by Holly Rayner
“Don’t say anything,” Filipe said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He hung up. Eva stared at her computer screen.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said to her empty apartment.
She really couldn’t.
Chapter Twelve
Eva was pleasantly surprised when a chauffeur showed up at her doorstep the next morning. She had more than enough money for cab fare, but it was a nice gesture on Filipe’s part. She was even happier to note the driver was the same rosy cheeked, charming man who’d driven her back to the Ramada several days before.
Traffic was heavy. Even though they’d left her apartment building at 11:30 a.m., the car didn’t reach Central Park until nearly 12:15 p.m. Filipe was waiting for her patiently by the entrance gate, holding a cup of something in each hand.
“Thanks,” Eva said to the driver as she left the car. “It was nice seeing you again.”
“You too, miss. Enjoy your afternoon!”
Filipe met her on the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day. The skies were cloudless and blue. Fall was completely underway now, and orange and red leaves lined the park.
Eva wished she could fully enjoy it. She appreciated how Filipe was spoiling her, but it was bittersweet. Was he only sending her drivers and giving her gifts because he wanted a baby? Or was there something more to it?
You don’t even know if he likes you. Besides, you can’t have him. Stop getting attached.
It was hard to listen to the voice in her head, though. She was having so much fun. With ten thousand extra dollars in her bank account, the world seemed cheerful for the first time since she’d left home. Even if she said no to Filipe’s offer, she’d have months before she’d need another paycheck. It was just the boost she needed.
Eva thought she’d feel guilty about taking money from a prince. Surprisingly enough, she didn’t. He was right. He had put her through a lot. Besides, he was rolling in dough. Ten thousand dollars was chump change. She would feel worse if she’d won the money in a lawsuit against Gustavo’s. A successful harassment lawsuit could put a mom-and-pop shop out of business. This, however, wouldn’t have any effect on Filipe’s life. Why feel guilty about it?
Or, maybe it was simpler than all that. Maybe she liked the idea of a prince pampering her. She warned herself not to get attached—he could go as quickly as he’d come. But, for now, this was enough. Just seeing him (and knowing she’d make rent through December) was enough. Even if Filipe saw everything as part of a business deal, she was grateful to be part of it.
“Hey,” she said brightly. “What’s that?”
Filipe handed her a cup.
“Thought we could enjoy some hot chocolate on our walk. Sorry if it’s a little cold; I didn’t take the traffic into consideration.”
“I don’t mind. Thank you.”
They began walking down the path and into the park. Eva couldn’t think of anything to say. Should they jump right into it? Should they talk first? What was the proper way to handle something like this?
“How are you?” Eva asked, settling on awkward small talk.
“I’m all right,” Filipe said, though he hadn’t smiled yet. “And you? No work today?”
Eva shook her head.
“No,” she said. “I have a long weekend.”
She wasn’t sure why she decided to lie. It wasn’t as if Filipe cared. But, for some reason, she didn’t want him to think she was only interested in the money.
Why else would you be doing this?
“It’s a nice day,” he said, staring into the distance. They were still walking together, but Eva wasn’t sure where they were going.
“Yeah,” she said.
It was silent for almost an entire minute before Eva spoke again.
“What’s going on?”
Filipe seemed to snap out of a trance.
“Huh?”
Eva raised an eyebrow.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh,” he said, looking first at the ground, and then at her. “Yeah, sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“About what?”
“About the baby.”
Understanding flashed across his face.
“No,” he said. “Not at all.”
“Then, what’s wrong? Is everything all right?”
Filipe took a sip from his cup, then looked back at her.
“You haven’t tried your hot chocolate,” he dodged, completely ignoring what she’d said.
Eva took a drink and smiled.
“It’s good,” she said. “I’ve always liked the hot chocolate here.”
“How do you know it’s the same? Vendors around Central Park change all the time.”
“It’s not about the taste,” Eva said. “It’s about the feeling.”
Filipe nodded but didn’t say anything else.
“Why don’t we sit down?” Eva asked, pointing to an upcoming bench.
“That would be fine.”
They sat down. Eva was careful to leave half a foot of space between them. Something was clearly wrong with Filipe. This wasn’t the time to try getting close.
Besides, he wasn’t showing any interest in her. He didn’t even seem happy to see her again. Somehow, when they’d spoken over the phone, Eva had convinced herself that Filipe was waiting for her to contact him—that he hadn’t looked for other women to carry his child because he wanted her to do it.
Now, she felt stupid. He obviously had more important things to worry about. His mother was dying. His wife was MIA. He had a world of obligations and expectations. She was insignificant, just like the money he’d given her.
Is this how our child is going to feel?
“I don’t think I can do this,” Eva said. “I’m sorry to waste your time.”
She stood up from the bench.
“Wait, what?” Filipe said.
His eyes had completed cleared, and he seemed to come back to Earth from wherever he’d been.
“You said you had questions. You said you wanted to talk.”
“You have other things on your mind,” Eva said. “You barely recognize that I’m standing here talking to you. I’m not sure what you’re thinking about, but this isn’t the first time you’ve disappeared. Even if I’m not going to raise my child, I don’t want it growing up in a world where it doesn’t feel loved.”
“I’m sorry,” Filipe said, standing up with her. “You don’t understand. This isn’t normal. And my life is going to change once I have that baby. Everything is going to be different. My child is going to come before everything else. I’m never going to let him feel unwanted. I swear.”
“Him?” Eva asked, smiling halfheartedly. “You didn’t say anything about a guaranteed gender.”
“It’s just easier to pick one for conversation’s sake,” he said.
“So, you’re okay with anything?”
“I mean, I’m okay with a boy or a girl.”
She giggled.
“You promise this doesn’t happen often?” Eva asked. “And you better not lie to me.”
“I promise.”
Eva sat back down.
“All right,” she said. “But I have more to say, so you’d better be present for the rest of this conversation.”
“You got it.”
He seemed to mean it. He sat down next to her and looked straight into her eyes. She had him now. She scooted a bit closer.
“I want a say in how my child is raised,” she said. “I have expectations.”
“If you have reasonable expectations, that’s something we can talk about. You’re welcome to write down your ideas or we can schedule time to talk through them in person.”
This isn’t business as usual, Filipe.
“Okay,” Eva said. “But I want you to explain your parenting style to me.”
“I can set time aside for that.”
“No,” she said. “Now.”
“Now?”
“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? You want to convince me to say yes.”
“Is this a deal breaker?”
“It could be,” she said. “If I think you aren’t a fit parent.”
“Is that really any of your business?”
Eva sighed.
“Whether I’m involved in her life or not, I want to know I’m leaving my child in good hands. That’s my responsibility as a mother, Filipe. You can’t ask me to do this and not answer my questions.”
Filipe nodded.
“I guess that’s fair.”
“So? Go ahead. Start talking.”
He ran his hands through his hair. Eva couldn’t help but feel nervous and excited around him, no matter how collected she seemed. She’d never spent this much time with someone so attractive and intelligent before.
“I believe in love,” Filipe said. “My parents raised me with love. I want my child to feel wanted. I plan on stepping back from my responsibilities for several years to raise him. Or her, if that makes you happy. She’ll go to grade school knowing she has support at home. And she’ll see me every single day.”
“You can’t possible guarantee that.”
“I can do my best.”
“What about Luiza?”
Filipe looked confused.
“What about her?”
“Tell me about her parenting style. Does she believe in raising a child with love?”
“She won’t be raising it,” Filipe said. “They might see one another at family events, but she doesn’t want anything to do with the baby.”
Eva was shocked.
“What are you talking about? You said you’d get her on board.”
“Yeah, so the public will think we both adopted the baby,” Filipe said. “I never said I’d convince her to raise it. I’ve already spoken with her and we’ve reached an agreement. She’ll play the role of a mother in the spotlight, but she wants nothing to do with him.”
“Why would she agree to that?”
“Because I’m doing this with or without her permission,” he said. “And, this way, she comes out looking like a devoted mother instead of the woman who refuses to raise a child.”
“But she is the woman who refuses to raise a child,” Eva said angrily. “Your wife is a self-centered—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Filipe said. “It’s better off this way. You don’t want my wife raising your child. Trust me. Her parenting style is nothing like mine.”
“Okay,” Eva said. “But what if something happens to you? Won’t she get the baby?”
“No,” Filipe said. “She’s not going to have any rights to the baby at all. Once you sign the release papers, I’ll have sole custody. My wife has nothing to do with it.”
“What if someone digs that up?”
“They won’t,” he said. “My family hasn’t had a scandal in centuries. We’re not interesting enough to investigate.”
“That seems risky,” Eva said. “And you still haven’t answered my question.”
“What question?”
“What if something happens to you?”
“Oh,” Filipe said. “If something happens to me, the child will be left to you in my will.”
“What?”
“Along with enough money to properly care for it.”
Eva needed a moment to process what she’d just heard.
He’s going to give the baby back to me?
She couldn’t decide if she was pleased or disturbed.
“Won’t the whole world find out, then?” Eva asked.
“Who cares? I’ll be dead.”
“I won’t be,” Eva said. “And, I’ll have a royal baby. Everyone is going to have questions.”
“It’s okay,” Filipe said. “The odds of me dying before our child turns eighteen are very slim.”
Her heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he’d referred to the theoretical baby as their child instead of his own.
“But Filipe,” she countered. “Even if Luiza is a horrible mother, isn’t that still better than no mother at all? A child needs her mother.”
“I’m not happy about it,” he said. “I regret it. But I’ll love her enough for both of us. You’ll have to trust me on that.”
“And you still aren’t willing to leave Luiza to make this whole process easier?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d stop asking.”
Her stomach sunk. The words hurt, but his glare hurt more. She didn’t say anything for a while. The sky was beginning to gather clouds. It looked like it was going to rain. It was amazing how quickly the weather changed in New York during the fall.
Filipe broke the silence.
“I’m not trying to make you feel bad,” he said. “But I don’t want to have this argument throughout your entire pregnancy. I want you to understand that my circumstances aren’t going to change.”
“Believe me,” Eva said. “You’ve made that clear.”
“Okay,” Filipe said. “Then let’s move forward.”
“What do you mean?”
“The terms are fairly simple,” he stated in a business-like tone. “You agree to conceive, carry, and give birth to our biological child. Once the child is born, you’ll have twenty-four hours with the baby before you’ll be asked to sign away your rights as a parent. You’ll be paid one million dollars in total for the task—five hundred thousand to be paid after conception, and five hundred thousand to be paid after birth.”
“Okay.”
“If, at any point during your pregnancy, you change your mind,” he continued. “You’ll be allowed to keep the initial five hundred thousand dollars paid after conception. You will not, however, be paid the other half. You will also not be allowed to change your mind again. Once the child is born, I will sign away my rights as a parent. The child will be yours to raise on your own.”
It sounded so cold. He wouldn’t want anything to do with the baby if he couldn’t have it alone?
She didn’t like the terms. She also didn’t like his tone. It was almost as though he’d slammed the door shut on any friendly conversation. This was strictly business.
Still, five hundred thousand dollars was a lot of money—even if she ended up changing her mind. Ten thousand was enough to carry her through the year, but she knew it wouldn’t be enough to keep her from working another menial coffeehouse job. With half a million dollars, she could get a house. She could go back to school and get a degree.
That would all be made harder with the complication of a baby, but it was better than where she was. Besides, she fully intended on giving the child to Filipe. Only pregnancy hormones would change that, and she didn’t think they’d be strong enough. She didn’t want to be a single mom. Filipe would be a better parent.
Eva took a deep breath.
“Fine,” she sighed. “I agree.”
“Good,” Filipe said, his voice unwavering. “Would you like to conceive medically, or the old-fashioned way?”
Eva was taken aback.
“I assumed you’d want me to conceive medically,” she said. “You said you don’t want to feel anything for anyone.”
“I won’t,” he said. “We both know what this is.”
It was like being stabbed in the heart.
Still, thinking back to when they’d been together, she’d had a good time—even when she didn’t think she’d ever see Filipe again. Maybe sleeping with him was exactly what she needed to cast her feelings aside. Besides, she had to admit, she’d more than enjoyed it the last time.
“All right,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow. According to my calendar, that’s the best time to start. But you better make it romantic. None of this business crap. I’m still a woman with needs.”
“Agreed,” Filipe said.
Eva stood from the bench and stretched.
“You know where to find me,” she said.
He only nodded as she wa
lked away.
Chapter Thirteen
The very next morning, Eva woke to the sound of a knock on her door.
“Who is it?”
She was groggy and tired. She’d spend most of the night tossing and turning on the couch, thinking about Filipe and what being pregnant would be like. She was nervous. She also couldn’t sleep on her mattress anymore. Stuffing was spilling out of one side.
Maybe I’ll buy a new one.
It wasn’t as if she couldn’t afford it.
There was another knock at the door.
“All right, I’m coming,” Eva called. “Just a minute.”
She pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Her hair was a raggedy mess. She would need to shower before tonight.
Crossing to the door, Eva was suddenly struck with the fear that Filipe would be behind it.
He wouldn’t come here, would he?
She hoped not. If he saw her like this, he might change his mind about having a baby with her. She knew she would, if she were in his shoes.
But it wasn’t Filipe behind the door. It was a deliveryman with a vase full of lilies. They were her favorite.
“Delivery for Miss Eva Nightingale,” he said, holding out the bouquet. As she took it, an envelope fell to the floor.
“What was that?” Eva asked.
“The sender wanted me to deliver a note with the flowers,” he said. “Have a nice day.”
He turned and walked down the stairs.
Eva grabbed the note from the floor and carried the flowers into the kitchen. She placed them on the counter. Her hands began to shake. After how Filipe had treated her the day before, why would he send her flowers? Then again, maybe they weren’t from Filipe.
Who else would they be from?
She opened the note to find the lilies were, in fact, from the prince.
Good morning, it read. Please meet me at my penthouse apartment this evening. I’ll send a car to pick you up around seven o’clock.
It was signed Prince Filipe di Benici.
“How did he know lilies are my favorite?” Eva asked her empty apartment.
She already knew the answer. He probably liked them himself.
At seven o’clock sharp, there was another knock at her door. Eva had just finished curling her hair with an iron she’d purchased from the store earlier that day. She’d also had a queen-sized bed delivered, cleaned her entire apartment from top to bottom, and bought and applied a modest amount of makeup.
