Baby Be Mine(Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1)(50)

“Right,” Clarice said, taking a deep breath before revisiting the subject of sperm, babies, the faults of artificial insemination, and her bad date. “He’s perfect, guys. The textbook genetic makeup for my baby.”

“Is this bro someone else?” Max asked.

“Indeed, Max, indeed.” Clarice smiled, clasping her hands together, so happy with the prospects panning out before her eyes. Soon she would have her baby. She must start thinking about clothing, putting money aside for education, and how to tell her family. So much to do and so little time.

“What’s he like?” Max asked, his curiosity piqued about the kind of man that would thus capture his cousin’s attention. Clarice wasn’t ugly so he couldn’t understand why no guy would fall for her. Perhaps she was just a little na?ve; that was all. When people looked at her, she assumed they were looking at the girl walking next to her. When men said she looked beautiful, she assumed it was the clothes she wore, not her true self. Low self-esteem, that’s what his cousin’s problem was. All that bullying when she was younger really had an impact on her ability to view herself positively these days.

“Are you telling me you only want his sperm and not him?” Whitney asked.

“You are so right, Whitney. So smart. That’s why you’re the president of E Magazine at such a young age.”

“Would you stop saying that already? I got the position six months ago. It’s old news now anyway,” Whitney said, embarrassed.

She hated when her friends mentioned anything about her workplace. She didn’t want her personal life mixed up with her professional life, especially portraying two personas. It was already hard enough to distinguish which role was which. Tilting her coke-bottle lenses back up on her nose, she glared at Clarice.

“Still, out of all of us, you’re the smart one,” Clarice said, smiling at Whitney.

“You’re the intelligent one. I could never get into dentistry and become a periodontist like you,” Elise said.

“And you’re the pretty one, Elise,” Max said, smiling and wrapping his arm around her again. “Now, can we get back to the present subject? I want to know who this bro is. And if he’s as smart and hot as me.”

“Handsome, smart, kind, gentle, sincere. Everything like you, Max. And everything I’ve listed, guys. And to top it all off—you guys won’t believe this—he’s the CEO of Silverton Hotel.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me, Clarice.” Max slammed his palms on the tabletop again. “How did you bump into that god?”

Max did a lot of internet blog reading, and in New Zealand and Australia right now, the top business in the blue chip industry was Silverton Enterprises, which also owned and operated Silverton Hotel. Whoever was behind that corporate structure, he admired.

“The god is in fact his uncle. He’s the nephew,” Clarice explained.

“What’s his name? I could do a little detective work for you,” Max suggested.

“Anton,” Clarice said.

“Anton,” Whitney and Elise both parroted.

Max typed Anton’s name into his phone while sipping the last of his orange juice. Glancing up from the glass, he eyed his cousin, using his big puppy dog eyes.

“Clarice, cuz, be a dear and give me another ten bucks for some juice.”

“You just had one,” Clarice said, eyeing Max’s now emptied glass.

“I know, but I like it. I want to drink another one. This time apple,” Max pleaded.

“You know drinking too much juice isn’t good for your teeth. Didn’t I tell you this already?” Clarice argued.