by Katie Dowe
Bryce clicked the icon for his inbox, indicating he had three new messages. Two were business related and he opened those and responded accordingly. The last one made his heart speed up; someone had answered his ad. Opening his email, Bryce wiped his now sweating palms on the legs of his navy designer suit pants. This was it.
Hi Mr. Henderson.
I am a twenty-one year old, college graduate and I’m interested in your offer for a surrogate. I don’t smoke, and I have a clean bill of health. I was wondering if we could meet to discuss the conditions. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Lateisha Aaron
Springing into action, Bryce responded, letting the woman know that he would like to interview her the next day at three-thirty to see if she was a fit for the surrogacy. This could be it, his chance to have a child.
*****
Lateisha adjusted her blouse nervously. She wasn’t used to wearing dress clothes and the silky blouse and black slacks felt uncomfortable and stiff against her skin. Glancing in the mirror of the bathroom in the Henderson Building, Lateisha checked her teeth for remnants of Lucky Charms and smoothed her clothes once more with anxiety. Satisfied that she looked presentable, Lateisha exited the bathroom, checking the large board in the lobby for the office number and floor of Mr. Bryce Henderson. Not able to find it she headed to the information desk in the far corner, her black heels clicking on the marble tiles as she went.
“Can I help you?” A slender woman with dark hair asked, her head turning slightly sideways like a puppy as she talked.
Lateisha reigned in a laugh, clearing her throat before she spoke. “I’m wondering which floor to find Mr. Henderson?” She asked, self consciously tugging on her blouse again. Why were dress clothes so stuffy?
“And you are?” She asked, her voice trailing off.
Lateisha sighed. “Lateisha Aaron,” She answered with irritation. What was she, his personal body guard?
“Oh! Mr. Henderson is expecting you. Take the elevator all the way to the top floor. The assistant up there will help you.”
Lateisha nodded, mumbling her thanks as she clicked her way to the elevator which was on the other side of the lobby. Looking around at the lobby as she waited for the elevator car to reach her proved interesting. The lobby was fairly empty save for the woman at the information desk, the security guard by the door and the odd employee moving from here to there. The space was relatively large and impressively decorated; from the marble floors to the light cream walls. Lateisha even noticed several paintings that looked to be for sale hanging on the walls. The doors to the elevator slid open and Lateisha entered. When the doors to the elevator closed Lateisha sagged against the wall. Her feet were already protesting their confinement in the pointy toed pumps and she ached to slip them off and rub her arches. Unfortunately for her the ride to the top was rather quick, leaving her slightly queasy with the feeling of vertigo, so taking her shoes off was not an option.
Lateisha stepped from the elevator and looked around. The same color scheme and marble floors decorated the sixteenth floor. Everything screamed of wealth. Lateisha felt even more uncomfortable in her polyester dress clothes and tugged at her shirt once more. Taking a deep breath she started towards the double glass doors at the end of the hall where the elevators were located. Through the door she could see a woman with short blond hair and severe cheekbones behind a large desk. A tug at the doors indicated that they were locked. Feeling foolish, Lateisha stood there and waited for the blond woman to look up. Finally catching her eye, Lateisha motioned to the doors with her hand. A click sounded indicating the doors were unlocked and she pulled the door open and walked in. Why the woman couldn’t have done that the second she saw her step off the elevator was a mystery. She must be on a power trip, Lateisha thought with a snort.
“Can I help you?” Ms. Power Trip asked.
“I’m looking for Mr. Henderson, he’s expecting me,” Lateisha said trying to hold back the rude remark on the tip of her tongue. Of course Ms. Power Trip knew she was supposed to be there, the woman in the lobby called up.
“Right, and you are?” Power Trip asked with a note of condescension.
Lateisha frowned, biting back the comment for a second time. She needed this money and didn’t want to jeopardize it because of some bitchy receptionist.
“Lateisha Aaron. I told this all to the woman down…”
The blonde bitch held up her finger at Lateisha like she was a child, “Yes. Well take a seat he will be right with you.”
Lateisha took a deep breath and cursed under her breath. This was bullshit and she didn’t have time for snooty, rich assholes. On the verge of leaving she turned towards the glass double doors, poised to grip the handle.
“Lateisha?” A man said, the hint of a British accent just under the surface of his deep voice.
Lateisha turned, her face distorting with surprise at the person attached to the voice. That was Mr. Henderson? He was at least six-foot-two, with light brown hair grazing his forehead, hazel eyes and the looks of a GQ model. Momentarily frozen in place by the revelation that Mr. Henderson was not a sixty-five year old man, Lateisha stood in front of the doors, her jaw practically touching the floor. Why did she think he was an old guy? Maybe she was thinking that because what kind of hot guy in his twenties would want to have a baby by surrogate?
Finding her voice, finally, Lateisha spoke up, “Hi Mr. Henderson, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lateisha stepped up and offered her hand.
“Please, call me Bryce,” He said, shaking her hand with a tight grip. “Please come with me,” He added, turning and starting down a short hall and into another doorway.
Lateisha followed, her anxiety temporarily dissipating as she watched his tight ass bunch underneath his designer suit as he walked. Heat flooded her body and she thought she must be going insane. This situation was strange enough and now she was picturing the man whose child she was planning on carrying naked. Shaking her head in disgust at herself, Lateisha walked into the impeccably decorated office and planted her ass in one of two chairs sitting in front of his desk.
“I’m so glad you responded to my ad,” Bryce said, collecting forms on his large desk into a pile. “Tell me a bit about yourself.”
Lateisha swallowed with anxiety. Here goes nothing, she thought.
*****
Bryce watched the woman fidget in her seat. She was young, at least several years younger than he was, but her deep brown eyes captivated him. He wasn’t sure what it was about her; she wasn’t model gorgeous, but she had a light about her that made him feel drawn to her. Bryce sat for a moment and stared at her as she smoothed her hands down her white blouse. The contrast of her caramel colored skin and the color of the blouse were stunning. Realizing that he was staring, Bryce shook his head to get the distraction of his attraction to her to dissipate. This was business, that’s all.
Clearing her throat she began to talk, “I’m twenty-one, and I recently graduated college with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.”
“What hospital do you work for?” Bryce asked, his pen poised above a note pad ready to write everything down.
“I, uh, I don’t work for a hospital,” Lateisha mumbled, her voice lowering.
“Oh, nursing home then?”
“No, I’m not actually practicing right now. I work at McDonald’s until I find something that fits my needs,” Her chin jutted out stubbornly as she added the last part as if she were waiting for Bryce to judge her.
He hid a smirk, she sure was a spit fire, “Okay then. How many hours a week do you work?”
Lateisha answered his question, along with several others and Bryce was relatively satisfied with her answers. Sure she didn’t make a lot of money or live in a large place but he was going to be covering her living and medical expensive while pregnant so that wasn’t a problem. She talked extensively about how healthy her family was and even had a living great-grandmot
her who was close to one hundred years old. The only thing that troubled him was the fast food restaurant. Bryce silently wondered if she ate a lot of the crap they sell at that place. Keeping his baby healthy was important and he didn’t think consuming massive amounts of junk food while pregnant would achieve that. Lateisha was also quite directionless when it came to work and her future and she seemed quite happy to keep working at the fast food restaurant for the duration. Not that it was any of his business but he wasn’t sure if that would carry over to the way she took care of herself while she was carrying his child.
“Before we agree to anything,” Bryce added, “I’d like for you to get a physical by my doctor just to determine if you are healthy enough to carry a baby and there are no underlying medical issues that will cause an issue with a pregnancy. After that we will meet again and sign all of the paperwork, depending on the results.”
Lateisha nodded. “Okay sounds good,” She said standing and adjusting her black slacks.
They shook hands again and Bryce handed her his business card. “If you have any other questions for me, don’t hesitate to email or call.”
Bryce silently hoped she would check out and he would finally be able to become a dad.
*****
Lateisha started out of the office and Bryce followed behind. She turned with confusion, opening her mouth to say something and then closing it. Being polite and proper seemed important to him and she needed that thirty-thousand.
“I’ll walk you to the lobby if you don’t mind? I have a dinner meeting anyway.” He said.
That was when she realized he was carrying his briefcase and had shrugged into his suit jacket. When did he do that?
“Sure. I don’t mind,” Lateisha replied, standing taller and trying not to fidget with her uncomfortable dress clothing.
They filed into the elevator and Lateisha pressed against the wall on the right side. Instead of moving further away, Bryce stood next to her, his arm brushing her shoulder. Lateisha ignored the feeling of electricity that shot through her at the contact. Bryce Henderson was not the type of guy she usually went for. He was too buttoned up and proper. Besides, this was a business deal and she didn’t want to complicate it with sex or whatever it was she felt for him. Lateisha broke the contact, leaning further into the wall of the elevator. Bryce shifted a bit to the left, seeming to need the distance as much as she did. Lateisha didn’t risk looking at him, afraid of what he would say or do. The elevator reached the lobby and they both went for the doors at the same time, their bodies brushing against one another again.
“Sorry,” Lateisha muttered, stepping back to let Bryce go through.
“Ladies first,” he said, and Lateisha couldn’t help the flutter her stomach gave at his accent and the way his hand rested on the small of her back, leading her from the elevator.
Get yourself together, Lateisha thought mentally kicking herself. She was going to ruin her chances with this surrogacy and the money she desperately needed. She could barely make ends meet as it was with the job at McDonald’s and her job prospects were pretty much non-existent; not that she was looking all that hard. Lateisha sighed and started towards the door, overly aware that Bryce was behind her as she exited the double doors to the sidewalk.
“Well, I’ll be in touch about the doctor’s appointment,” Bryce said, gesturing to the town car in front of him as if that was his ride.
“Right, just let me know,” Lateisha answered, more flustered than she wanted to be.
Bryce waved and then slid into the car. Lateisha turned to walk the opposite way down the street. A horn beeped and she jumped. The town car was stopped at the curb right next to her. Bryce rolled down the deeply tinted windows, his face slowly coming into view.
Lateisha almost laughed at the absurdity. She felt like she was Carrie in Sex and the City and he was Mr. Big.
“Can I help you?” She smirked, propping her hand on her hip.
Bryce chuckled and Lateisha’s heart flip flopped. It was the sexiest sound she ever heard.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to ask if you needed a ride. After I got in the car I realized how rude it was to just leave you standing on the sidewalk.” Bryce said, gesturing for her to get in the car as he slid across the seat to the opposite side.
“I’m headed downtown to work,” Lateisha said with embarrassment. The last thing she wanted was for him to take her to her job at the fast food place.
“That’s not too far out of my way. Hop in, I’ll take you.” Bryce insisted, pushing the door opened and scooting back to the other side.
Lateisha sighed; she didn’t feel like arguing. She gripped the door and pulled it open, sliding onto the leather seats and clutching her purse to her stomach. Glancing at Bryce, Lateisha’s stomach flipped with nerves. He turned and smiled at her waiting for her to give him directions to her job. She rattled it off from memory and sat back against the leather seats. Lateisha never felt this flustered or confused about anything. How would she get through nine months with him if she could barely manage a car ride down town?
By the time they reached Lateisha’s job her stomach was a mess of jitters. They rode the seven blocks in silence, and Lateisha wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“This is it,” She said pointing, reaching for the door handle before the car even stopped.
She needed some air.
“I’ll be in touch about the appointment,” Bryce said, flashing his thousand watt smile again. Lateisha melted on the inside but tried to fight it.
“Of course. Talk to you soon,” She replied stepping from the car quickly.
Lateisha didn’t look back; afraid she would see disgust in his eyes.
Chapter 2
Lateisha wiped a greasy gloved hand over her forehead. The kitchen felt like a furnace tonight and her shift was still three hours from being over. She scooped the fries into a cardboard basket and dropped them into a bag. Next went the burger, so greasy it was seeping through the paper. Grimacing with disgust, Lateisha knew she would never eat McDonald’s again. But she could sure go for some Taco Bell right about now. Her stomach grumbled with hunger and she glanced at the clock for the fifteenth time in a half hour. Still three hours left. Frowning with frustration, Lateisha snatched the bag from the stainless steel counter and brought it to the pickup window. She smiled when the woman handed her the money and passed her the bag; it wasn’t the customer’s fault she wasn’t happy with her job.
For the next hour, Lateisha worked hard, wishing for a moment to relax and regretting taking someone else’s shift at the last minute. That meant four hours of extra work. Stifling a yawn, Lateisha spoke into the head set.
“Can I help you?” She asked for the two hundredth time that day.
“Uh, yes, I’d like a number three,” The man said. The voice sounded awfully familiar.
“What kind of drink?” Lateisha asked from memory. She focused on putting the order into the computer as the man spoke, the familiarity of his voice causing her mind to spin. Who was it?
“I’ll just have a Coke,” He answered, the pronunciation of the sentence proper and almost British.
Lateisha froze mid type. It was him; Bryce. Despite her best efforts, Lateisha was mortified.
“Pull around please,” She said, wishing to disappear.
A last frantic look around in an effort to find someone to take over the window was met with shrugs and shaking heads.
Dammit!
She did not want Bryce to see her like this. Sure he knew she worked at a fast food restaurant but that didn’t mean he had to see it close up; the hair net and silly hat specifically. Lateisha shuddered as she gathered the food and placed it into a bag. Pushing the window open she looked down at Bryce, his smiling face looking up at her from the Town Car. She resisted the urge to pat the hair net, not wanting to draw attention to it.
“Hello,” he said, the hint of British accent making
it sound like hallo.
“Hi,” Lateisha said with chagrin, her hand reaching up to the hat; so much for not drawing attention to it.
Bryce’s eyes followed the movements of her hand and Lateisha stifled a cringe. Quickly removing her hand, Lateisha handed him the bag. Bryce passed her a few bills and she made change.
“I’m sorry to drop in on you unannounced. I just wanted to see you.”
Lateisha frowned. “What?”
“Where you work I mean,” he added quickly, a strange look passing over his face. Before Lateisha could identify it, the look was gone.
“Right. Well this is it. Lovely isn’t it?” Lateisha joked, waving her hand around like she was showing him a mansion.
Bryce chuckled and Lateisha ignored the flutter in her stomach. This was so wrong on many levels.
“That it is,” Bryce answered, looking at her oddly. He shook his head and his face changed, as if remembering something. Or remembering how he knew her maybe. “I spoke to the doctor. I’ve made an appointment for you tomorrow at ten if that’s alright?”
Lateisha nodded, “I don’t work until four so that’s fine. Why didn’t you just call?”
“I did. But when you didn’t answer I figured I’d tell you in person. I also wanted to see why everyone was ‘lovin’ McDonald’s,” he said with a smirk.
Lateisha laughed. “Well enjoy.”
“I will,” Bryce answered, taking an exaggerated bite of his burger.
He waved and the Town Car drove away. His absence left Lateisha feeling empty and she didn’t like it one bit.
*****
The next morning Lateisha woke up early. The unexplained anxiety at the appointment today made her unable to sleep. Normally she was a ‘sleep till ten’ kind of girl but today she was up at six. Rubbing her sleep encrusted eyes, Lateisha climbed from bed after tossing and turning for an hour. She needed a shower and coffee, in that order. Stumbling to the shower, Lateisha snagged a towel from the linen closet and moved down the tiny hall to the bathroom she shared with her friend Becky in their two bedroom apartment. Lucky for her, Becky was already at work and she didn’t have to explain why she was up so early when she didn’t work until four.