Page 19 of Breaking the Ice

She had taken her first step. It had been incredibly painful and if Nick hadn’t been with her she would have backed out at the very first needle but looking at her tattoo she was immensely proud of herself.

She’d justdoneink. She could do anything. She could certainly have a baby.

“So… do you have a particular type of guy in mind for this plan of yours?” Nick asked her after she’d paid Reg and they were back on the street.

“Nope.”

“What? No list? No Post-it note somewhere with build, eye color, shoe size, etc?”

“No.” Samantha shot him a quelling look. “I’m not after a set of physical attributes. I guess I’d like to feel some kind of spark but mostly I want him to benice.I mean he is going to be the father of my baby so I’m going to have to like him.”

“I guess that would help.”

She shrugged. “I figured I’d just get on an app and go from there. I’ll know him when I see him.”

“What?” Nick’s face screwed into a ball of distaste. “No way. Stayoffthe apps, Sam, no matter what you do.”

“Why?”

Samantha was probably the only woman she knew both at work and within her own small friendship circle that hadn’t ever dabbled in online dating. It had felt depressingly fake and not necessary when she seemed to manage meeting men just fine. But things had changed. She had limited time and very specific requirements.

And she admired the hell out of an algorithm.

“Because they’re a festering pool of gym bros who just want to hook up.”

She waved the objection aside. “I’ll make sure to curate my profile properly. This is the quickest and most efficient way to find what I’m looking for. Unless you have a pool of eligible men my age or older who might fitmydemographic?”

In other words,nothockey gods.

“Yes!” He snapped his fingers, sounding…relieved? “I havesixolder brothers. All professional men. I’m sure I could find someone among their friends and colleagues who’d be willing to go out with a slightly nutty Rubenesque female with dying eggs.”

Ooh, okay, yes. That coulddefinitelywork. And she did like the idea of a personal recommendation much better than a rando internet match. “Really? You’d consider doing that for me?”

“Absolutely.” He nodded. “Leave it with me.”

8

“Nick’s set me up with a plastic surgeon.”

“That’s nice. Cosmetic kind or serious kind?”

“There’s a difference?”

“Duh! Which you’d know if you ever bothered to read aCosmoinstead of theFinancial Times.”

Samantha could almost see Bec’s eye roll as a loud sigh sounded down the line.

“Cosmetic fixes your boobs and your bits. Serious does little kiddies with disfiguring injuries, orphans, burns, civil war victims. They get humanitarian awards.”

“Cosmetic, I think. Speaking of which, how do you think I’d look with breast implants?”

“There’s nothing wrong with your boobs. They’re perfect.I’d kill for them.”

Samantha smiled. “Humor me.”

“Alright. What cup size?”

“E?”

---