I used to be three miles from the tackle after I obtained a cellphone name. Bob Ethier. The identify made me wish to throw my cellphone out the window, however I took three deep breaths and answered it.

“Are you calling to beg me to come back again?” I demanded. “As a result of I’m not serving to you determine something except you give me what you owe me.”

Bob snorted on the road. “We’re doing fairly superb on our personal, thanks very a lot. I’m calling to remind you that you could come all the way down to the workplace to choose up your belongings.”

I had been fired over the cellphone with out discover. I hadn’t been within the workplace since then. “Bob stated he would ship all the things to my residence tackle.”

“Sure, nicely, we’ve not gotten round to that. We’ve been busy, in fact. Your substitute begins tomorrow, so we’d like you to gather your issues. Immediately.”

I felt my jaw tighten once more. “You understand what, Bob? I don’t assume males get referred to as cunts sufficient. As a result of proper now, you’re being an actual cunt, you understand that?”

“Let’s not get emotional—”

“Firing me per week earlier than my firm fairness vested? Cunty,” I stated. “Telling me you’ll ship my belongings residence after which altering your thoughts two weeks later? Cunty, to a lesser diploma. However cunty nonetheless.”

“You’ve gotten till the tip of the day,” Bob stated curtly, “or we’ll place your field out on the road for another person to gather.”

“Throwing my stuff on the road? SUPER ULTRA MEGA CUNTY!” I shouted into my cellphone.

He had already hung up.

By then, I used to be nearing my vacation spot. I regarded round; I used to be on the south facet of Windfall, in an industrial park alongside the Windfall River. Did I’ve the best tackle? It was abandoned right here.

No, not abandoned. There was a black sedan parked in the course of an empty lot. A person in a go well with was standing exterior the automotive together with his fingers clasped in entrance of him. I parked a couple of areas over, turned off the automotive, and waited.

I had been instructed this was an introductory assembly, however I had pictured it at a pleasant couple’s home. I anticipated there to be a white picket fence and a Golden Retriever with a chewed up tennis ball in its mouth. This felt extra like…

Like a intercourse trafficking operation, my mom’s voice reiterated in my head.

Subsequent to the black sedan, the suited man raised his hand in greeting.

“I’m too fucking grownup to be afraid of this type of factor,” I stated to myself. “Put in your big-girl pants and get out of the automotive, Melinda.”

I did simply that.

“Melinda,” the person stated, as if he knew me already. “I’m Andrew, Mr. Benning’s valet.”

He was American, however pronounced valet with a tough T sound, just like the phrase mallet.

“Don’t you imply valet?” I requested, saying it like ballet.

Andrew chuckled. “Uh, no. Our experience is this fashion.” He gestured towards the river.

Do they dwell on a houseboat? I questioned. And what the hell is a valet?

I adopted Andrew, however there was a tingle of concern behind my neck. Like one thing wasn’t regular about all of this.

He will need to have sensed my fear, as a result of he smiled and stated, “I do know this feels uncommon, however I can guarantee you there’s nothing to fret about.”

“That’s what serial killers say earlier than shoving their victims into windowless vans,” I muttered.

Andrew chuckled some extra. He appeared like an easy-going man, and I needed to love him regardless of the unusual circumstances.

“The surrogacy company verifies all shoppers totally,” he defined. “I’m certain they defined this at nice size.”

“Possibly you’re not with the company. Possibly you bought my quantity, pretended to be the company, and despatched me right here.”

Andrew stopped and turned to face me immediately. The wind off the river blew his wavy chestnut hair throughout his face. “You signed up with the company eleven days in the past. You’re surrogate quantity 36423, and Pierce Benning is consumer quantity 1442. You’re welcome to name the company and confirm all of this data earlier than we proceed any additional.” He held out his cellphone.

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