CHAPTER FIVE

ANDREW

After seeing Kate's call, he couldn't bring himself to answer it. He hated how she made him feel vulnerable.

As he drove home he thought of all the possible reasons that she would call. Maybe there was a chance that she was coming back.

Getting home, he noticed a tiny figure waiting for him by the door. As he got closer, he saw his mother's large brown eyes staring at him.

Overcome with so many emotions, his mother leaned into him crying. There were so many unsaid words at that moment.

“It’s alright mum, everything will be fine." Andrew said, holding his mother tightly.

He wished there was a way to ease the pain that she felt. He might have to stumble to the wish of his after.

They stayed that way a little longer until she was tired of crying.

Leading her by the hand, Andrew carried her to her room.

“Andrew, come in here.” Mr Allen called from his study across the hallway.

Andrew stiffened as he heard his father call out to him. He hoped it was not another one of his father's “talks" because he was not in a chatty mood.

“All these won't be happening if you just agree to all my decisions. You are the reason for your mother's sorrows…”

“You know what you should do. I'll be waiting.” Mr Allen said in a monotone voice as he sauntered away from his study.

Andrew stood there, fists clenched and gritted teeth trying not to give any reaction to his father's taunts lest he use that against him once more.

He dragged himself upstairs to his room and went to bed. He kept replaying his father's words as he rolled in bed till the next day.

****

At work the next day, Andrew was more arrogant than ever, glaring and giving hateful glare to anyone who crossed paths with him.

“Sir, the people representing the Lodge's Enterprises are here for the meeting." His secretary announced entering his office with files clutched to her chest.

“I'll be with them in an hour" Andrew said grimly with his eyes glued to his laptop.

“B.. but s.. sir-” she stammered, trying not to feel nervous. “-the meeting was scheduled for this morning. Waiting an hour might anger them.

Andrew paused from his work, turning to her with a cold glare. Avoiding his eyes, his secretary scurried out of the room preventing him from repeating himself.

Which was a good thing because, at that point, he was ready to sack anyone without thinking.

“Aren't you going to the meeting Mr cranky?" Jason chuckled as he entered Andrew's office.

Helping himself to some office and settling on the sofa, he seemed to be in a good mood.

Curious about what his friend was doing, he stood up and crept behind his back, chewing loudly.

“Please Jason stop chewing like a pig I can't hear myself think. If you're going to slack off, do it somewhere else." He complained, dusting off the crumbs Jason left on his shoulder.

“You’re getting a surrogate?? Whose idea is this? Jason asked, munching on another snack.

Andrew eyed Jason from the corner of his eyes. He didn't want to make it public and now Jason has found out. Looking at him again Andrew marvels how someone can eat this much and still look thin.

“It’s my idea." Andrew replied curtly not wanting to take the discussion further but Jason didn't get the memo.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this? Letting an unknown woman carry your child? Besides, who will take care of the child?"

“You can hardly take care of yourself and now you want to have a baby? Really Andrew?"

Jason hurled several questions at Andrew. He knew that Andrew was never one to settle. He was always jumping from one girl to another.

Jason's eyes glinted with delight for some seconds as if he had just thought of a wonderful idea.

“Why don't you wait and see if any of the girls you sleep with are pregnant?” Jason said laughing as Andrew threw him hateful glares.

With a smug smile on his face, Jason drew the nearest chair to the table and took over Andrew's laptop.

“What are you doing? I don't have time for this." Andrew stated getting irritated while Jason just typed away casually.

“I was setting up an ad for you. So now you can choose your surrogate with ease. All you need to do is pay them.” Jason said, sighing with a self-satisfied smile as he handed the laptop back to Andrew.

“Are you mad? Why would you do that?" Andrew shouted trying to take the ad down.

“You better pray my father doesn't find out about this.”

“He won't." Jason assured Andrew patting him on the back. “Besides you're doing this for him are you not?

“No.” Andrew muttered but not before grabbing his jacket and bolting out the door with Jason hot on his tail.

“Chloe follow me." Andrew said hurriedly as he passed his secretary's table.

****

Outside the restaurant, all the women who had seen the ad were lined up. Andrew wasn't surprised at this because the pay Jason had put up was very high.

Now here he was in the restaurant yet to find a surrogate.

They had already interviewed a lot of women but Andrew wasn't satisfied. He was either complaining about their height or how fat they were or how he didn't like the way they spoke.

They were on their twentieth interviewee and the woman's expression showed that she rather be anywhere but here.

She was timid and fragile and didn't look like she could make it through nine months of carrying a child.

“So ma'am do you like coffee or tea?" Andrew asked the woman as she just sat there playing with her fingers.

“Can you please answer my question!" Andrew said, aggravated, making the woman flinch.

“Can I go now? I don't think I want to continue with this interview.” the lady with fear in her eyes.

Wondering what she was so afraid of, Andrew waved his hand signaling for her to leave.

“We will never find the perfect person." Andrew said with his hand over his head giving in to defeat.

“We won't if you keep asking foolish questions. What does their height have to do with any of this? Why don't you take a break while I take over the interview?” Jason asked, gesturing to the next person to come forward.

Andrew reluctantly agreed moving over to the other chair beside him.

“So why do you want to be a surrogate mother?” Jason asked, eyeing the next candidate who looked like she had been drinking all day.

“Mother? Is that what we're doing here? I thought the long queue meant free food or something.” The lady with the gothic makeup slurred as she puked all over the place with a stench of whiskey strong on her body.

The place for the interview was ruined and Andrew saw it as an opportunity to end it since he couldn't make up his mind.

As the disappointed ladies went home, one particular lady rushed over to them begging.

“Please give me the job. I can be a surrogate mother. I desperately need the money.” She said crying as her tears continued to flow more and more.

Not knowing what to do, Andrew immediately agreed just to stop her from crying. She was getting his expensive trousers soaked with tears and snot.

“You can be my surrogate but you won't be conceiving the child the normal way, you have to go through IVF. Is that okay with you?” Andrew asked

“Yes. I'll do anything as long as I get paid.” She said using the back of her hand to wipe her whole face.

Disgusted, Andrew whispers to Jason to take the woman to do the necessary test and he should tell the doctor that he needs the results immediately.

He wouldn't ride with her after what he had just seen her do.

Getting back to the office, Andrew immediately went for the meeting he had almost forgotten about.

If they had lost the deal, his father would have had his head on a silver platter.

Exhausted, he headed home awaiting the results of the test taken on the crying woman.

He was willing to pay any amount of money as long as she got pregnant with his child.

He had spent time driving around just to avoid making contact with his father. Entering the house, the test results were sent to him.

“Now let's know if you're fit to carry a child CeCe.” He said to himself as he grabbed his phone and scanned through the results.