Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Lucas
I was heading to my office when Jenna called out my name. Backing up and stepping into her office, I could tell she seemed off.
“What’s up?”
“Can you come over after work? I need to talk to you about something.”
“Is it really important? I have plans tonight with Danny.”
“If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be asking.”
“We can’t discuss it now?”
“No, Lucas. We can’t. For fuck’s sake, forget it,” she shouted.
“No.” I sighed. “I’ll come over. Watch that attitude, Miss Larson.”
“When you watch yours, I’ll watch mine.” Her brow arched at me as she spoke in a snippy tone. “It works both ways, Mr. Thorne.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I shook my head and headed to my office.
I had a late lunch, so I wasn’t worried about dinner when I stood outside the door of Jenna’s apartment at seven p.m. After I knocked, she opened the door, and I stepped inside—the smell of something enticing infiltrated the air.
“Are you cooking something?” I asked.
“I’m making baked spaghetti. It’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“I hope you didn’t make that for me because I don’t plan on staying.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Lucas. I made it for the baby and me. We’ve both been craving carbs like crazy the past few days.”
“Oh. What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked as I followed her to the kitchen.
She grabbed a glass of scotch from the counter and handed it to me.
“You’re going to need this,” she said.
I furrowed my brows at her as I held the scotch in my hand.
“You may want to sit down on the couch.”
“For the love of God, Jenna. Just tell me whatever it is you have to tell me,” I spoke in an irritated tone.
“Your father knows you’re the baby daddy.”
“WHAT!” he shouted as he fell onto the stool at the island.
“I told you you’d want to be sitting down.”
“How? How does—did you?—”
“Before you start going batshit crazy,” she held up her hand, “let me explain.”
I threw back my drink and pushed the glass to her for another.
“Your father asked me to lunch today because he wanted to discuss something. I had no idea he wanted to talk about you and the baby. He backed me into a corner, Lucas. He put two and two together and figured it out. Let’s be honest, he’s a smart man, and you don’t have to be smart to look at our situation and figure it out.
By the way, your lecture is coming next. ”
“What? What the fuck does that mean?”
“He’s going to confront you about it. I promised him I wouldn’t tell you about our meeting. But, considering he’s a vile and despicable human being, my word means nothing when it comes to him.”
“What the hell did he say to you?”
“He told me to reconsider working for you and lectured me about you and how you’re not ready and willing to be a father. I told him we agreed that I was raising this baby on my own, but that wasn’t good enough for him. He wants to pay me off to leave New York and never have contact with you again.”
“What did you tell that bastard?”
“I told him I’d think about it, and I was sure I could come up with a reasonable amount that would benefit both of us.”
“You are unbelievable,” I scowled at her.
“If you really think I’m taking his money, then you don’t know me at all. I’m playing the game, Lucas. I’m letting him think he has the upper hand.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game, and you need to stop. You don’t know my father.”
“I know enough, and I know you feel trapped in the strings he has attached to you. Just like I did with my parents.”
“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” I pointed my finger at her.
“Yes, I do. What happened in your past? Your father gave some lame line about if you feel, you stop thinking, and when you stop thinking, everything goes to hell. He said you have firsthand experience with that.”
I swallowed hard as I narrowed my eye at her. Suddenly, I heard a timer go off.
“Hold that thought. I have to take the spaghetti out of the oven.”
“Can you just forget about the damn spaghetti for a moment!” I yelled.
“Um. No. We’re hungry!” I waved my hand over my belly.
“Plus, if I don’t take it out, it’ll burn and create smoke which will set off the smoke detector, and then the fire company will come out.
Do you really want that? Because when they ask me what happened, I’ll be more than happy to tell them that you demanded I leave it in the oven so we could continue discussing your piece of shit father! ”
I stared at her as I clenched my jaw, unable to speak.
“That’s what I thought.” She turned and opened the oven door. “You know, I thought my parents were bad, but your father?—”
“Just stop. You’ve only known him for a couple of days. I’ve had to deal with his bullshit my entire life.”
“Care to talk about it over some baked spaghetti?” She held a plate up.
As much as I didn’t have an appetite, it sure smelled delicious.
“Come on. You know you want some.” She grinned.
“Fine. Just a small portion.”
While Jenna took the plates over to the table, I grabbed the bottle of scotch off the counter.
“Why do you even have this? You better not be drinking.”
“I stopped on my way home and bought it for you because I knew you’d need it.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“I’m sorry I told him the truth. I would never have if?—”
“It’s not your fault. I know my father, and he always gets the truth out of people one way or another. I’m sure he manipulated the conversation.”
“Pretty much.” She nodded her head as she twirled some spaghetti around her fork.
“You didn’t have to tell me, but you did. Why?”
“Because regardless of what you believe, I’m your friend, and I wanted to give you a heads up before he got to you. He never married, did he?”
“No,” I spoke. “But there was never a shortage of women always coming and going.”
“Reminds me of someone else I know.” She smirked.
I let out a light chuckle.
“He’s worse. When I was younger and did something he didn’t like, he would tell me I should be grateful that he decided to keep me instead of putting me up for adoption. Sometimes, I wish he would have.” I finished off my scotch.