His only response is Soon.
After working out, I veg out in front of the TV. I need to be preparing for the fall semester. I pull up the cheap laptop I bought with my financial aid. I check my school emails. I need to get my supplies soon. I should do that now, but then I remember he hasn’t left me a set of keys. I’m effectively trapped until he gets back.
My mother calls me again, so I finally answer. “Hello, mother.”
“Hello, mother? Could you be anymore annoyed?”
“Probably. Is there something you need?”
“Yes, you need to come home and marry Ricky. He’s madly in love with you and you went off to carry some other couple’s baby. The husband probably wants to screw you too. Men are like that.”
“Mother. I’m not having this conversation again.”
“Young lady, if you don’t get your priorities straight, you won’t be allowed to come back when you have nothing left.”
“Goodbye, Mrs. Franks.” I hang up on the woman who gave birth to me. She’s lost her damn mind. I don’t need her to help me. I need some air, but I won’t be able to get back in. I grab my purse and rush out of the condo. I don’t know where I’m going to go, but I really need my girls right now. I look at the time on my phone. It’s only four thirty, so I have plenty of time to hang out with the girls before Grant comes home.
I send a text to the group chat.
Me: Can I come over?
Kalera: Sure, girl. Get over here.
Kaylee: We miss you.
Tori: We need deets.
Me: I can’t. I have a contract.
Narina: Is it some Fifty Shades shit?
Me: Not quite. No Red Room.
Kalera sends me a gif of a pouting woman. I roll my eyes.
Me: I’m on my way.
The second I reach the lobby, the lady at the front desk looks at me. “Are you okay, sweetie?”
“Yes, I am. I just need a cab.” Do I look miserable or something?
I walk out and grab one of the waiting cabs and give the man their address. As soon as I ring the bell, the door opens, and they all swarm me.
“Hey, don’t hurt her. She could be already knocked up,” Tori says, nudging the others away.
“I’m not.”
“It’s too soon to tell,” she adds.
“I got my period yesterday.”
“Girl, you need to read up. It could be the implantation stage.” Damn Tori really dug into the whole pregnancy process.
“Whatever. So can I come in or are you guys going to talk about my babymaker out here?”
Kalera grabs my arm and pulls me into the apartment. “Come in. We want details. Well whatever you can tell us. We won’t tell anyone that you’re doing it the old fashioned way.”
“I’d hardly call it old fashioned. Grant’s paying me a lot of money to get pregnant and have his baby.”
“What? It’s technically a marriage. You have a contract that already has a divorce date,” Narina says. I suppose that’s one way to look at it especially considering all of Grant’s rules and demands. When he came and picked me up out of bed, informing me that we will not be sleeping separately, my heart melted. Then I woke up and found I curled up into him. He whispered, “Sleep my Doll,” and stole my heart even more.
“That’s the problem,” I sob, letting all my tears out. “I’m falling for him. What happens when my time is up?”
“Do you think he wants more than just a contract?” Narina asks.
“I don’t know.”
“Does he get jealous or is it just straight fucking and then he bounces?” I shake my head because he’s not the bump and run kind of guy.
I sigh, remembering the dark look in his eyes as he kissed me. “Today he kissed me roughly before leaving for work because he was mad.”
“Did you give him attitude?” Tori questions, knowing my perchance to get smart mouthed with my mother.
“A little after I came out of the bedroom in my pajamas and he had delivery guys in the condo. He told me to go put clothes on. I got smart with him, hoping that he wanted me to put clothes on because me being half dressed was turning him on, but then the men came out of the spare bedroom and totally checked me out. He was furious and threw them out of the apartment.”
“Girl, this doesn’t sound like a ‘by the books’ contract,” Kaylee says. I want to believe that.
“Well, you don’t know each other that well, so it’s possible that you both may want more,” Kalera adds.
“Still, is he fine? You haven’t answered that question,” Tori reminds me.
“See for yourself.” I show them a picture of him that I looked up online.
“Damn, Gwen. He is fine as hell. So, is the ‘making the baby’ part a real hardship?” Kalera asks.