A Very Bad Billionaire (BWWM Contemporary Romance Novel) (18 page)

“You ready?” Kathryn asked the anesthesiologist as she walked in.

“Yep, just need you to help her get into position and hold her there while I do my job back here.” He walked behind me as he started feeling my spine.

“Okay, Tasha, lean forward and roll your shoulders like this,” she demonstrated how she wanted me.

Getting into position, the anesthesiologist started talking again as a cold swab ran over my back giving me goosebumps. “I’m cleaning the area with an antiseptic, it’s to help prevent infection, and then you’ll feel a slight stinging on your back, but I’ll need you to hold still.”

The cold swab left my back, which I was grateful for, but I knew what was coming next. Taking a deep breath as I braced myself, I exhaled as I felt the needle piercing my back.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!”

“You’re doing great Tasha, keep holding still. I’ve almost got it in place.”

Rolling my eyes, I remained frozen until he was finished. “Are you done yet?”

“Almost. I need to finish putting this tape over the area to hold the needle in its place, and then you can relax until it’s time for surgery.”

They left my room after helping me back onto my bed. I can’t wait to see what this baby looks like. Blake’s a good-looking man, but I don’t know what his wife looked like since I’ve never seen a picture. I imagine it’ll have a fair complexion with dark hair, like him. He’s not too tall, about 5’10”, I would guess, and I remember him telling me that his wife was a petite woman with light brown hair. I bet this baby only comes out to be about 18-inches long. Looking down at my stomach, it seems about right. Nikki was 19 1/2” long, and her daddy is tall. Troy, Nikki’s dad, and I were never really a thing. The three of us have never been what you would call a family. He was around, off and on until he went to prison. Ever since, I’ve been on my own with her but it’s probably better that way.

“Tasha,” Dr. Jackson called my name as he flipped through my chart. “How are you feeling? Pretty numb?” he poked around on my legs and belly.

“Can’t feel a thing.”

“Good, I’ll let your nurse know, and I’ll meet you down in the O.R.”

God, please let this baby be healthy.
Blake has wanted this baby for so long, and he would break into pieces if anything bad happens. When we first met, he was stunned that the agency had matched him up with me—a black woman. It was evident that he felt awkward and uncomfortable around me, that is after he finally came back in the room. When Angela—the woman from the surrogate agency—brought him in to meet with me at our initial sit-down, his eyes bulged out of his head, and his face turned crimson before he turned and stormed out of the room. I can still remember their conversation that they had in the hallway as I listened in. It went something like this:

“Mr. Adams! Wait, please wait!”

“You don’t mean to tell me that you expect me to go through with this? She’s black!
Black!”

“I’m sorry Mr. Adams, but you did not mark a preference for your profile in the section where it asked about what you were looking for in a surrogate in regards to ethnicity.”

“I did so!”

“No, you didn’t.” I heard her wrestling with the folder from under her arm as she opened it up while she sifted through all the papers. “Okay, here’s the paper right here,” I heard her pop out a sheet of paper from the stack. “Right here, it asks about race, and you didn’t mark any preference.”

Knowing him a little better now, I can almost see his face. “I see. You’re right, but I’d prefer to have a Caucasian surrogate. What do you need me to do? Just check the Caucasian box?”

“You can, if you’d like, but I must tell you this upfront: we don’t have many surrogates. Right now, the few we have are pregnant or just gave birth and are not healed enough to take on another pregnancy. If you want to have the baby this year, she might be your only option. Otherwise, we can put you on a waitlist when the next Caucasian surrogate becomes available.”

And with that, he cordially rejoined me in the small room where Angela had placed me since I arrived before he did.

“Tasha, Dr. Jackson says you’re all ready to go down to the O.R., so I’m going to go ahead and take you down there,” Kathryn said as she broke me from my daydream. It’s crazy how this all started.

“Let’s do it!”

Her feet hit the pedals under my bed, allowing it to become mobile, as she started our journey down the hall.
God, I’m so nervous.
My heartbeat increased as my palms became sweaty. A feeling of heaviness weighed on my chest, making it hard to breathe. The doors to the operating room popped open, where I saw Dr. Jackson and a few nurses.

“Are you going to stay with me?” I whispered to Kathryn.

“You bet! I’ll stay right here next to you.” Her head turned toward the team of nurses and the doctor, “She’s ready.”

A blue sheet was draped in front of me. All of the nurses chattered about some TV show that they all watch. I hadn’t heard of it. Looking around the room, I can’t feel a thing the doctor is doing. His face crept over the makeshift drape, “Okay Tasha, you’re going to feel a bit of pressure. I’m going to pull the baby out in a second.”

“Okay,” my teeth chattered. This operating room is ice cold. “Kathryn, can I have another blanket, please?”

“Yes, I’ll grab you one. Are you feeling okay? You’re shaking quite a bit.”

“I feel nauseated.”

“She needs more meds for nausea,” she told the anesthesiologist.

The tall man leaned over me, injecting clear liquid into my IV as she disappeared to retrieve a blanket. Feeling pressure in my abdomen, I knew the doctor was taking the baby.
Please let him be okay.

“He’s here!” Dr. Jackson announced. The pressure in my abdomen subsided right before I heard the baby cry for the first time. Tears of joy trickled down my cheeks as I thought about the miracle I’d just given Blake. Kathryn returned with my blanket, her jaw wide open, her lips forming the perfect ‘O’.

“H…hh..hhere’s your blanket,” she stuttered, not taking her eyes off the baby.

“What’s wrong?” She didn’t answer me. “Kathryn, what’s wrong?” I can’t see past the drape.
Oh, please, let him be formed properly.

“You’re not going to believe this,” she gasped. “Do you want to see him?”

“Can I? Yes!” I can’t help myself. I love babies, always have.

Kathryn walked past the drape where the other nurses were as she took the baby from them and brought him back to me.
What the hell? He’s black! How is he black? Oh no. No. No. No. Blake is going to die when he sees this!

“He’s black! How is he black?”

The baby started to cry again. Kathryn swaddled the blue blanket tighter around him as she rocked him, trying to soothe the baby. “I…I don’t know. You said you were a gestational surrogate, right?”

“Yes! Oh, my word! He’s going to kill me when he sees that baby!”

“Tasha, I’m sure—”

“Put him back in! Put him back! His daddy’s going to kill me if he sees a black baby.”

“Tasha,” Dr. Jackson said in a stern tone, “I need you to hold still while I sew you back up. You yelling like that isn’t good. Nurse, I need another rag, please.”

“Dr. Jackson! This baby’s black!” Hysteria and panic were setting in. If he sees a black baby, he’s going to be livid. I know it! “What in the hell happened?”

“Tasha, please. We’ll discuss this after you come out of recovery. Right now, I need you to stay quiet and be still. Now please!”

While laying completely still for the doctor, I thought about what Blake’s face will look like when he sees his son for the first time. He’s going to be so mad and disappointed. They told me when they did this that it was his wife’s egg and his sperm, the baby would not have any of my genes or DNA. I was carrying a white baby; there was no doubt about it—until now. The room became colder, causing me to shiver more.

“Another blanket?” Kathryn looked at me sympathetically.

“Yeah, and a bodyguard too!”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s not going to be too upset. You’re making him a daddy today and giving him a beautiful son.”

“Kathryn,” I grabbed her hand. “How is this baby black?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. You’ll have to ask Dr. Jackson about that. I’ll hurry with your blanket; they’ll be moving you to recovery soon.”

The anesthesiologist pushed another round of pain meds and anti-nausea medication into my IV right as she returned with my blanket. Within minutes, I was in a drug-induced daze as they wheeled me into a small hallway with a triage of makeshift rooms separated by curtains. I’m not sure how long I was out, but I was still sleepy as hell when I woke up. I looked around, seeing if there were any nearby nurses, but my curtain was closed. I drifted back to sleep and dreamed about Blake and the baby. A nurse interrupted the dream that I was having by shaking me.

“Tasha? Natasha? Wake up.”

I opened my eyes and looked up at her name tag, which read, “Sarah.” Still groggy from the drugs, I looked around to see if anyone—mainly Blake—was there. It was only her. “Yeah, I’m awake.”
Oh, the pain in my stomach.
My face winced as I tried to sit up in bed.

“What’s your pain level on a scale of one to ten, with 10 being the highest?”

“Um, probably an eight or a nine,” I whispered. It’s hard to breathe, and it’s hot in here! This place is nothing like the operating room.

“I’ll grab your meds, and I’ll be right back. Don’t try to move anymore until I can check your incision.”

I collapsed, my head landing on the pillow behind me.
God, I forgot how bad C-sections can hurt when you first wake up from surgery.
Thinking about the baby, I smiled. He is cute. His complexion is perfect, and he has the tiniest little lips. Oh, I wish he was mine. I would hug him and kiss him and snuggle with him all the time.

“Here you go, Tasha,” she handed me two blue pills in a clear plastic medicine cup. “And here’s you some water.” She eagerly waited for me to swallow the pills before taking the water and medicine cup from me and placing them on the table. “I need you to lay back so I can check your incision.”

Trying to lay as flat as I could is almost impossible with the way my bed is elevated. The nurse lifted my hospital gown and prodded around until she was satisfied. “Okay, Tasha. Everything looks good. I’m going to get you some fresh ice packs to put on that, and I’ll let the doctor know how you’re doing. We should have you moved into a regular room shortly.”

Those were the words I’d been dreading to hear. “They’ll move me to a regular room.” The last time I spoke to Blake, we talked about him coming to see me in the regular room after I gave birth since I wouldn’t allow him in the room while I was having the baby. With Carter being black, I’m sure he’s going to have plenty to say. I offered a weak smile as I thanked her and she left my makeshift room. Facing Blake is the last thing I want to do right now.

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