She Gambled

Immediately two women crashed into him. holding him and whispering quieting words into his ears.

Jake pulled himself together and asked, "What now? I need to know for certain."

Nadia took a hand and asked, "Can you think of a man who looks like you? A cousin perhaps?"

Gemma cried, "Rufus! It has to be him."

Jake said, "Nah, they don't even like each other."

Nadia made short work of that. "Or it was a spiel to keep you from suspecting them. I think there is only one way to find out and that is an official paternity test. That means that you need a heck of a lawyer and I know just the one; Donna Marshall, she is not one of the best, but the best of all. Nathan, can you call her?'

====

Brooke was having a bad time. Two weeks after that Jake's grandfather told her in no uncertain words that he wasn't going to help her in any way to find Jake, she still couldn't find herself a way out of this mess. She didn't want her children exposed to Rufus anymore, but she still needed him, if only for the money he provided. She was preparing dinner while the children were working at their school assignments when there was a knock on the door. She looked through the little window and saw a man and a woman standing on the other side of the door. She opened it and asked, "What can I do for you?"

The woman asked, "Are you Mrs. Paquette? Mrs. Brooke Paquette, formerly married to Mr. Jakob Randall VanDam?

"Yes. What is the matter?"

Now the man replied. I have a warrant. We need to take DNA samples of your children. Not adhering to that warrant will lead to an arrest."

"What? Who? Why do you need DNA from my children? "

"For a paternity test." The woman said simply and thus dropped the ground from under Brooke's world.

Brooke always had a vague hope that the children could be the only reason for Jake to come back to her. Another, very big reason was that Jake paid a hefty amount of child support. If he found out that the children were not his, that would stop immediately, and she would lose her comfortable lifestyle.

Meanwhile at the VanDam residence another pair of medics, accompanied by a Police officer were knocking on the door of Rufus VanDam's apartment.

Rufus Sr. witnessed it all, thinking; it seems that Gemma found Jake and Jake has figured it out. Now there will be hell to pay.

Rufus Jr. refused to cooperate and attacked the Police officer. The obese man was no match for the young strong man and soon Rufus Sr. witnessed his grandson taking a short and humiliating walk to the police car.

Two weeks later.

"Jake! The results have arrived! " Gemma shouted, through Jake's apartment. Gemma dreaded the results. Either way, it would be very difficult for Jake, Gemma had her work cut out supporting him.

Jake and Gemma sat on the couch and Jake read the document and attached lab results. When. When he was finished Gemma saw he was white and suddenly she became very concerned. "Jake, she asked, "What's wrong? You look like you're having a heart attack."

"I'm not having a heart attack, but I'm going to cause some. Both children are Rufus's and he and that cheating bitch of an ex-wife are going to pay me back and some more, for everything they did to me."

Gemma nestled herself under Jake's arm in an attempt to calm him. He felt wonderful against her and she hoped it would be the other way around too. Jake still hadn't responded to her overtures. They had cuddled and occasionally there was the chaste peck on the cheek, but nothing more. By now, Gemma felt her needs sloshing against her back teeth.

She looked at his face and suddenly Jake looked back at her with a vulnerable and shy look in his eyes.

"Gemma, please don't get me wrong. I love you with all my heart and I'm beating myself up for letting myself be reeled in by Brooke when you were away.

I know that you need and want more than I can give at this moment. Please believe me when I say that those feelings are mutual. Only before I give myself completely, I need to have this situation resolved and I promise that I will resolve this. I will resolve this the hard way and I don't want you in the thick of it.

Also, if we start now, I feel you will be a rebound and that doesn't do justice to you and for your feelings for me. I can completely understand if you don't have the patience for all this and want to be free. Just tell me and we part without hard feelings on my part."

Relief washed over Gemma like a cool shower after a hot and tiring day. She knew from the past how difficult it was for this shy man to voice his deepest emotions and was acutely aware of the profound love supporting those words. She gave herself a few seconds to bask in these feelings.

Gemma freed her hand from behind Jake's back and used it to pull his head down and she kissed him like she had kissed no man before. Soft, with just the lightest touch of her tongue against his lips and with all the love she had to give to this gentle and beautiful man.

For Jake it felt as if he had a nine-volt battery against his lips. He was shocked in more than one way. The first was obvious and the second was that Gemma didn't want to take the escape he offered.

She softly said with her lips almost against his, "Nonsense Jake. No more excuses. You don't get rid of me that easily now you just professed your love for me. You will find me in the thick of it every second because I'll be right beside you to support and help you."

Jake wrapped his arms around Gemma. Kissed her on her head, thinking, My Lord, is she smelling good. and whispered shyly, "Can you postpone building your house until this mess is resolved one way or another? You might not need it anymore by then. I can just as easily upgrade and expand my house to your wishes."

Gemma was stunned. Did he just ask me to come and live with him? She decided to ask.

"It sounds like an invitation to come and live with you?"

"It is. You just committed yourself to me and I want you to know that I am just so committed to you. If you want a ring and the appropriate ceremony that comes with it, I'll oblige. But for me marriage is a hollow phrase. If we tell each other that we're a faithful couple for life and jump over a broom, it's just as valid to me."

"Yes. I want a ring. I want a ring as the symbol it always stood for in all its simplicity. So, I want a small, simple, plain, unadorned golden wedding ring and I would like you to have exactly the same one. I'll fetch a broom as soon as your retribution has been paid."

====

Later that week, Jake and Gemma were sitting in Donna Marshall's office while Jake explained that he wanted pay-back, the napalm way. Donna patiently explained that she wasn't suited to help. Jake needed a shark, a bull shark to be precise. Able to navigate murky waters and pounce unexpectedly and effectively. However, Donna knew someone, a colleague, who has been in a similar situation like he was in now and despises those parasites who were doing that to others. Her promotor introduced him to her, and since they referred clients to each other, or worked together on some cases.

====

Some time later.

Brooke was doing household chores and thinking that since the DNA tests there hadn't been any reaction. Carefully she started to get her hopes up that it would blow over. She had found ways to keep her children away from under the direct influence of Rufus and their grandfather helped a lot after she took Rufus Sr. in confidence. It seemed that Rufus the younger was rather afraid of Rufus the elder since he was taken away from his apartment by the Police.

Suddenly her peace of mind was disturbed by some hard knocks on the front door.

She went and opened the door and there stood Rufus. His face was purple and his fat frame was shaking and shivering. He screamed at her, "What's this?" while waving a bunch of crumbled documents in his hand.

Brooke took a few steps back, "I don't know. You tell me."

Rufus screamed, "That asshole of a brother is demanding a staggering amount of money from me for raising my children and to enforce these demands he confiscated all my assets."

Brooke staggered into her house and dropped into a chair. Dear God. Jake is awake and on the prowl. Now he knows the children aren't his, there will be hell to pay. If he is coming after me too, I'm fucked trice over. Edmond Dantes will be a teddy bear compared to Jake. She became very afraid now that her luxury lifestyle was at an end.

Rufus Jr. was still ranting when there was another knock on the door. Brooke tried to ignore it but the knocking became increasingly insistent. She sighed deeply when she came out of the chair and walked over to the door. When opening she saw a little man with a hat, round spectacles, mustache somewhat akin to Professor Calculus from the adventures of Tintin. Behind him was a woman with a camcorder, the blinking red light showing it active. "Are you Mrs. Brooke Paquette? " He asked.

When she answered affirmatively, he handed her an envelope and said, "You have been served. Have a nice day." And walked back to the waiting car.

With dread in her heart Brooke watched them until the car disappeared around the corner. Only then she stepped back, closed the door, turned around and walked to her chair. The dread deepened into a black roiling vortex. She opened the envelope and her fear deepened even more when she looked at the documents.

There were DNA tests proving that Jake wasn't the father of either of the children, but his brother was.

The next documents were demands for reimbursement for the money she received as child support including interest and various other demands because she made him think that the children are his and lured him into marriage on false accusations. The demands totaled a staggering amount of money.

There was another one from Gemma Evans for falsifying an affidavit and one for slander.

Brooke panicked until Rufus told her that the company would pick up the tab for her now the cat was out of the bag. She was the mother of his children after all, wasn't she?

Later that evening Brooke attended the family dinner. Rufus Jr started to explain that they developed feelings for each other, and Brooke was his girlfriend now. He would take care of the children after their lawyers staved off the ridiculous demands of his idiot cheating brother and his whore.

Softly his grandfather butted in. "You have to find your own lawyer. The company is not going to pay for you and your cheating girlfriend's deceit. Jake has suffered enough by your hands."

Silence descended at the table.

"What! Jake's father shouted, "Why not. He's allowed to defend himself against those ludicrous allegations, isn't he? The company has very able lawyers to counter this slander."

Rufus Sr. retorted, "First, the allegations are not ludicrous, they're completely true. The kids are from Rufus and Brooke. They've been cheating on Jake from the beginning and it seems that Jake has DNA proof that the children are not his, but Rufus'. If so, Jake has a valid point. Also, the company has strict rules about fraternization, and you broke them all. So, if the lawyers are going to put to work it's not to fight Jake, but to enforce the rules of the company Rufus broke for about as long as Jake was married to Brooke."

Rufus' father exploded, "You can't do that. I'm the CEO, not you!"

Rufus Sr. softly laughed and answered, "But I hold 70% of the shares of this company. I am the chairman of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors can dismiss any decision the CEO makes. Ergo, our legal team is not to be used for a lost battle against a lawsuit only to satisfy your ego."

Rufus Jr. exploded with rage. Kicked his chair through the room and walked out of the room. Arriving in the hallway he stood still panting and trying to gather his breath.

Rufus Sr. dropped his napkin, excused himself and walked after Jr. out of the dining room. In the hallway he almost felt sorry for the wreck of what was once a man, until he remembered what he did to his brother. He walked past and said softly but in an unmistakable venomous steely voice, "If I find out that you try to fuck over your brother once more, I'm going to bury you so deep that even the devil can't find you. Do you understand?"

Rufus Jr. was shortly taken aback by the attack. Quickly thereafter his ego and arrogance asserted themselves and he growled back, "And how do you think to accomplish that, old man? I have influential friends too, you know."

"Just try me and you will find out that this old dog still can bite."

With that Jake's grandfather walked past and lightly patted the still heavy breathing man on the back saying, "Tsk, tsk, you must do something about that condition of yours, otherwise you'll never get old."

In his apartment he sat behind his desk, took his old and trusted rolodex and looked up the phone number of the University of St. Christopher's Crossing.

The next morning.

At breakfast Rufus Sr. was besieged by his son Randall and Rufus Jr. to let them use the legal advisors of the company. After a long hard look at the documentation they both understood that this legal battle would be a costly one and the only way to win was to fight as long as possible in the hope that finances would run out for Jake.

Alas for them, the old man stuck to his decision and even reinforced it saying, "If I only have an inkling that you even asked a lawyer, in the employ of the company, for advice you're fired and, on the street, before you realize what happened. It's an abuse of company assets. Understood?" He bit at the two men while he walked out of the dining room.

Behind his desk he called the university. "Good morning, this is professor VanDam. I'd like a word with professor Daltree. If he can spare the time, I would be much obliged."

Within minutes he heard the familiar voice saying, "Rufus, old friend. I haven't heard your voice for too long. How are you doing?"

Rufus Sr. smiled, but replied gravely, "Mentally, I'm doing good. Physically, not so. But that's for a later time. I need a favor, one favor that concerns two people. "

"Always, my friend. You stood by me with that unsavory affair with that Short fellow, blackmailing students at the university into his bed to get their paper passed. You've always had my back. Now I can return the favor."

"I don't think that you are going to like it, Leon. I will come and visit you and try to steal two of your employees for my company. I don't have another choice anymore."

"Which two?"

"Jake VanDam and Gemma Evans."

"Ouch." Leon said. "I understand your grandson, but Ms. Evans?"

"I had a chat with Ms. Evans and she told me that she heard some rumors concerning Jake's marriage and some foul play. She came to the house to rectify that and told me that she wanted to search for Jake now he was divorced. Witnessing the commotion in my family, she has found him and I seriously expect them to be joined at the hip by now."

"You wouldn't be wrong. When will I see you? I ask, so I can make them available when you want to speak with them."

"It's a two-hour drive? I can leave within half an hour. I'd like you to attend too. Is that possible?"

"I'll make it possible. You seem in a hurry."

"I am." Rufus Sr. simply answered. "See you in a few hours."

====

Later that day Leon was appalled about the appearance of his old friend. He looked frail and tired, but his voice was strong, and his eyes still sparkled.

Before Leon invited Jake and Gemma to his office, the older men had an intense conversation.

Jake, Gemma, Leon and Rufus Sr. were sitting in Leon's office. The reunion of Jake and his grandfather was bittersweet. Regret that it had taken so long to meet and happiness because they could embrace each other again.

Introductions were not necessary. Rufus Sr. kicked off immediately. "Jake, do you want to come and run the company for me?"

Stunned Jake asked, "But Granddad, why, and what about Dad and Rufus?"

Rufus showed a sad smile when he answered, "I am ill, and that illness is progressive. I am now entering the stage that I might not be able to fend off the terrible twosome who are now running and ruining my company. I know firsthand that you can lead the company. I've seen you at work."

Jake looked shocked and grabbed Gemma's hand. "I don't know what to say. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I have my reasons, Jake. But can you answer my question? Of course, your girlfriend must agree as well."

"But I'm building a house, a family house, here for us both, Granddad."

Gemma's head shot up and she looked at Jake. A family house? Who's talking about taking it slow now?

Jokingly she interrupted, "Do you want me to stop with the pill?"

Without missing a beat Jake replied, "As soon as possible, I'd like to have a few children of my own, if you're willing to help me with that."

Gemma flew out of her chair and kissed Jake hard in front of the other two men saying, "I took the last one yesterday evening. Is that answer enough for you?"

Rufus's voice broke through the happy intermezzo, "Jake and Gemma, may I remind you that you still are in company? Oh, and Jake, the company's offices are less than an hour's drive from here."

Jake looked Gemma in the eyes. Gemma nodded, barely perceptive, to Jake to accept Rufus' offer to run the company.

Jake turned to his grandfather, "Remains the question; what about my father and brother?"

"Leave that to me. When you take over, they won't be able to make it difficult for you anymore. You're not the only one who holds a grudge."

"When do you want me to take over?"

"So, you'll do it? Running the company? That makes me so happy."

"Yes Granddad, we'll do it. But when?"

"I'm at the end of my life. Soon the symptoms will be visible and the pain will be unmanageable. Since Leon witnessed his wife dying a horrible death he founded, together with some other people, a small private clinic where the passing from life will be eased. I plan to go there in about ten days. Soon after that I suppose."

Jake was silently thinking when Gemma asked, "But why all the cloak and dagger stuff?"

"I suspect that Randall and Rufus will go to any lengths to keep their lifestyle, that includes violence. Jake already is a pain in the butt for Rufus and I already had to threaten him because he wanted to use the company's lawyer office to fight the lawsuits Jake initiated."

Leon interrupted, "We came up with a battle plan to protect you two from Randall and Rufus."

He looked at his old friend and asked, "Shall I do the honors, or do you want to?"

Rufus Sr. replied, "You do that, I'm becoming tired."

Leon continued, "As soon as Rufus has passed away a message will be sent to some of the trusted managers in the office, the workshop and the factory of the company. They will put the whole company in lock down. I will write a small software package, akin the infamous ransomware to enable that. Employees will be sent home for the duration, of course on full pay. We've made provisions for this"

Jake and Gemma were taken aback by the scope of it all. Jake asked, "And us? What is our role in this?"

"Of course, you will be informed as well, but you don't have to do anything until the reading of the will. There all will be revealed, and you can take over the company. By then Randall and Rufus will be the least of your worries."

Jake's grandfather sighed tiredly. "That already has been taken care of." He looked up at Jake and said, "I'll write you a letter to explain everything. For now, it's best that you remain ignorant about everything that is put in motion."

"Granddad, will you let me visit you in the clinic?" Jake asked with a quiver in his voice.

"No Son, it's best to leave me be. It will not be a pretty sight and I want to be alone when I'm going to meet my maker. This is goodbye for us. One last question though: please take good care of your mother. She is, just like you, an innocent bystander."