The CEO’s Hired Surrogate

Chapter 3

The woman’s emerald eyes widened in astonishment, her thin lips opening and closing over and over again, while she tried to find the right words that needed to be spoken, as they sat under that tense silence. Kayla could feel the adrenaline vanishing from her blood, leaving more space for regret. Kayla felt like slapping herself, why did she have to be so straightforward. She’d acted on impulse, barely thinking things through. But there was no going back, she was now standing in front of the woman, her hand running through her disheveled hair, praying that her smeared makeup and awful state wouldn’t scare her away.

The say money is the eye of the devil, and Kayla understood the true meaning behind those words in that exact moment. She understood them as soon as she found herself standing there because of the sum of money they were ready to offer.

Truth be told, when she looked back at that moment, she doubted she even heard the job description at all, the only words that she could clearly remember were the sum of numbers the woman had uttered. And she was more than sure she didn’t understand the gravity of the potential burden she was forcing upon her shoulders. It was a cross whose weight was bigger than anything she’d beared before.

Gulping, Kayla walked out from the corner in which she hid and approached the woman, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Her mouth was dry, her cheeks colorless, and her palms rubbed against the sides of her hips, trying to get rid of the thin layer of sweat that now covered them.

The entire situation felt surreal, as if she wasn’t the protagonist of the scene she was living but rather a spectator that had the opportunity to have a front-row seat. It’s hard to describe how everything had happened exactly, she herself barely understood. But that was the beauty of it all, the way life pushed her into doing a thing she barely understood.

She felt her mouth open, but she was unsure of what she wanted to say. She failed to filter the words that were meant to flow out of her lips. The situation was beyond her, so she could only hope that she would find the strength to get out of the awkward situation that she’d forced upon herself and the woman that stood in front of her.

“I—I’m sorry,” Kayla said in a low voice, extending her hand towards the woman. While doing so, she noticed how badly her hands were shaking, her slender fingers moving involuntary in front of her. “I’m Kayla, Kayla Rogers. I was inside the bathroom when you and your son were talking. I swear I wasn’t eavesdropping, well not intentionally. But I did happen to hear what you were saying.” She shook the woman’s hand gently as she anxiously bit her lip. Exasperation was written all over her face, she was scared and anxious about what the woman would think of her. After all, it wasn’t exactly polite to listen to people’s conversations. Sighing, she tried to calm her nerves, what was the worst thing that could happen? The woman would say a few harsh words before leaving her in the middle of the building that had brought nothing but shame and anger to her.

 “I know I may have come off little too harsh and may seem out of line, it’s just that I had a really bad day and I acted on impulse. I came here for a job but—” Was she to tell the woman what had happened? Of course not, that would only lead her to think that Kayla was a magnet for problems, and take her out of the running for the job. But under the pressure she didn’t know what to say. She was speechless in a moment when she should be stronger than ever. Taking in a deep breath she continued, hoping she hadn’t lost the woman’s attention already. “It didn’t work out. Anyway, I—I heard that you were searching for a woman, a woman that could hold your son’s baby. And I was thinking maybe— well maybe….” Kayla trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. What was she supposed say? Maybe you could allow me to be the mother of your grandson? That sounded wrong on so many levels.

“Listen. I—I’m honored that you would like to be the surrogate mother that would hold my grandchild. You’re a beautiful woman that seems to be kind-hearted. But this is a tough task. I would have to interview you before giving you this job. After all, this is a child we’re talking about,” the woman said as she crossed her hands in front of her, trapping her designer bag in between them.

“I understand. And an interview is all I’m asking for. In fact, if you’d like I could do it right now. I just came out of an interview anyway,” Kayla shrugged, knowing too well that she was pushing her luck. But who cared anymore? She was done with doing things by the book.

The woman thought for a minute. She looked at Kayla, obviously contemplating whether or not she should give the crazy girl a chance. Breathlessly, Kayla watched as she pursed her lips and took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a second.

“Okay. Let’s do it,” she finally said, sounding like someone who was doing something they knew they would later regret. “I know this café down the street. That should do.” Breathlessly, Kayla watched as the woman walked in front of her, her elegant steps as precise as they could be. Shaking her head, in a meek attempt to clear it, Kayla sent a prayer to the skies above and followed her.

*****

Tapping her finger on the wooden table, Kayla took a moment to admire the beautiful café the woman had chosen. She liked the way the smell of pine mixed with the bittersweet smell of coffee and cream. It reminded her of her childhood for some reason, resembling the smell of her father. At the memory, her heart clenched, but she didn’t allow her mind to wander down that path. Instead, she focused on the ivory walls around her that were decorated with vines and white flowers hiding beneath them swirling words and structured sentences.

Kayla smiled as she read the quotes that had been written on the walls. The curves and meaning behind the words giving Kayla a boost of motivation, a thing that had probably been done purposefully by the owner. From the corner of her eyes Kayla could see Meredith, Ryan’s mother, as she looked at the menu with an intense gaze. She seemed to be studying each and every word written on that paper, which made Kayla wonder if she was one of those women that were always careful of what she ate and drank.

On the other side of the table, Kayla didn’t bother to look at it. She didn’t feel like she could digest anything at the moment. She needed water, however, her mouth feeling dry and numb after such a wretched morning. She also wanted to get the thing over with. She doubted the woman would hire her after she’d acted like a complete lunatic that morning.