章 12: Finding out
Jackson Lynn couldn't help but miss seeing his wife around. She had pleaded with him, but he'd shunned her but here he was missing her. He had heard she had been admitted in the hospital, but Lilian wouldn't let him go saying her sister was just looking for sympathy.
"Man you have been like this for months," George Leeds said looking at his best friend. He hadn't seen him in years as he came to Minnesota recently.
"It's not like you've been around to see my behavior for that long so quit the judgement," Jake said slapping his friend shoulder playfully.
" But you've been filling me in on every detail of your life man, it's like am always with you literally," George said laughing.
"It was really bad when I went to her friend's house last night you know," Jake said remembering the night he went to Charlotte's place. She practically threw him out telling him Selene was better off without him.
"Yeah man you acted stupid," George said laughing at his friend.
"Man I think we should party all night to make you forget about everything for a while," George said making Jake's face light up. All he had been doing was get drunk. He didn't understand why he was devastated after Selene left, but he was.
The plane landed safely as Selene ushered in a new start. The air in South Carolina seemed more fresh and free. Here she could start anew. She had been offered a position at a new Textile company. She was surprised when she specified her condition, but they said it was okay.
Charlotte had arranged her stay and everything she needed just to start up.
Meanwhile, at the VIP section in the club things seemed to be running smoothly until Jake spotted Lilian.
"George, here she comes, I swear I've been trying to avoid her, but she's everywhere," Jake complained.
"Be cool man she's a lady," George said absent-mindedly his eyes set on a certain woman who seemed lonely at the regular bar counter.
"Be cool man I'll be right back," George said leaving his best friend to Lilian.
"Babe I've been looking for you all over, have you been avoiding me?" Lilian asked pouting.
"No why would I avoid you," Jake responded sarcastically?
At the bar, Charlotte felt she needed to keep the drinks coming, she had had a tough day at the company.
All she required were drinks and a good man to make her feel good.
She turned searching for any man who fit in her requirements. There he was, walking towards her. He flushed her a smile lifting his drink to her.
"Hey beautiful," George greeted sitting in the seat next to her.
"Don't bother flattering me,wanna get out of here?" Charlotte asked knowing his type.
All these good looking men wanted was a steamy night with a woman and off they went. Charlotte was used to it, and she quite like it that way. She didn't have to commit to anyone.
"Oh and she's so forward, I like that," George said perplexed at how she was blunt in her words.
Lilian smirked as she noticed that Jake was out. She beckoned for the bodyguards to carry him upstairs to his penthouse, following behind them. Finally, everything was falling into place. It was going to be a lone night for Lilian and a lucky one at that.
Lilian had been restless ever since she heard her father mention of Selene's bastard child with her lover. Lilian knew there was no lover and that the baby was Jake's. But she couldn't allow Selene to take back what she had claimed as hers. Jake seemed always distant to get as if he had feelings for Selene. Lilian knew he had been avoiding her all along since Selene left.
Morning came as Jake felt his head spin in pain like someone had been drumming in it.
All he could remember was the drinks with Lilian after George disappeared on him. He stretched his hand only to touch a warm body next to him. There she was, Lilian completely naked sleeping soundly.
He quickly inspected his body only to find himself bare with nothing on. He didn't remember anything from last night.
"Babe you are awake," Lilian said kissing him on the lips. Jake felt he would faint, he felt like he had cheated. He considered himself Selene's husband since they had not finalized the divorce.
"What happened here Lilian?" He asked wiping off his lips. "Oh don't pretend you don't know, you were so gentle with me last night, oh except the last round you really went for it," she chuckled batting her eyebrows.
Jake looked at her in disbelief as he put in shorts and went out of the room. The last woman he had on that bed was Selene, and he didn't even touch her, yet he felt happy the next morning. But seeing Lilian laying there, he felt disappointed at himself. How could he have let himself get carried away by the alcohol?
At the office, George entered the office smiling like a Cheshire cat.
"Man how was your night, because mine was a blast, that hot chick I …" George stopped halfway seeing his friend's long face.
"I slept with her man," Jake said the words tasting foreign in his mouth.
"What? With Lilian? But isn't she like your childhood love? Where's the problem?" George asked confused.
"You don't get it man, I don't love her like that, she doesn't make me feel like I felt when Selene was always around," Jake compared unknowingly.
"Man I think you are lovesick," George pointed out. Jake could have never believed the words if he didn't hear them from someone else.
"No man, I don't do love, so that's impossible," Jake muttered more to himself than to George.
"Look for her man, maybe she's still at her friend's tell her how you feel," George said patting his shoulder.
"You think she'll forgive me?" Jake asked not sure whether to follow his friend's advice.
"I'll drive, let's go find out," George said leading the way out of the office.
Meanwhile, Lilian couldn't wipe away the victorious grin on her face all morning. Finally, Jake was hers and hers alone.
She felt quite humiliated when Jake walked out of the room, but that didn't matter to her much.
"Are you sure this is the place?" George asked his friend to confirm he had the right place.
"Yes let's go, but I must warn you her friend's feisty," Have said remembering the last time he tried to look for Selene.
They rang the bell as Jake waited in anticipation.
"Who is …" Charlotte stopped midway as she saw the man she had spent the night with at her doorstep.
"Look dude I know it was lit last night, but you didn't have to track me, I don't give second times," Charlotte told him surprised at the guts he had to follow her.
George looked at her in shock, he didn't expect to see the woman who had occupied his whole mind in front of him. They had spent the night at his house but by morning she was gone just like that.
"No no don't misunderstand,I brought…" George paused turning to look behind him only to find an empty spot.
"You brought what? Your body?" Charlotte asked chuckling at how the man before her was trying to trick her.
"I swear it's not like that," George said trying to explain.
"He brought me," there he was finally. George felt like punching him on the face for making him look like a fool.
"Where were you man?" George asked throwing him a "you'll pay for this" look.
"Sorry man I had to, you know… Wait, how do you guys know each other?" Jake asked surprised at how flushed his friend looked.
"So this was your plan Jake? Send your friend to seduce me then approach Selene on that angle?" Charlotte asked in shock.
"No it's not like that at all," Jake tried to explain as his friend ran his hands in his face speechless.
"Not like that? Jackson, you have the nerve to try to explain after you threw your pregnant wife out of the house just to bed her lying sister? " Charlotte caught her mouth as in anger she had revealed too much.
"Pregnant? Selene's pregnant?" Jake asked shock written all over his face.
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