Page 2 of Filthy February

But I have nowhere to go.

Desperation makes me side step the host and face my potential employers. A gasp parts my lips as I latch my sights onto Carson Cash. I had scanned his profile on his business site, but in person, he’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. He looks like Superman, with a chiseled jawline and crystal blue eyes. Except the suit resembles something from Clark Kent’s wardrobe.

His smile is warm and broad when he stands and holds out a hand for me to shake. I take it without hesitation, and he gives it a comforting squeeze, then waves to the other side of the rounded plush seat.

“Welcome! Please sit.” Like sweet honey, his tenor makes me tingle all over. The only reason I turn my eyes away from his intoxicating presence is the sound of another voice.

“She’s perfect…” Juliet Cash, Carson’s wife, gives me a sly grin, like she can’t contain some underlying excitement. “Sorry, I’m Juliet. I am so excited to meet you.” A gigantic diamond blinds me as she wraps her hand around Carson’s thick bicep and whispers loud enough for me to hear, “She looks just like me.”

It’s true… I suppose this is why they wanted me here. In ten years, I could be Juliet. Tanned skin, chocolate brown eyes... Rich mocha hair, except I’ve always dyed mine in crazy hues. Running my hand through it, I feel self-conscious about the color for the first time in a long while.

“It’s good to meet you. Both.”

Carson’s hand rubs his wife’s and he turns his gaze to me once again. Enraptured… That’s how I feel under his attention. He takes my breath away. “We got all your test results. Thank you for sending them. Do you have any questions for us?” he asks.

Juliet says, “Yes, please ask us anything you’d like to know. We’re pretty open people. We’d be so grateful if you’d consider doing this with us.”

Biting my lower lip, I try to gather up any question I can, but my mind goes blank. The only thing I can comprehend is the exorbitant amount of money they are offering me. “I’m sorry, I-I thought you’d have a bunch of questions for me…”

They let out nervous chuckles. Maybe they are just as anxious as I am. Carson’s hand reaches across the table to brush against mine, and I dampen my thong with his touch. “No, Valentina. I think we made up our minds pretty quickly from our communications with you. We want you to have our child.”

A relieved breath explodes from my chest. “O-okay. Well, that’s why I’m here! Womb at your service!” I laugh at my weak attempt at a joke, but Juliet looks at Carson as if asking permission.

The two shift in their seats, and Juliet smiles again at me. “And you’re ovulating soon, right?”

“I took the test and have been tracking my cycles. I should be in the next day or two. H-how are we doing this?”

Carson clears his throat and looks down at the table. Juliet grimaces as if worried to speak. As subtly as I can, I wipe my sweaty palms over my knit dress.

Juliet says, “Well, that’s what we were wondering: if you’d be willing to do things differently than usual services like this.” She glances at Carson again, who continues to study the wood grains.

“Different, how?”

Carson finally glances up at me and nods. “Naturally.” His arm wraps around his wife’s shoulders as he pulls her closer to him.

My eyes narrow, trying to capture his meaning. “I don’t understand.”

Juliet’s black sweater expands as she takes a deep inhale. “I want my husband to inseminate you the way nature intended and not through artificial means.”

Flabbergasted, I sit with my jaw open. Words can’t form and I stare agog at the two beautiful people across from me. Stammering some sort of reply, I start with, “So you want… You… You…”

“I want to share my husband with you.” Juliet tosses her shoulder-length brown hair over her shoulders and sits up with a seductive smile. Her elbow nudges Carson until the heat flares behind his eyes with lust.

“We want to share you,” he says.

Juliet pulls out a check from her purse and slides it across the table. “And we’ll pay you more for it, too.”

I glance at the figure with extra zeros attached to the end. It’s more money than I ever thought I could earn in a lifetime. All of that for having sex with a perfect-looking human man and carrying his child?

My eyes meet both of them as my shoulders finally relax.

“I’ll do it.”

Two

JULIET

My husband’s grin is contagious. Or maybe mine is. His thick fingers lace through my skinny ones, then he places my hand on his thigh while checking the rearview mirror.

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