Surrogate Pregnancy

Chapter Five Part 6

In Melbourne Christmas festivities were building, starry lights and Christmas trees in the entire inner city.

Nicole had just come home with her Christmas shopping. She was to be all alone, for the first time. Well not all alone, Marmelade was greeting her when she walked in the door. The little flat was all decked up for Christmas and it smelled of oranges with cloves stuck in them, a little hint their ancestors came from Denmark. She had lit candles everywhere and it was all the light she needed. She found a bottle of Merlot and opened it, then put a cd with 'Noel Noel' on, one of her favourite Christmas songs. It was Christmas Eve, and the music had just started, when the doorbell rang. Shaking her head she opened the door to a brooding stranger. "Yes? Are you lost"?

"Hello I am Leon McWilliams,"

She did not react.

"Are you Louise Black?" He looked more closely at her; she was petite and very slim. "Sorry. Are you her sister?"

Nicole took a step back. "I am her sister," she said.

Leon softened his voice. "Is she home?"

Nicole frowned and started to close the door "No she doesn't live here, what do you want anyway? It is Christmas, don't you know?"

Leon looked surprised. "Christmas?" He looked discombobulated.

Nicole sighed and opened the door a little more. "Are you a friend of hers ?"

Leon quickly realised that if he wanted the conversation to continue, he had to say, "Yes, of course, you haven't heard of me?"

Nicole shook her head, wondering why he knew her sister by her middle name. It figured her big sister should know such a hunk. "Well you better come in then," she stepped back and he quickly stepped inside, before she thought the better of it. "You have picked a great time to come by; I have just opened a bottle of Merlot." She poured him a glass and sat down smiling. "So why are you looking for my sister?"

Leon was surprised by her friendliness. Did she know what her sister was up to? He tried to find a way to tell her, but realised he needed the address first.

Smiling he said, "I just wanted to catch up. His gleaming white teeth and and dimples lit his whole face up.

Nicole wondered why such good looking guys, never tried to catch up with her.

"Ok but she lives in Alice Springs, she works at the hospital."

He got up. "Are you telling me the truth?" He was certain she was trying to mislead him.

She also stood up. "What do you mean? What truth?" She looked accusingly at him, "What do you really want?" Now she was unhappy she had said Alice Springs.

He saw she was getting upset and sat down. "Sorry, wrong choice of words."

Nicole Frowned. "You bet it was." She was getting ready to throw him out on Christmas Eve.

Leon took a deep breath and said, "Well it is a long story."

"OK I like long stories." Nicole sat down again, she would give him a chance to explain himself....it was Christmas after all.

"Your sister is having my baby. We have paid her $50,000 and will pay her another $50,000 when the child is born, and delivered."

Nicole froze, and stood up fury blazing out of her eyes. "Get out of my house, my sister would never do something like that."

Leon's face was stony, he got up and walked out of the door, but stopped and turned on the doorstep. "You could come with me in my plane, I am going to Alice tomorrow." He somehow felt, she was the better sister; she had vehemently denied her sister could do what he had said. She could be useful.