(Juan)
Hiram arrived home the usual way: throwing his shoes aside, hanging up his coat, and humming some song.
"I smell good food." He said smiling and kissed me quickly on the lips.
"Special dinner. Roasted vegetables with olive oil, salt and rosemary."
"Wow… what's the occasion?"
"None special. You know I like to cook from time to time."
"Fact." He kissed me one more time. "Thanks for reminding me that I am the delivery call boy of this house."
Hiram knew how to cook the basics. But he didn't have much patience or inspiration to do something more exquisite. I don't know how a guy like him managed to remain a vegetarian without knowing how to cook food properly. Because preparing meat is easy, but knowing how to season vegetables to make them appetizing is an art. I waited for him to take a shower while I set up our small table for two. I decided to spice up the atmosphere and chose a vinyl record to play. I know CDs were now dominating the market, but I still had my record player and records. Hiram had a good collection too, but mine was infinitely superior. I chose Carlos Santana live in Woodstook because it was my mood at the moment.
"Hmm, your mood is excellent tonight." Hiram sat at the table. "You only put Carlos Santana on when you're excited about something."
"Best guitarist of all time, next to Hendrix."
"I will not discuss this with you again."
"Hiram, Steward Copeland is good, but not close."
He smiled and knew he could never win this argument. I know because he's been trying to do this for four years. Hiram may have superior knowledge when it comes to musicals and even jazz, because of his mother. But rock'n'roll was my thing. I put the roasted vegetables on the table and served the dish with some sauce I made, some toast, cherry tomatoes and olives. Well, Hiram thought olives were supposed to be in a martini. Blasphemy. There's nothing better than drinking beers and eating olives as a snack while watching a good football game.
"How was your day?" I asked.
"Nothing but routine. And how was your shift?"
"They are never boring."
"I don't know if I want to hear about all the sangria. Sorry."
"So let's skip to the interesting parts that don't involve blood."
"Grateful!"
"Shelby Corcoran went to the clinic."
"What?" Hiram jumped. "How? Did she steal data from the clinic? Did someone give her that information? What the fuck is this, Juan?"
"Apparently, as I understand it, she took our names because of an oversight by the clinic. She didn't go into detail, but she got our phone number and Rita gave her some information."
"Oh… wait, did she know you were you?"
"She didn't know I was the guy who went to the cafeteria until she saw me at the hospital anyway..."
"What she wanted?"
"Basically, $80,000."
"What?" Hiram took another leap. "What the fuck is this, Juan?"
"Calm down. She asked for $80,000 to donate the eggs and carry out the pregnancy."
"This goes against clinic's policy."
"Totally."
"What the hell." Hiram sighed. "We went back to fase one to choose a donor. I think we should look for the one from Chicago now."
"Or we can give Shelby the $80,000. She said she's going to use the money to go to New York, that by the way, you won the bet and here's your ten dollars." I put the note on the table for my husband to take. "Shelby… she's definitely smart. She said she had read about artificial insemination. She didn't say it in those words, but she described the process reasonably well. Without a doubt, this is cheaper than doing in vitro insemination."
"Doing this to save like $500?"
"We would save on clinic services something close to five thousand dollars, in fact. I kept thinking, Hiram: Shelby is young, and the chances of her having a healthy pregnancy are very high. The care we would have to take is with a really efficient contract, with no loopholes. Without giving her the chance to apply for custody, in case she has an epiphany and regrets it."
"You really liked this girl." Hiram said with a frown. He was jealous, no doubt. "And I don't agree with that, Juan. This game is too dangerous."
"There is no dangerous game if the rules are well made."
"I don't talk about the rules, I talk about your second brain!"
"From my intestine?"
"From your penis!"
"Just because I think a woman is beautiful doesn't mean I feel like having sex with her, Hiram. Don't you think I should be the jealous one in this relationship since you gave me more reason to be?" I hated throwing it in Hiram's face, but moments and innuendos like these forced me to remember that my husband was the cheater in the relationship, not me. I knew perfectly well that he regretted it, that it was in the past, as part of a not-so-good moment in our lives. So I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I don't want anyone else but you. I just think the girl has personality, and I think we could give her a chance."
"Why?"
"Because she will most likely be the biological mother of our future child. I like the idea of the biological mother of our future child being someone in good standing, not some poor thing crawling around the streets."
"I'm still not convinced."
"You could meet her before you decide. I promise I will abide by your decision if we even have this meeting."
"Okay…let's see. Let's arrange lunch with this girl. So we decided together."
"Well thought." I smiled satisfied and kissed my husband.
I really empathized with Shelby. She was a young woman who was out there in the world making mistakes and some successes. I didn't know much about her background, but it was clear that life didn't give her many opportunities. The few she had, she showed that she held on to them with all the strength she had. That was admirable. Hiram and I didn't know what it was to be in need. Hiram was a rich kid, and even though I tried hard to achieve my goals, I always had good opportunities at the table. Shelby was a breath of fresh air, and I wanted to allow myself to explore that new sensation. I called Shelby using the napkin she wrote her phone number.
"Hello?" I heard Shelby's voice. It must have been lucky that she answered, since she told me she lived with three other roommates.
"Shelby?" I needed to confirm.
"Yes."
"This is Juan."
"I imagined. I was looking forward to your call."
"I will be brief. Go to the clinic tomorrow and cancel the contract. My husband and I would like to catch up with you over lunch, if possible."
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is not possible. Is this Saturday good for you?"
"It's perfect."
"I'll call back later to say you the location."
"Thank you Juan. From all my heart."
"Good night, Shelby."
...
(Shelby)
I was nervous. I thought that if it were for Juan, the agreement for me to also carry out the pregnancy would be in place. But I didn't know Hiram, didn't know anything about him. From the phones I stole from the clinic, I went to the hospital and contacted Juan by a happy luck, I guess. Because things with Juan were better than I expected. My expectation was the cancellation of the contract and a kick in my ass. But if, all of a sudden, I got a chance to win eight times as much, maybe I took a good risk. I should make a career in Las Vegas instead of New York.
I wore a well-behaved outfit, the kind I wore when I went looking for a job. I washed my hair and dry it, put on light makeup. I wanted to seduce two gay guys by giving the image of a responsible young woman, which I was as much as possible. The one who arranged the meeting place with me was Hiram. He had a very different voice than Juan: it was slightly more effeminate, the kind where the gaydar beeps immediately. It was a strange sensation, which confused me, because if I felt an immediate sympathy and connection with Juan, with Hiram I could only feel hostility.
Hiram called me and made an appointment for lunch at a restaurant in the Italian district of Cleveland. The place was super nice and bohemian, which showed, in a way, that these guys knew how to live. When I entered the restaurant, at the indicated time, I immediately recognized Juan sitting at one of the tables next to another guy, who must have been Hiram. I spoke quickly with the receptionist, who soon released my way to the table. Juan and Hiram stood up when they saw me. I greeted them both with a polite handshake, then took a seat between the two of them at the square table.
Juan was dressed in slightly more formal clothes, with shirt and jeans. Hiram, ironically, looked like he was ready to walk in the park, dressed in a basic T-shirt and slightly disheveled hair. Hiram was barely taller than me. He was a white man, thin, light green eyes, unshaven, neither ugly nor handsome. He was like Antony Edwards, that actor from Top Gun.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Corcoran." Hiram said it seriously, formally, in a way that didn't match his physical image. Juan had a way of being a more formal guy, not this Hiram. I wondered what an odd dynamic they would have as a couple.
"Please call me Shelby."
"I will call you Shelby if you call me Hiram."
"Agreed."
We were given menus and quickly placed our orders before getting on with business. Juan was quieter, seriously. His posture hinted that my conversation was entirely with Hiram.
"Tell me something, Shelby: what made you want to rent your body to get pregnant. I mean: you are very young, beautiful. Juan said you intend to risk your odds in New York. I saw you performing on stage and I have to remind you that pregnancy changes a woman's body."
"Yes, I know. Let's be honest here. I would be really concerned if I had a conventional Hollywood beauty standard and had to maintain a 100-pound body in order to be accepted. It's not my case, although I don't have complexes about it. I'm from the theater, I like the stage, not the cameras. I was studying drama in college, and I've staged a play, let's say, semi-professionally. But let's face it: making a career in Ohio is about accepting mediocrity. I need to try New York, I want to stay in New York, and for that I need the money."
"Do you intend to have a family? Have children?" Hiram's question surprised me. I looked at Juan, who also looked curious.
"No, I don't." I answered without thinking too much about it.
"Are you sure?"
"Hiram, I came from a family where my father never allowed my mother to work outside. So she started making regular cakes and pastries for the neighborhood to supplement her income. That way she could work and earn a few bucks without technically working outside home. My mom saved enough money for me to pay for a year of college."
"And you don't want to be your mother…" Hiram was following my argument.
"No, I don't. My mother is a good person. But if she hadn't been so submissive to my father, if she hadn't been so afraid of his rudeness and brutality, perhaps she would have opened a bakery shop in Findlay and been in charge of her own life, even with a husband and children. But that's not how I saw things happen. I don't want this for myself. I want the opposite of that. I want a career, I set a goal for myself, and a husband and children do not fit into those plans."
"So you wouldn't change your mind if you had a little baby you knew was yours?"
"Hiram, excuse the bluntness and sorry if I offend your religious convictions, but I had an abortion at 17, and if I got pregnant by a boyfriend today, I would consider an abortion again. Or if I carried the pregnancy forward, I would put the baby up for adoption."
"I am so sorry." Juan spoke up for the first time, and I realized that perhaps I had hurt his religious convictions, not Hiram's.
"What I want to make clear is that a child would have no place in my life. And that I'm only offering to get pregnant exclusively for the money."
Hiram nodded at me positively. In a way, I think he understood me. The waiter delivered our orders, but I wasn't too thrilled with my cannelloni, despite the perfect appearance.
"Can I ask you both a question?" I said cautiously.
"Sure." Juan and Hiram answered at the same time.
"You two look very young too. Why have kids now?"
"This is a very personal and private matter between us, Shelby." Juan answered. "Thank you for considering us young, but we are both approaching our 30s, and our life plans are very different from yours."
"I understand." I ate some of the cannelloni, and it tasted as good as it looked. "If you're worried that I'm going to give up on my dreams because of how I might feel about this child, because it's biologically mine, I won't. Besides, that child will be safe with you guys. I'm even happy that someone with my genetics has the opportunity to be raised in a completely different way than I was."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Hiram insisted.
"I sign the papers now if you want."
Hiram stared at me, as if he wanted to detect any trace of deceit or hidden motives. He couldn't, because I was being absolutely truthful.
"Okay." Hiram relaxed his posture a little more. "I can ask you some additional questions."
"Shoot!"
"Do you drink?"
"Socially."
"Do you smoke?"
"Socially."
"Marihuana?"
"I already tried it."
"Other drugs?"
"Never."
"Do you have a boyfriend or are you in a relationship with anyone?"
"Neither one nor the other."
"Favorite rock band?"
"Queen."
"Favorite singer?"
"Barbra Streisand."
"Favorite musical?"
"Funny Girl. Cabaret a very close second."
"Rock Horror Show?"
"Visionary."
"Duran Duran?"
"I adore."
"Madonna or Cindy Lauper?"
"Madonna."
"Michael Jackson or Prince?"
"Steve Wonder!"
"Favorite book?"
"A Christmas Carol, Dickens."
"Favorite movie?"
"Depends on my mood for the day… I saw Dirty Dancing yesterday... Swayze is something out of this world."
Hiram stared at Juan, as if the two were having one of those telepathic conversations typical of a couple.
"Listen, Shelby. We're going to talk to our lawyer and talk to our friend who owns the clinic. We need to talk to them first before giving you an answer."
"I agree."
"So, that's it..." It was Juan's turn to speak, with a small smile on his face. "While I disagree with some of your answers, I think we have a deal on the way."
"Wow! Thanks guys! You have no idea how happy this makes me."
Yes, I was happy with the acceptance of my proposal. So much so that my appetite opened up in such a way that that plate was empty.
…
(Juan)
"Guys, I do not advise you to do this." Our lawyer warned over the speaker phone. "This could have serious implications for the future."
"But isn't there legislation?" I questioned.
"No, there is the force of a contract, which is a good guarantee, but which can be challenged in some way."
"Not if that contract is well-written. If the clinic doesn't assume legal assistance in this case, then we can only count on you."
"I'll consult with the clinic's legal department and get their default template. It's the best I can do."
"Then do it."
I hung up the phone and looked at Hiram, who was eerily quiet, sitting on the couch. He was silent for the entire discussion, and that was never a good sign with an outgoing guy like him. I sighed loudly, ran my hands through my hair and crossed my arms before facing my husband.
"You hated her."
"No, on the contrary, I adored her." Hiram said with strange calm. "You were right, I would love to sit with her in a pub and have a nice talk. I bet she would accept an invitation to the Angels in a second." Angels was the gay bar in town Hiram used to go to, the same one where we celebrated Nick's birthday.
"So what's the problem?"
"Do you like her?"
"Yes, I do, for all the reasons I've already discussed with you."
"She has an interesting personality, Juan. But the fact that she sought you out is still very serious. Who knows what else she would be capable of to get what she wants."
"Yes, Shelby is ambitious. But like I said, her ambition ends in a good contract wording. We have the money, we have the ideal person, and we might not even need the clinic's services."
"Do you want to dismiss the clinic?" Hiram was suspicious.
"Of course not." I reformulated my thinking. "We could, doesn't mean we should. Injecting our sperm into Shelby isn't necessarily rocket science. But the clinic is fundamental due to the professional environment." So I hold my husband's hand and look at him seriously. "I want to be a father and I want Shelby to have the opportunity to move on with her life. The question now is, are you really up for it?"
"I'm willing to be a father with you, Juan. It's the part of Shelby that we disagree with."
"Which part?"
"The one where she has her eye on you."
"What a hell. For you, all women have eyes on me."
"It's not hard for someone not to look at you, Juan, woman or man."
"I'm not buying it. I'm gay."
"No, you are not. Not totally."
"And? What difference does it make? It's like you don't care if I, one day, cheat on you with another man."
"Because I know it's much easier for you to cheat on me with a woman."
"You are paranoid."
"I can agree to sign the contract with Shelby, but on one condition."
"Which one?"
"Our contact with her will be purely contractual. Especially when it comes to her part."
"I have no objections, Hiram. I am not irresponsible."
"Promise?"
I hated it when Hiram was insecure like that. I sat on the couch next to him and held his hand. So I kissed her. I needed to appease my husband's fear, I needed to show him that there was no point.
"I promise you."
/
Well Spawn, I laughed at that 'Shelan' ship all day! Nice one!