The CEO’s Hired Surrogate

But at the same time she didn’t want him to feel any of those feelings. She just wanted them to be the way they used to be. She wanted to drink late night tea with him again, and have small talk like they used to.

She couldn’t make up her mind about what she wanted most, so instead she nodded and kissed her mother on the cheek before heading out the door.

Outside was beautiful, the darkness of the night had just settled, leaving everything quiet and peaceful in its wake. The cool air kissed her exposed skin, and she realized she should have grabbed a coat for the road.

From where she stood she could see the shape of a man leaning against the car. He was scrolling through his phone, the light illuminating his features.

That was not Ryan. She knew the man though. He was the driver Ryan sometimes sent to pick his mother up when they went to business dinners and such. She should have expected him, yet she hoped that he would be the one who would welcome her.

“Hello, Miss. Mr. Ryan sent me to pick up his mother and you.” The man said as soon as he caught a glimpse of her. He looked behind her, probably searching for Meredith.

“Mrs. Johnson will not attend. I’m the only one,” Kayla said, her thoughts still lingering on Ryan. She wondered if he would be there when she arrived, she wanted him to be there, because otherwise she would be alone, with no one to guide her through the gala.

*****

Kayla had felt it when they had taken that first turn, but she didn’t believe that life could be so sneaky and twisted. She watched from behind the window as they neared the restaurant in which she’d worked. As they approached the place that had pushed her into doing what she had been doing these past months the building seemed to be a part of an old memory, like it was a part of a life she’d never actually lived.

She didn’t know how she felt about being there. It brought her some pride in a way. She was there as a guest after all. She wondered if the manager would be there, and even more she yearned to know what other twists the night had in store for her.

As if in a daze, she noticed as the door beside her open, leaving room for her to step down onto the green carpet that had been laid there for them. With parted lips, she looked at the building for a moment, trying to block the many comparisons that were happening at the back of her mind by then.

“Are you okay Miss?”

“Yes. Thank you.” With that, Kayla took in a deep breath, silently prayed and then confidently walked inside the restaurant.

The sound of violins and a harp were the first thing that welcomed Kayla as soon as she stepped inside, the sophisticated music snaked through the tables and chattering crowd, welcoming the newly arrived guests.

The restaurant was different that night, the tables rearranged to leave space for the open buffet that was set between two pillars at a far end of the room.

What now? Kayla asked herself. She was so nervous, standing there on the few steps that led to the dining area. Her heart was beating so fast, as if she was suddenly standing in a room full of hungry wolves. No, where she was standing was far more dangerous.

She was in a room full of snobby rich people, who couldn’t wait for a new hot gossip topic. That in itself was scarier. It was like silently walking to your death. If it had been any other day she would have left, but she was there for Ryan.

She didn’t owe it to him, no, her job description never mentioned that, but what she’d had developed with the Johnsons was more than her job description. Something she didn’t know if she loved that much.

*****

As she stood there on the stairs, thinking deeply about something, Ryan stood and watched her. He’d shut out the people he’d been talking to and was now approaching her slowly. She looked magnificent.

His throat was dry and becoming even drier as he looked at her. The way that dress clung to her body, showing the baby bump it hid beneath. She looked lost. She looked around, as if trying to figure out her next move. And she had all the right to be this lost, she was in a room full of people that waited, and craved for a single mistake that would stash their gossip drawer for months.

He was now at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes boring into hers. And in that second, Kayla’s former wish became true. He regretted every single minute he’d spent away from her. He regretted that morning when he’d allowed confusion to cloud his judgment.

Oh, the many ways that day could have gone differently. They could have spent the morning cuddled in bed. Maybe watching a movie or having breakfast at some place in town. But no, he’d been too afraid, a coward. He’d been scared of how he would explain to his mother what was going on. He’d been afraid of his vulnerability. He’d been afraid of a lot of stuff.

But none of them mattered anymore. Gracefully, she descended the stairs, the corners of her red lips curling in a smile.

“Hey.” Her voice was low, resembling that of an angel at the moment. He was more than sure that those sweet thoughts were coming from the many drinks he’d had that night, in an attempt to keep going through the boring conversation he’d been having. But still, doesn’t a drunken man always tell the truth?

He opened his mouth to say something back to her but that was when a hand suddenly curled around his arm and tugged at it. Sabrina. The woman who had been trying to cling to him ever since he’d started a partnership with her father. She had amazing timing.

He expected her to say one of her usual greetings of how she’s been searching for him or how much she’s missed him. But no, instead her gaze was stuck on Kayla, a sneer planted on her lips.