The Surrogate

Is It A Yes?

Sunday August 29th.

Holly made sure to thank Britta before turning to knock timidly on the door. The German woman had been this morning's paddock escort as the eagle eyed media lenses had quickly caught on to Seb's pretty guest and romantically linked them together. They saw no point in her walking in with anyone else after that but Seb didn't want to make her walk in alone and become easy prey.

The door opens and she's met with his beautiful blue eyes looking right back at her. They crinkle up at the corners as he smiles at her and then pulls the door wide open, "you don't have to knock, you know."

"I don't exactly feel like I can swan around letting myself in to places either, I am here as a guest after all and not staff."

Seb says nothing and instead chooses to pull her in for a hug.

She feels comfortable enough to hug him back and slips her arms around him, bringing her hands up to his shoulder blades. They'd had a talk on Friday night, during which she'd told him that she doesn't need him to be protective or possessive and that she can handle men like Jake on her own. She's also pointed out that she isn't interested in Jake and that he's got no chance with her and even if she was, she wouldn't pursue anything while she's working with a client.

Seb had then promised that he'd back off but admitted that he does have a possessive streak in him and already feels very protective of her, something which he'll try hard to control from now on. They'd then smoothed things over with a hug and since then things had been back to normal between them - except that he'd been a lot more cuddly since then.

"What was that for?" she asks as they part from each other.

"Because I hugged you yesterday morning and I then went on to get pole," he grins and then sits up on the massage table where he starts to put his race boots on,  "I think you're my lucky charm."

"You won't be thinking that tomorrow," she giggles, "not when you're having your medical."

She's referring to the full health check up that he's having tomorrow in Zürich, physically it's a dead cert that he'll pass but there's one part of this check up that he's not familiar with and that's the fertility side of it. Tomorrow is what he calls the dreaded 'wank into a cup' test, not that he's told Holly that. He's not overly worried about his fertility but he's not relishing feeling forced to 'perform' in order to provide a semen sample. He's got this cliched idea in his head of a cupboard sized room full of dirty magazines and boxes of tissues and he's already thinking of the countless number of men who've probably done the same in that room before him. He's starting to worry that he won't be able to get hard, never mind provide the sample required and he's seriously considering phoning the clinic to ask if there's any way he can gather his sample at home.

She notices how it takes him longer to reply, "not worried about tomorrow, are you?"

He pulls a face, wiggling his nose from side to side before he admits it, "I'm not worried but I'm not looking forward to it. I think I'll get to know how thoroughbred racehorses must feel when they're breeding them."

She finds his analysis amusing though it's not the first time she's heard it. "I've not met a man yet who does but let's forget that for now, you've got a race to win."

He laces up his other boot and then hops back down on to the floor. It feels different having someone else here with him, usually it's Antti or his father and at other times he's in this little changing room on his own. Her presence is calming and giving him an insight of what it would be like if she was here as his girlfriend. Maybe one day.

"Are you nervous?" she asks as he checks the time on his watch.

"A little, nerves are good, the adrenaline is starting to build. How about you? Excited?"