Friends With Way Too Many Benefits (5 page)

The women shared a look then Jillian frowned. "I've said it before… we really don't know how you walk around with those things."

"It's not easy." Brian sighed.

"So back to Amanda Joseph." Frowning, Jillian motioned with her thumb toward her husband. "That's who he chose as his celebrity free pass."

"Well, that seems like a waste of a selection," Victoria said.

"That's what I said," Jillian agreed.

"Hey, it's my choice," he replied defensively.

"Who's yours?" Looking at Jillian, Victoria widened her eyes.

"Justin Timberlake"

"Oh, he's so hot."

"He is!" Jillian replied enthusiastically, slipping a forkful into her mouth and making a creepy purring sound.

Brian winced, appalled. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Free pass… what are you guys talking about?" Jim asked.

"You each pick your ultimate fantasy celebrity partner," Brian explained. "One you have no chance to ever hook up with. But if by some miracle you do get the opportunity you are free and clear to take it... no guilt at all, right Jillian?"

"Yep and if you want to sleep with Barbra Streisand then knock yourself out."

"Really, knock it off with the Babs crap." Brian sighed.

"This sounds cool, so this is for real, I mean, if it somehow happens, then you can really go for it?" Jim asked, skeptically.

"That’s the deal," Jillian replied as she and Brian shared a nod.

"I think I'd have to be just a little more famous in order to get Amanda Jo's attention," Brian admitted.

"You probably should have gone after her when you were trending on twitter." Jillian grinned.

"Yep." Brian frowned then turned his attention to his brother. "Jim, who would yours be?"

"Um..." Jim rubbed his forehead. "Call me crazy, but I think Mila Kunis is really hot."

"From that weird movie, um..." Brian ran his tongue around his mouth, thinking. "… Black Swan."

"That's her."

"Good choice. She's got that whole mysterious ethnic thing going on," Brian added.

Looking to Victoria, Jillian smiled. "So are you guys going to make the same deal?"

"No way." Jim scoffed.

"Why not."

"I couldn't take the chance, because this one..." Jim pointed to Victoria. "I don’t think there's anyone on the planet that she couldn't sleep with if she really wanted to."

"It's true." Shrugging, Victoria nodded. "It's a gift, really. Remember when they shot that big action movie in town? I had a little fling with
that
guy."

"I remember." Jillian's eyes widened.

"What guy?" Brian asked.

"I really can't say. There was a settlement reached and I, uh..." Victoria shook her head and cringed.

"Oh, come on," Brian whined.

"Let's just say this guy went on to become the governor of one of the largest states in the country."

Jim's mouth opened wide. "Oh my God, you mean—"

Victoria put her fingers to Jim's lips. "Don't say it, but... sometimes 'I'll be back' means..." Victoria shuddered. "...again and again until you get a restraining order."

"Wow..." Brian's mouth dropped open dumbfounded and he slowly shifted his gaze to Jillian. She simply returned a shrug and a nod.

Two days later at the Wilde house Jim pointed out the patio door toward the pool and the outdoor table set with fine china, candles and cloth napkins. "I hope you're hungry."

"What's going on?" Victoria asked, grinning with surprise.

"I just felt like making you dinner."

She kissed him then headed out toward the table beaming. "Wow, this is something."

Rushing ahead of her, he pulled a chair out and motioned for her to take a seat.

"Thank you." She nodded politely.

Grabbing the napkin off her plate, he placed it carefully on her lap.

She gave him a skeptical look. "Really, what's going on?"

"Just an expertly prepared dinner with fancy cocktails."

"Sounds amazing, but where's Kaylie?"

"Staying at your mother's for the night."

"We have the whole house to ourselves?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, make my drink a double then." She flashed him a grin.

"I've been experimenting a little at the bar today. In fact, I've already taste tested a few." He waved his hands around comically as if he might already be drunk.

She giggled. "I'll have what you're having."

"Cool, it's this thing I call a double cosmo slush– crushed ice, double the cranberry, double the vodka and, of course... double the fun."

"Like I said I'll take two of those."

"Wow a quadruple cosmo slush." He flashed her a fake look of apprehension. "I've never made one of those."

"I think you'll manage."

He smiled. "Be right back, but there's fresh baked bread in that basket. It should still be warm."

"You baked bread." She scoffed.

"No, sorry, I actually have a life. It's from the bakery." He frowned. "But I did make everything else."

"Baby, I can't wait."

Jim hurried into the house and Victoria enjoyed a warm roll as she listened to the whirl of their shaved ice maker. Moments later he delivered a drink to her hand and placed his on the table. He waited with his eyebrows raised as she took a sip.

"Amazing."

Smiling, he turned on his heels and skipped toward the house.

"How many drinks did you say you already had?" Chuckling, she called out to him and he ignored the question.

When he returned thirty seconds later, he carried two large bowls. He placed one in front of her and said proudly, "One blue cheese pecan chopped salad... with extra blue cheese crumbles."

"Oh my..."

"Uh-huh..." He moved to his seat and they each took a bite.

She moaned happily as her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "You made this?"

"I did." He held his head high.

"I'd say someone's earned himself some special attention tonight."

"Just wait until you taste the main course."

"Wait, are you the main course?" She widened her eyes.

"I wish..." He grinned. "No, I'm dessert."

"I'll be sure to leave room then."

The two went to work on their salads, bread and drinks as the small talk and never ending sexually suggestive banter continued. Afterward, Jim returned with a drink refill then a cream based bowl of soup dusted on top with a decorative orange spice.

She took a sip of her drink then gazed down to her bowl using her spoon to inspect the vegetables and huge chunks of seafood inside. "Is it really?"

"Yep, seafood chowder just like we had in Maine."

"How did you... ?"

"Well, let me tell you it's not easy to find five, count 'em five, different kinds of fresh seafood and not that crap from the grocery store. I had to go to the dock and two seafood shops."

She lifted a spoon to her mouth, blew gently on it then slipped it into her mouth. Running her tongue around between her lips, she smiled. "It's... incredible."

"I know. I've been sampling it for the last hour."

She raised her spoon from the bowl, spotted a huge chunk of lobster and smiled. "Lobster too?"

"And scallops, shrimp, muscles and clams."

She nodded to him, impressed. "You know that thing you like that I do up in the bedroom?"

"Which thing? The, um, thing you do when I'm sitting in the chair or the thing you do when I'm standing?"

"Standing."

"Ohhh... I like that."

"I'm going to do that..." She widened her eyes. "Twice."

He pointed to his glass. "Well then, I'd better make that my last cocktail."

"Probably."

The happy couple went back to work on their seafood chowder until it was gone.

Picking up her drink, Victoria sat back in her chair and took a sip, giving him another skeptical look. "Really what's all this about? You went to an awful lot of trouble here."

He cleared his throat. "Well, one year ago today I moved in here with you."

"Really?" Her mouth fell open. "That was one year ago?"

"It was." He lifted his glass up. "Here's to the happiest year of my life... by far."

"Mine too." She smiled and they each took a sip.

Placing his glass on the table, he gave her a serious look.

"Now, I know when I asked you to marry me six months ago—"

"You mean..." She placed her finger to her lips. "That time you had your proposal up on the jumbotron during the Heat/Nicks game."

"Yeah, that time. I know you only said yes at the game to keep me from embarrassing myself and then when we came home you let me down easy."

"I did."

"Remember you told me to ask you again later in front of less people."

"I remember that." She took a sip of her drink then waited holding back a smile.

"Look around." He widened his eyes. "There's less people."

"Okay." She grinned, coyly. "Is there, um, something you'd like to ask me?"

He rose up from the table, downed the rest of his drink, wiped his mouth with his napkin then threw it down in a mock show of masculinity before shooting her a sexy grin.

She shuddered. "Wow, I think I just got a little wet."

"I've been working on that move."

"It shows."

He cleared his throat once again, moved to her and got down on his knees. "Victoria?"

"Yes."

Cradling her hands in his own, he began, "As I mentioned these last twelve months have been the best of my life and—"

"You're pretty young so..."

He frowned. "Would you knock it off?"

"Sorry."

After giving her a tired look, he continued, "I love you more every day. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I watch you sleep and just study your face. I mean, yes, sometimes I lift the covers up and look at your rear end, but... sorry, I'm not sure where I was going with that."

She giggled and leaned closer to him.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, making you happy and raising our beautiful daughter... Victoria will you marry me?"

A tear fell from her eye and she opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. "Sorry..." Her voice cracked. "...that was just so beautiful, I mean, except for the rear end part."

He shrugged and gave her a hopeful look. "Well?"

"Yes, Jim Nash, I will marry you." Leaning down, she gave him a kiss.

He stood up and extended his hand to her. She took it and rose to her feet then slipped into his arms. He hugged her tight then kissed her again.

She pulled away from him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"Um, a ring."

"Oh, I saw the way you made a face about the last one I bought you, so I returned that one."

"Yeah, I sorta wasn't crazy about it." She shrugged.

"I did pick that one out by myself."

She frowned. "I know."

"We have an appointment in two weeks at Jervis and Murkins."

"I've heard that place is really nice." She smiled.

"I know. I went there and saw how it works. You pick out your stone, then your setting and they put it all together. This way you get exactly what you want."

"I already have exactly what I want." She pulled him close and kissed him long and hard. "But don't get me wrong I still want a ring."

"Of course."

"I can't wait to tell Jillian." She turned from him with her mind wandering.

"Can we have dessert first?" He flashed her a sexy look.

"Sure."

"Are you really going to do that thing twice?"

Grabbing him by the hand, she pulled him toward the house. "Depending on how my jaw feels, maybe even three times."

"I'd better bring an energy bar with me then."

Glancing back, she nodded in agreement then they headed toward the house with Jim wearing a smile that just wouldn't quit.

Wearing absolutely nothing, Jillian hung her towel to dry on the shower door as Brian soaped up his parts behind the glass. Watching the water stream down his toned body, she smiled. "You look cute in there. I wish I had more time."

"I know." Moving to the glass, he pressed the head of his semi-excited penis against it spreading it out.