Friends with Benefits

Twenty Five.

It felt good to return to work. I missed my regular clients, my coworkers but most of all, my boss. She was like another mom to me now. She was one of the very few that knew how me and Tyler were friends with benefits before falling in love with each other.
I boasted about my time in Canada to my coworkers in the break room. I showed them pictures and videos of my little puppy, Star. One video was one that Tyler took of me and him cuddling with her on his couch. My coworker, Brian, was the first to say something. Per usual.

"Girl, he is so in love with you! I wish my boyfriend looked at me like that." I stopped the video to roll my eyes at him.
"Honey, you don't have a man long enough to make him your boyfriend." I said to him.
"True!" He snapped back quickly. Everyone laughed at him shaking his butt in his chair.
"What are you doing for his birthday?" Melanie asked. She was a perky blonde that looked more like a hockey girlfriend or wife than I sure did. I still had my long hair but now it was starting to turn more purple than burgundy. That's what happens when you work in a hair salon with a bunch of willing hairstylists. I shrugged a shoulder and smiled at her.

"He wants to take me skating at his work but he won't let me plan anything. I can't even order dinner for us." Everyone gasped and widened their eyes. "What?" I asked, glaring at all of them.
"Nothing!"
"It's probably how he wants to plan it for you two."
"Maybe he prefers to be in charge." They all commented at the same time. I tried to listen to all them and shifted my eyes from one to another. I stopped my eyes at Mykie as she smiled at me from ear to ear.
"What!?" I asked again. She shook her head at me.
"You won't know until you find out, girl." Her Philly accent was even more apparent now that she spent so much time at home during the holidays. I scrunched my face at her. "Come on. Let's get back to work before Holly shanks us with a dull butter knife."
"Mykes, you really need to stop watching so many horror movies." I laughed uncontrollably at her re-enactment of Psycho with her bright pink hair straightener.

***

The week leading up to Tyler's birthday was annoying. He still refused to let me plan anything. He barely talked to me. Even though I slept over every night, he didn't touch me. I initiated it by walking around naked, waking him up by stroking his morning wood, sexting him during practice.
Nothing.
If it wasn't for Mykie ensuring me that every couple goes through a dry spell, I would have cancelled doing anything for his birthday. I wouldn't even buy him a fucking cake. But I'm stubborn. Very stubborn. He knew that especially when it came down to me not getting sex.

I curled the last chunk of my hair. The sound of the front door closing made Star run out of the bathroom. Tyler's voice echoed in the hallway as he said hello to all the dogs. I released the curl, held onto it until it cooled down then released it. I turned off the curling iron and set it onto the other side of the counter to cool down. I quickly applied one last coat of mascara. I adjusted my boobs in my tank top and checked out my butt in my leggings before Tyler walked into the bathroom.

"Hey baby." He sighed. I smiled at him and ran my fingers through the curls to make them wavy and loose. "I love it when you do your hair like that." I spun around to sit up onto the counter.
"I love it when my boyfriend fucks me on the bathroom counter after I do my hair like this." I said sharply. He took off his shirt, tossed it into the dirty clothes hamper and maneuvered himself between my thighs. His hands squeezed my legs. I scratched at his tattooed shoulders.
"Baby." His voice was too sad for him to be turned on by my efforts. Again. I dropped my hands onto my legs and growled annoyingly loud. He scratched at his beard.

"Is it me? Is it because I'm not sexy anymore? I haven't been going to the gym but I can start if it would be—"
"Sarah!" He yelled causing my body to jolt. He placed his hands on my cheeks. "Baby.." I dropped my eyes shyly. "..you know how much I love your body. Don't ever think I want you to change. Ever." He lifted my head by his hands. I looked into his eyes.
"Then why has it been almost two weeks since we last had sex?"
"Haven't you noticed we haven't won a single game in two weeks?" I nodded my head as much as I could in his hands. "Five game losing streak." He mumbled. I kissed the palm of his left hand.