“Sadly, yes. Grayson is in court all day, handling a big case. I did tell him you were at the hotel.”
“I bet he was pleased to hear that. I’m sure he was hoping I'd take the car and drive far away.”
She doesn’t deny it, and I hate it when I feel a tiny pang of hurt knowing I’m right.
“Grayson isn’t the easiest man to win over. He’s proud and loyal. Asking him to break his vows to me goes against everything that makes him, him, so I wouldn’t take it personally. It’s me he’s really mad at, but he won’t take it out on me and instead, is taking it out on you.”
“Hey, no need to explain anything to me. Truthfully, I agree with him and think you’re a couple of nuts short of the perfect Snickers bar.”
She laughs before telling me, “I’ll see you in about an hour.”
“See you then,” I reply before hanging up.
I meet Nichole in one of the outfits she bought. A nice blouse and skinny jeans with a pair of bright yellow heels. After a long hot shower where I washed my hair like three times, I dry it with the hair dryer provided and let it flow down to my shoulders. Using the sink every morning in the bus stop bathroom made a girl appreciate the simple things in life, like bathtubs and showers.
I’m standing out in the lobby and as soon as Nichole sees me, she gives me a bright smile. “You look nice,” Nichole says, greeting me.
“Thanks, so do you.” Nichole could wear a potato sack and still look hot. It’s her big blue eyes and model thin body. I’m only thin because I can’t afford food and often miss meals, and I think my boobs are way too big, but I got them from my mama.
“I hope you’re settling in well. With you no longer having a home, Grayson and I thought it would be best to keep you here until you, you know,” she cuts off blushing.
“Until I get knocked up,” I supply for her.
“Yes, that.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered you chose me. But how can you be so calm about basically pimping your husband out? If I were at your stage in life, I’d cut a bitch just for looking at my man. Is a baby really worth it?”
“I love the colorful way you explain things. You truly have an art for words, but to answer your question, yes, it’s worth it. Until you go through the pain of chemo or standing by while they cut away the parts that make you a woman, you couldn’t possibly understand. I had no choice when the cancer took over my body, but I have a choice of how I want my child brought into the world. I know it sounds crazy, and it’s unconventional, but I want my child to enter this world the way it’s intended. Conceived by a man and a woman naturally. Sure it hurts I can’t be that woman, but at least Grayson can still be part of the process without the basting as you so colorfully told me.”
Wow, this lady is a saint. She’s literally lending me her husband, but she’s getting something out of it as well. So, who am I to judge?
The rest of lunch she goes over the contract with me. It’s mostly everything she explained in the car weeks ago. Grayson will come to me two nights a week until I’m pregnant. Then they will move me into some sleek brownstone in upper Manhattan not far from them. They’ve already made me a gym membership and set me up with a personal trainer, who I’ll start seeing next week. Once I meet him or her, we’ll come up with a workout regimen and they’ll let me know how many days a week I’ll need to come by. While I’m staying at the W, all my meals are covered as well as my room and any amenities I decide to use. I just have to charge it to the room. Once I’m pregnant, they will pay me a stipend of two thousand a month as well as take care of my rent and living expenses. Weekly dinner is still on the table, and it’s mandatory for us all. I’m not allowed to start a relationship or have any sexual intercourse, casual or serious, with anyone, nor can I drink or take any drugs unless they’re prescribed by a doctor.
Everything seemed so detailed and I’m not going to lie, I skipped past a lot of it because of the boring legal jargon. Don’t act like you’ve never done the same. Halfway through, I give up on reading all together and skip to the last page and sign my name. I could have agreed to give away all my vital organs as well as my kid for all I know.
“Hey, I hope I’m not late,” a mousey brown haired lady says walking up. She looks all no nonsense in her perfectly fitted blouse and skirt combo.
“No Ash, you’re right on time,” Nichole answers the polished woman before sliding the papers I just signed over to her.
In quick, practiced movements, the women takes the contract and pulls out her stamp with the state’s seal from her purse. Like Nicole, she must be a lawyer so she’s a licensed notary. Right before my eyes, the contract is legit, just needing to be filed with the court and signed by the judge. Once done, she leaves just as quickly as she came with a quick goodbye to Nichole.
“I’ll have the other papers drawn up closer to the baby’s due date,” Nicole says, gathering my attention again. I didn’t think about another contract being done. The one where I give my baby away. I can start over and Nichole and Grayson can start their family.
After lunch, I walk Nichole to the front of the hotel. Before leaving, she insisted I spend the rest of the day in the hotel’s spa. I declined because well, that uppity shit isn’t for me. Instead, I went back to my room to take a nap. I was exhausted. All those nights being wary of my surroundings and barely getting enough sleep has finally caught up to me. As soon as I laid my head down on the fluffy softness of my bed, I was out like a light.
Grayson
“She’s taken us up on our offer and is at the hotel,” Nichole says into the phone.
A week has passed since I dropped off the car at her old apartment building. I really thought she bailed when we didn’t hear from her right away. I’m not ashamed to admit I hoped she’d disappeared like a thief in the night. She has no ties here, no family, no boyfriend, nothing. She could have just left.
“Are you going to say something? Nichole prods.
“What do you want me to say?” I ask.
“I want to know what you think about that,” she says, exasperated.
“Why? You already know how I feel about all this and you still don’t care. Do you want me to tell you I wish Jade would have taken the car and ran? Does it even matter to you that I hate what you’re asking me to do? No. What I’m feeling doesn’t matter,” I yell into the phone. I’m breathing hard now from how worked up I am. This is the first time I’ve actually openly expressed how much I hate her for making me do this.
“Finally,” she replies, confusing me.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“You’ve been keeping your feelings bottled up inside and I’ve been waiting for you to finally open up. I know you’re not happy with all this. And it’s not like I don’t care, it’s just my belief of not putting anyone else through what I went through, and before you say it’s not the same, it is. Modern technology in the medical field may be a marvelous thing, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. Science is what cuts away at our humanity. I refuse to cook our baby in a lab or have someone prodded and worked over just to bring a child of our own into the world.”