Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
S kye
"Hi, thank you so much for picking me up," I say to the cab driver as I slide into the back seat. I stare at the stack of files on the seat next to me and let out a deep sigh. "I am guessing you know the address."
"I do," he says with a nod. "Settle in."
"Thank you," I say as I buckle my seatbelt.
I take a deep breath, and for a couple of moments I think about telling the driver to stop and let me out. I'm not really sure that I'm making the best decision, but a part of me just wants to go with it and see how it works out.
I hear my phone beeping and I look down to see Elisabetta has texted me. " Oh my gosh, Skye. I am so sorry. I got carried away. Where are you? "
I stare at the phone and smile slightly. I don't really want to tell her that I walked in on her on all fours with a strange man behind her doing Heaven knows what while she was screaming. That was a sight that I want to forget for the rest of my life.
I text back quickly. " Hey, no worries. I actually got caught up with some work and I'm still working. So see you tomorrow? "
" Are you sure? " she messages back immediately.
" I'm sure. "
I look at my screen and lick my lips. I want to speak to Elisabetta. I want to ask her if she thinks I'm making a mistake, but I don't know if she's still with the guy. I don't know where her head space is at.
I decide to call Lila and she answers on the third ring.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"I didn't wake you up, right?"
"No, it's not that late."
"You and Max aren't doing anything intimate or anything?"
"Max is in the office," she says, giggling. "I was just about to watch Love is Blind UK . The new episodes just came out."
"Oh? Is it good?"
"Oh my gosh, girl, it is so good. The men are adorable. Even better than the US men. There's this one guy that if I wasn't with Max, I would want to be with him."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yeah. His name is Benaniah, but he goes by Ben for short. He is so dreamy. He has these blue eyes and this blonde hair and oops. I should probably keep the excitement out of my voice."
"Man, I'm going to have to check it out."
"You know what I was thinking?" she says.
"No. What?"
"I was thinking you should go on a dating show."
"What, like The Bachelor ?"
"No, like a Love is Blind or something like that. I think you'd do really well. You have such a bubbly personality and you're so fun, and then when they meet you, they would be absolutely astounded because you're also drop-dead gorgeous."
"Oh my gosh, Lila. I am so glad we met in the street that day. You have done so much for my self-esteem."
"What? I'm just telling the truth."
"I know, and you're going to think I'm absolutely crazy right now."
"Um, why would I think you're crazy?"
"Because of where I'm going."
"You're confusing me. What's going on Skye?"
"So I was at the office working…"
"What? On a Sunday evening?"
"Don't ask. Anyway, I guess somehow Kingston found out and he was alerted to the fact that I was working."
"Oh, and he got upset?"
"No, he loved it." I giggle. "He wanted me in the office tomorrow morning at five AM."
"Five AM? Is he crazy?"
"I think so, but guess what?"
"What?"
"You have to promise not to tell Max."
"Okay."
"I mean it, Lila. No one can know what I'm about to tell you."
"Oh my gosh, you didn't steal like a million dollars from the vault at the law firm, did you? You're not on the run to the Bahamas or Mexico or something."
"Lila, you watch too many movies. Does the law firm even have a vault with a million dollars?"
"I don't know," she says, laughing. "If they do, Max hasn't trusted me enough to tell me about it yet."
"Exactly. So if your fiancé, the love of your life, has not told you about the vault, how on Earth would I know?"
"True," she says. "So what's going on?"
"I'm headed over to Kingston's place," I say in a whisper.
"But it's ten o'clock at night."
"I know. We're going to do some work."
"Oh, wow. He is a really hard boss. No wonder you wanted to be a part of the Annoying Hot Bosses Club."
"But he also had a suggestion for me and..." My voice trails off. "I kind of think I'm going to say yes."
"What are you talking about?"
"He thinks that we should..." I pause to think of the right words. "I guess be friends with benefits."
"What?"
"I know. I know. It's an awful idea, but he's so handsome and it's not like I'm dating anyone. It's not like I'm even meeting anyone and sex with him was so good and I do want to do it again. And he has this idea that we keep the bedroom in the bedroom and work at work. So we're not going to discuss anything physical or intimate in the office."
"Um," she says, but doesn't say anything else.
"You think it's a bad idea, don't you?"
"I just think it's going to be really hard to keep sex in the bedroom and work at work. I mean, what if you see him in the office and you just want to rip his clothes off?"
"Well, then I'll wait until I see him the next time out of the office and I'll do it."
"What if you want him to take you on the desk? What if you want to have a quickie in the bathroom? What if?—"
"Lila."
"What? I’m just saying keeping sex in the bedroom sounds like a great idea. I just don't know that it's possible."
"So you think I should say no?"
"I don't think you should say no if that's something you want, I just wonder if it's something that is actually feasible and well-thought-out."
I lick my lips as I listen to her words. She has a point. I've never been a proponent for friends with benefits because I've never actually thought that it could work. I'd always thought that people would catch feelings, but I don't really see me catching feelings for someone like Kingston and I sure don't see him catching feelings for me.
"I mean, I think it could be really fun, and if at any time it's not fun, we won't do it anymore. Maybe, in fact, I'll do it and then I'll try signing up for a dating show and then when I get cast, I can just end things so that it's not messy and I can just give myself wholeheartedly to the process of the show without feeling horny because I haven't had any in a long time."
There's silence on the other end.
"Are you there, Lila?"
"Um, I'm here, but I'm still trying to process what you just said."
"What? I think it's reasonable. I bet you a lot of times the people who go on those shows end up with someone that's not that great because they're so horny and in lust so they go by physical attraction. But if I've been getting some with a really good-looking guy, then I can really focus on personality and ensuring that we're a good fit outside of just the physical attraction. So maybe you're right. Maybe Love is Blind is the show for me."
"Skye, you are saying that you're going to enter into a friends with benefits situation with a boss you find quite annoying so that you can have better luck on a reality TV dating show that you haven't even applied for, that wasn't even in your mind ten minutes ago until I spoke to you on the phone?"
I chuckle. "You know me. I'm quick on my feet and fast in my brain."
"I think that you will use any excuse to enter into this arrangement and I'm going to be honest; it sounds fun. It sounds exciting and Kingston is gorgeous. He has the bluest eyes I've ever seen in my life and that dark silky hair? Shit, he could be a Greek god. He could be a Roman god. He could be a movie star. I understand why you're attracted to him. I understand why you want to have some fun." She pauses. "I just don't want to see you getting hurt, you know? You're my friend and I love you and I care about you and I want to ensure that all your dreams come true. And I know you want to meet a great man."
"I do," I say softly. "I was thinking about it earlier today. I want to find true love."
"And do you think you're going to find true love by banging your boss?" she asks. "I'm sorry. That was crude and I don't like to be crude, but..."
"But nothing. It's a valid question. No, I don't think that I'm going to find true love by entering into an arrangement with my boss. But it's fun. And you know what I've decided?"
"No. What have you decided?"
"I've decided that I'm going to live for the here and now. If tomorrow I meet a great guy and I think there's potential, I'll just look Kingston in the eyes and I'll say, ‘While what we had was fun, it's time for me to move on because I've met someone that can maybe give me what I really want.’"
"Do you really think it will be as simple as that?" she asks softly.
"I do, and I don't know if I'm lying to myself or not, but I really and truly do."
I look out the window and stare at the people walking down the street as the cab zooms down the road and I wonder if I'm lying to myself. I wonder if I really and truly can be in an arrangement with someone like Kingston without developing feelings, without it going haywire or getting awkward and messy.
"And I mean, honestly, Lila, it's not like this is my dream job. If everything goes to shit, I'll just quit and I'll find something else to do. I'm nothing if not resourceful."
"I know," she says. "And I understand, and trust me, if at any time it feels like it's too much or too messy or you just want to chat, I'll be here. Okay?"
"I know, and that's why I love you so much. You're always there for me. So maybe we can grab lunch this week?"
"That sounds great."
"I think we're about to pull up to the building, so I'll see you soon? I'll talk to you later, girl. Bye."
I hang up and sit back in the seat, closing my eyes. My heart is thudding at the thought of seeing Kingston again. The cab pulls over and stops and the driver looks in the rearview mirror.
"This is the address I was given. You sure you want to get out?"
I stare at him and nod slightly while grabbing my folders.
"I don't know you and you don't know me," he says. "But friends with benefits usually ends up as enemies with nothing."
I stare at him for a couple of seconds before giving him a wry smile. "I mean, I guess the good thing is he and I aren't really friends."
The guy blinks. "What?"
"Me and Kingston, the guy I'm entering this relationship with," I say, having no idea why I'm telling this stranger my story. "We're not really friends. So if it blows up, it's not like I'm losing a great friendship. It's just me going back to my old life. But thank you."
He nods and turns around to look at me. "For what it's worth," he says, looking me up and down. "I'd want to enter a relationship like that with you as well." I stare at him for a couple of seconds in shock as he winks. "I have a wife, but what she doesn't know." He grins. "You know, ‘when the cat's away, the mice will play.' He pulls out a business card and hands it to me. "If you're ever looking for a second non-friend with benefits."
I stare at the card in his hand and blink. "But you just said you're married."
"And?" He raises an eyebrow and I just shake my head.
I jump out of the cab with the files and slam the door behind me.
He rolls the window down and grins. "I'm just saying, if you like to give it up."
I press my scowl and head toward the building. I'm mortified and pissed off and wish I'd taken the card so I could research the guy and contact his wife and tell her that her husband is a philandering pig.
I step inside the lobby of the building and my heart jumps for joy when I see Kingston standing there, a smirk on his face as he heads over to me.
"You made it. I wasn't sure if you were going to come."
"Well, I want someone to help me with all these files," I say with a small smile. "It's not every day your boss offers to help you do your work."
"True," he says. "And it's not every day your boss invites you to spend the night."
"I know. Crazy." I grin. "Hopefully I don't have to do anything to earn the pleasure of sleeping in his bed."
"I don't think you have to do anything you wouldn't enjoy doing."
"Ah, but how do you know what I would enjoy doing?"
"I've got a pretty good idea," he says as he takes the folders from me. "In fact, why don't we head up to my place right now and see if I can guess one of the things you enjoy doing."
I look into his eyes and my heart races and all I can do is nod. We walk toward the elevator in silence, and as we step in, he presses the button to his floor then takes a step back.
"I wish I didn't have these folders in my hand," he says as he licks his lips.
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Because I'd love to press you up against the wall, lift your leg up, and pleasure you."
"Are you really saying what I think you're saying?"
"Depends on what you think I'm saying. Do you understand direct statements?" He grins. "You ever had sex in an elevator?"
I shake my head. "Have you?"
"Perhaps," he says. "But not this elevator." He grins. "There are plenty of places I haven't had sex that I would love to have sex with with you."
"So we're doing this then." I stare at him, my heart racing, my stomach flipping.
"If this means we're going to embark on a sexual journey together, I think so. That's why you're here, right?"
"You're not worried that this is going to blow up in our faces? You're not worried that..."
"Worried that what? Worried that you will fall for me?" He shrugs. "I am devastatingly handsome with a personality to match."
I groan. "So modest."
He grins. "But you seem like you've got your head on straight and I feel like I've got my head on straight. I think we both see this for what it is."
"And what's that?" I said.
"Us satisfying each other." He grins.
“I hope that—.” My phone rings and I frown as I see Elisabetta’s name on the screen. “I have to take this.” I answer the phone quickly. “Hey, is everything okay?”
“Can you come home?” She whispers. “I did something stupid.”
“Oh, Lord, what happened?”
“I can’t talk right now. I’m in my closet whispering to you.”
“Okay, I’m coming right now. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I look over at Kingston with wide eyes. “Elisabetta is in trouble. I have to go.”
He stares at me for a few moments, his eyes darkening as he nods. “I’m coming with you.”
“What? No, I don’t need you to?—.”
“The guy is still there?”
“I think so.” I admit.
“I’m not letting you go into a potentially dangerous situation by yourself. I am coming with you.” He gestures me into his apartment. “Let me get dressed and grab my car keys.”
“You drive?”
“I’m not just a pretty face.” He grins, but then stops as he notices that I’m shaking. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. She’s okay right? Should we call the cops?”
“I don’t think we need to call the cops, but I’m scared. I’ve never heard her sound like that before.”
He nods and races to his bedroom and is back out within minutes, holding up some keys. He grabs my upper arms and looks me directly in the eyes. “I am here for you and your best friend. We will take care of whatever the problem is, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod weakly. Never have I been more grateful for Kingston being so dominant and bossy. “Thanks.”
“No worries. I always take care of my own.” He says softly and my heart races slightly at his words. I have no idea what he means by that, but the sentiment makes me feel ecstatic.
"You really don't have to come with me," I say to Kingston as we make our way up the stairs to my apartment. "I know that you probably had other things going on this evening and?—"
"No, it's fine," he says. "I was not going to allow you to go back to the apartment by yourself. You don't know what's going on."
"I mean, I don't think she's being murdered or anything. She sounded more tearful, not scared." I look at him and blink. "But I am grateful that you've come with me. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he says. He smiles at me, and we share a look for a few moments as we head towards my door. I'm not sure what we're going to enter and see, and I'm nervous. I'm really grateful that he's here beside me. Even though Kingston can be a jerk, I've quite liked seeing this protective side of him. It reminds me of when we were in Club Z and Whitaker Matlock had tried to feel me up. It had been uncomfortable, and I was slightly out of my element, and knowing that Kingston had seen that and stood up for me had meant so much.
I grab my key and open the door. "Hey, it's me," I say as I step inside. Kingston hurries in behind me and closes the door. "Hey, Elisabetta. I'm home," I call out again, and I hear thuds walking toward me. A guy in his late twenties with dark brown hair glances up at me in surprise.
"Yo, what's going on?"
"Hi," I say, frowning. I look over at Kingston. "That's not the guy that I saw her with earlier," I whisper, and he makes a face. "Sorry, who are you?" I ask him.
"I'm Radium." He grins. "You're Elizabeth's friend?"
"Elisabetta," I say. "Yeah, I'm her best friend and roommate. You know where she is?" My heart's pounding. I really hope he hasn't done something to her.
"She's in the bathroom, I guess." He shrugs. "I guess she's showering or something."
"Okay. And you're leaving or..."
"I mean, she told me she wanted me gone, but I wanted to tell her it's no big deal. You know?" He looks over at Kingston. "I'm sure you agree. It happens."
Kingston stares at him, then looks at me. "What's he talking about?" he asks softly.
"I have no idea." I shake my head. "I'm going to go and see how Elisabetta is. Kingston, will you stay here with Radium and just make sure everything's okay?" Kingston nods and I hurry toward Elisabetta's bedroom, open it, and make my way to the bathroom. I knock.
"Who is it?" she calls out, slightly annoyed.
"It's me. It's Skye."
“Oh. Hold on." I hear footsteps, and then she unlocks the door and opens it. She's wearing a white towel and her body is still wet. "Oh my fucking gosh," she says, shaking her head. "Never fucking again. I'm so fucking embarrassed."
"What happened? You're making me nervous. Who the hell is Radium? That's not that dude I saw you with earlier."
"Oh my gosh, Skye. I'm an idiot. I totally screwed up."
"He's not dangerous, is he?"
"Who?" she says, blinking.
"Radium."
"Not that I know of. Why? Isn't he gone?"
"No, he's in the living room with Kingston."
"Kingston?" She raises an eyebrow. "Your boss?"
"Yeah. He was concerned that something bad happened and didn't want me to come here alone."
"Oh, that was nice of him. Much nicer than I would've expected from a jerk like him."
"I know. I kind of felt the same way," I say with a little giggle. "But what is going on here? You called me and you sounded really upset. And I'm not going to lie, I came home earlier and you were with a different guy. Who is this?"
"Oh my gosh. So, remember Tombstone?"
“Yeah, I remember what you told me about him."
"He came over and, you know, we were going to have some fun, but then he couldn't get it up." She rolls her eyes. "I guess he had a lot on his mind or something." She shrugged. "Anyway, he said, 'If you want me to go, I can go.' And I was like, 'Sure, go.' And so I was just kind of hanging out and I was like, 'You know what? Fuck, I feel horny.'"
I stare at her. "Elisabetta, really?"
"What can I say? So I went on the app and I matched with Radium and hey, he was feeling horny too."
"Okay, and what happened?" I say softly. "Can we sit on your bed or something? I feel awkward just standing here in the bathroom with you."
"Sure," she says. "Do you think we should go out there and speak to Kingston and Radium first though?"
"No, I'm sure it'll be okay," I say as we walk and sit down on her mattress.
"So anyway, Radium comes over over."
"Yeah, and?"
"We're hooking up."
"You don't even know him."
"I made sure he had protection. Come on now, Skye. You've never just been horny for horny's sake?"
"Of course I have, but that doesn't mean I meet a random dude on a site and invite him over, especially after another guy had already been here."
"It's not like I fucked Tombstone. Come on. It's not like I'm fucking two different guys on the same night, which would not be the worst thing to ever happen in the world, by the way."
"I'm not judging you. You know that, Elisabetta." I let out a deep sigh. I have no idea what's going on with my best friend, why she's all of a sudden lost it. All I know is that I can just be there for her. "So what happened?"
"He gets here and he's cute. You know I like that surfer look."
"Yeah, he does kind of look like a surfer or a skateboarder."
"Anyway, we're in the bed and he's like, 'How adventurous are you?'"
"Okay?"
"And I was like, 'I'm more adventurous than Christopher Columbus.'"
"What?" I stare at her.
"You know, Christopher Columbus, the explorer."
"Okay."
"Maybe I should've said Marco Polo, huh?"
"Elisabetta, stick to the story."
"Sorry," she says, grinning. "Anyway, he's like, 'You want to do anal?' And I was like, 'I don't know.' And he's like, 'I've got lube.' And I should've been like, 'Why do you have lube?' But anyway. I'm like, 'He's hot and what the fuck, let me just go with it.'"
"Okay?" I say, blinking, not wanting to ask my best friend why she thought anal with a perfect stranger was a good idea.
"Anyway, he's fucking me pretty good."
I stare at her. "Okay."
"And then I feel his fingers all over me and he does this move."
"What move?" I ask her.
"Girl, I'm not even sure because everything that happened next happened so quickly." She makes a face.
"What happened next?"
"I shit on his dick."
"You what?" I almost scream and then lower my voice as we hear footsteps. The doors open and I see Kingston standing there.
"Is everything okay?" He looks concerned.
"Yeah, she's fine. She's just telling me what happened. Sorry."
"Okay." He nods. "Because I'm going to get this dude to leave because I don't really think he sounds like he is mentally with it." He looks at me and then he looks at Elisabetta. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call the cops? Do you want?—"
"No, I'm fine. I'm just mortified," she says. "Absolutely mortified. That has never happened to me before."
He blinks in confusion. "Sorry, I don't really know what you're talking about."
I stare at Elisabetta and she looks down in shame. "You can tell him later, only because he's here and he's going to want to know, but I do not want to be a party to the conversation when you tell him."
"Okay," I say. "Everything's fine, Kingston. Will you just get Radium to leave?"
"Okay," he says, nodding. "If you say so." He closes the door again and I look over at Elisabetta.
"Girl, that's not that bad. I know it's happened to other people."
"I shit on a rando while he was doing me up the ass." She stares at me. “Not just a little shit. A lot of shit. I never want to see that man again."
"Okay." I nod. "And you never have to see him again. We can make sure of that."
"And now I feel guilty."
"Why do you feel guilty?"
"Because freaking Tombstone sent me a text message saying that he wishes he could be the man that I wanted and he was sorry about tonight. And I feel like a slut."
"You're not a slut. It's not like Tombstone's your man."
"I know, but...what's going on with me?" She stares at me. "I just feel stupid."
"Girl, you're not stupid. You obviously were hornier than you thought and you just wanted to get laid. It happens."
"Yeah, I guess."
"And it's not your fault you shit on this dude. I mean, he was kind of asking for it if he wanted to do anal."
"What?" she says.
"It's never happened to me per se, but I've heard of plenty of people who have shit when doing anal."
"Really?" Her lips twitch, and I nod.
"Yeah." I give her a hug. "You did wash, right?"
"I'm wet. Of course I washed."
"Just checking. I don't want to be hugging my shitty best friend."
"I'm no longer shitty," she says, giggling. "Though the sheets under this duvet may?—"
"Ew." I jump up. "Are you freaking kidding me?"
"I didn't have time to rip them off, but it's not like I was doing it on the duvet. We were doing it on the sheets. The duvet is covering anything that..."
"Oh my gosh. Elisabetta, this is gross. I am going into the living room. Put on some clothes and join us."
"I don't even want to stay here tonight," she says, shaking her head. "I want to go to the Ritz or something and just relax in a big king-size bed that doesn't have remnants of shit or cum." She wrinkles her nose. "Because you know he came, right?"
"Honestly, I don't want to know," I say giggling. "I really don't. This is like the grossest story I've ever heard."
"I guess I could be on a poster for why you do not want to engage in anal sex with strangers," she says, joking, and I have to stifle a snort. It’s really not a laughing matter. I am not going to make a joke about adult diapers.
I don’t think she will appreciate it.
It’s too soon. Way too soon.
"Why don't you put on some clothes and I'll see if Radium's gone? And maybe I'll ask Kingston if he can take us to a hotel."
"You don't have to stay with me," she says. "If you want to be with him tonight…"
"What?"
"I called you and you were obviously at his place because he came with you."
"Yeah, and?"
"And it's late. Maybe you were going to have your own fun tonight."
"No, we were just going to work. We?—"
“Maybe you were going to work. Maybe something else was going to happen." She shrugs. "But he doesn't seem like he's that bad of a guy."
"What are you saying?"
"He came here with you to make sure you were going to be okay to make sure I was okay. That's a pretty stand-up thing to do."
"Sure, he has his moments," I agree. "But I don't want to just leave you at a hotel and?—"
"Trust me. I just want to be by myself for the rest of the night. I want to lie in. I want to get room service. I want to just have a bath for four hours and scrub my entire body clean." She takes a deep breath. "And then watch Netflix."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I mean, I'd be grateful for the ride to the hotel, but I want you to enjoy your night. Just be careful."
"What does that mean?"
"We don't want two shitty stories in our friendship, right?"
I burst out laughing and hug her. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'm worried about you though, you know?"
"I know," she says. "I'm just going through some shit, but I'll figure it out."
"I'm always here for you. Whatever you need, whatever you want."
"I know," she says. "That's why you're my best friend and that's why I love you. And tell Kingston that I'm very grateful that he accompanied you as well."
"I will. Okay, let me go out and make sure Radium's gone," I say as I head toward the door.
"Okay. I'm just going to get some stuff together in a bag as well."
I head out into the living room and find Kingston sitting on the couch. He looks up at me with a query in his eyes. His dark hair is fluffy and he looks slightly tired.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah. She just kind of had a little bit of a crazy night."
"Yeah, that's what I gather."
"Oh?" I ask him as I sit next to him on the couch.
His lips twitch slightly. "Yeah, Radium kind of told me what happened." His eyes widen and he smirks. "I mean, she shouldn't be embarrassed. That's something that does happen when…you know."
"That's what I told her," I say, blushing. "She wants to stay the night at a hotel though," I tell him.
"Oh, okay. And are you staying there with her?"
"No." I shake my head. "I told her that we had work to do."
"Oh, yeah. We have so much work to do." He grins.
"Yeah, we do have work. I know. That's what I said.”
"So we'll take her to a hotel, and then we'll go back to my place and do some work?"
"That sounds like a good idea to me."
"Great," he says, and we just stare at each other awkwardly. I can feel the heat pulsing between us. He rubs my leg and I stare up at him in surprise. "You're a good friend," he says.
"Thank you. You're a good boss."
"I am?" he asks in surprise.
“Don’t let it go to your head, but yes, tonight you were. I appreciate you coming with me."
"I know that you think I'm a jackass, and maybe sometimes I am, but deep down inside, I'm a kind of good person."
"Yeah, very deep down inside," I say, teasing him.
"You know, I could take that comment somewhere else, but I'm not going to." He winks at me and we both start laughing.