A Surrogate for the billionaire

Arianna's POV

 The waiting room was awash in the ominous glow of the overhead lights. I could hear it flickering above me.

A nurse walked up to me, looking all serious and no play. She looked at her file and looked back at me.

“Are you Miss Arianna Blair? She asked impatiently.

“Yes” I nodded, and she gestured me to follow her.

She led me through a corridor. Her heels clicked on the floor as I followed her.

We stopped at a room with “KIDNEY DIALYSIS” written above the door.

Inside was my mother Henrietta Blair connected to the dialysis machine.

A doctor stood beside her. A giant man with bulging eyes and a waistline to match.

“Miss Arianna, I'm Dr. Grey and will be her doctor here at the Pilgrim Specialist Hospital. As you know, the dialysis no longer works on her, you have to bring her a donor seeing here on her file she's not your biological mother” the doctor said while pointing his finger on a chart in front of him.

“Doctor, what do you suggest as the next course of action? I asked while looking at my mother.

She looks pale, almost iridescent. If I were to take a magnifying glass close to her skin, I would see her blood pulsing through her veins.

“Firstly, we need to get started with antibiotics before undergoing the surgery to remove the cyst. Hopefully, we might find a donor soon” 

The thought of my mum undergoing surgery frightened me. She had always complained of a swollen abdomen and headache.

After months of series of tests, it was confirmed she had polycystic kidney disease. And it was genetic.

It's been two years, and we are here at the hospital once again being tied up to a machine.

“I will be fine,” she said with a cracked voice while looking at my teary face.

Her lips were cracked, and her eyes pleaded with me.

“Hopefully, we will come up with a plan,” she added.

By coming up with a plan, she meant we didn't have money to pay for the surgery.

The health Insurance ran out a month ago, and now we are sitting on a mountain of bills and demand letters.

My job wasn't even enough to carry us both. We barely keep up with the bills of our penthouse apartment.

I'm 23 with no formal qualification, I dropped out of college while studying music, hoping I would find my way back.

It's been three years, my dream, hope, and funds have gone dry. Besides, my mum is now my main priority.

The doctor and nurses excused themselves as I moved over to the window and stood, looking at the hundreds of people going about their day.

The sun started to set, illuminating the sky with a brilliant gaze.

I once used to love this time of the day, but it now reminds me of despair.

I closed the blinds and sat beside my mum. She fell asleep, her shallow breath willing her chest to heave up and down. She looked smaller as if she were reversing in age.

At night, I made my way to the subway. Throngs of people were on their way to hang out at bars and clubs. It's Friday night.

I remembered those days when I partied with reckless abandon.

While I was walking up the stairs to my apartment, my phone rang and it was Elena.

“Hey, how did it go? She asked in a deep, sultry voice.

No matter how many times I hear her voice, it always takes me by surprise.

I pushed my door open and sank into my worn-out sofa.

“Not good,” I answered and started crying.

“She needs to undergo surgery and also needs a donor. I don't know what to do, I'm confused”.

“What about the health insurance, can't it cover some of the cost? 

She knew the answer immediately. I went mute, and before I could respond she interrupted me.

“Why don't I come over, so we can have a drink. Will also get you pizza,” she suggested.

“I don't think I will be a great company,” I said as my tears swallowed my voice.

“You should go have some fun with your funny friends. Get laid, make bad choices, and leave with no regrets” I joked.

“Nah, I did all that last weekend, it wasn't much fun. I even had STI” she laughed.

We both started laughing, and she tried coaxing me one last time.

“Let's find a dingy bar, get drunk, and you could also lose your virginity with the words 'Johnny came here' It will be fun” she mumbled.

From the sound of her voice, she probably has had three drinks.

“Nah, I'm fine. You will distract me. I need to clean up this place” I said.

“Alright, just promise not to think. The mind goes crazy when you think, and it leads to panicking”.

“I promise” I whispered and ended the call.

I sat all alone with my thoughts. The one that kept weighing on me was the thought of my mum's surgery.

Even where I work, they all drag extra shifts like dogs that won't let go of a bone, 

We are all in the same boat, trying to make ends meet.

I poured myself a glass of juice from the leftover of last night while I opened my laptop.

<There have to be jobs out there that can keep us afloat for the main time.>

I kept scrolling through the list. 

I saw an ad that said escort wanted, and I clicked on it.

I saw another ad pop up on the screen, “A surrogate wanted. Will be paid handsomely, discretion is a must apply below”.

Blood started racing in my brain as I got a tingling feeling.

<Why will someone list something like this, is the universe playing a game with me? It's a joke, the email address is from a Gmail account. What if it's real> 

I kept thinking.

A moment ago, I was searching for an escort job that was the height of desperation I was ready to go through.

With nothing to lose, I composed a mail and sent it….

Arianna's POV

I stood at the front of a big white building looming around. As I took a step towards the entrance, my feet went wobbly, refusing to obey my brain.

“Hello there, welcome to Reese Tower, do you have an appointment? Asked a lady at the reception.

<Keep it together, you can do this, Arianna.> I said to myself as I walked into the gleaming foyer.

“Yes, I have an appointment. I'm here to see Amber Reese. I have a meeting with her by 2 pm” I said, flashing a smile at her.

The lady's demeanor changed suddenly. She straightened up and buttoned her shirt. She looked nervous and afraid.

“Who do I say is here?

“Arianna Blair” I responded.

She got on the phone, talked for a while, and hung up the call.

She offered me a seat and asked if I cared for anything.

I tried to make myself comfortable watching the smiling sculpture of Andrew Reese. His eyes were aqua blue and the color of his skin was like copper. He was wea