Chapter 9:

Friends with Benefits part 4

Bass left the next morning determined to put some distance between the two of them.

"Friends with benefits," became his repeated mantra throughout the next several weeks as he turned down dinner invitations, made sure that he shopped on days she didn't and conveniently worked on the still leaving Tim to run the bar as soon as she walked through the doors.

Charlie knew something had shifted that last night they were together so just tried to relax and follow his lead. It wasn't supposed to mean anything, so it wouldn't, going so far as to go on a few dates.

Deciding that she needed a drink, Charlie took advantage of her weekly night off and headed to the bar. Tim was working the counter, so she slid up on a stool and ordered a drink making small talk with him when someone sat on the stool next to her. She turned to see who it was, nearly falling off her chair with laughter when she recognized "Tex," The six and a half foot, three hundred pound, native born Texas boy whom Frank had somehow convinced that Charlie had the hots for him. Tex had followed her around for weeks hitting on her, waiting on her outside the showers, sitting next to her in the mess tent, randomly popping up inside her tent and generally making a nuisance of himself before Charlie had a come to Jesus meeting with him only to discover that it was all because of Blanchard. She had apologized profusely for the things she had threatened to do to him, and being the good-natured soul that he was, accepted her apology and they had parted as friends.

She threw her arms around him, as he pulled her into a big, burly, bear-hug lifting her off the floor as he planted a kiss on her, causing Charlie to raise an eyebrow and pull back. Tex blushed as he set her down. "Never go to do that last time."

Charlie chuckled and climbed back onto her stool, ordering two more drinks, inviting him to join her. They spent the evening regaling Tim with the story of how they met, each taking turns telling their side of the encounter. It was near closing time when Bass emerged from the back only to be met with Charlie's smiling eyes. She smiled and waved, before saying something to Tex who stood and helped her from her stool. Wishing Tim a good night and Charlie shooting Bass another smile, the couple strolled out of the bar laughing over something Charlie had just said, Tex's hand hovering over the small of her back as he held the door open for her.

"Who was that?" Bass growled as he grabbed the broom and began sweeping.

"An old war friend of Charlie's evidently, just happened to be passing through on his way to Austin. Guess, Blanchard introduced them as joke," Tim replied, laughing as he relayed the story to his frowning boss.

Sending Tim home and closing the bar, Bass continued cleaning knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep. He and Miles had come back from a mission that he had been sent on once his and Charlie's unit had been disbanded and they had heard about the big Texan that had been following Charlie around by the tail, teasing her unmercifully about it. He wondered why Blanchard would have put him up to it. But as he lay in his lonely bed that night, stroking himself to the memory of her smooth thighs wrapped around his hips, a pair of her panties gripped in his other hand like a teenager, he knew he had an even bigger problem.

Knowing it probably wouldn't end well, he found himself standing on her front steps the next morning holding breakfast from the diner in one hand and a neatly wrapped package in the other. However, before he could knock, the door opened to reveal Tex and Charlie, in nothing more than her robe holding the door open for him.

"Bass?" Charlie asked her eyes going wide at finding him on her front doorstep.

"General!" Tex spouted surprised at his appearance as well.

"Tex," Bass replied, juggling his packages to shake the man's hand. "I was just bringing the Colonel here some breakfast."

Tex smiled broadly as he pumped Bass' hand. "That's just right neighborly of you there, General."

Charlie shuffled awkwardly, "Why don't you come on in, Bass, Tex was just headed out."

Bass ran his eyes up and down Charlie's form, narrowing in on the hickey near the base of her neck. "Thanks," he said making sure his arm brushed up against her breasts as he stopped in front of her. "Hope you have a safe trip, Tex."

"Thank you, General," Tex boomed as Bass entered the house.

He listened as the two exchanged cordial goodbyes, Tex awkwardly kissing her on the cheek as he left.

Charlie lingered on the porch as long as she was able, before crossing the threshold and shutting the door.

"So breakfast?" she asked as she looked at the table he was setting.

"Yup. It's getting cold, too. You best hurry and get cleaned up." he said without even looking her way.

Charlie frowned at his tone. "He wanted to be an ass about it?" she thought stalking down the hall to her room, "Well, two could play that game."

She cleaned herself up, wiping away all traces of Tex from her skin before getting dressed. Finding a length of ribbon, she brushed her hair before piling it up on top of her head, tying it all up, off of her neck.

Walking back out into the kitchen, she stopped at the stove, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She could feel Bass' eyes boring into the back of her neck and the shoulder the large shirt reveled that just happened to a few fingerprints marring it, along with the hickeys that dotted her neck. She schooled her face before turning back to him and the table.

"Smells good," she said sitting down, grabbing a fork as he sat, silently staring at her. She looked up at him as she chewed the food in her mouth. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's, great." he mumbled shoveling a forkful of food in his mouth.

"Haven't seen a lot of you lately," she commented between bites.

"Yeah, guess we've just been busy."

"Busy, right." she said with a nod of her head before waving her hand at the table. "So what's the occasion?"

Bass looked up from where he had been focused on his plate, confused by the question at first.

Charlie looked at him questioningly

"I have something for you." he replied picking up the package he had sat in the chair beside him, sliding it across the table to her.

A crease appeared between Charlie's eyebrows as she turned the flat, brown, package over in her hands. "A present?"

Bass shrugged, sipping at his coffee.

Pushing aside her plate, she untied the string and carefully, unwrapped the paper reveling a gauzy blue shirt, the shade almost identical to her eyes. "I owed you a shirt," he said as she held it to her chest, a soft smile pointed in his direction.

"Thank you, Bass. I don't think I've ever owned anything so pretty."

"You're welcome," he replied gruffly getting to his feet, moving around the table to stand behind her. Using his finger, he played connect the dots with her hickeys before resting his hand over the fingerprints on her shoulder. He bent down bringing his mouth next to her ear, watching as goose bumps broke out along her skin. "I don't like this, not a bit," he whispered as he traced the fingerprints on her skin. Bending down further, he drug his lips against her skin, placing a kiss on her shoulder before moving back up to her ear. "And, I'm keeping the panties."

Straightening, he moved to the door as she twisted in her seat to face him, still holding the shirt in her hands.

"Sunday night?" he asked eyebrow raised.

She gave a small nod, "Dinners at six."