* * *
I take off my cap as I enter Janine’s apartment, pausing to look around.
The yellowed ceiling and the loose loops on the carpet suggest that the apartment must be at least five years old. Even so, it still looks okay. It looks charming, actually, with yellow curtains, well-tended potted plants, and abstract paintings on the walls that look like splatters of paint, adding a burst of color to the room.
“Please take a seat.” Janine gestures to the couch, now empty after she has taken the pile of laundry off it.
“And sorry for the mess. I haven’t had time to clean up lately.”
“It’s fine.” I sit down. “I’ll just go change.”
After she goes, my gaze goes over the table beside the TV. There are pictures lined up there – pictures of Janine, some alone, a few with her father, more with her mother. One of the pictures looks like it was taken at her college graduation and I find myself walking over to it, running my fingers over the photo as an unexpected thought crosses my mind.
I could have been there.
“Please put that down,” Janine says as she walks back into the room. “It’s embarrassing.”
“No, it’s not,” I answer but put the picture down anyway before turning towards her.
As she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, I take note of how little she has changed over the years. She carries herself with maturity and dignity now, but then, she always looked that way to me. She’s still as slender, still a little shy. She even has that same heart-shaped pendant on. Maybe the only difference is she’s wearing make-up now, a pink blush on her cheeks and darker eyelashes, lips rosy red. It suits her.
“Sorry. It’s a small place,” she apologizes as she folds her arms over her chest, drawing my gaze to her still firm breasts – those haven’t changed either.
“It’s bigger than the room you used to have,” I remind her, walking back to the couch.
She purses her lips and in spite of the tint on her cheeks, I can tell she’s blushing.
She shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”
“You still like yellow curtains.” I look at them.
“Yeah.” She looks over her shoulder at them as well. “Some things never change.”
Like how attracted I am to her, I realize.
Indeed, I feel in my twenties again, as reckless and excited as I was that night at the bar of The Metropolitan. As I take a step closer to her, I catch the fruity scent of her perfume and it takes me back.
That’s new too. I like it.
“So are you still with the Marines?” she asks.
“I’m in the Reserves.” I sit down on the couch. “I’m done with fighting. What about you? You’re an accountant now?”
“Yes.” Her hands go behind her. “I quit my job, though.” “Oh.”
“Would you like something to drink? To eat?”
I shake my head. “Maybe we should get down to business.”
“Right.” She sits down.
“So, why would someone like you apply to my ad?”
She fidgets with her pendant as she takes a deep breath. “Because I want to have a child ASAP, too.”
I raise my eyebrows.
“My mother is very sick,” she adds. “I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head. “Her final wish is to see her grandchild.”
I tap my fingers on my knee. “I see.”
“What about you?” she asks, looking at me. “Why did you put up that ad? Why do you want to get married and have a child so quickly?”
I scratch the back of my head. “Well, my father died recently.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Thanks. He died unexpectedly of a stroke.” I scratch the skin between my nose and my upper lip. “One of his last wishes was that I settle down.” It’s not exactly true, of course, but I guess it’s one way of putting it. Why would he put that addendum if he didn’t hope I’d have a family?
“Oh.” Janine grabs the pillow behind her and places it into her lap, hugging it as she sits back. The gesture almost looks maternal, like the pillow could be a little girl or boy.
“Of course, Mom is insisting I fulfill those wishes,” I add, leaning back as well and crossing my leg over my knee, bouncing it. “And I’ve disappointed her far too many times and I’ve been away for so long. I feel like it’s the least I can do.”
Janine exhales. “Wow. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it seems like we’re in the same position.”
“It does seem so,” I agree. “And since that’s the case…”
I remove my backpack and take out the file case inside it. Then I open the case, taking out one of the sheets of paper and setting it down on the coffee table.
“What is it?” Janine leans over the piece of paper.
“A contract. Basically, you’ll agree to marry me in two weeks and have my child. In return, I’ll give you a generous monthly compensation, provide for your needs, and, of course, support the child. After five years, if you want, we can get a divorce and you can keep the child along with a small fortune.”
She picks up the document, silently reading it. After a few minutes, she puts the paper down, shaking her head.
I turn to her. “Is something wrong?”
“Everything is,” she answers, eyes still on the paper. “You and me using the same dating site and meeting after all these years, leading separate and very different lives yet both desperate to having a child as soon as possible to make our parents happy. What is that?”
I touch my chin. “Sounds like one hell of a coincidence to me.”
She places her hands on her cheeks and shakes her head once more. “It’s so weird. Do you believe in fate?”
“I believe in nature.”
Janine puzzles her eyebrows at me.
“Think about it.” I move closer to her, our thighs touching. “I’m a man. You’re a woman. I need a child. You need a child. Classic biology. We’re both fertile. I’m not good in math, but it seems like an equation that could work.”
I hear her draw a deep breath.
“Plus, you already know how I am in bed.” She blushes again.
Ah, yes. She remembers. Just like I remember that night all too vividly now, that image of her breathless beneath me making me hard.
She gets off the couch, wringing her hands. “It’s crazy.”
“We are.” I shift in my seat to hide my situation even as I try to dismiss it. “But then we were crazy, too, when we decided to climb that tree and look what happened.”
She blushes more furiously then looks away, rubbing her arms and for the first time, I notice how scared she is.
I stand beside her, placing my hand on her shoulder. “Of course, we don’t have to do any of that. I mean, you’re not a prostitute. We can just do IVF.”
“IVF?” Janine’s eyes grow wide.
“In vitro fertilization. You know, you–”
“I know what IVF means,” she cuts me off. “So you’re okay with it?”
She nods but purses her lips, giving me the impression she’s not convinced. Maybe she’s scared.
I take her hand, squeezing it in an effort to stop it from shaking. “I’ll be with you every step of the way. And I promise I’ll take care of you.”
Janine pulls her hand away. “I know.”
I put my hand in my pocket. “So you’re okay with everything?”
She sits down and picks up the document again. “We have to come up with a story about all this because my Mom will freak out if she finds out the truth.”
“Of course.” I wouldn’t want Billy to find out I’m only marrying to secure my inheritance, either. He might contest it if I did, given his current affection for me. “Feel free to throw me your ideas.”
Janine picks up the pen but doesn’t sign, twirling it in her fingers.
“Any other concerns or requests?” I ask her.
She stops twirling the pen. “Maybe just a simple wedding. I don’t like big weddings.”
“Sure.” I sit beside her. “It will just be you and me, our families, a few friends on a secluded beach or a secret garden and then after the ceremony, we can just send everyone away, get drunk, and have some fun like last time.”
She raises an eyebrow.
“You know, climb a tree or two just to see if we’re still good at it.”
Janine laughs but I can tell it’s forced. Her hand is still shaking as she holds the pen above the dotted line.
“Hey.” I reach for her hand again. “We make a good team. You said that once.”
She nods, takes a deep breath, and signs. I let out a sigh of relief. Well, that’s done.
“Now, shall we shake on it? Unless you want to seal it with a kiss.”
Her eyes grow wide. “Just kidding.”
She extends her hand and I shake it, smiling.
I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about this whole arrangement before but now, I’m quite excited. This is Janine, after all. Who would have thought I’d be in this with her of all people?