Chapter 3
Lorna was surprised to receive a call the following morning from Ms. Stanford, letting her know she was a viable candidate based on her tests. Though she was still uncertain about signing up as a surrogate, it was good to have options.
“So, what do we do next?” she asked.
“Well, we have a client in the vicinity who will be in Los Angeles on Friday for an unrelated meeting. I’m not available to fly out, but my associate, Ms. Clarke, can meet with the two of you at the clinic and go through the particulars with you. Per your release paperwork, the client has already been provided with your personal details in regard to match data and background. Your identity will not be revealed to him unless you choose to accept the initial meeting.”
“And if I do accept and agree to be a surrogate? What is the process then?”
“You will be paid a $10,000 advance once the contracts are signed and another $40,000 once you have conceived. Past that, you will be relocated to the client’s personal estate until you give birth and for a short transition time afterward. At the end of the contract period, you will be paid the balance of the $1M fee.”
“I’m sorry. Did you say one million?”
“Yes.”
“I’m confused, not that I’m complaining, but the ad said the fee was $500,000.”
“That is our standard rate, yes. In this case, however, our client is very private and wishes to remain such. Part of the additional payment will involve a lifelong gag order. You’ll never be able to speak of this to anyone.”
“So, I won’t be able to see my friends or family while pregnant? I can’t let people know of my condition?”
“Not necessarily. You can reveal you are pregnant, if that is a necessity for you, but you cannot reveal the name of the father or the circumstances of your conception.”
“I see. So, I have to lie to people about it.”
“How you handle it is entirely up to you, Ms. Dunne. Keep in mind that you will be staying outside the city during your pregnancy and do not need to reveal your condition to anyone, if you choose. Obviously, I’m not fully aware of your public situation. I know you are an actress, but I think the fees will more than cover you not working for the period of time this will involve.”
“It’s a lot to consider.”
“It’s a lot of money. Nonetheless, it is not for everyone and we completely understand if you do not want to participate. We have no intention of strong arming young women into surrogacy. Would you like to think about it and call me back?”
“No, no. I’d like to take the meeting and get the full details before deciding, though.”
“Completely understandable. I can have a car pick you up on Friday for the meeting. Is ten a.m. a good time for you?”
“Yes. Ten a.m. is just fine. Thank you, Ms. Stanford.”
“No, thank you. Ms. Clarke will call you on Thursday to confirm the appointment and take it from here. Of course, I’m only a phone call away if you need further assistance from me.”
They said their goodbyes and Lorna hung up the phone. Friday was a few days away, so that would give her time to see if the theatre gig might work out. At least she knew she wouldn’t end up on the streets if it didn’t. Either way, she needed to get out of this apartment. It was too expensive to live here on her own. If she secured the theatre job, it would pay for this place, but she was tired of sinking every penny she made into rent. It would be better to find someplace smaller or share a space with a roommate. She would tackle that when she had the money to do either of those things. For now, it was just wait and hope.
Sadly, that hope ended later the following day when she received an email from the theatre company advising that she had not been selected. So, looked like she might have to reconsider the surrogacy. It was a lot to consider, but it was also a lot of money, more money than she had ever had in her life. A part of her wondered if it might not be too good to be true, but she suspected she’d figure that out when she met with them on Friday. If it seemed like a scam, she’d have to rethink everything.
“Do you think that Dalton sank you on the theatre gig?” Sharon asked when she called to tell her the news about the latest rejection.
“I don’t know anymore. You know, it’s one of those things that you know could be true, but it’s not like anyone is going to come out and say it. I mean, I have a hard time believing that Dallas Dalton is calling people and warning them off of me, but word gets around pretty quick if people think you are trouble. I think that what he’s already put out on the wire has done its damage. I wonder if changing my stage name would help?”
“I don’t know. I hate to say it, but maybe this just wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps you need to consider another line of work. I mean, maybe do acting on the side a bit more and have a full-time job instead of shifting food to rude tourists a couple days a week.”
“You might be right. I don’t know,” Lorna replied.
“Well, something to think about. Listen, I gotta go. I’ll call you this weekend. Okay?”
“Sure. Talk to you then.”
Lorna put the phone down and looked around her shabby apartment. Sharon was right about one thing. This was not the dream she had envisioned for herself. If not for Dalton, she might have made it, but it was hard enough without having a powerful producer sabotaging you at every turn just because you wouldn't go down on him. Tossing her phone on the sofa, she opened Craigslist and went through the ads again. Still nothing there.
The usual sites she went to for auditions were pretty scarce too. All of the available roles seemed to be with people who had already turned her down repeatedly. Sitting back in her chair, she let out a loud sigh of frustration. It was looking, more and more, like the surrogate program was her ticket. She could use the advances to get by until the final payout and then use that to re-establish herself. Maybe she could go back to school, get a formal education in acting or even something else. If nothing else, it would give her plenty of time to think it all through.
If nothing else, the break would be a nice change of pace. She had been stressed for so long, trying to make ends meet, trying to find jobs. All she had managed was a few tiny background roles and a lot of debt. It might be nice to just sit back without worry and let someone else take care of her. It might be the only opportunity she ever got to even experience having a child, since she had never wanted one of her own. A boring life of having a husband and children had never appealed to her, especially after watching how her mother had suffered so much during her own childhood.
Pulling a bottle of wine from the cabinet, she poured herself a glass and took the bottle with her to the sofa. Wine was always good to help sort out your thoughts or forget them altogether, if you drank enough of it. She sat watching the tube mindlessly, just letting her thoughts drift away until she felt drowsy enough to sleep.