Phillip: Triplets (Members From Money Book 33)

by Katie Dowe

“They are also going to be required to sign documents not to disclose what we do.”

  Maura scribbled the details down. “When do you want this sent out?”

  “Immediately. The sooner the better.” He dismissed her with a nod.

  He waited until she had closed the doors behind her before he got up and went to the liquor cabinet in the corner of the room and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He sipped it contemplatively and stared out the window. By this time next year he should have his children!

  He recalled the conversation he had had with Walter a few weeks ago when they were sitting at one of the tables after playing tennis.

  “How does it feel?” he had asked the man curiously as they looked at the rolling lawns behind the tennis court.

  “What?”

  “Four children at the same time.”

  “Scary,” the man had laughed fondly. “I was not up for it when my wife suggested it but I do not regret it. They are a noisy bunch but they bring life to the place. I do not see myself without them now.”

  “Children are blessings.” He had murmured.

  “Yes, they are.”

  He finished his drink and went back to work.

  *****

  Allison ran her fingers through her long dark hair as she stood in front of the mirror in her tiny bathroom. She had just reached home from work and she felt drained. She had popped on over to see her father and was relieved that he looked so much better. She did not put much stock in her body. She had been so busy taking care of her dad when he got sick that she never had time for any sort of relationships. She went about doing her work and then came home to the small place where she had grown up and lived with her dad. Eventually and at some point she was going to have to think about a husband and children but not now. She piled her hair on top of her head and reached for the cream she rubbed on her skin. She took care of herself but did not spend a lot of time or money splurging on clothes. She did not go anywhere much anyway and spent most of her time at home when she was not working.

  “Baby girl you are going to have to go out there so that a good man can take notice of what a beautiful woman you are.” Her father had said to her several times.

  “I take care of old people dad,” she had reminded him. “I guess I feel more comfortable with them.”

  “I am going to want grandchildren at some point.” He had told her teasingly.

  “I am still young.” She had said with a laugh.

  “You are twenty-five honey. You are heading down the hill.”

  She had thrown a cushion at him. “Thanks so much.”

  She stepped into the bath and let the water close over her as she sank into the warm suds. She relished this time when she came home and as much as she missed her dad being home she liked the quiet. The neighborhood was safe and the neighbors looked out for one another so she had no fear of being alone. She had gone into her dad’s room and sat there on his bed as she looked around his neat room. He was as neat as a pin and even when he had been on his way to the hospital he had made sure that everything was in place. She closed her eyes and ran the sponge over her body. There had to be a way out of their situation and she was not going to stop hoping. “Maybe some rich client will die and leave me some money,” she whispered dreamily. “A million or two dollars will do the trick.”

  She laughed at that and slid down into the water allowing it to cover her and let her problems slide away for the moment.

  Chapter 2

  It was Daisy who showed her the strange ad. Allison had just handed her the morning medication after clearing away her breakfast stuff and clearing the table when she let out an exclamation.

  “You have to see this!” she cackled as she continued to read.

  “What? Another story about our President?” she asked dryly.

  “Better. Your money problems just went away,” she passed the paper to Allison. She scanned it with a slight frown and felt her heart skittered as she read the ad: ‘Billionaire seeking African American woman with multiple births in her background to bear children for him. Successful applicant will be highly compensated.” There was a number at the end of it.

  Allison read it again and pushed the paper aside. “Obviously a scam,” she said feeling the faint hope disappear.

  Daisy grabbed up the paper and read it again. “It does not sound like a scam.”

  “Come on Daisy! Which billionaire would be putting an ad out there in the papers? No matter how unattractive he is I am sure he has women falling all over him.” Allison said impatiently as she replaced the pills in their sections.

  “One who is very selective,” the woman’s watery blue eyes looked at the girl curiously. “You have triplets in your background and you need the money. This is a sign.”

  “A sign that the world is going crazy,” Allison said dryly. Her hands felt clammy as the thought entered her mind that it might be legitimate and she might be the one chosen.

  “Take the paper and if you change your mind make the call. What do you have to lose?”

  My dignity, hope and my pride, she thought grimly as she took the paper.

  *****

  “We managed to shrink the tumor Allison, but it is not enough. It is only a matter of time before he starts having those headaches again. Surgery is the answer.” Dr. Fairchild told her soberly. It had been two days since she had the paper in her pocketbook and still had not called.

  “He is coming home today?” she asked him.

  “We can do nothing more for him at this point. I have prescribed some pain killers for him but very soon they will be of no use to him.”

  Allison nodded. “I will make arrangements to have him picked up. I will be at work but my next door neighbor is available.”

  “I am sorry I cannot be of much more help my dear,” the doctor told her softly as he looked at her. She really was a very attractive woman!

  “You did your best,” she said with a faint smile as she got to her feet.

  “I will be seeing you.”

  Allison nodded and walked out of his office and out of the large hospital swiftly, her mind in a turmoil. She pulled open the door of her car and sat in the driver’s seat, her expression pensive. Then taking a deep breath she dug into her pocketbook and took out the paper. Before she could change her mind she dialed the number and a woman answered. “I am responding to the ad.” She said swiftly.

  “We already have more applicants than we know what to do.” She paused a little and then spoke again. “Give me your name and number and your particulars.”

  “Like what?”

  “Why are you interested in the ad?”

  Allison frowned at the question. “I need the money and my father was part of a triplet. I am also African American so I guess that makes me qualified.”

  “Your name?”

  “Allison Roberts. Do you want my social security number as well?” she asked a little caustically.

  “That won’t be necessary,” the woman said coolly. “I will send an email address to your number and you send a photo and a detailed description of yourself.”

  “Is that all?” Allison felt sick to her stomach and could not believe that she was entertaining this nonsense!

  “There is a weeding out process so we will let you know if you have been selected.”

  “I feel so honored,” she said sweetly as she hung up the phone. She put her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. Well at least I tried. I will send the email and then be done with it!

  ******

  Phillip sifted through the applicants. Maura had done a very good job in weeding out the ones who were anything but authentic. It was now down to three and he studied the pictures and read the bio several times. He put away one of the three, turned off by the fact that she had added that she hoped that this will turn out to be more than just her carrying his children. He studied the other two and was about to choose the laughing woman with dimples in her cheeks and a bio that shows how educated she was!
Masters and two degrees, one in biology and the other one in English Literature. He frowned thoughtfully and picked up the other one. She was not as obviously attractive as the one he had just looked at and she was not smiling in the picture but there was something about her. Her eyes were beautiful and dominated her small face. She appeared to be petite from her features. He read the bio she had sent a smile quirked his lips as he read the bottom. “In case this is some sort of a sick joke then shame on you. If it is not then I must say that this is very unusual but what the heck! I am game.” He looked at the photo again and this time more closely. The others had obviously gotten professionals to do their pictures and had made up themselves just for it but she; he glanced at the name: Allison Roberts had taken the picture herself or had someone take it for her. She was not wearing a stitch of make-up but a slight glimmer of lip gloss which had almost gone by the time she had taken the photo. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun with strands hanging down. She portrayed no artifice and looked as if she was saying to hell with it! He tapped the photo in his hand and stared off into space. He was going to have some sort of relationship with this woman before the children came and after because he had no intention of depriving them of their mother but that was it! He wanted the freedom to do as he pleased and not have anyone expecting anything of him. With a sudden decision he reached for the intercom and buzzed his secretary. “Maura please come in here.”

  *******

  “Dad what are you doing?” Allison hurried to put away the bag of groceries and went to unplug the vacuum cleaner. “You are supposed to be resting.”

  “I have been resting for more than a week now,” he grumbled as he ambled over to the chair she had bought for him some time ago. “I just thought I would help you out a little bit. You work and still come home to do housework and take care of me. You are going to wear yourself out.”

  “Let me worry about that,” Allison said firmly as she wrapped the blanket around his legs. “Okay we have rotisserie chicken I picked up. We could have that with some mashed potatoes and a salad or we could order in. What do you want?”

  “The chicken sounds good if it is not too much trouble.”

  “None at all.” She bent over and kissed him on the cheek. “How about some tea first?”

  “You are spoiling me.” He said softly as he watched her petite frame hurrying into the kitchen.

  “That’s what daughters are for. Hey Dad! How was it growing up as a part of a triplet?”

  He laughed at the question. “Funny you should ask that honey, I was just thinking about Agnes and Andy.” He said fondly. “It was amazing! Andy and I were identical as you know and Agnes was the odd one out. She came out first and never let us forget it. She bossed us around and we tolerated it because she was the only girl and we treated her like a princess. We did everything together and I remember our mother despairing that she would ever be a girl. She climbed trees with us, was even a better fisher than we were and would beat up anybody who looked at us wrong. It was an amazing experience.”

  She brought the tea to him. “I am sorry you have to be without them now,” she said softly.

  He reached out a free hand to take one of hers. “I have a lot of good memories to last me a life time baby girl.”

  ******

  She was getting ready for bed that night when she got the call. “Ms. Roberts?”

  “This is she.”

  “In regards to the ad in the papers last week I am calling to tell you that you have been selected.”

  Allison stood there with the sheet in one hand and the phone at her ear and stared in shock. “What?”

  “You have been selected. My employer will be sending a detailed contract in your email in the morning which I suggest you have a lawyer look over if you want. It is an ironclad contract and a non-disclosure added which means that you must not speak of this to anyone at all, including family. You will get half the amount as soon as you sign and the other half as soon as there is evidence of children.”

  “Wait! Wait!” she shook her head. “When do I get to meet this person?”

  “In due time. A meeting will be arranged for you. Good night Ms. Roberts and remember to check your mail.” She hung up before Allison could respond. She had been chosen! Allison sank weakly back onto the bed. She had put it away from her as soon as she had sent the email. It had been a week since she did and had not heard anything again. She was scared! What if he was a creepy old guy with age spots on his skin and wanted her to perform some weird sexual acts? She clapped her hands on her mouth. She had not thought of that! She started pacing her floor. She had not thought of that! She had gone ahead and answered the ad and sent her personal information along with her photo to maybe a damned pervert who was probably ejaculating all over it now! She was a virgin and should wait for the right man to come along and now she was involved in something so weird that she could not fathom it. Why did he choose her? She worried her full bottom lip as she stopped in the middle of the small room. Her photo was not even spectacular because it was one that her father had taken one afternoon when she had come home from work. She had not seen any good pictures of herself and had refused to dress up and take one just to send it to some man who was probably going to pass her over anyway. She was not that educated. She was a nurse’s aide who had not finished nursing school. She was smart but had not had the opportunity to finish because of her father’s health. What did he want with someone like her? “I guess I will find out soon enough,” she said with a shaky laugh.

  *******

  The contract was long and very specific. She would be expected to copulate with him on a regular basis until there were signs of pregnancy. If the period of one year passed and there were no signs of pregnancy then the contract would be null and void and both parties would have gone their separate ways. Allison stopped reading and stared at the clinical words. A medical checkup was mandatory to make sure that the applicant was healthy and could actually bear children. A background check had already been done on the applicant to ensure that there is no history of mental illness in the family. Allison bristled at that and continued reading. The sum of one million dollars — Allison stared at the amount in fascination and then read on her hands shaking in excitement. One million dollars will be transferred to her bank account on the signing of the contract and on confirmation of the multiple pregnancies there will be another million. On delivery of the children: if it is twins, then another two million dollars: triplets will be three million dollars. Allison could not believe what she was reading! She would be getting a total of five million dollars if she produced triplets! That would more than take care of her dad’s medical bills. He could have the operation now! She read the rest. All medical expenses will be taken care of and any other expenses. The applicant will be expected to stop working as soon as pregnancy was confirmed and given an allowance of ten thousand dollars for the month. She took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair. She had just come home from work and had gone swiftly to her lap top to see the email. Please sign as soon as possible to start the process. The press the print icon and the paper came out. She was going to have to sign and then scan and send it back. Her hands shook a little as she signed at the bottom. Now to send it back. She read it over and then started.

  *******

  Phillip read the contract and looked at the signature. He had his lawyers approved it before he asked Maura to send it off. The two men had been with the company since the beginning and were more his fathers than lawyers.

  “I have to ask Phillip. Why this approach?” Lincoln Arlington asked, his bushy eyebrows lifting as he finished reading the document that the young man had drawn up himself.

  “It’s cleaner and less complicated.” He had said with a shrug.

  “If the press gets wind of this then you will be regarded as a joke,” the other man, Martin Glass said bluntly.

  “That is why only a few people are seeing it. You two; my secretary and the applicant. I tr
ust all of you,” Phillip had said with a grim smile.

  “You know what you are doing?” Martin had asked him.

  “Don’t I always?” he had asked sardonically. “I just want you to read and approve and make a note of it.”

  They had nodded and did just that. They might discuss between them but he had every assurance that it would stay with them.

  He leaned back in his chair and stared at the large framed photo of Phillip Anderson the Second. The man had been a cold son of a bitch but a very astute business man. Phillip had not loved him but respected him for being able to turn any business situation into one of extreme profit. Apparently he had inherited that from his father and the fact that he barely had any tolerance for emotions that made him weak.

  He pressed the intercom. “Maura set up the meet.”

  ********

  “You have the money for the surgery?” Dr. Fairchild stared at the petite woman sitting on the edge of her seat. “Mind me asking how you accomplished that?”

  “My fairy godmother,” she said with a humorless smile. “It does not matter doctor. It just matters that my dad will now be able to have the surgery.”

  “What are you going to tell him?”

  Allison twisted her hands together. She had been trying to come up with that answer since the money had been transferred into her account and up until now could not come up with anything. “I will think of something. How soon?”

  The doctor looked at her for a moment and then checked his calendar. “We could do it a week from today which would make it May 5th. We will need him to come in two days before.”

  “How long after the surgery will he be required to stay?”

  “It depends on how long the surgery will take. I would say about a week.”

  She nodded. “Make the preparations. I have to go and tell my dad.”

  “My dear, this is good news. I hope you are not putting yourself into an untenable situation in getting the money.”

  You have no idea, she thought wryly.

  “I hope not.”

  *******