Chapter 30

It was her night off, so that evening she drunk a whole bottle of white wine. At 8pm, she suddenly felt lonely. The flat could be a strange place to live in at times. She was either alone or screwing with a client. A sudden urge to speak to Joe struck her. She picked up the phone and dialled his number. Her father answered. Putting on a strange voice, she said, "Joe Jenkins, please."

Joe came to the phone and she spoke in a slurred voice, "Joseph?"

Joe recognised the voice. Only his Lisa talked like that. "Lisa!!... Come home... We're frantic with worry. Where are you? Tell me!!... I'll come and get you now."

When she heard her twin brother's voice she melted. Still desperately in love with him, she failed to answer. Joe continued... "Lisa, give me the address, I'm coming to get you."

"Joey... I can't... Please... I've made a new life... I'll meet you, though."

"Where?" He pressed.

"Winstons, in half an hour?" she suggested.

"In half an hour, no later." He insisted.

She replaced the receiver and went to get ready. She couldn't wait to see him again. Putting on a new pencil tight mini dress, she dressed to kill. She called a taxi and when it arrived she slipped her feet into a pair of her highest heeled shoes and ran to the door.

As she walked into Winstons, the general noise faded away as if someone had turned the volume down. She strutted to the table in the corner and sat down. Every pair of eyes in the place remained watching her. She looked straight at the door as Joe walked in. God, he was beautiful. She had forgotten just how handsome he was. He spotted her immediately and marched towards her. She stood up and they embraced in tears. "Joey, Joey," she moaned through her tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Leese, it's me who should be sorry. What we did was wrong. Richard's distraught as well. He doesn't sleep at night, thinking about you."

Over the next hour they shared every event since they last met. All the pain became a thing of the past. She told him about her flat and her new life, although she didn't tell him the address. Joe knew better than to ask. He asked her about the night she had run away. She told him that Richard had been correct in his analysis of her failing pregnancy and both Labrador pups had been born dead. She asked Joe to thank Richard and apologise to him for her rash behaviour that night. She wanted to rebuild her relationship with the doctor. (She had new plans that needed his skills).

Several drinks later, they parted, with Lisa agreeing to keep in regular contact with him and to call Richard to patch up things with him.

She called Richard the next day and spent nearly an hour repairing the relationship. Richard was extremely apologetic and relieved to hear that she had suffered no ill effects from her enforced labour. He renewed his open invitation to both her and Joe to visit any time they chose. Lisa said she wanted him to restart his experiments, and promised she would faithfully follow his advice to the letter if he agreed. He asked her to visit and discuss the whole matter in person with him. She said she would visit him in two weeks time and would stay for the weekend.

The next day, Lisa received a letter from Raymond and Anne B. They wanted to meet her and discuss their plans to find a surrogate mother to have a child for them. She called the number they supplied and spoke with Raymond, "My wife and I would like to meet you tonight, if that suits you." They arranged to meet at a local hotel bar at 8pm.

Lisa dressed in her most sober clothes with flat shoes. She knew that they had got in contact with her by answering her adverts for sexual services, but didn't want to put them off by appearing to be a 'brassy tart'. She arrived ten minutes late and found them both looking rather agitated. She could tell that they had started to worry that she wouldn't turn up. "Hello... , Lisa, isn't it?" said the man, "I'm Raymond and this is my wife, Anne."

He was about forty years old and his wife was about the same. They related a long story of failed gynaecological tests and treatments over the last ten years since they had married. Finally, they had been told that adoption was the only chance but their age was against them. Anne, the wife clung to his arm all during the conversation and it was obvious to Lisa that she was desperate to own and bring up a baby. The husband said that they would be willing to pay £20,000 plus any incurred expenses if she would have a baby for them and give it up immediately for them to adopt.

Lisa was interested, "If I agreed to have the baby for you, how would it be conceived?"

Anne blushed and looked at Raymond. He coughed and said, " Using my, er, sperm of course and your egg, there are several methods that can be used."

Lisa smiled and said confidently, "Which method have you got in mind?"

Raymond paused and then spoke, "When you are between periods, I would supply a sample of my sperm for you to insert in your, er, body in the privacy of your own room. It would be best if we repeat the operation over several consecutive days, to maximise the chances of conceiving. It may take several months to achieve success."

Lisa nodded to show she understood and said "OK. I'll do it. When do we start trying?"

Raymond's face lit up and he shook her hands. "Lisa, thank you for this. Are you ready to try immediately?" Anne nudged him and twisted her face. Lisa could tell she wanted him to raise another delicate subject. "Oh, yes. We, er, we are aware that you are a... , well, a... "

"Prostitute?" Lisa helped.

"Well, yes, if that's what you are happy to call it. We must be sure that the baby is mine and Anne is worried that in the course of your, er, duties, you may conceive by another man and things like that."

Lisa smiled and turned to Anne, "We girls always use condoms, we can't risk AIDS or VD. If I become pregnant, it'll be because you husbands sperm was the only sperm allowed to enter my body."

Anne relaxed and spoke for the first time. "When... , if... , you become pregnant, when will you stop... , you know... , doing your work?"

Lisa lied, "Immediately. The money you are paying me will allow me to give up this horrible work. I'll be able to take a nine month holiday!"

This seemed to assure her and they discussed where the insemination might take place. "You could come to our place when it's time. You could stay with us for a few days." suggested Anne.

Lisa agreed and reached into her handbag for her diary. She flicked through the pages and announced, " Well, I make it this week. My last period was ten days ago. Shouldn't we try any day now?"

Anne nodded and said," Yes, yes! Even tonight if you could..."

Raymond tried to protest that they were pressing Lisa too soon, but Lisa agreed with Anne, "Why waste a month? The sooner we start, the sooner I'll take!"

At their home, Raymond signed a legal contract that he had already got his solicitor to draft and handed it to Lisa to sign as well. She would receive £5,000 on conception and a further £5,000 if she was still pregnant six months later. The last £10,000 would be paid on delivery of a live baby to the couple. She warned them, "I'm one of twins, there's a chance that I could conceive two babies. What would we do then?"