by Tia Siren
“Your money will be refunded as soon as possible,” Evan said. “Yes, once the banks are open, I’ll get it sorted.” I loved his commanding tone.
The woman lifted her shoulders and sighed. “Forgive me. I’m sorry.”
“You’re too damned late for sorry,” Evan said, still with a deep voice as anger burned across his handsome face.
“Please forgive me, I’ll make it up to you. I promise I’ll be a good girl.” She begged, and my stomach turned sick.
“You should have thought of that earlier,” he replied forcefully. “You’ve never respected the agreement. This was always going to happen.”
The woman stepped closer to Evan and placed her hands on his chest.
“Can you re-consider?” she asked, her voice desperate. “Don’t turn me away now. We’ve come so far together.”
“I think you should leave now Susan,” Evan said. “You’ve caused too much of a scene already. I’m not going to change my mind. Not after the way you’ve just acted.”
The shoe is firmly on the other foot, lady. Who’s sorry now? Consider yourself well and truly dumped, bright eyes.
“We can sort it out, can’t we?” she asked, now in a pitiful, sorrowful voice.
Evan shook his head in disgust. “Get out of here, and leave us alone.”
The woman slumped and turned. Then she walked directly to the exit and left. Evan sighed and lowered himself back into his seat.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said embarrassed. “She’s a bit on the wild side, even for me.”
“Well, from the look of her, there wasn’t much you could do about it. I take it she’s a disgruntled customer?”
“She’s always been trouble from day one. She thought the rules didn’t apply to her. I should have told her we were finished a long time ago, but I wanted to hold up my end of the deal and give her a child.”
Just another client. Good or bad didn’t matter. She’s just another name on your list. Like me. Ugh!!
“I’m just totally amazed she went off like that,” I said. “She was pissed. I thought she was going to hit you.”
“Ever since you sent me your picture, I’ve been putting her off and avoiding her. Maybe she that gave her the right to be angry, but nothing gives her the right to go off on me in public like that. It’s a complete violation of the agreement. I’m just glad she’s gone.”
“Yep!”
“All that matters right now is being with you. It’s been too long since we’ve been together.” He raised his head and gazed into my eyes.
A big cloud of uncertainty positioned itself over my head. I’d just witnessed one of his clients going off on him. There had to be more clients out there in the world. How many were there like her? How often is he going to bump into a client who recognizes him? It was a lot to take in, and I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.
“I’m sorry Evan, but after all that, I’m not sure. I mean, is this going to happen again? We come out for dinner or something and one of your clients interrupts? Is that what life with you is like?”
“She’s the only one whose ever been a problem,” he said. “All the others have been fine.”
“That’s my point Evan. There are others. So many others. I can’t see myself carrying on. I’m sorry. ”I stood from my chair and looked at Evan. I smiled sadly. “Goodbye.” My heart stayed in the chair I’d left.
I stood outside the restaurant and leaned against the wall. Cold night air and the smell of honey and chicory filled my lungs. I rested my head against the wall, and tears streamed down my face.
Fuck you, Evan. Why does this always happen to me when you’re involved?
I regained some of my composure and moved across the parking lot toward the street. The bell from the restaurant door chimed, and faint footsteps sounded behind me.
“Wait!” Evan called.
I kept walking. My head swam, like I was in a dream.
“Piper, hold up,” he called again.
I was almost to the street now. A cab approached. I raised my hand to get the driver’s attention. Evan grabbed my arm and spun me toward him, with force and passion.
“Piper, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do now,” he said, breathing heavily.
I raised my arm again, and the cab pulled to the side of the street.
“There is nothing to do. I’m trying to figure out how to be okay with all of this, but I can’t. And it’s not fair to interrupt your life. Honestly.” I turned back to the road as a million needles stung my heart.
I’d started the evening confused. Our night had been cut short, and I was even more confused, now. The interruption by the crazy client had ruined everything. It added to the confusing feelings stirring inside me. I had no idea which way my emotions were going to take me. My mind was on a joyride, destination unknown.
“Piper, tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it,” Evan said, “Anything, no questions asked. Just tell me how to fix this, please.”
“I don’t know, Evan,” I said. “I really don’t know.” The cab stopped in front of me and relief flooded my system. As much as I didn’t want to run from the only man I’d love, I had no choice.
Maybe running wasn’t a good idea. Maybe figuring things out was better. Susan popped into my head, her brand of crazy not unique at all. Evan was every woman’s wet dream. This sort of crazy bullshit was going to happen all the time. It wasn’t just me and Susan purchasing his services.
He had other clients. They were out there. It would never be just me. That thought hung around my neck like a noose. I placed my hand on the door of the cab and opened it.
“Piper. Just tell me what you want. I don’t want to lose you. I just got you back.” He reached out, but I avoided his touch. How had this gotten to this point? What fucked up fate fairy had sent him back in my life only to rip him out again? Why the hell was life so unfair?
I turned to Evan. “I can’t see myself sharing you with anyone. You have to understand that.” I paused as tears burned my eyes. “Would you share me?”
“Never,” he whispered softly and moved back, his handsome face a mask of pain. “Not in a million years.”
I climbed into the cab, my heart lost and broken. I couldn’t look back to watch him standing on the side of the road, I couldn’t see him there. Not now.
Not ever again.
Chapter 15
Evan
I did not set the alarm; I had no need to today. I laid in bed, and my eyes opened. A strange feeling washed over me. For once, I had nowhere to be. Normally, I had some sort of schedule, but not today. My plans went no further than my daily session in the gym. Then after that, nada, nothing. It showed how little I had going on in my life, apart from living the high life.
I swung my legs from the bed and dressed in my regular clothes for my morning gym session. I made my way to the gym and stepped on the treadmill. Headphones on, I hit the switch and the treadmill began to roll. I stared out the window and slowly began to jog as the treadmill gradually increased its speed. The music blared in my ears, and I let my mind wander. Susan had been dropped, as she should have. Her money would be refunded and good riddance to her. I had no clients pending at all. It dawned on me. I hadn’t been in this situation very often. I was alone.
After Susan’s episode, I didn’t even have Piper, or the chance of being with Piper, it seemed. She had seemed distant, and I felt sure that she wouldn’t be proceeding. I would have to see how that one panned out. It had unfortunately happened before. When it came to Piper, my behavior always seemed to disappoint. Could Piper be the thing that changed this? No. I had lost the opportunity to be with her all over again.
What if she became pregnant? Have you thought of that scenario, Evan? Fuck!
That thought had not made itself known to me until now. Piper had not actually signed any contract. So, if she did become pregnant, I had no disclaimer in place. Her (our) kid would be an heir to my estate. I would have an “actual” chil
d of my own. If that happened, it would mean my whole life of being careful had turned completely upside down.
Life’s a lottery, and your success rate is ninety-nine percent. What are the chances she has conceived on the first attempt? Shit!!
The one time I thought a woman shouldn’t be pregnant was right now. I had never wanted children. Not just because of the money aspect; I just didn’t want them. This feeling could have come from many places. I mean, it could be the fact I was adopted, or from the fact that there are many women who are single. This means there is a whole host of kids walking around who have no real person to call dad. And it’s only the mother who will have that memory of me. Not the kid.
It’s Piper though, that’s the difference. Christ, if it did go wrong and she conceived, I would be happy it was her. She was not stupid and would do the right thing. She would also be a great mother. I had no doubts in that department.
You wanted her so bad. Ten fucking years. Evan!!
It’s true. I’d wanted Piper so badly my cock had been thinking for me. My brain had taken a back seat, and I had been guided by my full loins. I’d convinced myself the only way to be with Piper, was taking her as a client and servicing her like all of the others. Those precious moments that I had sought for so long were here. It had all stemmed from the fact she wanted a child. She’d be another single mother who wanted to bring a child into the world with no father.
I wanted to give her everything she had sought by coming to me, the Baby Maker. Then Susan fucking Reynolds had gone and shoved her fucking nose into everything. Somewhere she shouldn’t have ventured into. The situation between Piper and me was personal, not that it should have been. Christ, it should have been purely business. When Susan Reynolds had shown up, it looked like a personal attack on Piper. Because of her stupid outburst, the door to Piper had been slammed very firmly, closed hard into my face.
I had to start again. I wanted to put things right with Piper. There was no way for me to turn up at her place and be led to her bed this time. The approach would have to be entirely different. She wouldn’t let herself slip a second time. Not with me, and not now.
I exited the shower after an extended workout, and the phone rang.
“Hello, Tyler,” I said.
“And a good morning to you. What are you doing?”
Just don’t ask me about the apps. I’m not in the mood.
“I have a quiet day for once,” I said. “Well, not just the day. I have a quiet week ahead, as far as I can see.”
“That’s not like you,” Tyler said, laughing. “You’re always saying client this and client that. I’m surprised you even have time to talk.”
Tyler was right. I had been busy. More than busy, and now it had ground to a halt. Temporarily, I hoped.
“Don’t talk to me about clients,” I snorted. “I’ve had enough of them for the past few days.”
“Why? What happened? I thought they were all good. You have some clients who are giving you grief?”
“Only one client,” I said angrily. “Susan Reynolds. That’s who. Fuck, she really pushed things too far this time. She went way out of bounds.”
“Evan, you tell me nothing. I have no clue who you’re talking about.”
“It’s a long story. Pull up a chair, and I’ll tell you.” I followed my own advice and sat on the couch.
“I’m sitting, and I’m all ears,” he said.
“I had this one client, Susan Reynolds. She fucking signed the contract that all my clients have to sign, but she couldn’t follow the rules. She became clingy and possessive. She tried digging her nails into me when we had sex. She’s a bit of a wild thing.”
I explained all about Susan to Tyler and how close she’d come to voiding her contract from the first session on. She was desperately possessive and looked at our time together as if I was her boy toy. Instead of a guy providing her with a valuable service and getting her pregnant.
“She sounds fun. That’s for sure. Fuck, you should have let her take full advantage of you! That would make a rare change.” Tyler laughed.
“It might sound like fun, but let me tell you, it was a struggle. God, every time she came to see me, she tried to do this or tried to do that. Damn it, it was as if she had read the contract and decided to go outside of what was stipulated on fucking purpose.”
“What happened to her? Did she bite you and damage that precious skin of yours?” Tyler laughed again, signaling that he was joking. I hated it when he fucked around, especially about this.
“Nothing like that. I wish it was something simple like that. I was having dinner with Piper and in walked Susan Reynolds, right out of the blue. She came up to me and started mouthing off at me for postponing on her twice. She was angry. Fucking infuriated. She even said she was someone important and could make business hell for me.”
“Is she mentally stable? She sounds like a crazy bitch to me. Screaming and shouting in a public place. That’s way out of line. Anyone that can snap and do something like that could be crazy.”
“Hell yeah, she even took a swipe at Piper. She said I’d postponed our meeting because of Piper, but Piper is more of a woman than she will ever be.”
“What did you say to the crazy fuck? I hope you laid down the law. Contracts are there for a reason. I hope you told her so.”
“Well, her contract has been voided now. I told her that at the restaurant. She’d gone one step too far. Before that, I thought I could keep her in line, but not after last night.”
“She sounds like trouble. Just watch your back. A woman like that, there’s no telling what she might dream of doing. Especially if she knows you basically turned your back on her.”
“I’m not worried,” I said. “She’s all talk. And she’ll understand what is going on and realize I’m serious. Especially once she has the money returned to her.”
“From the sound of it, there may be more to come from her,” Tyler said, sounding concerned. “And returning her money might just add fuel to the fire. It could make her worse. I’m sorry, Evan. It’s a shitty situation.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I have my eye on her. I’m going to keep a close watch on what she’s doing. I’ve invested too much time into this enterprise to let her step on my toes and make things difficult.”
Tyler could be right. Maybe she would cause more trouble. If anyone wanted to really screw with me and make it difficult for business, it had to be Susan Reynolds. If she opened her mouth, she could make my life hell. The whole business could come crashing down.
“So, how’s it going with Piper?” Tyler asked. “She sounds like a decent woman from what little you’ve told me.”
“Everything was going fine until that episode last night. Now I’m not so sure. After Susan showed up, Piper took off and left me at the side of the road, saying she wasn’t going to continue with the whole thing.”
“Piper sounds like a much wiser choice of woman. It sounds like she could do you a world of good. Evan, you could do with a change of pace to your life. You’ve been fucking yourself into early retirement.” Tyler laughed.
“I think I might have screwed that all up last night. Things got awkward after Susan’s outburst. Very fucking awkward.”
Susan Reynolds could hurt the Baby Maker, but Piper could bring the whole thing to a stop. Especially if I let myself get too close. Christ, I’d have to do as she asked and not share her with anyone. Could I do that? I wasn’t sure. There would be clients who needed my help. I couldn’t leave them out in the cold like that. Piper though, seemed worth the risk. But could I survive without Baby Maker being a huge part of my life?
“It sounds like you have a major decision to make, Evan. If this was a computer problem, I could help you. But relationship advice, I’m the last person to ask. Although for what it’s worth, I think you should go after Piper. It’d be stupid to let her slip away from you again. It’s not often you’re handed a chance like this. So, make the most of it.�
�
Come on Evan. Make a decision. Think this through properly.
As much as I tried to fight it, I knew I had to see Piper again. I had to try again and fix things. I just didn’t want the business to crash and burn because of one woman, no matter who that was. Or did I care if it did?
I took Tyler’s advice. I hung up the phone and decided to see Piper. I missed her like fucking crazy.
Chapter 16
Piper
“Have you seen the car keys, Jules?” I asked.
“I have,” she said. “They’re in my hand.”
I walked out of the bedroom, and a knock sounded at the door to the apartment. I looked at Jules, puzzled. I opened the door, and Evan stood there like a lost school kid.
I poked my head around the door and whispered, “Fuck, Evan, what now?”
“I couldn’t leave it the way it was,” he replied.
“Well, you picked an excellent time,” I said. “You better come in.”
“Who is it?” Jules called.
I walked into the lounge with Evan closely behind me. Jules looked shocked and bewildered.
“I see,” she said.
“Jules, this is Evan,” I said bashfully. “Evan, this is Jules.”
“You caught us just as we were going out,” I said. “Jules is working on something, and we were about to go shopping.”
I looked at Jules, and she glared at me as if she wanted to scream.
“Can you just wait in the kitchen for a couple of minutes, Evan?” I asked. “I won’t be long.”
“Sure, no problem,” he replied.
I waited for Evan to enter the kitchen and turned back to Jules.
Jules tugged on my sleeve. “That’s Evan, from your sob story?” she asked.
I nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, that’s him,” I replied, smitten again. “We’ve seen each other a couple of times recently.”
“You sly old thing,” Jules said, smiling. “You’ve been holding out on me, big time. And you can give me all the juicy details later.”
