“I couldn’t appear too eager, or you’d lose interest. If I picked up the phone every time you called—”
“Then we would’ve had four conversations in our relationship instead of just one? Don’t try to make it more meaningful than it was. We didn’t get along, and we didn’t have the same interests. We just hooked up. I took you to breakfast after we slept together the first time, and you played on your phone almost the whole time.”
“Like I said, I was young and immature, and my head was turned. You were handsome and charming, and I couldn’t resist. And I had your baby, all alone, knowing I meant nothing to you.”
“Jenna,” I sighed, already tired of dealing with her. “You are not going to disrupt my daughter’s life.”
She broke into sobs again, and I managed not to roll my eyes. “That isn’t working on me,” I said. “So you might as well just quit it.”
Jenna turned off the waterworks instantly and wiped her eyes with a tissue, not a drop of mascara out of place.
“Fine. You don’t have a sensitive side.”
“I could’ve told you that and saved you the trouble of fake crying,” I told her.
“Look, you want to know why I’m here? About a year or so after I left the baby with you, I found out who you were by accident. I hadn’t made the connection with your family name. I thought you dressed nice and had a flashy car because of your job. You had a family fortune and you had been practically printing money as a broker. I’ve been working on tracking you down ever since. Finally, I got a break, and here you are.”
“You want money,” I said, my voice hard.
“The way I figure it, surrogates get paid a hefty fee. I carried your child and gave her to you free and clear. That’s worth something. Not just my expenses while I was pregnant, which you never even offered to pay me for, but for my time and the wear and tear on my body. I’m always going to have stretch marks, Max,” she said.
“The truth comes out. You want, what? Laser treatments for your thighs or something? Look, I don’t care. You signed her over and left. You need to get out of town and leave us alone.”
“Or what? You make me disappear? Chop me up with your hipster ax?” she challenged. I did roll my eyes at that.
“No, Jenna. I’m not threatening you. I’m advising you that there is nothing to be gained by continuing to be in town and intrude on my life with my child. You’re not wanted here, and that isn’t going to change. I realize you don’t have an interest in her, and I’m not going to let you see her or upset her.”
“It’s your turn to listen to me for once, Max. You’ve got money and plenty of it. And if you don’t give me the cash, I will tell everyone in this shitty backwater how you seduced me when I was young and poor and then used your money and power to take away my baby. Then I’ll take you to court. It’ll be messy. The kid will have to be questioned. Is that what you want?” she challenged.
I felt my jaw clench. “None of this from the moment you knocked on my door has been what I want. Give me a couple days and I’ll get back to you. Be good, stay quiet, stay the hell away from us.”
I stalked out before I could ram my fist into the wall in frustration. This was the last thing I wanted, extortion and the threat of a lawsuit for money or visitation or both, a huge dramatic mess. I shook my head as I hurried out of that building.
I felt like I needed a shower to get the greasy feeling off of me after having to deal with Jenna.
25
Rahel
Max was twenty minutes late coming home, which wasn’t like him. It must’ve been a busy day at work, was what I thought. Then he came into the house and gave Sadie an absentminded hug.
“You’re off the rest of the week, full pay. Sadie and I are going on a little trip, spur of the moment thing. We’ll see you next Monday unless I message you with a schedule change,” he said abruptly.
“Where are we going?” Sadie asked excitedly.
I just looked at him. Way to put me in my place, just announcing as my boss that I was off for the week. I wanted to question him, wanted to talk to him alone, but I was running late for my shift at the diner.
“Okay, you have fun, Sadie Lady. I’ll see you when you get back. Have your dad let you send me a picture, okay?” I said, giving her a hug.