The Lending Lover

The tavern doors swung open, briefly disturbing the dim solace of Flannery's Pub. I squinted at the approaching silhouette. Allison soon took a seat beside me.

"You're late. I had to drink both our beers," I joked.

Allison laughed. "Sorry, I got tied up with an interesting couple today... Anyway, what are you having?"

I gestured to the bartender to bring us both another round of my last selection. Allison and I chatted for a bit, catching up on what we'd both done in the past week or two since we last saw each other. We had been friends since high school. She was a fertility coach, helping couples through the baby-making process who needed advice or assistance navigating obstacles they faced in the process. I was a service technician for a large food equipment company. Needless to say, she had better stories about work than I did.

"So what was interesting about this couple?" I asked, eventually returning to her initial comment. Admittedly, I looked forward to any commentary on her experiences, which occasionally erred on the explicit side.

"Oh, well, you know how it goes; couple wants a baby, one of them faces infertility issues- this time the guy. They've been mulling over the options. There's just one little wrinkle with this one..."

"What's that?"

"Um..." Allison started, clearly unsure how to explain the situation. "So this woman wants to do everything naturally, which is great, but she's a little unusual in that she's hell bent on extending that to conception as well."

"Meaning, what?" I asked.

"Meaning... she wants to find a surrogate. Not as a sperm donor the traditional way, mind you. She wants to cultivate a relationship with a guy... uh... to impregnate her the natural way." Allison looked at me, half-amused, waiting to gauge my reaction.

I almost spit out my beer with a laugh. "What?!" I asked. "Does that happen?"

"It's not like I haven't heard of it, but it's the first time I've ever encountered it myself," she chuckled.

"But wait... what about her husband. He's okay with this?"

"He seems like he's sorta understanding? But who really knows..."

"Huh... I don't even know how to respond to that." Allison giggled. "So who's the lucky guy who gets all the free sex?"

"Oh! Well first of all, it's not just free sex. They're paying him thousands of dollars for this."

"Wait, what? I know a million guys that would have done it for free."

"I know! But that's how it goes. There's apparently an expected rate for this, per lovemaking session. It's a little bit on the down-low, but with a contract and all." I stared blankly at her. "Anyway... there hasn't been an offer yet. I have to find the guy first, so they can screen him."

"Hmm..." I said, thoughtfully.

Allison snorted. "You're not considering it, are you? Please don't tell me you are."

"... Maybe. I could use the money..."

Allison burst out laughing. "Oh man, why did I have to tell you this..."

I chuckled. "Why do you care? So what if I did it?"

"Because it's so weird! I'd never have pegged you as someone to do that. You'd have sex with a woman you just met and get her pregnant for money?"

"I mean... yeah?" We both continued to laugh. Secretly I found the idea highly arousing, but I could tell how embarrassed Allison was getting by how red her face had turned.

"I think this is just the beer talking," she finally concluded.

"Maybe so, but why don't you tell them about me, and we can all sort it out properly together when sober."

I half expected Allison to ignore my request, but as it turned out she did contact them, told the couple all about me, and ended up piquing their interest. A few days later, Allison called me to sheepishly facilitate a meeting in which we'd discuss the matter face-to-face. She didn't seem thrilled to get me involved. In the meantime, I would have to take a series of tests to prove I was healthy and fit for the task.

What was done, was done, but I didn't quite know what I was in for.

***

The following weekend I was to drive to the next town over to meet the couple and Allison, and make sense of all this. I had no idea how this would all work. I simply went there, dressed to impress, with no real expectations. The couple lived on a quiet, tree-lined residential street. Picket fences, perfect lawns, kids on bicycles; the whole nine yards. I pulled into the driveway behind Allison's car, then got out and nervously approached the door.

I knocked and there was no answer. I knocked again. Suddenly the door opened and a young woman appeared. I was taken aback. She was absolutely beautiful: long brown hair, with subtle curls, big bright eyes, and a beautiful smile with pouty, pink lips. She had a sleek, sexy body, and was wearing a pair of tight jeans that showed off her beautiful, round ass. Our eyes met, and for a moment I felt as if we were both realizing that maybe, just maybe, if all goes well, she and I were inexplicably going to have sex together. The chemistry was undeniably there.

"You must be Nick!" she said, cheerfully.

"Y-yes, sorry- hi, nice to meet you!" I replied, awkwardly extending my hand. She smiled and shook it, then stepped to the side.

"Likewise. I'm Kate. Come in!" I felt her eyes all over me; analyzing.

I stepped inside, finding their home to be modest and welcoming. She directed me toward the living room, where I spotted Allison sitting on the sofa. She saw me and smirked. A man strolled up to me, wearing faded jeans and a flannel shirt.

"Hey. Jeremy," he said, introducing himself simply, and extending his hand. We shook.

"Nick," I said. He studied me carefully. I felt weird, being assessed by this man who's approval I needed to fuck his wife. The whole situation felt exceedingly awkward.

"So! Can I get you a lemonade?" asked Kate.

I saw that Allison had one, so I said, "Sure." She was back in a few minutes with my drink, then invited me to sit down. I exchanged nervous glances with Allison, until Kate began to address the matter at hand.

"Anyway, I know this must be a little weird, right?" she said, smiling at me.

"That had occurred to me, yes," I replied.

Kate giggled. "Well, sorry about that. I should explain. Basically, Jeremy and I want to have a baby, but he's... um... facing some problems in that department and we need to look for alternatives." Jeremy shifted nervously in his seat, and then glanced over at me. "But it's important to me that any child that I have be conceived, born, and raised naturally. Maybe that's just due to the way I was brought up myself. I don't want to have this done in a lab somewhere, you know?"

I nodded.

"Anyway, um... we need to find someone who's understanding and sensitive to what we're up against, and can be, you know, quiet about the whole thing..."

"Right, I understand," I added. I could tell Kate was also a little anxious about this whole situation, despite her cheerful nature, and that made me feel a little relieved.

"Great. Also... it's important to me that it not be, like, some stranger that just shows up to... well, you know. I'd like to at least get to know the person we choose a little bit." She glanced over nervously at her husband, then back at me. "I just feel like... if I can't make a baby out of an act of love... I'd like it to feel at least as close to that as possible. Like, through a good friendship, or something."

For a moment, Kate and I just gazed at each other. I knew I was instantly attracted to her, and it sure felt like the feeling was mutual. I couldn't imagine what her husband must have felt in that moment, seeing us interact like this, essentially asking for him to approve what felt like an affair. My heart started racing as she looked at me, expectantly.

"Um... sure, I can totally understand that," I said, trying to break the awkward silence. "I'd probably feel the same way." Kate beamed at me.

Allison chimed in, understanding that things had gotten a little awkward. "Why don't we discuss some of the practical matters, and then you and Jeremy can take as long as you need to discuss, before getting back to me and Nick with a decision."

"Sure, that sounds great," said Kate.

Allison and Kate proceeded to discuss the legal matters, how payment would work, and other details. All of this went fine, especially listening to how I'd be paid handsomely. However, when it came time to discuss how the scheduling of my "sessions" with Kate would work, it quickly became awkward again.

"You and Kate would have to engage in a lovemaking session about every other day, while I track her ovulation schedule," Allison had said. "You'll be using the techniques that I draw up for you, which is nothing usual. For example, we'll want you to use certain positions to enhance the likelihood that pregnancy will occur."

That was the first direct mention of sex. I started to tremble slightly, sitting next to Kate. She kept looking over at me, getting a sense of how I was absorbing this information. This was nothing like I had imagined. In my fantasy, I just showed up from time to time to fuck a cute woman however I liked. This was strict, disciplined, and thoughtfully planned out. I wasn't yet sure how it would go.

Still, as I took my own secret peeks at Kate, I began to wonder if she felt excited about this. I wondered what her body looked like; if it was as impossibly arousing as I already thought it was. I wondered if she was looking forward to seeing another man's penis, beside her husband's, and feeling it inside her. I began to throb in my pants just thinking about the two of us, two complete strangers, embracing each other naked in their bed, and then making love together.

For a moment I had stopped listening, absorbed in these thoughts. I quickly snapped out of it when I heard Kate say, "And you have no problem if Jeremy is there, right?"

I nearly choked.

"Oh, sure, y-yeah, no problem," I stammered. Did she mean that her husband would be in the room while we made love? Would he be watching us? Was this really happening?

Jeremy smirked at me. "Yeah, you know, just to make sure things remain kosher," he said.

"Right, sure, totally," I said, pretending that I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Great!" said Kate.

Soon all the practical matters had been discussed, and we decided to leave it there to let Kate and Jeremy discuss it on their own. They offered Allison and I lunch. We couldn't say no, as they had already bought plenty of supplies for a backward cookout. Jeremy got the grill going, and Allison helped Kate in the kitchen.

I offered to help Jeremy, but he said he was all set. After a few moments of awkward silence I finally addressed the real topic on my mind, head on.

"Sorry, uh, for putting you in an uncomfortable position here. With this whole scenario, I mean," I said, slowly stumbling through my statement.

Jeremy smiled, but didn't look up from what he was doing. "No problem. You didn't put me there. I put myself there." He let out a small chuckle that put me more at ease. "But it's okay. This is important to her. To both of us."

"All right," is all I could think to say.

"I'm just going to take a step back and go with the flow," he continued, before finally looking up at me. "Just do what you need to do to make a baby happen, and it'll all be good."

I felt at least a little better knowing that Jeremy wasn't going to punch my lights out the moment I climbed into bed with his wife, and that he was fully conscious of what he was asking me to do. Or what Kate was asking for, anyway. I gave myself permission to forge ahead, without spending so much time worrying about his presence in the matter.

For the next couple of hours, I noticed that Kate wasted no opportunity to chat with me so we could get to know each other better. I felt as if I was on a date, as we excitedly shared childhood stories, discovered mutual interests, and joked around over beers. Jeremy remained a little standoffish, but seemed to be a decent guy. I learned that he ran a small landscaping business. Kate was a teacher and taught a 5th grade class in town. They had been married a couple of years.

All the while I gazed at her, thinking about how lovely she was, how spirited and happy she seemed, how much I wished I had met her first. When it was time to go, Kate seemed sad to see me leave. Jeremy finally waved Allison and I off and we headed out to our cars while Kate watched from the doorway. I had the distinct sense I was going to be approved by Kate, and this sent a rush through my body.

"Wow, okay. That was interesting," Allison whispered to me as we headed down the driveway.

"Yeah, it sure was," I said, still thinking about Kate.

"How did you feel about it? Are you still keen on the idea?"

"It's not as I imagined it," I said, chuckling, "but sure."

Allison smirked. "Okay. Well then let's talk as soon as I hear back from them."

We got into our cars and drove off.

***

I didn't hear anything at all for a couple days, and then finally my phone rang. It was Allison.

"Hey, what's up? Did you hear back from Kate and Jeremy?" I asked, anxiously.

"Yeah. So it looks like we're on."

"Okay," I said simply, hiding the fact that I was secretly relieved.

"I'm sorta still registering that this is happening..." she said.

"Me too!" I laughed. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he'll... you know... be present."

"Oh, totally. That's gotta be super weird. You know, Kate confided in me that he was confused about this whole thing at first, but she worked on him for a while until he came around."

"Yeah, I can imagine..."

"Anyway, that's not the only... um... thing that's gonna be weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Well there's one more wrinkle," Allison said.

"What's that?"

"You know, part of my job is to coach people on ways they can increase their chances of getting pregnant, and I've been doing that with Kate."

"Right, I understand that you'll be explaining about the best positions to use and so forth."

"Exactly. But... they, uh... they want me to be present too. To make sure you're following my recommendations correctly- at least just for the first session." My heart skipped a beat and I didn't say a word. "Um... are you still alive?" Allison asked nervously.

"Seriously? They want you to be there for the first session? You'll be there to watch us have sex?"

"Basically... yeah."

I could hear the nervousness in her voice. Allison and I talked occasionally about our sexual partners, and it was always arousing. She was a beautiful woman, but there happened to have never been anything between us. Now we were faced with a scenario where she'd not only see me naked, but make love to another woman in front of her.

"Do they know we're friends?"

"Yeah, they know. I think they actually think that will make it easier. Maybe she thinks we've been a couple before, or something. I dunno."

"Did you agree to all this?"

"Well... yeah. They put me on the spot."

"Wow, okay."

"Are you okay with it?"

"I guess? Are you?"

"I guess I am too..." Allison said. There was nervous silence for a few moments, before Allison continued. "Anyway, shall I confirm with them that you'll accept and are ready to move ahead?"

"Okay."

Thus it was established; I was going to fuck this beautiful woman I was inexplicably already having feelings for, while her husband and one of my best friends watched. It didn't seem real to me, but our first "session" was to take place in a matter of days, and it was about to get real, real fast.

***

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I said to myself, over and over, when the day arrived. At first, all I could think about was dropping my drawers in front of Allison and the expression on her face when she saw my cock pop out. I started blocking this fear by thinking about a wild, exciting romp in the sheets with Kate, but it kept getting obscured with the sight of Jeremy's face, watching us with irritation. I was such a bundle of nerves that I instinctively grabbed a condom on my way out the door, as I usually would when going to see a woman, forgetting that I very specifically was not going to be using them for a while.

The drive felt longer than it was. I cranked up some music, trying to get psyched for what was about to occur, but the nervousness still broke through. I began to feel anxious about whether or not I could perform with such a knot forming in my stomach, but I told myself that it would pass the moment I saw Kate take off all her clothes. I focused on her, and how strangely attractive she was, as a means to get through it all.

I arrived a few minutes late and rushed to the door of Kate and Jeremy's house. After knocking, Kate opened the door and let out a deep sigh.

"Ah! Hi Nick. I was starting to get worried," she said, with a sheepish smile. I could tell she was lightly trembling, and seemed more timid than our first encounter. On the other hand, she clearly just had her hair done, making her curls dramatic and soft. She'd taken extra care with her makeup and was wearing a perfume that I immediately was drawn to, as if she knew exactly what would fit my taste. I appreciated the time she'd taken to prepare for the occasion, and found it sweet. Truthfully, I'd done a little of the same.

"Hi, sorry I'm a little late," I said.

"No problem," she replied. Then she whispered, "Are you... ready for this?" She looked up at me, hopeful.

"Yeah, I think so, a little nervous maybe," I admitted.

"Me too," she said with an exhale. "Excited too, though."

We smiled at each other. "Me too," I replied. She beamed. Kate then squeezed me tight, in private, far from the watchful gaze of her husband. She held me close for a few moments and I felt a deep tenderness from her for the first time. I softened in her embrace and held her close. Then we headed out to the living room. I could barely walk with so many butterflies in my stomach.

Jeremy and Allison were waiting for us in the living room, as expected. Jeremy had his arms folded and paced slowly across the floor. One could cut the tension in the air with a knife. When I appeared, he looked up at me and cocked his head thoughtfully. Allison wiped her palms on her jeans and stood up to welcome us.

Everyone exchanged hellos and then I took a seat beside Kate on the coach. Jeremy joined her on the other side. I noticed that Allison had set up a slideshow on her laptop.

She began, "So if you're ready, we'll get started. I'm going to begin by going through the instructions for today's session, and for the sessions that follow."

Allison proceeded to flip through slides, giving us a detailed overview of what we should be doing both on our own and in the bedroom to achieve the desired goal. For example, one of the slides read, "Stay Healthy!"

"At this point I've already given you both a worksheet to track your vitamin intake, especially the prenatal ones. Beyond that, you'll want to suspend exercise, but still remain in shape by watching what you eat and maintaining a healthy body weight. Remember, no drinking if you can help it. But if you cheat now and then, it won't become a serious problem. Nick- remember, absolutely no saunas!"

Each slide was accompanied by discussions about these disciplines we were to follow, or tips to keep in mind. Allison also explained that there were some vaginal lubricants which were generally considered to be fertility friendly, but that they'd agreed to avoid them altogether after determining that Kate "already tends toward being especially lubricated", naturally. This comment caused Kate to turn red. I wondered how Allison had confirmed this matter.

After covering a slide that explained in detail how Kate's six-day fertility window worked, and the subsequent timing of our sessions, Allison finally got into the nitty-gritty, with a slide called, "In The Bedroom."