“I’m sorry you were sick, sir, but there’s nothing I can do to help you. Again, please leave.” She looked past him. “Step out of the way. I have to wait on the next person.”
He looked around and was embarrassed to see that someone was, in fact, behind him. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
He stepped away from the desk. “Take a number, and I will be with you shortly,” she said to the two men that stood behind him.
He rolled his eyes and left the building. He wasn’t any closer to getting what he wanted than he was twenty-four hours earlier, but Aiden wasn’t about to give up.
The next day, he walked back into the clinic and up to the same woman. It was as if no time had passed. Did she ever go home? She was in the same position, just typing away.
“Take a number, and I’ll be with you shortly,” she said.
“Listen, I know you have rules and you can’t break them for just anybody, but I’m pleading with you to make an exception.”
She looked up and glared in Aiden’s direction. “Do I need to call my supervisor?”
“If it’s the only way I’m going to get what I’m asking for, then maybe you do,” Aiden replied.
She shook her head. “He’s not going to budge, but if that’s what you want,” she said.
Aiden waited as she made a call on her phone. He just knew if he could get in touch with the right person, eventually, someone would see that it wouldn’t hurt to give him some information.
She hung up the phone and huffed. “He’ll be with you shortly, but just know that I warned you. He’s even more strict than I am.”
“I’m fully warned. Thank you!” Aiden stepped back from the desk, even though there were no other people waiting this time. He didn’t have to wait long, as the back door opened and out walked a man. The minute Aiden made eye contact with him, he recognized the man from six years ago. What was his name? Toby. It might not be as difficult as he suspected. Seeing as the man’s eyes widened when their glances connected, he seemed to have recognized Aiden.
“What is it Mal?” he asked.
She pointed to Aiden. “He wants to break protocol and get access to the information of who received his sperm. I told him that it’s not going to happen, but he’s a persistent one.”
He nodded. “I’ll take care of it,” he said. He then approached Aiden. “I understand that you have some questions about the couple that used your sperm?” the man asked.
Aiden smiled, hoping to get the same reaction he got from him six years ago, but there was nothing. “Six years ago, I donated my sperm because I needed money. I wound up getting cancer and was told I might not be able to have any children. It made me start thinking about the child who could be out there and a part of me.”
Toby listened and then finally nodded. “You see, it’s like this. Once you signed off, you agreed to not have any communication with the individual or individuals that used your donation. That includes the child or children which the donation helped to produce,” he said. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that can be done.”
The man didn’t even flirt with him once. Apparently timedidchange people.
“Look… I know that you have rules and regulations here, but I’m merely trying to see if there’s any way I can get to know the only child I may ever have helped to create. I won’t cause any problems for the family. I promise.”
He saw the man’s facial features soften. Toby looked around, specifically glancing toward the woman behind the desk, then turned back to Aiden. “I can’t do anything about that, but should you want to speak with me about something else… perhaps in my office… then I would be willing to listen.” He seemed to motion towards the door with his head as if he were signaling for Aiden to take the cue.
Aiden nodded. “Please.”
“Then follow me,” Toby said.
He turned around and led the way to the door that he’d come out of. Once they went through, he walked down a hallway and then to a back office where he waited for Aiden to enter. He closed the door behind them and went around to sit behind his desk while Aiden grabbed the seat in front of him.
“Do you not recognize me?” Aiden asked. “You were the man that waited on me. I would never forget that.”
The man met his gaze, then leaned back in his chair. “I recognize you. In fact, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“A debt of gratitude?” Aiden raised a brow. That was unexpected.
The man sat up in his chair and leaned forward. “Securing the donation of an alpha who would be in such high demand brought my name up when promotion time came around.” His lips curved up. “So yeah, thank you!”
Aiden chuckled. “I guess I’ll say you’re welcome. Now I’m wondering why you invited me back here. If it was to turn me down again, it wasn’t necessary.”
The man shrugged. “Well, I needed Mallory to think that I wasn’t buying into what you were selling, but your story”—he put his hand on his chest—“is a compelling one.” Then he did that thing where he seemed to undress Aiden with his eyes. “And I have to admit you haven’t changed even a little bit.”
