LITMIR.BIZ

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felt so wired, she thought she would explode. They were apparently going to march into the clinic and demand answers, if she understood Pete correctly. She poked Pete on the arm, and whispered, “Do you think we might be tipping our hand by going to the clinic first? Maybe we should have gone to the academy first.”

      “I think it’s one of those either/or things. Don’t you think someone at the academy would call the clinic if they’re involved? At this point, we are just assuming the sperm bank and clinic are tied together. We’ll know soon enough once we see their reaction to our demands.”

      “I guess that makes sense.”

      Sensing her indecision, Winston whined. Lily stroked his big head, and he calmed down immediately.

      “Boss, it says here the address you gave me is a sperm bank. Are you sure it’s the right address?”

      “I’m sure, Zolly,” Pete said cheerily.

      Lily turned away so Zolly couldn’t see her amused smile in the rearview mirror.

      Fifteen minutes later, when Zolly pulled the Suburban to the curb, the others falling directly behind, Zolly looked into the rearview mirror. “Ah…boss, is this one of those…?”

      “Uh-huh. Stay in the car, Zolly. There’s only one way out of this place, and you’re looking right at it. Give me Winston’s lead. I’m taking him with me.”

      “Oh, jeez, boss, I thought…never mind what I thought. Winston, huh?”

      Pete couldn’t resist tormenting his protector. “No, it’s not for Winston. I’m taking him for protection. I mean it, Zolly, stay in the car.”

      A moment later, Pete, Winston, and Lily were striding up the walkway to the entrance of the sperm bank.

      Lily did her best not to look to the left, where the entrance to the egg donor clinic was. It was déjà vu all over again. She swallowed hard and was right behind Pete and Winston when they walked through the door.

      This is a mistake. This is a mistake. This is a mistake.

      “Pete,” she hissed, as he was about to walk up to the receptionist. “If we do this, our lives are never going to be the same. You know that, right?”

      Pete turned around and pierced her with his level gaze. “Yes, Lily, I know that. I have to do this. I really do. You don’t. Right now you can turn around and walk out that door. Your call.” He waited, hardly daring to breathe, for her answer. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. At the same moment, Winston tried to wiggle his way between them.

      Lily looked up to see something change in Pete’s eyes. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew right then, at that very second, that he wanted to kiss her. And she wanted to kiss him.

      Winston, sensing the mood swing, slapped two big paws on the countertop. The sound was louder than a gunshot. A sharp woof, then an ominous growl drew the receptionist’s attention.

      No more waffling. Lily squeezed Pete’s hand so tight, her knuckles turned white as she stepped up to the plate and stood beside Pete when he spoke to the receptionist.

      Lily’s heart fluttered wildly when she heard what Pete was saying. “I’m Donor Number 8446, and this is Donor Number 1114,” he said, pointing to Lily, “and we have some questions for whoever owns this joint.”

      Chapter 6

      At the sight and sound of the massive dog, the office receptionist, a thick-around-the-middle woman trying to look nineteen, screeched, “Dogs are not permitted in this clinic. Remove that animal immediately.”

      Winston whined, his huge paws still on the countertop.

      “See, now you’ve hurt his feelings. I’d like to speak to the owner of this clinic,” Pete said nonchalantly.

      “So would hundreds of other people. We deal in confidentiality, sir. Take that dog outside immediately!”

      A door opened to the right of where Pete was standing. A young man emerged, a blank look on his face. Pete swung around and eyeballed him. Even though he kept his voice low, Lily and the receptionist could hear every word he said.

      “Kid, if I ever see you here again, I’ll kick your ass all the way to the Nevada border. Now, get your butt back in that room and retrieve your donation. NOW! Here,” he said, pulling three hundred-dollar bills out of his pocket. He jammed the crumpled bills into the pocket of the young man’s IZOD T-shirt.

      “Now see here. You cannot…”

      Winston took that moment to back up to the doorway. With a running start, he cleared the counter with ease, at which point he sat back on his haunches and watched the woman whose hands were fluttering wildly.

      Pete was back at the counter. “Winston, your manners are appalling. Shake hands with the lady. Now, as I was saying, we would like to speak to your superior. Or if that’s plural, we can handle that, too. Today is not a good day to try my patience.”

      “I can’t help you. There’s no one here but the staff. All communications are done via computer, fax, or phone. I don’t even know who owns this clinic.”

      The young man in the IZOD shirt, a panicked expression on his face, raced out the door and didn’t look back.

      “Now, see here, you cannot be interfering with our business. I’m going to call the police. Right now!”

      Pete shrugged. Winston growled.

      “I’m going to need a contact number. You won’t mind if I use your computer, will you? A yes would go a long way in keeping Winston happy.”

      “Obviously, I can’t stop you, but this will all go in my report to the police. This is highly irregular. We go through channels here. We do not deviate. That’s why we’ve been in business all these years.”

      “I totally understand,” Pete said as he opened the door to enter the receptionist’s lair, Lily right behind him. Within minutes he was in another world, clicking away at the speed of light. He spoke once. “Where are the old files? Where are they archived?”

      Winston growled, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

      “I don’t know. I swear to God I don’t know. I’m allergic to dogs and dander. I’m also afraid of dogs.”

      “You should work to overcome those fears,” Lily said. “I’d also consider another line of work if I were you.”

      The receptionist gaped at her. It was Lily’s turn to shrug as Winston offered up his paw. The woman ignored it. Winston growled. He offered up his other paw.

      Lily said, “I think if I were you, I’d shake his paw.”

      Tentatively, the woman touched the big dog’s paw, then withdrew her hand as though she’d just touched a snake. Winston barked happily.

      “What you’re doing here is illegal,” the woman said. Suspicion ringing in her voice, she addressed her next comment to Pete. “Don’t I know you?”

      Pete half-turned in his chair. “I doubt it. People say that about me all the time. Now, which one of these e-mail addresses is for the person you have the most contact with?”

      The receptionist pursed her lips. “I’m not telling you anything. Furthermore, I signed a confidentiality agreement when I was hired. I have no desire to be sued. I need this job and the benefits.”

      His face buried in the computer, Pete said, “Winston, take care of it.”

      Before the woman could gasp, Winston had her arm in his mouth and was leading her toward Pete. He gently released her arm when Pete said, “Thank you, Winston.” The big dog took up his position next to the receptionist.

      Pete swiveled around and locked his gaze on the woman, whose nameplate said she was Ina Jones. “Listen to me very carefully, Ms. Jones. I want my old donor

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