The Baby Plan. Liz Fielding

      ‘No. Were you expecting one?’

      ‘Yes … No …’ She caught Beth’s eye. ‘Well, maybe.’

      Daniel opened his desk drawer and the pale jade earring seemed to wink at him, encouraging him to pick up the phone and call the Garland Agency. Instead he reached for an envelope, wrote Mandy’s name on it. He’d drop it in their letterbox tonight. It was the sensible thing to do.

      ‘Okay. Tell me all about him.’

      ‘Who?’

      ‘The guy who hasn’t phoned.’

      ‘He’s no one you know.’ Beth just grinned and Amanda felt herself going rather warm. ‘I met him on Friday.’

      ‘And?’

      There was no point in beating about the bush. ‘I think he might be quite perfect.’

      ‘A perfect man? Darling, there’s no such animal.’

      ‘It depends what you want the animal for.’ And this time she did blush.

      It took a moment for the penny to drop, but when it did Beth grinned broadly. ‘Oh, I see. That’s why you weren’t bothered about the waiting list at the clinic. You’ve found your own personal sperm bank and you’re planning on making a withdrawal. What’s his name?’

      Well, it wasn’t a State secret. ‘Daniel Redford.’

      ‘Nice name.’ Beth straightened from her chair and crossed to the coffee pot. ‘Want some?’ she offered, picking up the pot.

      ‘No, thanks. I’m on a pre-pregnancy diet.’

      ‘Oh? Since when?’

      ‘Since I met Daniel Redford.’

      ‘I do like a woman who knows her mind.’ Beth poured herself a cup of coffee, added cream and sugar, then, cradling the steaming cup between her fingers, she leaned back against the table and regarded her boss thoughtfully. ‘Lust at first sight, was it?’ She didn’t wait for a reply. ‘Well, it has to be. I suppose he was at the seminar? Well, you don’t waste time, Amanda, I’ll give you that. Once you see something you want, you go for it.’ She sipped her coffee.

      ‘And how does Daniel Redford feel about being the father of your child?’

      ‘I haven’t asked him.’ She pulled absently on one of the long amber earrings she was wearing. ‘Maybe I’m just kidding myself.’ She’d hoped he would have called and left a message on the office answering machine over the weekend. She’d checked it half a dozen times. Maybe he’d changed his mind about … well, whatever it was he’d been about to say about tickets when Beth’s call had interrupted them.