by Tia Siren
I thought about what he had asked, and I quickly realized all my relationships had ended because guys had cheated on me. Wow! Was there a reason for this? And was that reason… me?
“I think, with all of these doomed relationships, you have never found real love with anyone?” he asked in the same tone.
How do I explain Evan without giving the whole story? I mean he won’t understand? He’s just an ordinary man.
“I have. Actually, I was in high school. This guy was a couple of years older than me. I was a sophomore and he was a senior. A lot of people said it was only a crush, but I knew it was so much more than that. The problem was, he broke my heart. He ended things between us, and he never explained himself before he went off to college.” I couldn’t hide the sadness in my voice.
“It’s unfortunate when that happens,” he said sympathetically. “It can have a lasting effect on all your relationships from that point forward.”
“That’s very true, and that’s just how I feel. I’m not sure if it was this relationship that affected me so much. Or if all of my relationships after him were just destined for failure.”
“You would be surprised who is actually affected by this sort of situation. And there are more people in the world like this than you actually realize. That one relationship that failed for unknown reasons can affect the rest of your life.”
“Geez, I feel like I’m talking to a lonely-hearts club rather than applying to become pregnant,” I said with a giggle.
“Now, onto the next stage, Piper. Have you thought of a place to meet up so we can discuss the terms of the contract?” He was all business again.
“I have. Do you know Gardenia Tea Rooms and Café?”
“I do,” he said. “They make some tasty coffee, and the food is really healthy, as well.” Now he had an upbeat tone.
“How does one o’clock sound?” I asked excitedly.
“That’s perfect, and don’t forget, if you want to bring someone with you, you can. I have a reputation to maintain. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression of me.”
“I have a friend I'll be bringing with me,” I said.
“I look forward to meeting you shortly, then,” he said.
I ended the call with him and immediately dialed Jules’ number. No answer.
Come on Jules, answer your bleeping phone.
I tried a few times, and there was no reply. It appeared Jules was worse for wear after the party and had no intention of waking up this side of lunchtime. If I’d not received an answer in the next couple of hours, I would have no choice.
I would have to go alone.
Chapter 9
Evan
So much for getting the recommended amount of sleep last night. Fuck, that went well out the window. It had been a long time since I hadn’t been able to sleep well. Piper, geez, you can still do it to me after all this time. I’d spent ages trying the calculate the odds of Piper actually contacting me. It was unfathomable, and even the odds of bumping into her again were somewhere in the millions. But somehow, she had rolled back into my life.
A girl like Piper, I would have thought she’d have gotten married years ago. Fuck, she was a great girl and would have been a good catch for any man. She had been mine, and she should have remained mine, but I let her slip away.
I wasn’t sure if it was a second chance that I’d been given, but I would do my hardest to make sure this golden opportunity was not missed. I had gone to bed late after pondering over all of this, and then sleep still never came. I tossed and turned, and these thoughts had churned over in my mind all damned night.
Wakey, Wakey Evan…
I’d managed to grab a couple of hours sleep earlier, sometime around sunrise. Then I was up. I hit the gym and completed my half hour cardio blast. No matter how little sleep I had, the gym was necessary. Not only would it maintain my fitness, I had read exercise could also fight off tiredness. So a good workout would have my body firing on all cylinders.
I prepared myself. Piper would call this morning, and I would be ready. It was guaranteed.
The phone rang, “Hello there,” I said in a soft tone.
“Um, hello, this is Piper. You asked me to call. I got the email this morning.” I heard the nervous tone in her voice.
I’d run through the remaining questions with her, including her reasons for wanting to use my services and if she had been in any serious relationships. That had nothing to do with the process, I just wanted to find out if she had been serious with anyone since I had broken up with her.
She answered me honestly. She had no reason to lie. She had no idea who I was. I so wanted to tell her. I wanted to shout down the phone, “It's me, Evan. I have thought about you for the past ten years.” But that had a high possibility of scaring her away, and there would be no opportunity for a third chance.
I listened intently. All the memories flooded back. Her voice had not changed. There was the slight huskiness that still made me hard when I heard it. Damn, I had missed her.
Terribly…
We’d arranged to meet at one o’clock at the Gardenia Tea Rooms and Café. That was a good choice, they made great coffee, and their food was healthy.
I got dressed and headed out for my long overdue meeting with Piper. This meeting had been ten years in the making; I was excited and nervous. And what would she think once she knew it was me who was the baby maker?
I walked into Gardenia, ordered a green tea, and sat at one of the tables by the window. I had arrived early just so I could see Piper when she arrived. I glanced around the place and could see how they had made the room look fresh and inviting for customers.
Gardenia had mock vine leaves threaded over the ceiling and down the walls. The light-colored pine wood blended with the bright oranges and greens. And they had used all of it lovingly on the paintwork. The entire place screamed healthy living at you, and it worked. It seemed that the place was hugely popular for anyone wanting a snack or a meal that was highly nutritious.
I sipped on my tea, and my phone rang. I had thought the morning had started off a little too well. It was my “favorite” client, the one and only Susan “Wildcat” Reynolds.
“Good morning, Susan,” I said.
“I’m good, and I’m so excited for later,” she purred into the phone.
“Susan, I have to cancel today I’m afraid,” I said apprehensively.
“You can’t cancel on me,” she growled. “I just got out of the salon so I could be ready to see you. Oh, and I bought something sexy to wear for you.”
“I’m sorry Susan, but you will have to wait until I have finished this,” I told her.
“I have to see you,” she said sexily. “No, I need to see you. I’m horny, and I'll make it real special if you can see me.”
“It doesn’t matter, Susan. I’m away from the hotel suite at the moment. There is no way I can get back in time to make our appointment.” I rolled my eyes and stifled the sign building up in my chest. This woman was going to be the death of me. I needed to find a way to screen for crazies before letting them into my world.
“But, I'm all wet with excitement. I really want to feel you inside me.” She was trying too hard to sound sexy.
I had visions of Susan preparing herself for our meeting. God, she was a horny fucker like she said, and I imagined her finger-fucking herself before our scheduled session. The image flashed through my mind. I shook my head and tutted to myself.
“There is nothing I can do about it. It’s something personal. I’m not in a position to get out of it.” I lied through my teeth like I did so well.
“And you call yourself professional?” Susan yelled into the phone. “This just isn’t right, you stupid man! I mean you don’t just cancel a couple of hours before you’re supposed to perform. You should have at least let me know earlier.”
“I’m sorry, Susan. There was no way I could get out of it.”
“I don’t know why I came to you in the first pl
ace,” she snorted. “I should have known better.”
“Unfortunately, that’s the way it is,” I said.
“You fucking men are all the same. You’re more than happy to accommodate me and take my money. But when I want you, it’s you who makes me have to wait. Saying, ‘Susan, I have something else to do.’” She said the last bit in a mocking tone.
“Susan, I'll speak to you once I’ve finished this thing that I have to do,” I said. I hung up the phone and nearly switched it off.
I couldn’t really get into the conversation much. I sat in the middle of the tea room, waiting for Piper. The looks from the customers I’d already gotten were bad enough. If I’d raised my voice like I wanted to, that would have caused a much bigger scene.
Somewhere along the line, Susan had forgotten the rules of our agreement. She’d started treating me like a boyfriend or something. She’d just gone off on me like a lover who had just dumped her. I would have to speak to her properly at a later time and walk her through the rules of the contract again. I would have dropped her as a client altogether, but I’d guaranteed I would get her pregnant. I couldn’t get rid of her until that happened.
I placed the phone on the table, and it rang again. This time it was Tyler.
Fuck, I forgot I was going to the office.
I wasn’t going to answer it this time. I had mentioned that I would slow things down with the Baby Maker business, and here I was, more eager than ever to meet a new client. He wouldn’t understand, either. This was Piper I was dealing with. I would do anything, and yes, I mean anything, to see her again. Neither Tyler nor Susan Reynolds could stand in my way. They just didn’t have the hold over me that she had.
Both of them would be furious if they found out I had stood them up for the same reason. Piper, was my reason. I had made excuses to both of them with stories that were so far from the truth, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t miss the chance to see Piper again, not after all this time. The temptation was just too much. I was hooked again like I was, back when we were at school. As of right now, nothing else mattered.
The phone stopped ringing, and I looked up. In walked Piper. It seemed like only yesterday that I had seen her last. My heart skipped a few beats, and I sat there in total admiration of the way she’d turned out. She had been stunning in school, but now she was just something else.
Evan, just look how she turned out. You have missed all of this for the last ten years, you fool!
I noticed she had not brought anyone with her, and she was alone. Maybe her friend was running late, or it could actually be a person who was at the restaurant already. Fuck, would she be that unsure that she would become a weekend detective and have the joint staked out until I’d shown my face? Who knew?
Piper went to the counter and ordered her drink. She was sitting on the opposite side of the restaurant, and I sat and watched her for a few minutes. I did it just to see if she recognized me. I could see she was glancing around the restaurant, and it appeared she had either not recognized me or not seen me from where she was sitting.
Come on Evan, it’s now or never. At the end of the day, she wants to be a client.
I stood up from my table and slowly walked across the restaurant. I reached Piper’s table.
“Hello there,” I said gently.
Piper lifted her head and her blue eyes immediately locked onto mine. Her mouth opened in shock. She sat there amazed and unable to speak. She paused for a few moments and caught her breath.
“Evan, no way. God is that you? My god, look at you?” Her face beamed a perfect smile at me. She was beyond beautiful, everything I remembered her being. My heart and cock took turns stealing the blood from the rest of my body.
“It’s good to finally see you again,” I said, smiling. “You look fantastic.”
“I don’t believe it’s really you, my God. What brings you around here? You look so damned handsome, and if I may say so, a little wealthy.” She giggled, and the world seemed like a better place to life.
“You look damn good too.” I reached out to offer her a hug, wanting to feel her tits pressed against my chest. It’d been so fucking long since I’d wanted a woman beneath me that the thought left me a tad bit dizzy.
Piper stood up and threw her arms around me. She hugged me like we’d never been apart. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my chest.
“Who would believe it? Evan fucking Sherwood. It has been like since forever since we last saw each other. When you left for college, if I remember correctly.”
“Well, if you’re okay with it, maybe I could join you and maybe buy you a little lunch? I mean, it would be nice to catch up after all these years.” I gazed into her eyes.
“Evan, I would love to. I really would, but to be honest, I’m supposed to be meeting someone in a few moments.” She seemed slightly embarrassed.
“I understand. Maybe I’ll just sit for a moment until they arrive?” I lowered myself onto the bench seat.
Piper sat opposite me and smiled. I could see her eyes scour every millimeter of me. She shook her head and smiled.
“Evan, my God. If you had been this good looking at school…” she said.
“So, who are you waiting for? Anyone special?” She was going to gush on my looks, which wasn’t something I wanted to focus on. I wanted to know everything about her, and the hope was that she’d sign the contract for the baby and let me explore every inch of her. I’d take my time making a baby with her so I could taste her, touch her, fucking her long and deep for the next few months or more. The thought left my balls aching.
I started to reach into my pocket. I had known Piper for years, but actually saying I was the baby maker out loud was just beyond my limits.
“It’s just a person who asked me to meet them regarding a contract. But it seems they are late. I’m not sure if they are going to show.”
I slid my hand across the table and revealed my Baby Maker business card.
You have really gone and done it now. There is no turning back at all from this one.
Piper took the card and saw the close detail. She raised her head and eyed me in disbelief.
“The person you're waiting for is already here,” I said.
Fuck!
Chapter 10
Piper
My eyes were fixed on the business card. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. The Baby Maker company had sent me the one person who I would least expect to meet. God, and he’s the one person who broke my heart all those years ago, too.
It was ironic. I loved Evan, and all my relationships had failed because of him. Now that I was thinking of having a kid on my own, I ended up sitting opposite the person who had made me contact the baby maker in the first place. I felt so embarrassed.
“Evan, I don’t know how all this has happened, but if you’re uneasy about the situation now, I understand. So, if you want to pass up on it, that’s okay with me.”
Piper, could you have wished for a more complicated scenario?
“Why would I want to do that? I’m happy it was you that came to see me.” He gave me a warm smile. Was this shit really happening?
“Well, I was not expecting to meet anyone I knew. That puts a whole different slant on it. Um, and especially seeing how it’s you.”
Come on, stand your ground, and get your point out.
“And don’t forget,” I said in a slightly loud tone. “You’re the one who broke things off with me. I just stood there, all those years ago, with a broken heart and watched you sail off to college as if nothing had happened between us.”
Maybe he’s just using the baby maker front to find women for sex. Gosh, could Evan lower himself that far?
I thought about the situation so far. Sitting across from me was the man who broke my heart. The one who just happened to be one of the best-looking guys I’d ever seen. He broke my heart and rode off into the sunset, so to speak. Now he was here and was either just going to use me for sex, or he did, in fa
ct, work for this baby maker company. Wow… and life has played a cruel trick on me.
The kid I so very badly wanted as a single parent would come from the person who I wanted to have children with in the first place. I never could have imagined things would turn out this way. Not in a million years. And I wasn’t sure if I could go through with it now. This situation wasn’t at all healthy. Not for us anyway.
Anything is possible, and this has now well and truly blown out of context and proportion.
“Piper, all those years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting you go. At the time, it seemed that I was doing the right thing. After a while, I realized it had been a huge mistake. But by that time, my world had crumbled and turned completely upside down. My father died. And my conniving uncle tried to drag me through the courts to get his greedy little hands on Dad’s inheritance.”
“That sounds like a bad time, but you could have come back for me. I mean, there was no stopping you coming back to me.” I could feel my defenses rising up. Everything inside of me screamed for me to get my ass up off the seat and run for the door, but no. I was a big girl. I could get through this shit. I had to.
“I wanted to, but I stayed away. Piper, I assumed you had moved on and gotten married. I knew how guys thought about you. You were that dream girl that every man wanted.” His head bowed.
Is he showing remorse or is it still a trick?
“Where is your friend anyway?” he asked.
“Things changed. I came by myself in the end.” I smiled, embarrassed.
You can blame Jules. She’s probably still nursing a hangover.
“Jesus, Piper, you know how stupid that is? You’re here to meet a complete stranger. Shit, and you turn up alone?” His expression tightened, and I could almost feel the concern rolling off of him. I had to stop myself from leaning into it.
I shook my head. Did he just scold me for arriving alone? The guy who is out looking to put babies in complete strangers is giving me crap for showing up alone? He lured me here under false pretenses, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it now.