Web of Secrets

[bamagirlwriter]

(closed for The_gladiator)

"Really, Jake?" Lily asked with a chuckle as she watched her best friend scramble back to his dresser yet again, "It's just my sister's wedding. You are taking longer than I did to get ready and you don't even really like Casey."
Jake had been Lily's best friend for ages. she honestly couldn't think of a time when they hadn't told each other everything. each heartbreak, each accomplishment. they shared them together. She was the only girl that he would let into his little world. he kept the rest at arms length. she figured he was just shy about girls, but secretly she found his smart-assed quips adorable.
For the last few years though, Lily had been slowly falling for him. she'd hit on him a few times quite seriously but he'd brushed her off with a sarcastic joke or comment each time. it drove her crazy that even she couldn't break all the way into his world. So she'd decided that she would have to be the aggressor and seduce him.
he had no idea that she was planning to use everything at her disposal to get him in bed tonight. and when she said everything she meant everything including the libations at the reception if need be.
getting fed up, she stood, smoothing out the forest green satin and chiffon of her bridesmaid gown over her uncommonly wide hips. "That's it. i am going to the car, Jake. If you are not down there in 10 minutes then you are just going to have to risk the motorcycle because i'm leaving." she stuck her tongue out at him playfully as she slipped out of his bedroom door and headed for her camaro.

 

[The_gladiator]

“Dammit Lily it’s not my fault none of my clothes fit. Obviously I get dressed up “ALL” the time and have the need to wear a suit “SO” often.” Jake said, sounding just as exasperated as Lily. “And god dammit, if you make me ride my bike to a wedding Casey will kill me, you know what a stickler for detail she is, and she already hates me. Yes, you hear that it’s her that hates me, not me her.” He shot her a glare as he buttoned up yet another dress shirt, this one a green that matched and amplified the green in his hazel eyes. As he buttoned the rippling muscles of his 6 pack and other chest muscles vanished behind the fabric. Not that she saw it—for she had already exited the room.

Jake wondered as he dressed how exactly he ended up getting roped into this situation. Dances were sure not his thing. Too many people, they made him anxious, although not for the reasons most people might think. It wasn’t because people made him anxious, he could talk with anyone, no, there were too many variables in crowds, and it made his spidy sense go haywire.

Finally deciding he liked the shirt Jake reached for the jacket he’d be wearing and pulled it on. That done he finally went for the last step. He pulled open his closet. Reaching behind the socks in his underwear drawer he opened a box and pulled out one of his pistols. The thing was black and small, perfect to tuck into the holster at the base of his spine. It wasn’t the best place to carry a weapon, but it was a place very few if any would spot it under the tails of his jacket. The weapons in his boots were already in place, he had taken care of that before she got there, one of the reasons he was late. A part of him was relieved she wasn’t around for that part, she didn’t know about that part of him, it was a secret he kept close, something he hid from everyone. He had escaped that life, but still, old habits died hard.

“If I wear the top hat and carry the cane, is that going too far?” he yelled out the door and down the stairs, figuring enough time hadn’t passed for her to leave the house completely. “C’mon come back here, you know that I have no idea if I look good, you need to give me your final opinion!” he said, not bothering to hide the continuation of the exasperation that she started.

 

[bamagirlwriter]

Lily laughed as she turned. " i knew that'd get you going. you look fine, although the top hat and cane would be a very sexy addition. i am pretty sure that you'd be mistaken for the groom. I'd have to object to that."
with a very obvious once over she winked at him and turned back to the door. If she had kept looking her plan to seduce the man would completely fail. She wondered if he even noticed she was a girl..what if he was gay? No he couldn't be gay...
As she swung into the driver's seat of her purple camaro she rolled down the passenger window and said "tick tock here, Jake. we are on the clock." with a chuckle and a mischievous gleam in her peridot colored eyes. Oh she loved teasing him.

 

[The_gladiator]

Jake nodded at her approval. It did mean something to him, fashion was not his thing, and no he was trained for something much different. He placed the hat on his head and picked up the cane, figuring that if she thought they would add to the ensemble then that was good enough for him.

It wasn’t that Jake was oblivious to all the stares he got on a regular basis, but he just couldn’t allow such attentions. If he allowed them to get close they could learn too much and he’d never put someone at risk like that. It didn’t help that he was fairly innocent when it came to women. Oh, he was no virgin, someone had taken care of that a long time ago, but no women were a mystery. The women he had been raised around were far from lady like, and Jake just came off as awkward and insensitive, and sadly not all of that was an act.

Jake got in the car and looked over at her, “You look nice too this evening.” He remembered to say, he realized belatedly that he should have told her that a long time ago. Oh well, better late than never, right?

 

[bamagirlwriter]

Lily laughed and shook her head. Jake was almost always late with the compliments, but she was glad he'd actually noticed. the satin and chiffon monstrosity her sister had picked for the bridesmaids actually looked pretty good on her. it brought out the green in her eyes and made the highlights in waist length blond hair that much brighter so that she could wear it down in soft tumbling curls without it looking like a curtain of dirty water.

She actually had to compliment the fit. the satin of it hugged her curves beutifully and the chiffon overlay was flowy around her. she probably looked like some christmas fairy but still it was nice of Jake to notice.

as she drove through town to the church she decided to do a little needling of her besty " nice of you to notice finally. Why don't you ever notice a girl looks nice until like an hour after you've been in her company? do you just not like us girls anymore jake?" the last was said with a giggle. she certainly hoped that wasn't true.

 

[The_gladiator]

Jake rode in silence, sitting straight with his typical perfect posture. They did look like they belonged on a Christmas card, his green shirt complimented by the red of his jacket. They even made a study in contrasts as his hair was as dark as her was light, although it was short enough it was really more like shadow of hair.

“Because I wouldn’t want you to get big head or anything. You might hit on me or something.” He pretended to grab his throat, “Perish the thought.” He teased. That was really not true, but it was his style to deflect things with a joke. “Yes, that’s exactly it. Bring on the throbbing cock because I’m done with women.” He said deadpan, continuing their banter.

There was suddenly a loud thumping noise which they both knew was Jake stomping on the imaginary brake pedal on his side of the car. It was accompanied by his admonishment, “Its red its red, for the love of god Lily.” When she braked split second as she usually did, he braced himself on her dashboard. “Listen Mario Andretti, be careful. This is so why I hate letting you drive.” He groused. “I don’t know where you learned to drive like that, it sure as hell wasn’t from me, and unless we’re in an alternate universe, I taught you how to drive…” he grumbled.

 

[bamagirlwriter]

Lily giggled as she pulled into the church parking lot. "Calm down grandpa." She was actually relieved to see that his sense of humor was intact this morning. before she got out of the car she turned to him and with a serious look asked "What would you do if i ever did seriously hit on you, Jake? you're not a bad looking guy and i've seen the way you move... i know there's some skill there. would it really be that horrible?"

Inside her nerves were going off like a noisy car alarm but she was practiced at looking calm when she wasn't. she forced herself to breathe evenly and keep the tone light. she didn't want him getting even the slightest inkling of her plans for tonight and she knew that question would put him on high alert. to lessen the seriousness of it she added "Do i look like a toad in this dress or something? you know you might just have to kiss a few toads to find your princess." as she spoke she let a big grin spread over her face.

okay so her funny bone wasn't working so well today but it should throw him off of her purpose for a little while longer.

 

[The_gladiator]

Jake noted her serious expression, had she taken him too seriously, He sighed would he have to sooth her hurt feelings? He just shrugged and tried to ignore it, “Why I would move to another country, change my name to Hank and hide under a rock for the rest of my life of course.” He said.

“I don’t need any warts, I’ll steer clear of toads, by the way I thought they were supposed to be frogs?” he asked as he popped open the door. He closed the door and walked around to open her door. He let his eyes sweep over the parking lot, unconsciously looking for threats but was good at disguising that fact. Opening her door he offered her a hand. His hand was strong and slightly calloused. Not really the hands of a computer programmer, however she knew well that he was an avid weapons fan, training with ancient swords as well as modern fire arms. Hers was so much smaller, soft and delicate. His mind processed all of those facts, but he did not really notice them as she probably did, to him it was just data, observation of fact, the way he could identify connections on a computer silently at night just by feel.

 

[bamagirlwriter]

Lily shook her head. he had missed her point completely. " they are supposed to be frogs but most men are toads not frogs... or have you forgotten my horror story exes so quickly?" she pointed out as she took his hand to step out of the car. She loved his hands. big and strong. a bit rough but she imagined they would feel amazing on her body.

As they moved across the parking lot towards the church she held onto that hand and hugged his arm. not so much as a part of her seduction but so that the three groomsman who were standing outside the church doors would think she was with him and not hit on her as they had at the rehearsal dinner. "you have to do me a favor today, Jake. Save me from the cheeseheads my new brother in law calls friends. pretend we are a couple okay?" she said in hushed tones as the walked.

That actually was a part of her plan. maybe if he had to pretend she was his girlfriend, he'd actually notice that she wanted to be. or at least that she was attractive enough to take to his bed.

 

[The_gladiator]

Jake steadied her as she stood up from the car in her heals. Her car made a chirping noise as she locked the car. He gave her an odd look, “Is that not why I am here? So we can continue this farcical deception of being a couple so your parents will stop hounding you to settle down and have children? Why now do you think to remind me of our agreement, or did you think I would half ass my job?” he snorted. She knew him; he did not do anything half way, when he actually did things.

He pulled her in tight to his side and smiled down at her playing the part of a loving boyfriend. He held that pose until they were alongside the groomsmen and he exchanged dirty looks with each of them. He did it above Lily’s head so she would not see how hard his expressions got. If looks could kill each of them would be pierced by more bullets than in the clip at Jake’s back. He did not give tough like a programmer, he gave tough like the soldier he was born and bred to be.

When he looked down at Lily again all hints of hardness were gone and he was back, not to the smiling fake face he had used while approaching the idiots, but the schooled unreadable blank face that he often wore, one that offered little by way of any explanation to what he was really feeling.

 

[bamagirlwriter]

Lily shook her head at Jake. He always wore that blank look, but she hadn't told him that she was an empath and she knew he really didn't like the idea of the groomsmen hitting on her. his reactions were never quite sexual though, like somehow he'd trained that basic need out of his brain.

"I diddn't say make them pee themselves, jake." she said with a giggle as she leaned up and kissed the side of his neck. "This is supposed to be a nice day. now kiss me before i have to go play the sister of the bride role."

she sensed his tension more that felt it. outwardly he didn't look as if anything could shake him. probably nothing could but something in him tensed emotionally when she'd asked for a kiss. of course he knew she didn't mean a peck on the cheek. he'd earn her heel in his toe for that move. so maybe it was just nerves after all.

 

[The_gladiator]

Jake laughed at her comment about the groomsmen. He then lifted an eyebrow at her request for a kiss. The devil was taking advantage of the fact her whole family was watching. “You aren’t paying me enough for this.” He grumbled under his breath. He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, just to spite her. “I will see you later honey.” He said through gritted teeth, his smile so fake it hurt.

Jake found himself wandering through the church, admiring the decorations absently even as he looked at the guests. He assessed them as threats without even thinking about it. He noted a few individuals that could pose some sort of a threat, including someone who he suspected was the bride’s ex boyfriend.

 

[bamagirlwriter]

Lily kicked him in the shin for avoiding actually kissing her. "that was low, Jake." she said as she made her way to the back of the church.

once behind closed doors she growled. "problems, Sis?" Casey chuckled. She was sitting the the middle of a white cloud decorated with sparkle. Casey knew that Lily was trying to seduce Jake. There wasn't much she couldn't wrangle out of Lily. "Is that handsome thing you brought not falling for your wiles?"

"Shut up Casey. " Lily grumbled as she moved over to a table and took a glass of champagne. "maybe he needs to see one of those chumps your husband brought drooling all over me? i'm spiking his drinks i swear!"

Casey laughed and shook her head. "Lily whatever that man is thinking it certainly isn't about other women. It says a lot that he let you into his world and he doesn't like other men near you... a freind doesn't give looks like i spotted him giving , charlie, Ken and darren as you came in." Lily gave her a stop spying on me look that only a sister could read. "I wasn't spying, you were late. I saw it out the window, but i didn't want to seem all snoopy in front of jake. we might quibble and its not the day for it. So i slipped back here before you got to the door. now stop worrying and lead me down the aisle. it is my wedding day after all."

The two walked together the top of the sanctuary where Lily stood next to Darren, the tall dark and , if he weren't so immature, quite handsome best friend of the Groom. As the music started she began to move. Darren stared at her like a steak but she was busy looking to see how Jake was reacting.