by BWWM Club
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.
Lateisha switched on the shower and stepped in, rubbing her eyes as she ducked her head under the hot water. The anxiety she had felt when she woke began to melt away and after twenty minutes she felt like she was awake and shut the shower off and stepped out. Towel drying her hair gently she stepped into the walk-in closet. Becky took the bigger room but Lateisha got the walk-in. It was a trade off. Now what should she wear to a doctor’s appointment in which she would be checked out like a piece of meat to make sure she was fit to carry someone’s baby? Lateisha snorted; her life right now resembled a bad Lifetime movie. Eventually she chose a fitted black t-shirt and dark skinny jeans, deciding it was not necessary to dress up for this part of the ‘job’. Running some frizz serum through her curls, Lateisha glanced in the mirror. She looked pretty good. Not that it mattered, this was a business deal.
Lateisha went downstairs and ate a quick breakfast; Lucky Charms and coffee, before realizing she still had two hours until it was time to leave. Sighing, Lateisha sat at the kitchen table with her laptop. Maybe it was time for a job search. She waded through all of the ads for nurses.
Part-time help at nursing home. No, she needed full-time to live.
Night shift at the hospital ER. Lateisha couldn’t stand being up all night.
RN wanted for private practice. She sat up straighter; that was a job she could do. Opening the ad she read it over and frowned. Minimum 3 year’s experience.
Fuck!
Discouraged, Lateisha closed the website and slammed her laptop. She was never going to find a good job. Running a hand through her hair she stood and glanced at the time on her phone; still over an hour and a half before the appointment. Anxiety began to grip her stomach, what if she didn’t get this surrogacy gig? Not being able to give Becky the rent money at the end of the month would be humiliating. Lateisha couldn’t do that to her, not after all Becky had done for her. Sighing with frustration, Lateisha stood and grabbed her purse. She needed to get out of the house a bit before this appointment to clear her head.
*****
Bryce ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. It was time for a haircut. He checked his watch again; Lateisha was now fifteen minutes late for the appointment. Maybe trusting her with something as important as carrying his baby was a bad idea.
“Sorry I’m late!” Lateisha said loudly as she flew into the waiting room, leaving a trail of coconut scent behind her.
Bryce felt a stirring in his chest, and somewhere farther south, at the smell of her but repressed it. He wasn’t so happy about her being late.
“What happened?” He asked rising.
“I got a flat tire. I left my house over an hour early to go get some Dunkin Donuts and my damn tire blew on the highway.” Lateisha said slightly out of breath.
Bryce wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not. “Did you manage to fix it?”
Lateisha shook her head. “Nope. I don’t have a spare. Well, that’s not true. I was riding on my spare and it blew out. My car is on the side of I-95. I had to call my friend Becky to pick me up. I felt even worse because she had to leave work in the middle of her shift.”
Bryce nodded, still not sure about her story. Seconds later a tall, slender, strawberry blond woman came through the door.
“Teish, call me when you’re done and I’ll bring you home.”
Lateisha shook her head vehemently, “I don’t want you missing more work for me. I’ll take the bus.” She waved the woman away dismissively.
“Fine, suit yourself.” The woman who must be Becky answered, shaking her head. “Call me if you need me.”
With that she turned and sauntered out of the building. Lateisha visibly relaxed, as if the disappearance of her friend gave her room to breathe. She looked at Bryce as if waiting for him to take the lead.
“The nurse will be back out in a moment,” Bryce told her, motioning for her to sit in the chair next to him.
“I’m so sorry,” Lateisha said hanging her head in her hands.
Bryce watched her. She seemed every bit the irresponsible college graduate but at the moment he knew he believed her, especially since she looked as if she was going to cry.
“Don’t worry about it. Car trouble is the worst,” Bryce said and she picked her head up and gave him a weak smile.
“Ms. Aaron, the doctor will see you now,” a tiny red-headed nurse said as she peeked her head out of the door leading to the exam rooms.
Lateisha stood, wiping her hands on her pants. Bryce watched her and wondered why she seemed so nervous. Without thinking, Bryce guided her with a hand to the small of her back. Lateisha turned and looked at him with a smile. Her smile took his breath away and he pulled his hand away quickly. This was a slippery slope and if he wanted this surrogacy thing to work he had to keep his distance. Sighing heavily, Bryce followed Lateisha into the exam room, wondering if maybe this wasn’t the right choice for him after all.
*****
Lateisha watched Bryce from the corner of her eye. He sat, his back ramrod straight, in the chair of the exam room. For a moment she was a bit confused as to why he came into the exam room with her, but the doctor assured her she would be clothed for the whole exam. They also wanted to take a bit of blood and a urine sample to make sure she wasn’t already pregnant. Lateisha almost laughed at the implication. You have to actually have sex to be pregnant and that was something she had not done in quite a while, despite the fact that she had just broken up with someone.
“Ready to get started?” The doctor asked, snapping Lateisha from her thoughts.
She nodded.
“Great! I’ll just do a physical of sorts and then have the nurse come in and take some blood.”
Ten minutes later, Lateisha was stepping into the bathroom with a little cup. After that was over the doctor told her it would take three days for her results and they would get back to her.
“I can assure you I am not pregnant,” Lateisha said laughing as she and Bryce walked out of the office.
He laughed, the sexiest sound she ever heard, “I believe you, but I would like to have all of the paperwork in order so there isn’t any issues with the lawyers later.”
Lateisha mulled that over for a minute. Did he suspect she would change her mind and try to take the baby from him? Before she could think further into it she decided to set him straight.
“Don’t worry. I don’t want children so there’s no fear that I will try to keep the baby,” she said, stopping at the curb to turn to him before moving on to the bus stop.
Bryce nodded again, his look pensive. He looked sexy when he was thinking. Lateisha wanted to smack the thought right out of her own head. She repeated the phrase, just a business deal, three times over in her head to clear any thoughts of a relationship with him before turning back to wave goodbye.
“I’m going to catch the bus now. I’ll be in touch once the doctor calls with my test results.” She turned to walk down the street to the nearest bus stop.
Bryce grabbed her arm, “Y
ou don’t have to take the bus. I can drop you at home if you’d like.”
Lateisha shook her head. “It’s alright. I’m used to taking the bus. My old Toyota has been in the shop a lot lately.”
Bryce frowned again but she waved off his worry. “I’ll be fine. Talk to you soon,” she shouted, practically running down the street before he could change her mind. Spending anymore time alone with him at this point would be a bad idea.
*****
Three days later, Lateisha received the call from the doctor’s office. She had a clean bill of health and was obviously not pregnant. Now all she had to do was call Bryce. With a rapidly beating heart, which she brushed off as nerves related to the surrogacy, Lateisha dialed the number on the business card he gave her.
“Mr. Henderson’s office.” Fuck. It was the snooty blond bitch of an assistant.
“Hi,” Lateisha began, ignoring the woman’s haughty tone, “May I speak to Mr. Henderson. Tell him it’s Lateisha Aaron.”
“And what may I tell him this is in reference to, Ms. Aaron?” She asked, saying Lateisha’s name as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.
Lateisha sighed. “He’ll know,” She said with irritation.
The woman made an unladylike harrumph, and put Lateisha on hold. Bitch, Lateisha thought, strumming her fingers on the kitchen table as she waited for Bryce to pick up the phone.
“Lateisha?” Bryce breathed into the phone and Lateisha gasped.
He said her name as if he had been waiting to hear from her for days; almost as if he missed her. No, who was she kidding. He was Mr. Prim and Proper Billionaire and she was a fast food employee with barely a dime to her name. The desperation she was detecting in his tone must have come from his want for a child.
“Yes. I heard from the doctor and all is good. I told them to fax you the reports so you could see for yourself.”
She heard Bryce release a breath. “Great. I’d like to meet with you tonight, if you aren’t busy, to sign the contracts. I can meet for dinner downtown if you are free.”
Nerves assailed Lateisha at the thought of dinner with Bryce. It wasn’t a date though, but a business dinner. Another wave of nerves assaulted her stomach when she realized she couldn’t possibly have anything appropriate to wear to a dinner with him. He would pick a fancy and expensive restaurant, she was sure of that. With little money to get her car fixed let alone go shopping, Lateisha was going to have to resort to borrowing something from Becky. She padded down the hall and knocked on the door gently. Becky was on night shift this week and even thought it was about two p.m., she was still asleep, especially since her shift didn’t start until six.