SWEET ANTICIPATION Read Free

chuckle.
     
    But Lauren was not in a humorous mood. She felt as if all the energy and ambition had been drained from her body. “I think I’ll go lie down for a while. Would you mind calling my doctor and setting up a conference with him as soon as possible? I won’t feel comfortable until I hear it from him that this guy’s claims are crazy.”
     
    “Sure thing. Try not to worry about it. There are thousands of crackpots walking around this city and you just happened to meet one of them today,” Rita tried to reassure her, but neither woman felt much relief from her words. This man knew too much about Lauren and her situation for their meeting to have been mere coincidence.
     
    Lauren’s thoughts were running along the same lines as she crossed the small courtyard that separated her business from her house. So preoccupied that she didn’t even notice the azalea bushes that were ready to burst into full bloom or the fresh, pale-green spring leaves on the trees, she walked along the brick sidewalk and up the porch steps to the back door. It was only March, but already the air was uncomfortably warm, promising a long, hot summer, so typical here in Houston. As Lauren leaned against the doorjamb, trying to catch her breath, she couldn’t help but wonder, when so little exercise left her winded and perspiring, how uncomfortable she would be in June when the baby was due.
     
    Letting the screen door ease shut behind her, she headed immediately for the refrigerator. Rita could drink all the milk she wanted, but nothing calmed Lauren’s nerves or cooled her down like a glass of iced tea. Sipping the refreshing liquid, she yawned and kicked off her shoes as she walked down the hallway. It was completely unlike her to feel so lazy every afternoon. Her obstetrician, Dr. Reese, had told her to listen to her body, but her body didn’t understand that the work didn’t get done while she was napping. And now, of all times, she couldn’t afford to lose any paying customers.
     
    The familiarity of her sunny yellow bedroom wrapped her in security. After closing the shades and pulling back the quilted floral-patterned spread, Lauren took off her dress and still clothed in her slip, lay down on the cool sheets. As she relaxed in the semidarkness, her logical mind took over from her emotional one. The odds that Dr. Jordan Daniels had her confused with someone else were definitely in her favor. Dr. Reese had assured her that the donors would be struggling young interns who needed the extra money and who would remain totally anonymous. Not even they would know if and when their sperm was used.
     
    Dr. Daniels had not appeared to meet any of these descriptions. Probably in his early to mid-thirties, surely he was too old to be an intern, and the quality of his clothing had made the subtle statement that he had more than enough money to meet his needs. For all she knew, he might not even be a doctor. As Rita had said, he could have been just a crackpot, who for some bizarre reason had singled her out of all the pregnant women in this city to hassle.
     
    Now that she considered the situation, it really wouldn’t be too difficult to find out basic information about her if a person was devious enough. Possibly he had seen her leaving Dr. Reese’s clinic, obviously pregnant. It wouldn’t take a detective to notice that she was never accompanied by an excitedly expectant husband. A few carefully worded questions to Dr. Reese’s receptionist would have provided Daniels with her name and occupation. Well, she would certainly speak to Dr. Reese about that when she had her conference with him. She was certain he would give her all the reassurance she needed that the only thing she should worry about was whether to buy pink or blue bootees.
     
    Little Johnny or Joanna chose that moment to try a double somersault under her rib cage. Lauren lovingly rested her hand on her midriff, relishing the vigorous movement within her. Her child