by J. O Mantel
Jake turned down the street where Sienna worked, she still had ten minutes to spare and Jake could tell that she was slightly relieved that she had made it.
“But doesn't a small part of you want something more, also?”
“Yeah, I suppose! But for now, I'm happy just recording music and playing at gigs. If an agent comes along and assigns us to a label, of course, I'll be happy. At the moment, the band and I are making some good money, I mean it's not a fortune, but it helps. So to answer your question, for now, yes, I'm happy!”
He pulled up outside her workplace and Sienna undid her seat belt.
“Thanks, Jake,” she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.
“Um, what time do you want me to pick you up?”
“Well, I might actually catch the train home with Ivy. That way she can just come straight over.”
“But what about, Dick?”
“Oh, right! Um...look, I'll call you, I gotta go, bye.”
She slammed the door shut and attempted to run to the door, but the task proved impossible with her nine inch heels and her arms full with papers.
Jake's erection finally settled down, it wasn't very often that he and Sienna were in the same car together. He always got like this whenever they were inches away from each other. It didn't help that Sienna wore her black mini skirt that sat above her knees, almost making it impossible for Jake's eyes not to wander up her thighs.
On his way back to their apartment, Jake pulled into the grocery store and bought what he needed for dinner. As he drove onto the highway he switched on the radio, “Here I go again...” He sang, as Whitesnake's hit played.
“Jake! Grow some fucking balls and tell the chick how you feel about her.”
He looked in the rear mirror and saw his eyes staring back at him.
“I can't. She's fucking in love with someone else.”
“You're pathetic, you know that? No wonder she doesn't fucking love you. Sienna wants someone who can please her and be the man that she wants, not some mother fucking pussy.”
“So, what are you saying? That I'm no good for her? I'm a pussy? Is that it?”
“Yep! And unless you do something about it soon, she's going to walk right out of your life, for good.”
“But I'm not fucking Lukas Dark! She's made it quite clear that he's the one for her. I don't exist as far as she's concerned.”
“Jake! For fuck sakes, man, seriously! The chick probably waited around so long for you to make a move on her and when you didn't, she turned to Lukas the first opportunity she got. And frankly, I don't blame her either. A chick as hot as her needs some male attention in her life, and if you're not giving it to her, then she should move on. You snooze you lose, pal!”
“Piss off!”
Jake shook his head, this was absolutely nuts, he was sitting there having a conversation with himself. Not only was he losing the girl he loved, he was losing his fucking mind, too.
He stood in the kitchen, preparing the dinner as he sang along to Bon Jovi's Livin' On a Prayer as it played through his headphones.
A few hours later, Sienna burst through the door, carrying her briefcase in one hand and piles of paperwork in the other.
“Hey!” She yelled, placing her paperwork on the table and the briefcase by the door.
“Hey!” He replied.
“Mmm. Deviled Eggs, you know how much I love those,” she was ready to take one when Jake slapped her wrist.
“Don't touch,” he snapped, throwing the dish towel over his shoulder.
“Something smells amazing, what else have you got cooking?”
“Fried chicken with potatoes and Coleslaw. And there's also some Salty Dogs. And for desert,” he opened the oven and pulled out the baking dish, placing it onto the cook top, “Warm Apple Pie. What happened? I thought you were going to call me.”
“I was, but Ivy wanted to pick up Dick, and then head over here. I knew you'd be busy with dinner, so I just caught the train.” He continued shuffling through the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards.”
“Wow, Jake! This all looks amazing.”
“Vamoose! I have work to do,” Jake snapped.
Sienna smiled, she kicked off her heels and loosened her shirt.
“What would I ever do without you? I'm going to take a shower before Dick and Ivy get here.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
“You're amazing, thank you.” She turned and headed for the shower while Jake finished preparing the dinner.
The table was set and everything was ready. Jake could hear the sound of the water from the shower, after a couple of seconds, he also heard the CD player switch on. He heard Tori's vocals echo through the bathroom, followed by his own. She was playing his CD. His smile widened as he walked towards the bathroom, it had been the first time he had ever heard Sienna put on his CD.
Usually it was Dark Falkon's album or some other rock band, but this was a first for him. The bathroom door was slightly ajar, Jake couldn't resist the temptation, he moved closer and carefully peered through the tiny opening. Sienna had her back to the door, Jake had the perfect view of her ass. He felt that familiar throbbing in his groin, again, it was like his cock had a mind of its own.
Sienna sang loudly, completely unaware that Jake was standing right outside the bathroom door. He closed his eyes and tilted his head against the door, moaning slightly as he reached into his pants. His moment of pleasure was interrupted by a knock at the door, quickly he washed his hands and opened the door.
“Hey,” Ivy said, greeting him with a kiss.
“Hi!” Jake replied.
“Hey, buddy,” Dick said.
“Hi,” Jake acknowledged him with a handshake. “Come in,” Ivy handed him a bottle of wine as they walked into the living room.
“Sienna’s just in the shower, she’ll be out in a minute.”
Sure enough, within a couple of minutes, Sienna emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing her tight low cut jeans, sitting just inches below her navel and the black blouse that wasn’t shy of hiding her cleavage.
“Hi!” Sienna said, greeting them both with a kiss.
“Dinner’s ready,” Jake called, placing the food on the table as the others all sat down.
“Jake! This looks absolutely amazing,” Ivy said.
“Thanks.”
Everyone dished up their plates and the four of them started talking amongst themselves.
“So, Sienna, tell us, how was Canada?” Dick asked.
“Amazing! Lukas and I had the best time. I did so many things that I thought I would never do.”
“Like what?” Ivy asked.
“Rock climbing.”
There was slight silence, even Jake stopped eating.
“What?” Sienna asked.
“You? Rock climbing?” Ivy asked.
“Uh huh,” Sienna said.
“Sienna, you're paranoid about breaking a nail and you went rock climbing?”
“I know, right? Who’d have thought they would see the day that I, Sienna Forrester, would rock climb?”
“I sure as hell didn’t. I agree with Ivy, even at home, you have a coronary whenever you break a nail.” Jake suddenly said.
“Please! I’m not that bad.” Jake raised his eyebrows and the four of them went back to eating their meals.
After they finished eating, Ivy and Sienna agreed to do the dishes, while Jake and Dick sat on the sofa, exchanging views on music.
“Lukas and I had sex.”
“What?” Ivy squealed from the kitchen, alerting Dick and Jake to turn around.
“Girl talk, boys,” Sienna said, grabbing Ivy by the arm and dragging her into the bedroom.
“Talk to me, I want to know everything, well not everything,” Ivy said.
“Babe, it was amazing, it was everything that I possibly imagined, and more. It was the best night of my life.” Ivy sat there and listened as Sienna told her about her night with Lukas and the rest of the vacatio
n.
It was some time later when they returned to the living room, Jake dished up the Apple Pie that he had prepared and the four of them sat on the sofa. Sienna sat beside Ivy, while Dick sat next to Jake. He was sort of relieved that she didn’t sit next to him, fearing that he would pop an erection and someone would notice.
The four of them talked until the early hours of the morning before Ivy and Dick decided to leave.
“Thank you for a beautiful dinner, Jake,” Ivy said, grabbing her purse.
“My pleasure,” Jake replied, giving her a kiss.
“See you soon,” Dick said shaking his hand.
Sienna hugged and kissed them both and after opening the door, she watched and waited until they had pulled out of the drive and vanished down the street.
“Thanks for dinner, Jake it was amazing.”
“You're welcome.”
“I’m heading to bed. Night!”
“Um, you might want to organize a new battery for your car at some point.”
“Oh, yeah! Right. I forgot all about that. I’ll do it in the morning. Can I get another ride from you, tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Jake smiled.
“Thanks. Goodnight,” she yawned and headed to her room, shutting the door.
“Night,” Jake smiled, turning out the lights and heading to his own room.
“So, is Lukas coming over for Thanksgiving?” Jake asked.
“No, he can't make it. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only opportunity he gets to spend time with his family. So he's spending the weekend with them.
“That's a shame.”
“What?” Sienna asked, surprised.
“It's a shame that Lukas can't be there,” his tone was sincere.
“Yeah, I heard you, but I wanted to make sure I heard correctly. Jake, that's the first time you've ever said anything positive about Lukas.
“No it's not, I've said lots of positive things about him before.” This time there was sarcasm.
It was the day before Thanksgiving and they had been out shopping for hours, the supermarket was full of people in every direction. There were Moms and Dads with children, shopping for their Thanksgiving turkeys as everyone prepared for the weekend.
“I've been meaning to ask you,” Jake suddenly spoke as they wheeled their trolley down the freezer aisle.
“Yeah?” Sienna asked.
“What are they like?”
“Huh? Who?” Sienna replied, stopping at the freezer and sorting through the limited number of turkeys that were left.
“Lukas's family. What are they like?”
“Oh! I haven’t actually met his family, yet, so I don't know.”
“Wait! The two of you have been dating, how long, now?”
“Seven months.”
“And you still haven't met his family?”
Sienna picked up a turkey and admired it from several angles, she handed it to Jake who placed it into the trolley along with the rest of the groceries.
“Jake, Lukas is always on the road with his band, he's busy. He doesn't get the opportunity to see his family very often. And when he does, it's often minimal. It's hard for me too, this time of year work is always busy. Everyone wants to buy or rent a house right before the holidays and I'm lucky if I get out of work on time most nights. Lukas has told me many times that he would love me to meet his family, but the timing just isn't right for both of us at the moment.”
Jake hated this time of year also, it was a busy period for Lightning Ridge as well. They were usually booked out all through the holidays for Christmas and New Year's Eve parties. Sienna would often come home from work well after dark and the two of them were lucky if they saw each other for more than a couple of hours a week. He wasn't really complaining, the money that he had been earning lately with the band had helped him start saving to buy a new car.
“Hey, I'm going to make some mashed potatoes, can you please grab a bag?”
“Sure,” Jake said, grabbing a bag of potatoes and placing them in the trolley.
“Are you sure you've got enough food here, Sienna?” Jake asked, sarcastically.
“Hey! There's a lot of people.”
“There's two of them.”
“Plus you and I.”
“That makes four.”
“And my parents, brothers and sisters, plus your folks and Emily.”
“Wait a second, you invited your whole family, and mine?” Jake asked, slightly shocked.
“Yep! And Ivy's parents too.”
“What?! Sienna, whatever happened to just a quiet dinner with you, me, Ivy and Dick?”
“Our families are always together at Thanksgiving, Jake. They have been, every year for as long as you and I have lived together. But this year is different, Ivy is introducing Dick to her parents.”
“Oh! Wow! It's time, is it?”
“Yeah! Ivy told me about it the other day, she was really nervous and said that she didn't want to do it alone.”
“Did Dick ask to meet her parents?”
“No! It was all entirely her idea. She loves Dick, and I know she's finally happy. You know Ivy, Jake, she's always been insecure and unsure of herself, and I think Dick may finally be the one for her. So she figured it was time he met her parents.”
Jake raised his eyebrows as they continued shopping. He had to admit, it was going to be nice having his family around for Thanksgiving, he hadn't seen them since he and the band toured with Dark Falkon and he missed them, especially Emily. Sienna didn't exactly come from a small family, there was the oldest brother, Robbie who was forty, the triplets, Lilly, Sarah, Jacob who were thirty five. Then there was Sienna and finally the twins, Drew and Cameron, who were twenty eight. Jake and Sienna would always joke about how at times, she felt like the Von Trapp family from The Sound of Music.
“Ok, so that makes seventeen of us. Do we need anything else?” Jake asked.
“I think that's everything, potatoes, turkey, pumpkin...” Jake stood there and listened as Sienna went through the grocery list and double checked all the items in the trolley. Whenever she was stressed or on a deadline she would tuck her hair behind her right ear, wet her lips and pout. Then, she would rub her foot on the back of her calf. For Jake, it was the biggest turn on that made his cock hard, every single time. And today was no different. He was relieved that the trolley was covering his crotch at that moment. Grabbing the trolley, he wheeled it to the register. They placed their groceries on the conveyer belt and waited for the cashier to finalize their purchase.
Jake handed Sienna a hundred dollar bill while he wheeled the trolley out to the parking lot and loaded the trunk. Sienna joined him a couple of minutes later.
“Shit!”
“What?” Jake asked.
“I forgot the wine, can we-?”
“Sienna! Stop freaking out. We'll go to the liquor store on the way home.”
“Sorry! I just want tomorrow night to be perfect. It's a big deal for Ivy.”
Jake lowered the gear as the car came to a halt at the traffic lights.
“So Ivy's telling her parents about Dick, tomorrow night?”
“Yep!”
“Wouldn't she want to do it in private, rather than with a shit load of people around?”
“That's what I thought, too. But it turns out, she's shit scared. She doesn't want to do it alone. She actually asked you and I to go to her place for Thanksgiving but then I told her we were already having the family over at our place. That's when she asked if she could bring Dick, so I then suggested that I invite her family, mine, and yours and have a great big banquet.”
“God I love Ivy, but man, she is so fucking chicken shit!”
“I know, right?”
Jake pulled into the liquor store and grabbed his wallet. “What do we need?”
“I'm thinking some spirits, wine and beer,” Sienna replied.
“I'm on it!”
“Here,” Sienna said, handing him some money.
Jake walk
ed around the liquor store and grabbed the drinks that he needed. He was actually looking forward to Thanksgiving, he didn't get the opportunity to spend much time with his family, and when he did, it was often limited. His Mom, Dad and Emily were spending the weekend at his place while Sienna's family booked the local hotel, three blocks down the road.
He paid the cashier and headed back to the car.
“How did you go?” Sienna asked.
“All taken care of.” He pulled out of the parking lot and the two of them headed home.
####FRIENDSHIP####
The following morning Jake and Sienna were busy in the kitchen “How's the stuffing going?” Sienna asked.
“Almost done.” Sienna cooked the best turkey, it was always golden brown and full of juices. To top it all off, Jake's Porcini-Chestnut Stuffing made the turkey complete.
“What time is everyone coming over?” Jake asked.
“My folks will be here around five, and I told everyone else that dinner was at seven thirty.
“Okay, well it's almost midday. We had best get this turkey on if we have any chance of it being ready before everyone gets here.” Jake filled the turkey with his stuffing, while Sienna poured over the glaze. Once they were done, he placed it in the oven and made a start on the gravy.
Jake's phone alerted him of a message, he pulled it from his pocket; We are on our way, just leaving the airport. See you soon.
“My parents are just leaving the airport,” he said.
“Oh! They'll be a little early, just as well we bought some wine and snacks. I'll message Ivy and let her know that we're all good to go for seven thirty. She washed her hands, grabbed her phone and headed for her bedroom. Jake was exhausted, the evening hadn't even started and all he wanted to do was chill out on the sofa with a beer. He knew how much tonight meant to Sienna, Ivy and Dick and he wanted to make sure the evening was perfect.
The doorbell sounded some time later, Jake wiped his hands and opened the door.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” his Mom, Dad and Emily yelled. His Mom leaned forward and greeted him with a kiss. He hugged his Dad and kissed Emily on the cheek.