by J. S. Wilder
“Billing. I need to settle payment for a patient.” He glanced at the clock. Four thirty. Didn’t Megan say that she needed the only before five or six today?
The line clicked over. “You’d like to settle your account with us?” a man answered. “May I have the number on the bill?”
Levx read off the twelve digit number on the paper.
“And how much will you be paying?”
“All of it,” Levx stated.
The man let out a startled cough. “Excuse me? Did you say the entire balance due?”
“Yes.” He paused, his thumb stroking over Megan’s handwriting. There had been a tremble in her lips as she wrote out the information for him as well as a determination in her soft eyes. Levx could tell that she wasn’t used to asking for anything. “In fact, how long will the patient need to be in the hospital?”
He’d no idea what was wrong with Megan’s father and felt it would’ve been rude to ask her when he didn’t really know her. But now that he was paying her bill, he wanted to ensure she didn’t dread the hospital bills mounting up again. The thought of her stressed or anxious made his gut twist.
“Let me see.” A keyboard click-clacked over the line. “He’s waiting on a kidney transplant but it doesn’t look good. There are dozens more above him in the list.”
Levx leaned back against the wall next to the printer. “All right. Send me an invoice covering his stay with you all for the next year for my records but I can pay the full amount now.” That should be enough time for Levx to locate a dedicated donor for the man. “And how much do you need to put him at the top of the list for a kidney transplant?”
“I-I’m not sure, I’ll let you know if you’d provide contact information for us to get back in touch with you.”
Levx rattled off his work email address and gave the guy his credit card information. “Charge for the full stay and bumping him up on the donor list.”
“Well, it all comes down to the list, we put emergency patients at the top.”
Money here paid for all kinds of things. “And how much of a donation would I need to make to move my friend’s father up?”
After they negotiated a hefty price, Levx completed the transaction.
“Thank you for trusting us with your family’s care,” the man gushed out.
“No problem.” Levx clicked the end call button on his phone. Since Megan was a waitress, he doubted she had much money. From what he knew about her, she probably lived on scraps and put all the money she could into paying her dad’s hospital bills. Admiration for her grew and he entered a wire transfer into her bank account of twenty-thousand dollars over his cell phone that was over and above the hospital bill. Once she was pregnant, he’d pay her thirty thousand more and sixty thousand after the baby was born. He shivered. Still, a weird concept for a babe to be born and not hatched. Done, he pocketed his phone.
Now to get Megan to review and sign the papers. He grabbed the newly printed contract and hurried back to his office. But when he got there, it was empty.
Where did she go? His breaths lodged in his throat. Did she change her mind? Overhear him paying her debt and decided to bail? He shook his head, no, he didn’t believe that. Doubt still nagged at him though as he walked the empty hallway.
Feet away, the triples argument about who had won their latest game sounded through the walls. Then one of the boy’s voices rose above the others.
“Yes, dragons are real but we’re called Renjerians. Humans changed our names.” The boy’s voice faded out again.
Levx raced toward them. There was no one here, except Megan, that wouldn’t know Renjerians were dragons. What if she connected the pieces between seeing an actual dragon and his family’s company?
His heart hammered in his chest as he whipped around the corner. There sat Megan with a dinosaur mask on top of her head with all three trouble-makers around her in a semi-circle spilling all their secrets.
“Whoa, what’s going on here?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm even though he wanted to yell at the kids. His hope was that she didn’t take their stories seriously but then there was the pesky problem of her seeing an actual dragon recently…him.
“Hi!” she breathed out. Her eyes brightened when she looked at him and his heart thumped harder. “We were just playing a game. Sorry, I got a little claustrophobic in your office.”
He doubted that very much. “You’ve not changed your mind about our agreement, have you?” Fear clawed up his insides. He’d let her keep the money. Renjerians had a ton of it from their planet’s gold.
“No, not yet.” Her gaze dipped to the papers in his hand. “Those for me?”
“Yes. Everything should be in order but if you or your lawyer have any questions or need anything changed, just let me know.” Would she run once she knew she had her dad’s bills paid off and any continuing expenses for the next year? Or that he’d put money into her bank account and set up to find a kidney donor for her father? Some women would. But he wouldn’t make her feel obligated no matter how much he wanted to be around her and get to know her better.
He cleared his throat. “Remember, all of this is up to you and under your control until…well, until implantation.”
“Right.” She shuddered. “Sounds so impersonal but I guess that’s the way these things are. Business first and foremost.”
“Boys!” His sister hollered from down the hall and the triples scampered off after retrieving the dinosaur mask from Megan.
When she moved to stand, Levx held out his hand to help her up. Her skin was soft and warm and fit into his grip perfectly. “As I said, I would like to get to know you. Let us both become more comfortable with each other. No need to rush into anything yet.”
Her face flushed highlighting the sprinkle of freckles on her cheeks. “Um, thanks. I’ve never done anything like this before.” She took the paperwork he handed her. “I hate to ask but did you get a chance to speak with the hospital? They were going to move my dad this evening if I didn’t—”
“Everything is taken care of.” He smiled at her widening eyes. “Would you like a ride to the hospital? My car is in the garage downstairs.”
“Sure, thanks.” The papers crinkled in her hand.
“Give me a minute to email a copy of the paperwork to you and your lawyer an electronic copy to review. Save a little bit of time of having you to ask or make copies.”
“I-I don’t have a lawyer.” She swallowed hard. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to have a few days to review the contract and run it past a friend of mine that’s studying to become a paralegal.”
“Of course.” He nodded. Half an hour later, he’d emailed the contract to her and they sat in silence in this BMW on the way to the hospital.
“Your dad must really be something for you to work so hard at his care.”
She shifted in the passenger seat. “He is. After my mom died of cancer, his health worsened. We had her medical bills and funeral expenses to cover, then he lost his job. Through everything, he’s been my biggest supporter. Telling me to go back to college, to figure out what I want to do with my life because I don’t want to be a waitress for the rest of my life.”
“He’s right.” He gave her a side-long glance. “You should go to school and not put your life on hold for anyone.” His admiration grew for her father, dealing with his health issues yet wanted his daughter to have a full life and realize her potential. All the schools on his home-world had been abandoned during the wars. Parents and whoever was available taught the young ones. Before they came to Earth, there’d been little time to even show the hatchlings how to fly. It always had to be under the cover of night and with a dozen warriors standing guard. Here, it still had to be done at night but only one or two dragons were needed to ensure the younglings were protected.
“I know but I can’t think of school or much else while he’s suffering,” her voice caught.
To comfort her, he laid a hand over hers and warmth sprea
d through him as they drove in silence. The fact she didn’t pull her hand from his gave him a funny feeling in his chest like he’d swallowed the tickle berries of Zaboria.
“If your dad was better, what would you study?” he asked.
She shrugged, biting lip. “I don’t know. Mom got sick just before I entered high school, then dad went on dialysis my junior year. Never thought much about a career except getting one paycheck to the next to help with the bills.”
“Well, if you agree with the contract, no pressure,” he added with a wink, “then you can use some of your free time for college. What subjects did you enjoy?”
Her hand eased from his to place both of hands under her thighs. “Math and maybe science I guess. All the other waitresses were surprised I could tally things in my head when I first started when it had taken them years.”
“So what employment heavily uses math that you may like?” He paused not knowing all the jobs humans could have that might involve figures. “A professor?”
She let out a chuckle of laughter that made him smile. “No way. I mean I like kids and all but don’t want to have to worry about them being bored by lectures and stuff. Guess I could try a bit of engineering…that might be fun.”
“Engine-ing?” He frowned looking down at the dashboard. “You wish to work with cars?”
“Wha—ah, no. Engineering…design things from machines to rockets to computers.” She cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowed. “Sorry, don’t they have engineers in your country?”
He stiffened. How many times had people told him they couldn’t place his accent? Megan must think the reason he didn’t know about the profession was a language barrier when in reality it was an inter-space issue. He focused on how she had pronounced the word and tried again. “Never paid attention to engineers before.”
When she turned back to the road as they exited the freeway, he let out a breath. His plan had been to get closer to her, get to know her, not for her to discover his secret. At best, she’d scream or faint. At worst, she’d call down the authorities on him and his people. One thing about humans that hadn’t changed in centuries was that anything new and different frightened them.
Last thing he needed was to be hunted by humans or set up on a scientists’ dissecting table.
Chapter 11
Megan
Megan unfastened her seatbelt as Levx turned off the car once they arrived at the hospital. Wasn’t he just going to drop her off? “Thanks for the ride. I can take the bus back home.”
“Nonsense.” He gave her a smile that made her heart flutter hard against her chest. “I insist on seeing you safely home. Besides, I would like to meet your father if you’re okay with that?”
“No…yes.” She squeezed her eyes shut briefly to think of an excuse. What would her dad say if she waltzed in with this businessman and said, ‘hey dad, this guy and his dead wife want me to have their baby. It’s going to pay the bills for a bit so please don’t freak out.’ Yeah, like that would work. She didn’t see the huge deal about loaning out her uterus for nine months to see her dad continue the care he needed but she wasn’t sure her father would approve of the idea. Sometimes he could be a bit old-fashioned. Like when he told her she couldn’t have a boyfriend until she was seventeen and then it was double-dates only.
“Are you ashamed of me? Or do you think I should change?” Levx glanced down at his suit. “Am I as you say too formal?”
“No, it’s not you.” She hesitated. “Promise me you won’t mention the surrogate thing. I just don’t think he’d understand and I haven’t signed the agreement yet either.”
“Megan,” he took her trembling hand in his. His thumb rubbing across her knuckles distracted her. “If you’re ashamed of doing this, you don’t have to. I know we had a verbal arrangement but I don’t want you to feel pressured in any way to have to comply.”
She squeezed his hand back. “I don’t. Just promise me you won’t say anything about our agreement, okay?”
“As you wish.” He let go of her hand but his expression turned serious. “Though, if you do agree, you will need to tell him eventually.”
“Of course.” Her voice wasn’t as steady as she would’ve liked. She continued forcing a bit of light-heartedness into her words. “Be kind of hard to hide a growing belly for nine months.”
He frowned. “I will abide by your wishes but I won’t accept your signed contract until after I have your father’s acknowledgment.”
“Now who’s being old-fashioned?” She crossed her arms.
“I’m not saying he has to like it or agree but I don’t like the idea of causing a rift of lies between you and your father.”
She squirmed in the passenger seat under his scrutiny. What did it matter? Wasn’t like she was becoming a porn star or a prostitute or anything. She was helping a couple—albeit only the man—a chance to have a family with his deceased wife. Her father couldn’t dislike her trying to help herself and Levx. Yet the idea of explaining to her father made bile rise up in the back of her throat. “Sure.”
After a few minutes of checking in through the front doors, Megan led Levx up to her dad’s room. Her stomach churned, worrying about the hospital staff telling her that no payment had been made and that they’d moved her dad. Except no one stopped them and she heaved a sigh of relief when the paper name tag still had her dad’s name.
“Hi!” She pushed open the door and slid inside. “I brought someone to meet you.”
“Oh?” Her father ran a hand through his thinning gray hair. “A boyfriend?”
“D-a-d,” she drew the word out and her blush heated her whole face. “My new boss.”
“Pleased to meet you, sir.” Levx held out his hand and her dad took it with a narrowing gaze.
“I’m Mr. Maxell. Call me Sam. And you are?”
She rolled her eyes and sat on the end of his hospital bed. Leave it to her dad to give any potential man in her life the third degree.
“Levx. I hope to hire your daughter for our firm.”
“What firm?” Her father raised his eyebrow. “What would she be doing, exactly for you?”
Shit! Helpless to interfere or her dad would figure something was up, Megan looked over at Levx who didn’t even flinch.
“Filing and secretarial work.”
“You got benefits?”
Levx nodded. “Whatever she and you need. And I’ve encouraged her to continue her schooling to become an engine.”
“A what?” Her dad glanced from Levx to her and back.
“Engineer, Dad.” She patted his leg under the hospital’s blanket.
“Sorry.” Now Levx blushed and the color brightened his golden eyes, stealing her breath. “My English is not good sometimes.”
Her father cleared his throat. “Well, if you can get her to go back to college, even part-time, then I’m forever in your debt. So glad she’s getting out of the waitress-life.” He turned to her. “I didn’t even know you were looking for a new job.”
“Long story. Mitch is selling the place,” she shrugged but gave him a smile, “figured it was time to try something new.”
“I’m proud of you.” Her dad leaned forward, pulling her into a hug.
Shame for lying to him burned a hole in her gut. “Thanks, Dad.”
What would her dad think about what she’d really be doing? Sure, bringing in a new life was admirable but what would he feel about it not being her baby? She couldn’t do that to him. Even if he’d be fine with her using her body to have a baby for a childless couple—or in this case for Levx and his deceased wife—she couldn’t add to his worry and stress by telling him the truth. She couldn’t take that risk of upsetting him.
“Now, leave me alone with your new boss.” Her dad pulled back from their hug. “I’ve got some questions to ask him and I don’t want him worried about what you’ll think of his answers.”
“Dad, you’re being weird.” Megan’s anxiety tightened like a noose around her neck.
Her father crossed his arms and by the set of his jaw, arguing would be pointless but she’d try anyway. “I came to visit with you and visiting hours will be over soon.”
“And I’ll be here again tomorrow and the next day unless it’s my time to go. Now give me a kiss and wait out in the lobby for your new boss.”
Wow, if her dad treated her new boss like this, what would he do if Levx was her boyfriend? She shook her head, where had that thought come from? Levx was a business arrangement, nothing more. She let out a groan, kissing his cheek, then giving a please-don’t-sell-me-out look at Levx before she left the room. Outside the door, she paused. She’d made the right decision not to tell her father the truth since he was giving Levx the third degree and didn’t even know the whole truth. Her father’s voice drifted through the thin walls. Part of her wanted to stay and listen, but no, her father asked for privacy and she couldn’t deny him this small request. It was the least she could do since she was lying to him.
Taking a deep breath, she turned from her dad’s room and strolled to the lobby. For a few minutes, she flipped through the hospital’s magazines, not really finding anything interesting to occupy her time while she waited. She paced back and forth in the waiting room. What could her dad possibly be asking Levx? Would he cave under her dad’s scrutiny and say that she was considering becoming a surrogate?
Fear gnawed at her insides while she waited. Every time the elevator door dinged open, she rushed forward to see if it was Levx and each time it wasn’t, her nervousness increased three-fold until she was sure she’d get a brain aneurysm from worrying so much.
Chapter 12
Levx
“What country are you from?” Megan’s father gestured at the empty glass and the picture of water next to it just out of his reach.
Levx poured the water and handed him the cup. “My family moved around a lot but I was born near the West coast of Africa.” Not really, he was hatched thousands of miles from Earth but humans got a bit crazy when it came to aliens and such.
