Surrogate For The Billionaire
By: Tyra SmallLateisha 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.
