The Billionaire's surrogate

Decisions

"listen to me my love. You made the right decision. Sometimes we think we know what we're doing but in the end, we realize we are just as clueless as the butterflies."

Christine turned with a huge smile. "Mom, what are you saying? Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"I'm not sure but it certainly made you smile." Dominique returned the smile graciously.

"Look all I'm saying is if that's what your heart is saying. Then that's the right thing."

But Christine didn't feel like she did the right thing at all. In fact, she felt like s**t.

She'd just turned down Lucas's proposal of marriage. She had been with Lucas for as long as she could remember, so loving him was quite out of question but the idea of marrying him seemed Soo wrong.

Not just because the proposal wasn't like all those exaggerated romance novels or movies but her gut wasn't sitting well with the idea at all.

They didn't break up which made the whole thing so weird. How would they even continue in the relationship after she'd turned him down.

Lucas said he was ready to 'wait.' but that was the problem. Christine didn't think she'd ever feel ready to marry Lucas.

"Hey!!!!" Dominique was snapping her fingers in Christine's face.

"Where's your mind at? I was asking what time your shift begins? Plus i have a shopping meeting with some of my girls."

"My shift begins at 3pm mom and you already had a shopping spree last week. You'll run down all your savings if you keep this up."

"Sometimes I wonder who's the mom in this house." Dominique was shaking her head as she left the room.

After her mom left the house, Christine decided she was gonna leave early so she could stop by Lucas's office before she goes to work.

At work Christine could barely focus. The conversation with Lucas didn't settle with her.

He said he was cool with their situation and that was what bothered Christine. How could he be cool when she felt like she was being eaten alive from the inside?

"Down to earth!!" Maria her coworker bestie yelled into her ear.

"You're gonna get yourself fired even before the big dayyy. Stay focused."

Maria was right. If she lost this job, it'd only add to all her thinking and depression.

" Christine? How about you go check out table 19? I hear the woman gives huge tips anytime she's with her wife." Steve the bartender was yelling and whispering at once.

Christine shook her head, smiling as she walked over to the couple who just walked in.

The first woman caught her attention. She was in a white sleeveless dress, the tips of her blonde hair barely scraping her shoulders, her large round eyes seemed to be sucking in life. She looked neat even to her fingernails.

She was attractive quite all right but everything about her seemed familiar, even her aura.

The woman cleared her throat again.

"I'm sorry. Are you all right?" The second woman was saying. Attracting christine's attention to her.

"Yes I'm fine. Sorry I zoned out." Christine was smiling at her.

The woman wasn't as attractive as the other but she was quite classy. Her brown curls bounced healthily as she moved and talked. In her blood red dress and matching lipstick she looked in her early thirties but she was probably just in her mid twenties.

"Ohh that's fine. We'll take it as a compliment." The familiar woman was saying to Christine.

The three of them laughed.

"Anyways, you are new, aren't you ....?" The familiar woman spluttered as she searched all over Christine for a name tag.

Christine caught her movement and replied hastily "Christine... christine, it's Christine. My name tag got broken, I'm getting a new one later."

"Okayy! Christine you're welcome here. I'm Laura and this is my wife Beatrice. We're quite the regulars here." The familiar woman continued.

Laura? The name didn't ring a bell whatsoever. So why was christine so sure she's known this woman before now.

"Nice to meet you both" christine grinned as she collected their orders.

While waiting for their orders, Christine couldn't help but feel that something about the lady in red; Beatrice was off. She couldn't place her finger on it but it was there.

After the gorgeous couple left leaving Christine a huge tip just as steve had promised. The three close coworkers gathered round the bar section for a little chitchat.

"Quite the welcome you had there with Laura, Christine" Maria nudged her in the arm.

"What? They were just being nice"

"Mhmmm" Maria teased.

"Well, she's nicer than both her wife, brother, his wife, father and his wife. So we'd accept them on her behalf." Steve chipped in.

"Whoa whoa! What are you talking about? Whose father and brother?"

Maria and Steve both turned simultaneously wide-eyed.

"You didn't tell her?" Maria gaped at Steve.

"Tell me what?

"Laura is Mr Alex's elder sister." Maria continued.

"And who is Mr Alex? " Christine was confused.

"Mr Alex.. The Alex Cooper. The heir to the Cooper throne" Maria was dilating her pupils.

"Maria please stop being dramatic. Alex is Mr Cooper's only son who recently just got into the family business but he is in charge of this hotel. And Laura his older sister is a medical doctor and daddy's favorite." Steve explained.

"Daddy's favorite? What century is this?" Christine joked.

They laughed.

"Yeah well, she was obedient, serious with her education and now she's married. So she's in daddy's good books." Maria added.

Christine scoffed.

"But I can't believe you didn't tell me Laura was the boss's sister though Steve. Now it would look like I'm an asskisser." Christine frowned.

"Ohh come on Laura isn't like that. You have nothing to worry about."

"Well, I'm not like that either. But her wife could have as well written me a note that said "asskissing isn't gonna get you anywhere. You needed see how she was staring me down."

Maria laughed hysterically.

"It's not funny." Christine warned.

"I'm sorry darling. It's just that Bitches like Beatrice and Veronica always think everyone is there to kiss their ugly asses." Maria stated loudly.

"Shush! Keep your voices down you two!" Steve cautioned.

"And I'm sorry Christine but don't think too much on it okay?

Christine nodded.

"But we should get back to work before we get our ASSES fired!" Steve continued.

"But wait! Who's Veronica?" Christine nudged Maria as they were getting back to work.

"Ohh you haven't met the queen bee of this hive? I forget you're just a few days here. Veronica Cooper is Alex's wife. The ruler of the bitches in hell, if you ask me."

Christine laughed. Maria was too dramatic.

"So... Alex is married too? And still isn't in daddy's good books? I'm confused."

"Oh no! When Alex finally decided to Join the family business , his father said he MUST get a wife. So Veronica was arranged for him. You should see them, such a sad sight."

"Wow!"

"Yeahhh wow! See you later though Christine." Maria called as she headed to her direction of work.

"I'm telling you mom! It was crazy. Like so much was happening at once and I even got to meet Laura Cooper." Christine was saying into the phone.

"Oh honey, I'm glad you had a good day. Who's that?"

"That's the daughter of Mr Cooper. She's a doctor but it's her baby brother that runs the hotel, blah blah."

"I see someone did her research. I'm really glad honey. "

"So how was your day? And your shopping spree?" Christine teased.

Her mother's laughed echoed. "It was fine. And I have good news."

"Oh! Really?? Spill!!!"

"You know Paulina my friend? Well, I met her daughter today and she introduced me to a bar owner who agreed for me to start doing gigs at his place."

"Oh Mom! That's major! I'm happy for youuu!"

"Yeahhh and she was saying sometime in the near future, she might introduce me to the producer of a band she knows. They're not huge yet though."

"Oh! A band? Mom that's really really huge! Listen I know I always say 'dreams don't pay bills' but I'm really proud of you and I'm glad you're chasing yours."

"Oh Christine please you're starting to sound like my mom right now not vice versa. Thank youuu so much love. I'm proud of you too! " Dominique blew kisses into the phone.

"Love you too momma! But I hope you haven't forgotten today's also grandma's memorial? I'm actually headed to the cemetery now."

"Of course Chris, that's my mother. I'll stop by the after."

"You're still with the girls?

"Yess."

"Okay mom, I'll see you at home then. Love you! Byeee!"

"Love you too honey. See you"

~ Christine~

This day means so much to me or at least used to. Now I'm always so occupied to do the things I say I would do.

If you haven't guessed already, my grandma was really close to me.

My whole family is.

But she made me who I am today. Principles wise.

I owe her a lot.

After my Mom got pregnant in highschool at 16/17, my Abuela was pissed and disappointed but it wasn't as bad as my grandfather. He disowned my Mom.

He made sure she didn't carry his name, me as well.

I never got to meet him but I don't feel bad about that. But my grandma, she helped my mom.

She gave me this house I live in while my mother was still pregnant. It was the only thing she got from her dad.

She taught me a lot about life. Basically almost everything I know.

She taught me about things my Mom should have; boys, s*x, drugs, responsibility...

Abuela Mendes wasn't a rich woman but she made sure that whatever she had, she earned it. She worked for everything, never appreciated people throwing money or things at her.

She always said that way, you can maintain your dignity. You can speak up whenever you want to about anything you feel isn't right.

My grandma taught me about God although my mother isn't a believer. She taught me how to pray and live a godly life.

I'm not a big fan of my Grandpa but I love the stories Abuela told me about how they met and fell in love.

Made me believe that good men still exist.

Always been so afraid of ending up like my Mom. I know Abuela loved mom so much but she wasn't proud of her and the life she led. They always used to argue so much about everything. That was one of the reasons after Abuela died, I made a vow not to end up like my Mom.

I was in college, I worked, I stayed committed to one man in a relationship and I planned on getting married and would not have s****l relations till I did so.

All these raced through my mind as I caressed Abuela's grave on which I sat.

I silently renewed my vow.

Someone cleared their throat. It was my mother.

She kept the flowers she brought alongside mine and we walked out the cemetery, fingers interlocked.

_______________________________________________

Veronica please I'm tired of fighting. I don't want to keep doing this." Alex was rubbing his forehead.

"Me too! Me too ! See? We want the same thing. I want us to stop fighting too and just love each other, you know? Like we used to be." Veronica was edging closer.

"Veronica, let's be honest, there never was love going on here. It was just mutual understanding and interests. You can't revive something that was never alive.

"Oh really? Because when you were dying and struggling, your father called you "a huge disappointment." His wife wasn't there either, your employees weren't there, hell! Even Kevin was in another freaking country.

Oh! But guess who was there? Me! Every f*****g second of it all. I didn't give up on you, i joined my strength with yours and you fought and overcame that Cancer that almost took you.

She took a deep breath as tears streamed down her face.

"And you can stand there and tell me to my face, there never was love? If that isn't love, i wonder what is Alex."

"Veronica I know I am and forever will be indebted to you and all you did for me. But Us? We are no longer working, can't you see?

"Then let's make it work! Alex look at me, let's make it work. I want to be with you. Isn't that obvious enough already?" She cupped his face.

Alex drew in a long breath as he kissed her.

And for a moment there, he let himself think that something was actually going on there, that they just might work if they tried.