As if I wouldn’t remember her, or our conversation. I roll my eyes to no one.
Unknown:If your offer still stands, I was hoping we could meet and discuss it further
Fuck, yeah! I barely restrain fist bumping the air. I settle myself so I can respond. She’s being formal in her messages, so I need to keep that in mind.
Me:Hi, how could I possibly forget you?
Me:Of course my offer is still on the table. Happy to meet wherever and whenever you’re free
Shit. Does that sound too eager? I mean, I am, even though my motives aren’t purely altruistic—I want to give her more than my swimmers—but I don’t want to sound desperate. I save her number in my phone.
Sarah:Would you be free Saturday morning? We could meet at The Bistro over on Fourth Avenue at 10
Me:Sounds great. See you then
It’s gonna be a long week. I’ll be counting down the days until I see the woman who consumed my thoughts all weekend. I blow out a breath, collect my coffee, and head back to work. The best thing I can do is get lost in our current projects.
“I’m getting close to breaching the firewall,” Dylan informs me as I step back into the office.
“That was quick.” I take my seat and a mouthful of coffee.
“Yep. Scarily so. I’m surprised hackers haven’t sunk these guys already.” He taps his keyboard a few more times. “I’m in!” He pushes away from the desk, rolling back a few feet in his chair, wearing a smug smile.
“Good job, man. Now we need to detail exactly what you did and what they need to do to secure their site.”
“Yep. I made notes as I went. It won’t take long to put my report together.”
“Great.” I turn back to my own project and get to work. Saturday can’t come soon enough.
CHAPTER5
–sarah–
Nope,this outfit isn’t any good either. Why is it so hard to choose a damn outfit to wear today? It’s not like I need to impress the guy; we’re not dating or anything. He’s only giving me his semen, and then I’ll never see him again. Simple. I sigh heavily. Just my luck to meet someone who seems to be perfect. Life is unfair sometimes. But looking on the bright side, I’ve hopefully found a solution to my problem, depending on how our chat works out today.
I huff as I pick up my jeans again. Maybe I can pair them with my off-the-shoulder top and my tan sandals. Yeah, that’ll work. Glancing at the time, I fly into a panic. I don’t want to be late, but at the rate I’m going, I will be. Dressing quickly, I apply a little makeup and tie my hair in a high ponytail. I check my appearance in the full-length mirror behind my bedroom door and smile—my butt always looks fabulous in these jeans.
Collecting the paperwork from my small dining table, I slide it carefully into my purse and check to make sure I have everything I need. Butterflies fill my stomach as I head toward the elevator. I have the distinct feeling that today is the beginning of a new chapter for me. I’m hoping he doesn’t think I’m too neurotic and rescind his offer to help.
I finally find a parking space after driving around for fifteen minutes, my frustration growing by the minute, along with the sweat beneath my armpits. I’m definitely late now. It’s a trait I don’t like, so I get annoyed with myself when I’m late somewhere. If you say you’re going to arrive at a certain time, then damn well be there on time.
Quickly, I climb out of my car, ready to race across the street when the handle from my purse gets trapped in the closed door, spilling the contents all over the street. Sheets of paper escape and I hastily stomp on them to prevent them from flying away. When I bend down to pick them up, they’re all crinkled and imprinted with the dirty print of my shoe. Dammit, this is not how I wanted to present myself. Because as much as I’m looking at him and his genetics under the microscope, I want to make a good impression. I don’t want him to think I’m not good enough to become a mom. He might change his mind about being my donor, and I don’t want that. I scoop everything up and draw in several deep breaths, calming myself before I have a panic attack in the street. I drag my purse straps over my shoulder and take purposeful strides toward the café, fifteen minutes late. I can’t do anything about it now, so I try to put the shit show of the last twenty minutes behind me.
Pausing outside the door, I calm my mind ready to meet with my possible baby daddy. The door opens and when I move to clear the doorway for whoever’s exiting the café, I spot AJ holding it open with a warm smile.
Great. He probably saw everything.
His smiling eyes connect with mine and the last twenty minutes disappear. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. He has some magnetic force that draws me to him, which I’m trying hard to fight. He’s only interested in sharing his semen, not his life. I must remember that but I always struggle to keep my heart locked away. It’s why I could never risk Mel’s suggestion of sleeping with some random guy to get pregnant. My heart doesn’t know the difference between having hot sex and falling in love. It thinks sex means love. My brain knows that’s not the case, but the damn muscle in my chest can’t separate the two.
He leans forward to kiss my cheek, sending sparks shooting through my body. My heart tries to engage—nope, not happening—I push it down and pull away from his touch. His eyebrows sink low, but he quickly catches himself and smiles at me. “Hey, Sarah. It’s great to see you.” He waves his hand toward a table by the window. “I already have a table for us.”
“Hey. Thanks for meeting me today. I’m sorry I’m late.” He guides me forward with his hand at the base of my spine and those same sparks erupt again. I drop to the seat, placing my purse next to me and he sits opposite. “How’s your week been?” Good one, Sarah. You’re not here to make small talk and his week is none of your damn business.
“Pretty good, thanks. We cracked a couple of firewalls, which is always a great feeling. Did you want to order a coffee and then we can chat?”See?He just wants to get straight down to business.
We each order a coffee, and AJ quickly scans his card to pay for mine. “You don’t need to pay for my coffee, I should be paying for yours since we’re here because of me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. A coffee and a slice of banana bread aren’t going to break the bank. It’s ingrained in me to pay for the lady. It’s how I work.” He shrugs and one side of his mouth rises. It’s a half-smile but it looks oh so good on him.Stop it, Sarah.