by Robin Leaf
“What about Riley?” Ally asked.
“I’ll be honest, Riley crossed my mind several times, but I don’t think he’ll agree. I mean we can ask him, but he’s such a by-the-book romantic.” I smiled. “Can you imagine those dimples on a baby though? That kid would get away with anything.”
“I’ll put him as a maybe.” She wrote something down. “So that leaves us with Fionn, Noah, Joe, Riley as a maybe,” she barely contained her eye roll, “ and Bryan.”
“If you don’t want to ask Bryan, we don’t have to include him.”
She shook her head. “No, we can. I’m just afraid he won’t take this seriously.” She put down her pen and notebook. “I gotta ask. Why did you veto asking Jase?”
I tried to hide my panic. We had already discussed Jase, and I said no to asking him without much explanation.
I talked to him once a week, but I hadn’t seen him in almost two years. I missed him like crazy, and there was no way I would ever be on board with Jase donating his baby makers to father a child with Allison. Sure, I loved her, and the thought of raising Jase’s child did appeal to me, probably too much, but not if half of the DNA was anyone else’s. I just… couldn’t.
I guess I had proprietary feelings over his sperm.
More like over every ounce of him.
“I just know him pretty well; I’m certain he would say no, that’s all,” I tried to lie smoothly. I really had no idea what he’d say.
She stared at me for a minute, and I felt that maybe my lie was as smooth as chunky peanut butter. I braced for the impact.
“Okay, then who do you want to ask first?” Whew.
I took a drink of my wine. “Well, most of them work in the same place. Why don’t we host a dinner and ask them all at once? Then we can see who might be interested and choose from there.”
“No to the dinner idea. I think I want to call a formal meeting. It will make things… less confusing.”
She smiled, and I knew Allison well enough to know she was amused at the thought of calling a formal meeting like this for these serious security boys.
“That sounds like a plan.” I cleared my throat. “And now that we have one, when can we tell people?” The weight of the secret was already taking its toll. I mean, I already told Charlie, who I knew would keep her mouth shut. But the next phase would clue Noah in on the plan. I knew when Jase got wind of it, it would hurt him. I needed to tell him before Noah did.
She blinked at me. “Well, I was kinda hoping we could wait until I was pregnant before we told people.”
My hope deflated. “Babe, I don’t think I can wait that long. It feels like too much like lying to the people I love.”
Still love. And this might ruin us. I just hoped he loves me enough to understand.
She huffed. “Can we at least wait until we see a doctor before we decide who we will tell?”
Sighing, I nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s acceptable.”
Thirty
“Play the Game” – Queen
“You’re probably wondering why we called you all here today,” Allison began, taking a moment to turn to me and smile. “We have a proposal for you.”
“Finally!” Bryan interjected. “So, which one of ya lasses wants to marry me?”
I giggled, but Allison narrowed her eyes.
“Not that kind of proposal.” I squeezed her hand to stop the insult from flying out of her mouth and shot a serious look to Bryan. Ally and I agreed that she’d run this show. As their sensei, we felt they would take her more seriously than they would me. Well, everyone but Bryan. He and Allison had a special relationship, one it took years to build. He was the type to love to get under her skin, even after she kicked his ass repeatedly, but he still had not completely learned the lesson of when it was appropriate to make jokes. He looked abashed and muttered an apology. He was getting there.
“First, I’d like to remind all of you that when you came to work for Noah, you signed an NDA, which prevents you from discussing anything about clients. And since Darby is still an active client of this security firm, that NDA covers what we are about to discuss. The details of this meeting are not to leave this room. Is that understood by everyone in attendance?” I smiled at her formality. This girl was in take-charge mode, one I found kinda hot.
All the men agreed.
“Good, thank you.” She looked down, took a deep breath, and cleared her throat. “Darby and I have decided to have a baby, and after discussing all our options, we really like the idea of asking those close to us if they would be willing to help us make that happen.” She looked up and met every single one of their eyes. “That’s why you are here.”
Shit. This is not what we discussed. We were supposed to tell them about the baby, and then we were going to ask them all individually. She just let all the cats out of the bag.
Quiet greeted us. I looked around at four men with absolutely stunned faces. I had to take a deep breath to not pull Allison out of the room and yell at her. Since she was in charge, I took a step away to watch and see what I needed to do to salvage this. The men just stared, waiting…
“Um, guys,” Allison said to break the silence. “Can you say something?”
Fionn piped up first. “Wow, ladies. If you are asking what I think you are asking, I, for one, am honored to be included in this meeting. I think it’s wonderful you want to have a child, but if you don’t mind me asking, what would that entail?”
She started to explain the process of what the donor would do while I locked eyes with Noah. I felt uncomfortable with his stare. We had one of those silent conversations, which I interpreted as him wondering why the one person we both knew so well was excluded from this meeting, the one I called my oldest friend.
“Which one of you will carry the baby?” Fionn asked.
“I will first. Darby can’t right now because of contract restrictions, but we discussed the possibility that she will carry the next one if and when we decide to have a second.”
Noah’s eyes widened, and I swear I could actually see the lightbulb turn on. He gave an almost imperceptible nod, and I knew I wouldn’t have to explain. I sighed in relief.
“And what will the expectations be for us once the baby is born?” Bryan inquired.
“Well, Darby and I have discussed it. We are obviously not moving out of the building, so we will let you decide how involved you are. She and I will be the legal parents of the child, and you can be an active participant in his or her life, or you can decide to not be involved. We will leave it up to you.”
A pause in the conversation allowed the men to mull over her announcement.
“Ladies, I am going to have to respectfully decline,” Noah said. He looked deeply into Ally’s eyes. “But know I am truly honored that you thought of me.”
She blushed and hugged him, whispering in his ear. “Honestly, Noah, you were the first to come to my mind.”
He pulled away and nodded respectfully, and I believe his eyes misted over. “Thank you.”
I stayed quiet, mostly to allow them to have their moment, but a little because I knew why Noah said no. His loyalty to Jase knew no bounds. I had to stop myself from offering explanations for him.
Fionn was next to speak. “I love that you think highly enough of me to ask. You two are important to me. Hell, you’re as close as family.”
“It’s why we thought of you, Fionn,” I added.
He smiled and closed his eyes. “Aw, lass, that makes this harder then.” He ran his hands down his face. “See, I have always believed that I would have a child with the woman I love.” A pained look crossed his face. “I am… I can’t…” his voice cracked, and he swallowed and closed his eyes again. “I don’t know if I can be a part-time, hands-off dad. I want to be a real father with a wife and the picket fence. I am not ready to give up on that dream just yet.”
I jumped up and ran to his side. “Oh, Fionny, we get that.”
“Yes,” Allison added, walking over to joi
n us. “And we respect your wishes.”
“There are absolutely no hard feelings,” I said while rubbing his forearm. “We still love you.”
“You’ll just get to be cool Uncle Fionn.” She smiled and grabbed his other hand.
He cupped both our cheeks in his hands and pulled us to him. “I love you both like sisters.” After kissing both our foreheads, he whispered, “I will never forget this day.” He let go and quickly exited the room, I’m sure to hide the emotion I heard in his voice from the other men. I think, though, from looking around the room, they all understood.
We were left with Joe’s and Bryan’s decisions. Both were not saying a word, and their faces were not giving anything away. Joe, with his usual stoicism, sat there expressionless, and Bryan, who was uncharacteristically quiet, covered his mouth with his fingertips.
“Gentlemen,” Allison began quietly, “this is not an easy decision or one to be taken lightly. If you need time alone to think…”
“I want to do this,” Bryan said passionately as he stood, knocking his chair to the floor. “I want to do this more than anything.”
Allison tried to hide her surprise, but I know I didn’t hide mine. My shock was not just at Bryan’s declaration, but by the fervent conviction with which he made it.
“Bryan, just so you know, we will not conceive this child the traditional way, so your dreams of a threesome aren’t going to come true.” Allison snarked.
“Allison,” I admonished. “What the hell?”
He looked as if he’d been slapped. “I know that. It’s not about that.” He walked toward her. “Okay, I get it. I probably deserved that comment. I have not always shown my best side to you, but I gotta say of all the people in my life, you are the one who challenges me the most.” He smirked and took her hand. “So I challenge back. I’ve been a jerk to you sometimes, but it’s because no one has ever pushed me as much as you have or made me want to work so hard to prove myself.” Placing his hands on her shoulders, he continued with as much sincerity as I’ve ever heard. “I respect the hell out of you, woman, because you have made me a better man. I want to repay the favor.” Allison sniffed as a tear tracked down her cheek. He smiled and pulled her into his arms where she sank into his chest. The poignancy of the moment made me teary, too. “If my purpose in this world is to provide you the opportunity to be the mother I know you can be, I cannot say no to that.”
They hugged each other for a while, both coming to an understanding. “We’ll need to go over some things before you agree fully,” Allison said into his chest.
Bryan smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t make it that easy on me, woman.”
Allison laughed and playfully pushed him away. “Of course not.”
“Joe,” I asked. “Are you okay with this?”
He nodded. “I can’t have kids due to an injury from high school football.”
“Ouch,” I let slip before I could control it.
He smiled. “Yeah, it wasn’t pleasant.” He unfolded himself from the chair and walked toward me, making me feel so incredibly small, and patted my shoulder, which is the most affection I’ve ever seen him display. “I’ll let you get to business. Thanks for asking.” And he left.
Noah came to stand next to me and put his arm around me. “Have you told him?” he asked quietly.
I shook my head. “I will, but not yet.”
He pulled me into a hug and whispered, “Please don’t wait too long,” before kissing my cheek. “You are amazing women. I’m happy for you both.” With that, he left the room.
Allison and Bryan sat with their heads together, reading over her pre-made list of requirements.
So it looked like we had a baby daddy.
Game on.
Thirty One
“The Stroke” – Billy Squire
Late nights sucked, especially when they involved trying to get Riley out of his funk of a mood since he caught his “girlfriend,” if she could really even carry that title, in bed with his pool boy the same afternoon he came home from cleaning out his deceased mother’s house. We drank and played pool most of the night. I left after he passed out, making sure Graciela and Javier could keep a close eye on him. Thank God I could call one of my guardians to come get me. Luckily, waiting for Fionn and the ride home killed my buzz.
“Hey, babe,” I announced and walked into our fully-lit home. Ally was such a stickler about turning off lights, so I knew she was still awake, surely doing more research on this baby thing.
After grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, I rounded the corner to see her hunched over the computer resting on the coffee table. A pen twirled in her fingers as she concentrated on the screen.
“What are you finding?” I asked, startling her.
“Well, Bryan has to get a STI screening, which I didn’t even think about, and he has to donate a sample every other day. We need a minimum of three samples, but I want to collect five just in case.”
“Not thinking of everything is my move. Finally, I’m rubbing off on you.” I smiled and stroked her shoulder. “He wants this, too, so I don’t think he’ll mind.”
“Yeah,” she leaned back and ran her hands down her face. “I just don’t want to wait.”
I twisted the cap off my water and looked at her sheepishly. “You know, if you were willing to do this the traditional way, you wouldn’t have to wait.”
She sat up and blinked at me. “Are you suggesting I have sex with Bryan?”
I shrugged. “It might be something to consider trying.”
She stared at me for a minute, weighing my suggestion in her head before she shook it. “Ew, no,” she whined playfully, sounding like a teenager, “I can’t have sex with a boy,” she shuddered. “That’s just grody.”
Laughing, I kissed her forehead. “Fair enough.” I turned and walked toward the shower in our bedroom, ripping my shirt over my head. “I won’t be upset if you change your mind though.”
~~~
Ally opened the door to Bryan a week later. His elbows rested on either side of the doorframe slightly above his head, a sheet of paper dangling from his fingers.
“All good, ladies. So, I’m here to make my first deposit.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Allison almost ripped the paper out of his hands, studying it carefully. “It would help me immensely if you wouldn’t be so… well… you during this process.”
“C’mon, Lass. I went through a not-so-pleasant experience getting that invasive procedure done on my willie. The least you can do is allow me the luxury of being myself.”
“Invasive procedure? Just what did they do?” I asked.
“It involved a long swab. Apparently, my doctor wanted to be… thorough.”
Allison rolled her eyes. “Thank God for that. Are you keeping up with the diet, too?”
“All organic, upped my fruits and veggies, pumpkin seeds, lean meats and spinach, and no soda, no dairy, no trans fats or processed meats, canned foods, or alcohol. I even bought pomegranate juice.” He crossed his heart. “On my honor.”
She went to say something else, but I interrupted her to take the heat off Bryan.
“Ally,” I carefully began, “I am not sure I understand why you are insisting he do it here.”
She pursed her lips at me. “I want to make sure it’s done correctly, Darby. And I want us to be in on the entire process.” Bryan raised his hand to speak, but she beat him to it. “Not that way, Bryan. I mean supportive. I told you we are not helping you.”
I laughed. “I’m pretty sure he knows how to jack off, Ally.”
Bryan shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet. “Yep, been doing it since I was a lad.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You might even call me an expert.”
Allison’s cheeks turned pink. “If neither of you are going to take this seriously…” She looked as if she was starting to lose her cool.
I rushed to her and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Hey, deep breaths, bab
e.” I exaggerated my breathing until she synced her breaths with mine. “Now, remember what you promised me when we started this?” She kept breathing and nodded. “You’re going back on your promise to me already.” Her eyes locked on mine and widened. “If this whole experience is going to drive you this crazy, I’m going to shut it down right now.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.” Smiling, she added. “I just want everything to be perfect.”
I pulled her into my arms and stroked her hair. “Babe, not everything can go perfectly all the time. But know this: our kid will have perfect parents.” I pulled back and kissed her lips.
“Now that’s the way to get me going,” Bryan interjected. “Let’s see some tongue action.”
I leaned my forehead on hers and whispered, “He can’t not be himself. I can’t believe you even asked.”
She smiled. “I know.”
We broke our embrace, and she grabbed a specimen cup. I zoned out while she explained how to use it. I was too busy planning out an idea with the help of my phone.
She led him to our guest bathroom, and right after she shut the door, I spoke through it. “Is it going to bug you if we play music? I mean, we really don’t want to hear you, but I also don’t want to take you out of the zone, either.”
He chuckled. “No worries. Once I’m in the zone, nothing will distract me, so go ahead.”
I had to stop myself from giggling. “Thanks.”
I ran to our speaker system and plugged in my phone. Making sure the speaker in the bathroom was turned on, I started my newly-created playlist.
First song: “Pump it Up” by Elvis Costello. I let it play for a minute before playing the second song: “Fingers” by P!nk.
“What are you doing?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Having some fun.”
“Darby,” Allison warned, “I really don’t like…”
