Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“When will Peyton come in for the retrieval?”
“Within thirty-six hours after the trigger shot.”
I glance at my wife and smile. “Then our baby is made in a dish?” I say this mostly to her, but the nurse answers.
“Yes. In less clinical terms, we take the eggs and let the sperm have their fun.”
Peyton snorts. “I definitely like your version better.”
The nurse, who still hasn’t told us her name, laughs. “Sperm know what they’re supposed to do, so we let them have some fun. Now, for the shots.”
“Uh, if you can show me, that’d be great,” I tell her. “Peyton’s squeamish around needles.”
“No problem. Can you lift your shirt?”
I stand and give Peyton my best how you doin’ smirk as I lift my shirt. The nurse looks at my torso, then me, and huffs. “Yeah, this won’t work. Hold on. You can put your shirt down.” She stands, goes to the door, and hollers for someone named Ethel to come into the room.
Ethel does. She says hi and listens to our nurse.
“I’m going to demonstrate on Ethel,” she says.
“Turn away,” I tell Peyton as I lean forward and watch our nurse grab poor Ethel’s stomach. If it hurts, Ethel says nothing. Maybe she’s used to it.
“You try,” the nurse says. “You’re going to grab a chunk of skin here and slide this in.” I appreciate that she didn’t say needle.
“How far?”
She shows me on the needle where to stop.
“Okay. So, I’m going to rub the spot with an alcohol wipe and then . . .” I show her what I remember. “Will Peyton need a bandage?”
“Nah,” says Ethel. “You can dab the spot for a couple of seconds.”
I nod. “Got it. Her uncle is a physical trainer. If I don’t feel confident doing it, I’ll have him come over.”
“Or she can come back here.”
“Right, yes.”
The nurse has me practice a few more times on an orange and then tells Peyton she’s going to administer her first shot. She has Peyton stand, which I know isn’t going to go very well, so I stand with her.
“Put your hands on my shoulders and your face in my chest.”
My fingers grip the edge of her shirt and pull it up, watching the nurse’s every move. She catches my gaze and smiles.
“You’re one of the good ones, aren’t you?”
“She’s my wife,” I tell her. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.” I hate thinking there are shit men out there, not helping their wives with this stuff.
When the nurse touches Peyton’s skin, she tightens her hold on me. I lean toward her ear. “Do you know how excited I am to watch your belly expand with our baby?”
“No,” she says quietly.
“This morning when you were in the yoga room, I imagined you all plump, nurturing our son or daughter, giving them the best start to life. You’re going to be even more beautiful than you are now.”
“All done,” the nurse says.
Peyton looks up. “That was it?”
The nurse smiles. “You didn’t even flinch.”
Peyton looks at me. “Maybe we should talk to Xander because that was really easy.”
“Sounds good to me. If we head to his gym, I can get a workout in.”
We take our supplies and thank the nurse. On the way out, she taps me on the shoulder. “You really are cut from a different cloth,” she says.
I don’t take compliments well, not when it comes to people saying I’m a good husband. It’s not something I practice. “Like I said, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.”
“You should teach a class or something,” she says and walks away.
In the elevator, I pull Peyton into my side. “Am I different from other husbands?”
She shrugs. “I’ve only had you. I suppose I could test a few others out and get back to you.”
I tickle her side. “Absolutely not. Oh, and this reminds me. Do you have a freebie list?”
Peyton’s brow lifts. “Do you?”
“Do you know what a freebie list is?”
“Yes, we all made one in high school.”
“Really?” Now I’m worried. I mean, I get it. She dated others but what if Kyle Zimmerman is on it. Or someone I know? What if she put someone like Adam Levine or Lenny Kravitz on there? How am I supposed to compete with Kravitz?
She nods. The elevator door opens, we exit, and then walk right out through the open door. It’s overcast but warm out today.
“Who’s on your list?” I ask as I open the car door for her, and she gets in.
“You.”
“Ah, babe.” I kiss her. “Who else?”
“Just you, Noah.”
“What, really?”
Peyton nods and pulls the seatbelt over her lap and buckles it. “Yes. The idea of a freebie list is to put celebrities down. I think I was a senior when I did mine at some party or something. Anyway, you were going to be drafted, which meant you rated as a celebrity. I put you down.”