Realising I haven’t eaten dinner yet, I decide to go see Jake, see if he wants to have dinner with me. I hope he hasn’t already eaten. I hate eating alone.
I knock at his suite door, and Stuart answers a few moments later.
He looks all dressed up to the nines. Stuart always looks smart, but tonight, he’s looks foxy. Like he’s dressed for a date.
“Well look at you,” I say suggestively. “Someone got a date by any chance?”
“Dinner with an old friend, chica,” he winks. “Jake’s in the living room.” He passes me heading out the door.
“Have a good night,” I grin.
“Oh, I will,” he says, walking backwards, grinning, he turns and strides off down the hall.
Looks like someone’s getting laid tonight.
I sigh.
Closing the door behind me, into the silence of the suite, I hear Jake strumming lightly on his guitar.
The sound makes the hairs on my arms prickle. I stand for a moment listening as Jake starts to sing, Chris Isaak’s, ‘Wicked Game’.
He sounds stunning.
On quiet feet, I walk down the hall. Rounding the corner, I pause, leaning against it, watching him.
His eyes are closed. He’s lost in the song. And he looks beautiful.
My hands are suddenly desperate to touch him. I want to smooth my fingers over his lips, his face, up into his hair.
I want to kiss him so very badly in this moment.
I have a flashback to young Jake, sat in my parent’s living room playing the guitar for me. I remember how my tummy used to feel funny when I would listen to him play, even back then. I had no concept of those feelings, what they meant.
Love. It was love for him.
And I’m getting that very same feeling in my stomach again. But more intense now.
Jake’s eyes open, meeting straight with mine. His gaze burns into me and I feel naked to him. Like he can read my thoughts in this moment.
He doesn’t break from a note singing.
Keeping my eyes locked on his I walk toward him, my body erupting with trembles, ricocheting from the inside out, as Jake sings to me.
Sitting down on the edge of the coffee table just across from him, I’m entranced.
And in this moment I want him.
I know it’s just because I haven’t had sex for a while, and talking to Will on the phone just got me all horny.
And I know this is what Jake does. He has this amazing ability to draw you into him the instant he opens his mouth and starts to sing. His voice is so insanely beautiful. It’s all just so natural to him.
That’s why he’s so adored, loved by the world. And why women want him.
This song is stunning, and not easy to sing at all, but Jake does, and effortlessly.
In this moment I realise how lucky I am to be sitting here with him, listening to him sing like this. Most people would sell their soul to be where I am right now.
Finishing the last note, Jake smiles at me.
I feel like my whole body is on fire, and my brain too.
“That was amazing,” I say, feeling a little out of breath.
He shrugs lightly, and puts his guitar down. I hate it when he dismisses himself like that.
“So your folks get here in the morning?” he asks.
“They do,” I beam.
“What time does their flight land?”
“Eight am.”
“You want me to get Dave to pick them up?”
“No,” I shake my head. “I want to meet them at the airport.”
“Do you want me to drive you?”
“Can you do that?”
“Drive a car? Surprisingly, yes,” he chuckles.
“Shut up, idiot,” I giggle. “You know what I mean.”
“I do, and of course I can.” He gives me an earnest look. “I’ll have to stay in the car while you go into the airport though.”
“Of course.” I run my fingertip over the table. “And, yes, I would love you to drive me to the airport. Thank you.”
Looking up, I meet his eye. We stare at one another for a long moment. My mouth dries.
Running my tongue around my mouth, I say, “So I, uh, came to see if you haven’t had dinner already, did you want to eat with me?”
“I haven’t eaten.”
“Cool. So what do you fancy – in or out?”
His eyes linger on mine again. A shiver erupts deep inside me.
“In,” he finally says. His voice sounds a little gruff, I notice. “We can order up room service and watch TV.”
“Sounds perfect,” I smile, as Jake reaches for the TV remote handing it to me, he picks up the room service menu and I climb onto the sofa beside him.
It’s 7am and I’m in the car with Jake going to the airport to collect my folks. I’m practically bouncing around in my seat with excitement. It’s been nearly two months since I last saw them.
“You look like you’ve got ants in your pants,” Jake chuckles.
“Sorry! I’m just really looking forward to seeing them,” I beam. “And my dad is gonna be so stoked to see that you’ve come to pick them up with me.”
“He won’t be,” he slides me an amused glance.
“Yes he will. He always thought of you as the son he never had and I know he’s looking forward to seeing you again.”
Stopping at the lights, Jake looks across at me. This look intense, meaningful. “Billy didn’t need a son, Tru. He got everything in you.”