A Xmas Gift: The Sperm Donor Read Free Page B

to be a baby daddy.”
    His cellphone on the table buzzes. He frowns.
    She flashes him an innocent smile. “Uh oh. Do you have to report back?”
    “It’s Abigail.”
    Ah, the girlfriend .
    It’s amazing how much she’s at ease with him. She has almost forgotten how he made her feel – like an old shoe, but in a good way. She can be herself with him. No pretenses. No defenses. No prickly barbed wire fences around her heart.
    He scrunches his face at her smiling one and picks his phone up.
    “Hello? Uh yeah, I’m at lunch.”
    Pause.
    “No, I wasn’t aware we had an appointment. I’m with an old friend.”
    Pause.
    “You’re outside my door? Geez, Abby, we just had lunch yesterday. Some of us do have to work, you know.”
    Elise feels like ducking. Uh oh, trouble in paradise. The fact that he can’t really say outwardly that he is in a relationship tells it all. Maybe he should try telling Abigail that. Of course, it’s probably more complicated than what is on the surface, and if he’s ready to tell her about it, he will. No obligations. No prying. That was how they conducted their relationship, past tense.
    “Yeah, sure.”
    Pause.
    “You did what?”
    Roll of his hazel eyes.
    “OK, I can’t talk for long. I’ll see you later, OK? And I’d really appreciate it if you would call before you drop by next time. Contrary to what you think, I don’t like surprises.”
    Elise has to suppress her smile from getting wider. Guilty as charged. Though she does have the luxury of not having seen him for twelve years, so he’s more than likely to be forgiving. It has always been a pet peeve of Justin. He hates anything with ‘surprise’ tagged onto it. Even if it is his own surprise birthday party, as she has found out to her chagrin.
    “OK, I’ve got to go now. Bye.”
    He rings off and appears somewhat abashed.
    “Girlfriend?” Elise inquires mildly.
    “We’re dating.”
    “We were dating back in the day too,” she says, “and we were pretty much considered girlfriend and boyfriend.”
    “I tend to use the word more sparingly now.”
    “Oh, would I have qualified according to your present nomenclature?”
    “I suppose.”
    “Why?” she teases. “What’s the secret qualifying ingredient?”
    He laughs. “Let’s change the subject. I didn’t say ‘yes’ yet, by the way.”
    “Yes to your girlfriend?”
    Grimacing, he motions to the document.
    Oh. That.
    She raises her eyes to his. She has always been upfront and direct.
    “So what do you think of my proposal?” There’s a sudden hoarseness in her throat. She hadn’t realized how much she wants to have his child until she saw him again. How beautiful he was. How successful.
    No, she doesn’t want his money, but think of all those incredible, success pathway genes.
    He hesitates before replying, “It’s a big decision, Elise. I’ll have to consider it carefully. It’s not as easy as you think.”
    “Oh, yes it is. All you have to do is jerk off in a little plastic container. I’ll be the one who does the carrying, the gaining of weight, the actual birthing, the screaming, the recovering, the bringing up baby – ”
    “That’s not what I mean and you know it. I can’t just walk away from my own kid. Elise. I can’t just sign a contract giving up all my paternal rights.”
    “You’re not giving up your paternal rights. I’m just making it easy for you. You’re welcome to come and see the baby anytime you like.” She places her hand upon his earnestly, and she can see that this gesture is not lost on him.
    She says, “I’m not trying to rekindle whatever we once had, Justin. You’re free to marry Abigail or whoever it is you want to marry. I’m merely asking you to donate your sperm so that I can be a single mother. The only difference is that I know what I’ll be getting. I’ll be perfectly happy if you never want to see your child . . . ever.”
    “That sounds brutal.”
    “It’s no different from a sperm bank,”