How did I get here?

I never expected to ever be here.

The room smelled sterile mixed with sweat; sweat that had rolled down my body only an hour before. A large, rough hand stroking the top of my head, a smaller hand reaching towards me in a fist. I swore to myself that I would never do this, but here I am, holding onto a precious life that made my heart melt.

There was another smell in the room. A smell that was sweet; this smell that I could only link to them.

I let my head fall back against the pillow with a tired sigh. How long had I been awake?

"Rest Roza. You did well."

12 Months Earlier.

I stared at the warning notice in my lap with furrowed brows. I would need to pick up a few extra shifts to take care of this. I set it down on the stack of other warning notices and pulled my legs up onto the chair.

Was there a limit to how many hours a week your body could work before it dropped from exhaustion?

What are the chances I can pick up a few more shifts? I typed into the message box.

I watched the three bubbles move as I bit on my thumb nail, waiting patiently for a response.

I think I can fit you in for two more. But I feel like you're working more than you can handle right now. Two is my max.

I'll take them.

I sighed and slouched back into my chair. That meant I had four morning shifts at the dinner this week, three at the gym in the afternoon and six at the bar in the evenings. That should work, right?

I got up and got changed for work, smoothing my polo shirt down before pulling my hair up. The diner was fantastic, but the only downside was the owner Stan Alto. Kind of a hard ass, but when he wanted to be nice, he was. But it wasn't very often. At least it was Friday. The diner was slower on Friday mornings.

The bar was busier than normal when I arrived, but the girls and I were working that in our favour. We worked hard and the tips were pretty decent tonight. One of my coworkers Mia, came into her shift with a drastic haircut and I almost mistook her for a patron behind the bar. Mia was what I would call a doll. She was willowy with milk white skin, baby blue eyes and blonde curls. Her curls were cut, and she had it done in a very short pixie cut. It actually made her look her age.

"I'm surprised you're here tonight," Mia said, locking the door after the last patron left. I looked up at her while counting the register.

"I needed the money. Thankfully Yuri understands that. But he did tell me that I'm working too much."

Mia snorted and pulled the trash bag out of the can. "That's because you are! You work three jobs woman! You're gonna kill yourself with all of this work," Mia exclaimed. I rolled my eyes at her. I'd heard this too many times. From her, Alberta at the gym and Yuri.

"I have bills I've got to pay, debts I have to pay."

Mia was quiet as she cleaned and I was thankful for it. I didn't want to mess up counting the bills because I was responding to her questions. Eventually we finished and I pulled out the jar that held all of the tips for the night, shaking it in Mia's direction. Mia smiled and walked towards the bar, coming to stand near me.

"I just need to win the lottery," I joked after a few minutes. "I need out of this shit hole apartment and to get one job that I can handle. The three jobs and never-ending list of past due warnings is getting ridiculous."

Mia leaned against the bar and ran her fingers through her short hair. "You could always sell your eggs or something. You always say you don't want to have kids. Why not sell them so that someone could have a baby? I mean, from what I hear, it pays decently."

"Sell my eggs?"

"Yeah. My cousin did it a few years ago. I think she got around $5,000."

I shrugged. "I'll think about it. Besides, what kid would want my fucked up genes?" I joked as I counted out our tips. Even as the words slipped out of my mouth, I felt a dull pang in my chest that I quickly worked to ignore. I set tips for Mia in an envelope in front of her and a second envelope for Liz who left a few hours before. Mia frowned at me and jumped up to sit on the bar, crossing her legs under her.

"Hey, just because your parents are fucked up doesn't mean you are. You're smart and you're healthy. You also are better than your asshole parents. You actually have a heart," she said sympathetically. I nodded and wrote the tip amount in the log before bringing the register and log book to the back room, setting them in the vault for when Yuri got here in the morning.

"Do you need a ride home?" I asked Mia as I came back out, pulling my leather jacket on. If it hadn't been a gift from my best friend, I probably could have sold it to pay my rent.

"Yes please. That bachelor party kept sending me shots, and I drank a few to be polite. But you know how I get with tequila," Mia joked, sliding off the counter and getting her purse. I shook my head and waited by the door for her.

Once I dropped Mia off at her place, I went home. I barely made it to my bed before collapsing onto it, not even changing out of my work clothes.

"I'm sorry, you're thinking about doing what?!"

"Liss, calm down. It's just an idea."

"An idea?! Rose! If you needed money that badly, you should have asked me! You don't need to start selling yourself to make money."

I narrowed my eyes at Lissa. "It's my eggs, not a limb. I have plenty of eggs. Plus, just imagine how happy it would make someone to be able to have a baby when they can't. Just because I don't want kids, doesn't mean I can't help others."

Lissa shook her head and leaned back into her chair. Lissa Dragomir had been my best friend since childhood. Lissa also came from a prestigious family that was well off. Don't get me wrong, before my parents cut me off, I had it good too. But I was a bit more humble about it than Lissa. I didn't buy things for the sake of buying them, and I didn't drop money on the dime to go on trips. But that was the difference between our fathers too.

Eric spoiled his children, Abe taught me humility and to not take things for granted. If only I learned that lesson earlier in life.

"Liss, I couldn't ask you for the money. I've been making things work, but I just thought that doing this would be a win-win situation. I get a bit of money to help me pay off the last of my debt, someone gets an egg."

Lissa raised her brow and shook her head, not understanding the bigger picture. It wasn't that I couldn't ask for help, but I didn't want her help financially. I wanted to work for it.

"How many hours do you have this week between your three jobs?"

I chewed on my lip and looked out the window, not wanting to look her in the eye. "Thirty maybe?"

Lissa sighed and pulled her purse closer to her, digging through her bag before pulling her wallet out and a pen.

"Liss-"

"No, Rose. This is enough for first and last month's rent, and the remainder of what you have for the place you're at now. You live in a money pit and your landlord is a slumlord. Take the money and get a better place. That way, you can save a bit more and make the parents on your loans," Lissa interrupted, thrusting the cheque towards me with a firm look. I took it from her with a sigh, feeling my stomach turn as I took in the amount written there. Once upon a time, both Lissa and her brother offered to pay off my loans, but I couldn't let them. It was too much.

Just take it so she'll leave you alone. You don't need to cash it.

"Thanks, Liss," I said quietly, slipping it into my bag.

"Where did you even hear about donating your eggs?" Lissa asked, her tone of voice indicating that she thought it was ludicrous.

"I read it somewhere," I mumbled, crossing my arms.

After three weeks of debating, and an interview, I finally decided that I would do it. I was going to donate my eggs to a family in need. I drummed my nail on the clipboard as I read over the questions. There were a lot of questions about my health, but that was to be expected. What I wasn't expecting was what I liked to do in my spare time. But I guess that must be used to help people determine who they want as a donor.

"Scared off yet?" Dr. Manning asked with a smirk. I looked up with a chuckle and shook my head.

"No, just a lot of questions. It says here something and genetic screening? What does that entail?"

"It's just a blood test and oral swab to determine if you have any genes that could cause issues in the future. Breast Cancer, degenerative diseases, things like that. It's harmless," she explained with a small smile.

"And who sees all of this information about me?"

"Potential donees will, but your name will be removed and they will be given a donor identification number. This way it keeps things as confidential as possible."

I nodded and continued to fill out the questionnaire, sliding the clipboard across the desk. Dr. Manning looked over my information with slightly pursed lips. When she got to the end, she set the clipboard down and got up from her desk. She unlocked a filing cabinet before taking a file out and coming back to the desk. She looked over the file and then looked over mine again.

As if she could sense my confusion, she smiled at me and closed the files.

"We have some high profile clients come to our clinic. We keep an eye out for people who match their requests for physical characteristics along with lifestyle and ethnicity. There's a chance that you are a match for one of our high profile clients. We will need to do the physical exams before we can confirm them."

I nodded but Dr. Manning continued to speak. "There is a condition with this particular client," Dr. Manning said, folding her hands over her desk. I nodded and waited for her to explain.

"This particular client is also looking for a surrogate. This client is high profile so we won't be able to disclose any information about them personally unless you are willing to be a surrogate as well."

I bit my lip and looked down at my lap. This was a little more than what I had expected.

"Surrogate? Like someone to carry the baby to term?"

"Yes. Now that being said, a contract would be signed stating that you are solely a surrogate and that you would be giving up any legal rights after birth."

"I don't think I can afford to be a surrogate. I mean, I was selling my eggs to get money to pay my loans," I said quietly.

"That's understandable. If you decided to be a surrogate, you would be compensated for that as well. Your medical bills will be covered as well as anything else in regards to the baby."

I mulled it over for a moment. "I don't want this to come out bad, but roughly how much? Like ballpark number, base rate?"

Dr. Manning flipped through the file before replying. "For this particular client, the minimum would be a hundred thousand."

I sat there quietly for a moment, slightly stunned as I thought about what she said. Eighty thousand? That would take care of all of my loans and then have some that I could use to put into a savings account.

I looked at the table. Could I really be the one to carry a baby? I mean, I didn't want a baby, but this person did.

"If I say yes and then something happens and I can't go through with it, what happens?"

"Then nothing happens. Money is distributed until a confirmed pregnancy happens."

I tapped my finger on the table before nodding my head. "Am I being a surrogate because the wife is ill?"

"No," Dr. Manning said, "there is no wife. Just the client."

"OK. I'll do it."

I leaned against the desk at the gym as I went over my client list. I had three people quit training in the last two weeks and it was doing serious damage to my pay cheque. I shook my head as I reworked the numbers on my phone when someone approached the desk, making me jump.

"Why are you so jumpy?!"

I looked at Alberta and sighed. I haven't told anyone about becoming a surrogate. Who could I tell really? I couldn't tell Lissa because she would just try to talk me out of it or tell me I'm being an idiot.

"I just have a really important meeting after work, and I'm worried about tanking it," I said, rubbing my hand over my forehead.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know if I can. Not because of the situation itself, but you're technically my boss."

Alberta laughed and sat down in the chair behind the desk. "Well right now, I'm your surrogate mother, not your boss."

I chuckled humorlessly. Great word choice.

"I am becoming a surrogate. My first meeting with the parents is after work. I don't even know their names because they're some sort of VIP. Like what was I thinking?"

Alberta gave me a fond look before gesturing for me to come and sit beside her.

"Can I ask why you're doing it?"

"Would it be wrong to say because I need the money?" I asked, knitting my brows together. Alberta chuckled quietly and turned our chairs so we could face one another.

"Is that the only reason?"

"No. Just because I don't want kids doesn't mean that people who do should miss out. If I'm a good candidate then why not? I mean that it'll make them happy. Maybe it's some weird mommy/daddy issue where I just want to make someone proud? I don't know."

Alberta chuckled and shook her head.

"What time is your appointment?"

"Four," I said, looking at the clock. Only an hour to go. Alberta nodded her head and stood up.

"If it helps, I'm proud of you. All the time. Now get out of here, you don't want to be all sweaty when you go."

I ran my hand through my hair and tousled my hair gently. Thank God Alberta helped me get ready, because I was about to go into this meeting with a ripped pair of jeans and a t-shirt. With a change of shirt and a little make up, I looked a little more put together. My curls sadly were untamable, but they looked nice. The small amount of eye makeup made my brown eyes pop, and the lip gloss pulled the look together.

Maybe this button up is too small? My boobs looked a bit too big in this shirt. I didn't want to look trashy. My phone dinged, alerting me that I didn't have any more time and I took a slow breath.

Show time.

I picked up my bag and unlocked the bathroom door, striding towards the lobby to wait for the surrogacy agency worker. Dr. Manning was waiting for me and gave a calming smile.

"Take a deep breath. You look nice Rose."

"Thanks," I said quietly. "I wanted to make somewhat of a good impression."

Dr. Manning chuckled a bit. "Don't forget, they've already seen your photo. They just don't know your name."

"Right," I said with a slight laugh. The lobby of the building was beautiful and professional. Light colours mixed with neutral tones.

"What exactly is Belikov Enterprises? Like what do they do?"

"Belikov Enterprises heal with security."

"Security like house security?

"It's multiple things. Personal security, cyber security, company protection. I'm not sure about the specifics."

I nodded my head and crossed my leg nervously over the other. The sound of heels clicking against the marble made me sit up, and a tall woman came to stand before Dr. Manning and me. My first impression of this woman was that she looked like a vulture. While once upon a time she would have been beautiful, now she looked like a vulture. Beady eyes, grey hair and a sharp long nose with her glasses perched on them. The woman looked down over the rim of her glasses, eyeballing me with a look of disappointment.

"You must be Ms. Hathaway," she said to me. I nodded and cleared my throat to speak but she opened her mouth again.

"We are ready for you both upstairs," the woman said again, turning and heading towards the elevator. I got up and scrambled after her, grumbling as I went.

"Well she seems cheery," I whispered to Dr. Manning. She laughed quietly under her breath.

"Yeah, she isn't the nicest. But she is the liaison between the surrogacy agency and the clinic."

I snorted a laugh and was shot a look by the agent, but I caught Dr. Manning's eye and smirked. We went up to the twentieth floor and stepped out. I was surprised to see the amount of people bustling around, all dressed sharply in professional wear. I self-consciously adjusted my shirt and looked around before following Dr. Manning. The agency worker and the doctor walked into the boardroom right away, but I stopped, needing to have a minute.

I took a deep breath and pushed the boardroom door open, stepping into the room, only to be floored by the man at the head of the table.

Holy. Shit. That was quite the man.

From here I could see that he was tall, even sitting. From the angle he was sitting I could see that his hair was pulled back in a small ponytail at the back of his neck and he had dark brown eyes. As I opened the door, he turned to face me and my mouth went dry.

If they went as planned, this was going to be a good looking baby.

"Ms. Hathaway, this is Dimitri Belikov. Mr. Belikov has retained our agency for a surrogate," the woman who met me in the lobby said as she sat down in a chair to the left of him. I smiled and sat down in a chair across from him.

"Mr. Belikov, this is Rosemarie Hathaway. Mr. Belikov is the CEO and founder of Belikov Enterprises."

I cleared my throat and waved my hand. "Just Rose. I don't go by Rosemarie," I corrected with a small smile. I saw Dimitri's lip quirk up before his expression returned to normal.

"This is Ellen Kirova, she is the agency worker who has taken on my file," Dimitri said as he indicated to the woman beside him. Damn, he had an accent too. I couldn't detect its origin, but I would assume somewhere in western Europe.

"Yes, we met in the lobby," I said with a hint of a smirk.

Ms. Kirova pulled out a dossier from her brief case and set it on the table, opening it and explaining the documents and how the procedure would work. Once signing the contract I was to start prenatal vitamins, along with a series of injections to promote egg production.

"We also need to make you aware that you are to abstain from sexual activity while preparing for In Vitro Fertilization. Your ovaries will be enlarged and you are more likely to conceive during that time. There also is no smoking or drinking. We also need you to ensure that you are drinking enough water and sleeping."

"Further, you will undergo a small procedure to retrieve the eggs and then they will be fertilized. The eggs will be transplanted into your uterus," Ms. Kirova explained, pointing to the process on the documents. I took a slow breath in and processed the information.

"This is a lot of information," I said quietly, pulling the papers closer to me.

"You also need to sign an NDA about your surrogacy. Due to Mr. Belikov's status, to which I assume you are aware of, we cannot have you giving out the particulars of your pregnancy."

"I'd like to point out that I know nothing about you. I didn't even know who you were. I asked Dr. Manning what Belikov Enterprise was when we got here. I originally was only going to donate my eggs. If you need me to sign something stating that I will," I explained quickly, interrupting the tirade coming from Ms. Kirova's mouth.

Ms. Kirova opened her mouth but Dimitri interrupted her. "No, that's ok Rose. I believe you," Dimitri said kindly, giving Ms. Kirova a look.

"May we please have a moment," Dimitri said, looking from Dr. Manning to Ms. Kirova. Dr. Manning nodded and stood up while Ms. Kirova looked hesitant but eventually stood. Dimitri got up from his place and walked around the table, showing me that he truly was much taller than I anticipated. He sat in the chair that Dr. Manning vacated and turned to face me.

We both sat quietly for a moment and we both were doing the same thing. Just looking at one another. Dimitri was quite handsome and had eyelashes so thick that I was slightly envious.

"This is a lot to take in," he said calmly, tapping his fingers on the table gently.

"Yes. But it's to be expected when I'm about to carry your baby," I said. Dimitri smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. That is true. What made you decide at twenty six that you wanted to donate your eggs?" Dimitri asked, folding his hands in his lap as he looked at me.

"There are a lot of people who can't have children. I don't want to have children. Don't get me wrong, I love them! I just… didn't have the best role models. I'd rather use my healthy eggs and help someone then letting them go to waste. If that makes sense?"

"That's kind of you," Dimitri said. He reached into the middle of the table and pulled the dossier towards him, opening it and pulling out a few documents.

"I wanted to talk to you about this myself. My conditions, I mean. I would like to be present for all exams in regards to the baby and your health during the pregnancy. And if you're comfortable, I'd like to be at the hospital when you give birth. Not in the room if you are uncomfortable, but at the hospital. The payments will be done monthly and they will start after a confirmed pregnancy by a doctor."

I nodded along in agreeance. "That's fine."

Dimitri then took the pen and wrote something on one of the pages before turning it towards me. I pulled it closer and looked for the fresh ink. When I found it, I was slightly stunned. Was that right? Was he seriously giving me one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to carry a baby?

I looked up at him and then down to the paper again.

"Is that too little of an amount?"

"No," I stammered immediately, "I just wasn't expecting that much. It's very generous of you."

Dimitri gave me a small smile. "I just need you to sign here and then everything is set," he said, gesturing to the contract on the table and holding up a pen for me. I smiled and took the pen and wrote my initials in the appropriate spots before signing my name at the bottom. I turned the contract towards Dimitri and watched him sign it too.

Dimitri set the pen down and looked up at me, smiling at me again. I extended my hand towards him to shake his hand and 'seal the deal'. Dimitri looked at my hand and took it, bringing it up to his lips and kissing my knuckles.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Hello hello!

This is an exciting concept for me and I am thrilled to share it with you all.

This story will update on a weekly/biweekly schedule.

Big thanks to Honestpassion13 for helping with the summary and thank you to TheLittleSubmissive for looking over the chapter.

Let me know what you think!