Syren's Plaything

by Jennah Thornhill

  Someone moving to the right of me catches my attention. It’s Allie’s friend from dance school and the girl who stepped in for her when she couldn’t dance on the tour any longer. Oh god what’s her name?

  “Billie-Jo.” I hear Allie shout across the kitchen getting her attention, she’s just saved me from embarrassing myself, I wouldn’t have remembered that name, my memory is like a sieve since I’ve been pregnant. “This is my friend I was telling you about.” She waves her hand for me to walk towards them. I hold out mine at the same time she does, and we shake hands.

  “It’s good to see you again, by the looks of things a lot has changed. Congratulations by the way.” She has a sweet smile on her face, and her eyes are warming, making me like her instantly. I don’t make friends easily, but if she’s a friend of Allies then she’s a friend of mine too.

  “Thank you, it’s still all very new to me, not everyone can look a million dollars whilst being pregnant.” I tell her pointing my head in Allies direction, laughing.

  “Oh, shut up you, you look fab.” Allie tells me, slapping my arm in a playful manner.

  Allie saunters off leaving me will Billie when Connor calls her over to him.

  “Is it me or is Max always this cute?” She whispers, so that no one can hear her.

  I for one am shocked that she thinks Max is cute, the guy is nothing but a vulgar sex pest, he puts Johnny’s and Connors reputations to shame. I can’t tell her that though, I think she would have learnt for herself when she was touring with them. Clearly, she hasn’t.

  “I’m not one to disappoint Billie, but I’ve spent a weekend on a tour bus with Max and trust me when I say that was enough for anybody. Though I guess if he tickles your fancy then why not, go for it girl.”

  Giving me a non-committal shrug.

  “Maybe.” Then she promptly walks off leaving me shaking my head and laughing, whilst I watch her.

  Maybe she is a weird one after all, in that case her and Max are well suited.

  After my conversation with Billie, we all pile outside to the decking that overlooks the amazing land that is attached to the Blackwood household. The guys are all standing at the built-in bar at the other end, I can just make out the conversation, they’re giving Connor and Johnny shit for getting their women knocked up, at roughly the same time. I must admit it is kind of funny.

  Sitting in one of the comfortable seats that they have out here, I take in my surroundings and just reflect at how mine and Allies lives have changed in such a small amount of time.

  “You doing ok there, Mofo?” Allie asks, as she takes the seat next to me.

  Sighing in contentment, I give her my honest answer.

  “You know what Al, I actually am. I’ve had a shit six months, but now… now things are looking up. I’m finally happy.”

  “That’s brilliant K, I’m so glad you are. But don’t ever think just because I’m with Connor now, that you can’t ever come to me. I’m still your best friend.”

  “I know that mofo, I just don’t want to bring any more crap your way. You’ve already had enough shit to deal with.” I tell her.

  I’m being one hundred percent honest with her when I tell her that, yet guilt churns my stomach knowing I’m keeping what happened yesterday at my dads from her. She’ll hit the roof if she ever finds out, but I just can’t voice my attack yet. Maybe I will one day, but just not yet.

  “Well ok, just know that I’m always here for you.”

  With that she vacates her seat and goes over to the guys, just as Johnny comes and flops in the seat she just left.

  Rubbing his large hand over my bump, he starts singing a soft melody I’ve never heard before to my stomach, and as if the baby knows it’s their daddy, I get a swift kick.

  “Oh wow, that's pretty amazing.” He mouths to me, as if he’s scared the baby will stop if he talks instead of sings.

  “Do it again Johnny, the baby responds to you.”

  Doing as I’ve asked, he tucks his blonde hair behind his ear, so I can see his face then carries on with the same melody from before, earning me another kick.

  Right now, in this moment, my heart is so full of love for this man and the baby I’m growing, I’ve never felt anything like it. Then just like that, the tears start falling silently down my cheeks. I try brushing them away before Johnny notices, but I have no such luck, it’s too late.

  “Princess? Why are you crying?”

  Through a hiccup, I give him an answer I hope makes him happy.

  “I love you so much Johnny, seeing you like this with our child who’s not even born yet, makes me ecstatic. I never thought that I could be this happy in my life.”

  Swiftly bringing his mouth from stomach where he was singing, he places his lips on mine and we take each other’s mouth in a soft loving kiss, that tells me without him even saying the words he feels exactly the same.

  “I love you too Princess, so much. I thank god every day you came back into my life.”

  Pulling away from him, I look at him with confusion written all over my face.

  “Came back into your life? What does that mean?” I question.

  Something passes over his face before he schools his features then answers me.

  “I… I mean…. after the attack with Jodie princess, when I thought you were gone… permanently, I felt like I was dying. I already knew then that I loved you.”

  And just like that, I wilt at his words.

  The bubble we seem to have put ourselves in gets broken, when the others all come and sit in the rest of the vacant chairs, slamming their beer bottles on the glass table, apart from Allie who’s sipping on fresh orange juice.

  Men have it so bloody easy.

  “Leave the poor woman alone Johnny boy, you’ve already done enough damage to her.” Max pipes up, laughing at his own joke.

  Only Johnny doesn’t find it funny, instead he stiffens at Max’s words.

  “Why don’t you just fuck off, Max.” Not one ounce of humor in his voice.

  “Whatever, chill John. I was only having a laugh dude.” Max explains, holding his hands up as if he’s backing off.

  What’s got his back up? That’s twice in a matter of minutes, he’s acting very weird.

  Giving him a poke in the arm with my finger to get his attention I ask.

  “You ok?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Max just pisses me off sometimes, even more so when he tells me I have to leave you alone.” He says with his cheeky smirk on his face. Laughing at his cheekiness, I swat him on his shoulder telling him to behave at the same time.

  Allie isn’t much of a cook, so she ordered a bucket load of takeout for us all before we came outside, Connor and Johnny go and fetch it from the door when it buzzes, leaving me and Allie with Liam and Max, who are currently just staring at the two of us.

  “What!” I say, giving them a sharp look. “Why are you pair staring at us?”

  Shifting nervously, Liam gives Max a nudge.

  “You ask them, you don’t care if those two fuckers inside kill you in your sleep.”

  That alone makes me want to break out in hysterics. What could possibly have them shitting themselves, that they don’t want to ask us? This has me very intrigued.

  “You’re a pussy, did you know that?” Max says to Liam. “For fuck sake, I’ll do it.”

  He turns back to me and Allie, then like he’s got no brain to mouth filter he just comes out with it.

  “What is it with you two? Are your vaginas laced in diamonds or something? And I mean this in the nicest possible way, but you two have managed take down two of the UK's most wanted men. We just want to know how you did it?”

  Without warning, me and Allie along with Billie who’s been sat on a stool at the bar and has clearly heard what Max has just said crack up laughing. He can’t be serious, can he?

  None of us answer his ridiculous question, because we’re all still laughing when Connor and Johnny walk back outside to us with the food. They both
come to a halt when they see us three women holding our sides from laughing, whilst Max and Liam just look at us like we’ve all grown two heads. I’m laughing so hard that I’m crying, and when I look at Allie again we both almost fall off our chairs.

  “What the fuck just happened? We only went in to grab the food, when we left you all were fine, and now… now you’re all laughing like a pack of hyenas.” I hear Connor say, to who I haven’t the foggiest idea as I can’t see, the tears are streaming down my face from laughing so much.

  Billie-Jo has herself in more order than me and Allie, so she takes it upon herself to tell them both, but just before she opens her mouth to speak, Max gets in there first.

  “Erm… Liam was just wondering how the fuck you both ended up with these beautiful ladies. Weren’t you Liam?” He nudges Liam in the ribs, hoping he’ll take the flack for him and his straight-talking ways.

  “Ouch, Fucker.”

  “Now who’s the pussy.” I shout out, having me, Allie and Billie back in stitches again.

  “Ok… so what’s really going on?” Johnny asks nobody in particular.

  “Just Max and Liam wanted to know if we have diamond vaginas.” Allie says like it’s a casual thing to ask.

  “Oh god, stop it now. I’m having trouble breathing from laughing so hard.” I tell her, whilst I wipe the tears from my eyes.

  “What kind of fucking question is that?” Johnny and Connor say at the same time.

  “Anyway… who wants another beer?” Liam shouts ending all discussion on the matter, probably for the best.

  Once everyone shouts out their orders to Liam, it’s not long before he’s back and we’re all eating our food, having a genuine conversation about anything and nothing. This gives me time to just take everyone in, and really appreciate them all, every single one of them. This is what I want in life, in my life. They all hold a place in my heart now, and always will, even the new comer Billie-Jo, I can see she’ll fit in just nicely, this family just get bigger and bigger, and soon it will have two new arrivals to add into the mix. It doesn’t get better than that. I can’t wait.

  We’re just walking through Johnny’s door, after leaving Allie and Connors. The drive back was a quiet one, with just the sound of the radio in the background. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, it was nice, peaceful and calming. I think Johnny enjoyed the little peace and quiet just as much as me, maybe more than me, he’s not been himself tonight, something's clearly bothering him, it’s written all over his face, and he had a bloody tight grip on the steering wheel the whole back. I haven’t asked him what’s on his mind yet, I’m scared to incase it’s my fault he’s like this, but I can’t not say anything to him and hope it passes.

  “There’s some clothes on the bed for you, they should fit, Allie told me your size, so I took the liberty of ordering you some new clothes as you only had the ones here from your dads. I hope that’s ok?” He shouts in my direction as he makes his way into the kitchen.

  “Oh… erm, thank you, that’s great. But how did you get them here so fast?” Like how fucking express are deliveries nowadays. And when did he order them, I never saw him on his phone or a laptop, I’m truly baffled.

  “Ok, so Allie ordered them for you, late last night for me, she choose all the clothes for you, I just gave her my bank pin- which she seemed extremely pleased about, god knows why. And it’s here now, because I paid for it to be here, that’s all you need to know. Now go get changed.” He comes back into the living area and by my side as he finishes explaining, so to get his point across, he slaps me on the backside making me jump.

  “Ok, ok. I’m going!” I start walking, before I turn back to him and launch myself at him- which he catches me with one arm, and just in time. I give him a quick kiss on the lips, then pull away from him, I’m still in his arms, he hasn’t dropped me not even an inch. “I appreciate it, and I know why you’ve done it, so… thank you.” I jump down from his hold. “I will pay you back I promise.” I shout back at him as I run towards the bedroom, eager to find out what exactly what Allie has ordered for me.

  When I open the bedroom door I have a mini meltdown, there are bags and bags full to the brim of clothes, shoes, handbags, and even some jewelry. What the fuck has she done? Johnny will go mad when he sees how much she’s spent.

  “How are you getting on princess, is everything ok for you?” I hear him shout from down the hallway.

  “Shit, shit, shit, erm…. Yeah fine, give me second.” I shout back to him, trying to sound as normal as possible, at the same time trying to get my phone out my pocket to call Allie.

  I pull up her name and hit call, it rings a couple of times before she answers.

  “Hey… Mofo… what can…” I haven’t got time for idle chit chat.

  “What the fuck were you thinking, buying all of this? There’s got to be over four grand’s worth of clothes here Allie, how the hell am I going to pay that back to him?” I’m starting to hyperventilate now.

  “Oh, I see you have located the bags, your welcome by the way. And if you must know miss over the top, he gave me my orders to which I stuck too. So, what is your problem?” Is she that dense? I’ve just bloody told her, I can’t afford to pay all this money back, it’s all going to have to go back to the shops.

  “It’s all going back, I’m sorry, but thank you it must have took you ages.”

  “What are you talking about? Taking it back. It’s yours K, all of it, like I said, he gave me a budget and I was still under it when I finished.” He what? “I mean I could have carried on but that would just be going over the top. So, I’ll ask again Mofo. What do you think?”

  “What do you mean, he gave you a budget? Why would he need to do that?” I still very, very confused.

  “He hasn’t told you has he?”

  “Told me what? Just tell me all ready.”

  “He didn’t really go into much detail about why you needed the clothes, he just said get you an outfit and whatever else you needed, so I did. And like I said it was under his limit so no need to shout at me. And I wouldn’t worry about paying it back. He said it was a gift. Don’t you just love him? he’s so sweet Karina. Marry him for me, please?” I hear her laughing down the phone to me, I’m too busy trying to wrap my head around it all.

  “I’ll call you back.” I just hang up on her, not even giving her time to say goodbye.

  So, he’s told her to buy me a whole new wardrobe, all paid for by him, why would he do that? I’m not with him so he can lavish me with gifts and money, I’m not a gold digger. And then something dawns on me…

  Does he think this is why I’m here now, with him, because if he does he can take all these things and shove them where the sun doesn’t shine.

  “Johnny!” I roar, I can hear his feet pounding on the wooden floorboards, then in a flash, he’s in the bedroom and at my side, slightly out of breath.

  “What’s up? Are you ok?” He’s running his eyes up and down me looking for some sign that I’m injured or in pain, I’m guessing. Then he starts patting me down from head to toe, just to double check.

  “Get off me will you, I’m fine, physically anyway…. But what the hell is all this?” I gesture towards the room full of bags.

  “For fuck sake Karina, I thought something was fucking wrong with you or the baby then! I swear I’m going to die of a heart attack before this baby is even born.”

  “Yeah, well you’re not the only one. I thought I was going die on the spot when I saw all this lot.” I tell him, gesturing to all the shopping bags that’s laid at our feet.

  “Oh, these? This is nothing K. You needed a few things for when you were over here, so I got them you, it’s no big deal princess.”

  “B… but, there’s thousands of pounds worth of stuff here. I can’t afford all this Johnny, and I won’t take it from you either. I don’t want you for your money, I never have.”

  Turning to me, he pulls me into his arms and wraps them around me tightly, at the same time he says
.

  “I know you don’t want me for my money baby, I’ve never thought for one minute you did. I just wanted to do something nice for you that’s all, and plus you needed clothes. Win, win.”

  He places a kiss on the top of my head before he releases me and heads to the door. Stopping him in his tracks I ask.

  “Allie says there was a budget, are you going to tell me what it was?”

  He gives me that cocky smirk of his, then replies. “There was no budget.” I must look like a goldfish, as my mouth is currently wide open and hitting the floor.

  “I… But… Why? You know what I’ve ran out of questions. Thank you, but please don’t do anything like this again. Promise me.” I plead to him.

  “Ok, I promise I won’t do anything this dramatic again.” He has a wicked smirk on his face, which means he’s telling me a load of bullshit. “Why don’t you have a gander through the shopping bags and find something comfy to wear, I’ll give you some space.” He leaves the bedroom and me alone, I have a smile on my face as big as a Cheshire cat. I dive right in and inspect the bags of goodies.

  A good hour later, there are rows and rows of clothes hung up neatly in the walk-in wardrobe and shoes placed precisely at the bottom on foot hooks, everything else eventually finds a new home in there too. There’s lots of different clothes from casual, to night out clothes, to summer dresses, tops, shorts. My Mofo has done well. She’s even got me those maternity jeans with the expandable waist for my ever-growing tummy. She really has thought of everything. And when I mean everything, I mean absolutely everything. I spot the underwear last, which gives me an idea. I put them all away apart from a white lace baby doll garment with matching lace knickers and suspenders. Might as well, while I can still fit in them.

  Going into the bathroom so he doesn’t walk in on me getting changed and ruining the surprise, I lock the door behind me just for extra precaution.

  I quickly strip out of the jeans and top I’ve worn for the past two days and have a quick freshen up, then I slide the baby doll over my head fastening the little hooks at the front before slipping the lace knickers and suspenders up my legs then attaching them to the stockings I also got given me.