, “Sorry. We’re okay, just a little flustered.”

  “All right, I need to go, but I want you to give your names and cabin numbers to officer Walters. We may want to speak to you again later. Sometimes after a traumatic event it takes a while to remember all the details.”

  “Yes, sure,” Victoria replied.

  “Walters?” Branson stepped away from the women and headed to the other officer. Turning back to them, he directed Walker’s attention to the women and gave him the assignment. Jillian and Victoria waved to the officer shyly as he made his way toward them.

  10

  Inside Victoria’s cabin, Jillian paced back and forth. “This is bad. They’re going to check that security footage and that’s it.” She shook her hands nervously then grabbed the gym bag. “I’m throwing this overboard.”

  “No.” Victoria took hold of the bag and the two fought for it.

  “Give it to me.”

  “No, listen to me.”

  “Let go,” Jillian growled then pulled hard on the bag and the wrestlers lost their balance and tumbled onto the bed. As the fight progressed, the two ladies rolled from side to side and Jillian’s cover up bunched up on her back and her bikini bottoms slipped down a bit exposing the cleft of her adorable ass.

  As they were fighting the door opened and Ethan stepped inside. Standing their grinning, he apparently was really enjoying the show.

  “I’m getting rid of it,” Jillian said.

  “You can’t!”

  Suddenly the girls turned to discover their spectator and stopped struggling, but maintained their hold of the robe.

  Ethan asked mesmerized, “So what’s going on in here?”

  “Wipe that smile off your face.” Jillian sneered.

  “What?”

  Pushing away from Victoria, Jillian rose to her feet. She made an exasperated grunting noise then adjusted her bottoms and straightened her cover up. “George wasn’t in the steam room, what the hell happened?”

  “He was in there when I checked.”

  Jillian widened her eyes. “Well, he wasn’t when I lifted up the towel and discovered seventy year old balls staring me in the face.”

  “What?” Ethan asked.

  “Have you ever seen seventy-year-old balls?” Jillian looked at Victoria, pointedly.

  “No.” Victoria cringed.

  “Well, I can tell you this… even twenty-year-old balls aren’t that pretty but seventy-year-old ones that hang down about a foot… Those are scary as shit.”

  Wearing a smile, Victoria cocked her head. “Well, Ethan has twenty-year-old balls and they’re pretty cute.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled proudly.

  Victoria nodded. “They’re really just the perfect size and—”

  “Shut up.” Jillian scoffed. “Both of you.”

  “All right.” Victoria sighed. “Just calm down.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  “So you scared the crap out of some old man?” Victoria giggled. “And… And he thinks it was a man who attacked him.” She burst into laughter.

  Ethan chuckled with his eyes tearing up until he completely lost it and doubled over cackling. The couple looked at one another and that only fueled their laughter. Jillian stood, arms folded glaring at them both.

  Ethan put his hand up. “Sorry… sorry… I, um…” Then he giggled again.

  “Oh, come on— it’s a little bit funny.” Victoria covered her mouth with her hand.

  Jillian curled her lip then a slight smile appeared on her face before her shoulders flinched up and down as she let out a cackle. She rolled her eyes and allowed herself a couple giggles before closing her eyes and sighing. After opening her eyes, she cleared her throat and fought to maintain a straight face. “I’m serious, we need to talk about this.”

  “Okay. Okay.” Victoria shook her head and breathed in deeply. “I’m better now.”

  “Oh my God, I know what happened.” Ethan’s eyes brightened. “When I walked back in the locker room, George was coming out of this little private bathroom door.”

  “What door?” Jillian asked, confused.

  “Yeah, he was um… he was…”

  “What?”

  “I think he had…” he grimaced, “… diarrhea.”

  “Diarrhea?” Jillian asked.

  Victoria burst into a chuckle and Jillian stared her down.

  “Sorry.” Victoria covered her mouth with both hands.

  “Yes, he was complaining about his dinner or something.”

  “Oh, but that still doesn’t explain where the old man—”

  “Okay, this is what must have happened. I swear I saw George in the steam room. I mean, it’s foggy, but it was George.” Ethan nodded. “So I came out to tell you everything was set and I did
n’t know that the bathroom was there. The old man must have been in there and when he came out, your husband rushed to the bathroom with his emergency situation and the old man took his place in the steam room.”

  Jillian narrowed her eyes, opened her mouth to speak, but had nothing.

  “Wait, how the hell didn’t you see that it was some old man you were about to molest and not your husband?” Victoria scoffed.

  “Yeah…” Ethan muttered and they both looked at her, waiting.

  “Um, well, it was dark and foggy and I don’t know… he… He had a towel over his head and he looking down. It all happened so fast.”

  “Wait, did you touch it?” Victoria looked at her with her jaw hanging open.

  “Touch what?”

  “The old man’s, you know, penis.”

  “Nooooo.” She replied with the confidence clearly missing from her tone.

  “You touched it didn’t you?” Victoria smiled.

  “I don’t know…” Jillian cringed, horrified, “… maybe I brushed up against it when I was falling backward. I’m not sure.”

  Ethan and Victoria shared a horrified look as Jillian covered her face with her hands and plopped down on the bed.

  “Look, it’s going to be okay.” Victoria sat next to her and placed a hand on her arm.

  Jillian gave her a pleading look. “We have to get rid of that robe.”

  “No, they have cameras everywhere— especially watching for things falling off the ship. I guarantee you they will see if we throw it overboard.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I watched this whole ‘Crime Aboard Cruise Ships’ special on 20/20.”