The Billionaire's Surrogate: A BWWM Pregnancy Love Story (17 page)

Christine marched to
the table snatched his phone off it and handed it to him. “Kevin,
you do not want to know,” she said coldly.

Kevin stared at her
then at Cordelia standing next to her and then at his phone. He
snatched it up resentfully and dialed the lawyer’s number
telling him to back off as he was no longer interested in the deal.

“
Wonderful,”
Christine said extracting a paper from her pocket. “Now I’m
gonna need you to sign this,” she said.

“
What
is it?” Kevin asked suspiciously.

“
It’s
a non-disclosure agreement that forbids you from selling this story
to
anyone
or else you’re liable to pay a lot of money.”

“
I
ain’t signin that shit,” he said grumpily.

“
There’s
fifty thousand dollars in it if you sign now. Offer expires in three
minutes. Take it or leave it,” Christine growled.

Kevin glared back at
her for a few seconds before he snatched up the paper and snapped at
Cordelia to hand him a pen. Cordelia glared back at him and then
handed him the pen to sign.

“
You
got one of those for me?” she asked Christine.

“
Oh,
you afraid he won’t share the fifty k with you?”

“
I
don’t want the money, I want to sign the agreement; so you know
that I won’t snitch on you.”

“
Oh,
you suddenly grew a pair did you?”

“
Maybe,”
Cordelia said looking her in the eye. “Believe it or not, the
fact that you’re my daughter means something to me.”
Christine cast an eloquent glance at Kevin and then extracted another
sheet of paper from her pocket.

“
Sign,”
she said. “There’s 50k for you too if you do.”

Cordelia nodded and
took the paper. She signed it and handed it back, taking the check
that Christine gave her in exchange although she did manage to look
shamefaced about it.

“
This
is my new start Chrissy. I promise,” she said.

Christine just snorted.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said snatching
up Kevin’s form and twirling on her heel to leave. She slammed
Kevin’s check on the table and walked out.

As soon as she reached
the car she fished out her phone to call Clarence.

“
It's
done,” she said.

“
Wonderful.”

“
I’ll
drop them off at the hospital in the morning; you can pick them up
from there.”

“
That
is great. I was sort of hoping you’d manage to pass by the
hospital this evening. Max was rather pissed off that you had to
leave so soon. He blamed me.”

“
Aww,
poor baby,” Christine teased.

“
So
you’ll go?”

“
I
guess. I haven’t had dinner yet; we could eat together.”

“
Aww
how romantic.”

“
Please.
Romance has nothing to do with it. It's called hunger.”

“
Uh
huh…” Clarence said. “Well, goodnight and thank
you.”

“
Goodnight
and thank you too.”

*****

Christine ordered off
the McDonald’s menu before going to the hospital. Max was still
up, waiting for her it looked like. She unpacked her bags; there were
burgers, fries and chicken nuggets as well as salad, fish fingers and
two milkshakes.

“
Mmmm…smells
good,” he said.

“
I
know right. I could eat a horse right now so I hope you’re not
too hungry. Most of this is mine.”

Max laughed, “I
think I could live on one pack of fries, and maybe one burger?”

Christine shrugged
begrudgingly. “Only if you must,” she said handing them
over. She sat down in the…new chair; a plush original leather
confection that cradled her ass like it was her mother.

“
Mmm,
love the new furniture,” she said.

“
I
had that brought just for you,” he said biting into his burger.

“
You
are a king among men,” she said leaning back and popping fries
into her mouth.

“
So
while I have you here…” he said.

“
Uh
oh,” Christine cut in.

Max glared at her. “Can
I finish my sentence?”

“
Sure
go ahead,” she said magnanimously.

“
Okay,
as I was saying we never talked about…you know; what happened
the other night.”

“
What
happened the other night? A lot of things have been happening, a lot
of the time at night so…I’m gonna need specifics.”

“
The
night when we…had sex?”

“
Oh
that night?”

“
Yes,
that night.”

“
What
would you like to know?”

“
Nothing
really. I just wanted to check in with you; how are you feeling about
it; would you like a repeat…?”

Christine laughed. “Do
you really think you’re in any condition to have this
conversation?”

“
Hey,
the spirit is always willing.”

“
Cool.
Well when the flesh catches up we can talk about it again.”

“
But
you’d like to talk about it right?” he persisted.

“
Sure.”

“
Okay
good, which brings us to our second order of business.”

“
Which
would be what?”

“
Marriage,”
he said.

“
I
thought we already had that conversation.”

“
Yes.
But with the complications of maman coming back and trying to muscle
her way into a power of attorney I need more security because she’s
right; something could happen to me. So I think we should get the
formalities done with.”

“
By
the formalities you mean the wedding?”

“
Yes,”
Max said.

“
How
are marriage of conveniences carried out then?”

“
I
was thinking about getting a judge in here; maybe tomorrow?”

“
Wow,
that fast?”

“
Unless
you have a better idea,” Max said.

Christine snorted,
thinking about her first almost wedding. She’d had this long
white dress and the cathedral where they were supposed to wed was
decked with flowers and balloons and streamers. The church was full
of all their friends and relatives. And then Rudy had walked away
from her like she meant nothing. This was probably a better idea.

“
Whose
gonna be a witness?” she asked.

Max shrugged. “Well
Clarence will obviously be here…and I thought…Martha?”

“
Sadie,
Aisha and Angela will kill me if they’re not present.”

Max shrugged, “So
invite them.”

“
Uncle
Andrew and Carl and grandma Misha too?”

“
If
you want.”

“
Yeah
I think that’s my invitation list.”

“
Your
mother?” Max asked.

Christine shrugged. “I
think I’ll give her a miss for now,” she said with a
grimace.

Max laughed. “It's
funny that both our mothers will not be present at our nuptials.”

“
Funny
haha? Or funny weird?”

“
Both?”

“
Yeah.
I guess. Anyway so it's decided.”

“
Yes
it is. Great. Tomorrow, you’re officially Mrs. Max Lestrange.”

“
Awkward…”
Christine said. “Did I not tell you I’m keeping my maiden
name?”

Max laughed in delight.

*****

“
You
have to at least have a new dress!” Martha protested when
Christine gave her the news later that evening.

“
Fine,
I’ll stop off at my lunch time and pick something up.”

“
You’ll
stop off at lunch time and pick something up? I don’t even know
who you are anymore.”

Christine laughed. “I’m
the one who is disillusioned by the trappings of weddings. Besides
this is a marriage of convenience gra; it's better not to get things
confused.”

“
Are
you telling me or yourself?”

“
Both
of us?”

“
Fine
but you’re not picking just any dress up for your wedding, I
don’t care
what
kind of marriage you think you’re going to have. I have just
the dress for you.”

“
Oh?
You’ve been hoarding a wedding dress just for me?”

“
Actually,
it was
my
wedding dress.”

“
What?”
Christine looked down at her grandmother’s substantial bust and
then down at her own more modest one.

Her grandmother
inclined her head and smiled wryly. “I wasn’t always this
big you know. In fact you and I were of a size when I was your age.”

“
Hah,
you’re right I forgot the picture you have hanging on the wall
at home of you and grandpa. You were banging.”

Martha glared at her.

“
Not
that you’re not still banging or anything. Just in a different
way.”

“
Wonderful.
Now that we’ve got that sorted, you can come home with me and
try it on. If there is any adjustment to be done, I’ll do it by
tomorrow evening.”

“
Okay,”
Christine said wondering if she was going to be wearing some funky
fifties dress to her wedding. But she trusted her grandmother; if the
dress was unsuitable she wouldn’t have offered it.

“
Okay
then, let’s go. I’d like to get some sleep. I have a
feeling it's going to be a long day tomorrow.”

Martha picked up her
handbag and they walked to the door. “You can’t take a
day off?” she asked.

“
No.
I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides my shift ends
at 3pm tomorrow. Plenty of time to change and get to the hospital by
5pm for the ceremony.”

Martha laughed. “I’m
pretty sure Sadie and Aisha would not agree with you. And Angela
would fuss about your hair.”

“
I’ve
texted her already so she’s ready for me at 3 on the dot. We’re
all meeting at the salon and then heading to the hospital from there.
Since Max has booked the rooms on both sides of him for privacy we
have plenty of space to pretty up and what not.”

“
Good.
I’ll meet you there with your grandma and your uncles.”

“
Wonderful.”

“
Is
Claire Lestrange coming?” Martha asked.

“
Max
said no.”

“
That
is great…unfortunate; but great.”

“
Yes,”
Christine agreed.

*****

Grandma’s wedding
dress was a wide pleated 1950s skirt with a v-necked strapless
top covered by a small matching jacket. The dress was made to be worn
with layers of petticoats to give lift and reached just to mid-calf.
It was a lovely off white color embossed with roses in the design.
Its petticoats were several layers of net and starched for extra
stiffness. The dress was in remarkably good repair, in fact it was
very well kept. Christine had just exactly the right strapless heels
to go with it. She’d been waiting for an occasion to wear them
and here it was. The waist was covered with a huge emerald green sash
which tied just below her breasts and therefore created no pressure
on her blooming waistline. It was perfect.

“
I
love it grandma. You are a genius.”

“
I’ve
been saying so for years haven’t I?” she said with a
grin.

“
Yes
you have. And now can we please get some rest?”

“
Yes
of course. Goodnight baby.”

“
Goodnight
gra.”

*****

“
We
are gathered here to unite these two hearts in the bonds of matrimony
which is an honorable estate. Into this, these two now come to be
joined. If anyone present can show just and legal cause why they may
not be joined, let them speak now or forever hold their peace,”
the celebrant said.

It was too much like
déjà vu. Christine tensed waiting for something to
happen but everyone just stood around smiling at each other as Max
sat on the bed holding her hand. The judge looked down at his book.

“
Max
Anthony Lestrange, will you have this woman as your lawful wedded
partner, to live together in the estate of matrimony? Will you love
her, honor her, comfort her, and keep her in sickness and in health;
forsaking all others, be true to her as long as you both shall live?”
he asked.

“
I
will,” Max said with a smile and a squeeze of Christine’s
hands.

“
Christine
Alexandre Richards, will you have this man as your lawful wedded
partner, to live together in the estate of matrimony? Will you love
him, honor him, comfort him, and keep him in sickness and in health;
forsaking all others, be true to him as long as you both shall live?”
he asked.

“
I
will,” Christine replied with a curious sigh of relief. She was
glad they’d managed to say their vows without…mishap.

“
Do
you have the rings?” the judge asked. Clarence came forward
with a small black box and opened it. Two identical platinum rings
inlaid with blue diamonds lay on the velvet pillow.

“
Behold
the symbol of wedlock. The perfect circle of love, the unbroken union
of these souls united here today. May you both remain faithful to
this symbol of true love. Please join hands and repeat after me,”
the celebrant said.