by Hazel Parker
Kelly had to laugh. If only it were that simple. Hell, if it were that simple she may never have tried college at all.
The bus headed back to Knoxville. The two girls fell silent. Beth put in her earbuds and settled back into the bus seat. Kelly knew that she would fall asleep. While it was not a bad idea, Kelly was too nervous to sleep. Instead, she grabbed a magazine that someone had left in the pocket of the seat back in front of her. Kelly began flipping through it. She was about halfway through when she stumbled across the advertisement.
It was a neatly placed ad in the center of the magazine, in a spread about children and families. Kelly realized that it was an ad for surrogacy. That was something that she did not know much about. She read further.
Well-established couple seeking healthy, young woman to help us add to our family.
While we may seem to have everything, a baby is the one thing that we are lacking. Won’t you help us in completing our family?
All expenses paid.
Kelly’s eyes lit up. She could do that! She could have a baby for a couple! If she got pregnant in the next few months, she could have the baby around the time the next term ended. She had never gone home for breaks during the year, so her mother would never have to know.
Kelly slipped the magazine into her bag. Yes, this was the answer to all of her problems.
Chapter 2
Grant Stone was excited to get the call about a possible surrogate. He was not particularly excited because he was dying to be a father, but because it would shut Monica up.
Having a baby was all that Monica Stone had talked about for the last few years. They had been married for five years, and Grant was fairly certain that it had been Monica’s number one goal.
Monica had turned thirty just two months after him. She was beautiful, in a cold way. Her hair was long and dark, her eyes bright blue. Her talents included spending his money, and talking to him about ways that he could spend his money.
Grant had made his money very quickly. The investment group that he owned had taken off, and soon he was young with more money than he had ever considered. Magazines lauded him as one of the hottest thirty and under in Knoxville. He suspected that was how Monica had found him.
She had come up to him at a cocktail party. She was wearing an expensive, red dress that was too short and too low cut. While he knew that she probably was not the best woman he could have met, his body was more than interested. Pretty soon, she was on his arm at corporate events, and in his bed after them.
Grant’s parents thought that he should have a good woman with him. They had been married for thirty-two years. His father was a businessman, and knew what it was like to have a woman standing beside him. So Grant had done the right thing: he had gone out and bought an engagement band. Monica had not hesitated in saying yes.
After they had gotten married, Monica had started whispering about a baby. The whispers grew louder, and soon Monica was showing him nursery designs and stockpiling tiny clothes. He knew that he was now going to give her both his money and his sperm. He had never felt that she really loved him; it was all about what he could do for her.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, pregnancy had not taken. Monica was getting frustrated. Grant told himself that he loved her, and that he wanted to give her everything that she wanted. Sometimes, it was a Chanel purse. Other times, it was her dream baby. He would give it to her.
Monica had been thrilled to find out that someone wanted to give them a baby. She had undergone all of the tests to find out why she couldn’t conceive. The doctors told her that her uterus just would not take a pregnancy, and that their best choices were adoption or a surrogate. Monica did not want to risk the possibility of biological parents coming to take back a child, so she had insisted on a surrogate. Grant had complied.
They were currently seated in a Knoxville Irish pub and restaurant. Monica was fidgeting, waiting impatiently for the candidate to arrive.
“Would you calm down?” Grant muttered through his teeth. Monica turned to him, giving him a harsh glare.
“Well, forgive me for being nervous about meeting the potential carrier of our child. You know, you could express a little interest yourself.”
“I am expressing interest!” Grant stopped talking when he saw a blonde woman enter the doorway. Her hair fell in thick, silky waves around her shoulders. Her eyes were bright blue. She looked so incredibly sweet. He wondered if this was just the woman that they were waiting for—at least he hoped that it was.
Kelly looked across the room. Immediately, her eyes locked on a couple seated beside one another at a side booth. The woman was wearing an expensive dress and had an even more expensive trench coat hanging on a hook beside the booth. The man wore a sport coat over a blue button down shirt that had the first two buttons open. His hair was a deep brown. He wore it long and combed back on his head. His face was tinged with a hint of facial hair.
Was this the couple that she was here to see? She realized awkwardly that she was staring, so she made her way over to the table.
“Um, hi. Mr. and Mrs. Stone?” The woman was on her feet immediately.
“I’m Monica Stone.” She held out her hand. Kelly took it, shaking. The woman gave her a friendly smile. “And this is my husband, Grant.”
Kelly was embarrassed at how much that she had been staring at the man. He stood up to join his wife, taking Kelly’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Kelly.”
“Um, you too, Mr. Stone.” Kelly pulled her hand back too quickly.
“Please, call me Grant.” He sat back down in the booth.
“And I’m Monica.” She sat down beside her husband. Kelly sat down across from them. They were a really nice looking couple. She hoped that they were as nice as they looked.
“Can we get you a drink?” Grant motioned to a waitress.
“Um, yes, please.” Kelly rubbed her palms on her jeans to calm her nerves. She ordered a beer. Grant ordered himself a whiskey, and Monica a martini.
“So,” Grant broke the ice, “what do you do?”
“I’m a student,” Kelly told him. “At University of Tennessee.”
“What’s your major?” Monica asked.
“Marketing,” Kelly answered. “With a minor in history.”
“History?” Grant looked interested. Kelly nodded.
“I just like history,” she gave him a small smile. “I always have. I think that it’s interesting.” Grant nodded.
“I always liked history too.” He noticed that Monica was staring at him. “Right. You’re probably wondering a little about us.”
“I am,” Kelly answered honestly. “What do you do?”
“I run my own investment corporation,” Grant explained. Kelly was instantly impressed.
“That’s really cool.” Grant nodded.
“It is. I’ve been very successful. That’s what allows us to be in the position to hire a surrogate.” Kelly nodded at his words, sipping quietly on her beer.
“Do you work?” she turned to Monica. From the corner of one eye, she thought she saw a look of amusement pass over Grant’s face, but then it was gone. The woman in front of her laughed.
“Heavens no. But that doesn’t mean I’m at home all day with nothing to do. I keep very focused on the charity scene.”
“Monica is very good at organizing various events for a multitude of charities,” Grant explained to Kelly. “It takes up a good portion of her time.”
“I’ll bet!” Kelly thought that sounded interesting—terribly cliché in their social scene, but interesting nonetheless.
“Do you drink regularly?” Monica nodded to the beer. “As in, parties? The bar scene?”
“I do go out,” Kelly admitted. “But I fully understand the risks of drinking while pregnant. I promise, I would never put your baby at risk.”
“Well that’s what I like to hear.” She smiled. “What about smoking?” Kelly made a face.
“Not at all. I never touc
h cigarettes. And I don’t go out with people who do, so there would be no second hand smoke.”
“Good.” Monica Stone looked pleased. “Now, I know that college is a very stressful time. I’m not certain that an all-nighter is a good thing for a pregnant woman.”
“Oh no!” Kelly answered immediately. “I don’t do those now, I certainly wouldn’t while I was pregnant.”
“Good.” Monica looked momentarily satisfied. “We’d cover everything of course.”
“Everything?” Kelly echoed. Both nodded simultaneously.
“All the medical expenses obviously,” Monica rattled on. “Plus anything else that you would need: clothing, food, vitamins. Plus, if you’d need transportation to an appointment, or any special accommodations, we’d handle all of that.”
“Plus there’s a little extra, because this is a big impact on your life.” Grant gave her a smile that almost seemed to be apologetic. Kelly smiled at him. “You’d be doing us a huge favor, after all.”
“I appreciate that,” she told him. “I like the idea of going into this and knowing that I wouldn’t be alone.”
Actually, the offer of a little extra was more than generous. She had read that they were not really obligated to do much more for her. But she really could bring in money on this!
“Can we tell you anything else?” Monica pressed gently. Kelly tried to wrack her brain for what little she knew about surrogacy.
“Um…so do you guys have, like, eggs set aside? Or would you need one of mine?” That was a big concern for her.
“Actually, we have some embryos already frozen,” Monica assured her. “So we’re really just waiting for the right woman to carry them for us.” Kelly felt momentarily relieved. She did not really want to become a mother like this. She was saving that for when she was married.
“That’s really cool.” Kelly smiled genuinely. “Is it too personal to ask why?”
“Absolutely not,” Grant stepped in. “You have every right to know.”
“He’s right,” Monica agreed. “You see, Grant and I have really tried to conceive over the years. But it just never takes. There is just something wrong with my body that doesn’t make pregnancy possible.”
“I’m sorry,” Kelly told her sympathetically. And she was. That must have been a hard thing to accept for any woman.
“Thank you.” Monica sighed. “But hopefully, that’s where you come in. Now you understand, it wouldn’t be your child. Biologically, it would be ours. You would just be carrying it.”
“Oh, I know!” Kelly had watched enough episodes of Friends to understand that concept. “Believe me, I would never try to interfere either. I just want to see you all happy.”
She did not want to consider how big a part the money played in her motivation. She was able to help them build a family—a huge gift for any couple. But the money was a huge benefit.
“Thank you.” Grant looked over at Monica. “I know today is a little rushed, so after we finish up here you can take all of the time that you need to think it over.”
“Oh! One more thing.” The thought had suddenly hit her. “You wouldn’t tell anyone about this, would you?”
When the couple stared at her, Kelly felt the need to elaborate.
“See, I’m just…I really don’t want my mom to know.” She did not need to tell them why she wanted to do this, but she felt that it was fair to say she did not want her mother to know. Besides, she had already said that she was a college student. Surely they could figure out why she wanted to do this.
“Oh no!” Monica exclaimed. “If you don’t want anyone to know, we won’t tell. For that matter, all of our friends only need to know that we are having a baby through a surrogate. They don’t need to know anything else.”
“Good.” Kelly felt a surge of relief flush through her.
“Yes.” Grant gave her another smile. He was so good looking. “So think it over. Take your time and—”
“That’s ok!” Kelly smiled brightly. “I don’t need to think it over. I’m in, if you’ll have me, that is.”
Grant and Monica looked at one another. Neither of them had to speak; their looks said it all. They were both surprised that she did not even want to take a night and consider what they were asking of her.
“Are you sure?” Monica asked gently. “This is a big step.”
“I am one hundred percent positive.” Kelly smiled harder. “I would be honored to be a surrogate for your baby.”
Monica looked at Grant and smiled. Grant knew exactly what she was thinking: this was their girl.
Chapter 3
The following Monday, Kelly arrived at the University of Tennessee Medical Center at nine. She and the Stones had an appointment to meet with the doctor who would do the implantation procedure. Kelly was a bit nervous, but she reminded herself that nothing was actually happening today. She could save being nervous for the day of the actual procedure.
Pushing open the door to the fertility clinic, she found Grant sitting in a chair along the wall. She smiled, giving him a quick wave as she signed in.
“Hi,” she said down beside him.
“Hi yourself.” Grant closed his phone, slipping it into his shirt pocket.
“Is Monica on her way?” Kelly looked around the room. She thought that she noticed Grant’s mouth tighten, but she ignored it.
“Actually, she’s not coming. She has a meeting for one of the charities that she heads.”
“Oh.” It seemed very odd to her. What woman would not want to be present to discuss the conception of her child? Grant must have picked up on her confusion, because he shrugged.
“Sorry, it was just one of those things that she couldn’t do anything about,” he offered it as if that solved everything.
“No, no, I get it,” Kelly answered hurriedly. She did not want him thinking that she was going to sit here and criticize him—or his wife.
“So, college,” Grant tried to lighten the mood by switching the topic.
“Yep, college.” Kelly looked him all over. He really was such a handsome man. She had to stop thinking like that. “Did you go?”
She immediately cursed herself for being so stupid. Obviously he had gone to college. How else could he have been as successful as he was now?
“To college? Oh, yeah.” Grant nodded. “I went to Stanford.”
“Good school,” Kelly mused.
“Yes, it is,” Grant agreed. “Are you in a sorority?”
“No. I never spent the money on joining.” It felt weird to be sitting here discussing money with him. One, because he had so much of it himself, and two, because she was about to take his money to have his baby.
“Ah.”
“Were you in one?” Kelly tried to keep the conversation flowing. For some reason, she enjoyed talking to Grant. She wanted to know more about him, and not just for business reasons. She was entirely too curious about this man.
“Sigma Tau.” He held up his right hand, pointing out two Greek letters in the center of a large gold ring with a red stone. Kelly smiled.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Oh yeah,” Grant winked. “Women, drinking, it was great.” Kelly laughed.
“All of the things that they always tell you about.”
“Very true.” He had known coming in today that he liked this girl, but he found that the more he talked to her, the more he liked her. “So what are you looking to do with your major?”
“Right,” Kelly nodded. “I don’t know. I like the advertising field. So I might go there. Marketing is pretty broad. I guess I have a lot of options.”
“Yes, you do.” Grant thought if nothing else, he would be able to help her in the business industry, maybe even get her a job someday. “What about your minor?” Kelly laughed at that.
“Oh, I really only went with history because I like it. I know it’s not a practical career field.”
“You could always teach,” Grant suggested. Kelly made a face. He laughed at that. �
�So I guess that’s a no?”
“That’s a no,” Kelly agreed. “I just don’t think that’s for me.”
“Understandable.” Grant was going to say more, but Kelly’s name was called. They got up, making their way back to the doctor’s office. Kelly took a seat, settling in one of the chairs across from his desk. Grant took the one next to her.
“I’m sorry that you have to do this without Monica,” she finally said, now that they were in private. Grant shrugged.
“I’m handling it for her. She’d approve of that.” That sounded weird. Did he not want a baby too?
“Did you meet her in college?” Kelly tried to keep the conversation light; she hoped that he was not too sensitive about discussing their relationship.
“Oh no. I met her after I got into the business field, if that tells you anything.” Grant said the last part in a darker tone. Kelly was beginning to get a picture of their life. Somehow, she suspected that love was not the only thing that was keeping them together.
“Have you wanted children long?” she asked carefully. She reminded herself that it was only fair. If she was going to give them a baby, she did want to know it was going to have a good home.
“Pretty much since we got married,” Grant shrugged. “Monica has been very passionate about it.”
Yet not passionate enough to be here, Kelly thought.
“She really has baby fever.” Grant appeared to be trying to cover up his previous statement with something less awkward. “Maybe that just comes with her age—or seeing her friends having their own. But we’ve been going through this so long, I don’t feel much like the father. It’s more like I’m the sperm donor for the accessory to her life.”
They fell into silence. Kelly wondered why he had felt the need to confide in her about that. Was he unhappy being married to Monica? Would they have this baby, and then Monica would take it and leave him? So many thoughts were rushing through her head. She didn’t know how to respond, but she did know that she felt bad for him. He had everything: money, looks, a great personality—yet he seemed to be lacking a real connection to his wife. Kelly did not think that was a way to live—ever.