Friends With Benefits
Soon after my shower, my phone started ringing. It was Jeanine. Shit, I thought. I forgot I had a party tonight. I ran and answered. "Hey!" "Hey! Still throwing that party tonight?" After all that happened last night, I should've canceled, but I simply couldn't. "Yeah, I'm decorating as we speak! Any song requests?" "Get that playlist we made on the CD last week!" She replied. "See you tonight" "Later" I dressed myself for the day and began seasoning the vegetables to place them in the fridge for later on tonight. I thought about everything that happened with Jordan last night. The look in her eyes when she admitted her feelings for me and when I denied mine for her. I wanted more than anything to restart with Lindy, but that possibility was unrealistic. I was afraid to love, and she was too lazy to fight. Things between us were over. I wondered if she ever thought about me that way or missed me, or if things were just finally becoming how she always wanted it to be. Around seven-thirty, I was just about done preparing the food. There was a colorful platter of vegetables on the dining room table that surrounded three different types of dressing. Hamburgers with meat and vegetable patties were neatly aligned with ketchup and curly fries to match. Spicy hot wings, pastries, and a cheesecake for my daring guests and finally, wine to wash it all down.
It wasn't long until I heard the first knock on the door. It was my friend from biology class, Cameron. "Hey, come inside!" She had a bowl of macaroni and cheese, and she placed it on the table. "Something my grandma cooked. I think you'll like it." I chose a record from the shelf and placed it on my record player. "How was the drive here?" I asked. As she placed her car keys and bag down on my guest shelf, she exhaled deeply. "Horrible traffic on the way down here, some guy was super drunk and drove through the gate that came down when the bridge opened. Fell right through and landed in the ocean. The bridge stayed open for about forty minutes longer." My eyes widened. She nodded in response and took a carrot from the platter. "Are you hungry? You can fix some food if you'd like. It won't be a family dinner or anything." She smiled and began making herself a plate. I heard a knock on the door again. I looked through the peephole. It was Jeanine. Excited, I opened the door immediately. "Hey girl!" We hugged and I invited her inside. "Cameron this is Jeanine, we've been friends since high school." Jeanine shook hands with Cameron. "I see we've already got a common interest." She said, looking at me. They both chuckled. It wasn't long until I realized that I forgot one crucial thing-- napkins. I walked over to them after grabbing my car keys. "If anyone knocks, go ahead and invite them in; I need to make a run to the store." I closed the door behind me and walked towards my car. When I arrived at the grocery store, I was going to take the long way to the party aisle, until I noticed that Dylan wasn't there. Weird, I thought. He was always there. I found the paper towels and went to pay at the counter. By the time I arrived inside my apartment, three more of my friends had arrived. "I brought cute candies!" Tamara said as she pointed to a vase the size of my head filled with various sweet treats. Of course, there was a business card in there. I poured us all a glass of wine and played our playlist of cool classical tunes. Several minutes passed and I heard a knock on the door. I mindlessly opened the door and was greeted by Jordan. I was hoping she forgot about the party, but she didn't. She was nicely dressed, in a V-neck navy blue zip-up that complimented the white T-shirt underneath. She looked so good in her black jeans I could have just canceled the party. Her hair looked freshly washed and she smelled of vanilla and coconut. "Am I at the right house?" She chuckled nervously. I grinned sheepishly and opened the door, letting her inside. Instantly, all of my friends—even the straight ones were undressing her with their eyes. It was as if I walked in with an all you can eat buffet—with dessert.
I closed the door and tried to play it off as I introduced her to my friends. "This is Jordan, she's a friend of mine from school." They all began introducing themselves to her as if she were some sort of celebrity. To think she was my second choice. Hours later, the rest of my friends had arrived. We weren't exactly drunk, but still having a great time. I remember all of us circled the record player telling stories, and Jordan persistently giving me the look. She licked her lips at me at one point, and I glanced down at my watch. It read eleven forty-three. My heart was beating quickly, thinking of everything I'd do to her once everyone left. For some reason, I wanted her even more than before, and then I remembered: I had quite a few glasses of Moscato. It tasted so sweet on my lips and tongue that I almost forgot it was an alcoholic beverage. I laughed casually with everyone else as Jordan told yet another joke. She rested back in the chair as she and the rest of us listened to Timera's attempt to connect the joke with her dog. Of course, Jeanine always had to counter with her parrot, and the rest of us would brace for a twenty-minute discussion between them about the complexities of each. Jordan on the other hand was undressing me with her eyes. I felt as if we were the only two in the room. I had blurred everyone else out to try and get the dirty images of her and me out of my head, but it was no use—they weren't going anywhere. My phone rang; it was Lindy. I declined. She texted me almost immediately after. "Hey, where r u?" "Dinner party" I answered casually. A few minutes later, she texted again. "I want your tongue in my mouth." My heart dropped and I put my phone down, grabbed a carrot, and joined the discussion about whether or not peanut butter sandwiches tasted better than chocolate spread. "Definitely peanut butter." My friend Stephanie protested. "Peanut butter and chocolate spread" I countered. They all rolled their eyes. I smirked. In the corner of my eye, I saw Jordan on her phone. My phone vibrated again. It was her. "I wanna lick you till you cum." I read her message and felt myself begin to give in to my craving. "Come give it to me on the couch." I replied jokingly. She replied instantly. "In front of ur friends? Naughty girl." I opened Lindy's message again and replied. "I've been very bad." I walked over to the dining room table and grabbed a handful of candies from the jar Timera brought. She winked at me when she saw the business card in my hand. I threw a candy at her playfully. As I opened a cherry flavored candy, I read a response from Lindy. "I bet. Do you need some hard discipline?" I sucked on the sweet piece of candy seductively, I texted her back. "Maybe." After several minutes, I stretched casually and glanced at my watch. It was time to end the party.
