by H. M. Irwing
"Hey you guys what's taking you so long. Your mum's asking for you," said Jake throwing a confused look at me over Sadiq's presence at this party. I could only shrug my shoulders. This was all getting beyond me.
"I'm coming," I said to Jake then I released Cat reluctantly from my embrace knowing that Sadiq would pounce as soon as I left the room. In a split second decision I turned to Sadiq and said," You're welcome to stay for the party." I barely contained my distaste for his presence and even Cat looked a little uncertain. But I knew what was to come could not be avoided indefinitely. I made sure Cat walked in front and I remained a buffer between them for I could clearly tell that these two had plenty of unfinished business. And I didn’t mean just about the unborn bub. All the heated looks they were exchanging were enough to sear a steak right through.
I led Sadiq and Cat straight to my parents and did the introductions, "Dad!" I exclaimed and enveloped him into my embrace then wiping away a tear that our weekly meet up never fails to produce, I said," this is Sadiq. He is Cat's friend. Sadiq this is our dad, George Little."
I made all the politely concealed gestures that said I would explain this later to my Dad. My mum who read me better was quick to step up and take over the conversation," I'm Cat's mum, Meredith. Sadiq is such an attractive name. So unusual," mum murmured enquiringly.
Sadiq picked up her cue and replied in kind, "I am from...."
I left them to it. I was feeling suddenly drained out. Em joined my side as we walked in silence to a quiet corner. "I'm sorry," thoughtless Em blurted out. "I invited both Jake and Richard hoping they would distract you from chastising me over falling for Mark."
I nodded my head already knowing that. I should never have revealed my feelings for Richard and Jake to her. Ammunition like that is bound to make many a reappearance in the future. It’s not that she is mean spirited only thoughtless over the effect of what she does on others. She had no idea how hurtful it was going to be saying goodbye to them, again. I shrugged her off only saying without heat," You're not off age. You and Mark wouldn't be legal."
I left it at that and stalked away from her.
"You let her off lightly," murmured Richard’s deep husky voice in my ear. He had eavesdropped but I wasn't surprised.
"Yes I have," I stopped and turned to face the other love of my life.
"How are you doing Richard?" I asked wanting to know. Really needing to know.
"I'm doing great," he replied his eyes roving over my features even as mine responded alike. "The companies are stable now that we have Sadiq's financial support. Why is he here anyway?"
"Why are you?" I blurted out stupidly. Didn't he know he was opening up barely sealed wounds?
"I was invited," he said stiffly.
"Well than so was Sadiq," I said defiantly. I turned to walk away but he grabbed hold of my arm. "We need to talk," he said.
So I waited but he remained silent. I quirked a brow and he sighed, "Not here. Let me take you out to lunch tomorrow." I usually just slept in on my Saturdays back home so I had nothing planned. I nodded my head in agreement.
"I'll pick you up at eleven," Richard smiled and just like that I found myself smiling back.
Then I turned heels abruptly and scuttled away. I panicked at my instant acquiescence. I was so stupid I should never have agreed to have lunch with him like some mindless dummy. I needed some backbone to man up to my decision and keep my focus to steer clear of both Jake and Richard. I sighed heavily, when it came to men, us little women were royally fucked. I looked at Sadiq's profile focused in a narrow eyed gaze dead centre on Cat and acknowledged that at the very least one of us really was.
Just as I having these morbid thoughts, Cat broke free from her circle of friends where she had been hiding from Sadiq's unwavering attention.
"Hello everyone!" Cat called out through a mike set up for karaoke later. I hated having to sing but mum never celebrated a birthday without dragging the damn thing out. I sounded awful in general, giving me a mike only amplified what I couldn’t really hide.
I tuned in to what Cat was announcing praying to god it was nothing to do with her being pregnant or worse still over Sadiq's presence here.
"I wanted to thank you all for making our birthday so special," said Cat with an extreme exaggeration, then paused there to gesture wildly about as if to encompass all of Emily’s efforts in a wave. “I’d especially like to thank my sister, Emily for arranging all this.” I smiled at Em's equally confused expression. Looks like she was as in the dark. This could be bad. "You all know I have been on the accelerated program at school and that I had scored a ninety-nine percent average. I have thinking over what I wanted to do. I thought of doing law with my sister Lucy but that didn't agree with me so I sat for the entrance exams to medical school last week and I found out this week that I have been accepted in on an all funded scholarship.”
The elation that spread across my chest matched that on my face and those of the same on my parents. My nerdy sister did us proud. I along with the rest of the guests excluding one fuming Sadiq, clapped like mad. Anything else Cat might have said was wiped out by the hoopla of congratulations that chorused about the crowd. Em and I made a beeline for her but mum and dad beat us to it. Mum got there first and as she pulled Cat into her embrace I watched as comprehension over her condition dawned in the shock that spread across her face.
Her eyes met mine and read the confirmation that was reflected in it. Mum broke away from Cat and forced a fake smile onto her face before announcing to all the guests.
"If you will excuse us but I believe we need to have a little family conference. Such a wonderful surprise you know," mum smiled beatifically and started tugging Cat and dad after her as she dashed off inside the house to our usual family meeting spot the dining table.
Chapter 3
"Mum!" I called out rushing after her. I could see her grip on Cat's arm was firm and unrelenting. This did not bode well. The backlash from this will be felt be all of us for a long time to come. I caught Em's grim expression and knew she thought the same. In a way this will be good as this will if nothing else, keep Emily out of trouble.
We adjourned around the table and like a well-oiled machine took our respective places without urging. With mum and dad reigning at both ends there was no escaping their verdicts, pronouncements and judgements. I caught Cat's worried look and threw her something of a reassurance with my grim smile.
"Care to explain?" Mum glared straight at...me?
"Huh?" I asked dumbfounded.
"You know! You all know! I saw the looks the three of you were exchanging. I am not stupid," mum declared with rising anger.
"What the hell is going on?" Dad asked in utter confusion.
"Will one of you be telling your father or shall I?" Mum threatened effectively. None of us wanted her to tell Dad. That would be signing our death warrant for sure.
I looked at Cat expecting her to do the right thing but she looked pleadingly at me. I turned to Em had similar results. So with a great calming sigh I told the bald faced truth,"Cat is pregnant."
I took in the blank look that dad sent me and then the heart breaking look of sheer disappointment that crossed his face and I almost bawled outright crying. A quick look at everyone else around the table showed they were all suffering from a similar fate. Then I spotted Sadiq standing quietly by the kitchen door witnessing this intimate family moment. I felt it like a slap across my face. Would we not be allowed even this, our moment of family time? To come to terms with the results of his doing...doing my sister.
To give him some credit he was for now only quietly witnessing. And as he was very relevant to all that would unfold, I could not insist that he leave.
"It was just that once, Dad. At that party at Mark’s house over three months back. I didn't want to tell anyone at first because...you know...the first three months is the time that any miscarriages...if it were to happen…would have happened. I didn't want to needlessly worry anyone," Ca
t said, her tone quiet and hesitant.
"Three months?" Mum gasped out in shock. It was just one shock after another and even though I already knew all of it hearing it again was still a shock...of sorts. Mum looked about the table but no one responded.
"It’s a boy. A healthy boy," Cat finished off lamely. Again no one responded.
"Who's the father? If it was Mark-"
"No it wasn't Mark," called out Emily, eager to protect her love interest. I threw her a dirty look.
"Then who?" asked dad, tiredly. We looked about at each other not sure how to go about this and then I saw a flicker of movement at the corner of my eye. I whipped back to watch Sadiq come forward and exercise his right to speak," I am the father."
I grabbed at the edges of the table cloth and twisted at its fringes. The tension in the room was getting too much to bear. I fell back to old childhood habits of fidgeting when stressed. A quick glance at the twins showed they fared the same. I frowned heavily at Emily who was frantically twirling the ends if her hair. She would go bald soon enough if she kept that up. Cat paid no attention to my attempts to rebuke as she ignored my frowns and continued to nibble at her nails in agitation.
So I folded and pleated some more but the silence simply dragged on..
"Lucy," came my Dad's feeble voice at last. I looked up. "Perhaps it’s best my dear that you explain. I would like to make some sense of this."
My heart wept at how sad he sounded. "Dad...dad," I started then fell silent unsure how..where to start. At his quietly encouraging nod I started at the beginning and told all. I realised then that contrary to the significance of the matter there really wasn't all that much to tell.
"...and the prince, Sadiq has been stalking her since. All of us, Emily and I only just found out about the pregnancy. This very evening that is. Cat has been very quiet over all of it," I finished off relieved to have that over with.
"I will wed your daughter and give the future Amir of my people his rightful place," Sadiq pompously started to say.
"I have no wish to wed or to deviate from my set path. I am going to do as planned. I will study medicine and be a doctor," Cat responded instead, quietly adamant. Cat could be extremely stubborn and that stubborn tendency was strongly evident in her tone of voice. I felt a momentarily bout of relief for that assurance was something tangible we could rely on. Her stubbornness had never failed, never been overcome. I exchanged a knowing look with Em who clearly recognised the same symptoms. A quick look at mum and dad showed that they too thought the same. I think dad looked a little relieved even, that Cat had taken over this bit of the conversation.
"You are the mother of my child, you have no say in the matter."
I exchanged a gleeful look with Em. This prince was going down. There was nothing that raised her hackles more than a sexist remark. We looked at Cat in anticipation of the tongue lashing the prince so richly deserved but instead Cat burst out into a fit of laughter.
"You have to be kidding," she said finally wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. It was apparent she did not get the seriousness of this situation.
"I don't kid," Sadiq replied mildly.
"My god, you really don't do you. It was just like that day I thought you were kidding then at first when you said you wanted...but then later it felt so...that I..never mind," Cat blushed scarlet and stopped abruptly just there. Boy did she ever read him wrong. I should have known it was a case of mistaken identity. Cat thought he was the lost cute ruffled boy in need of a desperate fuck. She had no clue that he was just ...Sadiq...the Sadist!
The atmosphere was tensed enough to be cleaved through with a sharp double edged butcher's knife. I think we had one in the kitchen. One that rarely made an appearance but I knew it was there somewhere. The tension between Cat and Sadiq was crackling and it wasn't all animosity either.
I caught Em's grim expression that clearly told me to do something. Why did it always come down to me? I glanced about and noted the flickering from the festive lights lit outside and inspiration struck.
"Mum? Dad? I know this is all still heavy and new but we have a cake to cut and the guests of course. Could we not do this tomorrow? It will give us all time to stew over things," I said quietly.
"You're… you're right my dear. I think I do need to sleep on this. Sadiq? Do I call you Sadiq?" Dad was clearly flustered when he didn't wait for an answer to his own question and instead plundered on," If you will return tomorrow at say...tea time? We can come to some solution then."
"I would like nothing better, sir," Sadiq replied graciously instantly winning brownie points with mum for manners. I exchanged a worried look with Em. I could see how this could pan out if he got mum and dad on his side. We had to thread with caution.
Everyone rose almost simultaneously from the table in a rush to get clear of all the tension. I didn't know how I could ever sit to eat at that table again and not have the events of this hateful night give a play by play. I shuddered at the thought then rushed along with the rest to emerge in the cool darkness of the night. The sun had set and the guests, like me, wanted cake.
I rushed about helping mum get it all arranged and all too soon we were loud, noisy and out of tune in rendering the birthday song. After a thunderous round of clapping the twins held hands in solidarity and squeezed their eyes shut to make their private wishes. I found myself straining along with them wishing as hard that their wishes would come true and then they were blowing their candles and slicing through their cake. I joined in the laughter mine strangely buoyant and filled with untold relief that the night was almost over. I thought with strange longing for my own bed.
But it was a long while later before that happened for the guests lingered on endlessly. I saw Richard off and absentmindedly reaffirmed our lunch date for tomorrow. Jake who had been standing beside me had stiffen.. in anger? I was not sure for he had disappeared later without a goodbye. I was vastly disappointed when I finally trudged up the stairs to my room in the early hours of the next day.
I got out of my clothing and not bothering for a change got into my bed promptly to fall asleep. But a warm hand snuck across my waist. Jake?
I rolled into him unhesitatingly. "Jake?" I murmured sleepily. There was a pause before he replied.
"Who were you expecting?" Jake asked. I could hear the bitterness in his voice.
"No one!" I exclaimed in a hushed tone not wanting to create anymore drama with mum and dad finding Jake in my bed.
Jake sighed heavily and drew me closer to his bare chest. After an instant of resistance I melted all over him. I cuddled close then closer trying to draw him into my being. Absorb him into my skin. I couldn't get enough of him. I rubbed as much of me as I could against him.
"Had enough?" Jake asked his tone filled with amusement when I finally settled in to a position I was happy with.
"Never," I muttered sleepily.
"You know you belong with me right?" Jake asked confidently.
"Yes, I know," I muttered unhappily for it was true I did belong with him. If only I didn't yearn for Richard too. Jake was all I needed but seeing Richard tonight brought it all back. I just didn't know. Maybe I didn't want to know. I was too young for this. For experiencing this mind numbing bliss that simply being in Jake's arm reduced me to.
"You shouldn't be here," I mumbled out reluctantly. I pressed my lips to his chest and awaited his reply.
"I don't see you complaining." I sighed and rained kisses across his chest.
"You shouldn't be doing that," he whispered huskily into my hair.
"You shouldn't be near naked in my bed," I said defending my molestation of his body and yes, my hands were roaming too.
Jake groaned out," Hmm..yes..there."
I moaned out in half-hearted protest," No don't… not there."
"It’s not my fault you sleep in next to nothing," Jake grinned down at me. I saw the whiteness of his teeth flash at me and immediately wanted his mouth on mine.
"Kiss me," I
demanded.
"Come here," he chuckled, tugging me upwards.
"Nooo,” I protested as he started to shift me, “I had just gotten comfortable in that spot," I grumbled.
"You wanted your kiss," he reminded me.
"Yes but you could have…I don't know...leaned over or something!"
He smirked and as I watched his smirk grew. I knew if I didn't do something quick he could break out into an outright laugh. So I took matters into my own hand-lips and kissed him.
I felt the shift in mood was immediate. With a moan he opened up and took over. I twisted against him fighting for dominance. It was my kiss but he wrestled away my every attempt and soon he was on top of me and my legs were wrapped high up about his waist and he was slamming himself into me mimicking what we could really be doing but then the bed slammed up against the wall and we stilled in shock.
For a long while neither of us moved straining our ears for any sign that we were found out. Then by some mutual signal we sighed in relief and Jake collapsed into my arms trembling from the restraint. I kissed his sweaty forehead and murmured soothing nonsense.
He kissed me briefly on my lips before pulling me back into his embrace and sleep.
Just as I was dosing off Jake muttered softly," I'll be there watching you, at lunch tomorrow."
Chapter 4
It was sometime during that night that I made my decision. Or shall I say changed it? Looking at Jake's sleeping form cosily wrapped up in my bed linens and yes, my arms, I realised I could wake up to this sight for the rest of my life and die happy.
I decided then and there that by clinging on to my indecision I was not giving Richard or Jake the closure they needed to move on either. I was convinced what I had with Jake was enough...to make me forget and move past Richard. Today's lunch would be an opportune moment to let things rest between Richard and I for good. I decided it would be unfair to inform Richard of my decision after having told Jake so I thought to set all that aside and focus on the problem at hand.