The first thing that entered my mind was: sh*t, now how am I going to get out of this mess?
The second thing was that Jonathan was a pretty good actor. He made the conversation sound and look normal, as if we were just having a casual talk. But the significance of it would, of course, make anyone know that it was a conversation that was out of ordinary.
I wished that someone would jump in and rescue the day, but unfortunately, just because my own life right now was bizarre, it didn’t mean that everything would happen like some story. In short, there would be no superhero coming to save the needy.
“Alright, Jon, what are your conditions?” I gritted my teeth and waited.
He beamed. “Simple! Pose…I mean --be-- my girlfriend,” he said slyly.
He had got to be kidding. In fact, why was I even doing this? It was just videos of me kissing two guys. Lots of girls do that, don’t they?
“So…that’s all?” I feigned disbelief. Better to look clueless than too smart.
“You think it’ll be simple?” he grinned, “That must mean you do have something for me, doesn’t it?”
“Whatever you think, Jon, whatever,” I sighed and left.
* * *
Great. As if Isaac and Danny hadn’t been enough. Add a Jonathan into the mixture. What do I get? Torture.
I was doomed. I knew it. I couldn’t find a way to escape from the blackmail, yet I knew I couldn’t give up either Danny or Isaac.
My phone rang. I picked it up. It was Isaac.
“Wanna go out for dinner?” he asked sweetly.
“Uh, sure…” I was shocked to hear him sound so natural. It seemed like so much had happened since the blackmail. “When?”
“What about right now?” he suggested, “The park near your house? I’ll be waiting…I’ll also be holding a picnic.”
His move was so sweet. It nearly drove me to tears. “Sure,” I agreed, “Park in 10 minutes?”
“Sure.”
I loved him. I didn’t know him, but I still loved him. As I caught sight of Isaac, my worries just disappeared for a second. He stood there, confident and strong. The perfect Romeo. If he could just rescue me from the here clutches of Jonathan, he would be a shoo in for the best boyfriend ever.
Suddenly, I halted in my tracks. I was forgetting someone here. Danny. I was already thinking as if Isaac was the chosen guy for me. I could already imagine Danny’s broken look if he knew. Stricken. Angry. Lost.
“Taryn?” Isaac looked at me anxiously. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I let out a sigh. “Just a bit…stressed out…you know?”
“Yeah, I know the exact feeling,” he enveloped me in his arms, “In fact, I know it so well, I have a remedy for it.”
He leaned forward and gave me a peck on the lips. I had been expecting that. Hoping for it, even. But when he did, I felt terrible.
“Isaac, I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I can’t see you anymore again.”
“No…why?” his question came out angry. “It’s him, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you so much,” I couldn’t stand up, I fell into his arms, helpless. “And no, it’s not Danny. It’s someone else.”
“And you were leading me all into this?” he asked, furious. “Pretending to love us? And all the time, you had your decision already?”
“No! It’s not like that,” I pleaded, “Just hear me out.”
I thought he might not agree, but he gave a curt nod.
“Someone has this…thing over me, Zac,” I explained quietly, “I can’t be with you. If I do, things will be difficult. For both me and you.”
“What are you talking --”
“Pictures, Zac, he has pictures of us,” I felt myself lose control of the whole situation suddenly. Tears streamed down my eyes. “He’ll stop at nothing to publish it. Only I can stop it, Zac.”
“Stop acting like some hero,” Isaac hissed. He strode around in circles. “We can find a way out of this.”
“No, actually. No, you can’t,” I heard Jonathan’s cold voice.
“Who are you?” Isaac jumped, and then snarled.
“What are you doing here?” I cried. “Were you spying on me?” My questions were overlapped by Jonathan’s answer.
“I,” he said proudly to Isaac, “Am the oh-so-important blackmailer that you are talking about.” he turned to me, “Of course I’m here, can’t risk you informing the whole world, can’t I?”
What was wrong with everybody? They had all changed their personalities ever since I had, well, kissed Isaac?
I quickly racked my brains to think of something. I got it.
“Jonathan, I can’t do this,” I pretended to wail, “It’s impossible!”
“Oh? In what way?” he raised an eyebrow.
“I already have a boyfriend!” I shouted out at him.
“Who?” he snickered, “Certainly not him.” He jerked his head towards Isaac.
“Danny.” The word left my mouth before I could think.
“Do you take me as some sort of fool?” Jonathan challenged, “I just heard you say that it wasn’t Danny that was making you two lovebirds break up. And what do you think my brains are for, huh? when I see you snuggling up to your beloved Isaac in your bedroom?”
“For gawd’s sake!” I moaned, “That was our breaking up kiss!”
“And then struggling to get out of Danny’s arms?” he sneered, “I don’t think so.”
“I was feeling guilty kissing him in front of Isaac,” I answered quietly.
Jonathan was motionless for a second. I could tell that this confrontation wasn’t going the way he had planned.
“Watch what you say,” he warned at last. “Or your chances of winning the ‘model student’ prize is going down the drain…and I suppose that means so scholarship for the music school is gone, too…”
I gaped. He knew the reason behind why I was actually submitting myself to the blackmail.
He could see what I was thinking. “I did a great work, huh?” he asked smoothly. “The homework I did to find out all these,” he motioned at the air to indicate the videos and blackmail. “Is much more than how I used to work in school.” He grinned slyly. “But it’s worth it, isn’t it? After all, I get to spend a night with a girl….a whole night even…”
Looking at my aghast expression, he chuckled, “Don’t worry, my bed is comfortable…”
“You have no right!” Isaac came to my rescue.
“Neither have you,” Jonathan barked out, “To interrupt this talk. Haven’t you lost that right when she decided you were too below her?”
Isaac gnashed at his teeth angrily. He shot me a glare that practically screamed: This is all your fault. Why did you have to mention Danny?
My cell phone rang. Danny. I picked it up.
“Taryn?” his voice was breathless.
“Dan, yeah?” I wondered what he had done. He sounded as if he had just ran a few miles without stopping.
“Can you come over my house? Now?” he was practically begging me.
“Now? It isn’t a really good time for me now, Dan…” my voice trailed off.
“It’ll be worth it, Tar, I swear. You have to come now!”
“But¾”
“Trust me. Please. I won’t force you.”
“Force me?” this conversation was getting weird. And tense.
He said something. I felt my heart go ‘thud’ into my stomach.
Two words, two syllabus. Could be better than blackmail…could be worse. After all, what Danny had just said could be harmless. I didn’t think so.
The first word was ‘make’.
Second? I didn’t even want to think about it. Love.
Yep, that’s right.
Make love.
