by J. O Mantel
“What?”
Sienna shook her head.
“I’ve never asked him for one and he’s never offered to give me one. And I didn’t really want to ask you, because I don’t want things to get weird again.”
Jake continued to massage her back, rubbing his fingers up and down her spine.
“Fuck! Jake that’s amazing,” Sienna moaned. Jake thought she was about to have an orgasm.
“I’m glad my services could be useful.”
He finished massaging her back and crawled in front of her.
“Feel better?” He asked.
“Much. Thanks, Jake.”
“No problem,” he replied.
After the movie finished, Jake ordered them both some room service and they enjoyed a quiet dinner in their room.
“Well, we survived our first day together” Sienna said.
“Yes, we did.”
“Are you having a good time so far?”
“It’s been… entertaining” Jake replied.
The two of them laughed, it had been a long time since either of them had a decent laugh. Going on this trip with Sienna was the best decision Jake had made.
“I’m exhausted,” Sienna said.
“Me too. I was planning on heading out and seeing some of the sights, but I think the only sight I’ll be seeing, is the back of my eyelids” Jake yawned.
Sienna took out her phone and Jake looked over at her.
“I suppose I better leave the room if you and Lukas are going to get all sucky with each other.”
Sienna burst into laughter; “Sucky? Oh my God, Jake that’s hilarious.”
“Well it’s true. I don’t want to listen to all the ‘You hang up first. No you hang up first.’ Or ‘I love you more. No, I love you more.’ No thanks.”
“Actually, we’ve never done any of that” Sienna said.
“Well, anyway I think I still better leave you two alone.”
“Relax. I’m just going to text him. I never call him straight away, because he’s usually not available. And like I’ve said before, you don’t have to leave the room every time Lukas and I are on the phone. If I want some privacy, I’ll just get up and leave.”
She pulled out her phone and Jake could see her fingers tapping away at the keyboard.
She placed the phone down beside her bed and pulled the covers over her.
“Are you cold?” Jake asked.
“No. Just getting cozy,” she replied.
Jake jumped off the bed, grabbed some clothes out of his bag and headed for the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror flexing his biceps.
After he showered, he put on his boxers and a tee, and slowly headed back out into the room. He looked over at Sienna, she was snoring, she really must have been tired, he smiled and headed over to his own bed. He turned out the light and lay there thinking. In less than a couple of months, he would be making some of the biggest decisions of his life. If he was the father of those twins, his life wasn’t going to be the same again. But if it meant the possibility of a life with Sienna, it was worth it.
He rolled over and within a couple of minutes, he too was fast asleep.
ROUTE 66 DAY TWO
Springfield to Oklahoma–
Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas.
We left the hotel at 6am. The twins, I’m sure, were fighting all night, so I didn’t have a decent night’s sleep. The early morning rises are really taking their toll on me, but I don’t want to say anything to Jake. I can tell that he is happy on this trip, and I’m glad I decided to come along with him. We bypassed the Devil’s Elbow Bridge and our first pee pit stop was at the Kan-O-Tex Gas Station. I had to get out and have a selfie with Mater, from the movie Cars, in real life he’s known as Tater. The weather was a little chilly, but nothing that I wasn’t already used to, and being seven months pregnant, an occasional breeze, now and then, was instant relief.
“Ok Jake. I am seriously changing this CD.” Sienna said, as she put away the diary. She opened the glove compartment and shuffled through the numerous CD’s they had chosen for the trip.
She placed one of the CD’s in the player and waited for it to start.
“Stop right now, thank you very much” Sienna sang.
“Spice Girls, seriously, Sienna?” He rolled his eyes.
“Oh, come on, Jake. Stop pretending like you don’t know the words.”
Jake kept his eyes on the road, but he could still see Sienna bopping her head as she sang, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“I need somebody with the human touch” he sang.
They enjoyed a sing-a-long with the Spice Girls, Madonna, Destiny’s Child, ABBA, and Elvis and although awkward, they managed the dance moves to the Macarena. Jake even successfully did a comedic rendition of Shania Twain’s Man! I feel like a Woman, which had Sienna in tears of laughter.
By lunchtime, they pulled up into a nearby diner and ordered some food. The waitress placed their meals on the table, and after taking a bite out of her roll Sienna placed it back in her plate, and began playing with her fork.
“Sienna?” Jake called, but she didn’t answer.
“Helllloooo,”.
“Huh? What?” Sienna replied.
“You all right? You were completely spaced out just now.”
“Sorry.”
“Anything I can help you with?” Jake asked.
“No. It’s okay, just thinking about stuff.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, not really,” Sienna said.
All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and go to sleep. The last few weeks of her pregnancy were no doubt, going to be the most exhausting yet. As she struggled through her lunch, she suddenly didn’t feel hungry. It was the first time that the sight of food actually made her sick. She pushed the plate into the center of the table and crossed her arms.
“What is it, Sienna,” Jake asked, slightly anxious.
“Nothing. I’m just not really hungry all of a sudden.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jake asked.
“I’m fine. I’m just going to go and pee, again, while you finish lunch, and then we can hit the road again.”
She stood up and headed for the bathroom while Jake finished his lunch.
Something was off. It wasn’t the first time Sienna had spaced out during a conversation, but throughout her pregnancy, this was the first time Sienna had turned down food. Jake paid for their meals, walked outside and waited for Sienna.
She arrived a few minutes later, and soon the two of them were on their way again.
Jake and I spent the rest of the afternoon driving from Oklahoma to Amarillo, Texas. There was a lot going through my mind that I didn’t really want to discuss with Jake. There were moments during the drive when he would glance at me with his eyes, trying to get me to talk. The truth was, I didn’t want to talk about anything.
Spending the last couple of days with Jake has been amazing, if anything, I think it has brought us closer together. I hate what this pregnancy is doing to him. I’m with Lukas and the two of us are happy, we are prepared for the outcome and have already worked out our future. As for Jake, I’m not sure how he is going to take this. He is always telling me that he will deal with it when he has to. All I’ve ever wanted is for Jake to be happy and find someone who can make him happy. Even though I have made my feelings about Jake clear, we are, and will only ever be friends; I don’t want to see him get hurt. Lukas and I are going to be together, but what about Jake? Is he going to be alone? Is he going to be okay?
I know I shouldn’t worry about him, but it’s hard to not worry about someone who you’ve known almost your whole entire life. Someone who you love and care about.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Sienna? You’ve barely spoken two words since we left Oklahoma.”
Sienna closed the diary and placed it in the sleeve on the door.
“Sorry, Jake. I’m just really tired, I know that all we’ve been doing is
sitting and driving, but it’s not the same thing as sitting at home and being in your own bed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I regret coming or anything like that, I just wish I wasn’t this pregnant and I was able to enjoy this trip with you a lot more.”
Jake looked at her, she looked extremely uncomfortable sitting there next to him. She grabbed a brochure from her purse and started fanning herself with it. He quickly turned on the air conditioning and allowed the air to blow on their faces. Sienna sighed in relief.
“Better?” Jake asked.
“Much. Thank you,” she said.
They continued driving and Sienna put on Jake’s New Kids on the Block CD. After bopping around and singing along, Sienna felt her eyelids getting heavy and she was struggling to keep her eyes open, so she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Sienna opened her eyes a couple of hours later. She yawned and looked at Jake. “Where are we?” She asked, sleepily.
“Texas,” Jake replied.
“Really? How long was I asleep?”
“Almost three hours. And for the record, you do snore, and rather loudly I might add,” Jake said.
“Yeah, yeah. Hey, we could totally go past Cadillac Ranch before it gets dark and head to the hotel.”
“Cadillac Ranch? Is that where Bruce Springsteen sang that song, Pink Cadillac?” Jake asked.
Sienna laughed; “You’ve never heard of Cadillac Ranch?”
Jake shook his head.
“Well it’s quite literally in the middle of nowhere, just along Interstate 40 which is off Route 66 anyway. You’ve seriously never been there?”
“I’ve never even heard of it until just now. What is it?” Jake asked.
“Pretty much a bunch of Cadillacs that are buried nose down into the desert sand, representing an angle the same as the pyramid of Giza in Egypt. They’re all covered in graffiti, it’s open twenty-four hours and it’s pretty cool.”
“You’ve been there?”
“Once, with mom and dad years ago. We should get some spray paint so we can leave a mark to say that we were there or something.”
“Won’t we get into trouble for that?” Jake asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
“No. From what I read, they actually encourage it. Wanna go and have a look?”
Jake looked at the clock, they still had time before the sun went down and it wouldn’t be too late when they arrived at the hotel.
“Sure, why not,” he said.
Jake continued driving along Route 66 before moving onto the Interstate 40. He typed the address into the GPS and followed the instructions on the screen.
It was less than thirty minutes later when they arrived. They drove down one of the side gates before stopping near the Cadillacs. Sienna grabbed her camera and stepped out of the car. Together, she and Jake walked over to the Cadillacs and he stood there and stared.
Sure enough, it was exactly how Sienna had describe it. Ten Cadillacs lined in a row, each with their noses buried into the desert sand. Although it wasn’t much to look at, Jake did find the display intriguing.
Sienna held the camera out in front of them, she then cuddled up to Jake and took a selfie of them under one of the Cadillacs. Neither of them remembered to pull over and get spray paint. However, being a woman, Sienna was always prepared. She reached into her purse and pulled out her lipstick. Underneath the Cadillac they were standing at she wrote Jake’s and her name in a dark shade of red lipstick.
“Sign it” she said.
“Huh?” Jake replied.
“Sign it.”
“Why?” He asked
“Just do it.”
Jake grabbed the lipstick from Sienna’s hand and signed his name directly below where Sienna had printed it. She then grabbed the camera and took a photo.
“Perfect.”
After a closer look at each of the Cadillacs, they decided it was time to hit the road again and head to their hotel for the night.
They arrived at the hotel sometime later. Jake was about to order room service, but Sienna was too tired, even to eat. She quickly showered and tried calling Lukas, but there was no answer.
“No answer, huh?” Jake said, noticing the look of disappointment on Sienna’s face.
“No. I haven’t heard his voice since we left home. I just miss him.”
“Well, he is about to release an album, the guy’s probably busy. I’m sure he’ll call you back when he sees the missed call.”
But no sooner had Jake said those words, Sienna yawned and crawled into bed, she pulled the covers over her.
“I don’t think I’m going to last that long. Sorry Jake, but I’m exhausted, can we… ” and just like that, she was asleep.
ROUTE 66 DAY THREE
Amarillo to Albuquerque, New Mexico–
Albuquerque to Flagstaff, Arizona
It is a four and a half hour drive from Amarillo to Albuquerque. Jake has so far refused to let me drive. I’m not sure if it’s because of me being pregnant or the fact that I terrify him whenever I drive. I haven’t spoken to Lukas for almost three days now and I’m really starting to miss him. Of course I missed him the minute we left home, and I know he told me never to worry about him, but I just want to hear his voice, even if it is just for a second. These past few days with Jake have been great. The twins haven’t stopped kicking and moving around since we left home and my back is in constant pain. I could sure use one of Jake’s massages right now.
There isn’t a lot worth seeing between Amarillo and Albuquerque, but now all of a sudden I have that feeling in my lower abdomen again.
“Jake, pull over” Sienna yelled, suddenly.
“What? Why? What’s going on?” He asked.
“Don’t panic, I just need to pee.”
“Jesus, Sienna. You make it sound like you were going into labor or something.”
“Jake that’s not even funny right now.”
“Sorry, poor choice of words.”
He turned into a nearby gas station and came to a complete stop. Sienna ran to the bathroom while Jake filled the car with gas, he then went inside and ordered them some drinks for the trip. He sat at the counter and looked around while he waited for Sienna. Thoughts started to flood his mind, and all he could do was think about how happy he was that he and Sienna were spending this time together. She’d made it perfectly clear that she would never consider him more than just a friend, and he knew that. After everything that had happened these past eighteen or so months, he couldn’t afford to lose Sienna, not now.
Maybe things will be different once the babies are born. Maybe I’ll see how truly happy she is with Lukas and I’ll be able to move on. But what if I can’t? What if she’s the only woman I’ll ever love? The thought went around in his head, over and over. He hated this feeling, the feeling of being alone for the rest of his life.
As Sienna walked out of the bathroom, Jake paid for their drinks. Together, they walked back to the car and continued on their journey.
They drove for a few more hours and the weather had taken a slight turn, it began raining heavily.
“Can you reach my bag that’s on the back seat?” Jake asked Sienna.
“Yeah, why?”
“I need to get something out of it.”
Sienna grabbed Jake’s bag from the backseat and opened it, facing it toward him. He reached inside and pulled out his glasses.
“Now I can see the road,” he said, getting comfortable again.
“Since when do you wear glasses?” Sienna asked, slightly shocked by this sudden discovery.
“Since always,” Jake said.
“How come I’ve never seen you wear them before now?”
“I only wear them for reading or at the studio, if I need to, and driving when it’s really bad conditions like now.”
She stared at him; “Jake, they actually suit you… in a geeky, nerdy kind of way,” she broke out in laughter.
“You’re such a bitch,” Jake said to her as he continued to drive
.
“Yeah, but you love me,” she replied.
Not long after, a sign appeared indicating that they had arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It was close to lunch time, Jake noticed the 66 Diner, so he pulled into the parking lot.
After taking a seat at one of the tables, Sienna grabbed her phone and began typing.
“Did you hear back from Lukas?” Jake asked.
“He sent me a text this morning before we left, he was out with Mike and the band yesterday.”
“I told you,” Jake replied.
“I was thinking,” Sienna said.
“Hmmm,” Jake replied.
“We’ll be in Phoenix tomorrow. We could spend the day with my parents if you’re interested?”
“I think that’s a great idea. It’ll be nice to see Margaret and Carl again” Jake added.
“I’ll give them a call once we get to the hotel, I don’t have a cell phone signal out here.”
By the time they reached Flagstaff it was just after six in the evening. Sienna tried to help Jake with the bags, but he practically yelled at her for even attempting to lift anything. She walked ahead of him and headed for the hotel reception, Jake followed and couldn’t help but laugh as he watched her waddle.
“What’s so funny?” Sienna asked, hearing him laugh.
“Nothing. Except this is the first time I’ve actually stood behind you and watched you walk while you’re pregnant, and it’s-”
“Don’t you dare fucking laugh,” Sienna said, turning around to face him.
Jake tried to contain his laughter, but would let out the occasional smirk now and again.
They checked into their room, Sienna kicked off her flip flops and made herself comfortable on the bed. She switched on the television and flicked through the channels.
“I really need to take a shower. Do you want to go first?” Jake asked Sienna.
“Actually, you go. Lukas is going to call me soon.”
“Ok, afterward I think I might head to the bar downstairs while you and Lukas… get each other off.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and listen? You might get more than you bargain for.”
