by Tia Siren
Piper ran toward me as I opened the front door. She pulled back the curtains covering the large window, and morning light flooded into the house.
“Fuck me, what a view,” she said and she slid open the doors.
The sea breeze filled the living room and banished the faint smells of stale air.
“This is an interior designer’s dream,” Piper said.
“Well, if you’re up to it, you can give it a lick of paint while we’re here,” I said, laughing.
“Not gonna happen. I’m here for the sea, the sun, and the sex.”
Piper ventured around all the rooms. I heard her open a door, and a couple of minutes later, the door would close. She repeated this over and over, exploring everything. I waited on the couch and watched the final minutes of the sunrise. A toilet flushed. Piper walked back into the living room and sat on one of the chairs opposite me. I could see from the look on her face that she was concerned.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I have started,” she replied sadly.
“Started what?” I asked.
“You know, my damned cycle!” Piper said. “Even though it’s the wrong time of the month.”
“Oh, I see. Ouch.”
“I was hoping I would be knocked up by now,” she said. Her sad eyes made her look like a puppy in the window of a pet store.
I knew once her cycle ended, she would be in a much more fertile condition for a while.
“It happens, unfortunately, but at least you know you’re healthy,” I said.
“Yeah, but you know, a woman gets her hopes up when she is trying for a baby.”
Men don’t have this problem so they don’t understand. Unless you’re the Baby Maker. Then you do.
“Having your cycle is a real kick in the teeth,” she said. “It pisses me off.”
“You have to take into consideration that we’ve only just started to have sex,” I said, hoping she would stop worrying.
I patted the couch next to me. Piper came over and sat close. I turned to her and brushed the hair from her face. She looked so beautiful. I really loved the freshness of her look. I placed my lips on hers and took her into my arms. Our embrace took on a different meaning. It wouldn’t lead to sex. It was a purely emotional connection.
We relaxed on the couch and watched the sun come up over the water. We sat like that for a long time, just holding each other and enjoying each other’s presence. When the sun was high in the sky, we moved to the patio for an early lunch.
“Do you remember the first time we had sex all those years ago?” Piper asked.
“Well, yeah. Do you think I could forget that day in history?”
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” she said.
“That makes two of us,” I said. I placed the plates onto the table.
“That was the day you took my virginity and my heart,” she said, smiling a smitten smile.
“I was honored. I really was.”
“You broke me, and then you broke my heart,” she said, laughing.
“Piper, I’m truly sorry,” I said honestly.
“So, can you remind me what happened?” she asked. Her eyes lit up in awe of her memory of us.
“It was after that school dance,” I said. “We had a bottle of bourbon, and we sneaked off to the school roof.”
“So far so good,” she answered.
“I broke the lock on the janitor’s shed, and we went inside. The smell of pigeons was atrocious.” My nose wrinkled at the memory.
“It was a bit dingy, and dark, even with that small light bulb,” she said. “And I could only just see you.”
“And then I found the old kerosene lamp and lit it. That was going to be our candlelight for the evening.”
“I was not sure who was more nervous, you or me,” Piper said.
“It was definitely you,” I said. “You had more to lose than I did.”
“So, you only had sex once before me?” Piper asked.
“Yes, did I say it was more often?” I asked.
“Yes, you did, you pig,” she replied, laughing.
“My bad, must have been my male ego. And all the testosterone.” I winked at her.
“Carry on,” she said. “You’re doing quite well so far.”
“Well, you wore that short sleeved pink sweater and white skirt,” I said smiling.
“Aha.”
“And I was wearing my jeans and that sweatshirt you had on the other day,” I said.
“I wondered if you actually knew where that came from,” she said. She was enjoying my story of us.
“I don’t forget anything about us,” I said. “If anything, the memories have gotten stronger.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
“Almost every day, I have played them over in my mind. What should have faded has been remembered and cherished for the past ten years.”
***
We returned from a walk on the beach, and a message came through on my cell phone. I took the phone from my shorts pocket and read the message. I sighed and returned the phone to my pocket. I’d made a pact with myself not to lie to Piper, or at least, not about anything that may hurt her feelings.
“It was a message regarding Baby Maker,” I said.
“You always get messages like that?” she asked.
“Yes, but I’m not going to reply,” I said, feeling sick to my stomach. “Now is your time.”
“I know you have to respond,” she said. “It’s your business, after all.”
I saw the sorrow on Piper’s face when she said that to me. She had tried her best to be open about it. I’d known her for a long time, so I could see when something really bothered her.
“Anyway, how did you get started doing all this?” she asked.
“You mean Baby Maker? I replied.
“Yeah, it’s not exactly a regular thing to get into,” she said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.
“Come on, let’s lay on the balcony, and I’ll tell you all about it,” I said.
We strolled outside, and I removed my shirt. Piper stripped down to her bikini. I stretched out a large foam mat on the balcony, and we laid down in the afternoon sun. Piper nuzzled her head against my chest and I wrapped my arm around her.
My mind went back to how it all started and I explained it all to Piper.
I was halfway through college and on an extreme “get fit” campaign. My Dad had died, and Mom was very sick. I was certain I was going to do everything in my power to make sure this never happened to me.
I hit the gym five days a week and had trimmed my body to a perfect weight and fitness. I had just finished one of my gym sessions when a middle-aged woman came up to me. She went through all the “what’s your name?” and “how old are you?” type questions.
I thought she was trying to hit on me, but she said she was keeping fit because she was trying to conceive. She had tried everything and started to think it was her husband who had the problem.
She finally asked if I could sleep with her for a couple of months. Not on a regular basis, mind you. Not like an affair. Just once per month to see if anything happened. If it did, she would just tell her husband she was pregnant. And if she didn’t conceive, she would ask her husband to have a checkup.
This woman became pregnant after the second time I slept with her. I thought nothing of it. I figured it was just a one-time thing. Then I was approached by another woman who asked for my help with the same issue. She was a friend of the first woman, which was how she got my name. I agreed to help her, too. After our time together, she also got pregnant. Eventually, I thought it was a decent opportunity to help people with one of the most important milestones of their life. Of course, I had to protect my privacy and the fortune I’d inherited from my Dad.
So, from that, the Baby Maker concept was born.
Piper shook her head and smiled. “So, it started as something pure and innocent, and it spread? And it brought you back to me.”
> “Funny you should say that,” I said.
“Why?” she asked.
“This was the second reason Baby Maker started, since we broke up—” I began to say.
Piper dug her elbow into my ribs. “Excuse me,” she said, laughing.
“I thought there was no chance for us to ever get back together. Not after what I did. And in my mind, no one could replace you.”
“And?” Piper asked, listening intently.
“I wasn’t interested in anyone else, and I thought I’d lost you forever,” I said.
“Well, after all this time, and how things have gone, I forgive you,” she said.
“Forgive me for what?” I asked.
“For breaking my heart into such tiny pieces,” she replied, seriously.
It had taken over a decade, but Piper could find the goodness in her heart to forgive me. The one who had broken it off with her. I’d been too stubborn to go chasing after her. My ego got in the way. I was too proud to admit it to myself back then.
“The only thing you need to do now is to make sure that you can hang on to me for as long as you can,” Piper said.
“I’m not going to make the same mistake twice,” I replied.
“You never know, it could happen again,” she said.
I looked into Piper’s eyes. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you by my side.”
“Yes, you will!”
Chapter 22
Piper
The time with Evan had been so sweet. He had been so kind and gentlemanly from the outset. I was expecting him just to service me, and maybe the odd dinner here and there. But he had gone overboard with the way he treated me. I felt like he was courting me all over again, but this time, he was much more mature with his emotions.
I’d signed the contract, and he had no other clients. For now, anyway. I kept wishing he’d take this opportunity to shut down the Baby Maker thing altogether. He could just be with me and no one else. It made sense. He could step away from it all and step right into a relationship with me. Again.
For the past ten years, neither of us had forgotten about the other. We had always been together in our memories and our thoughts. Not a day had gone by where we hadn’t thought of one another. It was real love, true and sure.
I reached the office after an afternoon meeting and rode up the elevator. The bell sounded, and the doors opened. My gaze was instantaneously drawn to an overly large bouquet of flowers which sat lovingly on the reception desk. There must have been two dozen red roses. Jules stood in the lobby, eyeing the flowers.
“Who are they for?” I asked her.
“Well, it looks like they are for you,” Jules said with a wide smile.
“Wow, they are gorgeous. You shouldn’t have, Jules.” I laughed.
“I don’t like you that much,” she said, smiling. “They’re from your secret admirer.”
I knew they were from Evan. He’d been going overboard to prove himself to me, and this was just one more unexpected way of showing how he felt.
I put the flowers on a window ledge in my office. She followed me into my office. She’d laid out the work she’d done for a commission by one of my clients along the walls.
“The paintings look good,” I said. “Almost as good as my flowers.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Look, I’m pleased for you, Piper. I’m glad you’re happy with Evan, but maybe you should take it easy, you know?”
“I know he broke my heart before and he could do it again,” I said. “I’m just enjoying it all while I can. I’m trying to live in the moment.”
“As long as you know what you’re doing,” she said with a stern look on her face.
“I’m keeping all my options open right now, so there’s no need to worry,” I said.
“So, are you ready for some early afternoon refreshments?” Jules asked, her tone lighter.
“Well, maybe just a couple. I have a bit of an upset stomach, and we have work to do later.”
“Come on then,” Jules said. “I’ll drive.” She grabbed the car keys, excited for a break.
We headed down to the car and climbed inside. Drinks in the afternoon was not a regular thing. Then again, it was not often Jules got to work at my office. She also said a couple of beers helped her creative juices flow. Anything to get some girl time in.
I thought about the drinks as we made our way to the bar. I probably shouldn’t be drinking alcohol while trying to conceive, but I’d been on my cycle so I knew I wasn’t pregnant yet. One or two glasses wouldn’t hurt. At the end of the day, it was not often I got to socialize with Jules. If I did become pregnant with Evan’s baby, it could be one of the last opportunities where I got to go out with my friend. My best friend.
We arrived at Cyclone, a local bar we’d been to a few times before. It was nothing special and catered to many types of people from all walks of life. The décor could do with some slight updating. But every time I’d offered my services to John, the owner, he had declined.
“It has done me proud for twenty years,” he always said. From the look of the place, that was the one and only time it had ever been decorated.
I wanted to tell Jules about my situation with Evan. I hated that she didn’t know everything that was going on. Ever since I’d known her, she had confided everything in me, as I had in her. I was halfway through my second glass of wine when I decided to spill the beans. I couldn’t hold myself in about it any longer.
“Jules, I have something to tell you,” I said.
“What do you have to say?” she asked eagerly. “Spill it!”
“Well, I’m not really sure how to get it out,” I laughed.
“Come on, you know I’m all ears where you’re concerned.” She sipped on her beer.
“Well, it’s this situation with Evan.”
“Here we go,” she said, laughing. “Sob story, already?”
“No, it’s not that,” I said, nervous about her reaction. “I’m trying to have a baby with him.”
“Geez, Piper, are you crazy?” she asked.
“What’s wrong with that?” I asked, plainly.
“You know what’s wrong with it. All of it. He’s broken your heart before. How can you trust that he won’t do it again? Maybe even worse this time.”
“He’s so different than he used to be,” I said. “I mean, just look at the flowers.”
“Flowers don’t make good parents, Piper,” she said. Her tone was condescending.
“We’ve been spending a lot of time together,” I explained. “I know he’s grown up since the old days.”
“And, what? You tell him you want a baby, and he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, you can have my sperm.’ Better the devil you know, huh?” Her voiced was mocking, hurtful.
“That’s not funny, and you know it,” I said, pissed at her.
“It might not be funny, but it’s true, and you know that,” she said.
Shit, just think if she knew I had signed a contract.
Jules exhaled heavily. “Well, I think you’re fucking crazy to consider letting him get you pregnant. But who am I anyway?”
“You’re my best friend,” I said.
“It sure hasn’t felt that way lately,” she replied angrily.
Our conversation was getting out of hand. I started to get agitated and angry. Jules had put up a wall and wouldn’t even try to understand where I was coming from.
“Jules, I’m going,” I said. “This conversation is going nowhere.”
I grabbed my coat and headed out of the bar. I expected her to try and stop me, but she didn’t. Maybe that was for the best.
Jules had my car keys so I decided to grab a cab.
Where are you going to go? Jules is working at your office.
I hailed the cab and directed him to Evan’s house. I had called his office, and he was out all afternoon. He was not at home, so there was only one other place he could be. At the hotel suite.
The cab re-directed and headed toward the h
otel. I bet he is there with a client.
I walked down the hallway and knocked on the door. I waited. Just as I was about to leave, the door opened.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Evan said, beaming a smile.
“I was going to say the same thing,” I snapped. “I checked the office and your house. That’s when I came here.”
“I had to get something for an old client,” he said.
“Yeah, right,” I said angrily. “I bet it’s that message you got at the beach. A client is coming to meet you!”
“Piper, stop. You don’t just come here chasing after me and accuse me of something that isn’t true. I just came for a folder on this previous client.”
“A feeble excuse,” I shouted. “You would say that just to protect yourself. And you know we can’t have sex at the moment, so you have to get your fucking quota in anywhere you can.”
“Have you been drinking?” Evan asked.
“I had two fucking glasses of wine, so what?”
“Piper, you know your situation,” he said. “You have to take extra special care of yourself right now.”
“It’s all, ‘do this’ and ‘do fucking that’ with you,” I screamed. “If it isn’t written down, you don’t know what to do.”
“Just listen to yourself,” he said. “You’re being totally irrational.”
“What do you expect? God, you’re supposed to get me pregnant, and what you’re doing is not enough. It’s not sufficient for a baby, and it’s not enough for me.”
“I will make you a deal,” he said. “The rules of the contract can be bent slightly as long as you promise not to drink any more alcohol. And, on no occasion, can there ever be drugs.”
“I had a feeling I wasn’t pregnant, even before my cycle started. I think you have been overacting all the way through. All this ‘keep fit’ stuff, it’s just to drag things out so I don’t just vanish.”
“Piper, I have always wanted to give you the best, especially when it comes to you having a healthy baby. And the best possible chance of having a healthy baby is through my arrangement. That’s not overacting in my eyes. No way.”
I was angry at Jules for not listening and at Evan for being up to something!