Page 12 of Bred By the Minotaur
“I tried,” she says, turning off the television and setting her current project aside. I can’t tell if it’s a scarf, a sweater, or a blanket. “Now come on, tell me. Who was it this time?”
“The minotaur.” I’m still woozy from our session, and as I sit down, I don’t feel like I’ve quite returned to my own body yet. “The minotaur.”
Sandra squints. “Wait, the first guy? Baby daddy numero uno?”
I nod, because I don’t have words for how confused I feel right now.
“Wow. He came back for a second go? He wants a whole other kid?” She leans forward to peek into my face because I’m still staring down at the floor. “You look bamboozled.”
“I think I’m bamboozled,” I answer, pushing some hair away from my face and sighing. “That was not what I expected today. At all.”
“You were sad about that guy for a long time.” Sandra puts an arm around my shoulders. “What was it like seeing him again? Or... whatever it is. Having his dick in you.”
I snort-laugh. “It was amazing.” I knew I’d never forget him the first time around, but after what he did to me today? “Incredible. Like, life-altering. And he said all this... stuff.”
I choke for a moment, thinking about what Hank whispered in my ear.
Sandra leans in. “Like what?”
“Like, about our, um... the first one. You know.”
Her eyes get huge. “Wait. He told you about the kid?”
“His name’s Milo,” I say, my voice already starting to shake. “H-he likes broccoli. What little kid likes broccoli?”
“A minotaur kid?”
“He said...” My voice shakes. “He said Milo is rambunctious. A-and... the minotaur, h-he... he gave me his name.”
Sandra’s been stroking my back this whole time but now stops.
“His real name?” she asks. “Isn’t that against the DreamTogether rules?”
I nod rapidly. “Very much so. He could lose his entire deposit and get banned from the program for good.”
“He wants you to find him,” Sandra says right away. “Obviously. He wants you to look him up on social media, or in the phone book, and call him.”
“I know.” It was obvious. Why else would he have given it to me if he didn’t want me to find him?
Sandra gives me a mystified look. “So? Why aren’t you on the computer right now?”
Now it’s my turn to peer at her like she’s turned into an alien. “Why? Because DreamTogether is anonymous. That’s the whole point!”
I don’t realize I’ve raised my voice until Sandra cringes.
“Sorry,” I say more quietly. “It’s just... if I did it, if I broke anonymity, I could get kicked out of the program forever, too.”
“So you’re not going to look him up?” She cocks her head like a curious bird. “Why? You obviously dig him.”
“I don’t know anything about him.” I make sure to keep my voice down even as I start to get riled up. “He’s a stranger. That’s why both of us did the program. He pays me to have his kid, and then he gets the kid back, and we never see each other again.”
“But—” Sandra begins.
“I can’t lose this job,” I say suddenly, taking her hands in mine so she can really understand. “I can’t. If DreamTogether found out, what then?” I gesture around us at my sister’s quaint house. “We don’t get to have this, Sandra, if I lose this job.”
She studies me, and it’s baffling to me that she’s not nearly as upset as I am.
“Is that really what you’re worried about? Because if he’s the one who broke confidentiality, he’s probably not going to tattle on you to DreamTogether. What if he just wants to ask you on a date?”
