Page 42 of The Surrogate Nanny
“No, Dr. Christy.”
“Perfect. Make an appointment to see me in six months. I’ll walk you to reception.”
***
I parked my car next to Jonathan’s assigned parking spot and entered the law office. We needed to have a gentleman’s chat.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Powell. I didn’t see you on the appointment book.”
“Good afternoon, Cara. I don’t have an appointment. This is a social call. Is Jonathan busy?”
“He doesn’t have another client for another hour; you can go on back.”
“Thanks, Cara. Have a good day.”
I moved with hurried steps like a man on a mission would. I could barely register the pain, thanks partly to my impromptu physical therapy appointment and anger.
I threw open the door without bothering to knock.
“Anthony, what are you doing here?” he asked, tossing his glasses onto his desk that was strewn with documents and folders.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by.”
“That’s nice of you. Have a seat and take a load off that leg.”
“My leg is fine,” I growled stubbornly. Jonathan threw his hands up in resignation.
“Whatever you say, man.”
“Why?” I asked immediately.
“Why what?”
“Why Simone?”
His eyebrows crinkled in confusion. “Are you asking me why I asked Simone out?”
“Yes.”
“Because I’m not fucking blind. I know a good woman when I see one.”
“Explain your ex-wife then.”
He laughed lightheartedly. “With age comes wisdom, but seriously, Simone is a beautiful woman with a heart of gold, and I want to get to know her. Why do you care? I hope it’s not because you’ve fallen for her and you’re jealous because that’ll never fucking happen, especially after what you did to her.”
“Whatwedid to her! You don’t get to sit here and pretend you didn’t play a role in taking Nori from her. You told me every way to break her down in court to win. She won’t forget that.”
Jonathan shrugged casually. “She must’ve forgotten if she agreed to go on a date with me. How many dates have you gone on with her?” He paused and allowed his question to linger in the air. “Listen, I know you feel shitty about how you handled things with Nori, but you can’t put that on me. You hired me to do a job, and I did it. I’m not even a family attorney, I’m a personal injury lawyer, but off the record, as your friend, I told you it was a bad fucking idea and urged you to at least seek joint custody, but you didn’t want to do that, and now you’re boohooing about it.” I licked my bottom lip and ran a hand through my already messy hair. “Do you want me to cancel the date? I’ll do it if it means I’ll lose our friendship if I go out with her. I mean, technically, she is the mother of your child, and you’re cohabitating. It was inevitable that you’d fall for her. Tell me what to do, Anthony.”
***
“You know, there is a little invention called a spoon, right?” I asked, holding out a pink color-changing spoon to my daughter. She accepted it and threw it on the floor.
“No, ma’am,” Simone chastised as she entered the kitchen, her heels clicking against the polished tile. I would’ve laughed at the “oh shit” face Nori made, but I was too mesmerized by Simone’s appearance to react appropriately. She wore a black spaghetti strap dress with a daring split in the front, exposing a thigh. She paired her dress with diamond studs, a matching necklace, and a tennis bracelet. Her strappy black heels gave her a little height, making her calves irresistible.
“Anthony, don’t let Nori get over on you. Don’t be afraid to discipline her. She knows better than that. Remember, her bedtime is at 8:00, and make sure she makes it to her crib.”
“But I like it when she sleeps with me,” I protested, still unable to take my eyes off her as she rushed through the kitchen. She checked the time on the microwave and smacked her lips. “I’m running late and don’t have time to argue with you. Nori needs to sleep in her crib. I’ll be checking the baby monitor. I have to go.”