Michael made it out of the business meeting later than he had anticipated. He jumped into his SUV and told the driver to head home.
“Sir, are we stopping anywhere on the way back to the ranch?”
“Nope. We’ll head straight on back.”
He had promised Prince to spend some time with him today. And Debbie was over and wanted to talk to him. The first promise was so easy to keep. The second was a chore worse than…well, right now, he couldn’t’ think of anything worse.
He remembered another promise. Shoot, he had promised to call Lisa. Automatically, he reached for his phone, then something made him change his mind. A small smile played around his sensual lips as he imagined her getting more and more worked up, waiting for his call. Her blue eyes would go light grey, she would start pacing, muttering curse words to herself. Looking mad- and sexy as hell.
He did not fully understand what it was about getting her angry that really turned him on. Just thinking about her possible fury made his penis jump to life. He shifted uncomfortably in the seat.
Geeze, Mike, get a grip, you’ll get to see her soon enough.
Ok, maybe not soon enough. She had pissed him off by not inviting him to her actual party; probably was afraid of the dragon lady- her mother. He was tired of being her dirty little secret. He understood why she wanted to keep their arrangement a secret from the children, but the old which could just stuff it and choke on her disapproval. Plus, it’s not like he would have attended, anyway. But she should have asked…
A small voice reminded him that part of the secrecy involved was due to his current “situation.” The “situation” was his ongoing marriage to Debbie who just happened to be very pregnant again. He really did not consider her his wife, and given a choice, he would have just stuck to their original arrangement of having her artificially inseminated, give birth to his babies, and remain friends. A surrogate. That seemed simple enough. Until Mother had gotten a hold of the story.
He loved his mother with all his heart, and simply had been unable to bear the look of disapproval and hurt in her eyes as he tried to explain the plan to use Debbie as a surrogate to carry his children.
“So, let me get this straight? She will have your children, and you will not marry her?”
He stared at his mother. What was she thinking? Marry Debbie? He almost had to laugh. It was too funny. He fought hard to stay serious, knowing he could not disrespect his mother that way.
“No, mother. We have an arrangement. It’s fine. She wanted to do this for me. “
“What about Lisa Marie?”
Lisa? He and Lisa were divorced. Not his choice, by the way, -not by far. She had lied to him about having his babies, had refused to become pregnant, then had acted like a total bitch when he had to get away for a much needed vacation. All that after she had neglected to inform him that she was hanging out with Danny the Pest in Hawaii. What was with her anyway? Who has to hang out with their exes. And if it all was as innocent as she claimed- why not tell him up front? And then? Then she filed for divorce,- right when he needed her. Of course, first she had to make a horrible scene. When he was lying in a hospital bed, suffering, fighting for his life. Ok, maybe not for his life, but suffering from severe panic attacks anyway. This probably had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Debbie had already conceived and he had conveniently failed to mention that fact to his wife. The very wife who tended to get very loud and very angry.
Anyway, it was a mute point now: Debbie lost that baby. So, they tried again- and were successful this time. Timing was slightly off again as he and Lisa had finally started to talk again- until she found out. And started to forge ahead with that damn divorce, cutting him out, not even taking his calls. Well, she was sorry soon enough, sending letters, pleading, offering a soccer team of children. Who did she think he was? Her punching bag? No, at that point, he had cut her fickle but out of his life. For a while that had actually worked. Somewhat…
“Lisa and I are divorced.”
“I thought you said you still loved her?”
As much as he loved Mother, at times she confused apples with oranges.
“Mother, what does that have to do with Debbie and the baby? Lisa and I are divorced; Debbie and I will have a baby, which Debbie offered to have for me. That’s it. No involvement with her.” It was so simple- genius really!
“Michael Joseph! No involvement? The woman is having your child; you created a child with her- a gift from God.”
“We created the baby in a lab, mother. And yes, the baby is indeed a gift from God.”
She shook her head, looked at him in shock.
“I do not care to hear the details, Michael. But if you do not marry this woman who is carrying you child, you are no better than Joseph.”
That stung. And the sting, together with the damn tabloid getting a hold of the story had been the trigger for his marriage proposal and quickie wedding to Debbie.
So, now he was stuck with a wife he liked, but did not love. And he was addicted to the woman he wanted to be his wife, the woman he loved, but did not always like. And at one point, it had all seemed so simple.
YOU ARE READING
Fateful Encounters
Fanfiction"Oh no, oh crap. Not again. I need to get out; I need to get away from you..." "But Lisa..." "No, no, don't say it. I gotta get out." She jumped up and headed for the door. Surprised by his own speed given his disheveled state, he managed to catch...
