The Boyfriend Plan

by J. S. Cooper

  15

  Dear Diary,

  Sometimes things just make sense. You know when you want something so bad and then you don’t get it and you are so upset, but then later you realize it was the best thing that could have happened? And if you could have just seen the future, you could have saved yourself so much heartache? Well, I can’t say that I would have saved myself much heartache, but I would have saved my energies and time on something else. In case you didn’t know what I was talking about, diary of mine, it’s all about Gayle and Ben and all the signs I should have seen.

  Blake woke up about ten minutes after me, and of course he caught me staring at him, well his chest to be exact. What a perfect specimen he was, especially the chest: broad and firm with just a sprinkling mat of hair. He really was an Adonis.

  “Something on my face?” Blake lifted his arm and rubbed his eyes.

  “No.”

  “How much did you drink last night, Mags? You were out within an hour.”

  “I made sure to drink up at the restaurant,” I laughed.

  “That you did. So you going to make me breakfast?” he stretched his arms and his long, lean torso stretched with him. Oh my goodness, was he gorgeous or what.

  “Breakfast? Me?”

  “I did save you last night. And you know all good wives serve their husbands breakfast in bed.”

  “Chauvinist,” I grabbed my pillow from under me and hit him. He grabbed it from me and tried to hit me back, but I grabbed onto it like I was wrestling with it.

  “Oh no you don’t, you lil’ minx!” Blake released his hold on the pillow and started tickling me. I burst into laughter and curled up. I was extremely ticklish, as Blake knew from when we were kids.

  “Okay, stop, stop,” I screeched. “I’ll make you breakfast. Egg whites and toast.”

  Blake didn’t stop and instead tickled me some more. I started bucking my body back and forth to get away from him and his rambling fingers.

  “Oh no you don’t,” Blake growled at me playfully, and all of a sudden we were rolling around on the bed and I could feel parts of his body that I hadn’t even dared think about before.

  And then he stopped. He was on top of me now, with his legs around my waist and his hands holding my arms at the sides of my body. I squirmed underneath him, all of a sudden feeling very aware of the proximity of his body to mine and the minimal amount of clothes between us. I stopped. He looked down at me and then he kissed me. My legs opened and I felt his hardness pressing against me as I wrapped my legs around him. His hand moved to my breast and his fingers lightly played with my nipple. My body was on fire as he touched me and we kissed. We rolled to the side and kissed some more and then before I knew it I was on top of him, straddling him. His very hard erection between my legs. I sat there for a few seconds before moving back and forth and then I leaned down to kiss him. My fingers played with his hair and his hands pressed into my waist as he rocked me back and forth on top of him. I could feel myself wanting to go further and I was about to reach down to touch his manhood, when he suddenly pulled away and groaned. I rolled over to the side of the bed and we just looked at each other for a few seconds, sexual tension filling the air.

  “So are you going to make me a hearty breakfast, good wife of mine?” Blake laughed to break the tension.

  I wanted to lean up and kiss him on the lips again, but was too scared to. “Okay. Bacon, eggs, and toast?”

  “Sounds good.” And with that, he leaned down, kissed me on the forehead, and got off of me. “And soon? I’m starving.”

  My body felt cold and missed his presence so close to mine, but I dismissed trying to seduce him with some morning sex. 1) I didn’t think my breath was good enough to go in for a longer kiss. 2) I’d forgotten what morning sex was and wasn’t sure I could perform well. 3) I was pretty positive Blake saw me as his little sister and this was another one of his lessons. 4) He had a girlfriend.

  I got out of bed and stretched. “Well, you better show me the kitchen if I’m to cook up this feast.” I all of a sudden felt very self-conscious because Blake was staring at me intently as I stretched. I looked down and could see that half my belly was showing, as the t-shirt he had lent me had ridden up. Oh well, there was my belly in all its glory. It had gone down considerably since we had been reacquainted at the gym a few months ago, but certainly wasn’t showing off any washboard abs. In fact, my fat was doing a pretty good job of hiding any abs that existed as if it were a bodyguard and didn’t want any prying eyes to even know they were there.

  I tried sucking in my stomach to see if it would make much difference. It didn’t, or at least not the difference that I was hoping for. It still didn’t look flat. It looked good for someone who had just given birth to triplets. If I had just given birth, people would be astonished and envious of my stomach. They’d be saying things like, “How did she lose the weight so quickly?” and, “Maggie, what’s your secret?” Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have any kids and people around me knew that and thus no one was looking at my stomach in admiration. I did quickly think about the possibility of adopting a child and passing it off as mine but decided that just doing more abdominal workouts would be a cheaper and more feasible option.

  I looked around Blake’s kitchen in admiration. It fit in with the rest of his house. It was perfect: bright and spacious with modern appliances and a homey feel. I wondered how often Bridget cooked in this kitchen and if she would be upset that I was in here right now. I didn’t even want to think about how she would feel if she knew that I had slept in the same bed as her boyfriend. No matter how nice and congenial she was, and no matter that I was no threat to her, I couldn’t imagine that she would be too happy to learn about either one. It made me feel slightly guilty. I knew that I wouldn’t want another woman in bed with my boyfriend, no matter if they were childhood friends or not. But I suppose we hadn’t done it on purpose and nothing had actually happened, so no harm done.

  The fridge and pantry were both stocked with goodies that I could only dream about buying, due both to their cost and to my diet. I hesitate to really say ‘diet’ because I’m not doing too great on that front, cupcakes being my one true love, along with a handful (or two) of other just as healthy food options.

  “Blake, breakfast is ready,” I called out to him after frying up the bacon and scrambling some eggs.

  “About time,” Blake looked at the table set with plates and smiled. “You remembered the tomatoes and onions.”

  “How could I forget?” I grinned. Every time Blake had slept over, he had made sure to get my mom to add tomatoes and onions to his plate. It was something his grandma used to do for him with his breakfast, and he never liked to eat his breakfast without them.

  “Tastes good, Maggie. If the writing career doesn’t work out, you can always be my cook.”

  “Is that an offer?” I grinned back at him. “I may very well need to take you up on that.”

  “Uh oh, book not going well?” Blake looked at me in concern. I wasn’t sure if it was because he was really concerned about my book or if he was worried about looking like a fool in front of the publishing contact he had raved to about me.

  “It’s going okay. I really got some good ideas flowing when I was with Bridget in the Hills, but it’s been going slowly since then.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “Not right now.” I didn’t want to ruin the mood by bringing up the book.

  “Okay. So what are you plans for the day?”

  I grimaced. “I told Gayle I’d meet her for lunch. She wants to talk to me about Ben.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “Yeah, she is going to explain to me what her text message was about last night. She says she likes him. I think they may have hooked up.”

  “No way.”

  “Crazy, right? I can’t believe she did this to me.”

  “Oh, I was more in shock because I thought she was a lesbian.”

  “What?” I dropped my fork on t
he plate in surprise. “You thought Gayle was a lesbian?”

  “Yeah, she always seemed so serious and mean around me. I figured she didn’t like men.”

  I started laughing. “Oh, that’s just Gayle. She’s intense about everything. You just have to get to know her.”

  “I was surprised you guys were friends actually...”

  “Why?”

  “It just didn’t seem as if your personalities would mesh well. You know, with her being so serious and you...”

  “Me what?”

  “You know.”

  I looked at Blake, pouting and trying to hide a smile. I knew what he meant. “What do you mean, Blake?”

  “Well, you know, you’re not as serious, and, ahem...”

  I started laughing. “I know. I think that’s why we get on so well. I provide laughter in her life, and she tries to put some rigidity in mine. Well, at least she did,” I frowned.

  “I can come with you if you want,” Blake offered.

  “Actually, I would like that.” I didn’t want to go to lunch with Gayle alone. I had a feeling that if I did, I would be a bundle of emotions, and I frankly didn’t need that right now.

  “So how is Bridget, by the way? She says she’s busy discovering stuff.” I changed the subject.

  “Discovering stuff? Like what? Bones?”

  “I don’t know. Something for a case.”

  “Oh, you mean she’s doing discovery.” Blake laughed.

  “I guess. I don’t know. I’m not a fancy-dancy lawyer.”

  Blake couldn’t stop laughing. I didn’t to try and pry for more information.

  “So, how long have you known her?” I tried to act casually, chewing on some toast.

  “Who?”

  “Bridget!” I exclaimed in exasperation. Blake really could be dense sometimes.

  “Oh. Well, we’ve both been at the firm for about 9 years now. We were incoming first-year associates together.”

  “Oh, wow.”

  “I know. It’s been a long time.”

  “And you guys, um, you’ve always gotten along well?” I tried to think of a way to ask how long they had been dating without making it seem I was too interested.

  “Yes. She’s one of the few people I completely trust.”

  I died a little inside at that. It didn’t seem as if they would be breaking up any time soon.

  “So, you guys have a good, uh, relationship then?” How could he be so casual about it all after what had nearly happened that morning?

  “I would hope so, we are partners after all!” Blake laughed. “Any more bacon left?”

  I was glad for the excuse to get up and turn my face away from Blake. Something inside me crashed a little when he referred to her as his partner. It seemed to me that when a man referred to a woman as his partner, it meant a little more than just being boyfriend and girlfriend.

  “How many rashers do you want?” I asked, while adding some more eggs to his plate.

  “Three, if you have them. I’m a growing boy,” Blake beat his hands against his chest and roared like Tarzan.

  “You are a goof, Blake,” I laughed. “I hope Bridget doesn’t mind me being here and cooking you breakfast and all,” I mumbled quickly.

  “Why would she care?” Blake looked at me puzzled. “In fact, if she knew, she would likely wish she were here herself. She hates cooking.”

  Well, that put me in my place. Blake and Bridget’s relationship was obviously very strong, and he must have already told her that she had nothing to fear by him and me being close. It stung a bit, and I felt my stomach churn, but did I really expect a guy like Blake to be interested in me?

  “Here you go,” I plunked the plate in front of Blake. “I’m going to go shower, and you can do the dishes when you are done.”

  “Oh, woman, didn’t you know you are meant to cook and do the dishes?” Blake laughed as I walked out of the room.

  I called Gayle and told her that Blake was coming with me to lunch. I hadn’t really wanted to tell her beforehand. I’d wanted her to feel awkward telling me the story of betrayal in front of someone else, but I realized that I had to call her to tell her I would drive to the restaurant and didn’t need her to pick me up.

  I realized that it had been a mistake for me to tell Gayle that Blake was joining us as soon as we got to the restaurant; for there sitting at the table with Gayle was Ben Bonkers. Blake grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “It’ll be okay. Just smile,” he whispered to me.

  As we walked to the table, I kept my head held high and smiled brightly. I couldn’t help but notice that both Gayle and Ben looked happy. They had a glow about them and they were holding hands. Gayle looked softer than I had seen her in years, and her hair was down and flowing. She looked quite beautiful. A surge of warmth ran through me. It was happiness. I was happy for my friend. She looked like she was floating in the clouds. I realized as we approached the table that I had barely glanced at Ben; compared to Blake, he just didn’t even factor into the equation. I realized that my affections for him had faded considerably since I had met Jasmine. Anyone who could or would date Jasmine was not anyone I had any respect for.

  “Hey, Maggie. Hey, Blake,” Gayle stood up and gave me a hug. I held my body back a little bit though, and the hug ended awkwardly.

  “Gayle, good to see you,” Blake gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Ben, how you doing?”

  “Good, Blake, how’s the legal world treating you?”

  “Good, good.” Blake and I sat down.

  I tried to make eye contact with Ben but he avoided my gaze.

  “So, how’s your day going so far?” Gayle asked brightly. I could tell she was trying as hard as she could to make the mood lighter, but I decided that I wasn’t going to make it any easier for her. It wasn’t so much that I cared about Ben, more that she hadn’t shared with me that she had any feelings for him.

  “Could have been better,” I shared after ordering a big juicy steak. So what if it was lunchtime? I was getting Gayle’s money’s worth at this meal.

  “So, how long have you been dating?” I stared at Gayle. I couldn’t be bothered with the pleasantries. I wanted to know how this had happened and when.

  “We didn’t mean to hurt you,” Ben finally looked at me.

  “Hurt me? You?”

  “I know that you had a crush on me.”

  “Excuse me?” I look at Gayle accusingly, as I had never told Ben I had a crush on him.

  “I know you liked me. I knew before Gayle told me.”

  I squirmed in my seat, embarrassed and annoyed. I could feel my face flushing.

  “I see.”

  “Maggie, I’m sorry.” Gayle reached over to grab my hand. I recoiled from her and looked at her in anger.

  “Sorry for what? Sharing my secrets? Or stealing the guy you knew I liked?” What was the point of holding it all in, I was already embarrassed.

  “Maggie. I...” Gayle stammered.

  “Gayle, let me speak first,” Ben spoke softly. I started at him in surprise. He seemed different. Not the usual cocky guy I had become accustomed to.

  “Maggie, you know ever since we began working at ‘We Love to Read’ you have been one of my closest friends, my confidante.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “You know me, Maggie. I’m a ladies man. Or I should say I was.” He gazed over lovingly at Gayle. I wanted to puke.

  “So you used me? As your sounding board?” I asked bitterly. It seemed to me that Gayle had gotten the change that I, myself had envisioned with Ben. Hadn’t I wanted to change him from the ladies man to the man in love?

  “It wasn’t like that, Mags. He didn’t use you.”

  “Oh, really? Is that what you are saying now, Gayle? I thought you told me he was an asshole and a player and that I shouldn’t bother wasting my time with him.”

  “I did. I mean, that was how I felt.”

  “‘Don’t waste your time on him, Maggie,’ you s
aid. ‘He’ll give you an STD just from a kiss. He’s been around the block in more neighborhoods than we’ve been in combined.’ That’s what you said. So is it true? Did he give you anything?”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.” I could see tears gathering in her eyes.

  “Maybe, you can tell us how it happened?” Blake, ever the voice of reason, interrupted.

  “Honestly...”

  I interrupted Gayle, “Yes, please be honest this time.”

  “Maggie.” I looked at Blake, he was frowning at me. Maybe I should have left him at home.

  “I was attracted to Ben when I first met him. But I knew you were as well. And as your best friend, I wanted nothing to do with a guy you liked.”

  My mouth was agape. I had no idea she had liked Ben.

  “So I thought I would wait until you moved on to the next guy. But you didn’t, and you and Ben became friends. And then Ben and I became friends.”

  “So you guys were dating behind my back?”

  “We never went on a date until recently. I swear, Maggie,” Gayle sobbed.

  “I don’t understand how you guys got together then.” I was confused.

  “After you told me about your lunch with Ben and Jasmine, I called him up and told him he was an ass to let her speak to you that way. And well, he asked if we could talk in person.”

  “I wanted to see Gayle. You see, I’d had a crush on her for a long time as well. But I never thought I had a chance.” Gayle reached over and squeezed his hand. “And then...”

  “Spare me the details.” I was softening but was still in no mood to hear the intimate details of their getting together.

  “I’m so sorry, Maggie. Can you ever forgive me?” Gayle stared into my eyes.

  I didn’t know what to say. Gayle had taken my happy ending. She’d converted the bad boy. All my dreams of showing up at the ball in my dress with my new svelte body were down the drain. Then I heard a loud burp.