This isn't happening! #wattys2017

Are you serious?

"Money well spent" she thought to herself.
"Why am I here?" Josh asked.
His interruption brought her back to reality, still she couldn't help but blush.
"To make our little arrange official" she announced, while struggling to regain her poker face.
"I'm not following" Josh said.
"As an MBA student, you should know what I mean" she pointed.
Josh thought for a second.
"A contract" he whispered.
"Bingo!" Miranda replied.
Josh had already imagined something awful, but a contract was worse than he had imagined.
Miranda walked towards her desk, grabbed a folder and handed it to him.
Josh hesitated a moment before opening it.
Inside , he found all the usual Mumbo-Jumbo, except when he got to the part listing the clauses.
At that point, as he read, his eyes opened wide with each new paragraph..
"Are you crazy?" He finally asked, while looking up after he was done reading.
"Quite the opposite" she smiled.
"yes, you are, if you think I will sign this crap"
"You will sign it if you want me to keep my side of the bargain" Miranda stated.
"Just listen to this crap" josh yelled, and started  reading out loud:
"1-the father (term under which the contract referred to him) declares that he will obey the mother's (Miranda's reference) wishes regarding the care of the child."
"2-the father will, at any given time, upon request, report his location to the mother."
"3-the father will, at any  given time, upon request, attend to any location designated by the mother."
"4-both parties must exercise full disclosure about their private lives."
"5-in case of a dispute, the father relinquishes his right to oppose the mothers wishes."
"6-the father must attain his MBA"
"7-the father must work at the place designated by the mother in the position she so chooses."
"8-the father must, at all times, keep a respectable appearance."
"9-any dispute, circumstance or situation not covered by the present binding contract, will be resolved by the mother."
"Failure to comply any of the above mentioned stipulations, will be considered as a breach of contract, the transgressing party will surrender any right to the custody of the child" Josh finished reading and glared at Miranda.
Miranda, however, remained unfazed, she knew what kind of reaction to expect from Josh.
"You've got to be kidding me" Josh said, while glaring at her.
"Not at all" she replied "but, as I have told you before, I won't force you"
"What you're asking me to sign is basically a slavery contract!" he declared.
"This contract is just an insurance for me" she stated "besides, you had already verbally agreed to most of these terms, so its just placing in writing something already agreed upon"
"I wouldn't say agreed upon is the correct term"
"Call it whatever you want, but you're gonna sign it" Miranda made a small pause "you know what the alternative is"
Josh kept silent for a few moments, unsure as how to proceed, he looked at Marcus, who only shrugged his shoulders.
"Before I sign" Josh said "I want to make an addendum to the clauses"
"What is it?" Miranda asked.
"A couple clauses for you, I will accept yours if you accept mine"
"You are in no position to negotiate" she signaled.
"You said this was a Contract, then this contract should also reflect what I hope to gain" Josh pointed "we are doing this each for their own reasons"
Miranda stared at him for a few seconds, looking into his eyes, like trying to find a sign of wavering, but she found none, Josh's blue eyes looked at her with determination.
"Fine" she finally conceded, and both walked to Miranda's desk, in her computer, a copy of the contract was displayed on the screen.
Miranda let Josh seat down on her chair and add his clauses to the contract.
She read them as they were being written, and they were different to what she fought he would ask.
"10-the mother is, under no circumstances, allowed to leave the City of New York, without prior consent from the father."
"11-the mother will respect the father's private life"
"12-the father will reserve the right to name the child"
Upon reading the last one, Miranda couldn't help but blush.
"Is that all you want from me?" She asked.
"I actually only want the baby, I want nothing else out of you"
Miranda, for some reason, felt really uncomfortable hearing that.
"Last chance, after we both sign, there is no turning back" she advised him.
"Just print it so we can get this over with" Josh urged her.
She said nothing more, and printed two copies.
The both signed them.
OK, now that this is done, I need to tell you something" Miranda declared.
"You said there was no turning back" he reminded her.
"It's not that"
"Then what is it?" He asked.
"We are invited to dinner with my father on Saturday night" she whispered.
"We?" Josh asked.
"That's what I said"
"Forget it" Josh belched.
"I'm now invoking clauses number three and five" she said, while shoving the contract in Josh's face "you can read the contract again if you want"
Josh's face showed his anger "why do I have to attend?"
"Because you fathered my father's first grandchild" she observed "it was a given that at some point you would have to meet him"
Josh did not argue, he knew she was right.
"What time do I have to be there?" He inquired.
"I will pick you up at six" she informed him.
"I can get there myself" he spatted.
"You will attend as my date" she said while glaring at him "or you will be the one to explain to my father how you knocked me up and won't take responsibility"
"I'm willing to take care of my child" he pointed.
"I'm pretty sure my father wouldn't be satisfied with that" she observed "at the very least we will pretend to care for each other for a time, then we can just break up, I'm sure my father will understand if he thinks that things just didn't work out between us"
"In other words, you want me to lie?" He asked.
"And do it with a smile on your face"
Josh thought about it for a minute.
"Perhaps you're right" he conceded "I wouldn't want to make an enemy out of your father".
"At least we agree on something" she pointed "then it's settled"
"I guess" Josh shrugged.
"I'll call you on Saturday"
"May I go now?" Josh asked.
"One last thing" she said.
"What now?" Josh inquired.
"You start working on Monday" she announced.
"Doing what?" He asked.
"I haven't decided yet" Miranda confessed.
Josh just stared at her, with his luck, she would have him mopping floors, but restrained himself from saying anything, in case she hadn't thought of that.
"If that's all, may I go now?" Josh insisted.
Miranda nodded.
Josh opened the door and disappeared after it.
"Keep an eye on him" Miranda asked Marcus.
"I think if he hasn't run by now, he won't, whether I keep an eye on him or not" Marcus observed.
"Sounds like you like him"
"He's a good guy, and after what I saw today, I have a genuine respect for the guy"
"You think I'm pushing too much?"
"If it were me, I would have run for the hills" he grinned.
"Just keep me informed" she asked.
"Will do, evening Miss" he bid her goodbye, and left.

Once alone, Miranda dropped herself on the desk chair.
"Maybe I really am pushing him too much" she admitted to herself "Marcus is right, any other would have run long ago"
"Can you forgive mommy for being mean to daddy?" She whispered while looking at her stomach and smiling sweetly.
"I promise that if daddy behaves, I will ease up on him...eventually" she concluded.
"Now I need to find something to wear for the occasion" she thought.

Meanwhile, as Josh and Marcus here heading back, Josh kept silent.
"A penny for your thoughts" Marcus said.
"I'm just thinking" Josh replied.
"About?"
"About how I just signed my freedom away" was the response.
"That you did" Marcus smiled.
Josh looked at Marcus, unsure whether or not to ask.
"What do you think of all this?" He finally outed.
"I think you are playing a whole different game than she is" he pointed.
"This is not a game" Josh replied.
"Then how come you're losing?" Marcus questioned.
Josh looked at him, and realized that he had a point, Miranda was the one dictating the rules, and she had beaten him at every turn.
"Maybe you're right, I'm looking at this whole thing wrongly"
"About time you figured it out"
"Aren't you supposed to be on her team?" Josh questioned.
"This game is between you and her, I have nothing to do with it, at most I'm an innocent bystander" he declared.
"Then why are you telling me all this?"
"Bystanders have opinions too, and I just feel a little bad for you" he grinned.
"Its reassuring to have your sympathy" Josh snorted.
"Just thought someone had to tell you something" he shrugged "and I'm the only one here"
"Well...thanks for the heads up"
"Don't mention it" he replied "any idea on how to even the play field?" Marcus inquired.
"Not yet, but I'll come up with something"
"You have two days" Marcus reminded him.
"Then I better start thinking" he replied.
And the both of them continued on their way.