The Last Option

Bernard looked at Nathan between confused and nervous, thinking that perhaps his boss was one of those depraved millionaires who liked to try everything to satisfy his dark hidden desires, and slowly he walked away from him until he was located on the other side of the grill where still some pieces of meat were roasted. After watching him walk away, Nathan realized what Bernard was thinking and could not help it he laughed.

"Easy, Bernard," he said, still smiling, "it's not what you think. I'm not interested in that kind of eccentricity. Oh, my God!"

But Bernard was still not entirely convinced.

"And what is that proposal you want to make me then?"

"Please, relax now! It's nothing from the other world. Come on, let's sit down and explain everything to you."

Still hesitant, Bernard approached the table and Nathan did the same, both of them sitting down afterward.

"As you found out this morning," Nathan began after having a drink of beer, "my wife and I are attending that fertility clinic because we have trouble having children. We have tried every available treatment and method and nothing. Despite the fact she can generate her eggs and I have a good sperm count, fertilization isn't possible naturally, and we haven't yet been able to find out the reason for this problem. We have done a lot of exams and tests and our situation is a total mystery."

"And don't you know why you can't conceive, with how advanced science is? Excuse me, Mr. Hicks, but I have a hard time believing that."

"Please, call me Nathan! You aren't working and at the moment I'm not your employer, just one more visitor enjoying the meeting in honor of old Thomas."

"It will take me a bit to do it, but I will try."

"Well, I keep explaining to you. We were about to give up and consider adopting, when Dr. Holloway suggested we try in vitro fertilization: he would make sure to unite, in the laboratory and under the best conditions, my wife's eggs and my sperm, to that achieve fertilization and generate embryos that can then be transferred to her uterus."

"So? Turned out?"

"Unfortunately, not. We have already made three attempts and none of the embryos have managed to cling to the uterus, or rather it is the uterus that apparently doesn't retain or develop satisfactorily, discarding them within a few hours after implantation."

"Excuse me, sir, sorry, Nathan, I still don't understand what all this has to do with me."

"This is where my proposal comes from, Bernard; Dr. Holloway suggested that Norma and I find another uterus to implant our embryos, and if everything goes as expected, they will stick to it and grow into a baby. That is, rent a belly, and I would like your wife to help us with our problem. Sure, if you both agree."

"I don't know, Nathan, it's something I would have to discuss with Margaret."

"Of course, man! I'm aware that it's a very important proposal and you should think about it very well. Of course, if everything goes well, we will take care of everything and provide you with the necessary means and conditions so that Margaret is comfortable and carefree and reaches a happy term with the pregnancy. Is this house rented?"

Bernard nodded.

"Then the first thing would be to buy you a spacious and comfortable house, you move there and-"

"I don't know, Nathan, that would be excessive in that case."

"For God's sake, Bernard! You both will have our son! That's the least we would do for you if you can make our most cherished dream come true. Apart from the house, we could also buy you a car, in addition to a monthly payment." "I repeat, Mr. Hicks, that seems a bit exaggerated to me."

"And there goes Mr. Hicks again! Tell me Nathan, man! If you want, look at all this as a negotiation, where we all win if we reach an agreement. I repeat: we would take care of everything to guarantee the proper development of the pregnancy." "As I told you, I have to discuss it with Margaret."

"Talk it over with her tonight, and I'll get your answer tomorrow. I hope you accept, it's seen that you are a very close and happy couple."

"Well, despite the shortcomings, we try that love is the one that gives us the necessary strength to move forward, and thank God we have not lacked anything: no love, no shelter, no sustenance." "And I toast to that," Nathan raised his beer, and after hitting it with Bernard's, they took a drink.

"If the answer is positive," Bernard said after thinking for a few seconds, "and I'm not saying it is yet, I ask you to let me continue working as your driver. I wouldn't feel good living off your pregnancy." "I wasn't going to let you stop working either! Today you showed me that you are going to be a good driver, and I don't want anyone else."

"I really appreciate it-"

"If you call me Mr. Hicks again, I'll hit you!"

Nathan smiled broadly as he took another swig of beer. At that moment Margaret returned from the kitchen in the company of Norma, and they both sat at the table with their husbands. "And can we know what our men are talking about?" Margaret asked, hugging Bernard.

"Men's stuff," Nathan said with a smile. "And business."

"Oh! I hope my husband doesn't lose that negotiation," said Margaret, "he is very bad for business."

"Well, from his face I think he's already lost," Norma said with a smile. "I hope I haven't lost much, Nathan is ruthless sometimes."

"Bah! You know I'm not like that. Bernard and I were renegotiating our employment relationship, and I admit that I hope not to lose."

"Well, you'll find out tomorrow, Nathan."

"Wow! Looks like the thing is serious, Norma," Margaret said. "Aren't we interrupting something important?"

"Not at all," Nathan said, "we've finished a first phase of negotiation. Tomorrow I hope the second and most important will arrive."

"We'll see, Nathan, we'll see," Bernard said, taking another drink of beer.

That night, watching Bernard thoughtfully in bed, Margaret remembered what he and Nathan had said at the meeting, and wanted to know a little more about what had been discussed. She asked him what this "negotiation" was that his boss talked about.

"Well, we have to talk about something very serious," Bernard said, turning towards her and hugging her, placing his arm under her head and caressing her face. "Rather, that "negotiation" we talked about was a proposal that Nathan made

me."

"Nathan?" she frowned. "I've noticed that you called him by his first name several times in the meeting, and now you do it again. With just one day at work, have you already managed to get the two of you to call each other by your first name? It doesn't seem right to me."

"He has told me to call him by his name while he isn't working, but that isn't the important thing, what matters is the proposal he made me, and it has to do more than everything with you."

She turned to look him straight in the eye, even more puzzled.

"With me? Why with me?"

"I'll tell you: this morning Nathan's first order was to take him and his wife to a place that wasn't his company. They had a very important date, and apparently last minute. So I did, and guess where I took them." "Well, I don't know, don't make me guess and tell me what happened and what I have to do with all this."

"Well, I took them to a fertility center. Nathan told me that he and his wife have tried every possible means to have a baby and have not succeeded, even with in vitro fertilization. Everything. Apparently it's a problem with her." "Really? It's a shame, I imagine how they must feel."

"The doctor told them that it was no longer worth it to continue trying, but a last-minute possibility appeared."

"Yes? And what is that possibility?"

"Rent a belly."

She understood where Bernard was going and got up quickly, sitting across from him on the bed with her legs crossed. The pajamas and her loose hair made her look sensual, even though she showed practically nothing of her slender body. Bernard gave her a quick scrutinizing look, she noticed and smiled slightly, but again focused on what she had just heard, and stopped smiling.

"Don't tell me that he proposed that I rent mine to him."

He nodded. She was silent for a few seconds.

"And what did you say to him?"

"That I would talk to you, as I'm doing now. He proposed to me to take care of everything: to control the pregnancy from beginning to end, to provide us with all the comforts, especially for you, he even proposed to buy us a house and a car. What do you think?"

She was silent again, meeting his eyes. He knew from the way she looked at him that she was weighing the proposal, but that perhaps the answer would be negative.

"Before you give an answer, let's consider the situation. Okay?"

But he didn't let her answer.

"First of all, we will have a home, which is something we have longed for since we got here. We would also have a car, in addition to the pay they would make us. He offered to take care of everything related to the pregnancy, so we would have no expenses in that regard."

"I don't know, dear. It's something very serious. What if I can't have their baby?"

"We've never analyzed the possibility of being parents; I imagine they will do tests to see if you can have babies. I confess that I'm thinking of accepting, but the final decision is yours, and you know that I will support you in whatever you decide. If you say no, no problem, and I know that Nathan won't take it the wrong way, although he would be a bit sad, it seems that he's a good person, or at least that impression he gave me today. I hope I'm not wrong." "Are you sure he will fulfill everything he promised? Having a house of our own is one of our biggest dreams, and if I only have to carry another's baby in my womb for nine months to have it, then I would be willing to do it." Bernard looked at her between happy and doubtful.

"Does that mean that you accept, then?"

"I was talking to Mrs. Hicks today and she seemed like a good person. In one of the conversations she told me that now that she and her husband have decided to become parents, things are getting difficult for them, and I noticed she was sad about it, so I didn't want to delve further into the subject so as not to make her feel worse. Perhaps accept more out of solidarity with her, than for what they offered."

"So? What's your answer?"

She smiled willingly, and he thought it was one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever given him in his entire life. He drew her close and kissed her long and passionately on the lips. She opened her mouth a little and they began to play with their tongues shyly, as they both liked. Feeling the temperature rise, he pulled away little by little, until he found himself in front of her again, his brown eyes fixed on her brown ones.

"Just so you're sure, I'll ask Nathan to put it all down in a contract, although I'm sure he's already thought about it. Tomorrow when I see him I'll give him the good news." "That seems very good to me."

She kissed him again, this time with a little more anxiety and, hugging him, forced him to lie down with her again, and then climb on top of him, and gradually take off her pajamas.