Page 15 of Jasper
She hesitates for a second and then explains, “She’s sick. MS. It’s been getting worse fast. She’s supposed to have a spinal stimulator implanted next week. The Whitmores froze my first payout when our contract fell apart.”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “Jesus. You’ve been refusing to let my child go even though you needed money for medical treatment for your gran?”
“I didn’t decide to be a surrogate for the fun of it,” she says, looking me dead in the eye now. “I did it for my gran because she needs money for her medical treatment.”
“Doesn’t your grandmother have medical coverage?”
She nods, looking worried and tired. “Yes, but she still has copayments and deductibles to meet.”
I lean forward, elbows on my knees, fingers steepled. “What were they payin’ you?”
She hesitates before answering, “Fifty grand over six months.”
I whistle low. “Hell of a price tag.”
She flinches. “I know what it sounds like.”
“No,” I say. “You did what you had to. I respect that.”
She relaxes a little, because I’m not judging her and she’s getting used to talking to me.
I pitch her the best offer I can at the moment. “How about if I cover it,” I say. “Will you be a surrogate for me if I pay you exactly what the Whitmores were going to pay?”
Her head snaps towards me. “What?”
“The fifty grand, or more even. I don’t care about the money. Whatever it takes to keep you and that baby safe, I’ll gladly pay.”
“The thing is, under California law we have to have a contract. The Whitmores had one written up by their attorney. They agreed to pay for the fertility clinic and my medical bills in addition to paying me individually. It could turn out to be more than either of us are anticipating. If we don’t have a contract, I worry we might be breaking the law.”
I shrug. “Do I look like a guy who’s worried about the law? Half the shit I do before breakfast doesn’t meet the letter of the law. I tracked you down by hacking into the clinic’s database. God knows, I try to do what’s right, but I don’t particularly care if it’s legal.”
She stares at me like she can’t tell if I’m serious.
“I am dead serious. Mostly because I didn’t ask for this, but I’m not walking away from it either. Not when that baby is mine,” I tell her. I’m especially not walking away when she’s sitting here scared and trying her best to be strong as hell, holding it together better than I would be in her place. I don’t say that last part because I don’t want to admit just how fuckin’ attractive I think she is at this moment.
Tessa’s quiet again. I can tell she’s weighing her options and trying to figure out if I’m trustworthy. I pull out my phone and open my banking app. I set up a ten grand transfer and hand my phone to her.
“Enter your account and routing numbers and hit send.”
She takes my phone and looks at the screen, before holding it to her chest. She whispers, “I was going to sell my car.”
I blink, trying to grasp what she’s saying. “What?”
“I was thinking of selling my car to help pay for the pregnancy, but I was torn. My grandmother needs her treatment. And my car’s not worth a lot, so I’ve spent the last few days trying to decide which one to pick. I was leaning towards paying for my gran’s treatment, since I’m in early stages with the pregnancy and I might be able to pay for the medical appointments for the pregnancy by picking up more shifts at the diner.”
I nod slowly.
She continues, “I’ve also been researching ways to make fast money that aren’t illegal or degrading. You’d be surprised how short that list is when you’re not in tech or healthcare.”
“Not really,” I mutter. “If money were easy to come by no one would do without.”
She goes on, voice tighter now. “A friend of mine from college had done surrogacy. She said it was hard, but worth it. She made her first down payment on a house after one pregnancy.”
She pauses, fingers tightening around my phone. “I thought maybe I could buy my grandmother, this baby, and myself a little time. Maybe I could keep the lights on, get Gran to her appointments, and make sure ended up with the medical treatment she needed.”
“What about the clinic, this was their screw up. Surely, you’re due some compensation?” I ask.
“They said they’ll be in contact with their legal team to see about some sort of recompense seeing as they were at fault. But that could take months, and I need help now.”
