Present…
Eduardo is landing in an hour, and I am not ready. I’ve never been in a position like this, where I had to ask someone if they wanted to be friends with benefits instead of being in an actual relationship. My feet tap the floor, and I hold onto the sheets on either side of me a little harder than necessary. After a little while, I lean back on my bed and stare at the ceiling.
“Hola, hermosa,” Eduardo says as he appears out of nowhere in my room.
“Eduardo!” The handsome man sits down next to me on my bed, his hands resting between his legs and a perfect smirk playing on his full lips. “What are you doing here?” I ask, trying to calm my heart down. Instead of answering, he stands up before he leans down again and presses his lips to mine ever so gently.
“I may have lied about my arrival time to surprise you,” he informs me, and I grin. Now that he is here, I’m excited to see him. Eduardo sits down next to me again and takes my hand in his, placing a soft kiss on the back of it. I feel an urge to reach forward and run my fingers over his cheek. So, I do, and his light brown eyes close from my touch.
“We need to talk,” I whisper, and he opens his eyes once more. He nods and laces his fingers through mine.
It takes me a while to explain to Eduardo what I want. I share how miserable my old relationship was and even open up to him about having feelings for someone else. He’s sitting in front of me, patiently listening to everything I have to say. There is no anger on his face, only a faint smile when I finally get to the point and ask him if he wants to fool around without actually dating. He sits in silence for a long time.
“This is truly what you want?” he asks me, and I nod. “You don’t want commitment? You don’t want to text every day and talk about our feelings? You don’t want to have people see us together and say, ‘Look at that cute couple!’? You just want sex?” He’s not condescending. Eduardo seems completely genuine when he asks me those questions. Again, I nod. An embarrassed blush settles on my cheek, and I have to look away.
“I do want to have meaningful conversations and be good friends with you if we do this. Yet, I don’t want to be emotionally available, nor be anyone’s girlfriend. All I can give you is this, no strings attached.” My eyes drift back to his face, and he cocks an eyebrow. “I got tested a month ago, and I’m clean,” I tell him, and he nods.
“I got tested, too, only a couple of weeks ago. I’m clean, too,” he assures me right before he puts his hands on my thigh and squeezes. “If this is what you want, we can try,” he tells me with his delicious accent.
Eduardo leans forward to press his lips to my neck and then to the soft spot just underneath my jawline, making me forget about everything else. He takes my face between his thumb and index finger and tilts my head to get better access to my throat. My eyes flutter shut, and I enjoy the way this feels. It’s nice, not as amazing as when Gabriel did the same thing, but it’s not about that. This is about me enjoying myself. I put my lips to his and straddle his lap. My tongue enters his mouth, and Eduardo lets out a low moan which vibrates through my body. I can feel him grow underneath me as I rub my heat against his lap, which is only covered by my underwear since I’m wearing a skirt.
Involuntarily, I let my mind wander to the only person I know will get me over the edge. As bad as it is that I’m not thinking about Eduardo, I need to imagine Gabriel. I need to remember how his lips felt against my skin. Eduardo moans when my lips drop to his neck and my hands slip under his shirt. His muscles are rock-hard, and I can feel his abs move underneath my fingers.
He switches our positions in one swift movement so that I lie under him, and he has easy access. His fingers slowly slip into my panties, but not without making eye contact with me to make sure he is not going too far. I simply lie back and close my eyes as a response. He reaches into my panties, and I imagine Gabriel’s touch from the dream I had once.
Seconds later, my fingers are grabbing Eduardo’s hair, and I fall apart. It’s not a big orgasm, but it’s enough to make a small moan escape my throat. My hands drop from his chest to his bulge, and I start to rub him. I reach down into his pants to allow for skin contact.
“A little firmer,” he begs, and I do as I’m told. “God,” he moans when I grab a little tighter. Eduardo gasps and groans before I feel his pants getting wet. A smile spreads over my face when I look at him to find him completely out of breath and biting his lip. He opens his eyes and stares at me. Eduardo puts his hand against my cheek, and I give him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Valentina?” a familiar voice says from behind us, and I push Eduardo off me so I can sit up and look at the intruder. Gabriel takes a look at the scene in front of him, my flushed cheeks and Eduardo’s stained pants, and a sad expression appears on his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in the middle of- Adrian let me in, and your door was a little open-” he cuts off before he finishes that sentence. He rushes out of my room, and as much as I want to run after him, I know better.
“I would have had to compete with that guy? It’s a good thing we’re only friends.” Eduardo laughs a little, and I look at him with a confused expression. “Come on, Valentina. I can see the way you look at him. I could have never won you over.” Eduardo gets up and walks over to his luggage, which I haven’t noticed until now. “May I use your bathroom?” he asks, and I tell him ‘Yes’. Minutes later, he comes back out wearing a pair of jeans and a new shirt. “So, what do you want to do today?” He drops down on the bed and smiles.
Eduardo and I end up going for lunch and then to a movie. It’s a comedy movie, and I enjoy it, especially the witty comments Eduardo makes throughout. It’s about six o’clock when the movie ends, and Eduardo and I make our way back to my house. We talk about racing and each other’s childhood like we always do, and I smile. This feels comfortable and uncomplicated. Simply two friends hanging out, talking, and spending time together.
“Are you excited for the race weekend?” I ask when we’re minutes from my home.
Bahrain is the second race of the season, and it is a great track, in my opinion. Eduardo tells me how disappointed he was by the result of the first race and how much he has been working ever since.
The Spaniard asks if he can sleep in one of the guest rooms, and for the fifth time, I assure him it is not a problem. He takes his luggage out of my room, gives me a brief kiss on the lips, which confuses me but doesn’t make me uncomfortable, and lets me know he needs to get some rest. Sadly, as soon as he’s gone, I start to overthink everything…
