Stella’s Vault April 2022

Jo’s Secret

"I’m coming home.” I sighed into the phone. There was silence on the other line before my brother exhaled a breath.

 “I was hoping you’d say that. It’s ridiculous that I haven’t seen my sister in almost five years.” He said, and I laughed.

 “Well, you were too busy being a rockstar surgeon to take time off to visit.” I laughed.

 “You could have always come home to visit. After mom died, you just disappeared on me.” He said, and I sighed.

“I’ve always kept in touch. I just needed a change of scenery.” I said.

Our mother had been our rock. Our father had left us when we were just babies, although he made an effort to stay in our lives. He’d been too caught up in his playboy lifestyle to be any sort of real father figure.

During our first year of college, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was that experience that drove John into medicine. Before that, he’d never really taken school seriously and had been more like our father. Partying nonstop with his best friend Ricky, and if they weren’t partying, they were at the gym. Ricky had lived down the street from us since preschool. After bumping heads with my brother for years, they suddenly decided they were the best of friends the summer before we started high school. It was a rough time for me.

 I’d been awkward in height and had no curves whatsoever, but I’d hoped against all hope that Ricky would notice me as something more. I’d glued myself to them throughout high school, but that only rewarded me with being his second-best friend. At least until my mother had passed. No matter how much my brother and I had prepared for it, nothing could have prepared me for the emotional upheaval. I had been a sobbing mess, and John is, the man of the house, had been forced to handle everything while I’d wallowed in my grief. Ricky had stuck by my side the entire time.

“Come on, Jo, you know this isn’t what Mom would have wanted.” Ricky said, sitting on my bed. I hadn’t left it other than to use the bathroom for about two days.

 “Just go away.” I mumbled and buried myself deeper into the covers.

“Not happening. You are getting up and taking a shower, and I will take you someplace to help you forget.” He said, pulling all of the covers off the bed exposing me to sunlight for the first time in a week.

 My eyes burned, and I rolled away, burying my head in the mattress. I felt his hands around my ankles before dragging me from the bed and tossing me over his shoulder.

“Geez, Jo, you reek!” He coughed before carrying me into the bathroom. He put me in the shower, still in my pajamas, and turned the water on. I shrieked as the cold water hit me.

 “Get cleaned up.” He said before leaving me alone in the bathroom.

 I turned the knob until hot water came out and then stood in the shower and cried. I didn’t move until the water started to cool and then quickly stripped and washed up before it got too cold again. Once I was done, I came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and Ricky was just laying out a super tiny white dress on my bed.

“You are going to be my date for my fight tonight.” He said, and I rolled my eyes.

“Thank you for getting me out of bed and making me clean up, but I think a night of Netflix and ice cream is much more my speed right now. I’ve never gone to any of you or John’s fights, and I don’t think right now is the time to start.” I said, and he sighed.

“This isn’t our normal basement brawl Jo. His is the real deal. My first professional fight, and I really want you there.” He said, giving me sad puppy eyes. He knew that was my weakness. He’d deployed that very same tactic many times to keep me from ratting on him in my brother for sneaking out and fighting in high school.

“Fine, but I’m not wearing that dress. It’d probably fall right off me.” I said, and he shook his head.

“You will wear the dress and look beautiful in it.” He said and tossed it to me before leaving the room.

I took a closer look at the dress. It was definitely not anything I would have chosen for myself. It was basically a stretchy tube of fabric slightly longer than an average-sized pillowcase. The material was so thin I knew there was no way any of my brightly colored granny underwear would be possible. I undid my towel and slipped the scrap of fabric over my head. Pulling and tugging to cover as much of my body as I could, I was surprised that it didn’t immediately fall into a puddle around my feet when I let go. Surprisingly, the dress clung to me to make me look curvier than I was, and I had to admit it made me feel a little more confident about myself.

I dug around in my closet for the pair of heels I’d gotten on a dare from my roommate. She would be shocked to know I’d actually found a reason to wear them. They were cobalt blue strappy stilettos and were nothing I would normally dare to wear, but I felt like I could conquer the world once I put them on. I let my hair air dry, so natural curls set in, and I didn’t do too much makeup. That was never my thing anyway. I headed for the door with just a little eyeliner and tinted lipgloss. Ricky’s jaw dropped when he saw me, and he immediately stood from his perch on the couch.

“Is it as awful as I think?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious, and he just shook his head. For the first time since I met Ricky all those years ago, he was truly speechless.

“You look like trouble.” He said after a moment, and I laughed.

 “Fitting since this is what you chose for me. Should we get going, I don’t want you to be late for your first big fight.” I said, and he nodded before taking my arm and leading me out to his car.

 Ricky’s car was his pride and joy. An all-white mustang, it was the love of his life. He opened the door for me, and I sank into the butter-soft leather seats with a sigh. I’d been in his car a million times before but today was different. For one, I was sans underwear in a barely-there dress, and two, I was alone with Ricky in the car he and my brother playfully referred to as the panty dropper.

 I didn’t say much of anything as Ricky went on about his fight and how much he’d prepared for it. It felt almost like an out-of-body experience as we rode together and then made our way inside the pavilion where the matches were held. Ricky was well known in the area fight community, but this was a much bigger competition and much more legit. So instead of the usual fanfare and groupies, Ricky and I went mostly unnoticed as we made our way to the locker room.

 “I’ve got to leave you here, but Dawn will show you where to sit and bring you back to me once the fight is over.” He said and kissed my cheek.

Dawn was an older woman, maybe in her mid-fifties, but she had the build of a fighter. She smiled at me, but there was no warmth. I knew she judged me based on my outfit and probably thought I was just another groupie. Still, she wasn’t mean as we walked from the staging area to our seats.

“I’ve never been to anything like this before.” I admitted to Dawn as we took our seats. All kinds of lighting and camera equipment were set up around the ring. It wasn’t the typical square ring of a boxing match but an octagon, and you could see where the octagon could be turned into a cage.

“This is nothing, sweetheart. If you stick around long enough, you might be able to see some real fighting.” She said, and I cringed.

“Not into fights, just fighters, huh?” She laughed, and I shook my head. “Ricky and I are just friends.” I said, looking down.

“Smart. No use getting caught up with a fighter on the verge of his big break. Especially one with a reputation like Ricky.” She said, and I nodded.

“I’m well aware of his exploits.” I said, and before the conversation could continue, they announced the first fight. The seats were mostly empty, but the two fighters had their own cheering sections, at least even if they were small. They circled each other for what seemed like forever before someone made the first move.

 Just a quick shot, but it didn’t quite connect. Then all of a sudden, the other man charged and tackled the other fighter to the ground. It was just a massive pretzel of writhing body parts for a moment and a hand after a few seconds. I couldn’t tell which fighter it belonged to tap the mat, and it was over. It was far from the silly backyard boxing matches my brother and Ricky had before. There was one more fight before Ricky’s, and it was a bloody one. By the time they called Ricky to the ring, I was terrified for him.

There were many more spectators in the stands for his fight. Ricky had always been a good fighter, but this was too much. I bit my lip as the bell rang for them to begin. There was no dancing around this time. Ricky’s opponent tackled him almost immediately. Again, there was a writhing mass of body parts in the center of the ring. Every once in and while, you would see arms swing, landing punches on random body parts, but for the most part, it was more locked up than a tangled slinky.

Time seemed to slow, and then one of the people went completely limp. The ref finally jumped in to disengage the tangle, and I couldn’t help the sigh of relief or the tears in my eyes as Ricky was named the victor. He was grinning from ear to ear while I was silently in the middle of having a heart attack. However, the celebration was short because the next round of fights was scheduled to start, and they still needed to clean the ring. Ricky sauntered back towards the locker room surrounded by well-wishers.

 “Should we follow?” I asked Dawn, and she shook her head.

 “Nah, he’s got to clean up and some promotional stuff. It will be a while before you can get close to him. Besides, once he’s cleaned up, I'm sure he will come here to watch the big boys in action.” She said, and I nodded.

So we sat and watched three more fights, and as the more experienced fighters got in the ring, I could see the appeal of the sport a little more. The amateurs were just so brutal it seemed almost illegal. Not to mention the more experienced fighters were ungodly gorgeous. Tall and ripped with muscles, they reeked of danger and sex appeal. No wonder Ricky seemed to fit right in. Right before the final fight, Dawn took me back to see Ricky. He was freshly showered and beaming as he took me in his arms for a big hug.

 “Congratulations.” I said as he let go.

“I’m super pumped. My first professional fight, and I get a choke out. That guy just wouldn’t quit, but I gave him something to think about.” He said, and I laughed. His enthusiasm was contagious.

“I’m surprised you aren’t ready to call it a night. You must be tired, and I know you will be sore tomorrow.” I said, and he just smirked.

“Nah, I’m too jazzed to call it a night, and tomorrow is another day. Let’s go watch the last fight, and then I’m taking you to the after-party.” He said, and I sighed.

I should have known that he would want to party after a win. At least the final fight was entertaining, but I was completely self-conscious again when we arrived at the after-party. All of the fighters were there and a multitude of groupies and plenty of alcohol. You would think that there wouldn’t be so much drinking amongst these athletes, and after a few minutes, I noticed that it was mostly the non-fighters who were partaking.

I sipped a glass of champagne while Ricky talked shop with one of the other fighters of the night. I was starting to get a little bored. My drink was empty, but Ricky was deep in conversation, so I wandered off to find another. No sooner had I left Ricky’s side than I was approached by a man who offered me another glass of champagne.

“I noticed you were dry.” He said, and I smiled up at the chiseled-faced man.

He had a small bandage covering a cut to his forehead, but it didn’t diminish his sex appeal. He flashed a dazzling smile, and I couldn’t help but wonder how someone who got beat up for a living could have such perfect teeth. Of course, since he had been in the main fight, he could probably afford to buy that perfect smile of his.

“Thank you.” I said, accepting the drink.

I took a small sip and smiled, unsure of what else to say. I knew nothing about fighting and honestly couldn’t tell you if he had won the fight or not because I’d been too busy watching Ricky studying their every move in the ring.

“Did you enjoy the fight?” He asked, and I nodded.

“Yes, it was very.” I struggled to find a word other than terrifying, “violent.” I finished, and he laughed. Not an awkward chuckle but a full-on roar that brought many unwanted eyes. I fidgeted under people's stares, and luckily, I spotted Ricky parting the crowd towards us. Unfortunately, he looked less than pleased with me.

“Jo, you shouldn’t just walk off like that.” He hissed, and I shrugged.

“I was just getting a drink, and besides, you were busy talking.” I said, giving him the pouty face I knew he hated.

“Relax, kid. She was in good hands.” The guy said, and that only seemed to piss Ricky off more. I knew Ricky had a bad temper, but organized fighting had helped him with that, or at least I thought.

“How about you keep your hands to yourself.” He growled. I saw him balling his fists and knew things would quickly get out of hand. “You might want to watch your bunny better if you want to be all territorial.” The guy said, and a red haze clouded my vision. I didn’t know exactly what a bunny was; I knew it wasn’t anything I wanted to be called.

I saw Ricky getting ready to strike at the edge of my vision, but I beat him to it. The guy had been too busy watching Ricky. He hadn’t seen it coming, and I managed to knock him out. Ricky looked at me, stunned for a moment, before grabbing my arm and dragging me out of the party. He didn’t say a word until we were safely in his car and headed toward home.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” He yelled, and I shrunk into the seat. I stared out the window, afraid to even look at him.

“I told you I should have just stayed home and watched Netflix.” I said, and he sighed.

“Look, I took you out tonight to help get your mind off things. Not to flirt with my fucking idol and then knock him out. Which is a pretty big deal, by the way.” He said the anger had left his tone. I took a chance to look at him.

 “So we agree that is the first and last fight party I will ever attend.” I said, and he laughed.

“Yeah.” He said and pulled up to his place.

“Why are we here?” I asked, and he sighed.

“You’ve been nursing your hand since we left the party, and I can’t well take you home injured.” He said and got out of the car. He helped me out of the car and into his place. Once inside, I sat on his couch while he examined my hand and applied some sort of ointment to my bruised knuckles.

“I’m so embarrassed. This is all your fault, you know. Making me wear this dress so tiny and thin I couldn’t even wear underwear. No wonder the guy thought I was some groupie.” I huffed, and his whole body froze before he pegged me with an intense gaze, and his hand ventured from mine to the fabric above my breast.

He caressed me with a light touch, and my nipples got super hard, clearly visible in the fabric. My breathing stopped as he reached lower and slid his rough hands up my thigh. He cursed before pulling away when he made it to my hip without any resistance.

“I should take you home.” He said, but when he didn’t move further away, I pulled him to me a kissed him.

He resisted at first, but when he gave in, he took complete control. One second I was sitting on the couch, and the next, I was in his arms, and he was carrying me to his bedroom. Once there, he set me down, and I shimmied out of the white fabric, leaving myself completely naked except for my heels. I enjoyed every minute as he looked over my body, devouring me with his gaze before pushing me to the bed and sinking between my thighs. I wasn’t sure what he was doing until I felt his warm breath against my core, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when his tongue touched my clit. By the next morning, there wasn’t a single inch of my body that he hadn’t laid claim to, and for the first time in over a year, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

 The next morning I woke up late. It was already almost noon, and Ricky wasn’t in bed with me. It didn’t bother me until I heard a female voice coming from the living room. I didn’t have any other clothes, so I shimmied back into the white dress and heels before heading towards the sound of voices.

 I was nearly in view when I heard the first moan. I froze in place as more followed, and a million different emotions washed over me at that moment. I chose to focus on the anger, but instead of making a scene, I went back to the room, grabbed Ricky’s keys, and went out the back door. I got into his car and drove around for a few hours before deciding what next to do. I didn’t want to face Ricky, and I sure as hell couldn’t face my brother right now. To be honest, I didn’t want to face anyone at that moment. I didn’t want to face any of the pitying looks my family and friends would give me, so I drove home. Luckily my brother wasn’t home, so I ran up to my room grabbed my passport and important papers. I didn’t even pack clothes.

 I drove my car to the nearest dealership and sold it for as much as I could get before heading to the airport. After an hour of talking to the woman at the ticket counter, I went through security and was on my way to Singapore. I had no idea what was going to happen once I landed there, but at the moment, it sounded like a good chance to get away for a little while. I hung around the city playing tourist for the first two weeks, but my money would soon run out. On my last day, I hesitated at the airport. Standing outside, I didn’t want to go in. I didn’t want to face what waited for me back home, even though I knew my brother would be worried about me. I took a deep breath and was just about to go inside when a man stopped in front of me with a big smile on my face.

 “You are exactly what I have been looking for.” He said.

At first, I was a little scared, but he gave me his business card and asked me to lunch. It turned out that he was a famous fashion photographer who was doing a shoot in Singapore. Although he had plenty of models, my looks were what he envisioned for this shoot. The pay would be enough for me to stay in Singapore for at least a month longer, and hopefully, I would be more willing to return by then. I was awful at first, but with the help of one of the models on the shoot, they got the looks they wanted. I thanked the photographer for the opportunity expecting to just go on my way, but his client liked my shots so much they offered me a job in Paris.

There was no reason for me to turn them down, so I just went with it. I worked as a model for about 6 months before I realized I was pregnant, but luckily, I could work a little longer before I began to show. By then, I had saved up enough to be able to take time off work to have the baby and get my body back in shape to start working again. I’d called John shortly after moving to Paris to let him know I was doing alright, and I’d even kept in touch with Ricky. However, we never spoke about our one-night together. Still, I never went home and avoided seeing either of them in person for almost five years. My brother had no idea about my son, and neither did Ricky. It was better that way. Still, I knew I couldn’t run forever, and it was time I went home.

***

“Sorry I can’t make it to get you, but Ricky said he would come to get you.” John said when I called to let him know my flight would be arriving early.

“It’s okay. I don’t need an escort. I’ve been gone a long time, but I can still make my way home on my own.” I said, but he laughed.

“Trust me, Ricky is just as anxious to see you as I am. He may be a hotshot movie star now, but he’s still the same old guy.” He said, and I laughed.

“Exactly. I’ll be fine, and I’ll see you at home for dinner?” I asked.

 “Sure.” He said, and I smiled. The next call I made was to my friend Jaime. She and her husband were watching Cole until I worked things out here. I hated leaving my baby for this long, especially in a completely different country. Still, I couldn’t see dragging him through all of the drama I’d left behind.

I talked to Cole for a minute before he ran off to play, and then I called Ricky. His assistant answered, and I gave her my flight information before powering down my phone. Ricky was the last person I wanted to see upon arrival, but I should start with the messiest reunion first. There was no one waiting for me when I landed, and I waited almost an hour before calling Ricky again. When even his assistant didn’t answer, I got a cab straight to his home. I was surprised that the door was unlocked, so I just waltzed right in and found Ricky in the throes of passion on his couch.

“Seriously, of course, you would blow me off for this.” I retorted, and his head popped up from behind the couch. He had the nerve to look guilty before rushing to me.

“Jo, it’s been too long.” He said and tried to hug me, but I pushed him away.

 “You were supposed to pick me up from the airport. Where is your assistant? I gave her my itinerary.” I said, and he winced just as the blonde on the couch blushed and stood. Her clothes were a little disheveled, and a planner was in her hands. I rolled my eyes.

 “You are fired. Now get out, and don’t worry, we’ll give you a good reference despite your lack of professionalism.” I barked at the girl, and she scurried away.

“You can’t just walk in here and fire my employees.” Ricky said, and I glared at him.

 “Look, I’m doing you a favor. She started a month ago and is already all on your dick and letting you forget important appointments. You’re lucky it was just picking me up from the airport and not an important meeting with a sponsor or director.” I said, and he sighed, knowing I was right.

 “You look good, by the way.” He said, and I shoved him towards the kitchen.

 “I’m starving. What do you have to eat.” I asked, and he shrugged. “Protein shakes and me.” He said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

 “If you think for a second, I want anything to do with you after what you did. You are sorely mistaken.” I stalked off in the direction of the kitchen. It was an open floor plan, so I didn’t have to guess, considering this was my first time at this residence. I opened the first cabinet and frowned when I saw it held nothing but a camera and microphone.

“Shit, I forgot to tell you. I’m doing a reality series.” He said, and I rolled my eyes.

“Thanks for telling me.” I huffed. Thankfully I hadn’t mentioned anything too incriminating about our past together.

 “Don’t worry about your privacy. Until you sign a waiver, any footage with you in it can’t be included in the final product.” He said.

“Still, is there a place not wired for camera and sound.” I asked, and he nodded before grabbing my hand and leading me into a small bathroom. As soon as the door was closed, I threw my arms around him in a hug. Despite everything, I had still missed him like crazy over the years.

“Why did you leave?” He asked, stroking my back, and I pushed away.

“You were with another woman while I was still in your bed.” I said, and he shook his head.

“I’m an asshole but not that stupid.” He said, and I shook my head.

“I heard you talking to her and then her moaning.” I said, and he started laughing.

“It was you and me. I recorded our second round and was just watching the video while you were resting.” He said, and I glared at him.

“You expect me to believe that? Why didn’t you say anything sooner? Why didn’t you ask my permission before recording us together?” I asked, and he sighed.

“One, you never would have agreed to me recording us together. You were too shy for that. Two stole my car, and I was too pissed about that to even talk to you for a long time. I figured you were embarrassed by sleeping with me. You regretted it, and I didn’t want to make things harder for you back then. You had just lost your mom, and I was a total tool for taking advantage of your vulnerability.” He said, and I shook my head.

 “You could have at least brought it up with me over the years.” I replied.

 “So could you. We are both to blame.” He said and bent down to kiss me. I let him but then pushed him away.

“How dare you make a move on me after I found you with your assistant!” I said, and he shrugged.

“Look, I’m not going to lie. If you hadn’t come in when you did, I would have been all over that girl, but now that you are back, we have cleared the air. What’s to stop us from seeing what could have been.” He said, and I pushed out of the bathroom.

 “About 5 years of fuck you, and you’re never going to change.” I shouted over my shoulder before storming out. Before realizing I had no transportation, I made it to the door, and calling a cab would take forever. Luckily Ricky came out a few minutes later with keys in his hand.

 “Let’s go.” He said, locking his front door. I followed him to his car, and we rode in silence to my brother’s house.

“John isn’t home yet.” I said, stepping into the home I’d grown up in for the first time in what seemed like ages. Tears filled my eyes as I noticed that John had barely changed since I ‘d left. The only difference was the big flat-screen TV hooked up to the latest gaming console and the fancy new coffee machine in the kitchen. I was overwhelmed with sadness as my past memories rushed me at once. I sank to the floor sobbing and barely registered that Ricky had cradled me in his arms.

“It’s okay, Jo. Just breath. Everything is okay.” He said, and I snuggled into him. Too lost in my own grief to pretend that I didn’t need his comfort at that moment.

That’s how John found us. They are sitting on the floor in the middle of the entryway, clinging to one another. I’d long since stopped crying, but we hadn’t moved from our embrace. We’d just sat in silence. When I saw John and stood and rushed to him. Ricky stood slowly and simply gave the nod before leaving us alone. John looked down at me, concern in his eyes, and I panicked.

“I have a son.” I blurted, and his eyes bugged out before he started looking around.

“He’s not here. I left him with friends until I got everything sorted out here.” I said.

“So you aren’t home for good?” He asked, and I sighed.

 “It depends on how things work out. I mean, I want to come home. I want Cole to know his family. I just want to make sure that life here won’t be too stressful.” I said, and he sighed.

“How old is he? You said he’s with friends, what about the father? Is he even in the picture?” John asked.

“He’s almost 5 years old, and no the father isn’t in the picture because he has no idea Cole exists. It’s one of the things I need to work out before considering bringing Cole here.” I said, and he frowned.

“Do I know the father?” He asked, and I blushed.

“It’s very possible.” I said.

“Jo, this isn’t a game. Is this boy the reason you took off on me?” He said, and I shrugged.

“He was part of the reason but not the main one. There was just so much on my mind that I wanted to getaway. It wasn’t meant to be this long. I figured a month or two tops, but then I fell into modeling and then photography, and you know the rest. I never meant to keep Cole from you, but I just didn’t want you to worry about me.” I said, and he scoffed.

“Not worry? I’ve worried about you from the day we were born. I’m your twin. You are my other half.” He said, and I sighed.

 “I know I missed you too. I was selfish and rash, but now I’m here to make amends.” I said, and he pulled me into a big bear hug.

“I don’t need an apology or precise answers about why you ran. I just want my sister back, okay.” He said, and I smiled.

“We may not have been in the same country, but I’ve always been your sister.” I said. We chatted some more, catching up on the latest happenings in each other's lives over some amazing coffee. When I felt comfortable again, John leveled me with a look I knew meant trouble.

“So, are you going to tell me the name of your baby daddy?” He asked, and I shook my head.

“I just don’t feel right telling you before he even knows. I promise you will find out as soon as I do.” I said, and he shook his head.

“It better be real soon because I’m not planning to miss out on any more time with my nephew.” He said, and I smiled. While John was at work the next day, I familiarized myself with the town and checked out possible photography studio locations. Things were looking up until I got a text from Ricky asking to meet me for lunch. I had wanted to avoid him for another day, at least.

“So I know you are currently unemployed, so I will hire you as my new assistant until I can find a good replacement for the one you fired.” He said before taking a bite out of his burger.

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” I said, and he shook his head.

 “I’m not taking no for an answer. I want to spend time with you while you are here, and you really did leave me in a bind by firing her. Especially since she left my schedule a complete mess. The only catch is I will need you to sign a waiver to be included on my reality show.” He said, and I nearly choked on my fry.

“Now that really isn’t happening.” I said.

“Jo, please. I need you.” He said, laying on the puppy dog eyes, and I caved.

“Fine, but you only have a month, and while I am working for you, any more than friendly thoughts and actions need to be kept to yourself.” I said, and he frowned.

 “I’m also serious about our intimate relationship.” He said, and I laughed.

 “No way am I going to do that. I can't be your assistant/fuck, buddy, on national TV. I have my own reputation to consider, not to mention how John would react.” I said.

“You wouldn’t be my fuck buddy. You would be my girlfriend.” He said, and I shook my head.

“The answer is no. I have way too much going on right now to deal with.” I said.

We finished lunch, and I knew I should have told him about Cole then, but it hadn’t seemed the right time. He obviously wasn’t ready to be a father. Now was not the time to make life-changing declarations with his reality show. That evening, I told John about Ricky’s job proposal, and he was excited about it.

“Look, I know you have your own thing, but Ricky could really use your help. Besides, if anyone could keep Ricky in line, it’s you.” He said.

So much for having brotherly support but of course, he wouldn’t have any objections not knowing the full story. During the first week on the job, Ricky managed to keep things professional, which I greatly appreciated. It wasn’t until he threw a party at his place that things got a little out of hand.

 One of the attendees happened to be the fighter I had punched that fateful night. Trevor and Ricky had become friends over the years, and now that he knew I was just Ricky’s friend and not a bunny, he was again showing interest in me. He was still handsome, and I flirted naturally, but it had never gotten past that. At least not until the party. He pulled me aside to talk, and after a few minutes, he leaned in to kiss me. I turned my cheek to catch my brother and Ricky standing there.

“Is this him?” My brother said, getting all defensive, but my attention was on Ricky, who looked ready to take the guy's head off.

 “Is this the father?” My brother seethed before I could even open my mouth to speak. I winced as Trevor took a step back.

 “Whoa, there I just went for a kiss.” Trevor said and walked off. Ricky seemed to relax a little once Trevor was gone, but I knew he hadn’t missed John’s accusation.

“You’re pregnant?” He asked, and I shook my head. John relaxed a little and glared at me.

“She has a son, and the douche that knocked her up also helped chase her out of the country.” John said, looking to Ricky to share the same kind of brotherly outrage.

“You have a what?” Ricky said.

“Not I, but we.” I said softly, and all color drained from Ricky’s face. He didn’t say a word, just walked away. Leaving me alone with a very stunned and upset John.

 “Ricky’s the father?” He asked, and I nodded.

“It was one night. I instigated the whole thing, so don’t go blaming Ricky. There was a misunderstanding, and I freaked and ran away. We’ve cleared things up as far as that, but I just couldn’t bring myself to tell him about Cole with everything going on in his life. Let alone tell you and risk your friendship.” I said, and my brother just shook his head before finding Ricky.

With the party mood killed and the baby gossip abuzz, I shut down the party and kicked out the camera crew. This was something Ricky and I needed to discuss in private. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I found John and Ricky, but I never expected them to be laughing and patting each other on the back like the good old days.

“Hey!” I said, cutting into their reverie. They both turned serious faces to me.

 “I want you to bring our son home, and once he is here, we will get married.” Ricky said, and I shook my head.

 “It’s not that simple.” I said, and Ricky crossed the room to me and kissed me. I melted into him with a sigh.

 “You love me. Don’t try to deny it. Give me a chance to be the man and the father I should have been five years ago.” He said, and once again, the puppy dog eyes got me. John just smiled and gave us a wink as he left us alone.

 “I’ll drop your stuff off at the door tomorrow.” He called out, and then we were alone.

“We don’t have to get married. We can start small with dating and see if this is something that could really work out.” I said, but he just shook his head and began to undress me.

“I’ve waited five years for you. I’m not waiting for a second longer. I tried to be nice and play by your rules, but Jo. You kept my son from me. I’ve missed five years with the family I’ve always wanted. Now it’s time you did what I wanted, and baby, I promise you will enjoy every moment of it.” He said, kissing my neck and shoulders. He wasted no time getting naked with me, and we spent the next three days in bed before buying tickets to Paris.

Cole was hesitant about Ricky at first, but they grew on each other, and it was the most beautiful sight in the world to see my little boy laughing and playing with his father. We had a small ceremony in Paris before we flew back to the US and married there. Our love story was splashed over the tabloids for days before we were finally left in peace.  

 THE END