Quiet darkness still hung over the office next door when Mandi arrived at work Monday morning, but at ten o’clock voices carried across the wall, and her stomach lurched. Standing, she watched Joe usher a young Hispanic woman into the cubicle. He nodded his head at Mandi, and she dutifully stepped out of her office and into Brit’s.
“Mandi,” Joe said. “This is Leah. She’s doing some training in HR today and will be joining the team tomorrow.”
Mandi forced a smile at the woman, and extended her hand. “Welcome, Leah. I’ll be right next door. Please, feel free to ask if you have any questions.”
Joe continued talking, but his voice sounded distant and fuzzy. Mandi backed out of the office. A moment later, Joe’s hand curled around her arm. “Mandi? You all right?”
“Sure.” She steadied herself against the chair. “I, uh, sure. Just let me know if you need me to do anything.”
“I’ve asked Carlie to work with Leah tomorrow, but I’d like you to help her get settled, too. If you’re up to it.”
“Of course,” she whispered.
Joe sat against the work surface, regarding her. “Look, I know this is hard. If you want to switch offices with someone so you’re in a different place, let me know. We can arrange that.”
Mandi attempted a smile. It was a nice gesture, but it wouldn’t change anything. “Thanks, Joe. I’ll be fine.”
When he left, Mandi dropped into her chair and stared at the form on the computer screen as tears welled in her eyes. So. Brit was replaced. Back to business. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, fighting to regain her composure. On autopilot, she began typing again.
She jumped when her phone rang from inside her purse. She let the call go to voicemail, but knew there was a chance it could be the surrogate center. Unlocking the cabinet, she stole a peek at the number. Emma. Her chest fluttered. Oh, God. This was it. Holding her breath, she listened to the message. “Mandi, it’s Emma Holland. Please give me a call when you get a chance. We want to offer you a place in our program and get you into the clinic to get all the medical clearances taken care of. I’m so excited to work with you, hon. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Her heart pounding, Mandi sank back into her chair. She was in. At noon, instead of going to the lunchroom, she snatched up her purse and bolted outside. Once she made it to her car, she placed a call to Emma. Something good to counter the bad, she reminded herself. Do this for Brit.
“Mandi! So nice to hear from you. How are you feeling?”
“Good. I’m ready. When should I come in?” she said, her voice breathless.
“Okay, slow down a second. Did you get through all that mumbo-jumbo in the packet?”
Mandi had to laugh, sure that Susan would not approve of Emma’s term. “Most of it.”
“You read the bios for sure, right?”
“I did. That was the best part,” Mandi told her.
“Definitely. So what do you think? Did one of the couples stand out to you?”
Mandi tightened her grip on the phone. Would Emma tell her if she didn’t agree? “Yes. Actually, I think the Oslands sound perfect.” Mandi liked that Mrs. Osland was a schoolteacher. Not only did teachers have to like kids and have a heap of patience, most people went into that profession to follow their passion, not for the money. Her husband was an engineer. Probably making decent money, but not getting rich. Engineers had to be smart. Mandi liked the combination.
“I’m so pleased,” Emma squealed. “I think so, too.”
Mandi heard the glee in Emma’s voice. It had to be genuine. “Have you met them?” she asked.
“I have. And I think they’re exactly what you’re looking for. A very nice down-to-earth couple. Oh, Mandi, I’d love to see them get their baby.”
“So, do I meet them before I sign the contract?”
“Absolutely. We’ll set up a meeting with you, the Oslands, and myself before we move forward.”
“Could we do it on a weekend?”
“Yes, in fact, that would be perfect. The Oslands live outside of Austin, so it’s about a three-hour drive for them.”
“Do you think Susan could meet us, too? So that I could sign the contract at the same time and not make another trip for that?”
“I’m sure we can make that work. What about this weekend?”
Mandi’s stomach knotted. She’d already promised to spend the weekend with Lane. She chewed her lip a moment. He’d probably go with her if she asked him. But would he approve? She couldn’t be sure yet. Don’t be a wuss, she scolded herself again. It was best to handle this on her own.
“Sorry, but this weekend isn’t good for me. I’ve already made plans. Could we try for next weekend instead?” That would give her time to re-read the contract. Maybe she could email her questions to Susan and Emma so they could have answers ready for her, too. That would speed things up.
“No problem,” Emma told her. “Let me see what I can arrange, and I’ll get back to you. Now, what about going to the clinic? That needs to happen, too. Could you go on Monday?”
“I think so. Can we make it late in the day?”
“Latest I could go would be four o’clock. Would that work?”
“Sure.” She’d have to make it work.
“I’ll get it scheduled. Welcome to our team, Mandi.”
Their team. A lump formed in Mandi’s throat. That little baby would probably never know how many people were working to bring him or her into the world. She imagined the relief and joy the Oslands would feel holding their baby for the first time. Any doubts disappeared.
Mandi ended the call but didn’t get out of her car, even though the heat was causing her hair to stick to her neck. She wasn’t in the mood to face the noise and chatter of the lunchroom. Of course the new girl would be the topic of conversation, and that was something Mandi wouldn’t mind missing.
**
At Jimmy’s that evening, Mandi peeked inside the kitchen. “Hey, where’s Jimmy?” she asked Carl, who was flipping burgers on the grill.
He shook his head. “Gone.”
Well, damn. He’d left early just when she’d worked up her nerve to talk to him about cutting her hours? Figured. She let the doors swing shut, and yanked an apron from the shelf.
“Hey, you,” Judy said, coming around the corner. She patted Mandi’s shoulder. “You doing all right?”
“Yeah.” She hesitated a moment. Maybe she could talk to Judy instead. Jimmy usually delegated the schedule to her, anyway.
“Something on your mind?” Judy asked.
Mandi glanced toward the dining room. “Is it busy?”
Judy shrugged. “Not really. What’s up?”
“Well, I was going to talk to Jimmy, but he’s already left.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I want to cut back my hours, Judy. I’m feeling kind of stressed. Not a lot, but I thought maybe I could work either Friday or Saturday on the weekends instead of both nights every weekend.”
“I should think so, hon. Good stars, you deserve a break. I know you like to keep yourself busy, but you’ve been overdoing it for a while now.”
“Is this weekend set?”
“Sure, but I can see about switching some things around.” She gave Mandi a long look. “This have anything to do with that suit and tie that’s been hanging around here lately?”
“Maybe some,” Mandi admitted. It was a convenient excuse, anyway.
Judy’s face lit with a smile. “He’s good to you?”
“Yeah. He’s a really good guy, Judy.” Mandi swallowed hard. Without a doubt, Lane Whitmore was the nicest guy she’d ever met or was ever likely to meet.
“He better be. Let me see what I can do. If it doesn’t work, we’ll start next weekend. How’s that?”
Grinning, Mandi stepped forward and gave Judy a quick hug. “Thanks, Judy. You rock.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Every night that week after she got home from work, Mandi spent an hour reading and re-reading the materials from the agency. On Wednesday night, she tucked it under the sofa, figuring that would keep it safe from Lane’s eyes if he ended up there.
Just as she reached over to switch off the lamp beside her bed, her phone buzzed.
“Hey,” she said.
“Are you in bed?” Lane asked.
Mandi laughed. “Alone.”
“That’s a damned shame.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’ll be there Friday,” he said, his voice warm and low.
Her heart bounced. Not Thursday.
“I’ll come in and distract you while you work,” he added.
Ha-ha. No. She’d be distracting him. “I don’t think so. I got Friday off. Working Saturday.”
“Nice. I’ll make arrangements for Friday night, then.”
**
At five o’clock on Friday, Mandi left DataPlus with a bounce in her step, looking forward to the weekend with Lane and a night off. When the unseasonably hot air outside blasted her face, she shed her outer blouse and walked to her car in her cami. The black interior of the car would be blazing. But when she got to her parking space, she stopped short, and gasped. A much newer silvery-blue Honda Civic sat in her space.
Mandi swiveled, her eyes searching the row. She backed up. Where the hell was her car? Her heart pounding, she wandered the row of cars. This is where she always parked, within a couple of spaces.
“What’s the matter?” a voice called.
She spun around. Carlie had her window rolled down and stared at her.
“My freaking car is gone.”
Carlie craned her neck. “Really?”
Mandi almost laughed at the disbelief in Carlie’s voice. “Right. Who would want to steal that piece of crap?”
“Are you sure?”
Mandi jabbed a finger toward the cars. “I always park. Right. Here.”
“Maybe you should call the police.”
“This is crazy.”
“Want me to give you a lift somewhere?”
“No, thanks, Carlie. I’ll figure it out.”
In the middle of the parking lot, Mandi stood with her hands on her hips. This did not make sense. She approached the newer car that sat in the spot. “I’m sure this is my spot, damn it,” she muttered. A piece of paper fluttered under one of the windshield wipers. Mandi tugged the paper out. Big blue letters spelled out “Surprise!”
Surprise. What did that mean? Was this some kind of joke? Her eyes tracked a black Mercedes sedan as it pulled into the lot. It took a minute for recognition to dawn. This had to be a dream – or an episode of Punked. The Mercedes stopped in front of her, and both doors opened.
Her jaw dropped. “Dad. What are you doing here?”
He shot a glance at her mother, who wore a nervous smile.
“Hi, honey,” she said with a little wave at Mandi.
“We came to give you the keys to your new car,” her dad said. He moved forward, and dangled keys in front of him.
Mandi heard his words, heard the jingle of the keys, but stood gaping at her father. “What are you talking about?”
He took her hand and deposited the keys into it. Then, with his hands on his hips, he studied her. “Look, here’s the deal. We’re leaving, and we’re already going to worry about you in that trailer park. Your car needed to be replaced, and we didn’t want to worry about you getting stranded on the road some night.”
When Mandi started to protest, her dad held up his hand. “Stubborn is one thing, Miranda, but this is safety.” He nodded toward the Civic. “Besides, it’s not brand new. It’s got about forty thousand miles. I’ve had it checked out. It’s in good shape. New battery and tires. Good air conditioning. It should last you a while.”
Tears pricked Mandi’s eyes. It was a nice gesture. But she hadn’t worked for it. Hadn’t done anything to earn it. She’d feel guilty accepting it. Of course she knew her dad’s own guilt played a part in the gift. It wasn’t the first time he’d tried to make up for his ugly behavior with money, even though she’d told him repeatedly she didn’t want his charity.
Her mother latched onto her arm. “Mandi, parents buy their kids cars all the time, or at least help them buy cars. It’s not a big deal. Besides, your other car is gone. Dad’s already done all the paperwork and taken care of everything, so you don’t have to hassle with that. Not even a trip to the DMV.”
Mandi opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She knew they were right about her car. It was twelve years old. Rusted. Could become unreliable. Should she make this one concession to keep peace with her parents? She stole a sideways peek at her dad. He’d gone and stood in line at the DMV to handle the paperwork?
She looked at the car again and bit her lip. It was pretty. The chrome trim shone in the sunshine, and not one speck of rust marred the silvery-blue finish.
“Come on,” her mother coaxed. “Let’s sit in it.”
Mandi unlocked the door and climbed in. They must’ve sprayed some new-car scent inside. It smelled new. In fact, it looked new. The soft gray leather interior was clean and smooth. She glanced around. Her parents had transferred all of her things. Her travel mug, an umbrella, even her box of Kleenex, were already in the car. They’d certainly made it easy for her. All she had to do was get in and drive.
“Turn it on, for heaven’s sake,” her mother said. “It’s suffocating in here.”
Mandi turned the key and surveyed the panel, locating the air conditioning controls. She couldn’t help but smile. Okay, she could stand to have some decent air conditioning. A thought hit her then. Air conditioning would be a must if she were pregnant. A reliable car would be a must if she were pregnant with someone else’s baby. Take it for the baby, she told herself.
Swallowing hard, she shot a tentative smile at her mother. “It’s nice,” she conceded.
Her mother grinned and turned to her father who had climbed into the back seat. “Did you hear that, honey? She says it’s nice.”
“Thank Christ.”
Mandi rolled her eyes, and didn’t care if her dad saw in the rearview mirror. So dramatic.
“Let’s go have an iced tea,” her mother said. “You drive.”
Mandi sucked in her breath. Did she have time? She didn’t have to rush over to Jimmy’s, but Lane would be waiting for her. Lane, she thought wryly, would love the car. Her parents had gone to a lot of trouble to get the whole thing taken care of, she supposed she could go have a drink with them. After all, they’d be gone soon.
“Sure,” she said.
“I’ll follow you,” her dad said.
“Let’s go to the Sweet and Savory over on Washington. They’re decent,” her mother added.
“Yes, Mother,” Mandi said, not quite able to keep a trace of sarcasm from her voice. As if she’d take her someplace that wasn’t.
Mandi pulled the car onto the street. It hummed so softly she could hardly even tell it was running, and the steering wheel felt solid under her grip. Fifteen minutes later she was happy to sip the cold iced tea the waitress sat in front of her.
“What time do you have to be at work?” her mother asked.
Oh, man. Why did she have to ask that? Mandi shook her head. “I have tonight off.”
Her mother’s eyes widened. “You do? Well, we should go to dinner, and celebrate.”
“Can’t, Mom. I already have plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
Mandi let out a deep sigh. “I have a date.”
“With Lane?”
“Yes.”
She sensed her father’s eyes on her, but didn’t meet them.
“That guy we met at the restaurant a few weeks ago?” her dad asked.
“Yes.”
“What’s he do?”
“He’s an urban planner, working with the city on some project in Northtown.” Mandi took a long drink of her tea. That was enough of that.
But it wasn’t enough for her parents.
“Where are you going?” her mother asked at the same time her father asked, “How’d you meet him?”
“Oh, my God, you guys. I don’t want to play twenty questions.” She took a sip of her drink and let the questions hang in the air.
“Don’t be so testy,” her mother complained. “I’d feel so much better about moving if I knew you had someone to look after you.”
Mandi gaped at her mother. “Mom, seriously. I don’t need someone to look after me. That’s a job best left to me, okay? Besides, he’s not here very often. He lives in Austin.” She looked at her watch. “Look, I better get going.” She’d ignored two calls. One of them, at least, was probably Lane. But there was a chance Emma had called, too.
Gathering her courage, Mandi finally met her father’s eyes. “Thank you for the car. I– it wasn’t necessary, but it’s really great. I hope you won’t worry so much now.”
They scooted out of the booth, and in the parking lot, both of her parents planted a kiss on her cheek.
“You have something nice to wear tonight?” her mother whispered.
“Of course.”
“All right. Have fun.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She intended to. She was looking forward to a long night with Lane. But as she drove the unfamiliar car home, she couldn’t help but feel manipulated. By her parents, and Lane. It was like being swept along an ocean wave, splashing around with no control.
Mandi brought the car to an abrupt stop as annoyance flashed inside her. There, in her spot at home sat Lane’s BMW. She yanked her purse up from the passenger seat. Jeez, did she have no space to call her own? She opened the door and climbed out, expecting him to do the same.
It wasn’t until she tapped on the window of the BMW that Lane turned and opened his door.
“Hi,” he said with a puzzled frown on his face. “I didn’t realize that was you.” He nodded toward the new Honda. “Whose car?”
Mandi hitched her purse over her shoulder and crossed her arms. “Mine. A gift from my parents.”
“No kidding? Wow. Very cool.” His eyes rested on her. “What’s the matter? You don’t seem too excited.”
“They didn’t even ask. I walk out of the office, and – poof – my car is gone. Get this, they came and took it right out of the parking lot while I was at work. Can you believe that?”
“And put a pretty, new one in its place? I can see why you’re upset,” Lane said, applying pressure to her back and turning toward the steps.
Mandi whirled on him. “You know, sometimes you remind me a little too much of my parents.”
She pulled out of his grasp and hurried up the stairs. She unlocked the door and stepped over the threshold, flinging her purse and new keys onto the kitchen table. When she glanced back at Lane, he stood, arms crossed, just inside the door.
“I’ll wait here for Mandi,” he said.
She slumped against the table. That was some welcome. He’d driven more than three hours to see her, and she was being bitchy. Hadn’t even said hello. Time spent with her dad always seemed to put her in a foul mood. But there was no reason to take it out on Lane. He deserved better.
Pushing off from the table, she shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
He moved forward and took hold of her arms, then tipped her chin up. “Hey. I missed you.”
Her heart slammed against her chest as he pulled her toward him. As soon as she looked up, his lips met hers. And she forgot about everything else. The rest of the world didn’t matter. At least for now.