Best Man...with Benefits

“Coffee,” Willy groaned.

She saw Willy and a couple of other guys glance at her curiously, then at the empty seats on either side of her. She said, “Good morning,” and went back to her coffee.

As they were being seated at a table close by, Jackson strode in.

His timing couldn’t be worse, for now they had an audience of people to witness them seeing each other for the first time since he’d left her room at six this morning.

His hair was wet and he was wearing sweats. He’d clearly been working out in the hotel pool or the gym or somewhere. Compared to the frat boys, Jackson was a poster boy for clean living. If she hadn’t known absolutely, positively that he hadn’t slept all night, she never would have believed it from looking at him. His blue eyes were clear and bright, and he carried himself with energy.

He greeted everyone generally. His gaze skimmed over her and she willed every cell in her body to stay calm and not to even think about making her blush.

She did not want to feel fluttery. Jackson was an entitled twit who was completely full of himself and did everything he could to make himself a chick magnet. She’d always prided herself on being immune to him.

Now, thanks to a stupid prank, she’d ended up naked in bed with the man and nature had taken its course. Maybe if they hadn’t been at a luxurious hotel and alcohol had not been consumed and they hadn’t found themselves all but naked in the same bed, nature would have left them well enough alone.

However, what had happened, had happened. She had no regrets. If anything, last night had reminded her that she was a woman who really liked sex and that she’d gone way too long without it.

Why, it had been rather nice of Jackson to come along and give her such a thoroughly satisfying wake-up call to her own needs. Now she could go on with her life and meet someone who would not only give her great sex but also wouldn’t make her want to gag with his annoying personality.

She knew that, hungover as they were, the frat boys were still watching her and Jackson closely.

It gave her immense satisfaction to see that Jackson looked and acted exactly the same as he always did. And, to her relief, she could tell that she neither blushed nor squirmed.

Good thing they couldn’t see inside her, where everything was aflutter. So long as the frat boys didn’t check her pulse, they’d never know how successful their little trick had been.

“How are the heads this morning, boys?” Jackson asked, giving Rip a good-natured slug on the arm.

“The shooters may have been a mistake,” a chubby guy named Chad admitted.

Seth walked in at that moment, followed by a faintly blushing Amy. The distraction was exactly what Lauren needed. Now all eyes were on the newlyweds.

“Morning, everybody,” Seth said, looking heavy eyed and pleased with himself.

Jackson was preparing to sit with the frat boys, but Seth stopped him. “Come on, bro, keep the wedding party together one last time.”

Lauren felt his hesitation. He wanted to sit at the same table with her as much as she wanted him there. Which was to say, she’d rather go out front and eat sand right off the beach.

But with Ted and June, plus Natalie and Lance, joining in, encouraging him to sit with them, there wasn’t much he could do. “Sure,” he said. “Thanks.”

There were seats on either side of Lauren, and one in the corner beside Ted.

He squeezed past June and Ted and took the empty seat that was as far from Lauren as he could get.

Oh, she could do better than that. With a big smile, she said, “I don’t want to split up the bride and groom. I’ll move so you two can sit together.” And she moved in the opposite direction to Jackson, taking the seat as far away from him as the table allowed.

Amy settled herself beside Lauren, and as Seth made to join them, he glanced at his school buddies and said, “Toilet paper in the bridal suite? Really, guys?”

“At least one of our pranks worked,” Rip muttered, too hungover to keep his voice down.

Her gaze went immediately to Jackson, who glanced at her at the same moment. His face never changed expression, but he sent her the ghost of a wink.

While Seth, with his excellent manners, thanked both sets of parents for the fantastic wedding, Amy leaned in to Lauren and in a very low voice said, “That was the best night of my whole life.”

She looked so blissed out that Lauren couldn’t help smiling. “It’s not like it was your first time,” she reminded her best friend.

“I know, but being married made it so much more special. Every time he touched me, I thought, ‘This is my husband,’ and when he kissed me and looked right into my eyes I felt like he was looking into my soul.”

As happy as she was for her friend, Lauren experienced a pang of worry. Amy sounded almost too happy. She’d always been such a romantic that Lauren feared she was going to be disappointed when the real world intruded on her fantasy.

Then she mentally smacked herself. She was cynical about marriage for a lot of reasons that had nothing to do with Amy or with marriage. She should be happy that Amy was the kind of person who believed that perfect love existed. Maybe she’d even been lucky enough to find it.

So, Lauren put away her cynicism for a minute and squeezed Amy’s hand. “I am really happy for you.”

“I hope one day you find a man like Seth. I really do.”

She smiled, but knew that a man like Seth would never do for her. He was a nice guy, in his way, but, like Amy, he’d never been tested by life. He’d grown up rich, healthy and sheltered. He didn’t seem like a person who thought deep thoughts or had big dreams. He’d work in his family’s business, as he’d been born and bred to do, and he and Amy would have a few kids and join the right country club. She hoped they’d continue to be as happy as they were today, or at least manage to enjoy the future that she could see rolling ahead like a movie of the week she’d already seen.

“You were such a beautiful bride,” she said, because she’d rather talk about Amy’s wedding than the likelihood that she would ever end up with someone like Seth.

“You were such a great maid of honor. You’re the sister I never had.”

“I don’t know how I got so lucky,” she replied.

It was true. The odds that she and Amy would have ended up best friends were insanely low. She’d only met Amy because after her parents divorced, her mom had rented a former pool house on the property next door to Amy’s parents.

Since they were the same age, they’d played together all summer and in the fall, when she’d started school, Amy had already been her best friend.

Lauren’s mom worked long hours as a nurse and Amy’s mom, wonderful woman that she was, had opened her home and her arms to the lonely child. She’d often gone over to Amy’s after school and had so many sleepovers at her friend’s place that she’d started leaving extra clothes and a toothbrush over there.

Her mom had done her best, but she’d always been tired from work and bitter over the divorce. She’d been only too happy to let someone else help rear her only child.

Lauren’s dad had married again soon after the divorce and she’d overheard more than one telephone argument between her parents as her mom complained that he didn’t take Lauren often enough.

As her father went on to have a second family, she’d seen less and less of him. The pain had softened, but she knew herself well enough to know that she would always bear the emotional scars.

Her mother had remarried not too long ago, to a radiologist she’d met at work. Her mom finally had the big house she’d always wanted and she’d cut her work hours way back. They tried to be close, she and her mom, but deep down she knew it was an effort for both of them.

“Excited about the honeymoon?” she asked.

“I can’t wait. Remember when you and I went to Venice? I always thought it was the most romantic place in the world. I picture us eating wonderful food, and seeing all the sights. And having fantastic sex every single night.” She shivered. “I love being married.”

Lauren had decided on eggs Benedict for breakfast, but when the waitress took their order, to her annoyance, Jackson ordered eggs Benedict. She decided to change her order to something else, then mentally chided herself. If she wanted eggs Benny, then that was what she’d order. So she did. Like Jackson, she also ordered freshly squeezed orange juice. Because she wanted it.

After breakfast, she packed up, freshened up once more and then headed down with her travel case. She dropped off her key and was waiting in the main foyer for Amy’s parents when Jackson came toward her with his own overnighter. She knew the second he caught sight of her. His steps faltered and she could see him debating whether to duck off into one of the hallways or face being alone with her.

After an infinitesimal pause, he continued toward her.

She was pretty sure that, in his shoes, she’d have ducked down another hallway.