Page 9 of Sassy Surrogate
Heath
Harsh sunlight streaming through open windows pierces my consciousness. Coming awake painfully, I blindly search for my cell phone to check the time. When I realise that not only have I slept through my alarm, but three phone calls from Rebecca and one from Graham, I bolt upright in the bed. Immediately, I regret it. My head protests loudly, and my stomach roils, threatening to void itself all over my bed.
Shit, Graham. I never did call the man back last night, being far too focused on dodging my issues at the bottom of a bourbon bottle. Dragging my sorry ass out of bed, I stumble to the master bathroom to take care of business. Hopefully, a strong cup of coffee and one of Kieran’s magic cures will be waiting for me in the kitchen.
Opening the bedroom door, my stomach once again makes its displeasure known when the smell of bacon cooking hits my nose. I shuffle up to the counter and offer up a prayer of thanks that Kieran has, indeed, been his usual thoughtful self, leaving both the coffee and hangover elixir in plain sight.
In the heat of the moment, getting trashed out of your mind might seem like a brilliant idea to quiet the demons. The morning after, not so much. Thank God for Kieran and his cure, because otherwise I’d be completely useless today.
“Good morning, Mr Heath.” Violet is always so sweet and happy. Usually it makes a person feel instantly better, but this morning her cheerful words grate like fingernails down a blackboard. “How would you like your eggs this morning?”
“Morning, Violet. Nothing for me today, thanks.” It’s all I can manage as I focus on breathing through the nausea.
She’s about to offer a retort when she sees me greedily reach for the tiny bottle of Kieran’s hangover cure and obviously thinks better of it. I close my nose and throw it back, shuddering as the foul-tasting liquid hits the back of my throat. Next, I grab the cup and head back to my bedroom to get done for work.
Hauling my sorry self into the shower, I stand under the hot spray and wait for the vile tasting concoction to work its magic and make me feel more human and less like death warmed over. I stand there, allowing the water to cleanse my body as well as my mind, until it finally runs cold.
By the time I’ve dragged myself through the shower and downed my coffee, I actually do feel human again and ready to face this new day. Knotting my tie, I mentally run over everything that needs doing today.
I have a meeting with a company I’m looking to buy, but the current owner is proving difficult. He’s managed to get himself into a hole, and while he knows he needs my help to get out of it, he’s not happy about it and making no bones about his displeasure at needing it.
I also need to return Graham’s call. Not to mention apologise profusely for my poor manners. Grabbing keys, phone, and wallet, I call out for Kieran to let him know I’m ready to leave. As I head for the door, Violet pops her head out of the guest bathroom.
“Any preferences for dinner tonight, Mr Heath?”
“No, nothing particular. Thanks, Violet. I have a lot that needs doing at the office today, and I won’t be home until late. So, you don’t need to wait for me.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll leave your dinner in the refrigerator for you then.”
Nodding my thanks, I head for the elevator, Kieran appearing from his side of the apartment.
“Good morning. How are you feeling today?” His smirk tells me he knows exactly how I felt upon awakening.
“Human, thanks to that godawful concoction of yours.”
He laughs. “My grandmother always said that the worse the medicine tasted the better it worked.”
“Yeah, Granny wasn’t wrong. Tastes like shit, works like magic.”
“There you have it then.”
The morning peak hour traffic gives me time to work through emails that Rebecca has flagged specifically for my attention, and I lose myself in work as we slowly make our way into the city centre. Opening an email from Rebecca, I see it’s a note informing me of an employee’s pending maternity leave and letting me know she’ll be organising something on behalf of the company.
Without warning, a pang in the region of my heart catches me off-guard. That old longing for a family hits me squarely in the chest, leaving me a little breathless and a whole lot out of sorts. I’m told that this soul-deep longing is my mind’s way of dealing with my mother’s abandonment. Whatever it is, I can’t seem to shake it.
The question is, though, with no intention of remarrying, how do I make this dream a reality?
The failure of my marriage was as much my fault as it was Felicia’s but, for me, the hardest part to accept was the death of my dream to have children. I crave the unconditional love a child offers. That look of trust and adoration on their little faces, subconsciously believing that they’re safe in your keeping.
As Will and I believed we were safe in my mother’s love. Until the day she packed her bags and left without so much as a backward glance. I have never understood how a mother can find it in her heart to simply walk away from her children, no guilt. Not a care in the world that she’s leaving devastation in her wake.
Kieran’s voice pulls me out of my dark thoughts, and I realise we’ve arrived at the office. He pulls up to the curb and hops out to open my door. Thanking him, I exit the vehicle.
“I have no idea until what time I’ll be working today, so I’ll let you know when I need you to come get me.”
“No problem. See you later.” Giving me a snappy, two-fingered salute, he gets back into the vehicle.
I wave to security as I make my way across the lobby and to the elevators. Stepping into my office, Rebecca looks up and gives me a thorough study. “I see Kieran’s potion worked its usual magic.”
