“Our procedures are nowhere as extreme or invasive as chemo, Ms. Hastings. Plus chemical enhancers are a last resort measure we use. Your surrogate, if you chose to have one, may not need them.”
Nichole looks at me and tries to read my mind. I know she wants to know if I’m still on-board and since I’m still sitting here, I must be. She must see what she’s looking for because she turns back to Ms. Taylor. “My husband and I are here looking for a more natural way to conceive. I can’t have a child, there is no getting around that. IVF will not work for me, so there’s no point in wasting our time or money on that. A surrogate is our only chance, but I refuse to have any child of mine subjected to machines, no matter how noninvasive they are.”
“I’m confused, Ms. Hastings. What exactly are you asking for?”
“If we use a surrogate, I want the sperm implanted in her naturally. No machines, no chemicals.”
“What?” She blanches. Ms.Taylor's whole face goes pale before red starts to blossom all over. She’s speechless. My wife has no doubtely surprised her like she did me when she first made this request, except my red face was more from anger than embarrassment.
“My dear, that’s just not possible. We don’t...we, Mr. Hastings,” she sputters, turning to me. “You can’t possibly be okay with this?”
For whatever reason, that pisses me the hell off. Fuck no, I’m not okay with this. “I may not agree with my wife, but I do stand by any decision she decides to make,” I tell her, giving her the diplomatic answer and not the ‘fuck you’ I’m thinking of.
“I personally can’t help you. We’ve never granted such a request here. If you would like, you can talk to my director. Maybe she can help soothe your mind about the treatments used here.”
“That’s not what I want,” Nichole tells her.
“Okay then, how about a tour? Maybe if you see for yourself that anything we use won’t cause the baby or surrogate any harm, you’ll change your mind.”
Nichole isn’t happy. She’s already made up her mind, but she humors Ms. Taylor anyway. I stand, heading out of the office first to get some air, even if it’s just for a second, when the dark beauty from before runs right into me. I watch her curiously as she inhales my scent with her eyes closed. I’m lost in some sort of spell when she tips her head up and those big green eyes land on mine. I should move but I find myself enthralled.
“Did you just sniff me?” I finally ask.
“Um, no, I mean yes, sorry,” she mumbles.
Ms. Taylor and Nichole step out of the office. While Ms. Taylor looks at the girl with curiosity, I recognize the calculated look on my wife’s face and I’m ready to charge her like a bull and yell hell no.
“Well hello, dear, are you lost?” Ms. Taylor asks her.
“No, I was just leaving,” she replies before taking hurried steps out the exit. Thank fuck. With her gone, Nichole can concentrate on someone else. Anyone but the mysterious raven haired girl.
“Right this way,” Ms. Taylor says, trying to herd us down a different hall, but Nichole doesn’t move, instead she watches the girl's retreating steps. When she’s out of view, Nichole turns back to Ms. Taylor.
“Actually I think we should go. It doesn’t matter what I see. I’m not going to budge from my decision.”
“Well, if you want to go home and think about it some more, you can always set up another appointment.”
“Yes, we’ll do that.”
I know my wife well, that’s a lie. She already knows what she’s going to do and I’m not liking the direction she’s about to take us. As soon as we’re alone in the elevators, I turn to her and say, “No.”
“No, what?” she replies innocently.
“Don’t play coy with me, Nichole. No way in hell am I fucking that girl and getting her pregnant. You saw how much of a trainwreck she was, not to mention she barely looks legal. Do you really want the mother of our child to be some Girls Gone Wild college chick?”
“You’re over exaggerating, Grayson. She’s attracted to you and I can tell you’re attracted to her too, even though you’re trying hard to hide it. I’m not mad. She’s a beautiful girl and did you see that bone structure? She’s perfect.”
“Nichole,” I huff exasperated.
“Grayson, you agreed to back me up. We’re in this together. Don’t back out on me now.”
I sigh, closing my eyes. I don’t want to do this. I’m so for going against this plan but I love my wife. She beat cancer to stay here with me. I can’t deny her this insane wish. “Fine,” I huff feeling the deja vu from the first time she approached me with this conversation. I’m just as on the fence now as I was then.
Out in the parking garage, it doesn’t take long to find the girl. She’s just sitting in her car banging her head against the wheel before she lets out a loud scream. I arch my brow at Nichole before muttering, “And this is who you want the mother of our child to be?” Ignoring me, she moves to the girl’s crappy car and taps on the window. She jumps, startled before her wide green eyes look up at us.
“Are you okay?” Nichole asks loudly so she can be heard through the glass.
Instead of rolling down the window, the girl opens the door to her car and steps out. “Window’s broken,” she explains. I guess my confusion was written all over my face.
“I asked if you are okay,” Nichole says.
“Oh, yeah; I mean no. My car won’t start,” she replies sheepishly.
“Do you mind?” I ask motioning to the car. Maybe if I can fix it, she’ll leave and not hear Nichole’s insane idea.
“Sure,” she says, moving over. “It probably just needs a jump. Some dude had to jump it on the way up here.” I nod before popping her hood to take a look at her engine. As I work, I listen in on her and Nichole’s conversation.
“So how did the interview go?” Nichole asks.
“I didn’t get it. Guess I wasn’t what they’re looking for.” Her voice is hard and resentful. You could tell she was pretty angry.
“What did you apply for if you don’t mind me asking?”
“A surrogate.” At her answer, I hit my head on the hood but thankfully neither notice. “A month ago I saw an ad in the paper and decided to give it a shot. I had to do a bunch of labs and an extensive background check. After all that bullcrap they put me through, the vulture looking lady in there said I wasn’t good enough.”
“I’m sorry. People can be harsh. Maybe it’s a good thing. You’re awfully young to be carrying a child and being pregnant in college does not mix well.”
“Oh, I’m not in school,” she replies, laughing like that’s the funniest thing she heard.
Their voices fade some as they make idle conversation then I hear Nichole ask her how old she is. “Twenty-two, why?” She asks suspiciously. She’s alot older than I pegged her for, but I stand by my Girls Gone Wild comment.
“No reason, just chitchatting,” Nichole answers.
“I think I should go.” Smart girl. She’s not stupid and can probably sense Nichole is up to something. I peer around the hood and see Nichole’s panicked face. She doesn’t want the girl to leave. She can tell she’s scaring her, but from what I see here, she’s pretty much stranded unless she can get a jump. We have jumper cables in our car, but I’m sure Nichole doesn’t want me to tell her that.