Chapter 3
“You have already gone through the controlled ovarian stimulation or as we like to refer to it as COS.” Dr. Lucian Jones gave them his benign smile which did nothing to dispense the tension in the room. “You have reacted well to the ‘trigger shot’, the hormone injection so that the eggs can be matured.”
“The next step is the one I am looking forward to.” Georgiana spoke up. After another round of arguments with her husband, she had finally worn him down enough for him to agree to go through with the invitro, but he was only there for support. It was obvious, he was not completely on board.
The clinic they had chosen was one funded by the pharmaceutical company and the doctors there were on a first name basis with the Andersons. PharmaMed was a gigantic company that had its tentacles in everything to do with the medical field. The elite clinic was one of several the company had invested in.
They were also very discreet, a trait that was required due to the number of celebrity patients they catered to. Georgiana Potter-Anderson was on the top of the food chain. Dr. Jones was the head of the clinic and along with his partner, Dr. Gerald Brown, were both going to be personally involved in the entire process.
Blake had spoken to him and expressed his desire for success. “My daughter-in-law is dead set on having her way with this. I would be happy if you would give her your best care.”
“That goes without saying.”
Now looking at the beautiful couple, Dr. Jones wondered privately why they were in such a hurry, but it was not his place to speculate or ask questions.
“The retrieval of the eggs from the follicles.” He glanced at the brooding man who had yet to make a comment and felt his palms sweating anxiously. “We have already collected the sperm, successfully.” He bent a smile on the exquisite young woman and felt his own admiration for her beauty and genuine personality.
Beau Anderson was well-known for his womanizing ways, so when he had suddenly gotten married and settled down, people had speculated how long it would last. But seeing the two of them together, there was no doubt it was a love match.
“You make it sound like a walk in the park.” The deep voice was scathing. Beau had finally broken his silence as if he could not keep quiet any longer. “Why don’t we explore the risks? Why not talk about the heartache that will accompany this procedure?
Why not tell my wife that there is no guarantee that this will happen right now? That we are in for a possible trying time.” His green eyes blazed as he stared at the man seated behind the desk.
“We have already gone over–”
“Go over it again.”
“Dr. Jones, could you give us a minute?” Georgie’s sultry voice had him pushing back his chair.
“Take your time. Nurse Gallagher is setting up the room where the procedure will take place.” Glancing at Beau, he exited his office hastily, leaving behind a charged silence.
“I am not going to apologize.” He was the first to break the silence.
“I don’t expect you to.” Georgie felt her blood pressure rising and had to take several breaths to calm herself. “You are Beau Anderson, entitled and selfish. You are used to having things your way and damn anyone else.” Pushing from her chair, she faced him, hands on her hips, dark brown eyes blazing. “We spoke about this–”
“You talked, and I listened.” He was stung at her insults and found them unfair. Ever since he met her, he had been bending over backward to do things her way. She had worn him down with her arguments, pleas and the perpetual sadness on her face, until he had no choice but to agree. “But you are not being realistic. It might not happen.”
“I don’t need your negativity and if you are going to be like this, I would prefer that you leave.”
“You are my wife, and I am here to support you," he reminded her tightly.
“That’s just it! You are not being supportive.”
“I am expressing my concerns," he blazed. “Am I not entitled to speak out?”
“We already talked the subject to death and the process has started. Deal with it.”
“That’s it?” he asked bitterly. “You decide and I just fall in line?”
She stared at him. “I cannot believe this. We came to an agreement–”
“You gave me no choice!”
His explosive words echoed around the room as they stared at each other like two boxers in a ring.
“Go back to the office, Beau. I can do this on my own.”
“I am not leaving.”
“You are aggravating me and raising my blood pressure. I will call Ivan to take me home after I am through here. I really do not want to see you right now.”
“That’s too damn bad–”
“Go!” she screamed. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly. “Please.”
Lunging to his feet, he stormed out, slamming the door shut behind him.
Collapsing on one of the comfortable chairs, she buried her face in her hands and refused to cry. She was not going to allow her husband or anyone else to divert her from her goal. Straightening her shoulders, she managed to compose herself just as the door was pushed open and the nurse came in with a beaming smile.
“We are ready for you.”
*****
Blake stared at his son in anger. “You just left her there?”
“She said she didn’t want me there.” Beau had spent half an hour driving around, before coming back to the office. He had called the clinic and asked them to let him know when his wife was ready to leave so he could send a driver for her.
“Son, even so–”
“We had a goddamned fight in the doctor’s office. A shouting match. I am not certain if the office is soundproofed, but if it’s not, then the staff got an earful.” Passing a hand over his glossy hair, he spun away to the cabinet to pour himself a drink.
“I fear it’s going to be a constant thing between us. I hate this dad. She is obsessed with getting pregnant and it’s ruining our lives.”
Blake stared at him in consternation.
“Is that the way you feel?”
“Yes," he clipped. Cradling the drink in his hands, he walked over to the window to stare out at the towering buildings that were the highlights of the beautiful uptown area. From his vantage point, he could see the landmark Catholic church with its roof spearing toward the clouds.
PharmaMed was smack in the middle of several historical buildings that had been restored to give the area the appearance of opulence without getting rid of the historical flavor. “She wants more than one baby and with this IVF deal, it’s likely she will end up carrying twins or triplets.
My wife is tiny and delicate, even the idea of her conceiving more than one, is enough to drive me crazy. The more embryos, the higher the risk. And I cannot bear it. I cannot lose her dad.” His voice had dropped to a hoarseness that indicated how affected he was.
Blake was shaken by the emotions he was revealing. For the first time in his life, his son was thinking of someone else, and it was a proud moment. Pushing away from his desk, he crossed the large room to stand behind him, not touching, but just being there.
“You have to understand where Georgie is coming from," he intoned quietly. “She lost her parents at a young age and was brought up by her sisters. They have memories of their parents, but Georgie never did. She told me that’s one of the reasons she wants a family of her own.”
“And I respect that, really, I do. Losing Mother was devastating to say the least and sent me over the deep end. But I cannot accept what she is doing. And the risks she is prepared to take.” A long shudder escaped him. “I love her too much.”
“Your mother wanted a daughter or another son.” Blake reminisced softly. “She always said she never wanted you to be an only child. She wanted you to have someone to interact with.” His expression turned wistful.
“She never stopped trying but had to resign herself to the fact that it was only going to be you.” Placing a commiserating hand on his son’s shoulder, he squeezed lightly. “Don’t let this come between you.”
“I think it already has.”
*****
Georgie told Ivan to leave her at the cemetery. It was a cold gray afternoon, and she was feeling emotional and drained.
Dr. Jones had insisted on her availing herself of one of their private rooms where she could have a chance of recovering from the probe to retrieve her eggs from the follicles in her ovaries. She had slept for twenty minutes and that had revived her somewhat.
What was weighing her mind down was her husband’s attitude. She wanted him to be completely on board.
Dr. Jones had mentioned it to her right before the procedure.
“Beau left?”
She had been a little self-conscious and humiliated that the doctor and nurse had been privy to what should have been a private argument.
“Yes.”
“My dear, if I may make a few suggestions. I do not want to overstep my bounds, but as a friend of the family for too many years to count, I want to ask you if this is something you are sure of.”
She had given the man a look that spoke volumes.
“I am positive.”
“Your husband seems to be of a different mindset," he had pointed it out persistently.
“He will come around.”
“He is concerned about the risks as he should be.” The doctor had gone into what had been a major point when first presented with the request. Georgiana was petite. IVF treatment could produce multiple embryos. Would her body be equipped for such a strain?
“And this clinic has the excellent reputation of taking great care of its patients.” Her tone had warned him that the discussion was closed, and he had heeded it.
Ivan had balked at the idea of leaving her alone at first.
“Mr. Beau said I should take you straight home.”
“Mr. Beau does not run my life and right now, I am not in the mood to go home.” Ivan was a long-time employee and therefore a very loyal one, hence her freedom to speak of her husband in that manner to him.
“What time should I be back to pick you up?”
“I will call," she had assured him.
Now she was seated on a padded bench with the overhanging arches she had made right at her parents’ graves. Her sisters had protested at what they call an extravagant waste, but she had not cared about that. They didn’t understand why she had to do it. She had been five when they were killed in a multi-vehicle pileup on the highway.
The driver of an oil tanker had lost control when the brakes failed. Daniel and Martha Potter had been two of the fatalities of that fateful afternoon that had left their four daughters orphans.
Georgie could barely remember them but could recall snatches of her mother singing to her in her lovely voice and her big, brawny father, lifting her on his wide shoulders and whirling her around the room. They had been taken in by a distant cousin who had relinquished her role to a very responsible Marla, when she turned eighteen.
Georgie had missed out on so much. Her sisters had rallied around her and brought her up the best way they knew how to, but there had always been something monumental missing. She had confessed as much to Beau during a time when they were just getting to know each other.
“Not having my parents during my formative years, took a toll on me. I could never discuss it with Marla, because she would take offense and be of the idea that she had not done a good job bringing me up," she cried in his arms and felt comforted by him. He had lost his mother and told her that was when he started acting out.
“Nothing felt good or right anymore," he admitted. “She was the light, and her leaving extinguished it completely from our lives. I became reckless and unanchored. I partied and collected as many women as I could.
I was determined never to form any lasting attachment for fear of loving and losing another who means so much to me.” He stared at her bleakly for a minute. “I cannot lose you Georgie, it would destroy me.”
A brisk wind picked up and pierced the protective layer of clothing she had on. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she rubbed her hands up over them absently, before placing a protective hand over her flat stomach.
She needed this. She had tried to make her husband understand the myriad reasons why this was so important, but he refused to listen.
She had also said some very damaging things to him in the doctor’s office and before they could fester, she was going to have to apologize.
But damn him! He was so stubborn and so aggravating. And why did he have to leave? Yes, she had ordered him to, but he usually would not listen to her. Why had he done so when she needed him more than ever? Blake had called and asked after her, right after the procedure and she assured him she was okay.
“Give him time my dear.”
“I am trying.”
“Oh, Mom and Dad,” she whispered bleakly. “I wish you were here. At times like this I really need someone to talk to. Do you think I am doing the right thing? My husband is afraid of things going wrong and if I am being honest, I am a little anxious myself. What if it doesn’t happen for a while?
Will I be able to withstand the disappointment and keep going or will I want to give up?” She closed her eyes briefly and rubbed her hand over her tummy. “I have been praying for a miracle. I was not so young that I don’t recall your prayers when you tucked me in, when it was bedtime. I need God to hear me now.”
The first splatter of rain jarred her out of her reverie. Pulling out her phone, she called Ivan. It was time to go home. Besides, she was feeling the aftereffects of the procedure.
*****
Beau knew she had stopped at the cemetery because Ivan had called him immediately.
“I am sorry sir, she insisted.”
“Don’t worry about it, my wife does what she wants, and no one can stop her.’ He had meant to keep his voice light, but he knew it came out embittered. “She’ll be fine.”
Now seated behind his desk, he stared at the documents in front of him, unable to concentrate. She had called him selfish and entitled and those two traits had been true of him in the past. Now he could think of nothing but her.
His whole world revolved around her. The taste and texture of her skin were in his nostrils every breath he drew. Her laughter filled him with a joy he had never had before. Her beauty made him want to wax poetic.
Her candor was refreshing. He was selfish where she was concerned. The truth was that he had wanted her for himself for years. He had spoken about children of course, but in the distant future. They were still young enough to wait another five years or so.
He figured that would give him enough time to relinquish this awful possessiveness he had where she was concerned. He wanted to be with her. He loved going home to find her waiting for him. He loved the fact that they were alone in that big house, loved how adventurous and creative they could get when it comes to making love.
On any surface, up against the doors, the parquet floors, on the wraparound porch, in the pool, in front of the pool. They were insatiable for each other and did not deny themselves.
One night while they were coming home from a function, passion had overtaken them and right there he had brought the car to a screeching halt in front of the lovely Grecian sculpture in the middle of the driveway. He had proceeded to rip off her panties and haul her on top of him.
But then he had been provoked the entire ride. His mischievous wife had unzipped him and proceeded to drive him to distraction by wrapping her fingers around him and bringing him to blazing life.
He loved moments like that and wanted more. But this obsession to have children was going to ruin that. Shaking his head, he jerked the files forward, determined to get her off his mind.
He had become involved with the company as soon as he realized that what he felt for Georgie was not the usual fling or just something that was going to disappear in a matter of weeks.
That what he felt for her was permanent. He had shied away from responsibilities before even though he had been groomed to take over from his dad when he chose to retire.
He had gone through the ritual, college and university had been a breeze for him and he came out with honors. He was well educated, knew about various businesses. But after his mother’s death, nothing was important to him anymore.
He had burned through his very generous allowance every month. On his twenty-fifth birthday he had inherited several million dollars from his mother. He had spent lavishly, and rewarded the women he was involved with expensive trinkets. He bought a speed boat, a dirt bike and a race car.
All had been designed to pull off his lifestyle back then. A therapist had told him that he was flirting with death, and he had fired the man instantly, calling him a goddamned quack who had no idea what he was talking about. But the man had been right.
He had been flirting with death. Had tried not to think about what losing his mother meant. And how much it affected him. Now he had something to live for. His wife had brought purpose back to his life. Now he wanted to live it to the fullest. He was not going to allow her to take that away from him.
With a tortured groan, he opened the contract before him and dove into the legal jargon.
*****
Georgie wandered around the bedroom, straightening an already spotless room. She had nothing to do and did not want to think. The doctors had told her to rest.
“Give it a day and you can resume your normal activities after that.”
She was involved with various charities. The plights of children concern her. She was actively involved in righting all the wrongs she could. With her own money and with her husband’s she could afford to do just that.
She and the others were raising awareness of children suffering from cancer. She volunteered at the hospital’s pediatric ward twice a week, bringing the children as much cheer as she could. It amazed her that those tiny human beings could endure so much suffering. It breaks her heart to see them in pain.
But it cheered her to realize how brave they were. They handled their illnesses with aplomb. One girl in particular, Sarah told her solemnly that God was waiting for her in heaven. That he had a special place for her there.
That might be the case, but she had wanted to tell the five-year-old that heaven should not be her home just yet. She deserved to live her life here on earth first.
Instead, she tried to bring comfort to a ward that was redolent with death. Yes, their lives were being prolonged, her husband’s company donated several million dollars a year to research, so that a cure can be found. But it seemed like they were fighting a losing battle.
Beau had accused her of bringing the grief home with her. After their first few arguments, she had been careful to keep it from him. She understood his position. He had lost his beloved mother to cancer, and he still felt that loss acutely.
She admired the mothers and the children in that ward, it was mostly the mothers who dedicated their time to being with the kids. Men had a way of ignoring things like terminal illnesses, in the hopes that it would disappear.
Her husband had called to say tersely that he was going to be late. For the first time in their marriage, the tension was palpable, and she had no idea what to do about it.