Friend's Husband Ch. 02

"What for?" Dorothy asked, thinking her friend had to go.

"My period, I'm late."

"Oh, that. I'm often late and sometimes early. What have you been up to naughty girl?" Dorothy teased. Remembering the fantasy she was about to tease her when Elizabeth exploded with whoosh of words.

"Nothing! Not since, you know, that weekend."

"Well it's too early to tell and it can't be Tom, we've given up trying." Dorothy laughed nervously with a tinge of regret thrown in.

"Is it you or him Dotty? Sorry to ask, but I'm worried."

"I'm fertile but his count is low so stop worrying." Dorothy sighed on remembering the anguish when first married. They had soon got over it but being reminded wasn't easy on her.

"OK! I'm just anxious I guess." Elizabeth sighed.

They continued to catch up on gossip about friends, helping them forget about the naughty weekend reassuring each other it was alright. That evening Dorothy was more than ever in the mood for her husband's advances. 'If only,' she thought.

A couple of weeks later Elizabeth phoned as promised just to keep in contact. Dorothy caught on to the edge in her voice and wondered what the trouble was.

Eventually she blurted out, "I'm pregnant Dotty." The line was silent for a moment with just the buzz of electricity louder than their thoughts. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes!" Dorothy breathed out the word in a long sigh. "What are you going to do about it?" she asked eventually.

"I don't know. It's still a shock. I'm sorry Dotty. What should I do, you're the sensible one."

"Don't do anything rash. How do you know, have you had tests?" Dorothy asked.

"Yes, it's confirmed," Elizabeth sobbed.

"Hey! Cheer up it's marvelous, a wonderful thing." Dorothy tried to sound cheery.

"What about my career! I'm not marred so this will go down like a brick in the office. I'll be showing soon. What am I going to do? I feel stupid being caught at this age, I should have known better." Elizabeth wailed.

"We can't talk on the phone you had better come over and discuss it. Tom will have to be involved too." Dorothy insisted. A thought struggled through her mind of having a child, even Elizabeth's child to care for. It was a thrilling half formed idea. In the state Elizabeth was in she might get rid of it and their only hope of having a family.

Elizabeth didn't fly over as Dorothy hoped but took the advice and held fast on making plans. They talked on the phone over the weeks and eventually came to an arrangement between them.

***

Three months had passed since the naughty weekend when Elizabeth arrived at the airport. "Hi, Tom." Elizabeth nervously greeted him with a not too obvious pregnant tummy.

"Hi! You look radiant," he said, while hugging her gently.

"Well you seem to be taking this all so very well," Elizabeth said with an accusing tone.

"I think it's great. I've no problem with it, so, neither should you," he chided. He ran a hand over her tummy. "How is everything?"

She was about to tell him to leave her body alone then realized it was his lump. The impact hit her hard. Alone at home it had been easy to forget he had something to do with it. This bump, this trouble, was partly his. 'How stupid to get into this situation,' she angrily thought, yet again.

"You OK?" he asked.

"Yea sure," she answered with sarcasm. "How's Dorothy?"

"She's fine, well, you'll see for yourself."

Elizabeth was too preoccupied to pick up on the vague reply. They drove on in silence. Elizabeth had a grim look upon her face and Tom a silly grin on his. More than once she cursed men for having such an easy life.

They walked into the lounge with Tom shouting a usual greeting to his wife.

Dorothy wiped her hands on a towel and joined them from the kitchen. "You look great," she enthused while wrapping her arms around her friend.

"Hey! What the hell!" Elizabeth yelped. She stood back holding onto Dorothy's arms. "No!" she gasped.

"Yes!" Dorothy grinned, while nodding her head up and down in silly exaggerated movements.

Elizabeth had felt more than her own pregnant bump pressing between them.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Elizabeth shot back at her friend.

The accusation of deceit was ignored as both Dorothy and Tom grinned at her. "I'm three months gone! Isn't it wonderful!" she declared. She was massaging her tummy with one hand and with the other held on to Tom.

"How in hell's name did this happen?" Elizabeth moaned. They looked so pleased with themselves she couldn't bring herself to shout at them.

"You know how it happened," Dorothy beamed. "You must have excited him into producing all those wonderful active sperm. Thank you Lizzy!" she beamed.

"What about me?" Elizabeth cried. A terrible thought dawned upon her that they wouldn't want the child now they had their own.

"You can stay here with us as arranged. Nothings changed. We can be one big happy family." Dorothy said. She beamed brightly looking ever more like the earth mother she had always wanted to be.

"and, getting bigger all the time." Tom said, still grinning inanely.

"I need a drink!" Elizabeth declared.

"No drinking, mother to be." Dorothy scolded her.

"I know, I know," she whispered.

***

Next morning the two friends settled into the kitchen with Elizabeth admiring the swift movements that brought coffee and a full breakfast before her. "Maybe this might work," she conceded.

"I've had an appetite for other things too, how about you?" Dorothy asked.

"I guess we'll be sharing damn notes for the next six months. Recently, yes, I must admit." Elizabeth said, between mouthfuls of toast and beans.

"I've been thinking about the arrangements. The spare room has a queen sized bed so it won't be a problem. It's which nights you want, I mean, we should have set nights otherwise it might become awkward." Dorothy suggested nervously.

"What?" Elizabeth said, not really listening.

"With Tom I mean. We should decide which nights he spends with us."

Elizabeth choked on a piece of bacon. "Am I hearing you right? Damn! Lizzy! When did you become so liberated?"

"He's the father of your child. Perhaps you might want some comforting? It would be nice to have the father of your child cuddle you, or what ever, maybe. Just a suggestion," Dorothy said, tailing off into a murmur.

"In bed, spending the night with your husband?" Elizabeth stopped short on feeling the familiar squishy feeling between the legs. She had thought of that naughty weekend many times since and fantasized over it. Though it had turned into a nightmare on realizing she was pregnant. Recently she had to admit her body was becoming charged with sexual longings.

"The father of my child." Elizabeth mused. She rolled the thought around her mind liking the feeling of it.

"The father of our children." Dorothy corrected her.