Chapter 13

Evan

Things with Piper had gone better than expected. It started with me trying to put things right between us, which I should have done many years ago. Then we ended up having some of the best sex I’d ever had since, well, since the last time we’d been together.

It had been better than I expected it would be.

I’d arranged to meet my “favorite client,” Susan Reynolds. For her (hopefully) last session. It was her fourth and final one. If she went past this, it would be me servicing her for free until she became pregnant. It had actually crossed my mind that she’d been taking a contraceptive pill to prolong her sessions with me.

Fuck!

I also received a message from the couple who had come to see me. They had decided against proceeding. That was a shame. I would have liked to fuck his wife. She would have been nasty in the bedroom.

I’d come to a not-so-regular dip in business. But this could be a good thing. I could focus on the apps I should be working on, and I could hopefully spend some more time with Piper. It would also give me a chance to catch up on some well-earned rest. I’d been overdoing things slightly, and there were clients still begging for me to help them.

It is all about the clients. They are always right, and I always put them first.

The problem was, even though there was a lull in new customers, I still had obligations to my other current clients. The damn contracts had to be upheld. These couldn’t be neglected. As I thought of contracts, Susan came into my mind again.

She’d become too possessive, and although it was her final session, she would push it too far. If she did one more thing that pushed close to the line, she would void the contract with me. It would be worth refunding her money just to get rid of her and save the aggravation. Or at least a proportion of it that would cover services rendered so far.

I sat in the suite and pondered over the events of the past few days. It was almost time to leave to meet Piper for dinner when the phone rang.

“Hello, Baby Maker?” a female voice asked excitedly.

“It is. Who is calling?”

“I’m sure you remember me from the shower,” she said sexily. “You are a naughty, horny boy.”

Ah, now I remember…

“Of course, I do. I was only teasing you.” Fuck, there were too many names for me to remember.

“I have good news, and I couldn’t wait to tell you,” she said. She had a marked jubilation in her voice.

“Go on then, put me out of my misery!” I said jokingly.

“I’m finally pregnant, and I just called to say thank you for everything you have done for me,” she happily explained.

“Well, that is fantastic news. I’m so happy for you. Now, just remember the last part of the contract.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget. And as soon as I have given birth, I’ll finish it off for you.”

The final part of the contract was for each woman to send me a sealed picture of their newborn baby. These photos had never been seen by me. They were just locked away in a box which was hidden from view. I had no intention of knowing who my offspring were. I just had their picture as a form of insurance.

I hung up the phone and was excited to have another success with a client. My percentage was still in the ninety-nine percent range. So, from that side of things, I had nothing to worry about.

I glanced at the clock. It was time for me to head off and meet Piper for dinner. I’d arranged to meet her at a local grill restaurant Bar B’ Cue. I’d been using quite a bit of energy recently. A good bit of steak would help to boost my protein levels back to what they should be.

When I arrived at the restaurant parking lot, a few cars were already parked there, but it wasn’t overly busy. Piper and I would be able to talk without shouting.

Heading across the lot, I could see Bar B’ Cue was in full steam with their grilling. Smoke billowed from their roof exhaust and blew in my direction. The smell of hickory and honey wafted over me, and it smelled good. I walked into the grill and glanced around; there was no sign of Piper. I asked the waiter for a quiet table for two. He sat me by one of the windows that looked out over the river, which spread out into the darkness. Just the lights of the high-rises shone, like tiny angels in the distance.

While looking through the menu, I heard the chime from the bell on the door. I looked up to see Piper arrive. I stood and waved to catch her attention. She made her way to the table.

Piper, as always, looked breathtakingly stunning. She was dressed ultra-casual, but she was still a knockout. It could be her auburn hair and blue eyes that made her special. Natural beauty like hers was relatively rare.

She’d opted for slim fit jeans and an old sweatshirt which I was sure had been one of my old ones from school.

“I’m glad you could make it!” I said smiling.

“Me, too. I wouldn’t miss it. Even though it does feel kinda strange.”

“It’s taken us ten years to reach this point, and it was all my fault,” I said, wondering why the beautiful woman in front of me would waste time on me. I wasn’t worth a minute to her. She was far too good for me, and for the first time in a long time, I felt humbled by it.

I was embarrassed I had let her go. What a jerk I’d been.

“It was, and I have no more to say on that subject,” Piper said, grinning. “Otherwise, we’ll be here all night.”

I hold my hands up… it has all been my fault.

“I would be happy to sit here all damn night chatting,” I replied. I sat opposite Piper and constantly had a smile on my face.

She laughed and her hair fell across her eyes.

“So, tell me about your design business. How has it been?” I leaned in, wanting to get a little closer, but only subtly so. She couldn’t know how much I wanted her in my life. It would be too fast and almost creepy.

“Oh, you know. It was hard work in the beginning. Then Jules did a couple of murals on a project. Since then, my work just exploded. I’ve done some big commissions over the years.”

“So, you’re rich then?” I asked.

“I’m comfortable, and I have no need to work if I decide not to. The business can support itself with the staff that I have.” She shrugged. Always humble as I remembered.

“You talk a lot about your friend, what’s her name? Jules, is it?”

“She’s a typical artist. Crazy as anything, but damn good at what she does. I met her at art school, and we have been friends ever since.”

“Well, from what I saw, she’ll be really well known one day,” I said plainly.

“You’ve had a smile on your face since I got here. What’s that all about?”

Crap, I’d been smiling because of the news I’d received on the phone. The client had become pregnant, and I was overjoyed for her.

“I’m just super happy to be spending time with you, even though you’re wearing a ten-year-old sweatshirt,” I said, smiling.

She won’t believe you.

“Nice. I wanted to see if you would remember it. Do you remember the last time I wore it?” She smiled sweetly and my body ached with remembrance. I hadn’t forgotten any of our times together. She had to know that.

“Of course, I do. It was the night we had some fun in the barn. And you did that sexy dance on the blanket and then jumped all over me.” I grinned.

“I’m sure it was the other way around! You couldn’t keep your hands off me.” She smiled, too, her eyes filling with mischief.

“I could never keep my hands off you. You were so god damned tempting.” My grin was huge now.

“And now?” she asked. “How do I look now?”

Damn, I could fuck you over this table right now. A goddess of beauty.

“Well, give it time. We still have three sessions to go, but you’ve still got it! You’re as beautiful as ever. You have to know that.” I glanced around. “Every man in this place is checking you out.”

“They are not.” Her cheeks burned pink, but she kept her eyes on me. She didn’t give two shits about the other guys in the restaurant. She cared about me. Why she did was a complete mystery, but there she sat, expression and gestures giving her away.

I’d only seen Piper twice, and I’d already lied. That was a hell of a start. But there was no way I could tell her one of my clients had become pregnant. Christ, it would be like rubbing salt into a wound. It wasn’t a big lie, just enough to keep her from asking too many questions.

We chatted more through dinner about the past and about what we’d been up to. And apart from the Baby Maker project of mine, the conversation went well. Well, almost. I watched Piper finish her ice cream sundae. She’d always tried to lick the bottom of the glass and get every last drop.

“Some things never change!” I said with a grin.

“That they don’t,” she replied. Then the expression on her face changed.

“Are you okay?” I asked puzzled.

“I was just thinking about the whole baby thing. So far, I’d not even thought it.”

“Shoot, what do you want to ask? I’ll see if I can answer it.”

Come on Piper, make sure it’s nothing deep or complicated. I don’t want to have to lie to you. Again…

“How many clients do you actually have now?” Piper asked. She leaned forward on the table with wide eyes.

“That’s a question I shouldn’t really answer. You know with the whole confidentiality thing. So, let’s just say, it’s better to not talk about that, for all concerned.”

She looked troubled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Well, you seem like the old Evan, but there is something different. Who are you really?” Her eyebrow lifted. I could see why she would be concerned. There was no way in hell I’d date a woman who was making babies with other men. Date? Was I thinking about dating? Fuck. Isn’t this a date?

“I’m still the same old me. It’s just this thing is business. Maybe that’s why I seem different?” I tried to ease us into the conversation. There was no way I was getting out of it. I made babies for a living for fuck’s sake.

“How do you do it, though? I mean, is there no moral standard that you live by?” Her expression tightened. No one would understand my business, least of all the girl who wanted to wear my ring years ago.

“Well, as you know, there is a strict selection process. So, not everyone can be selected. It’s like the best of the best. I also have to detach myself from any emotional connection, present company excluded.” I shrugged, trying to remain laid back and noncommittal about it. It was just business. Period.

“It just seems a bit, well strange, that there are others as well as me,” Piper said.

“That’s not exactly true now. And since the first time I spoke to you, I haven’t actually seen any of my clients.” What was I doing? I wasn’t giving up my business for anyone, not even Piper. I’d play the game, but I knew that tomorrow I’d be sinking my cock deep into a few new clients. The thrill was weaning on it, but it was still my main source of income.

Piper smiled at that answer, but she had not accepted my full explanation as sufficient. For her, it didn’t seem to completely justify my actions. I knew the faces she made when she didn’t believe me, and she was making the exact same face now.

“Well, forgetting all that talk, the decision is down to you,” I said. So, have you changed your mind about proceeding with the process?”

“I’ve thought about it, and I have come to a decision,” she replied. She smiled again.

“I know you, Piper, and that expression means you have something positive to say.”

“Yes,” she said jubilantly.

“And the answer is?” I asked. I leaned on the table to hear her.

Piper moved from her side of the table and came to sit next to me. Then she linked her arm through mine and held me tightly.

She looked deep into my eyes. “It’s simple,” she said. “Yes, I want to have your baby.” She kissed me on the cheek with sexy breath.

I laughed at the way she held my arm tightly. This time wasn’t going to be a wham-bam thank you ma’am. It was Piper. I was going to live it up for all it was worth, ‘cause chances are that when she was finally pregnant, she’d disappear out of my life like she had all those years ago. And like then, it would be my fault all over again. Fuck.

“You never know,” I said. “Maybe you already are!”