by Love, Kimmy
Chapter5
The morning of Natalie's wedding, Annaya was a nervous wreck. She honestly hadn't expected Jack to keep his word and be her date, but she'd just received a call to say that he was on his way to the venue. That made it very hard for Annaya to concentrate on her role as maid of honor.
Her thoughts kept wandering back to her night with Jack at her apartment and the way that they'd ripped each other's clothes off, despite the drama that was unfolding and she wondered what would happen to them on a night where romance was naturally in the air.
Annaya fluffed up the many layers of the skirts on Natalie's wedding dress with an absent smile, but her thoughts came fully back to the present when she stood back at last and looked at Natalie fully dressed for her wedding day.
She was a beautiful bride. The petite woman was wearing a classic fairy-tale wedding dress, pure white, with a skirt that reached halfway across the room and a veil that fell to the floor. Her black hair had been curled into sweet ringlets and her make-up had given her a fresh-faced bridal look. She looked gorgeous and Annaya felt her eyes fill up with tears.
It felt like the end of an era. She and Natalie had been best friends forever. They'd gotten into mischief together at school and helped each get ready for prom. They'd gone to colleges nearby each other and spent those years out on the town, living life to the fullest. They'd travelled together and been there for one another through thick and thin. Annaya had even been there the night that Natalie met the man that she was marrying that day. Annaya was so happy for Natalie and pleased for her that she'd found somebody who loved her so much, but, at the same time, Annaya felt grieved to be giving away her best friend and left to face the fact that she would be on her own and with a baby on the way.
"Oh Natalie!" she gushed proudly. "You look beautiful."
Natalie was tearful too and swirled in front of the full-length mirror with a happy smile. "I can't believe I'm getting married today."
"He's a lucky man."
Annaya had never been the sort of girl to spend long hours fantasizing over her wedding day and over finding the perfect man. She'd never kept little lists in her notebook of the house she wanted to own and the names of her future children. Natalie had always been the one desperate to settle down and be a wife and mother, while Annaya had always been much more inclined to let her youth last as long as possible and to get the most out of every single moment of being young.
Looking at Natalie now, however, it hit her just how much she did want all of those things; marriage, a sweet little house with a picket fence and kids. It also hit her just how royally she'd already screwed up that vision.
It was much more likely that she'd end up in some budget apartment on her office assistant's wage, juggling part-time work and a baby, as a single mom, desperately putting up profiles on an online dating site, in the hope that she wouldn't be alone forever. She shook her head to shake herself out of her moroseness. This was Natalie's day and not the time for Annaya to feel sorry for herself and regret her own silly decisions.
She and the other bridesmaids finished helping Natalie get ready and then Annaya left the room while the photographer came to take photos of the bride with her parents. Annaya took a moment to creep away behind the church and let a couple of tears fall as she thought about her own future. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and was shocked when she looked up to see Jack Casali standing there. She quickly wiped her eyes, forced a smile and lifted her gaze to look at him.
He looked incredible in his wedding suit. His dark hair was combed neatly back and he was clean-shaven for the occasion. Looking around at all the other men in their suits and ties, Annaya could honestly say that he was hands-down the most attractive man there and every time she looked at him, she got butterflies.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It's just... weddings, you know? Natalie looks beautiful."
"So do you."
The bridesmaids were wearing floor-length pink gowns and Annaya's body, in particular, was flattered by the cut. The light material draped over her slim waist and emphasized the curves of her chest in a way that made her look like a Greek goddess. Her frothy hair had been pinned back in places to frame her face and her big, dark eyes had been left natural, apart from a quick lick of mascara that gave her lashes an alluring appearance. She blinked back the last of her tears and lifted herself on her tiptoes to greet Jack with a kiss on the cheek.
"I didn't think you'd come."
"I said I would."
"We should join the others."
Annaya was surprised when Jack held out his hand to her to lead her back towards the crowd. She slipped her hand into his and immediately felt stronger. Jack had such a presence about him, an authority, a power, that it made her feel more able to face the world just by being close to him. He'd made her feel like a mistake several times since their night together in Vegas, but him being here meant a lot to her.
"How are you feeling?" Jack asked her. "Is everything going OK with the... you know?"
"The pregnancy? It's still early days yet, Jack. I'm only eight weeks along. The first scan will be at twelve weeks."
"Do you want me to be there?"
Annaya gave him a grateful smile, but shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Jack."
"Do what?"
"Pretend."
"I know all of this has been a surprise, but I'm not a monster, Annaya. I don't expect you to do all those big things on your own. I said I'd support you, and I will."
"Won't people get suspicious if you keep jetting off to California every other week?"
"I'm doing what I can to cover my tracks. I've begun talks to buy some land in California to build a casino. That will explain my presence here."
Annaya felt disappointed again. She didn't like the way he was treating her, like some dirty secret. What did he think would happen when she'd had the baby? Would he hide her behind a big pair of sunglasses and dress her in some oversized poncho to keep her identity hidden?
"What will you tell people when the baby is born?"
"People won't know."
"What about your parents?"
Jack let out a tense sigh. "I'll handle that hurdle when it comes to it."
"I'm sure they'll want to meet their grandchild."
"I suppose you're right. It's just, the way things are... the timing will have to be right before I tell them anything."
"I know the night in Vegas was a mistake, but all of this secrecy seems a bit extreme, Jack. People make mistakes."
They began to file into church with the others and milled around the edges of the pews for a while as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Annaya noticed how the eyes of the other bridesmaids kept drifting over to Jack with interest. His evident wealth and incredible good-looks had become a talking point for the guests and even from their spot slightly removed from the crowds, Annaya could make out snippets of conversation from people trying to guess who he was.
"And you?" Jack said suddenly. "Have you told anyone?"
"My parents know I'm pregnant, but they don't know who the father is."
"I'm sorry for that."
"I hope you change your mind at some point. I imagine they think I'm not telling them who the father is because I don't know myself. It's not nice to have your parents think you've been sleeping around."
"You're right. I'm sorry, Annaya, but I appreciate what you're doing for me. A story like this getting out could ruin me and be bad news for my father, too."
"I think you're blowing it out of proportion. I mean, would anyone really care?"
"The public loves a scandal."
Annaya decided not to press the issue any further. It seemed to make Jack uncomfortable and it made her angry, so she decided to focus instead on the day ahead of them and trying to enjoy it as much as possible despite everything that was happening.
The vicar entered the church and Annaya had to leave Jack to take a seat while she headed to the front of
the church to stand in place as Natalie's maid of honor. Thoughts of Jack and the pregnancy faded away as the music began to play and Natalie appeared through the doorways at the end of the aisle. She looked stunning in her dress and seemed to glide down the aisle with her father on her arm. She was absolutely beaming and Annaya was smiling, too. There wasn't a dry eye in the church as she exchanged her vows with John and when the vicar finally announced, "You may now kiss the bride,” the crowd erupted into applause.
Everyone was focusing on the bride and groom, yet, when Annaya lifted her eyes to the spectators, she saw that Jack's eyes were focused only on her. She smiled at him and he smiled back and in that short instance, she let herself believe that everything would be alright.
*****
The second Jack had seen her in her pink dress, he'd been hit all over again with that crazy attraction to her. There was just something about Annaya, something he couldn't quite place, which drove him mad. It must have been what the romantics out there called “chemistry” and it seemed a good way to describe it, as Jack felt like he had no control over the way his heart fluttered every time he looked at her.
Jack was not a romantic and he certainly wasn't the soppy, overly-emotional type, but around Annaya, a different side of him seemed to emerge, a side that was protective and tender and it made him do crazy things, like take a flight out to California to be a wedding date for a one-night stand.
He thought back to all the women he'd known in his time. There had been Tracy when he'd been in his early twenties. She'd probably been the closest thing he'd ever had to a childhood sweetheart. They'd known each other since their school years, when their parents had bonded over their rare car collections. They found themselves thrown together at various upscale events and then ended up in the same high school in their teens.
They'd bumped into each other again when Jack had been twenty-one and they'd dated for a few years. It had been fun at the time, but Jack had soon came to feel bored in the relationship, like he was dating his sister instead of someone that he had a romantic interest in, and it had ended.
Then there had been Hannah when he'd been twenty-five. She'd been a wild card. He'd met her at around that time when Jack had been taking the fullest advantage of his father's credit card and was at his most rebellious. That had ended because their whole relationship had revolved around alcohol and being seen by the press. She'd been trouble and he'd been dating her because he'd like projecting the image of a “bad boy.”
After he'd matured a little, he dated a woman named Susan for a while, but their routine soon became too predictable and he was bored again. There was a certain cycle to Jack's relationships. He'd always date a woman for the wrong reasons and then grow bored.
Things felt different with Annaya. He couldn't believe that he'd ever grow bored with her. She was enchanting. Watching the way the future mother of his child's eyes brimmed with tears at the sight of her friend in a wedding dress, made Jack feel guilty that their own relationship had been less than the fairytale romance.
He was aware that his insistence on secrecy was probably not particularly appealing to her, but Jack's experience with women had left him wary of introducing them to the public eye. Hannah, whom he'd dated when he was drinking too much and getting into trouble, had relished the limelight and it had turned her into a clingy, demanding monster and Jack remembered how difficult it had been to break away from her when she'd had the press as her weapon.
It was bad enough breaking up with her when the world was watching, so Jack could only imagine what kind of a difficult position he'd end up in if a pregnant woman began to manipulate the press.
Jack knew all too well that journalists loved nothing more than to vilify a big name and he didn't want to expose himself to their stories. That was why he wanted to keep the pregnancy a secret and protect himself from a journalistic backlash, but he did feel guilty at how his decision was affecting Annaya.
He respected the woman. He wasn't ready for kids himself and a surprise baby certainly hadn't been something he'd anticipated, but he admired how Annaya had stepped up to the mark without a fuss and without any demand for a payout.
That already put her head and shoulders above most of the other women he'd ever been with and that was before he'd even taken into account her beauty and all the other qualities he was sure he had left to discover.
When the ceremony finished, Jack stood at a distance as Annaya was pulled away to take photographs as part of the bridal party. She was easily the most beautiful woman in the group and he could hardly tear his eyes away from her and her dazzling smile. She was simply stunning.
Finally, the photos had all been taken and Annaya returned to him. He held out his arm to her and they began to walk to the waiting cars to head to the reception, which was being held at a luxurious hotel.
"It was a beautiful ceremony," Jack said.
"It was, wasn't it?"
"Did you ever want to get married?"
"You make it sound like that option's closed off to me now."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Yes, I did want to get married. I guess I just always thought I had all the time in the world to meet ‘the one’ and settle down. The timeline's been thrown off a bit now, though. I hope you're not mad at me for keeping it."
"Of course not. It's your decision."
"Did you plan on having kids?"
"I don't know. One day, maybe. Like you, I thought I had all the time in the world to think of things like that. Right now, I guess I'd say I don't really consider myself father material."
"No? Why not?"
"It's a lot of responsibility taking care of a kid."
"You think you wouldn't be able to step up? Well, if it's any consolation, you've done alright stepping up so far and for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here."
No, being a father was not something that had ever really crossed Jack's mind. He'd been far too preoccupied with living the high life and trying to live up to his father's expectations. The thought of a little Jack Casali running around was one that made him worry – any kid of his would be a little hell raiser!
He looked over at Annaya and smiled with amusement. She was just the same, a little wild. Yes, they certainly had their work cut out for them. He slipped his hand into hers and gave it a squeeze and she shot him one of her grateful little glances and a relieved smile.
He couldn't believe that it was only eight weeks ago that they'd first met and that it had all begun with a drunken night gone too far. Now, the shape of his whole world had changed and whatever happened, he and Annaya were bound together now by the life that was growing inside of her. Yet, whenever he looked at that beautiful smile and her big, dark eyes, the thought didn't seem quite so bad.
*****
Jack and Annaya sat next to each other at the reception when they were dining and it meant that they were finally able to speak properly. It was strange that the awkwardness between them still prevailed after everything, but Annaya was desperate to get to know him and be done with the formality. She was having his baby. God knew she was going to know something about the father.
"Tell me about you, Jack. Even after everything, I feel like we're still strangers."
"What do you want to know?"
"Surprise me."
"Alright. Well, I was born and raised in Vegas, but I studied business at Harvard."
Annaya laughed out loud and then laid an apologetic hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. I just can't imagine you at Harvard. You don't seem the type."
"I know, I know," Jack chuckled, "but I suppose I'm actually rather academic. I must have got that from my father. I didn't want to go to college, but he insisted. I did very well, got my degree and then went back to doing what I do best – enjoying life. What about you?"
"Did I study? Yes, I did. I studied Business, too."
"You're joking?"
"No, I really did. I wanted to start my own internet company, but I h
ad to get a job to pay my way and then I just never really got around to making it happen."
"What kind of business would it have been?"
"Business consultancy."
"Wow. So you're smart."
"Just not as ditzy as I seem. Like you, I let my spontaneity take over sometimes."
They smiled at each other. It was something of a revelation to each learn that the other was educated. The way that they had met made each naturally assume that the other was too wild to have ever spent long nights in the library, but they were finding that they both had a lot to learn about each other and more in common than either had realized.
"It must have been strange growing up in such a wealthy family," Annaya commented. "I can't imagine having everything I ever wanted."
"It had its perks," Jack admitted, "but when you're born into a successful family there's a lot of expectations on you. And you? What is your family like?"
"Normal," Annaya laughed. "My mother is a nurse. My father is a car salesman. I have a younger sister. She's married with two kids."
"That must be tough."
"Why? Because all women are meant to be married with kids by twenty-five?"
"That's what all the women I've dated have made it seem like."
"Have you ever been tempted to propose to any of them?"
Jack pulled a face. "I can't imagine being with one woman for the rest of my life. All the women I've dated have changed over time into people I don't like or worse, stayed exactly the same and then I get bored."
"So you need a woman that surprises you?"
"That's right. A smart, sexy woman who's not afraid of a few surprises herself."
Annaya realized that she'd begun to lean in closer to him and that she was running her finger around the rim of her glass of water in a way that could be described as suggestive. She quickly drew back from him with an embarrassed smile. She couldn't explain the effect that Jack Casali had on her. Somehow he just made her into this little minx.