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I turn as there’s a knock at the door, and Albie sticks his head around. “You okay?” he asks. “You looked… upset.” Jack goes over to him as if to say Albie, Fitz is in one of his moods again!
I put my hands on my hips and glower at him. “I’ve just been talking to Poppy.”
He comes in and slides his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, she can be frustrating.”
“I’m not frustrated with her. I’m angry with Daniel-fucking-Maggot-head.”
His lips curve up. “Ah.”
I turn and throw my coveralls into the corner of the room. “I want to strangle him.”
“You’ll have to get in line, I’m afraid. Dad and I are in front.”
It must have been bad if both Albie and Charlie King are feeling physical toward him. “He hurt her,” I whisper. “Badly.”
“I know.”
“She won’t go out with me because of him.”
Albie sighs and studies his feet. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know how to persuade her that I’m not like him.”
“You’ll just have to give her time,” he says softly.
I blow out a long breath. “And I’d be happy to do that, except she’s just asked me…”
His eyebrows rise. “What?”
I look out of the window. I shouldn’t betray her confidence. But I honestly have nobody else to talk to about it. And if anyone has an idea of how to navigate the minefield that is Poppy’s mind, it’s her brother.
I look back at him. “She’s just asked me whether I would be a sperm donor for a baby.”
Albie stares at me. “What?”
“I know.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah.” I run a hand through my hair.
“Was she serious?”
“Oh yes. And the thing I’m worried about most is that if I say no, she’s going to go ahead and do it anyway. Go to a sperm bank or something.”
I’d half expected Albie to laugh, but he sits on the edge of the desk, looking pained. “She wants kids,” he says.
“Looks that way.”
“It’s because she turned thirty.”
“I’m guessing. And what happened with Daniel has convinced her she’s not going to have a successful relationship, so she’s got to do it this way.”
He studies me. “What did you say?”
“I walked out. I was frustrated and I didn’t want to say something I regretted.” I sigh. It was rude of me, and she deserves better. It must have taken her a lot of courage to ask me. “I’ll go back in a while and apologize.”
“Are you going to agree?”
I frown. “I don’t know. It’s a bit odd, fathering a child I’d then have no connection with. I don’t think she’d want me to be around for it. And she obviously doesn’t need child support.” As a King, Poppy is already very rich. “But if she’s serious…” I’m puzzled. I can’t work out my feelings on this. I feel flattered and resentful and angry and oddly hopeful, all rolled into one. “She offered to pay me,” I say, and roll my eyes.
Albie shrugs. “You’d get paid if you donated to a sperm bank.”
I stare at him. “Are you saying you agree with it?”
“I’m saying she wants a child, and you’re her friend, and ultimately it’s not a huge task for you to do something that will make her incredibly happy. I’m sure she didn’t mean to offend you by offering money. She probably thought it would make it feel more like a transaction, and that you’d be pleased.”
I hadn’t considered that. Maybe she’d be horrified to think she’d offended me. I tuck my shirt in my trousers, mumbling under my breath.
“You really like her, don’t you?” Albie says.
I scratch my cheek, my nails rasping on bristle. I need a shave. “I wish I could convince her to go out with me and do this the normal way.”
“If you can’t,” Albie says, getting up as his mobile rings, “you might just have to be inventive.” He winks at me, gives Jack a final pat, and walks out as he answers his phone.
I sit, put my feet up on the table, and lean back in my chair. Poppy has another couple of classes visiting now, so there’s no point me going over there for a while. It’ll give me time to think about it, at least.
