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Melinda
This is perfectly insane.
I got on the helicopter. Andrew opened the door, and I just climbed inside. With someone who was essentially a stranger I had met in an industrial park.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I used to be smart. I didn’t rush into things; I carefully considered situations before making decisions. My time at New England Digital Marketing had made me impulsive. My two weeks since being fired there had made me desperate.
What if my mom was right? What if I’m being sex trafficked?
A flurry of intrusive thoughts bombarded me. I could punch Andrew and demand that the pilot take me back. I could scream. I could call the police. I could throw open the door and jump to safety. Was there a parachute in here? Probably not. That was some action movie bullshit. My adrenaline-fueled imagination was running wild.
“Never been on a helicopter before?” Andrew asked cordially.
I turned away from the window. “Why?”
He smiled. “You seem… jumpy.”
“I’m fine,” I lied.
Andrew shrugged and looked at his phone.
I’d been in a helicopter before. During a family vacation to Hawaii five years ago, we booked a helicopter tour around the big island. I remembered that experience being extremely loud.
This helicopter wasn’t loud. It was quiet, like the inside of a luxury car. I could hear the soft hum of the engine, and a faint vibration in the seat, but that was it.
This Pierce Benning guy and his wife must be very wealthy. Or maybe they were making a show of their wealth to get me to agree to be their surrogate. The agency claimed that some couples waited years before finding the right surrogate. They might be desperate. The entire surrogacy process would cost forty or fifty grand, so what was a few extra thousand in order to seal the deal?
No, the helicopter probably wasn’t just for show. Andrew said he worked for Pierce Benning. A valet, with a hard T. That sounded like some rich people shit. Andrew seemed like a nice guy. He had a calming demeanor that made me relax. My immediate instinct was that I liked him.
Which made me even more suspicious.
Although I didn’t think that I was being kidnapped, I decided to text my mom. Just in case.
Me: Hey, FYI I’m meeting with the surrogate shortly. They sent a helicopter to pick me up. I’m sharing my location with you as a precaution. Don’t freak out, all right?
Mom: A helicopter? And you just got on it like a kid that was offered free candy?
Me: It’s a helicopter, Mom! Not a windowless van!
Mom: IT MIGHT AS WELL BE! Where are they taking you?
Me: I actually don’t know. I didn’t ask.
Mom: What if they take you to Canada? The US government won’t have jurisdiction! They can do whatever they want with you!
Me: I don’t think that’s how that works, Mom. I told you not to freak out. I’m only sharing my location with you just in case.
Mom: I’m calling the police. Your father plays poker with a detective in Pawtucket. I’m going to make sure he’s on the case.
Me: MOM, STOP.
Me: You’re overreacting.
Me: Everything is fine.
Me: Ok?
