by Love, Kimmy
Jack rested his hand on the back of her headrest as she drove and Annaya felt her heart beating faster, once again having his body so close to hers. It felt strange to have him in her car, like a fantasy had come to life and entered the real world.
Even now, Annaya couldn't help but put Jack on a pedestal. He was just incredible in every way: handsome, intelligent, and wealthy. It made it hard for any hot-blooded woman to keep her cool in his presence, but she and Jack had discussed the fact that they needed to find a way to keep their hands off each other as the pregnancy progressed.
They were going to be parents soon and had to stop acting like horny teens if there was no chance it would turn into something more serious. That seemed unlikely as long as Jack was putting his father's reputation before any romantic potential between them.
Annaya pulled up at the hospital and took a moment to breathe before stepping out of the car. She was a mess of nerves, knowing that as soon as she saw the shadow on the ultrasound screen that all of this would become even more real.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked her.
"We're about to see our baby."
Jack smiled. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
"You think? Are you excited for the baby, Jack?"
The billionaire paused for a moment to consider her question and then a little smile crept onto his face and he nodded. "You know, I actually am. I didn't expect to be, but now that it's happened, I think I'd enjoy having a son or a daughter. Someone to follow in my footsteps."
Annaya laughed. "Hopefully our child will have more sense than us."
"We're not so bad."
The two smiled at each other and Jack stepped out of the car. He came around to the driver's side, pulled the door open and held out a hand to Annaya to encourage her to step out. "Come on, Annie. It's going to be alright."
Annaya's heart gave another little flutter when he called her “Annie.” Nobody had ever shortened her name before or had a nickname for her, but she loved that Jack had said it. It made her feel like they were closer than they realized. It felt special that he called her something that nobody else did, even if it was just ‘”Annie” and not “darling” or “sweetheart” or any other term of endearment that most mothers would expect from the fathers of their children.
She took his hand. It was amazing how every time she took his hand, she felt like she was taking hold of a lifeline, like he was anchoring her and making her feel safe. She wished that she could hold onto his hand forever. She stepped out of the car and Jack put his arm around her as they headed towards the hospital.
Once inside, she headed to the maternity ward and to the room where the ultrasound would take place. It was a small, clinical room with a waxy examination table in the middle of the room, a lime green curtain on a rail and the ultrasound machine in the corner. Annaya was instructed to lie on the examination table and lift up the bed. She did as she was told and self-consciously ran her hand over her stomach as the redheaded nurse began to apply a cool gel to the scanner. Annaya wasn't showing yet and her stomach was as smooth and flat as the night she and Jack had first met.
Annaya gasped when the nurse placed the scanner down on her skin and the cold gel made her tense. Jack immediately took a step closer to the bed and took hold of her hand. She smiled up at him gratefully, as the nurse began to run the scanner over her stomach and a grainy little black and white picture appeared on the tiny ultrasound screen.
"Oh my God," Annaya whispered. "Is that our baby?"
The nurse smiled warmly at them both. "That's your baby. The heartbeat is healthy. Everything looks normal. Would you like a picture?"
"Please."
The nurse hit a button on the machine and a little photo of their tiny unborn baby was printed. She handed the photo to Annaya and she and Jack leaned close together to look at the little picture.
"That's incredible," Jack breathed.
"I know."
Annaya turned to look at him and realized that his face was incredible close to hers, his lips half-an-inch from hers. She desperately wanted to kiss him in the excitement of the moment and in celebration of their beautiful little baby growing healthily, but she didn't want to break the agreement that they'd made to keep their relationship platonic.
It just didn't make sense to start a romance under such difficult circumstances. They hardly knew each other, after all, and they both knew that if they tried to act like a couple for the sake of the baby, then they'd probably end up resenting each other and ruining what could be a peaceful, if somewhat unconventional, family life. Jack locked eyes with her and she could see the same desire lingering there. She quickly turned away and slipped the photo back into her purse. The gel was cleaned off of her stomach and within twenty minutes, the first scan was done.
"My flight doesn't leave again until eight," Jack told her. "Do you want to grab a late lunch somewhere?"
"Sure."
She took him to a quiet little bistro down a backstreet in her hometown. She loved it because it was a little off the beaten track and although it was a little shabby and unknown, the food was great and it felt like a wonderful little secret amongst all the chain restaurants and big brand names.
"It's nice here," Jack commented, when they took their seat inside by the windows.
They were able to look outside from their little perch in the quiet booth and watch the world go by on the street outside. It was a peaceful feeling to be inside and warm on a cold night when others were huddled up in their coats outside.
"This is where I was taken on my first date," she revealed to him. "It was a terrible night. Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong. His car wouldn't start and so he was an hour late picking me up, by which time we'd missed our reservation at the first restaurant he'd chosen. We ended up wandering around in the cold until we found this place and then suddenly, everything turned around and we had the most wonderful evening. It didn't last, of course – we were seventeen – but I've always had fond memories of this place. The night could've been such disaster. Nothing went to plan. But it actually ended up being one of the best first dates I've ever had."
"Life works like that sometimes," Jack said wisely. "Things don't go to plan, but it all works out in the end. I can't say that the first date I ever took a girl on went so smoothly."
"What happened?"
"Everything went precisely to plan. I took her to a nice restaurant. I bought her flowers. I paid for expensive champagne. The whole nine yards."
"And?"
"And she said I was dull!" Jack let out a little laugh and shook his head in amused self-awareness. "She was right, of course. I thought I was doing everything right, doing what the movies had taught me to do, but I don't think I asked her about herself once. I learned a lot from that date."
"So you were pretty arrogant when you were young?"
"I was. It shames me to say it now. I bet you were an angel, weren't you?"
"No way!" Annaya giggled. "I was a tomboy until I was fourteen. I was always climbing trees and catching frogs and driving my mom mad tracking dirt in through the house."
"You? A tomboy?" Jack said with surprise. "I can't imagine that. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met."
Annaya laughed lightly at his compliment and briefly thought to herself that he was crossing their line by saying that she was beautiful, but then carried on telling him about her childhood. "No, it's true. I was all dungarees and I used to wear my hair up in pigtails with a baseball cap. I used to follow the boys around everywhere and try to get them to let me join in their sports games.
I only started dressing and acting like a girl when I was fifteen and had my first crush on a boy named Peter Smith. He was mad about pool, so I used to hang around at the pool hall and pretend I knew what I was doing. I'd lean across the table with my cue and try to catch his eye."
"Ah, so that's where you learned that trick."
Annaya laughed again. "I was a tomboy for all those years, but as soo
n as I started acting like a girl, it turned out I was a natural flirt. It was like the ugly duckling story. Overnight, boys started looking at me. And my mother was able to finally stop nagging me about wearing denim jeans."
Jack smiled. "I've been thinking about that," he confessed.
"About what?"
"About your parents."
"Go on."
"What I'm asking you isn't fair. I think you should tell them I'm the father. I'll meet them and reassure them that I'm going to do right by you and the baby."
Annaya's face lit up. "Do you mean it?"
"I do. I should never have asked you to keep it from them. I guess that’s because I'm not close to my parents, I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to ask you to keep it quiet, but you're not like my family. Go ahead and tell them. I'll be happy to speak to them."
"That means a lot to me, Jack. Thank you."
She beamed at him from across the table and he smiled back. Annaya felt herself feeling finally reassured that Jack was going to offer her more than money. She wanted him to be a part of hers and her child's life and that began with him meeting her parents and accepting his role as part of her family.
She couldn't wait to introduce him to her parents and reassure them that he was going to take care of her. More and more she believed that he would. Breaking their rules again, Annaya reached out her hand across the table and let it rest on the tablecloth facing upwards and slightly open. A happy smile crept onto her face when Jack's hand came to meet it and he closed his fingers around hers.
At the end of the night, Jack seemed reluctant to leave. "It's been good to spend some real time with you tonight, Annaya. I keep forgetting how much there is to learn about you. Our son or daughter is going to be a lucky kid to have a mom like you."
"You're sweet," Annaya smiled. They were at the airport now and waiting in the Departures lounge, looking up at the boards. Annaya felt sad that he was leaving, but that feeling was no longer unfamiliar to her. She knew she'd miss him and how safe he made her feel the second that he stepped on that plane and she'd be back to waiting by the phone, hoping that he'd call off-schedule. The letters on the departure board flipped over and let them know that the flight to Vegas was boarding. Jack looked up at it and sighed heavily.
"I guess that's me. Goodbye, Annaya. Let me know if there's anything you need."
"I will."
Jack gave her a kiss on the cheek in farewell and his lips brushed her skin a moment longer than necessary. The feeling of his stubble on her cheek sent happy shivers down Annaya's spine and she had to draw back to stop herself from throwing her arms around his neck or pressing her lips down over his. "I'll speak to you on Friday."
"Great."
Jack turned to leave when suddenly Annaya remembered something and she called him to a stop. "Wait! I want you to keep this." Annaya reached into her purse and pulled out the ultrasound photo, which she pressed into his hands with a smile. "So you don't forget us when you're in Vegas."
*****
Jack sat in the club with that photo in his hands. He was feeling that strange feeling again that he felt for a few days whenever he left Annaya. Away from her, he missed her big, bright smile, those beautiful eyes and the way her face lit up whenever he offered her his hand.
He couldn't remember the last time a woman had looked at him with affection rather than greed. He liked the way it felt to have a beautiful woman enjoy his company. Nobody else in his life could capture his attention quite the same way.
Since meeting Annaya, Jack had stopped chasing women for the first time since he'd hit puberty. He lost interest since he'd been spending time with the most beautiful woman in the world. Nobody else compared and with the secret of the baby binding them closer, Jack couldn't even consider flirting with anybody else. Not that it stopped certain women from trying.
Hannah was in the private club again. Jack suspected she'd taken to hanging around there ever since she'd last seen him, in the hopes of seeing him again. He pulled a face when he heard her screech echoing from behind him. He went to place the ultrasound back in his jacket pocket, but Hannah's prying hands pulled it from his grasp before he had a chance.
"What is this?" she asked brightly. Jack spun in his chair to look up at the woman who had appeared from nowhere and sprung across the members' lounge seemingly in a split second to claw that picture from his hands. He calmly stood up and tried to take it back.
"That's private, Hannah."
The blonde's eyes had grown wide with surprise and her mouth fell open slightly. She'd put down the tennis racquet she'd been holding so that she could move the picture closer to her face and stare incredulously at the unmistakable outline of a baby.
"Is this a baby scan? Jack! Whose baby is it?"
"Nobody's." Jack quickly reached out and took the photo from her, placing it back in his pocket. "It's not for you to worry about."
"Is that yours? Jack, are you having a baby?"
"It's none of your concern, Hannah."
"Does your father know about it?"
"No. And he's not to know, either."
"This seems like some pretty big news, Jack. I'd love to hear about it over dinner."
Jack glared at her and grit his teeth. Hannah didn't have to tell him that she was blackmailing him for him to recognize that serpentine smile. "I'm not interested. Thanks."
Hannah sat on the arm of the leather armchair to which Jack had returned and playfully ran a finger down his arm. "We were good together, Jack. We had a lot of fun."
"We were drunk kids who took it too far."
"You were different then. You were fun."
"People change."
"Don't you remember the chemistry between us back then?"
Jack scoffed at that comment before he could stop himself. He couldn't help it. Memories of grinding against Hannah seemed so dull and distant in comparison to the fireworks he'd felt with Annaya that were still fresh in his mind. Even now, the recollection of Annaya's naked body on that sofa made his blood rush. He shot Hannah a scathing glare. "Enough, Hannah. We're not getting back together."
"Why? Because you've knocked someone up? Who is she, Jack? You know, I'm going to get to the bottom of it one way or another."
"Grow up. Just because your Daddy always gave you everything you wanted, doesn't mean you control the rest of us. Try your luck with another member. There are plenty of loaded guys here."
Hannah's face flushed red at his insinuation and she stood up in a huff, her short tennis skirt twirling. She turned on her heel to point a threatening finger in his direction as she left, "I will find out who she is."
*
"Annaya, has Jack called?"
Annaya was surprised to get a call from Natalie at 8 am on a Saturday morning and immediately she was concerned. "No, why?"
"He's all over the Vegas news."
"What? Is he OK?"
Strangely enough, Annaya's first instinct wasn't that their secret had been discovered, but rather that something bad had happened to Jack and she immediately felt her heart catch in her throat from fear. She didn't know what she'd do if anything happened to him. She missed him like crazy when he was simply out-of-state. The thought of him having been killed was more than she could bear.
"He's alright. Nobody's been hurt."
"Thank God! What is it then?"
"Someone got hold of what happened. I'm reading this trashy Vegas celeb mag. Some Who's Who type thing. He's on the front cover. It says Jack Casali: Soon to be a father?"
"What? Where did you get that from?"
"I took an interest after you told me you were pregnant. I thought I'd better keep an eye on this guy."
Annaya didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She'd wished she'd heard it from Jack, but it didn't surprise her that Natalie was the first to know. Her organized friend had always been on top of things and it didn't surprise Annaya at all that she'd been keeping tabs on Jack.
"What does the article say?"
> "It says that an anonymous source has suggested that Jack Casali is expecting his first child."
"Oh my God. Does it mention my name?"
"No. It says that the identity of the mother is still a mystery. Does this mean that the playboy's wild days are finally at an end?"
"It says that? Oh God, that's so cheesy."
"I know. Vegas reckons that you'll be the one to tie him down."
"I can't believe it's in a magazine. Who's reading this stuff?"
"A lot of people, apparently. It's on the web, too."
"Are you serious?"
"Look it up."
Annaya typed Jack Casali into her search engine and her mouth dropped open as she saw dozens of hits speculating about the billionaire playboy and the identity of his mystery woman. Annaya felt a panic drape over her. What did this mean for her and Jack? Would he deny it and stop seeing her? What would his father say? She bit down on her lips and sunk down onto her sofa.
"What happens now?"
"I don't know. Maybe he'll call. I just thought I'd give you a head's up. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just... shocked."
"You know where I am if you need me."
"Thanks."
Annaya put the phone down and almost immediately it started ringing again. She picked it up quickly and felt a wave of relief followed by a second wave of panic rush over her when she heard Jack's voice down the line.
"Natalie just called. She told me about that magazine. What the hell is going on, Jack? Are we alright?"
"It's a lot to go into, Annie. Long story short, it would really help me out if you could come over here. Are you free tonight?"
"You want me to come to Vegas?"
"I'll arrange the tickets and somebody to pick you up. My father wants to meet you."
"He knows?"
"Of course he knows. His PR team is having a field day over it. He wants to have an emergency briefing on how to handle it."
"Won't it all just blow over in a couple of days? Does anyone really care about this stuff?"