Friends With Multiple Benefits (26 page)

"Yes, Miss Joseph."

"What's, uh… is everything okay?" Brian asked.

"Oh, yeah." She waved her hand at him and shrugged. "Is everything okay at home?"

"Yes."

"Good. So, how do you think I'm doing?"

"You're doing great. In fact, I can't believe how much you've improved."

"I've been putting a lot of time into it." She smiled. "When I want something you'll find that I give it my all."

"Yeah…" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "That's, uh, really the only way to do it."

A burst of thunder boomed shaking the car.
Raindrops
smashed with purpose on the roof of the large SUV as it headed down the road. A car approached at high speed, hitting a puddle of standing water. It launched a huge wave that crashed hard against the windshield, shocking all three occupants.

"Jesus," the driver exclaimed.

Amanda turned to Brian. "Now aren't you glad you didn't try to take your car?"

"Uh-huh."

Twenty minutes later the car entered a gated community of mansions, turned right, then came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the street. The driver announced in an awkward tone, "Uh, Miss Joseph, there is a problem."

"I can't believe this." Amanda gave Brian a sour look. "I've told them to get this fixed over and over."

"What's, uh… What's going on?"

"It's this car the studio supplied. It has some electrical problems or something. Mostly when it rains."

"What do we do?"

"They send another car." She pointed out the window. "But luckily my house is right there, so if we run, we might not get completely soaked."

Brian shook his head. "Oh, I think I'll just wait here. How long does it usually take for
the car?"

"Don't be silly. Someone needs to help me into the house and you can just wait inside for the other car."

"Um…" Brian looked to the driver who appeared to be sitting unusually still in the front seat. "Is he going to call or?"

"Greg, why aren't you calling?" Amanda snapped.

"What?"

"Call for the car!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Amanda commanded.

"Oh, okay." Greg picked up his phone then after glancing to the back of the car nervously bent over at an odd angle as he pressed the screen.

"So, are you going to help me?"

"Help you what again?" Brian looked at her, confused.

"Get to the house."

"Can't um…" He began pointing to the driver, but when he took in her sad
expression
he forced a smile. "Sure."

She held her purse out to him. "Would you mind putting this under your shirt so it doesn't get too wet?"

"What?"

"It's a Louis Vuitton and I can't put it under my shirt since it's too small." She lifted her shirt a bit exposing her tight abs.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Taking the purse, he slipped in under his shirt and looked at her waiting.

"Let's go."

She pushed open the door and took off running toward the house. He followed after
her as
the huge drops of rain pelted them everywhere. They dashed up the steep driveway then to the front entryway of the house, which was thankfully under cover. They looked at each other chuckling and shaking their heads.

He wiped the rain from his face and sighed. The wind shook the palm trees in front of the house until they were bent over at nearly a forty-five degree angle.

"I need my keys," she said loudly over the noise.

He returned a confused look.

"They're in my purse."

"Oh." He slipped the bag from under his shirt and handed it over. Suddenly the wind shifted and the rain fell almost horizontally as it began striking them again.

"Holy shit," Brian cried out as the wind pounded them.

Amanda found the key and went to work on the lock, but the wind caused her to miss the mark. She tried again and brushed the rain from her face. "Can you help?"

Reaching for the key, he lost his balance a bit and his body pressed against hers. "Sorry."

They shared a smile and he secured the key from her hand. He huddled close to the door, leaning against the frame, as he slipped the key into the lock.

Over at the Wilde-Nash house, the power had just went out in the area, but the generator had kicked itself on and the main house was fully lit. Victoria had invested in
a top
-of-the-line, whole house model a couple years earlier after another storm kept the electricity off for three solid days. The guesthouse, however, was not connected to the generator. Wearing a
raincoat
and boots, Jim pulled open the back door to the house and spotted Beverly rushing toward him holding a bottle of wine. Edward was right behind her with something in his hand as well.

"I was just coming to check on you guys," Jim said loudly over the soaking rain.

"We're fine." Beverly bolted into the house. Edward stepped inside and Jim quickly closed the door.

"This storm is getting worse," Jim said as he grabbed two bath towels from the counter.

"It's just awful."

"We were right in the middle of
a video
when the power went out," Edward said.

"Yeah, sorry we only have the generator over here." Jim handed them each a towel.

"Where are Victoria and Kaylie?" Using
the towel,
Beverly patted the
raindrops
off her arm.

"We were all up early this morning. They're both taking a nap. I'm going to wake them in about an hour for lunch. You guys hungry?"

"Not right
now,
" Edward said. "You mind if we finish watching this over here?"

"No, just keep the volume down. Use the TV in the living room."

"Do you have any glasses?" Beverly held up
the bottle
of wine. "We left them over there."

Jim fought his urge to frown and turned toward the cabinet. "Sure."

After getting the glasses, his parents made their way giggling toward the living room. Jim stripped off his coat and boots and when he stepped into the living room, he spotted the DVD case for the sex instructional video. Sighing, he quickly turned away and headed to his bedroom.

Victoria was asleep with Kaylie next to her in their king-size bed. He plopped down beside his wife and tapped her gently on the shoulder. She opened her eyes, smiled, and asked groggily, "Where were you?"

With his eyes bugging out of his head, he whispered, "The power's out."

"Oh, did you get your parents out of the guest house?"

"They're in the living room."

"What's wrong?"

"They're out there watching one of your videos." He wore a sickened look. "Some sex toy thing."

"Well, that might be a big step for them, but maybe they're ready for—"

"And they're drinking a bottle of wine." He lifted his hands.

"Oh, let them have their fun." She lifted the covers up and patted the mattress. "Come take a nap with us."

"Okay." He frowned then slipped under the covers next to her.

She lay on his chest and sighed. "Now isn't this nice?"

"Uh-huh."

"There's nothing better on a rainy day than a nap."

Amanda stepped into the foyer just as the rain and wind whipped up again and into the house, spraying the floor. Brian fought the wind and, using two hands and the weight of his body, struggled to close the door. When he finally secured it, he took a deep breath and took in the huge vaulted two-story foyer with its marble floors. Both soaked, the water dripped from the tennis teacher and his star student's clothes as they stood together catching their breath.

Gathering her long hair in her hand, she knotted it behind her head and sighed. "Wow, this is some storm."

"Yeah, I always dreamed of living somewhere warm, you know, to get away from the snow and cold weather, but dealing with these storms… this is something else."

"There really isn't any perfect place to live is there?" She kicked her shoes off and smiled. "California has beautiful weather if you don't mind the occasional earthquake, mudslide, extreme
drought,
and brush fire."

They shared a laugh and he commented, "And here it's like one hundred degrees for three straight months and there is no change of seasons."

She placed her purse down on a chair. "Oh, I love the fall. I'm originally from North Carolina, but I went to college in New York. N.Y.U."

"Really? Jillian grew up in North Carolina."

"I know." A frown appeared on her face for only a moment before melting away. "I mean, she did?"

Suddenly the lights went out in the house and the room was lit only barely by the scant light coming from the early evening stormy sky.

"Let me get a candle." She headed off.

He brushed his hands down his wet shirt and shivered as he walked to the window to look out. He called back to her, "How long do you think it will be for
the car?"

There was no reply. Rising on his tiptoes, he attempted to spot the Escalade parked near the bottom of the driveway and he could not see it. When he turned back, Amanda was there handing him a towel. "Here you can dry off while you wait."

She placed a small, lit candle on the table.

"How long did you say it would be for
the car?"
He dried his legs with
the towel.

"Oh, it won't be long." She shrugged. "Make yourself comfortable."

Pulling the cell phone from his pocket, he dried it with
the towel
and placed it on the table. Then he ran the towel through his hair as he glanced once again out the window. "Do you own this house?"

When he turned
back,
she was gone. He looked around and finally spotted her carrying a flashlight
halfway
up on the right side of the double grand
staircase
. Turning, she called back to him, "I need to change. Can I get you some dry clothes?"

"Oh, no, I'll be fine with
the,
um, towel." He held it up awkwardly wearing a goofy expression.

"Okay." She resumed her climb then disappeared into the hallway.

He reached for his phone, but it was no longer there. Searching the area, he shook his head confused. "I'm sure I…" He yelled after her, "Hey, have you seen my phone?"

There was no reply. He picked up the candle and headed through the foyer and into a giant living area on the left. From that side of the
house
he figured he'd have a better angle to see the car. Once there, he peered out the window and to the location where he was sure the car should be and there was no Escalade. "What the hell?"

He returned to the foyer and pulled open the door, stepping out to the porch and scanning the area. The wind and rain pelted him once again. Shielding his eyes, he rushed down the driveway about fifty feet for a view of the location of the car and it wasn't there. The raindrops fell faster now and he ran toward the house. Once he returned inside, he stood leaning against the door mumbling under his breath and draping
the towel
over his head. "Amanda?"

There was no reply. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Crap."

Picking up the candle, he walked to the bottom of the steps and called out loudly, "Amanda, where are you?"

The house was eerily silent and darker now that the sun had nearly set. He reached the top of the stairs and looked left then right, down the large hallway with closed doors for rooms on either side. Remembering that she turned left, he headed that way as he hesitantly made his way down the hall. A soft glow was spilling from
an open
double door entryway four doors down and he headed toward it.

Upon reaching the room, he spotted a dozen candles burning and illuminating the luxuriously decorated bedroom with its huge king-size bed. He cringed and said, barely audibly with his voice
cracking, "Amanda,
are you in here?"

The sounds of water splashing came from the left and through another set of double doors with its own candlelit glow. He cleared his throat and said a little
louder, "Amanda?"

"Brian, I'm in here."

When he reached the doorway, he spotted her lounging in the massive bathtub, surrounded by candles in the grand bathroom. A double door was on the far wall and appeared to open to a balcony. The wind shifted and rain pelted the door. Amanda's body was submerged in bubbles with just her glorious cleavage glowing in the golden candlelight. He turned toward the wall and shielded his eyes. "Um, the car is gone."

"That's weird." Using a
loofa
h, she scrubbed her neck and shoulders. "Maybe he misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?"

"Or maybe there was a problem with the other car."