The Surrogate (Clearwater) by Marissa Dobson Page B

an open pizza box that was barely touched on the coffee table, with
a large bottle of whiskey and glass next to it. A stereo played soft jazz in
the background. Old memories pushed to the surface, Michael was the one that
took her to her first jazz club, one night after his intern shift at the
hospital. It was a night she’d always remember, it was also the night they
shared their first and only kiss, provided by a few drinks.
    She refused to let the memory of
his lips on hers cling to her. Right now there were other issues that needed to
be attended to. “Where’s Peg? Is Betty here?”
    Michael poured himself a large
whiskey. From the way his eyes seemed to gloss over, she was sure it wasn’t his
first. “She’s gone.” He sank onto the couch, his shoulders slouched in defeat
as he took a long drink from the glass he just poured.
    “Gone? As to the store? To
work?” It was highly doubtful that Peg, a lawyer, was called to work at this
time of night. She mostly dealt with divorces and some family law. Why would
she go out in a storm like this, especially when she knew Jessi was due to
arrive? Even if Peg was out, it didn’t explain the absence of Betty.
    “No, she’s gone for good.
Divorce papers were served a month ago.”
    “Divorce?” Her voice was so
low she wasn’t even sure he heard. Running her hand along the curve of her
stomach she couldn’t believe it herself. A month ago—that was right around the
time of her last doctor’s appointment. He’d come to it alone. Had the papers been
served then? If so, why didn’t he mention it? What would happen to the twins
now? He was in no shape to provide for them, especially not alone. She became a
surrogate mother because the child, or in this case children, that she
delivered would have a family home. She wouldn’t have agreed to do this for a
single parent.
    He finished the glass of
whiskey in record time, his head rested against the back of the couch and his
eyes shut.
    He’d be no use to her tonight,
she’d have to head back out into the snow to get her luggage and find a guest
bedroom, because the snow was now fully upon the sleepy town of Clearwater.
Jessi got up from her perch and went to him. “Michael, wake up.” She shook his
shoulder until his eyes opened just a crack. “Where’s Betty?”
    “With Peg.” His eyes closed
again and this time there was no waking him.
    With her host passed out she
was left to find her own guest room. “Guess we’re on our own.” She looked down
at her protruding stomach and wondered what would happen now. She had no means
to provide for twins, but she was damn sure that unless Michael got his act
together she wouldn’t let him have them. She had to have some rights to stand
on. After all it was her egg that helped create the twins. Besides, there was
never any paperwork signed between them, it was all a verbal agreement. Before
then it never struck her as odd, but now she wondered why Peg being a lawyer
never forced the issue. She’d have to think about that later.
    * * *
    Michael woke to the chimes of
the grandfather clock in the hall. It was after three in the morning. “Shit,
Jessi!” He looked around the room. Had she arrived last night? He couldn’t
remember anything after the pizza came. Flipping open the lid of the box he saw
only the piece he started to eat last night was gone. If she had been there,
she didn’t eat any of it, nor was there another glass to be seen. Not that she
would have joined him in drowning his sorrows in whiskey. Jessi would have been
left alone with his bottle of whiskey to mark the end of his marriage. Those
damn divorce papers peeked out from under the pizza box as a faithful reminder.
    The instant he stood from the
couch his head spun. Too much alcohol on an empty stomach, he would feel worse
in the morning. Now he had to see if his pregnant guest had arrived. He made it
to the window before his stomach revolted. Through the thin curtains he saw her
little red car