Page 5 of Baby Contract

“I can’t take care of a kid. I’m about to close on a building deal for towers in the new development in Osaka that I’ve been working on for over a year.”

“There’s always foster care.”

“Mom, be serious.”

“Send your lawyers over to Megan and get her to sign off on her parental rights, and then you can put the child up for adoption. It’s more permanent.”

“Are you kidding?”

“I’m assuming you’re calling me because you want someone to take this child off your hands.”

“It sounds sinister when you say it like that.”

“Darling. I love you and your sister oodles, but my child-rearing days are behind me. I am firmly in my grandmotherly spoiling era or will be once you give me grandchildren.”

“It feels like you’re punishing me for not going out on the date you set up last month.”

“Perhaps. I hope you sleep well tonight.” She cackles a little as she hangs up.

An alarm goes off on my phone. The alert says I have a meeting with a supplier for the Osaka complex in thirty minutes. I’m never going to make it. I text my contact a link to a Zoom room and hop on. “Remington, what are you doing here?” I check my contact information which says Kyo Frost, not Robert Remington. I don’t do business with Remington.

“I’ve want in on the Osaka contract so I bought out a local Japanese supplier who you need to fulfill the deal.”

Fuck me.

“Why?”

He smirks. “Because I heard you were in charge, and there’s never been a project that you haven’t made a fortune off of.”

We both know I would never have let him on board, but he took advantage of the fact that the overseas suppliers weren’t aware of his shady reputation, his propensity to cut costs, and his general assholery.

“Come and meet me in person and can hash all these details out over a drink.”

“I’ve a little issue at my home and can’t leave right now.”

His eyes widen slightly. “You’ve taken to locking women up? I never knew that you were that type of man, McRae.”

“Yes, always that type. I have whole villages of virgins just waiting for me to bless them with my presence.”

“Let me come to you then.”

I’d let Dex piss on my foot before I’d let Remington into my home. “I can work it out on my own.”

A loud wail pierces the air like a warning siren.

“Is that a baby?” Remington’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Yes.”

“I hadn’t realized you were expecting.”

“I didn’t know you kept such close tabs on me.”

“You are a very important businessman.” Remington slides off screen and then returns with his phone. “I’m texting you a number. I’ll consider this a favor that you can pay me back for in the future.” He cuts the connection.

I pick up the phone.

In-house nanny services. They’re really the best. It’s a two-for-one special if you know what I mean

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