The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 10: The Way the World Turns

Chapter 10: The Way the World Turns

It's not that Daryl never wants to see Beth again, in fact it's the exact opposite. He wants to see Beth, he just doesn't want to love her, cause hearing her harsh but happy words last night spoke loud and clear that she felt nothing for him. He knew this was going to happen. That she'd eventually get pregnant and leave him in the dust. He's just a donor and she was just two nights that he'll never be able to relive.

Packing up a bag, he goes to his door and drops it outside, just as Beth's about to go down and get the paper. Her eyes look sad at first but then change to curious.

"Where ya going?"

"Kentucky..."

"Oh." Why? That's what she wants to know. Out of no where he just decides to up an leave? Then again it's not like he's tied here or anything.

"Visiting Merle for a while. Want ta see his new place, maybe scope out my own." That crushes her even more and he can see it. He doesn't know why he said it, he just did. He couldn't move out of Georgia. He could never leave...not with her here, but that doesn't matter now does it.

"I'll...I'll keep an eye on yer place..." She says with sorrow just peeking through the her cracking voice.

"Thanks...I'll see ya later."

"Bye..." Watching him go down the stairs she feels her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. She hates goodbyes and she hates what they've become. Rushing down the stairs she just gets outside as he hops in a cab and it pulls away. Now she'll never be able to tell him...and even if she did, he'd never feel the way she does.

Back upstairs she looks through the news paper and notices an add in the paper.

"Looking for the woman who sings Julie. if you have information, call 890-437-2955 or send her to our office at 913 Bleeker Street Altanta, Georgia."

Standing up she shrugs off her shitty morning and pulls on some nicer clothes. Getting in a taxi she goes to the address from the ad, just trying to forget about Daryl.

The whole way to the airport. Daryl's stomach aches. Why did he leave like that? Why does he have to be such an asshole to her when she doesn't deserve it. She deserves breakfast in bed and sweet kisses through out the day. As he walks through the terminal to the his flight, his mind just goes over Beth. It hits him. She's pregnant, like full on pregnant. Going to have a baby, his baby...but he gave up those rights. He doesn't get to say it's his son or daughter, or call Beth his. He goes sick for a few minutes at the thought of her delivering the baby alone. How could he do that? Yeah, he hates kids, but he loves Beth...loves? Of course loves, what else would it be? She's his everything and stupid him just left Beth back in Atlanta, pregnant, alone, and hurt. He saw her eyes. Heard her sadness in her voice. Saw the droop in her posture. He hurt her and she'll probably never forget that.

"May I help you?" A female receptionist with ebony skin looks at Beth with beaming eyes.

"I'm Beth Greene, I saw the ad in the paper about the woman who sings Julie..."

"Yes. Do you know who she is?"

"Yes...I'm her."

"Good! Let's take you back to meet Phillip." Taking Beth back to an office with big black doors, she offers Beth water, fruit, anything she could think of and finally Beth accepts a small bottle of apple juice.

"Hello, I'm Phillip Harris...who might you be?" A tall guy with brown hair and grey eyes sticks his hand out an Beth shyly takes it.

"I'm Beth Greene...I sing Julie."

"Perfect! Please have a seat on a couch, make yerself at home." Beth sits and Phillip sits in an arm chair across from her. "So, yer the woman everyone is raving over. you know, no ones got so much publicity like you have since the Beetles' did their first tour."

"I...I didn't know that." Beth cowers in her seat almost embarrassed.

"Well it's certainly nothing to be shy over. Yer t-shirts are cute, the song, perfect. we heard yer other songs and find them just...so original and perfect or our listeners. Why we put the ad out was not only to meet you, but see if you'd like to take on one of our agents and put and EP out into the world. People love you, and those tiny bars yer singing in, isn't holding the fan base you've created." He pauses and takes a drink of his lemon water and Beth is just shocked that she has fans. "So we want ta help you out personally, cause we believe you've got something. Are you away someone recorded yer whole show and put it up on YouTube and other social sites? Guess how many views you have after two weeks?"

"Umm...100?"

"Try 7,925,945. That's amazing. That's more than Piano Cat and Slow Loris eating a Rice Ball. People wanna hear yer music and wanna see that gorgeous face. Yer the face of innocent love. And people recognize that. So, what do you say? Mine EP and a small tour around Georgia before we push yer music farther out into the world and get the results we're looking for."

"Ummm, well..."

"I know, it's a lot to take in. Let me jut get yer email, I'll send you the information-if yer interested we can set up a date to record and she duke torus get more t-shirts made and if yer not, you can just shoot me back an email and we'll look passed this...but keep in mind this is a big window of opportunity."

Standing up, he goes and gets her his card and hands it to her. As she leaves the office her heart races and he can't believe this is happening.

"Nice ta see ya made it out..." Merle claps Daryl on the back and Daryl just smiles smally as Merle opens the door to his house wide so he can come in. "How's it going baby Brudder?"

"Good...I guess."

"What's eatin' you?"

Setting his stuff by the stairway, Daryl takes in the whole house. It's evident Carol decorated because Merle is never this classy am never this organized.

"Just have a lot on my mind..."

"Don't be a pussy and speak up. Ain't got the house to ourselves all day."Merle hands him a beer and they sit in his den down stairs to talk. "How's yer lady neighbor? The hot one with a kind voice but pistol comebacks."

"Beth? She's...well she's good. Pregnant."

"Girl get around? Thought she was the bible kind who was into long term dating and romance." Daryl cracks his beer open and takes a draw from the brown bottle.

"She is the long term romance bullshitter...she just had a plan to get pregnant before 30."

"Why?"

"I don't know, but ya know, she is now..."

"So did she pick out a donor that's blonde blue eyes and rich?"

"No she picked out a blue eyes brown haired redneck who should learn to say no." Merle spits some of his beer out and Daryl just shakes his head.

"Daryl...you got her pregnant! I'm a lil shocked. What about yer rule of never fuck women you love near nor friend. Single happy life, never take a friend to wife. That's yer motto, brudder...you broke it."

"I didn't break it. We have an agreement that I'm not attached nor responsible in anyway for the kid or her." He lays back into the couch and Merle looks at him.

"But let me guess you love her now don't you?"

"I...I don't know..."

"You do and now yer in a pickle cause she doesn't need not want ya and you want them both."

"Shut up..."

"Daryl, let me tell ya a secret. When you know a woman for as long as you know Beth, yer already married. Yer already attached. And to try and deny it is like trying to make the world turn backwards. Falling in love is just the way of the world....yer just gonna have to accept that."