His Surrogate For Hire

Chapter 3

Diana drove home, her mind swirling trying to figure out what had she stuck her foot into. This was far from a normal type of situation. How many times did someone answer an ad to become a surrogate? And none the less, become a surrogate to a very wealthy man.

She was certain there were many women who’d answered the ad. Diana was pretty sure she did not have a chance to become the surrogate. A feeling of frustration came over her and she was not sure why. Becoming a surrogate could not be the only way she could make money and get her life back together. Plenty of people lost jobs and found work.

Once she arrived home, Diana resolved to forget about the entire process. It was actually quite comical when she took the time to think about it. Getting pregnant and having a baby for a rich man. Not that she would become his wife or the mother of his child, she would simply be the vessel that birthed the child. Nothing more, nothing less. The one part that she had been looking forward to was the living arrangements and the salary for nine months. It would take a load off to have all of her needs taken care of and then be able to save the money she profited off of the surrogacy.

With the key in the door, Diana sighed. She had to come up with a game plan to obtain some sort of employment. That would all have to wait until after she took a warm bath, drank a glass of wine or two, and settled in to bed.

She heard her phone ring from inside of her purse, but she decided not to answer immediately. It was better to relax first, then handle whatever was to meet her on the other end of that phone.

Halfway through the second glass of wine, the phone rang again. Diana sipped a bit more liquid and then rummaged through her purse for her cell. The same number had phoned three times. Hopefully it was a job offer.

Clicking the send button, she sent up a silent prayer that there was an offer on the other end of that line.

“Diana Baker. So good to have you call back. Mr. Marshall would like you to know that we would like you to move forward with us and the surrogacy.”

The words were spoken, but she was not quite sure she had heard them correctly.

“Sorry. Can you say that again?”

“Yes. Mr. Marshall enjoyed meeting with you. He feels like you would be a perfect fit for the surrogacy. Would you like to take the next steps in the process?”

Diana wanted to think about it. To say yes was a strong commitment. She had not thought she would even be seriously considered. There was a chance if she did not immediately say yes, she would forfeit the position.

Before she could think too hardly, Diana opened her mouth and spoke. “Yes. I would like to proceed.”

She looked around at her apartment. Her lease would be up in the next two months and she would be searching for somewhere to stay anyway if she did not get a job or some sort of income.

“Great. A certified letter will arrive at your door this evening. Please take a look at it, follow the directions, and be in touch with us immediately. Mr. Marshall would like to get you moved into the mansion as soon as possible.”

Diana could barely stutter out the words “Thank you”, but she managed and ended the call. Shaking her head, she tried to make sense of all that was happening. She had actually never thought she would be chosen. Now that she was, things seemed to be moving faster than she anticipated.

Maybe Teresa had been right. She could take this opportunity for what it was or she could make it out to be something that fully benefited her. It was amazing that her conversation with Teresa was almost the same as her conversation with Clay. Talking about taking an opportunity and making it truly work for you had been the gist of what they had both spoken of.

Diana envisioned her life if she had become the wife of billionaire Clay Marshall. They would have a child together, build a life together. Diana thought that there was enough chemistry between them initially that sparks could start flying.

She sucked her teeth. What was she thinking? That entire daydream felt delusional. Why on earth would Clay Marshall think to romance his surrogate?

They had talked about circumstances and making them into what they each wanted them to be. Was it possible that Diana could do the same here? This could be the type of situation where she could create her own destiny and possibly drive things in a new direction for herself.

The first thing she needed to do was pack. If she was going to stay with Clay, she wanted to have some of her own creature comforts available.

As she threw some things in her suitcase, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she was greeted by a courier with certified mail.

Clay’s people sent the letter more quickly than she thought they would. The correspondence required her to get some things notarized and to meet with Charlotte for some other preliminary procedures. This was shaping up to be more than Diana bargained for. The list of procedures included a doctor’s exam as well as a psychological exam. It was noted that Clay wanted to make sure she was stable in her health for the sake of the child. The other paperwork included a copy of the contract she would sign and a non-disclosure statement. It was noted that at the time of the contract signing, a set price would be agreed upon as the fee for her service.

Diana folded the papers back up and placed them in their original envelope. There was so much that went in to this situation. It was no fairy tale for that matter. The first doctor’s appointment would be in the morning and there would be a car coming to pick her up. What a nice gesture to make sure she attended all that was needed to complete the preliminary assessments.

She decided to slow on the packing. Maybe she needed to make sure she was actually going to be the surrogate before she jumped to conclusions and started fantasizing about what was to come. It just felt good to dream about things changing, even if it was only for the moment.

*****

 The car arrived promptly. Diana was not sure what she needed, so she packed a pair of extra clothing in her tote bag as well as some copies of her identification. They made their way downtown and to a pricey high rise condominium. She had driven past this section of town many times, but did not often frequent. It was the side of town made for the rich, the wealthy, and the up and coming rich and wealthy. Since she was none of the above, Diana never even stopped through that section, so it was going to be a treat to experience.

The driver pulled the car into the parking garage. Winding down several levels they made it to a clandestine area that had to be accessed by security code.