Friends with Benefits

by Olivia Gaines

  “I am not sure, son, he is already a Broche. I know my brother is getting too old to raise one that young, so it is something to think about.” Aunt Delia was nearly forty when Terre had been born which was part of the reason they only had the one child. Maybe, Grayson thought to himself....

  Grayson looked at Charlize again, who was now flanked by Marquez and his list, and the ever present Bok Choy who sat as if he understood the conversation. His head went from his owner to Charlize as if she were watching rabbits playing. He toyed with the idea that boy and dog would make three and four, or one and two, depending how his future wife looked at the numbers.

  And that was when Grayson Broche decided his future and family was with this woman, that boy and his dog.

  Chapter Nineteen

  FRAZIER’S WIFE WAS the first to leave so she could get the girls home and into bed. It was nearly eleven when everyone had departed and Frazier was found passed out in the guest room. Charlize suggested Grayson move his things to her room, only to find that is where he already placed the items. That was pretty forward. As he wiped off the counter tops, bagged up leftovers, and placed containers in the fridge, he softly said over his shoulder, “I would like my days of sleeping alone to come to an end, Charlie.” She did not respond, but found it humorous the next morning, when his request was answered.

  Charlize awoke to a soft knock at the door and an eight-year-old foot in her face. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she had not turned to find a ten-year-old knee in her back, and her feet asleep from where the dog had slept on them. With one eye, she squinted at the figure in the door and realized it was Frazier, coming to fetch his son. “Good morning, I put on coffee,” Frazier whispered as he eyed the pileup in his sister’s bed.

  A freak storm had brewed around one a.m., dropping pine cones and loose branches on the roof, scaring the kids and the dog. The shrubs by the bedroom windows constantly scraped the glass during the rough winds and the two boys were having none of it. At one fifteen in the morning, they had both jumped in bed with her and Grayson. Evidently, Bok Choy did not like thunderstorms either and climbed in with the rest of the crew.

  She now understood why parents had king size beds. “Morning and thank you,” she said to her brother as Frazier walked over to the bed, scooped up his son, giving his sister a salute before he headed out of the door.

  Grayson was partially awake, and offered her a sheepish smile, “Good morning.”

  She groaned as she moved the little foot over, “I am not sure yet; I have had this in my face all night.”

  “It sure beats where his elbow has been for the better part of the morning, and why does everything smell like dog?”

  She pointed towards the foot of the bed, Grayson lifted his head to see Bok Choy who raised his head to look back at Grayson, “Well, that explains it.”

  It did not explain why Marquez was sleeping upside down in the bed. At this point, all she wanted was the coffee she could smell brewing in the kitchen, a hot shower, and to move this weekend into her done pile. If all went well today, she could still have tomorrow to decompress and prepare for her work week. Eyes still full of sleep, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

  She made Marquez a quick breakfast of yogurt, a single slice cheese toast, and a small apple with juice. Grayson, had followed the boy downstairs and without thinking, she sat the same meal in front of him, kissed the top of his head, and did the same to Marquez. From the fridge, she removed one of the chicken burgers from last night, crumpled it into a bowl with a half scoop of kibble, and fed the dog. Coffee cup in hand, she headed for the shower, “Eat up, get showered and dressed. We have a full day ahead of us.”

  The hot water felt like a welcoming lover and she bent and stretched the muscles in the back of her legs. Her shoulders were tight from sleeping badly and a knot was in her back from Frazier III’s knee. She smiled as she thought fondly of Saturday mornings, when her parents would allow them all to pile up in their bed before having waffles and starting the weekend chores.

  A light tap was heard at the bathroom door, and Grayson pushed the door forward. “Charlie, I have a bit of a problem.”

  If he was about to tell her that he had to leave and it was going to be just her and the kid, she was going to hurt him. The click of the door knob could be heard as she slid back the shower door and peered around it, “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

  He lowered the towel, “I think I may need some help.” Charlize immediately kicked into doctor mode, instructing him to step into the warm waters of the shower. She gently massaged the givers of life, asking him to cough twice; there was no swelling or nodules. Charlize realized she had not been paying attention to his condition when he came down the stairs. She held the shaft in her hand, “This does seem to be rather rigid. Grayson, how long has it been like this? All night?”

  He was looking at her with a strange look upon his face, “Nope, only about five maybe ten minutes or so....”

  “Ten minutes, well, then it isn’t priapism,” she looked up at him, still holding him in her hand.

  “That is not my problem.....” he told her as he leaned down to kiss her, and she pulled back.

  “Grayson, my mind is somewhere else, Marquez is just down the hall, and we don’t have time for this.”

  He smiled as he leaned down again and this time connected with her lips, “Trust me, the way I’m feeling, it is not going to take long.” He hoisted her into the air wrapping her legs around his back as the water cascaded down the sinews of his muscles. “The thought of you in here, washing, all these beautiful parts, just.....” he lost his words as he rubbed himself against her.

  “Grayson, my body is not ready for your entry, my mind is.....” was all she was able to say as he lowered her body as well as himself to a kneeling position. The water slapped him in the face as he expertly raised her body temperature and stimulated her blood flow. Her leg came up over his shoulder as she shoved her body against his mouth, grinding her lips against his mustache. She didn’t know how this man could get her worked up so fast but there was no room for questions as he stood, lifted and impaled her in one motion. He used her hips as a counterweight, rocking her back and forth across his need, “Ven, por favor bebe,” he told her as he rocked her faster. Her arms tighten around his neck as she felt the tension building inside her walls, “Harder, Grayson, harder,” she whispered in his ear.

  The pace intensified as he raised, lowered, raised, lowered, pulling her close, pushing her out, pulling her close, pushing her outwards, until he heard the familiar sound of her breath catching in her throat, “That’s it Baby, that’s it; Ven, por favor bebe,” he softly commanded her to let go. He increased his pace some more as she clung to him and he found his release. The water cascaded over their bodies as he held her close and danced slowly under the water whispering endearments. “You are the most amazing woman; I can’t believe how blessed I am.”

  She kissed him hard on the mouth and without hesitation said, “I love you, Grayson.”

  “And I am loving you back, Baby.”

  The tender and loving moment was halted with the banging of a little fist on the bathroom door followed by barking. “It’s time to go shopping, guys.”

  Chapter Twenty

  BOTH GRAYSON AND MARQUEZ were surprised when the sitter showed up at the front door. For a moment the boy was confused and worried they were trying to go shopping without him, until she explained the sitter was for the dog. Charlize was not going to run the risk that a dog left alone in a different house would not get anxious and began to chew and destroy things. If that dog even got close to one of her Manolo Blahnik’s, he was going to be put down. She took the high road with the guys, “My patio is way too hot for him to be outside while we are gone, and I just want to make sure he’s safe and not scared.”

  Her words seem to work. Strapped into the car, they entered I-85 towards Phipps Plaza, but the first stop was to Old Navy for shirts and tees. The next shopping s
pot was to BestBuy for the laptop then a leisurely stroll through the mall. It was very refreshing to see the enthusiasm of Marquez and Charlize found herself thoroughly enjoying the day’s activities. Lunch was at one of those family fun destinations, and Marquez asked a random question, “Hey Doc, are you really rich?”

  She wasn’t sure where this was coming from or what he was trying to accomplish, “I have to go to work every day, so no, I am not. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, on TV, rich people always hire a dog sitter, so, I was just wondering.”

  “I didn’t want anything to happen to your best friend while we were out, so I needed to make sure he would be okay.”

  Grayson had said very little as he tried to decipher what type of food was on his plate. He looked at Charlize’s plate and she was pushing her salad around. Marquez seemed to be enjoying his burger and processed French fries, but Grayson noticed a sadness in his eyes.

  “Marquez, what types of sports are you thinking about playing?”

  The conversation Grayson had been wanting to have with the boy was now sitting in all of their faces and he could no longer avoid it, “Your dad, Terre, tried several sports before he found one he was good at.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep, he tried soccer, and was terrible. I beat him all the time, until he learned that he dribbled better with his hands than his feet; which is why he started to play basketball.”

  The conversation turned to the trophies in Pop-Pop’s house, and the pictures of Terre and Grayson, “You and my Dad were close, huh?”

  “Even though Terre was my cousin, he was also my best friend,” Grayson told the boy about summers in Warner Robins and when Terre would come to Atlanta. Marquez laughed when Grayson talked about many of the adventures the two shared, “Since we were the same age, we hung out together all the time, the same way you do with your cousins,” he paused for a moment to let it sink in, “Did you know your Dad was my roommate in college?”

  Charlize, who had remained quiet, looked up at Grayson. She never made the connection. She and Grayson had met in college and she even had met his roommate, but never truly linked the pieces. Neither Grayson nor Terre had mentioned his last name, so he was always just called roomie or by his first name. They were the same height and build, but the coloring of their complexions were so different, she never thought to look for a family resemblance.

  She had been serving with Doctors Without Borders when Terre’s body was flown home, and she had not been able to make the funeral. Grayson had said very little, choosing to remain stoic about the whole matter, and she had allowed him to, selfishly believing she was being there for him.

  It was with fresh eyes that she viewed him as he explained to Marquez, Terre’s choice to serve our country by joining ROTC to also pay for his college. As Grayson headed to law school, Terre went to military intelligence school, then on to Korea, “where he met your Mom.” They had only been married for a year, “Then you were born, and he got called away to Iraq, then on to Afghanistan.”

  The boy had gotten quiet and Grayson as well. “Gray?”

  “Yes, Marquez?”

  “Do you miss him?”

  “Every single day,” she saw Grayson use his thumbs to wipe at the corners of his eyes.

  Marquez’s chin was starting to tremble, “Gray, I am scared I will forget him.”

  “That is not possible, kiddo. There are so many cool memories that I am looking forward to sharing with you.”

  “But Pop-Pop is forgetting things a lot, and I am afraid that as I get older, I will start to forget them too,” the tears had started to roll down his cheeks and Grayson opened his arms. Marquez, slowly stood and walked into them, burying his little face in Grayson’s shoulder.

  Charlize was starting to fall apart in the chair, but dropped her head to hide her tears, “Don’t worry, I will always be there for you and I will share my many memories of him; and you and I will create some new ones.” Charlize had to excuse herself from the table.

  “Marquez, there are two things your Dad truly loved. Well, I guess, four, you and your Mom, but he also loved fast cars and his birthday.” As Grayson talked, he told the boy about how Terre would start the month before, prepping to celebrate. “He made such a big deal about it every year, and I always had to get him a present.” Grayson suggested that on Terre’s birthday, he and Marquez should share a very large birthday cupcake, and release a balloon to commemorate the date.

  “Gray, maybe we should release four. One for my Mom, me, Dad, and of course Bok Choy.” Of course, who could forget the dog? As the boy went back to seat and composed himself, Grayson used this time to open the conversation about Marquez giving them an audition as parents. Moreover, he needed to know why he approached Charlize first instead of him.

  “Bok Choy,” was all he said as he went back to munching on his cold, gelatinous French fries. This made absolutely no sense to Grayson, but he was talking to an eight-year-old, who was at times, far wiser than many adults he dealt with on a daily basis. He had to get some clarity on the child’s reasoning.

  “Why, did you not come and talk to me first, Marquez?”

  “Because you would say yes, but you would have to move somewhere else. I figured she already had a house and a yard, but where I go, so does Bok Choy. She would have to want and love my dog too.”

  “Marquez, is everything alright at your grandparents house?”

  He shrugged, and tilted his head, “Yeah....” And his words trailed off as he looked around for Charlize.

  “Yeah, but what?”

  “Gray, they are old. If they die, then Bok Choy and I will be all alone. If you take us, I promise I will be a good boy, and do my chores and clean up after Bok Choy.....” That did it for Grayson, he didn’t care what he would have to do, he would find a way to make sure this child would not have to worry about losing any more of his family.

  “I will always be there for you, Marquez. I will never be able to replace your Dad, but I will make sure you won’t be alone.”

  Charlize had been standing around the corner listening to the whole conversation. She fully understood that loving this man as more than her friend, would mean some things would have to change. The first thing on her list was her attitude.

  Chapter Twenty- One

  CHARLIZE AWOKE SLOWLY, lying next to Grayson; the man slept like a dead person. Once his head hit the pillow, there was little if any movement throughout the night. The first night they had shared, she found herself periodically checking his pulse to make sure he was still alive. She almost felt envious as she watched him, lying there, deep into his slumber, as if there were no cares in the world.

  His sleeping habits were almost a direct juxtaposition to the way he actually lived his life, because he cared about so much and so many. It was a big turn on to her watching him yesterday shopping with Marquez. The time he took to show the boy how to mix and match as well as coordinate outfits, ties, socks and shoes left her feeling like a fashion risk. In comparison to what he was showing his little cousin, she felt her wardrobe was closer to wearing Garanimals. The fascinating thing was the conversation over underwear. They purchased boxers and boxer briefs, since Marquez felt he was more of a “let it be free” type of guy. He was eight! What did he have that needed freedom? He had two little raisins and a third of a Twizzler! Charlize held her tongue.

  However, it was the conversation over lunch that really had her worked up. His patience, his understanding, Grayson’s ability to get to the root of what was troubling the child, but more importantly, giving Marquez a chance to voice the things he had been holding silently for two years. In a moment of darker clarity, she realized Grayson had been holding those things in for years as well. Maybe these two needed each other and the only missing piece was her.

  She rolled over and found herself lying on top of Grayson; who still did not move even with her weight on him. “Grayson, sweetie, time for school,” she whispered in his ear. He slowly opened his eyes
, somewhat startled to find her on top of him. His eyes grew wide as his vision came into focus.

  “Wake up, Baby, I need you.” He attempted to stretch out as much as he could with her atop his person, but he frowned as he wiped his eyes.

  Grayson fired off questions as he ran his hands through his disheveled hair. “What’s wrong, what’s up? Marquez okay? Is something wrong with the dog?”

  She kissed him lightly upon the lips, “No, I need your help.”

  He was stuttering as he tried to understand what was going on, until she said, “I want to make love to you this morning.”

  His gaze had focused in on her face, but he still looked confused, “Ah, uhmm, Okay?”

  “I just didn’t want to violate you while you were sleeping, and I thought I would wake you. I didn’t want to just help myself and seem greedy.”

  He laughed aloud, “Be as greedy as you want, and get your fill, but can I at least brush my teeth first?”

  Charlize was past that point. She was a woman in need and she found herself quoting Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” She reached between them and captured him in her hand, while guiding his entry. She placed her hands on his abdomen, pressing downwards as she maneuvered to take him all in.

  Grayson smiled as he rested his hands upon her hips, “Good morning to you too!”

  THE REMAINDER OF THE day went smoothly. Uncle Arthur showed up after breakfast to pick up Marquez and his back to school haul. Grayson had configured the laptop the night before as well as the mobile hotspot. He went one step further and washed all of the underwear and socks before putting them in the new suitcase. What impressed her more than anything was when Grayson got on his knees, took the boy in his arms, and gave him a gigantic hug, “I love you kiddo, and if you want or need anything, you know where to find me.” He kissed him on the forehead; Marquez did not wipe it away.