His Surrogate For Hire

“Thank you. I just came by to check on the results of the test today.” She rubbed her hands together, looking excited.

Diana motioned for Charlotte to take a seat on the couch. Charlotte sat next to her.

“The results were negative.”

Charlotte’s expression dropped. She placed her dainty hands on top of Diana’s.

“You do know sometimes these kinds of things take a little time. The key is not to get yourself stressed about it. You are not on some type of time limit here. We just want you to be healthy so that you can bring a healthy baby in to the world.”

The statement almost made Diana want to cry. She had to fight back the tears so they would not come spilling forth. But when she opened her moth to thank Charlotte, they burst forth anyway.

“Oh, don’t cry.” Charlotte tried to comfort Diana. Although Diana appreciated the kind words, she still felt like she was failing Charlotte and Clay somehow.

Diana wiped her tears, trying to get herself together. “I’m so sorry about that. I did not mean to start crying.” She hopped up off of the couch and went to the kitchen to get some tissues to dry her eyes.

When she returned, Charlotte still sat there, her eyes full of empathy. “Please, Diana, do not worry too much. The thing that is most important is that we make sure you are healthy so there can be a healthy baby. That is all Clay wants and well, I hate to see you so stressed over this.”

Diana exhaled a sigh of relief. “I did not know there would be this much pressure to get pregnant. It’s kind of stressful. I want this to happen because I’ve, in a sense, been chosen. There is no way I want to let you and Clay down. When I agreed to this, I never thought about what it would be like if I did not get pregnant immediately.”

“We did. It’s not a clause or anything in the contracts, but it was something that was thought of. These kinds of things are delicate matters. And like I said, what is most important is that you are healthy, mind and body. Don’t feel so defeated. It will happen in time, when it’s supposed to happen. Relax. It’s not like you are getting put out tomorrow or anything.”

“Thank you, Charlotte. I really appreciate it.”

Charlotte gave her a pat on the thigh. “No problem. We are here for you. This set up is mutually beneficial. Remember that.”

Diana nodded.

“I’ll see myself out. Why don’t you get a little rest and we’ll see you at dinner?”

“Great.” Diana was actually considering doing some gardening that evening. It seemed to be one of the things that helped her calm her nerves lately. Being here in the mansion was teaching her a lot about who she was, what she liked, and what she wanted in life.

There had been so much more quiet time here, time she never had before while she worked endlessly hour after hour. Her focus had been on this rat race she had to win, but the truth was that it never felt like she was able to get ahead the way she wanted to.

Once Charlotte closed the door, she said a small prayer in relief that she at least had a small amount of security for a bit longer. It would be just enough time to make sure she took the time to make sure she got a game plan together for the rest of her life.

She at least owed that to herself.

*****

The soil felt soft and cool between her fingers. There were a few new bulbs to plant that the gardener was happy to turn over to Diana. Being outside among nature was one of the things she liked most about being at the mansion. The garden was peaceful, a sanctuary where she could easily disappear for hours and find her sanity.

She had at least two rows of annuals planted and was about to get into planting the next row when she looked up to see Clay standing there.

“You look like you’ve been busy this afternoon.”

Diana wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. “I have.”

Clay was dressed in khaki shorts and a white short sleeved t-shirt. She could not recall ever seeing him so casual.

“Why don’t I give you a hand with those?”

She was surprised by his offer. “Okay. Thanks.”

Kneeling down next to her, he picked up a few tools and started working beside her. They worked quietly for a moment before Diana spoke.

“So I assume you know by now that I’m not pregnant.”

Clay nodded. “I did. And let me tell you, that is no problem. We will stay the course. I have a feeling it will happen soon enough.”

Diana pat the rest of the dirt around the bulb she planted. “You and Charlotte have been so great.”

He smiled. “I’m so glad you feel that way. This situation should be calm, no stress. I don’t want you to feel any pressure. If you do, just let me know. That is no good for either of us if you feel that way. Look, I want you to make sure it is clear. I want you to feel calm, relaxed, and welcome here at the mansion. Getting pregnant could take time and I am willing to see this through. As long as it takes.”

“Hearing that from Charlotte was helpful. Hearing it from you makes it feel a bit more concrete. Thank you.”

With a shy grin, he turned his attention back to the planting. “You’re welcome, Diana.”

Diana appreciated seeing a slightly softer side to him. Their conversation turned to various things from favorite foods to the kinds of things they liked to do in their free time.

They discovered they both had affinities for banana splits, music from the 80s, and a desire to attend at least two concerts that fall.

“We’ve talked before but I was not aware we had this much in common.”

“It’s kind of refreshing,” Diana replied.

“I tell you what. I am in town for the next two days. Let’s get out of here, do something fun each of those days. I could certainly afford to let my hair down and I’m sure you could use a change in scenery.”

“Sounds good.”

He stood up first, offering Diana a hand to help her up.

“If you don’t mind, I want to plant this last row before I come in.”

Clay nodded. “I will see you for dinner then.”

She watched as he walked away. His confirmation that he was not going to end their agreement because getting pregnant was proving to be a challenge was all she needed. It was nice to hear the words come from him. A huge load off. And the more they talked, the more she started to like the man he was. Quite shy, smart, witty, and fun to be around. He was easy to talk to, the kind of man she would definitely want someone to set her up with.

Diana wondered why a man like him was not already married. It seemed like choosing a surrogate was the type of thing a single woman would do or a couple that had been trying to conceive unsuccessfully. He seemed like the kind of man that would be a good father. Plus, everyone deserved to start and have a family for themselves.

Glancing at her watch, it was almost six in the evening. She dusted the dirt off of her pants and then off of her hands. She planted several rows of annuals, and proud of her work, decided to turn in for the evening. The gardener was gone for the evening. Diana went inside to shower and prepare for dinner. She was looking forward to the promise that for the next two days, she would get the chance to get out and let her hair down. A little fun was long overdue.