by Katie Dowe
“You determined that over the phone?” Ryan asked her, his tone faintly amused.
“She sounds happy,” She said defensively.
“Why don’t we go into the living room where we can enjoy the excellent wine Ryan brought us?” Evan waded in.
“Good idea,” Ryan said as he got to his feet. He glanced at his watch discreetly and realized that he would have to leave in a little bit as he wanted to catch a game with one of the members of the club.
*****
It was November and the mall was filled with shoppers who were busy picking up things for Thanksgiving and getting an early start on the Christmas shopping. Aaliyah had given in to the temptation to look at baby clothes. She was into her second month of pregnancy and according to Doctor Webber it was going pretty well. She had not started showing yet and she suspected that it was due to her slenderness. She hesitated at a baby store and then went in. She looked dreamily at the amazing array of clothing. Her eyes wandered over to the girls’ department and she looked longingly at the frothy pink dresses and the yellow ones as well. She smiled as she picked up a pair of tiny satin shoes in rose pink. They were so small, she thought.
“Are you expecting?” a voice said at her elbow and caused her to jump.
She turned to the smiling salesperson and put the shoes away guiltily. Her friend Maxine worked in the department store downstairs but she was off for the night. “Yes,” she said softly.
“Do you know the sex yet?” the woman asked her.
“Not yet, it is too early to tell.”
“You can always buy neutral colors like yellow, green or white.” She suggested.
“I am not ready; I am just browsing.”
“I hope you come again.” The woman said as she spotted a person who looked like they were actually going to be buying something.
Aaliyah did not respond but continued to walk around and look until she decided it was time to leave. She sat in her car and stared out into the darkness. She had told her mother she had a few stops to make before coming home. It was a little past six but the darkness of the coming winter had descended. Her mother was right. She was maternal and had dreamed about having a child of her own but now she was having a child that she was going to have to give up! She turned on the engine and ignored the tears trickling down her cheeks. It was what it was!
*****
“How is Leesa?” Ryan asked Brad as soon as the man took a seat next to him.
“Behaving as if she was not diagnosed with cancer a year ago,” he said wryly as he took the scotch handed to him by Marty the bartender.
“That means she is better,” Ryan said in amusement.
“So she says. That woman is going to be the death of me,” Brad said with an unconsciously tender smile.
“I am sure she says the same thing about you,” Ryan looked at his friend in speculation. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Maintain a marriage for so many years.”
“Ah,” Brad sipped his scotch contemplatively. “I love her, pure and simple. She is my life and I love her with every fiber of my being.”
“And that actually works?”
“Amazingly. You should try it.”
Chapter 3
She was in her fourth month when he requested a meeting with her. Mrs. Lawson had called her and told her that Mr. Sullivan would like to meet with her at his office uptown.
“He has requested that you come after working hours when the staff has left. It was January and the snow had been coming down pretty rapidly. Christmas had passed by uneventfully and she had spent the time with her mother at home. She was due to have her surgery in February.
“When?”
“This evening, I am afraid. He just came back from Jamaica and will be going off to Europe for a few days. He is quite a busy man.” She said as if making excuses for him. “He will be sending a car for you.”
“Tell him not to bother, I will find my way.”
“I am afraid he insisted, Ms. Cole.”
“Of course he did,” she said a little bitterly. “What time will His Majesty be sending the car for me?”
“Ms. Cole, I suggest you watch your attitude,” the woman said disapprovingly.
“I am sorry, Mrs. Lawson. I am guessing it is hormones.”
“Of course dear. The car will be by to pick you up at six sharp.”
“I will be ready.”
Aaliyah fumed but she was determined not to make it bother her. She had read somewhere that he was an eccentric and ruthless business man who did not allow anything to stand in his way. She went and took a bath and put on faded denims and a bulky green sweater that covered her slight bulge effectively. She glanced at herself in the mirror and only put on a little lip gloss. It was not like she was going on a date. She had told her mother where she was going and she had wished her all the best as if she was going on an interview.
The man got out and opened the door the minute he saw her. She had expected a stretch limo but instead it was an unobtrusive black car with dark tinted windows. She settled back against the leather seat and gripped her pocketbook in front of her. She was not only meeting with the man who had fertilized her eggs but she was meeting with a man of extreme power and wealth and she was a little scared. The car came to a stop at a towering glass building with the name Sullivan Holdings blinking in silver. He got out and opened the door for her to get out. “Just go on in Miss, the security will show you where to go,” he said doffing his hat respectfully. Aaliyah felt a little daunted as she stared up at the building. She walked in swiftly and smiled as the guard rushed to open the doors for her. “The elevator is this way Miss,” he said as he led her to it. “It goes straight to Mr. Sullivan’s suite of offices.”
The doors opened into an elegant reception area with the name Sullivan’s Holdings in large letters at the top. The area was empty now and she could see several chairs lined up around the large counter. Her feet sank into the rich grey carpeting as she made her way to his office. The secretary’s office was empty and she admired the décor before making her way to a closed door. She knocked and he told her to come in. She pushed the door open and stepped into the largest office she had ever been into! His desk was on a raised dais and made him look like a giant! The place was strewn with sofas and comfortable chairs and a towering highboy that must have served as a storage area. The walls had paintings from simple and charming to very expensive. There were awards that had been given to his hotels and airlines placed over his head.
He looked up then and his dark blue eyes had her shivering and lost for a moment.
“Ms. Cole, thank you for coming,” he had gotten from around his huge desk and Aaliyah felt the shock of his overwhelming presence fill the room as he came towards her. He held out a hand for her to take and her slender one was swallowed up by his large one. He released her immediately and strode to the highboy where he pressed a button and a liquor cabinet slid out slowly. “Would you like something to drink? Fruit punch perhaps?”
“No thank you.” She shook her head and remained standing.
“Forgive me if I imbibe,” he twisted the cork off a bottle of whiskey and poured out some before coming over to her. “Please. Sit.” He gestured to one of the chairs.
He took a sofa opposite and crossed his legs while he looked at her. He was unnerving and Aaliyah wished she was anywhere else! “How are you?”
“I-I am fine,” she cleared her throat.
“I get regular updates from Mrs. Lawson and the doctor. I have told them that as soon as you reach your six months I will expect you to go to Doctor Whittingham. He has a private medical center and he is very discreet. I will arrange the visits and let you know. I will of course send a car for you as it is some distance away.”
“May I ask you a question?”
He inclined his head arrogantly. “You may.”
“Why this route?” she took a deep breath at the inscrutable expression on his handsome face
. “Why not go the regular way?”
“I have my reasons,” he sipped the whiskey and eyed her for a moment. “And I already know you are doing it for the money.”
“I stated my reasons and I resent the way you make it sound.” She told him heatedly.
“How do I make it sound?”
“As if I am a gold digger.”
“Women tend to be,” he said cynically. “Good to see you have a good reason to be doing it.”
“You don’t have a very high opinion of women, do you?”
“What gave it away?” he asked with a sardonic look on his face.
“Not all women–”
“I trust that everything is okay with the arrangement?” he asked cutting her off rudely.
Aaliyah stared at him for a moment and then nodded.
“Good,” he said briskly as he got to his feet indicating that the meeting was over.
“Mr. Sullivan?” Aaliyah said as she got to her feet with the intention of leaving.
“Yes?” he turned to her.
“I am doing this because at the time it was the only way out. I know you don’t care but I believe in love and marriage and it breaks my heart that I am doing it this way but I still have hope that someday it will happen for me. Goodnight.” With that she swept out of the room with her head held high. Even after she had gone and the door had closed, he found himself staring at the spot where she had been. The way she had said it touched something inside him for the first time in a long time. With a shrug, he moved and went back to his desk. He had work to do.
*****
Aaliyah cried. She waited until she had gone into her room and closed the door and then she had dropped onto the bed and given in to tears. He was awful! She thought violently. It did not matter what he had been through in the past, it did not give him the right to be like that. And she was supposed to hand over her baby to him! She pointedly ignored the voice that reminded her that the baby was actually his! She was the one carrying it! She buried her head in the pillows and cried some more until with a determination she had been born with; she decided that what’s done was done!
*****
She bonded with her child. She ignored the voice that told her that at the end of the term and after delivery she would be without a baby, but for now she had a baby growing inside her. She would talk to it when she was alone in her bedroom and play classical and jazz music for it. At work, they treated her with kids’ gloves and she felt like a fraud because aside from Mrs. Pritchett she had not told anyone of the real situation. Maxine had accepted her decision somewhat and did her best to be supportive. She had her six-month appointment with Doctor Henry Whittingham, the man that all the wives of the members of the exclusive club went to. She had been reading up a lot about them and had become fascinated by what they did and followed their stories avidly.
She passed her hand over her slight bulge nervously as she waited for him in the elegant waiting room of the doctor’s office. He had sent the car for her and she had just arrived. The receptionist had told her politely that Doctor Whittingham was consulting with a patient right now, but he would be with her shortly. She looked around the rich interior and could just imagine how much the doctor charged for his services. Her heart skipped a beat as he strode into the reception area, an impatient look on his face as if he had better things to do.
“Mr. Sullivan!” the receptionist left her post and came towards him. “Doctor–”
“Ryan,” the tall white haired doctor came out with his hand outstretched. Aaliyah saw the longing on the girl’s face and figured he did that to most women.
“Henry, this is Aaliyah Cole.” He said using her first name for the first time.
“My dear, sorry to keep you waiting. Please, come this way.”
He told her to go into the room and asked if Ryan wanted to be there.
“Of course,” he said with a nod as he went in behind Aaliyah.
He and the doctor chatted for a few minutes while he did some cursory examination. “I am afraid this is going to be a little cold my dear,” he said as he squirted the gel onto her belly.
“That’s okay.”
He ran the machine over her and stared at the monitor. Aaliyah moved her head and looked as well trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
He smiled and looked at Ryan. “You are having a son.”
The flash of excitement faded as she realized that the doctor had left her out of the announcement but she could not blame him because he knew the situation.
“Congratulations,” she told him hollowly blinking to clear the tears from her eyes.
He nodded regally and got to his feet. Doctor Whittingham removed the machine and handed her a towel for her to wipe off. “We will be in my office when you are finished, my dear.”
She waited until they had left and gave in to the tears. A son and she would never be a part of his life! She wiped the gel off and then went into the bathroom to splash cold water onto her face. She stood there staring into the mirror to see if her eyes showed any indication that she had been crying and was satisfied by what she saw. She had worn a swirling blue and white blouse with a dark blue pants and they suited her very well. Pregnancy had given her a glow and had grown her hair somewhat. She had twisted it and the look flattered her small pointed face very well. She left the bathroom and went into the doctor’s office. “Your next appointment will be in April, my dear. I have already given Ryan the date.”
“Thank you,” she said coolly.
“I will see you then Henry,” Ryan said as he got to his feet.
“Of course.”
They left together and Aaliyah made her way carefully over the piles of snow on the ground. She started looking around for the car that had taken her here.
“You are driving with me,” he told her briefly as he went towards a silver Mercedes Benz parked there.
She bristled as she realized that he never asked but expected to be obeyed. He opened the door for her to get in and she did so trying not to touch him.
He slid into his side and started the engine backing out and then making his way onto the road way. “I am fine by the way,” she burst out.
He looked at her briefly before looking back at the road. “Good to know.” He said carelessly.
“I am carrying your child and even though it is an arrangement, surely you have an idea what it takes to be human?” the silence that followed her outburst was so suffocating that she knew she had crossed the line. They traveled a distance without him responding and Aaliyah thought that the several miles it took to reach her home was the longest she had ever experienced. He came to a stop at her gate and she scrambled to open the door but he had not released the lock. “Let me make this clear for you.” His voice was cold and sent shivers over her body. “You are doing a service for me and I have compensated you much more than the service is worth. This is a business arrangement, Ms. Cole, plain and simple. We are not in a relationship and we are not friends or anything like that. When this is over and you deliver my baby,” he stressed on the two words and caused her to flinch. “Then we will go our separate ways. Am I in any way clear?”
“As crystal.” She told him in trembling voice as she fought back tears. “Forgive me for passing my place.”
He nodded and released the lock. She got out gathering her dignity around her and without looking back at him she made her way through the gate and up to the house. She closed the door behind her and was thankful her mother had gone to visit a friend, and throwing herself on the sofa she cried!
*****
For the first time in a long time he felt like crap! He had been angry and guilty at what she had said about him not asking how she was and had put her in her place. He had seen the look on her face and knew she had been hurting and had wanted to take her into his arms and comfort her, that’s why he had lashed out at her. He had admired the way she looked and had wanted to touch her belly and feel his son moving inside her. His son! He closed his ey
es as he leaned his head back against the cushions in the sofa in his living room. He was having a son and no matter how he was having it this caused for a celebration!
*****
He sent a car for her again in April. Spring had come with rain and the fresh smell of flowers heavy on the air. She had not heard anything from him after that awful time when he had put her in her place and she had gone about her business as usual. Mrs. Lawson had called and told her that Mr. Sullivan wanted to see her and would be sending a car for her. She had told the woman a polite okay and had made herself available. She had started putting on a little weight and it showed in her cheekbones and her belly. She was kind of dreading the delivery and did her best to take it from her mind.
She made her way up to his office and found the door opened. He was sitting on one of the sofas with his head bent over a document. He looked up and saw her framed in the doorway and for a minute he felt himself tightened as he looked at her. She was wearing a dress with short sleeves and it floated around her from her neck to her knees. She looked positively radiant!
“Please, have a seat.” He indicated the sofa opposite him. “I trust you are okay?”
“I am and you?” her voice was deliberately polite and off hand.
“I am.” There was an amused tilt to his lips as if he knew what she was doing. “I want to discuss some more money with you. It is a bonus that does not include the agency.”
“Why?” she asked him bluntly.
“Because I made the decision that if it was a son I would make an added compensation.”
“So I guess a daughter does not carry the same amount of weight.” She said bitterly.
“No,” he said bluntly. “I am thirty-five years old going on thirty-six, Ms. Cole, and with my amount of wealth I need an heir. It might sound coldblooded, but it is the way it is.”
“I don’t need your money.”
“You have already taken my money,” he reminded her.
“Well I don’t need any more. Is that all?”
“No,” he said tightly as he looked at her. “Look, Ms. Cole–”
“Don’t you think it is a bit strange for you to be calling me by my surname? I am after all carrying your son.” She said sweetly.
