Third Act (Dark Falkon Book 3)

by J. O Mantel

  After hours of shopping, Sienna managed to have both her hands full of bags. Jake picked up a few bargains at the Nike store and a local jeweler. Satisfied with both their purchases, they finally decided to head home.

  Sienna dropped the bags on the floor, and collapsed on the sofa as soon as they walked through the door. Jake went to his room and placed his bags in his closet.

  “Jake, your phone’s ringing,” Sienna called from the living room.

  Jake ran back out into the kitchen and grabbed his phone.

  “Hey, Stuart,” he answered, walking back into his room.

  Sienna grabbed her shopping bags, and pulled out one of the many maternity dresses she had bought. She stood up and pressed it against her belly. She wandered over to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.

  “Argh! How can any guy find a woman attractive in something like this?” She said, picturing the look on Lukas’s face whenever they would go out in public.

  She went back into the living room, just as Jake walked out of his bedroom.

  “Everything all right?” Sienna asked.

  “Yeah. Stuart’s organized a meeting and wants us down at the studio in an hour.”

  “But you’ve only just got back.”

  “I know, but he says it’s important,” Jake said.

  Sienna sighed, she folded up the dress and placed it back into the bag.

  “Like I said earlier, the life of a rock star. You better not keep Stuart and the others waiting.”

  “Do you need anything before I leave?” He asked.

  “No, I’m fine. I might not be awake when you get home, I’m pretty tired. So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Jake said and walked out the door.

  Jake, Tori, Ryan and Lance sat around the table and waited for Stuart. They talked amongst themselves, trying to work out what was going on.

  They heard the office door open and the four of them look up as Stuart stepped inside.

  “Hi guys. I know you’re all wondering why I’ve called you here, so I’m going to get straight to the point. I’ve just gotten off the phone with the CEO of Sony.”

  Lightning Ridge stared at one another, Sony? This was bound to be serious, perhaps there was a delay with the release of the album. Or maybe they wanted to cancel their contract with Lightning Ridge.

  “Is everything okay, Stuart?” Tori asked.

  “They called me to tell me that they had been contacted by Warner Bros.”

  “Warner Bros?” Jake asked, surprised.

  “The musical director somehow got his hands on one of your demo CD’s, that I sent off to potential agents and labels. Anyway, the CEO contacted management at Sony today.”

  There was a pause midway through Stuart’s speech, the band stared at him, all their eyes wide open.

  “Warner Bros. want Lightning Ridge to feature on the soundtrack for the new upcoming Justice League movie,” Stuart told them.

  “What?” Ryan asked.

  “Are you serious?” Tori said.

  “Shit!” Lance replied.

  Jake on the other hand, was speechless. He looked at the band and then turned to Stuart.

  “Jake?” Stuart said.

  “Sorry, I guess I’m just a little shocked.”

  “Shocked? That’s the understatement of the century,” Tori said.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just can’t believe they picked us out of the other rock bands out there. I mean, what about Dark Falkon? Kiss? Metallica? They’ve all been around a lot longer than we have.”

  The others looked at Jake as if he had just committed a sin.

  “Jake, are you saying you’re not interested?” Stuart asked.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just, that out of all those rock bands, and more, why have they chosen us?”

  He had a point. The others didn’t want to press their luck, but they too were interested to know why they had been chosen out of all the other rock bands in the world.

  “I’m with, Jake, Stuart. Out of everyone, why did Warner choose us?” Lance said.

  “I knew these sort of questions would come up, and I was wondering the same thing myself. The thing is, while Dark Falkon and all the other bands out there are rock bands, the guys at Warner Bros. want a different feel. You guys should know that your music is completely different to theirs. Justice League is a movie about superheroes and they listened to all the tracks on the album. They believe that your style is exactly what they’re looking for.”

  Everyone looked around the room and at each other, they didn’t know what to say.”

  “Which track have they chosen?” Tori asked.

  “Actually, they want two. They want Freedom and Supernova.”

  There was a lot of muttering and gasps between the band members as they talked amongst themselves.

  “Guys, this could potentially be the big break that Lightning Ridge need. This is good news.”

  It did appear that things were happening in their favor. First a record deal with one of the biggest music labels in the world, and now they were going to feature on the soundtrack for a major movie blockbuster.

  Jake excused himself and went to the bathroom. He was feeling really tired and splashed water on his face and stared into the mirror. As he stood there, his thoughts circled the room and he thought back on the last two years. He never imagined he’d be where he is right now. A record deal, tours, and the prospect of being a father to twins.

  He had resigned himself to the fact that he would only ever be doing casual gigs and nothing more. He thought that by now he and Sienna would be planning their future together. He smirked to himself in the mirror and smashed his fist on the bench top. How wrong was he!

  Even if he was the father, Sienna made it clear that she would still be with Lukas, but he would never replace Jake as their father. Although Jake wanted Sienna to be happy more than anything, he wanted himself to be happy too. The only way he could see that happening, was having a life with Sienna. He promised himself, and Sienna, that he wouldn’t interfere with her happiness and come between her and Lukas, but the more he saw them together, the more it hurt.

  The bathroom door opened and Lance walked inside. He saw Jake standing by the vanity and walked over to him.

  “You okay, bud?” Lance asked.

  “Yeah, why?” Jake replied.

  “You seem a million miles away. And you kind of left the room awkwardly just now. I want to make sure you’re all right.”

  “Tori, put you up to this, didn’t she?” Jake asked.

  “Jake, she’s worried about you, we all are.”

  “Worried? Why?”

  “Ever since you told us that Sienna was pregnant, you haven’t been yourself. None of us really know what you’re going through, and I can’t even begin to try and understand it. But you need to know that we are here for you whenever you need to talk.”

  Lance and Jake had been close for a few years now. Lance knew about Jake’s feelings for Sienna before anyone else. After Sienna and Jake slept together, Lance was the first person he told. Unlike Lukas, Jake told the rest of the band that there was a possibility either he or Lukas could be the father. They had no secrets and Sienna was a part of their lives.

  “Thanks, Lance. In all honesty, I am okay. I just want all this to be over so that the three of us can plan our lives. But while he’s around, I’m never going to stand a chance.”

  Jake put his head down and rubbed his forehead. He was so tired it was giving him a headache.

  “While who’s around, Jake?” Lance asked.

  “Him. Lukas.”

  “Jake we’ve been over this a thousand times. The only thing that the two of you have in common is that you’re both musicians, but that’s it. So, I’m going to say this as your friend, and someone who's known you a long time, you’re no fucking Lukas Dark.”

  Jake paused and looked at him, Lance was never one to sugar coat anything, he spoke his mi
nd and told it like it was. Jake knew never to take anything he said personally, and sometimes it was the push he needed.

  “I know all this Lance. But I just can’t stop thinking about her. About the life the four of us could have together.”

  “And that may very well happen, Jake. Look, I know you’re in love with Sienna, and I know that you want to be with her more than anything. But right now, try and focus on what’s in front of you. We’ve just been given the opportunity of a lifetime. Artists wait years for something like this to pop up and we’ve pretty much just had it thrown at our feet. Can’t you at least pretend to be happy? If not for me, for the others?”

  Jake looked at himself in the mirror. Lance was right, he was being selfish. He was only thinking of himself and totally ignoring everyone else’s feelings. This was the perfect opportunity for Lightning Ridge and something that would totally send their career soaring.

  “You’re right, Lance. I’ve been such a prick lately. You guys deserve better than that.”

  “You haven’t been a prick, Jake. We all know what you’re going through. But how are we supposed to help you, if you shut us out and won’t talk to us? We’re all a team Jake, you, me, Tori and Ryan. You’re not alone, we’re your friends, so how about you let us start helping you.”

  There was a moment of silence. “I’m sorry,” Jake said.

  “No apology necessary.”

  “I guess we better head back out.”

  “Yeah. But listen, about Sienna, don’t push her over the edge. When the time is right, she’ll make the right decision. Try looking at this from her point of view, it can’t be easy for her.”

  “I know, and I have. But I just love her so much, Lance.”

  “I know you do. Come on, let’s head back out.”

  They both walked back into the boardroom and joined the others. Stuart placed a contract in front of each of them. As Jake read through his he looked at the amount of royalties he would be paid, plus the lump sum of money that Warner Bros. would pay upfront for the two songs. Then there was of course, the ongoing album sales.

  Although he never considered himself to be filthy rich, Jake did have more than enough money to support himself. He never had a reason to worry about money. Even now that they had signed with Sony, Jake knew that he would be financially stable for the rest of his life. He would have more than enough money to support himself, Sienna and the twins.

  After the band finished going through their contracts, Lance suggested that they go to a local bar to celebrate. Jake wasn’t in the mood, he was really tired and just wanted to go home to bed. He knew, however, that the band wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and they would drag his ass to the bar.

  They walked to Fitzgerald’s Pub, which was located only three blocks away from the studio. They sat at the bar and Stuart bought the first round of shots for everyone.

  Jake sat there and stared at his untouched tequila shot. He waved it around in his hand, pondering over whether to drink it or not. He had never been much of a drinker, and very rarely went to a bar. He wasn’t into the clubbing thing or alcohol, which explains why he never went out and met anyone other than Sienna.

  His thoughts got the better of him and they wandered back to the night he and Sienna had sex. She had consumed a lot of tequila that night, and as a result of those actions, they were now both uncertain of their futures.

  He looked around at Stuart, Tori, Lance and Ryan, they were all laughing and having a great time. For Jake, this just wasn’t his thing, he wasn’t fitting in at all and all he wanted to do was go home. He took the shot glass and sculled the tequila in one hit, squinting his eyes as it made its way down the back of his throat. It was something he had never done before and he couldn’t understand how and why people enjoyed getting totally trashed.

  Several hours had passed and it was almost midnight. Lance, Ryan, Tori and Stuart showed no indication of wanting to leave, and they all appeared to have had quite a bit to drink.

  Jake wanted to get home, he was really tired and he didn’t want to leave Sienna alone knowing that Lukas was out of town.

  He said goodbye to Stuart and the band and headed outside. He made his way back to the studio and to the parking lot. He looked around, trying to recall where he had parked his car. After some time he managed to local it, he stepped inside and headed home.

  He pulled into the drive and noticed that all the lights were off. Given that it was after midnight, he wasn’t surprised that Sienna was in bed. He turned off the motor, and sat in the driveway for a few moments. He looked up at the house and thought about Sienna and the twins again, it was the only thing going through his head these days and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t erase either of them from his mind.

  He walked into the house quietly, making sure not to wake Sienna. He went into his room and stripped out of his clothes. He sat on the bed and pondered over the racing thoughts that were going through his mind. He leaned down and reached into his jeans pocket, and pulled out a tiny red box. He opened the lid and smiled as he looked at the eighteen-carat white gold diamond ring that he had bought earlier today when he was at the mall with Sienna. He placed it on his bedside table, switched off the light and drifted off to sleep.

  Sienna’s due date was fast approaching. She was due in May, had two weeks left at work, and she was really looking forward to her maternity leave. Even though they announced their engagement months ago, the night of Ivy and Dick’s party finally arrived. Sienna had everything ready for the party, being the maid of honor, Ivy put her in charge of most of the preparations. She enjoyed the distraction, it helped take her mind off everything.

  It was Saturday afternoon, and as much as she wanted the day off, she needed to make sure all her files at work were up to date before beginning maternity leave. By the time she got home from work it was almost three. Lukas was picking her up at six, and she couldn’t wait to see him. They hadn’t seen each other since he left to spend time in LA, after the boating accident. Jake was on a publicity shoot with the band, he was meeting them at the party.

  She quickly showered, then went to her room and took out a black Vera Wang dress, which she had bought in LA during her last visit. She could no longer wear heels as her feet were swollen, so she grabbed her black Louboutin sandals. Lukas bought her a gorgeous pearl necklace for her birthday, so she added that to the dress. Finally completing the selection was a gold Calvin Klein watch and a black clutch.

  Once dressed, she went back to the bathroom to fix her hair. Placing it in a tight bun, she held it together with pins and a ton of hairspray. Before long, time got the better of her and there was a knock on her front door.

  “That must be Lukas,” she smiled, putting on her earrings and a splash of her fragrance. She looked in the mirror as she heard another knock on the door.

  “COMING,” she yelled.

  She hastily walked to the front door, adjusting her cleavage as she went. Since her pregnancy her tits had almost doubled in size, she knew that Lukas wouldn’t complain however.

  She opened the front door and there stood Lukas, smiling. He was dressed in black pants, a chocolate brown shirt, white tie and the grey leather jacket Sienna had bought him. She looked at his feet and smiled at the white Giorgio Armani boots with the pointed toes, she looked back at his face and whistled.

  “Fuck, you look hot!” She said. All she wanted to do was grab him by his shirt, drag him into the bedroom and fuck the living daylights out of him. But she resisted the urge because he looked incredibly sexy in that outfit.

  Lukas couldn’t take his eyes away from her cleavage, Sienna looked down and smiled before lifting Lukas’s chin and greeted him with a kiss.

  “In case you forget, my lips are up here,” she said, kissing him again.

  “Wow,” he gasped.

  “You like?” She said, twirling around slowly.

  “Babe, you look absolutely gorgeous,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in fo
r another kiss.

  “Gorgeous? Oh, please I’m sure I don’t. I’m fat, I have clown feet and my face looks like a flattened basketball.”

  “Keep talking. Your sexiness is only turning me on,” he said, shoving his tongue down her throat. He placed one hand on her breast and the other on her ass, squeezing it firmly. Sienna slapped his hand and pulled away.

  “Come on, or we’re going to be late,” she said, heading back to her room and grabbing her clutch and the engagement present.

  She locked the door and walked outside. In front of her, Joseph was standing beside a deep purple stretch Hummer limousine. Lukas held out his arm and Sienna wrapped hers around his and the two of them walked to the limousine.

  “What’s all this?” She asked.

  “You don’t approve?” Lukas asked.

  “I never said that, but why the fancy limo? I mean why don’t we just take Joseph’s car like we normally do? Ivy only lives a few blocks away.”

  “You’re the maid of honor, you need to arrive in style. Besides, not every maid of honor can say she’s been to an engagement party, with a rock star, in a Hummer.”

  He had a point.

  Lukas helped her into the limo and then he slid in beside her.

  Even though Ivy’s place was only a short drive, Lukas told Joseph to drive around the block a few times before stopping outside Ivy’s place.

  Lukas helped Sienna out of the limo and hand in hand, the two of them walked toward the door.

  Sienna shivered.

  “Cold?” Lukas asked.

  “No, just nervous actually.”

  “Why are you nervous? You’re not the one getting married.”

  They stopped walking only a few feet away from the front door. Sienna turned and looked at Lukas.

  “What’s going on?” He asked.

  “Nothing. I’m just really nervous about introducing you to everybody,” she said.