It infuriated her that he had responded the way that he had, and she had learned something that they had never discussed in serious detail before. He didn’t want to have kids. Ever. She let that roll around in her mind as she sat there and thought about him and tried to calm down. She did want a family, badly, and she knew that if he was that against ever having a family of his own, that she was probably going to have to make a decision about him, and soon. She was either going to have to give up on the idea of having her own family so that she could be with him, knowing that he might not even ever marry her, or she would have to break up with him and start guy hunting for herself, because she’d be starting from scratch again.
A short while later she got into her car and drove downtown to meet Cara Landers. If nothing else, she knew that they were going to have a very interesting meeting, no matter how it went.
Chapter4
They met at a coffee shop near the waterfront in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle. Cara was already sitting at the table when Jamaica arrived, and when she walked through the door, there was no mistaking that it was her.
Jamaica had a curvaceous figure, but her legs were long and her body was lean and strong. She looked as though she might have stepped off the cover of a fitness or fashion magazine. Her clothes were stylish and flowing, and her body seemed to move in the same way that her clothes did, as though she were pretty poetry in motion, floating through whatever air she happened to be walking through.
The smile on her face was warm and sweet, and her eyes were filled with kindness and friendly compassion. Cara stood up and reached out to shake her hand.
“Thank you so much for meeting with me,” she said with a smile and a lift of her chin. Jamaica nodded and smiled back at her, still in a state of shock that she had even gotten the phone call to begin with, and wondering at the miracle that she was facing directly across from her.
The redheaded woman before her was wearing a soft pink sweater dress and heels, and her hair was combed down around her chin, curling under at the ends. She looked partly like a sweet doll, and partly like a sexy vintage woman, but there was something else about her that Jamaica couldn’t quite put her finger on; something hidden and perhaps sharp, though she didn’t feel that it was of any consequence to her.
“I’m glad to meet with you Miss Landers. Thank you for calling me. I still can’t quite believe that I got this phone call,” Jamaica admitted, dazed at the surreal situation she had found herself in.
They both sat and Cara gave her a bright smile. “Please, call me Cara,” she began.
“Feel free to call me Jami, if you like. That’s my nickname,” Jamaica replied with a smile.
“Very well, thank you,” Cara responded as they sat together. She took a breath and leveled her gaze. “I’m going to skip the formalities and just jump ahead into the discussion. I am the private secretary of Henry Ellison. Do you know who he is?” she asked, wondering if the woman before her had any idea of the breadth of the tech world and just how important Henry was in it.
Jamaica shook her head. “No, I’m afraid that I don’t.” she told Cara honestly.
Cara nodded. “Well, that’s easily handled. He’s a billionaire, made so by his father’s work in the stock market, and by his own brilliantly innovative work in the technology industry. He is a considerable leader in the world of technology, on a global level.”
Jamaica gave her a nod and listened. She wasn’t impressed with money or power, and she was curious to see just what it was that was going to be offered to her, and what it was that the tech genius wanted from her.
Watching Jamaica, Cara could see that the lovely young woman wasn’t fazed at all by the name or the significance of it. She felt a little put off about it, but she knew that there was still a way to draw in the young woman.
“Henry is anxious to have a family started right away. He is ready to be a father right now, and unfortunately, he is officially single right now, so that presents a problem for us. Or, I guess… for him.” She laughed lightly and waved her hand dismissively in the air. “It comes down to this. We would like to hire you to carry and give birth to children for him, and we would like a multiple birth pregnancy. Two or more. If there are more than two, then that’s all the better. We aren’t concerned with how many we are able to have, as long as it’s more than two.” She watched Jamaica closely as she spoke, taking in every minute bit of reaction from the young woman, but Jamaica wasn’t giving off much reaction. She was listening, but not responding enough that Cara could tell just exactly what she was thinking.
Jamaica tilted her head a little and looked at Cara carefully. “If this is so important to Henry, why isn’t he here for this interview? Doesn’t he want to meet the potential mother of his children? Isn’t he even a little curious about who I am or what I’m like? I’d think that this would be such a big decision for him that he’d want to be part of every aspect of it.”
Cara’s mouth pressed into a thin line and the corners of it turned up just slightly, as if she was making herself smile somewhat. “He would have liked to have been here of course, but he does have other things going on that are not allowing him to be here for this. He has entrusted it to me. It is of great importance to him, but I am his right hand, and he does trust me with everything. We almost couldn’t be closer.” She looked proud of the fact.
Jamaica wanted to ask a little more about it, trying to work out in her mind just how it was that a man could want children so badly and yet not feel the need to meet the woman who might be giving him those children. Instead, she just nodded. Cara did seem to have a solid handle on the whole thing, and when it came right down to it, the only thing that she would really be responsible for was carrying and delivering the children, so the rest of it wasn’t actually her business. A thought occurred to her then and she leaned forward toward Cara with a questioning look.
“So I won’t be spending any time with these babies, will I? This is strictly just carrying them and then delivering them, but nothing more than that, right?” Andre’s sharp words were still echoing around in her mind.
Cara shook her head. “That’s absolutely correct. You will go through the in-vitro fertilization process, you will become pregnant, you will carry the children, and then you will give birth to them. There is no further responsibility after that. That will be all that you do. From the day of the birth, Henry and I will be taking over the parenting responsibilities and your duties will be completed. You’ll be paid the five hundred thousand dollars, and you will be released from the agreement at that time.”
Jamaica nodded in comprehension. “Well, I have given this nothing but thought since your phone call, and I’ve talked it over with my boyfriend-”
Cara brightened immediately. “You have a boyfriend! That’s wonderful news. Is he all right with you doing this?”
“Yes, I guess he is. We talked about it and I’m here. He wanted to be sure that there would be no further involvement on my part after the birth. Since you said there won’t be any further responsibilities, then I suppose that this is an easy step forward, one that he would be all right with, and I can accept the position if you want me to.” Jamaica felt as if the entire universe was inside of her and that it was spinning madly in a whirlwind.
Cara smiled. “It looks like we’ve reached an agreement then. You are hired, and I’m so pleased to give the job to you. I think that you’ll be perfect for what we need, and you’ll do just fine with it. You’re really the best possible person for the position.”
“I’m glad to be of help to you. I know that the doctor’s office visits are covered by Henry, but is there anything that I’ll need to take care of financially?” she asked, beginning to wonder about the finer details of the agreement.
With a shake of her head, Cara answered, “No, you will have no expense coming from this pregnancy whatsoever. Your doctor’s visits are covered, your every need as far as clothing, transportation if it’s needed, all your groceries an
d health care will be covered, and anything else that might come up. Our first priority is keeping you healthy, strong, and well looked after while you’re carrying and delivering the babies. We’ll also be taking care of your post-natal care for three months. If there is anything you need after that, I’m sure that we can work it out. Do you have any other questions?”
Jamaica could hardly believe that she was answering the way that she was, but she shook her head and swallowed hard. “No, I don’t have any other questions. I’ll be glad to take the job if you want me, and I can go in to the doctor’s at any time, as you said that the timing on this was important.”
“That’s wonderful news. Jamaica, you’re hired. I’ll call up the doctor’s office and get you in for their very next opening. I have a friend who works there, and I know that with a phone call from me, she might be able to get you into the office within the next couple of days. I’ll be in touch with you about the details.
“Thank you,” Jamaica told her, meaning it and yet feeling as if the whole world might have just disappeared from beneath her feet. She was going to be pregnant. The wonder of it amazed her to no end, and an equal measure of fear and excitement flooded her as she reached for the contract that Cara pulled from her briefcase, and picked up a pen to sign it.
***
Henry was sitting at the desk in his library at home when the door opened and Cara strolled through it, her face beaming. She had just left Jamaica and had driven straight to Henry’s house to give him the news in person.
“Cara!” he said in mild surprise. “What brings you here? Is everything all right?”
She grinned as she went to the desk and walked around it to stand beside his chair, looking down at him. “I just wanted to give you this news in person. I’ve found the right woman to mother your children, and I’ve talked to the fertility clinic. They can get her in for the procedure in three days. So, if you can go in tomorrow to do your part of it, they will be ready for her, and they can complete her part of the procedure in a few days when she goes in, and it will be done. The pregnancy will take, and in nine months, you will be a father, and Georgia will be a grandmother, hopefully to multiple children.”
She could not have beamed with more pride at the Herculean task that she had accomplished in so little time. He stared up at her, impressed and astounded.
“That’s incredible! I shouldn’t be surprised that you were able to get it done so fast, but I am perhaps just a little. You never cease to amaze me. Thank you so much for taking care of that, and for getting it done so quickly.” He shook his head and smiled, but then a slight look of disappointment came over his face.
“What is it?” Cara asked with concern. “What’s the matter?”
He frowned a little. “I would have liked to have met her. It would have been my preference to meet and approve of the woman who is going to be the mother of my children.” With a sigh of resignation, he looked back up at Cara and her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I guess I was so focused on finding the right one, interviewing her, and getting the process completed that I didn’t really think about you meeting her. After all, it’s really the birth of the children that we are most interested in, right?” She gave him a sweet smile. “Besides, this is fast, and I know that you trust me. I found the best possible candidate for you, and I know that it will work out exactly like we both want it to,” she responded to him.
He tilted his head a little in curiosity. “What’s she like?” he asked with a quiet voice.
Cara looked away from him as if she was thinking carefully about what to say. “She’s intelligent, artistic, successful… She’s all the things that we want for the children.”
He blinked and gave her a sort of funny look for a moment, but then nodded. “So she’s all right with a multiple birth pregnancy and delivery?” he wanted to confirm, feeling butterflies begin to rise up in him.
It had all seemed like a big business deal until the moment he was having the conversation with Cara, and then it began to feel real, like it might happen at any moment. It was slightly unnerving for him.
“Yes, she agreed to it,” Cara answered, nodding and looking away from him. “We’re all set. Everything is signed and ready to go.”
“And… and the raising of the babies after they’re born? Does she want to live in the house or live in a separate house outside of this one? What was her response to that?” he wondered, looking at Cara with a growing excitement and hope.
Cara turned from him and walked around to the front of his desk, not meeting his eyes. “It’s fine, it’s all handled. You don’t need to worry about a thing, Henry. I’ve taken care of all of it. You’ll have the children, and when the time comes, you’ll have exactly the right woman to help you raise them and care for them, and you’ll have a family.”
She turned to face him then, and met his eyes with hers, giving him a warm and devoted smile. “I want to remind you that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you, and I will always be here for your children. In fact, it will almost be as if they were mine and yours. I don’t want you to worry about that, or the future for them. You’re going to have your family. We’re all going to be one big happy family, and I’m dedicated to taking care of all of it. You’ll see. Don’t you worry. It’s taken care of. All of it. I’ve done everything.”
He smiled at her and gave her a nod. “I should know that and trust in it. You always do take care of everything. I know I shouldn’t worry about any of it. I guess I do a little, but I know that I shouldn’t. Thank you, Cara, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’re never going to have to find out,” she replied, smiling and reaching her hand over the desk toward his. She rested her hand on top of his and rubbed it for a moment, gazing into his eyes with a tender smile.
A brief moment passed and he gave her a nod and pulled his hand from hers, turning toward his computer. “Well, I should get back to what I was working on. Thank you again, more than I can say, for all that you’ve done for me and for this most important of circumstances. I really appreciate all that you’ve done. It means a great deal to me to be able to rely on you like I can.”
She nodded. “Always, Henry. You can always rely on me.” She smiled once more and lingered just for a moment before turning and walking happily out of the room. She left the mansion and drove to her own apartment, and Henry sat and stared at his computer screen without seeing anything on it.
He was going to be a father. In nine short months, his entire life was going to change and he would be a father to multiple children. It was almost more than he could wrap his mind around, but he promised himself then and there, that he would devote himself to being the best possible father that he could be, no matter what, and his family would be a loving and strong family, just like he had had with his own parents.
***
The phone rang twice before the soft voice of an older woman answered it. “Hello?” she said in a friendly and welcoming tone into the phone.
“Hey Mama, it’s me,” Jamaica spoke with a slight tremble in her voice. She was holding back a sea of emotion, and she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to hold it back for long while she was talking to her mother. She never could keep anything from her.
“There’s my baby! How are you doing honey?” she asked with nothing but pure love and happiness in her voice.
“I’m… I’m good, Mama. How are you?” Jamaica asked with a light voice.
There was a momentary silence on the other end of the line. “Well, I’ll let you know how I am when you tell me just whatever it is that’s rattling around in your head young lady.” She sounded kind, but not stupid. She was not one to ever have the wool pulled over her eyes, and though Jamaica had called to talk about the situation truthfully with her mother, she hadn’t quite expected her mother to be so fast on the uptake.
“Ah… Mama. Well, I have some news,” Jamaica began nervously.
> “I can hear that. What’s going on? Are you all right? Are you in some kind of trouble or something? What can I do for you?” Mama was beginning to sound a little worried.
“Oh no, Mama. I’m fine,” Jamaica answered confidently. “I just… I’m taking on an unusual job, and it’s one I didn’t expect to ever have or get, but I’m getting it all the same, and I wanted to tell you about it.”
“What is this job that you’re talking about?” Her Mama’s voice took on a serious tone.
Jamaica cleared her throat and took a deep breath. There was nothing for it, she was just going to have to come right out and say it. “Well, I’m taking on a job as a surrogate mother for a man who wants to have children. He’s anxious to have a family, but he isn’t married, and I guess he’s hoping to start the family soon, so he needed someone to carry his babies for him and give birth to them. I am going to get paid a bunch of money for it. It’s a really good job, Mama.”
She stopped, knowing that if she was to continue going on, it might only be worse for her. She needed to let her mother process the news that she had just given her.
There was a length of silence on the other end of the phone, and then her mother finally spoke in a quiet voice. “So you’re carrying a man’s babies, giving birth to them, and then he’s going to pay you for that. Am I understanding that correctly?”
“Yes, Mama,” Jamaica answered. She could hardly believe that she was saying any of it to her mother.
“My goodness.” It was all that Mama said for a long minute, and Jamaica waited quietly and patiently while her mother thought about what she was doing.
“How do they transfer the babies to you? Is this some kind of medical procedure or are you… meeting the father of the babies in person?” Her mother was being delicate about asking how it was that she was going to get pregnant in the first place.
“It will be a medical procedure. I haven’t even actually met him. I’m not even sure if I will. His private secretary is handling all of it so far. I haven’t even talked to him on the telephone.” Jamaica laughed lightly at the irony of it.
The Billionaire's Twin Fever (MANHATTAN BACHELORS Book 1) Page 21
