by J. O Mantel
What was Lukas doing in a Jewelry store? Jake thought. Was he buying a ring? Was he going to propose to Sienna? With his thoughts full, he slowly picked up the pace and turned down the street where the gym was located.
One of the best things about going to the gym during the holidays, was that he had access to almost all the equipment. Other than a couple of guys lifting weights, and the couple making out by the treadmills, there was no one else around.
He did a short circuit of weights and cardio before heading into the boxing room. He was the only one in there, so he put his headphones in his ears and put on his boxing gloves. He walked over to the punching bag that was hanging from the ceiling and gave it a few gentle punches.
All he could think about was seeing Lukas in Tiffany’s. He had put his differences with Lukas aside, in respect of Sienna’s wishes and for the sake of their friendship. He didn’t have a reason to stir things up with Lukas. But now, all that seemed to change. Jake began hitting the punching bag a little harder.
“Just because he’s some rich and successful rock star, does he think he can take her away from me by proposing?” He hit the bag harder.
“What if I turn out to be the father? Is he still going to play happy families then?” Now he started punching the bag even harder than before.
“He thinks he has it all. I’m the one she should be with, not him,” he said, giving the bag another bashing.
“What the fuck does he have that I don’t anyway? I’m a rock star just like him. Why can’t Sienna see that?” He was really giving the bag a good beating now, it swayed back and forth with each hit. He continued to pound it, harder and harder, almost knocking himself in the head.
“Maybe he’s scared. Maybe he thinks that if he’s not the father, Sienna will leave him. He sees me as a threat, maybe that’s why he’s proposing.” A slight smile swept over his face at that thought.
A pleasant feeling swept through his body as he finished punching the bag. He removed his gloves and walked over to the weights area. He lay down on the bench press and lifted the bar. His anger and frustration gave him the motivation to lift the barbell.
“She’s known Lukas five minutes. She’s known me practically her whole life. Does Lukas just think he can come along and take her away from me?”
He completed a few more sets before picking up a pair of dumbbells. He lifted them alternately, flexing his muscles as he went. He stopped suddenly and sat there, resting the dumbbells on his knees.
“At least I can try and keep my body in shape. Sienna obviously wants a guy with great biceps and a huge… talent,” he said, eyeing his own cock.
Even a session at the gym couldn’t relieve Jake’s frustrations. After a couple of hours, he was the only one left in the place. He finished his workout, headed into the locker room and wiped himself down. He quickly removed his top and placed his headphones back in his ears, just as Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel began playing, which was conveniently appropriate at that moment. He walked over to the sink and splashed water on his face as he sang along.
He lifted his head from the sink and opened his eyes, he gasped as Lukas stared at him.
“Hey, Jake,” he said.
“Hi,” Jake gasped.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“That’s okay, I’m used to you showing up in odd places now. It’s not the first time we’ve bumped into each other,” Jake said.
There was a moment of silence as the two of them stared at each other through the mirror.
“Have you heard from Sienna?” Lukas asked.
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Jake replied.
“The last I heard, she was with her mom and dad and they were out shopping. That was yesterday.”
Jake nodded his head in acknowledgment, what he really wanted to do was ignore Lukas and make him go away. Clearly, that proved impossible.
“Look, Jake I know you and I don’t know each other very well, but I do know that you care for Sienna just as much as I do, right?”
“Of course I do, Lukas. She’s been my best friend for twenty years. It’s a bit hard not to develop feelings for someone after so long.”
“That’s not what I was saying, Jake. What I meant was, we’re all in this together. You, me and Sienna. Until these babies arrive, it’s still the three of us.”
Jake wanted to smack him in the mouth, why the fuck was he patronizing him?
“What are you doing here, Lukas?”
“Excuse me?” Lukas replied.
“I mean, did you come all the way down here just to patronize me and tell me how perfect you are for Sienna? Or was there something you wanted?”
“What is your problem, Jake?” Lukas asked.
Jake took a deep breath and clasped his palm into a fist, smacking the bench top.
“Nothing! Sorry,” he replied.
“Jake listen, I know you don’t think much of me and for reasons I don’t even know, you see me as a threat. But please, for the sake of Sienna, can’t we be adults about this?”
“I never said that, Lukas. It’s just that… ” he paused, he wasn’t quite sure how to finish the sentence.
“Just what, Jake?”
Jake continued to stare at Lukas.
“I’m never going to be good enough for her as long as you’re around. You’re the successful one, the rich one, the good looking one. I’m just the one in the corner that nobody ever notices. I don’t have the fame or the money like you do. You’re the kind of guy that a girl should take home to momma, not me.”
Now Lukas was the one to stare at Jake.
“Dude! With an attitude like that, it’s no wonder you’re single, no offense.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jake gasped.
“Jake, you’re looking at everything totally wrong. It’s not about the fame or the money. When Sienna met me for the first time in Vegas, she didn’t know about my private life. We started dating well and truly before she even knew what I was worth. Okay I may be more successful than you, but Jake, I’ve been in the industry longer than you have. As for the good looks, buddy, you’re a great looking guy and I’m sure all the chicks see that.”
The two of them stood there for a few seconds not saying a word. For Jake it felt like hours. His eyes scanned Lukas from head to toe, and he wondered whether or not there was some sort of ulterior motive for Lukas’s kind behavior.
“I’m just an ordinary guy, Lukas. It took me years before Sony Music decided to give us a break. You’ve already got that head start. You don’t see how she acts whenever she talks about you. She glows, Lukas, and I can see it all over her. You’ve always been her first crush, the one man that every girl wants, and now, Sienna has you.”
Lukas continued to look at Jake, the two of them staring into each other’s eyes.
“Is that what this is really about, Jake? You’re jealous of me? Why?”
“I’m not jealous of you, Lukas. I just can’t give Sienna half the things that you can. I can never compete with you.”
“Jake! This isn’t a competition about who gets the girl. Sienna’s a grown woman, and not to mention, she’s very intelligent.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath before looking at Jake again. “I know this is going to sound harsh and forgive me, but, you were the one who kept your feelings for Sienna quiet for so long. You had plenty of chances to make your move, and you didn’t.”
Again, the locker room filled with a deafening silence, and as Jake stared at Lukas, he knew he was right. He should have told Sienna how he felt about her years ago, and maybe he and Lukas wouldn’t be standing here right now having this conversation.
“Sorry, I was out of line,” Lukas said.
“NO! You’re right, Lukas. I should have made my move a lot sooner. I guess that’s why you’re with her and not me.”
Jake turned and walked away, heading for his locker. He heard Lukas call out to him and he turned around and looked at h
im.
“Jake, you’re a great guy, and I know that this sounds really cliché, but one day, you’re going to make some woman very happy. And who knows, maybe that woman will be Sienna.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jake asked, opening his locker.
“If it turns out that you’re the father of these twins, maybe you and Sienna can have the Happily Ever After you’ve always wanted.”
Jake took out his bag and shut the locker door, he turned back to Lukas, but he was gone.
Jake waited at the arrival gate for his mom, dad, Emily and Chris. Even though he had insisted that he didn’t want to be babysat, he was looking forward to spending Christmas and New Year with all of them. The house had been so quiet the last few days without Sienna around and he was really in need of some company.
After his family finally made their way through the gates, he greeted them all with a hug and gave Chris a handshake. Jake grabbed a cart, they collected their bags, and then headed for the car.
“How’s Sienna going?” His mom asked, as they drove home.
“Yeah she’s fine. I spoke to her the other day,” Jake replied, half-heartedly.
“Everything all right between you two?” His dad asked.
“We’re fine,” Jake said, wanting so desperately to change the subject.
“So, Sienna packed up and took off, just like that, no explanation?” Emily asked.
“Guys, can we please talk about this when we get home?” Jake snapped.
There was silence for the rest of the way home. Jake didn’t mean to snap, but all this talk about Sienna was really getting to him. She was the one who made the sudden decision to pack up and leave, and for the moment, Jake didn’t really want to talk about her. He knew that tonight at dinner, he would have to bring up the conversation about the possibility of him being a father.
Once home, Jake and Chris grabbed all the luggage from the trunk and they all went inside.
“It’s freezing,” Emily shivered.
“Sorry, Em, I’ll turn the heating on,” Jake replied as he turned on the heater.
Emily and Chris placed their bags in Sienna’s room while his parents made themselves comfortable in the guest room.
Prior to heading to the airport, Jake had prepared tacos and a salad for dinner. He retrieved them from the refrigerator and placed them on the table. He then let everyone know that dinner was ready.
They all made their way to the dinner table and sat down. Jake remained quiet as he grabbed them all some drinks. Sitting down to eat his meal, he noticed his mother staring at him from the corner of his eye. He knew that if he didn’t say anything soon, she was going to start a conversation that would surely lead to one of them arguing and he really wasn’t in the mood for that.
“Jake, what is going on?” Olivia asked, just like he knew she would.
Jake threw his fork on the table and slid his plate toward the center of the table, like he always did whenever he was frustrated. He had no choice, he had to tell them now, even if it meant them hating him for it. He stood up and started pacing the living room and stopped by the mantelpiece. His mother stood up and walked over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Jake? What happened?” she asked.
Jake turned and looked at his mother. His body started to shake and he tried desperately not to cry, as tears started to form in his eyes.
“Jake?” his mother was beginning to worry.
Jake moved away from the mantelpiece and made his way over to the sofa. His mother joined him. Chris, Emily and his father made their way over from the table and sat in the nearby chairs.
“Are you ill? Is there something wrong?” his mom asked.
“No, it’s nothing like that,” he turned and looked at all their faces. “Guys, there is something that I do need to tell you,” he said.
The four of them looked at Jake, who couldn’t stop staring at them. He had no idea how they were about to react at the news he was about to give them. He took a deep breath and sighed.
“Mom…dad…Em and Chris, there’s no real easy way to say this. You know how I mentioned that Sienna was spending Christmas with her family?”
They all nodded.
“Well, there’s a reason why she didn’t want to spend Christmas here, with me or Lukas.”
“I figured as much,” Tom replied.
“You see…Sienna’s pregnant,” It wasn’t exactly how he wanted to tell them, the words just kind of came out of his mouth, before he had time to think.
“What?” Olivia asked.
Jake nodded.
“That’s fantastic news, she and Lukas must be happy,” Olivia said.
Jake didn’t say a word.
“I’m confused, what does Sienna having a baby have to do with you? Why isn’t she spending time with Lukas? Surely the two of them would want to spend Christmas together after finding out that they’re about to become parents,” Emily said.
“I’m afraid it’s a little more complicated than that,” Jake said, standing up and pacing the room again.
“I’m not sure I understand, Jake,” his mom said.
He stopped by the window and crossed his arms, he stared outside and then looked at his family and Chris.
“Sienna’s pregnant, but there’s a chance that the babies could be mine.”
There was silence all around for a few minutes, and everyone stared at Jake.
“Babies?” Emily asked.
“Yours?” His mother said.
“A few months ago, when I got the recording deal with Sony Music, Sienna and I were home alone. After I told her the news about the record deal, well…we started drinking. Sienna had more than usual and I tried to stop her, but you know how stubborn she is, she never listens to anyone. Anyway, she consumed a lot of tequila that night, the two of us started dancing and doing all sorts of things in the living room. Then all of a sudden, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the bedroom. And well, you can guess what happened next.”
Tom stared at his son in shock, unsure of what to say.
“Jake, I’m still confused?” Emily said.
“The following morning, she woke up with the worst hangover and almost no recollection of what happened the night before. When she finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together, she asked me to leave, she took a shower and then headed to Lukas’s place. I waited until she got home that night so we could discuss what had happened, but we ended up having a major fight, we didn’t speak to each other for some time. It appeared that she and Lukas had been fighting also because they didn’t speak for a while too. But it wasn’t until they returned from their trip to London in September, Sienna started to feel ill and we couldn’t work out what was wrong with her. She kept telling me that it was some sort of bug that she must have caught. Anyway, the day Chris and Emily came to visit me, Sienna had an appointment with her doctor to get her results, she told me that she would see us all when she returned. When we got back from the airport, Sienna left me a note explaining that she had gone to spend some time with Ivy and help her with wedding arrangements.”
“So that’s why she wasn’t here when we returned. She knew she was pregnant and couldn’t bring herself to tell you.”
Jake nodded.
“Wait! Emily, you knew about this?” Olivia asked.
“No, mom. Emily was the one that found the note when we returned from the airport. Sienna wasn’t answering any of my calls or texts and when she finally did, that’s when she told me that she was with Ivy. When she returned I wanted answers, why she left so suddenly and why she never got in touch with me. When I questioned her, she got all defensive and we had another fight, and as I was walking back to my room, she blurted out that she was pregnant. As the conversation progressed, she told me that after she and I had…well you know, she then went to Lukas’s place and the two of them also…So when she went to the doctor and he confirmed her pregnancy, he performed a dating scan and it confirmed her approximate date of con
ception. That’s when she put two and two together and realized that I was one of the potential fathers.”
His parents, Chris and Emily sat there and listened in shock as Jake finished his story. None of them said a word.
“It wasn’t until her recent ultrasound that she discovered she was expecting twins,” Jake said.
“So, have you performed a paternity test?” Olivia asked.
“No! Sienna doesn’t want to perform a test while she’s pregnant because of the potential risks involved.”
“What happens now then?” Emily asked.
“Nothing, the three of us have agreed to wait until after the birth and then we’re going to do a paternity test.”
“When is she due?” His dad asked.
“Some time in May, I don’t know the exact date.”
“So, for the next five months you’re all just going to sit around and wait before you find out who the father is?” Tom asked, he sounded frustrated.
“Yep! That’s what we’ve discussed,” Jake said.
“I’m sorry, Jake, but don’t you think that’s a little bit unfair?” Olivia asked.
“Unfair?” he replied, confused.
“You expect the three of us to wait around to find out if we’re going to be grandparents and an aunty?”
“Mom, it’s what Sienna wants.”
“And what about you, Jake? What about Lukas? What do the two of you want?” Olivia asked.
“Well, naturally we want to know who the father is, but Sienna’s made it quite clear that she’s not doing any tests until after the birth. Lukas and I have accepted that.”
Jake couldn’t understand why they were making a big deal out of all this. He was the one who had everything at stake here, not them.
“I can’t believe you’re just going to sit around and wait.” Emily said.
