The Baby Favor

by Chance Carter

  “Thank you, Mimi!” Jason chirped into the mic, breaking their focus. He gathered her clothing as he made his way over to where she and Luke were sitting. He bent down and picked up the hat that had fallen off during her performance and placed it playfully back on Emma’s head.

  “Oh no, this is yours,” she giggled, handing it back over to him.

  “Keep it as a souvenir,” Jason insisted, talking away from the mic so the crowd wouldn’t overhear him, “you earned it, honey.”

  Emma stood up with Luke following suit, accepting her skirt and blouse from Jason. She modestly covered herself, smiling nervously at the crowd.

  “Take a bow, Mimi,” Jason encouraged, gesturing toward her. She offered a sloppy curtsy to the cheering crowd as Luke hurried her off the stage. He led her toward the ladies bathroom, her hand firmly in his. The rude drunk that heckled her was standing casually off to one side, nursing a fresh drink, but he turned his head as soon as they approached, afraid to meet Luke’s stare.

  “I’ll wait right here for you,” Luke assured, kissing the top of her head, “I promise.”

  After she returned, fully clothed, they watched few more performances but Emma didn’t want to wait around to hear if she had won the competition. It really didn’t matter to her. She already felt like she got what she needed from the experience. Part of that was the validation that she was still desirable, and Luke had been there for her the whole time. He totally had her back.

  Chapter 9

  Luke dropped off Emma in front of her building and watched as she practically floated to the door. He had to admit, watching her walk away was not altogether unpleasant. She turned and waved at him just before stepping inside, her smile assuring him that she was happy. He chuckled quietly to himself and waved back before slipping his car into drive and peeling out of her parking lot.

  She surprised him that night, she really did. He fully expected her to back down from the challenge but she worked that stage like a boss, and looked damn fine doing it too. She was sexy as hell up there and truthfully, he had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. He had to remind himself that it was Mimi on stage dancing and not just some woman he wanted to fuck. At least until that drunken bozo started harassing her, then his protective side kicked in. He could see that the son of a bitch was getting in her head. On top of that, he was just a fucking dick. As soon as Luke approached him the jerk backed down, obviously one of those little shitheads that got his jolly’s from belittling women. He didn’t have any intention of fighting him, but it was pretty obvious the guy was a whiney punk, all mouth and no balls. Luke whispered in his ear that he needed to go get himself a drink and stop being a douche-bag and that if he didn’t shut the fuck up, Luke was going to shove that hundred dollar bill right up his ass. In spite of the smile Luke had on his face, the little fucker knew he meant business.

  Fuck he had been ramped up. Mimi probably didn’t have a clue how horny he was otherwise she never would have invited him up to participate in her little striptease. At first, he found it mildly entertaining, enjoying her routine from such a great seat, and she really loosened up once he joined her on stage but it didn’t take long for his cock to stiffen and his imagination to run wild, friend or not.

  He had seen Mimi in a bikini many times, in the early days before asshat Andy, but seeing her stripped down to her bra and underwear, the unmistakeable shape of pretty pussy lips beneath the flimsy silk of her panties, tempted him more than he anticipated, beckoning him to touch. It just about drove him over the edge until she flashed him one of her signature Mimi smiles, her wide playful eyes saying ‘can you believe we’re doing this, pal’?

  She gave him nothing but friendship vibes throughout the whole daring dance, respecting the ‘zone’, but when she landed in his lap at the very end and he could feel the carnal heat of her peach penetrating straight through his jeans, his primal lust became almost unbearable.

  He was certain she had no clue and he dug as deep as he could to shake off his naughty need while she changed in the ladies room. It was just too weird thinking about her that way. They were buddies.

  Of course, she had asked him to come up for a drink when he dropped her off, which in his world is the typical code for sex, but of course from Mimi it just meant chilling on the sofa, watching some cheesy comedy on Netflix, or just goofing around. The problem was, he didn’t trust his mischievous cock to behave and he didn’t want things to get weird again.

  No, he thought, he just needed to go home, watch some porn, and jerk off. Then he would be able to think straight again.

  Chapter 10

  His phone rang around seven in the morning, just shy of his alarm going off. It was Mimi asking him what he did after he dropped her off, curious if he went out on the prowl. Of course he couldn’t tell her that he went straight home and spanked his monkey otherwise she’d get the wrong idea, especially given the fact that she had been squirming in his lap less than an hour prior.

  “I went out for a few drinks. Not much going on last night. I was home by midnight, tucked into bed,” Luke said, offering her a little white lie.

  “Not alone...” Emma teased, giggling quietly.

  “Yes, Mimi. It does happen sometimes,” Luke grinned. “So how are you feeling this morning?”

  “I still can’t believe I had the guts to go through with that. I’m still giddy!” Emma cooed, the pleasant lilt of her voice nurturing him awake.

  “You were awesome, girl. I’m proud of you,” Luke said yawning, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

  “It was so empowering, really. You were right,” she admitted cautiously, causing Luke to chuckle.

  “I usually am,” he teased, knowing she was probably rolling her eyes on the other side of the line.

  “Yeah, yeah, you’re a frigging genius,” she quipped back, “what would I do without you?”

  “Lead a very boring existence? Spend too much money on therapy? Cry yourself to sleep every night?” Luke offered, sitting up and resting on the edge of his bed.

  “Your modesty knows no bounds, Luke.”

  “Speaking of bounds, I went shopping a few days ago and bought something for you. Don’t make plans for Saturday night,” he insisted, toying with a plastic bag on his bedside table. The contents were definitely going to test her grit and maybe offer her some sexy fun along the way. The truth was, he wasn’t sure how she would react to what he had in mind for her next adventure but she asked him to show her his world, and on occasion, this was part of it.

  “What did you buy me?” Emma asked cautiously. He could imagine her pretty eyes expressing her nervous curiosity.

  “You’ll see soon enough. Are you working today?” he asked, deliberately changing the subject, knowing it would make her a little crazy.

  “Yes,” she replied, sighing deeply, “you’re not going to tell me, are you?”

  “Not a chance,” he laughed, “hang on, my alarm is going off.” He brought the phone down and quickly hit the snooze, then brought his cell back to his ear. Emma was chuckling quietly to herself.

  “What has you giggling like that?” Luke asked, a smile spreading across his own face. He loved hearing her laughter, especially because there were way too many years without it.

  “I was just thinking about the look on your face last night when I pulled you up on stage. You looked terrified!” she chuckled.

  “Oh, you enjoyed that, did you?”

  “A little bit...” she agreed playfully.

  “I wasn’t terrified...” he insisted, remembering how horny he had been.

  “Come on, maybe a little?” she prodded, “You seemed so fidgety.”

  Luke shook his head and chuckled. Fidgety was one way to describe it, but he certainly wasn’t going to tell her that. “Okay, maybe I was a tad nervous but don’t worry, I’ll get you back on Saturday. Now go get ready for work. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay,” she offered sweetly, “and Luke?”

  “Ya?”

&n
bsp; “Thanks again for last night. I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest, but I can’t remember the last time I felt so alive. I never thought I could do anything like that or that anyone would be turned on by me, let alone a room full of people. It was kind of validating, you know?” she explained, her voice laced with sincerity.

  “Don’t thank me, Mimi, I would do anything to make you happy,” Luke insisted, grateful that she was finally able to get the validation she needed.

  Emma inhaled deeply and then slowly let out her breath, “you’re a good friend, Luke. You know I love you.”

  “Come on, Mimi, it’s too early in the morning for this sentimental shit,” Luke moaned, playfully brushing her off. She giggled on the other end of the line.

  “Sorry, I know, mushy stuff makes you squirm. That’s why you never have overnighters with your dates.”

  “Something like that,” Luke admitted, running his fingers through his dark mop of morning hair. It wasn’t that he hated mushy stuff, he just had no idea how to respond to it. He was good at a lot of things, but pillow talk wasn’t one of them and honestly, he hadn’t had a lover yet that made him feel all that sentimental. “Have a good day, Mimi. Try to find some trouble to get into.”

  “Haha. Enjoy your day, buddy. I’ll talk to you soon,” Emma chirped, hanging up the phone.

  Luke went to the bathroom and turned on the shower, slipping his toned body under the warm stream of water. Last night was a fun night. He had to admit it was exciting taking Mimi out with him. For the past year or so he found he was growing more restless, even bored with his life. Mimi was making it fun again, and living vicariously through her was sparking his imagination once again. He was over thirty and had spent the better part of his twenties swinging from chandeliers, playing the field, upping the ante. There wasn’t much left for him to explore, at least within his comfort zone, and even though he was a horn-dog, he’d pretty much pushed the envelope as far as he could. Not much excited him anymore.

  He was surprised by how amped up he had been last night. Sure, he had fantasized about Mimi in the past, on more than one occasion, but that was long before she married Andy. Teenage boys weren’t always the most discerning when it came to jerk-off fantasies and he was no exception. It had been awhile since he thought of her that way. Not that she wasn’t a sexy woman, she definitely was, but he liked the clear boundaries their friendship offered, and theirs was the only stable relationship in his life. He could be himself with her and while he had many lovers, none of them could hold a candle to her. He could talk to her about anything, not that he did, but if he ever had the urge to share his deep, dark feelings, Mimi would definitely be the one he would share them with.

  Of course, he would never tell her how horny he had been watching her dance and he hoped it was just a one-off thing (but that was doubtful). Chances were pretty good that if they were going to play in the same circles, he was bound to get randy once in a while but he was a big boy, he would find a way to take care of that himself. He wouldn’t do anything to fuck up their friendship, hard dick or not.

  He stood under the hot stream, allowing the water to cleanse away the inappropriate thoughts churning in his brain, but his cock wasn’t ready to submit. He felt the unmistakable pull of arousal in his groin as he began to stiffen and he leaned himself back just enough to allow the pressure of the shower to play on the tip of his erection. No sooner had he dismissed his thoughts about his half-naked friend did they slip back into his head, teasing a full-blown erection out of him. Realizing there was only one way out of his predicament, he slipped a strong hand down his stomach, gripping his cock forcefully. He held himself against the wall and began stroking himself methodically, searching his brain’s data bank for something sexy to spank off to, something other than Mimi. He settled on a generic threesome fantasy, a hedonistic ‘go to’ that almost always guaranteed a quick release, and this time proved no different.

  Chapter 11

  Emma heard the door open and shut in the other room, just as she was putting on her mascara. It was Luke, a half hour early. She called out to him and he greeted her with a friendly hello.

  “I’m going to grab a beer while I’m waiting, ok?” he called from the kitchen.

  “Sure, I’ll be out in a minute,” she replied, loud enough for him to hear her as she finished adorning her long lashes.

  She closed up the mascara tube and tossed it into her make-up bag, smiling at herself in the mirror, suddenly grateful that Luke was in her life.

  Her feelings were complicated, she knew that. She was sure that, like herself, most women had similar curiosities and desires like her own, but society’s unrealistic expectations of how women should ‘behave’ were drilled into their heads from a very early age and they often felt shameful and embarrassed to have them. No wonder they often didn’t feel safe enough to explore them.

  Throughout her entire life, she had been taught to suppress her desires, starting with her parents who conditioned her, day after day, to be a good girl. They were very clear about what that meant. Good girls kept their mouths closed, legs crossed, and their skirts down. She never thought it was fair that her brother was encouraged to speak his mind and sow his wild oats while she was encouraged to “save” herself for the “right” guy, to be chaste until marriage. Men, she was taught, didn’t want to marry loose women.

  But that was just the beginning of her education. Religion taught her that it was women who carried the burden of sin and that they would forever need to atone for it (thanks for that, Eve!). In school, dress codes were implemented and enforced to ensure that boys would not be distracted by scantily dressed girls. God forbid they see too much thigh and fail math, but no problem shaming a girl and sending her home to change while she missed a few hours of class.

  The truth was, these messages were everywhere, magazines, commercials, television shows. Even the movies polarized women with ridiculous stereotypes.

  But the most heartbreaking in Emma’s opinion? Other women. Instead of working together to end the oppression and shift expectation, they would turn on one another, shaming and degrading each other through malicious gossip and accusations, and as Emma recalled, that started at a very early age. If a girl was pretty and popular and was offered attention from boys she was deemed a slut, regardless of the facts. No one gave a shit about the facts. This made it very clear to Emma and her friends that they needed to pick a side. Shame or be shamed. It was heartless really.

  All these things shaped her view of the world and ultimately forced her into an itty bitty box, slowly and methodically chipping away at her self-confidence, filling her with doubt, making her question her own truth. She learned that in order to protect herself she needed to fly under the radar and keep her thoughts, feelings, and needs locked up tight. When she did have desires that didn’t quite fit into the puzzle of her life, she felt unclean, immoral even. No, she couldn’t be the only woman who struggled with it all, suffocating under impossible expectations, buried deep under society’s conventional burqa.

  That’s why she was grateful for Luke. He was the only person in her life who didn’t ask her to be anything other than herself. He encouraged her to lift the veil, to color outside the lines. He encouraged her to honor her truth, insisted on it really. She could trust him with her intimate thoughts and feelings. He never judged her. Unlike her mother, a devout Catholic who sadly, hadn’t quite forgiven her daughter for leaving her marriage. She had told Emma that divorce was a cop-out, a sin in the eyes of the church, and to this day had still not forgiven her for what she considered a “huge mistake”. Her mother always liked Andrew and considered him the best match her daughter could ever hope for.

  “Can I come in?” Luke said, knocking lightly on her bedroom door, “Are you almost ready?”

  “Yes, come in,” Emma invited, combing her long bangs with her fingers.

  “It looks like a bomb went off in here,” he chuckled stepping over small piles of clothing on
the floor.

  “Yeah, sorry about that. I went through just about everything in my closet trying to decide what to wear,” Emma confessed, looking at him through her mirror. He had a grin on his face and carried a small shopping bag.

  “You look great, Mimi, really, the fairest of them all, but where I’m taking you requires much less clothing,” Luke insisted playfully, picking a shirt up off the floor. He looked it over quickly before tossing it on the bed.

  “Believe it or not, it took me an hour to decide on this,” Emma laughed, turning around to face her friend.

  “Here, add this to your ensemble,” he grinned, tossing her a shopping bag.

  “What is it?” she asked, looking up at him nervously.

  He chuckled, slowly shaking his head, “open it and find out, silly!”

  Emma took the item out of the bag and carefully peeled away the hot pink tissue paper. She looked it over carefully, turning it over in her hands.

  “Ok, what is it?” she asked again, eyebrow raised. She held it up with both hands to get a closer look. It looked like a thong, but it was made out of sturdy leather with a small silicone dildo placed strategically inside.

  “It’s a chastity belt,” he explained gently, walking toward. her.

  “What’s it for?” she asked’, pretty certain she already knew.

  “It’s for you to wear tonight. It locks around your waist, like this...” he said, taking it from her hands. He pulled a small lock out of his pocket and attached it to the buckle to show her before removing it again. “See?”