Sweet Cheeks (12 page)

Luckily I don't run into Tanning and his girlfriend on my way out. I hurry across the street and enter the bakery. Mrs Winters is talking to Mr Hellier. He often comes in at this time of day for his bagel. I give them both my fake smile and make my way out the back. Its then I sit down and take a breath.

I really hope Travis is passing through and isn't going to cause trouble. On that thought I open my purse and search for the posh white envelope I've had since I found out I was pregnant. My cousin is doing an internship at a law firm in Chicago and I had him draw up some phony papers. The paperwork looks official. It has the company logo and his swirly signature. All highly illegal, but Travis is not likely to question it. He wouldn't have a clue about legal jargon or what his rights are. Or at least I'm hoping he hasn't.

I need this security. I have to get him to sign it. I have to make him think he has no legal right to the baby, so he can't keep showing up, lording it over me. It could get worse when the baby's born. I need to nip it in the bud now.

Scrolling through my phone I find his number. I never erased it, for just this reason. I always swore to myself if he ever showed up again, I'd make sure it was a one time thing, and he'd never get the chance to mess with me again. Pressing his number, I text him, telling him I'm ready to talk if he wants to meet me at the bakery tomorrow at ten. I don't want him coming to Cam's house. Cam almost punched him last time, after he found out what he'd done. Cam can't keep protecting me, I need to protect myself. It's about time I took the reins, and stop expecting or trying to make a knight in shining armour ride in to save me.

There is no knight. The only one who's going to save me and Treasure Pot, is me. I know that now. And I'm ready. Or at least, I think I am.

FouRTeeN

_______________________________

It's about five minutes to ten, and I'm mixing this latest batch of cookie dough like my life depends on it. I'm really nervous about seeing Travis. He might not have a clue about legal stuff but he sure has street smarts. I'll just have to do the best acting of my life to save myself and Treasure Pot. I always hoped I wouldn't have to take these measures. Now I know for sure, Travis is an unknown quantity and could make my life miserable if he chooses, and I don't want that threat looming over me.

I'm so absorbed in my thoughts, I nearly jump six feet off the ground when strong arms wrap around my waist and a kiss is planted on my neck. Ugh! I remember those lips, and that musky smell.

Travis.

Yuk, he makes my skin crawl, but I have to play this smart, so I don't move and let his wandering hands trail down my sides while his lips continue to roam over my neck.

“You smell good enough to eat,” he breathes in my ear, and I bite my tongue real hard to stop from screaming,
get the hell away from me.

“Yeah. It's probably what’s baking,” I say instead, and continue to clench my teeth.

“Mmmmm...” he continues and trails his hands down to my hips, and grips me hard, grinding his body into mine.

Oh dear god, I want to throw up. I can't take this much longer. How I ever found this guy hot enough to sleep with, I'll never know. I was such a drunken idiot. Tanning is a complete one eighty on this guy. God I miss him, and wish with all my heart it was Tanning touching me. I take a deep breath and inch away with the best winning smile pasted on my face.

“Now, Travis, as much as I'd love to relive old times, I'm a bit busy, and with the baby and all ... you know, a bit incapable.”

He frowns at me, and I smile even wider. His grip loosens slightly but his face is still close to mine. Then I hear another someone clear their throat, and look across to see Tanning standing in the doorway, glancing warily between me and Travis.

Holy, Hell.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, at the poor timing of it all.

“Tanning?” I say, moving a little further away from Travis. “What are you doing here?”

He scratches his head and nods in Travis's direction. “Hey, um ... sorry, Jen. I ah ... just wanted to see you for a minute.”

Travis pulls me closer, and I force myself not to cringe. I can't mess this up. Even if Tanning is standing there in all his hotness and my body craves to run into his arms and wrap myself around him. I have to be strong and see this through for Treasure Pot.

“Sure, what about?” I ask, and curl my toes in my comfy ballet shoes as Travis holds me tight and then moves his hands to rub over my stomach.

No. No way.
My brain screams at me, sending off all kinds of alarm bells.

That I cannot tolerate. I don't want him to touch Treasure Pot. Ever.

Like a flash of lightening I turn in his arms and push away, still smiling. “This won't take a minute, Travis. Just give me a sec, will you.”

He frowns, then looks across at Tanning before winking back at me. “Okay. I'll go out back and have a smoke.”

I'm just about to blow out a quick breath in relief, when Travis leans down and kisses me on the lips, hard. Double ugh! I literally have to swallow the bile rising in my throat, but I manage to pull away and give him another fake smile.

Luckily he never sees it for what is. He never does. Not like Tanning.

“Later, dude,” Travis says to Tanning and steps out the back door of the bakery.

Tanning gives me a wary glance and I turn away. I can't have him looking at me. I can't let him see my face right now.

“Hey, since you're here, I have a new batch of your cookies for you. Baked them today,” I say, trying to sound cheerful, and hoping to god I'm pulling it off.

Tanning doesn't move from where he's standing in the doorway. I keep watch from the corner of my eye as I take out a white paper bag and start to fill it with cookies.

“I um … just came to tell you, I'm leaving,” he says.

My legs nearly give way and I have to stiffen my limbs to keep standing.

He can't leave. I want him to stay.

Tears burn my eyes. I can't cry. I really can't. I have to hold it together. I bite the inside of my cheek, and the taste of metallic blood enters my mouth. Shit, I didn't mean to do that, but the distraction helps to keep my mind from spinning out of control.

“Oh, okay, you going back early, for college, or for other reasons?” I manage to ask, still concentrating on stuffing the bag full of cookies. Praying, he doesn't tell me it’s to be with his girlfriend.

“There's a course I want to do, and they’re offering early entry before the semester begins, and ... well seeing as I don't have much reason to stick around here, thought I'd go.”

My stomach is clenched so tight and the tears are stinging my eyes. I don't want him to go. I want to be the reason he sticks around. But I'm not, he has someone else and he doesn't want me. Reality is such a bitch.

“Oh.” Is all I can manage to say.

“I wanted to give you this.”

I glance across to see him holding out a white envelope.

My hands are shaking a little, but I reach and take it with a small smile, still not really looking at him. “Thanks, what is it?”

The envelope has my name on it. Tanning puts his hands in his pockets and looks down at the floor. “A gift.”

I can't help it, and I look up at him just as he takes his gaze from the floor and locks his eyes with mine. I swallow, he looks tired, but still so, so hot. God help me. I am so done in by this guy. He unravels my very core. I've never felt so exposed as when I look into his eyes. Then the sound of the back door opening breaks the moment. Or the moment I think happened. Or probably happened in my over active imagination.

Damn it all to hell!

“What's that?” Travis asks walking in, glancing at the envelope in my hand.

“Um ... nothing,” I say quick, turning around and tossing it on the counter top, like I don’t give a damn.

“He owe you money, or something?” Travis the Neanderthal asks. He is such an idiot.

I sigh big and put my hands on my hips. “No. Of course not.”

Travis reaches over and picks up the envelope, and I immediately want to rip it out of his hands. Tanning gave that to me, it's mine. It might be the only thing I ever get from him and I don't want Travis touching it. Once again I bite my lip to stop from saying or doing something to jeopardise my talk with Travis. 

I shrug instead and pick up a spoon from the counter top, gesturing toward the envelope. “You can open it, if you want. I don't care.”

As soon as the words leave my lips, I hear Tanning blow out a breath. I am such a bitch. I know I am, but I don't want Travis to know my feelings for Tanning, he'll only use that against me, or worse, against him.

“I’ll get going then. Bye, Jen,” Tanning says softly, then turns and disappears before I can say another word.

Shit, and double shit.

I really want to cry now.
What have I done?
I'm here with Travis and Tanning has gone out of my life for good.

God damn it
! I want to scream. This is all such a mess.

Travis rips open the envelope, and peeks inside. Tears sting my eyes and I sit down and swallow the lump in my throat.

“Huh, weird,” Travis says and tucks the envelope in his shirt pocket.

I could literally strangle his scrawny neck right now. He is such an asshole. But I have to know what it was.

“See, told you it wasn't money,” I say fiddling with the bowl of mixture.

“Nah. It’s weird though. Why would he give you a dinner voucher, to some fancy restaurant?”

“Oh, yeah. Weird, “ I manage to say and don't elaborate, even though it’s literally killing me not to attack him and get my envelope back. I want to know if Tanning gave that to me, in the hope he could take me back to my restaurant one day. Wishful thinking I know, but it would have given me a small measure of hope.

“Well, don't expect you'll be wanting that, so I might as well use it.” He pats his pocket, and I clench the mixing bowl tighter to stop myself from tackling him to the ground. 

I force a small smile and mutter, “No. Not like I'll be going out much.”

Travis moves close again, ignoring what I just said, and I suck in a quiet breath.

“So, where were we?” he says, trailing a finger down my arm.

The bile rises again, and I spin out of his reach and march over to my purse. It's now or never. And after the morning I've had, I need to get this over and done with. I don't want him touching, or being near me for another second longer.

“Um ... well actually, now that you mention it, I did have a reason for inviting you over this morning.”

Travis crosses his arms and narrows his eyes, and I give him my best smile.

“I ah, have some paperwork I need you to sign.”

“Paperwork?” His eyes widen.

“Yeah. It's just a little thing. You know, so I can get some help when the baby's born.”

He obviously has no intention of helping out financially, so I'm hoping this tactic works.

“Okay,” he says, still looking sceptical.

I quickly pull out the ten page document. I told Steve, my cousin, to make it weighty, because I know Travis has the attention span of a goldfish and is unlikely to read any of it.

There are little fluoro sticky tabs and I gesture to them. “You just need to sign on those parts.”

He takes it, then flips through, opening up to each of the pages for his signature. “So, I just need to sign on these pages and then what?”

“That's it. Then you're all free to get on with whatever it is you want to get on with. No ties.”

“No ties, huh?”

“Yep, then I have no right to ask you for money or anything. States that I'm a single mom, and the Dad is a no show.”

Travis looks me squarely in the eye, and tilts his head. “I see.”

Uh oh.
I really hope he doesn't.

He continues, “So, let me get this straight, you want me to sign this, so that I relinquish all my rights to our baby.”

Shit.
Where the hell did he hear the word relinquish. And,
our baby
, puhleaasseee.... Play it cool, Jen. Even though my heart is racing. I keep my voice even.

“I guess. You know how social services work. Gets you off the hook, gets me the money I need, win, win.”

“This document isn't from Social Services, this is from a law firm.”

Oh double shit.
He did read it, or skim read it.

“Yeah, well they needed all that legal mumbo jumbo, for when I fill out their forms, otherwise I won't qualify.”

“Hmmmm … is that so?” Travis is arching a brow and a smirk crosses his face

Crap. He's onto me.

“Yep. Sure is,” I say, trying to keep a light tone to my voice.

Travis rubs his unshaven chin, his dark brown eyes sparkling, but not in a nice way, in a calculating way.

“So, you
really
need me to sign this?”

I nod and swallow.

“How
much
do you need me to sign it?”

Jesus, he's the biggest asshole on the planet, I really want to slap the smug look off his face right now.

“Can you just sign it? Please,” I splutter, even though it twists my gut to play nice.

“Okay ...”

 I breathe again.

“For a grand.”

A thousand dollars!
 I nearly gag. “What the hell Travis! I don't have that kind of money.”

He leans on the counter and licks his lips, eying the document. “Well, I'm real patient. I can wait around till you do, then I'll sign it.”

I clench my fists tight, holding off the urge to punch him. Having him waiting around, annoying the crap out of me, is the very last thing I want. “Fine,” I say.  ”I'll go to the bank tomorrow and get your stupid money, now just sign it.”

Travis’s grin widens and he shakes his head. “Oh, I don't think so. And bank, come on JJ, I'm not stupid. You don't have a bank account.”

Shit.
He remembered.

I told him a little too much that drunken night about my past, and how I don't trust banks anymore after what happened to my dad. I keep all my money stashed away in secret places, don't want the IRS knocking again and wiping out my bank accounts.