“Ms. Carlton, I’d like for you to meet Rocco Belue. He will be your birth partner, if you choose to accept the terms of the agreement.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” she replied, trying not to stare.
He was gorgeous, dark, and mysterious. Unlike the slender young man that had demonstrated his ability to shift into a dragon, Rocco was tall and broad shouldered, buff in a way that inspired her to imagine perfect abs rippling beneath his tailored suit. Her hormones felt enraged just from being near him. She found herself wishing this was a matter of conception taking place the old-fashioned way rather than with some sort of high-tech turkey baster.
“It’s nice to meet you, as well,” he replied.
“Mr. Belue has read your resume and has a few questions for you. I apologize if they seem a bit invasive to you, but we want both of you to feel comfortable with this pairing. You will also have an opportunity to ask him any questions you feel need answered prior to completion of this transaction,” Dr. Stanford explained.
Rocco proceeded to ask a dozen or so questions about her background and education, intelligence, and personal habits. At some points, it did feel very much too personal to be answering for a stranger, but she was determined to make this work. It was important to her. When he was done, she asked only a few questions of him, and most were in reference to the circumstances she would be residing under during the pregnancy. Anything else was of no consequence, since he would be retaining the child without her in the picture.
“Well, how are you both feeling about this? Would you each like to proceed to the next step?”
“I am very satisfied with your choice in a surrogate,” Rocco replied, much to Mystic’s relief.
“I’m on board, as well,” she replied, clasping her hands together to hide her nervousness.
“Very well. Let me get the lawyer in here with the paperwork. I’ve given each of you an overview of what will happen, but he will finalize everything with you.”
She stepped out and was replaced a few minutes later by a diminutive little man with wire rimmed glasses and a cane. He sat across from them and began to go through each section of the paperwork, asking them to initial or sign where appropriate. When everything was done, he pulled all the papers back and smiled at them.
“That’s it. Let us get each of you a copy and a check for Ms. Carlton. Dr. Stanford will oversee the final arrangements for you to begin the process.”
Everything was a whirlwind after that. Rocco left with instructions to return the following day for the first insemination attempt. There was a portion of Mystic that felt like she wanted to back out of this, but she had already signed off and she knew it was just anxiety. This was something she needed to see through. In the long run, she’d be all the better for it.
“Mystic, here is a list of instructions for what you can and cannot do prior to the insemination tomorrow. You will come here at 9 a.m. and we will begin the process as laid out in the information I am giving you. Before you leave, I am going to give you an injection. According to the information you’ve already given me, you should be at peak fertility right now, so I’m not going to administer any additional fertility treatments as we would for some surrogates. If this doesn’t take, that may become something we reconsider.”
“I understand.”
Mystic left the clinic after a shot and a rundown of the instructions, which were pretty much what she would expect them to be. Probably the hardest portion of this entire agreement was going to be the no alcohol clause that took effect immediately. Her only thought on the way back home was that Holly was going to kill her. She stopped by her bank to deposit the initial payment she had asked for and by a self-service facility to sign up for a unit in which to store her things so they weren’t taking up real estate in Holly’s garage.
Back at the house, she perused the Craigslist ads and found a man with a truck to help her move the boxes into storage. With that done, she replaced the money Holly had left her yesterday and settled into her bed for a nap until her friend arrived home. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation, but every fiber of her being told her it was the right thing for her, and Holly would understand that.
As it turned out, the biggest complaint Holly had was her not having let her look over the contract first.
“Damnit, Mystic. This is what got you into the mess with William! You signed off on a pre-nup that gave you nothing, despite the fact that he rode more nags than a Kentucky Derby jockey.”
“I know, but I looked over it and it seems pretty straight forward. It’s a lot of money, Holly. It’s what I need to get on my feet.”
“You’re going to be living with a man you don’t know and carrying his baby. You’re going to be subjected to who knows how many inseminations before one takes. Are you sure it’s worth it?”
“No, but I’m sure that I don’t want to spend the next ten years of my life just trying to make ends meet, Holly. I’m almost thirty years old and have nothing to show for the years I’ve spent on this earth. This money will put me in a position to do what I want, how I want. It’s not a fortune, but it’s enough to get me off to a good start.”
“I know you’ve been through it, but I’m just scared for you, Mystic.”
“I know you are, but you can’t take care of me forever, Holly. I have to make my own way. I’ve already had my things from the garage put into storage and, as soon as I’m pregnant, I’ll be moving into the father’s home until the baby is born. I’ll be just fine.”
“What is his name? At least tell me who this guy is?”
“I can’t. I can’t tell you anything more than what I’ve already revealed per the agreement. Trust me, Holly. I’ll be just fine. This is a good thing for me. A good opportunity.”
“I sure hope so, Mystic. I sure hope so,” Holly told her.
The two of them went out to eat at a local Japanese restaurant they had been frequenting for years. It was without the usual paring of Sake, but Mystic had no intention of sabotaging things. Instead, they settled for water with lime and enjoyed their meals. The last one they might share together for some time if she was lucky enough to get pregnant on the first go. Mystic had moved beyond feeling anxious or dubious. If anything, she was downright exhilarated at the thought of things to come.