Contract with Consequences

‘Wanting a baby is not exactly complicated. It’s a basic drive in most women. And quite a lot of men too, I’m told,’ she added caustically.

‘I dare say you’re right. Look, it’s obvious that you’re determined on this course of action, so I have a suggestion to make which I think would be infinitely preferable to your being impregnated by some stranger who will impart nothing to your child’s life but a set of genes, which may not be as desirable as they read on paper. After all, what do you really know about this sperm donor? Nothing of any depth, that’s for sure. You don’t know his background or his family or his mental health. Perhaps it is a blessing that you haven’t conceived his child so far.’

Scarlet could not believe that John was being so negative. All life had some risk, didn’t it? There was no such a thing as a perfect plan, or a perfect partner, or a perfect anything! She had no idea what his counter-suggestion was going to be, but if he thought she was going to change her mind about trying for a baby then he was delusional.

John knew that what he was about to propose would shock her. He was pretty shocked at it himself. But something deep inside him was driving him on-the thought of Scarlet having a baby to some anonymous stranger was repulsive. She deserved better than that. She deserved…

‘So, Scarlet, in the interest of the future happiness and security of your offspring, I propose that you ditch your present sperm donor in favour of… me.’

Scarlet could not have been more shocked if he’d suggested immaculate conception. She just stared at him with rounded eyes, looking for the catch. Or the joke.

‘You have to be kidding me!’ she exclaimed at last.

‘Actually, no,’ he said, feel perversely pleased with his offer now that he’d made it. ‘I’m not.’

‘But… But… Why?’

‘Why not? I qualify, don’t I? I’m tall, reasonably good-looking, with dark hair and blue eyes. Unfortunately my IQ is a good bit over a hundred and thirty but that’s a moot point. I promise I won’t interfere with the way you bring up the child, so it won’t be so different to what you had planned. Though I would like to see the child occasionally. On top of that, he or she’ll have a second pair of grandparents living just across the road. And, whilst my father wasn’t a great father, I saw today that he has the makings of a great grandfather. That can happen sometimes, you know. His father-my grandfather-admitted to being a pathetic parent but he came into his own as a grandparent.’

Scarlet shook her head from side to side. ‘I’m having serious trouble taking this all in.’

‘Take your time.’

Scarlet blinked, then frowned. ‘I still can’t see why you would offer to do this.’

‘I am capable of kindness, you know.’ Or so Bianca had believed.

‘This is more than just being kind,’ Scarlet said, trying to get her head around John’s offer. Who would have believed he would do such a thing? She shook her head from side to side. ‘I have to confess that I’m tempted. Mum would certainly be more comfortable with you being the father than some stranger.’

‘I would imagine so. She quite likes me, you know. Has done ever since I promised to look after you on the school bus.’

Scarlet rolled her eyes at him. ‘I seem to recall you weren’t thrilled at the time.’

‘I didn’t mind.’

‘Rubbish! Come now, John, you’ve never been the Good Samaritan type. Which makes your offering to be my sperm donor all the more puzzling. Heavens, I don’t know what to think or what to say.’

‘Just say yes, Scarlet.’

‘But it’s such a difficult decision. I mean… it’s a big thing to have a child together. Different if we were in love.’

John snorted. ‘As we both know, being in love is no guarantee of future happiness. People fall out of love all the time.’

‘It’s still important for parents to like and respect each other.’

‘You think I don’t like and respect you?’

‘We haven’t exactly been the best of friends over the years.’

‘But that’s all in the past, when we were just stupid kids. We got along very well today, didn’t we?’

‘Yes,’ she agreed reluctantly. ‘Yes, we did. Oh Lord, I still don’t know. If we go ahead and do this, what on earth are we going to tell everyone?’

‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Your priority at this point is becoming pregnant. Your body obviously isn’t clicking with the sperm donor you chose,’ he went on with cool, corrupting logic. ‘You need to try someone different.’

Scarlet knew that, if she failed to get pregnant again with her chosen sperm donor, she’d regret not accepting John’s offer. It was a case of do now, or possibly die childless!

‘Okay. Okay. I’m going to throw caution to the winds and just say yes.’

‘Great,’ John said, feeling more excited than when he’d found oil. ‘So what’s the plan?’

‘I’ll contact the clinic first thing tomorrow morning and arrange for a time for you to go in and give them a sperm sample. Then, when-’

‘Hang on!’ John interrupted immediately. ‘That’s not how it’s going to be done at all!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean I have no intention of becoming a father via a turkey baster. Or a syringe. Or whatever they use these days. If we’re doing this, let’s do it right.’

‘You mean you… you want to have sex with me?’

CHAPTER SIX

JOHN smiled wryly. ‘Don’t sound so shocked, Scarlet. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you today, not to mention for years while we were growing up.’

Scarlet blushed furiously, shocked, yet secretly elated to discover that the feelings which had so blindsided her today had been returned for so long.

‘But don’t start thinking that I’m doing this just because of that-because I’m not.’ Even as the denial left his mouth, John suspected he was morally skating on thin ice here. If what he was saying was strictly true, then why not just do what she suggested-go to this clinic and give them a sperm sample?

The truth was he did want to have sex with her. At the same time, he did also believe that normal intercourse was the best chance Scarlet had for falling pregnant. Clearly, the coldly clinical method hadn’t worked. She needed to relax, to enjoy herself.

John decided to be bluntly honest with her. ‘Not that I won’t enjoy having sex with you,’ he admitted. ‘But that’s not the only reason I’m suggesting we actually sleep with each other. It’s because I think you’re more likely to fall pregnant that way. Which is what you want, isn’t it? To have a baby?’

John’s saying the word ‘baby’ dragged Scarlet back to the present. She’d been off in another world ever since he’d confessed to wanting to have sex with her since they were teenagers. ‘What? Oh yes, yes, that’s what I want,’ she said. ‘A baby.’

‘So what do you say, Scarlet?’

‘I don’t know…’ The idea of actually sleeping with John made her head spin.

He sighed. ‘What don’t you know?’

‘I don’t know what I don’t know!’ she blurted out, feeling totally confused and conflicted.

‘Look, I can understand that my suggestion has come as a bit of a shock to you, so why don’t we go somewhere for coffee and talk about it rationally?’

‘I don’t think I’m capable of being rational about this. You’ve totally blown me away. I have to think about this on my own.’

John nodded. He wanted her to say yes with a depth of desire which shocked him; something in him was demanding that he-and only he-should give Scarlet the baby she so desperately wanted. However, much as he hated it, she needed time.

‘I’ll take you home.’