Chapter 4: Just Try It

EILEEN POV:

Leigh walked around the chest and retrieved her purse. She handed me two five-hundred-dollar bills. “There are three bags in there, right?” she asked as I traded it for the money.

“Actually, I put in six because… my daughter is weaning and I don’t know what to do with all that supply anyway.”

Leigh pressed her hand to her heart. “That is so sweet of you…” She bit her lip. “I’m so sorry, but I need to ask you something extremely inappropriate now.”

There it was. Here came the part where the camera people leaped out and told me I was being pranked for a shitty YouTube video, or that it was all some bizarre sex game.

I braced myself.

“Is there any chance that you have HIV, hepatitis, or any other medical conditions that I need to know about? Are you vaccinated? I… I am terribly sorry for asking, but… but it’s for my brother’s baby, and he is so sick and weak. I can’t afford any risks.”

I smiled reassuringly. I could tell from the way she spoke that she loved the baby. “I completely understand. And no, I don’t have any diseases or illnesses,” I assured. I took out my phone and pressed a button. “This is my doctor. You can ask him anything.”

I wanted her to have peace of mind. Moreover, it was always safer to get the doctor’s advice when it came to the health of the children.

I handed over the phone, and my doctor’s office answered. “Hello, I’m here with a Miss… uh…”

“Eileen Sharp,” I whispered.

“Eileen Sharp,” Leigh repeated. “She applied for a position that requires a background check. I wanted to verify that she has no communicable diseases including—” she rattled off what she was concerned about. “Yes, I understand that it is confidential. But she is here and has given permission.”

I took the phone back and gave my full name and address along with all my identification. I was ready to spill my deepest darkest secrets for the authentication to go smoother. Eventually, the nurse confirmed that I was safe.

“Do you mind waiting here a few minutes? If this works, perhaps we can make arrangement for more,” Leigh said hopefully.

“Sure,” I muttered as I watched her turn and walk away with the bag. I took the moment to pull out my phone and text Lucy.

[I’m alive. Everything is alright.]

Any longer and the cops would be banging on the door. I really didn’t want them to show up.

I hadn’t stood there long before I heard an infant wailing. Just the sound was enough to make my milk supply start. I thanked god that I was wearing a nursing pad underneath, or the raging milk stain would have been embarrassing and difficult to explain.

The crying grew louder as the seconds ticked by, and I knew the baby was being carried my way.

“Leigh?” A male voice called from the same direction. “He couldn’t keep the organic formula down again. I think it’s time to give up and take him to the hospital… Leigh?”

I heard the pain and desperation in his voice. It broke my heart.

I turned around to find the familiar man standing in the doorway. I had seen him on the cover of financial magazines and news articles.

“Dominic Presley?” I gasped.

He was one of the youngest billionaires alive. He was an attractive man to begin with, but after he started dating his actress girlfriend, he was photographed so often that he was considered somewhat of a celebrity himself.

Was I in Dominic Presley’s house?

My head was spinning.

“And you are?” he asked over the crying of the baby. He held the baby closer, and I realized he had mistaken me for an intruder. Surely, someone of his stature would have a lot of stalkers if not enemies lurking around.

“Eileen…” I confessed, but then I remembered my name did nothing to explain why I was standing in the middle of his house. “Um… Leigh asked me to come?”

His shoulders relaxed slightly, but he remained cautious. He hadn’t shaved in a couple of days thought it made him look sexier. “Have you seen Leigh? She was going to help me with my son.”

His son?

Oh, right, I had read in the tabloids about Camille being pregnant. She had given birth already.

And then it hit me. My milk was for his baby!

Before I could respond, Leigh rushed into the room.

“Try this.” She handed him the bottle.

“Is this the organic formula? I just tried it, and he threw up within five minutes. I think it’s time to admit Harry and put him on an IV.”

“I support your decision. But could you please try this once?” she pleaded. He raised a brow. “It’s breast milk,” she answered his unasked question.

Dominic took the bottle from her hand and inspected it. Lord knew why his scrutiny made me blush.

“Is it safe?” he questioned bluntly.

“The doctor recommended it, so it’s safe. And before you ask me, yes, the mother is healthy.”

His confusion grew. Where the hell did you get breast milk?” he asked over the constant crying of the baby.

“Me,” I cut in, causing him to jerk his head back in my direction. He had completely forgotten I was still in the room.

“Dominic, please… Just try it,” Leigh urged.

Dominic stared at his son thoughtfully before taking a decisive breath. “Fine. If this doesn’t work, I’m taking Harry to the hospital.”

I kept watch as Dominic lowered the bottle to the baby’s mouth. The little man must have been hungry because he latched on immediately and sucked greedily.

He gulped it down too quickly, but I didn’t dare open my mouth to say anything. The bottle held two ounces. The first ounce vanished within two minutes, and Harry still sucked vigorously until the second ounce disappeared as well.

“I’ll go warm more,” Leigh said, rushing from the room.

Dominic remained silent for a moment before he looked up at me. His eyes were the same shade as Leigh’s. He looked troubled as he spoke.

“You know what’s sad? He is so sick that he is always starving. But the moment the milk fills his stomach it comes right back up.” His confession to a stranger proved how helpless he felt.

My heart broke for Dominic and his son.

“He can rarely eat an ounce, usually. I suppose, he’s really hungry.” He didn’t want to place too much hope in the breast milk.

Harry finished the bottle and started fussing. “He drank it all!” Dominic exclaimed. He smiled brightly at me, making me fidget.