I got into the cab and tried to get my breathing under control. I didn’t want to walk into this meeting looking like the wreck I was feeling like inside. I had to do this - I didn’t see any other choice. I felt like I needed to rationalize it to myself. If I was only taking care of me, this wouldn’t be necessary. If I didn’t have to pay two rents and double on all the utilities my waitress job would be more than enough.
But, I wasn’t only taking care of me and no matter how much I resented that fact, I knew that I’d never be able to turn my back and walk away from my mother.
I paid the cab driver and stood in front of the massive three-story law office. Taking another deep breath I reached for the gold handles on the double doors and pulled them open. I was thrust into an oasis of luxury instantly and I knew this wasn’t the type of attorney that chased ambulances for a living. The floors were white marble and the furniture consisted of plush white chairs and couches with fluffy white throw rugs and glass topped tables. Vases sat on the tables filled with fragrant fresh flowers and what looked to be original art work adorned the walls. I walked up towards the reception desk but before I made it there, Aiden stepped off of the elevator. As usual, he looked good enough to eat. This was going to be so hard.
“Hi, Holly. Is everything okay with your family?”
“It’s fine, thank you,” I lied.
“I’m glad to hear it. Thank you so much for coming down. My attorney’s office is on the third floor. Would you like to go up?”
“Yes, I’m ready,” I said. I really wasn’t. My insides were shaking and I was refusing to allow myself the thoughts that wanted to flood my psyche. The thought of giving up a child, the thought of walking away from Aiden after I spend the better part of a year with him, pregnant with his child…my stomach lurched as I tamped those thoughts back down. I need this. I can have a whole new life…
Aiden led me to the elevator, stepped in after me and pushed the button for the third floor. He could tell that I was nervous, or at least I guessed he could because he asked me, “Are you okay, Holly? You’re sure you want to do this?”
“I’m okay,” I lied again.
He still looked worried but he didn’t say anything else. He led me up to the attorney’s office. We passed a small reception desk and walked directly into a huge office that was decorated even nicer than the lobby. His attorney was a small man with a bald head and big round glasses.
“Miss Valentine, welcome!” he said, heartily shaking my hand. I tried to smile but I was feeling really sick to myself now and I had this horrifying urge to throw up.
I nodded and said, “Call me Holly, please.”
“Have a seat, can I get you a drink?” he asked, as Aiden pulled out one of the plush leather chairs around the big, heavy oak desk for me.
“Just some water, please,” I told him. I wasn’t even sure if I should drink that, I was feeling sicker by the minute. Aiden was looking at me like he was even more worried now. I must have been turning green or something.
“Holly, you’re really pale, I’m sorry to keep asking, but are you really okay?”
I thought about lying again, but I realized I couldn’t sit here and hide it any longer. The anxiety was crawling across my skin and I felt like I couldn’t sit still any longer.
“I might just need some air,” I told him.
Aiden looked at his attorney and said, “Can I take the papers with me? We’ll go let her get some air and maybe she’ll feel up to going over them later.”
“Yes, of course,” the attorney replied. He gave Aiden a folder and then looked at me and said, “I hope you feel better, Holly.”
I forced a smile and said, “Thank you, I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”
“You weren’t any trouble at all, feel better,” he replied.
Aiden took my arm and held onto me until we got outside. As soon as we hit the air, I gulped it. It was cool and fresh and it felt so good against my hot skin. After a few seconds Aiden said, “The color is coming back into your cheeks.”
“I feel better, thank you. I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize. I’m well aware that what I’m asking of you is unorthodox and can be anxiety provoking. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make this easier on you. Would you like to go home, or would you like to come to my apartment and still go over the contract? Whatever you need.”
I considered telling him I wanted to forget the whole thing and go home, but that was a very brief thought. I didn’t want him to drive me home right now. I knew that he was still worried and would insist on walking me in. I wasn’t ready for him to see the inside of where I lived. Finally thinking I really wanted to just get this over with, or on with, I suppose, I told him, “We can go to your apartment and take care of the contract.”
“Okay, good,” he said. He waved at his driver who I hadn’t even seen waiting out front. He pulled the limousine up and we got in, both of us lost in our own thoughts on the short drive to his apartment building. I slid out the door of the car and stood gaping at the building. I was trying not to, but it was at least thirty stories high and made mostly of glass and steel. I closed my mouth and followed Aiden to the door that was opened by a man in a nice coat with tails and a hat which he tipped at me.
“How are things today Mr. Scott?” he asked.
“Very well, Neil, thank you for asking. This is Miss Valentine. You’ll be seeing a lot more of her from now on.”
“It’s a pleasure Miss Valentine,” he said. I told him it was nice meeting him and took the arm that Aiden was holding out for me. He led me to the elevator and another man in a similar uniform pushed the up button and greeted us the same. Aiden and I rode up to the top floor. I wasn’t surprised now that I knew him, I would expect nothing less than the penthouse.
The doors of the elevator slid open into a warm, elegant looking hall and facing a dark wood door with a gold ‘P’ in the center. He unlocked it with a code on the door and we stepped inside to an open foyer surrounded by big, open windows that offered breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline. There were two giant Sego Palms in what looked to be very expensive pots, a nice corner table and a crystal chandelier. It was definitely understated, but very tasteful.
He led me into the sitting room. It was also very tastefully decorated. Here, there was art on the walls, and another huge window that looked out onto the other side of the city.
“Have a seat, Holly. Can I fix you a drink? I have a very nice white wine.”
My stomach was feeling a lot better. A glass of wine might help settle my nerves I thought. “Sure, that would be nice, thanks.” He went over to his gorgeous oak bar and opened a bottle of wine he took out of the little wine cooler. He poured us both a glass and brought them back to sit next to me. We made uncomfortable small talk through our first glass of wine, but by the second one, we were both ready to get down to business. Aiden pulled out the contract.
“Okay, the wording is simple, not to legal-easy for a lay person to understand, but I’m going to go over the finer points with you before you sign it just in case you have any questions, okay? I want to make sure you understand it all completely.”
“Okay,” I agreed.
“The first one is that while you’re carrying my child, you have to make sure that you eat right, sleep right, take your vitamins…follow all of the doctor’s orders, and just generally, overall make sure that you and the baby stay healthy.”
“That won’t be a problem. I generally do all that anyways,” I told him, honestly.
“Good, but just to be safe, because this is so important to me, I want you to live here until you conceive and throughout the pregnancy.”
“Here? Really?” I didn’t mean that to sound like an insult, but the look on my face told him that he may have taken it as such. “I’m sorry, I just…I guess I didn’t realize it would require us living together.”
“Of course, I’m sorry. I should have mentioned that earlier. Is that a deal breaker for you?”
I didn’t know how to tell him my concern. The thought of being with him every day thrilled me. The thought of living together for all of those months and being emotionally detached enough when it was over to walk away unscathed…I wasn’t sure I could do it. Then there was my mother. I suppose if I got her in rehab right away he wouldn’t be privy to too many of her antics.
“No,” I heard myself say without realizing I’d opened my mouth. “It’s not a deal-breaker. I was just a little caught off-guard. It’s not like I live anywhere that I’ll be sorry to get away from for a while.”
“Good, it’s just all about keeping you and the baby safe and well. You will, of course be paid very well by the week, and everything you need will be provided. I have a doctor already lined up. He is a highly recommended obstetrician and I will insist that you use him. He’ll insist on weekly pregnancy visits and I’ll expect you to be at each one.”
“I don’t have any argument with that. What about my job?”
“I would insist that you give that up for now as well. This will be your job, your full time priority.”
I liked Joe and I loved Rose and Myra, otherwise I was not in love with my job. “That’s not a problem,” I told him. “As long as I can give Joe a couple weeks’ notice.”
“Of course, that’s not a problem for me. Lastly, once the baby is born, you will be paid your lump sum that we discussed, and then you walk away. This baby is mine; I need to make sure that you fully understand that from the get-go.”
This was the hard part. It was one thing to talk about an imaginary pregnancy, but when we start talking about a part of me, my own flesh and blood, I start getting worried about being able to do this. I was determined though, I would make myself do this, I reminded myself how much I needed to do this and I said, “I understand.”
“That’s it then,” he slipped the two page contract out of the folder and handed it to me. While I read through it, he poured us another glass of wine. He sat back down and handed me the glass.
When I finished reading I asked, “Do you have a pen?” He took one from his pocket and handed it to me. I signed it and before the ink was dry I realized something - the contract didn’t state the method of conception and neither had Aiden. Uncomfortably I said, “I’m sorry, I did forget to ask one thing, how will I be getting pregnant?” That sounded really stupid to me as it came out of my mouth. I picked up my wine glass and downed what was left in it. Aiden was looking at me with those sexy dark eyes and I swear for at least a few seconds I saw a flicker of desire in them.
“We have two choices. You can see the doctor and be artificially inseminated, or you can choose the more mutually pleasurable option.” He grinned when he said that and ran his eyes from my face down to my neck and stared at it like he had biting it on his mind. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I sat my wine glass aside and said, “I’ll take option number two.” It was the wine talking, but in the next instant his mouth covered mine and I felt his warm tongue slip into my mouth and knew that there was no going back.
~
Chapter Nine
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