“Yes it does.”
They sat silently for a few minutes, Jeff delighting in Abby’s massage. She’d given him a few back rubs before, but this was somehow different. This was… tender. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, her naked breasts gently brushing his head as she leaned forward. An electric tingle ran through him from head to toe. He held his breath, listening to her pant softly. At that moment Jeff’s resolve failed. He gently pulled her arms away, stood, turned around and gazed at her sitting naked in the moonlight. “Oh lord.”
She smiled. “See something you like?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You have something on your mind?”
“Yeah.”
Abby’s eyes twinkled. “Did you, um, want to do something about it?”
“Yeah.” He held out his arms to her. “Come here.”
She took his hands, scooted forward and stood on the seat, then stepped down into the hot tub and embraced Jeff in a long, passionate kiss.
His hands roved up and down her body; back, sides, and finally settling on her breasts. She quivered as her fondled her. Their mouths parted and Jeff kissed her cheeks and neck, and slowly proceeded down to her breasts.
Abby gasped softly as he kissed, nibbled and sucked. She clutched his head to her bosom while he ran his hand down across her belly, combed her pubic hair with his fingers, then reached between her thighs and caressed her. “Oh god!” She lifted his head and their lips met again. She reached down and grasped him, and for several minutes they stood, kissing and pleasuring one another.
Jeff put his hands on her waist and gently pushed her back. “Sit on the edge.”
She stepped up onto the seat and sat.
He ran his hands down her thighs to her knees and slowly spread her legs, then kissed his way down, nuzzled her dripping wet pubic hair for a while, then pleasured her with his tongue.
She shuddered and leaned back on her hands. After a minute, she eased down and lay on her back. It didn’t take long for Jeff’s licking, kissing and sucking to achieve the desired effect. Abby gasped and convulsed, then reached down, took Jeff’s head in her hands and, her hips twitching, rubbed herself against his face. “Oh god! Don’t stop!” A minute later, she pulled Jeff toward her, looked into his eyes and said, breathless, “I want you inside me, now!”
Jeff turned her so she lay on the deck beside the hot tub, slid atop her and, with enthusiasm, obliged.
She gasped, shuddered again, then whispered. “Oh god, I’ve been waiting for this for two years.”
“Hmmm, then I guess it’s a bit overdue.”
“Yeah.”
He kissed her lips, neck and breasts as his pace gradually quickened, and his thrusts deepened. He held back as long as he could, but it had been nearly five years since he last made love with Marsha, and his climax came soon.
It didn’t matter. Abby let out a cry and shook violently in his arms as a second orgasm rolled through her.
Jeff lay atop her, breathless, quivering. He feared he might be crushing her and rose on his elbows.
Abby wrapped her arms around him. “No! Don’t move! Just stay right there.”
He rested on her, tingling at the sensation of her contractions. After a minute, he rose.
Abby gasped softly as he withdrew from her.
“Come here.” He took her hand and pulled her back into the hot tub, then sat, stretched out, pulled her atop him, and reentered her.
Again, she gasped, then whispered, “Oh god you feel good.” She rested her head on his shoulder.
Jeff leaned his head back on the edge of the hot tub, held her in his arms, took a deep breath, and sighed, “I suppose this was inevitable.”
She rubbed her cheek on his shoulder, kissed his neck, and whispered. “Yeah, probably so.”
He nuzzled her hair. “So, what are we going to do now?”
“I don’t know. But if it’s alright with you, I’d like to just lay here for a while, and worry about later… later.”
He held her tight. “Yeah, I like that idea.”
After a time, Abby kissed his cheek and chuckled. “Are you still awake?”
“Yeah. If we fall asleep we’ll probably drown.”
“Uh huh.”
“And I doubt that finding us dead in the hot tub, locked in an embrace, would go over very well with Gabe.”
Abby giggled. “No, I wouldn’t think so. I have a suggestion.”
“What’s that?”
“Why don’t you take me to bed.”
“Hmmm, now there’s a good idea.”
They dried off, went up to Jeff’s room, climbed into bed, and made love again, and again.
When his alarm went off at 6:30, Jeff groped around in the bed for Abby. She was gone.
Sunday, July 13, 2014 (T minus 618 days)
Jeff strolled into the dining room for breakfast. “Morning all.”
He was greeted with a chorus of, “good morning.”
He took his usual seat across the table from Gabe. “Good morning, Gabriel. Did you sleep well?”
“Good morning. Yes, mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“Yeah, something woke me a little past midnight. A strange sound, kind of like a woman’s muffled cry. I don’t know. Did you hear anything?”
Jeff cleared his throat. “Um, no.”
She shrugged. “Probably just my imagination.”
“Yeah.” He turned to Susan, seated beside him. “Good morning.”
She smiled. “Good morning.”
“And how did you sleep?”
“Very well, thank you.”
“Good.” He looked passed her. “Chrissie, morning.”
“Good morning, boss. And yes, thank you, I slept just fine.”
“Excellent.” Finally he turned to Abby, seated beside Gabe, and smiled softly. “Good morning, Abigail.”
She gave him a soft, wistful smile, one that he hadn’t seen on her before. “Good morning.”
“And how did you sleep?”
Abby took a deep breath and sighed softly, “I slept… very well. Thank you.”
Jeff could feel Susan’s eyes glancing back and forth between them. Her intuition was dangerously perceptive and unusually accurate. Jeff grinned. “Well, good. Everybody slept well. Excellent. I’m famished.” He dug in to breakfast.
Susan, smiling, handed him a platter of scrambled eggs. “Hmmm, Abby said the same thing.”
He smiled, nervously. “How about that.”
A little past ten that morning, there was a knock on Jeff’s office door and Susan stuck her head in. “Do you have a moment?”
Jeff looked up from his desk. “Sure, come on in. What’s up?”
She closed the door and took a seat on the sofa opposite his desk. “Normally I’d consider something like this to be doctor-patient privilege, but I told you long ago that if something came up that I felt might somehow jeopardize the mission I would tell you about it.”
He frowned. “Um, this doesn’t sound good. What’s the problem?”
Susan glanced at the floor for a moment, then cleared her throat, and looked back at Jeff. “The, uh, problem is… you and Abby and last night.”
It took him a moment to get his coughing under control. Then he tapped his fingernails on the desk while staring at her. “And, uh, just how did you find out about that so quickly?”
“Abby.”
His eyebrows popped up. “She told you?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Uh, why ‘of course’?”
“Because she is in the middle two weeks of her menstrual cycle and there is a risk of pregnancy. She came to me for an ECP.”
“A what?”
“Emergency Contraceptive Pill. A morning-after pill.”
“Ah, gotcha.”
“And, she came to me rather than another physician because she feared it might, shall we say, throw a wrench in the works.”
“I see. Then of course, she did t
he right thing. Right?”
“Yes, she did.” Sue stared at Jeff sternly. “You, on the other hand, I’m not so sure about.”
“Uh, yeah, okay. How about we hold off on the admonishments until a bit later in this conversation.”
“If you wish.”
Jeff rolled his eyes. “I wish. Oh boy do I wish.” He shook his head and groaned. “Alright, so what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that I’m not certain an ECP is indicated in this situation.”
“And why is that?”
“If this were a one-time event, by all means, give her the pill, end of problem, no lasting effects, and we all go on about our business. However, if this is to be a reoccurring activity, a different solution for both emergency and long-term contraception might be called for. Specifically, an IUD.”
Jeff frowned. “An IUD works as an emergency contraceptive?”
“Yes. In fact, it’s a little more effective than an ECP.”
“Huh. Sounds to me like closing the barn door after the horse has left, but I’ll take your word for it. Um, so your question is, might we anticipate repeat performances?”
“Something like that.”
He sighed. “Yeah, um, what did Abby say?”
“She doesn’t know.”
Jeff rubbed his nose. “Yeah, well, neither do I.” He shook his head. “Sue, I have no idea.”
She nodded. “I only bring it up because knowing the two of you as I do – which is rather well – and having but one sample in the survey, I am of the opinion that you two may, in the event of future incidents, be inclined to overlook commonly accepted safe-sex practices.”
“You mean, condoms?”
“Exactly.”
He leaned back in his chair, sighed, and groaned again. “Um, yeah.” He nodded. “That’s probably a reasonable assumption. Okay, so what’s the downside to an IUD?”
“Generally speaking, very little. They are safe and effective. There are, none the less, occasional problems: heavy cramping, particularly in the first few months, excessive bleeding, with hormonal IUDs, moodiness, something that certainly bears consideration in Abby’s case.”
Jeff grimaced. “That’s a fact.”
“Additionally, in rare cases, infections, or they can slip out. Even punctures of the uterine wall have occurred during insertion. But, as I said, generally speaking they are safe and effective and Abby is in as good shape as anyone I have ever known, and I doubt it would be a problem. Furthermore, I think we can both agree that Abby is not the best choice for conceiving a child on Mars. First, she is our pilot and, though all of us will be able to pilot the ship, I think we would feel more comfortable on the trip home with her in the driver’s seat. And second, she is the eldest, and will be closing in on 37 when we get to that point. Certainly not over the hill, but…”
“Yeah.”
“Likewise, for obvious reasons, neither am I the likely candidate. This task is going to be Gabe’s. You know it, I know it, Abby knows it, and, for that matter, Gabe knows it.”
“She does?”
“Of course. She is not very happy about it, but neither is she stupid.”
“Yeah, well, that goes without saying. Okay, so what does all that have to do with all this?”
“It means that we can probably accept some slightly increased risk to Abby in the interim. An IUD does represent a small risk but, in my opinion, an acceptable one.”
“Alright, I got it. So, what do you want from me?”
“Your understanding.”
“I think you’re asking the wrong person. Did you discuss all this with Abby?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“She is agreeable to an IUD.”
“Well, okay then.” Jeff shrugged. “Proceed accordingly.”
“Very well. However, I would recommend it be removed before launch, giving her those seven months to normalize, just in case.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“Is it time for admonishments now?”
His head sank and he groaned. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Susan smiled. “Jeff, please pardon me for saying so but, are you out of your fucking mind?”
Jeff laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you use that word before.”
“I don’t think I have ever used that word before. But it seems appropriate in the present context.”
He shook his head. “Sue, it just happened. You know, one of those things.”
“I understand and, up to a point, honestly don’t care.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I completely understand Abby’s motivation.” She smiled softly and looked into his eyes. “Jeff, Abby is not the only woman in this house that would take pleasure in sleeping with you.”
His eyebrows went up. “Oh?”
“Of course not. However – and here is the point at which I start to care – I do not believe Gabriel is, at present, one of them. But, she is, in all probability, your future. And you are hers. And news of this could be devastating to her.”
Jeff nodded.
“You are delicately balanced on a tightrope, juggling a lot of sharp objects.”
He grinned. “That’s a pretty good analogy.”
“Yes. Abby needs you. Fact is, I need you, but I have a bit more self-control than Abby. And Gabe also needs you, but in a different way. In case you have not been keeping up with events, you have become Gabe’s foundation. Without you, I don’t know what she would do. And besides that, she loves you.”
Jeff stared at his desk, scratched his forehead and sighed. “Oh god, what have I got myself into?”
Susan smiled. “You never really thought this through, did you?”
“Not this far. If I had, I’d probably be laying on a beach in Bermuda.”
“It’s not too late.”
“No, of course not.” He looked up at her. “But damn it Sue, I want to do this, and I believe we can.”
“In that, I think we are all in agreement. But to do it, you will need to keep juggling those knives.”
“Yeah.”
She smiled and nodded.
Jeff sighed. “Okay then. So you’re gonna take care of Abby’s little problem?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.” He gazed into her eyes. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.” He grinned. “Particularly the counseling session.”
“I’ll send you a bill.”
“You do that.”
Susan bit her lip and stared at him for a moment.
“Was there something else?”
“Yes.” She paused momentarily. “While we are here, there is a somewhat related matter I have been meaning to speak with you about.”
Jeff groaned. “What now?”
“Do you know what pre-eclampsia is?”
He frowned. “Um, I’ve heard of it. It’s some kind of pregnancy complication, isn’t it?”
Susan nodded. “Yes. It’s a disease distinguished by pregnancy-induced hypertension – high blood pressure – and other symptoms, and is the most common of serious pregnancy complications. Estimates vary, but it appears to occur in about 3% of pregnancies. The exact cause is unknown, but there are a number of known risk factors including a prior history of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and, most notably, first pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is in fact largely a disease of first pregnancies.”
“I’m listening.”
“Abby and I may be at slightly increased risk; she due to her age and I owing to my small stature.”
Jeff frowned, puzzled. “Small stature? What’s that got to do with it?”
“No one knows, but statistically pre-eclampsia does present with a slightly increased frequency in women of small stature.” She shrugged. “But the elevated risk for both of us is probably inconsequential. Gabe has none of the known risk factors, at least that I am aware of. So, except for the fact that this will be a first pregnancy, no
matter who gets the nod, under normal circumstances all three of us would fall in the comparatively low-risk category.”
Jeff smiled. “Okay. Well, that’s good news.”
“Yes. However, though the cause, as I said, is unknown, one popular theory is that pre-eclampsia results from the placenta failing to adequately implant in the uterine wall stemming from an adverse maternal immune response to it. The placenta, and accompanying embryo, appears to a woman’s immune system as a foreign object, since half the genetic makeup comes from the father. Under normal circumstances, the placenta functions as an immunological barrier resulting in maternal immune tolerance. When that mechanism fails to function as designed the maternal immune system can react rather aggressively, with unpleasant results; including not just pre-eclampsia, but spontaneous abortion as well. Do you follow?”
Jeff nodded. “Yes, I’m with you.”
“One theory, rather well supported by several studies, is that an unfriendly immune response to the placenta can result from maternal immune intolerance owing to a lack of significant prior exposure to paternal immune modulating factors.”
“Significant prior exposure? Immune modulating factors? What are you talking about?”
Susan smiled. “Sex.”
Jeff’s eyebrows popped and his jaw dropped. “Oh.”
“Seminal fluid contains a number of immune modulating factors which, over time, will build a degree of immune tolerance within a woman such that, when she gets pregnant, her immune system will be more likely to recognize the paternal antigens from the fetus and placenta and, consequently, diminish the likelihood of an adverse immune reaction to them. Your plan omits that step.”
Jeff nodded. “I see.” He looked off and thought for a moment, then looked back at her. “Wait a minute. There are lots of pregnancies that progress normally from one-time, um, events; virgin brides on their wedding night, artificial insemination with donor sperm, rape, in vitro…”
“Yes, that’s very true, though all of the examples you just gave do exhibit higher incidence of pre-eclampsia. It’s by no means a certainty, Jeff; there are numerous other factors at work. Nevertheless, studies demonstrate that women with only brief periods of sexual cohabitation with their partner prior to conception are at significantly greater risk of developing pre-eclampsia.”
Margaritifer Basin (Margaritifer Trilogy Book 1) Page 45