Arriving Together

Aaron didn't ask. He didn't think it was his place to. It was none of his business, nor should it be. He didn't really know Lindsey very well. They had worked together for a couple of years, not in the same department, and their arrangement had only been a matter of practicality, a means to save on gas and tolls. She sat in his passenger seat, nervously unable to look in his direction, and conspicuously silent, not even the customary Friday greeting "TGIF."

It hadn't escaped his notice that her clothing had been looser fitting lately, nor that she had rounded slightly in the abdomen. Still, it was none of his business. He kept his hands at ten and two, tuned into the low volume of the drive-time radio broadcast and drove across the bridge, down Henderson Pike, onto route 393 and into the Birch Grove business complex. He had turned off the radio and the engine before Lindsey spoke.

"It wasn't an accident," she said.

"What?"

"It wasn't an accident," she insisted, looking at him for the first time that morning, "if that's what you're thinking."

Aaron quickly shook his head. "I wasn't thinking anything," he defended himself.

A look of pity crossed Lindsey's face, a sort of accusation, like she suspected he wasn't very bright. "You do know that I'm pregnant, don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, Lindsey, yeah, I know," Aaron said. "Obviously I noticed."

"Well, it wasn't an accident."

"I didn't say it was."

Lindsey pressed her eyes to her wrist and started crying. Aaron was motionless, completely still, shocked and uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," she panted between sobs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make this weird."

"It's fine," said Aaron, trying to brush it off as if he didn't just want to run for the office door and hide under his desk. "It's fine," he awkwardly repeated.

He couldn't help but think Lindsey was going through something difficult. He couldn't just sit there and say nothing. He had to speak, but had no idea what to say. He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping the right words would come to him. As luck would have it, they did.

"It's okay," he said. "It's gonna be okay."

As simple as it was, it must have helped her in some small way. She nodded. "I know," she sniffled. "I know." She smiled at him in a way she never had before, with a new sense of familiarity. "Thanks, Aaron."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Aaron asked.

Lindsey dried her eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe." It was as though she had something at the ready to say beyond that, but the words never came. She caught her breath and her composure. "I'll tell you what, Aaron," she said after a long while, "we can talk about it on the drive home. I'll even drive."

"The hell you will," Aaron protested. "Not in your condition."

Lindsey laughed. "Okay, fine," she said.

Both were in better spirits at the end of the day. Not only did they have a weekend to look forward to, but the tension of the morning had dissipated, giving way to a brighter, more lighthearted interchange between Aaron and Lindsey. Before saying a word, Aaron tossed Lindsey the keys.

"You serious?" she asked.

"Why not?" he smiled, climbing into the passenger seat.

It was small talk the whole way up 393 and onto Henderson Pike. Then Lindsey came out with it. "I wasn't entirely truthful with you this morning," she said. "Well, I was and I wasn't."

"You don't owe me an explanation, Lindsey," said Aaron.

"I'm gonna give you one, though," she smiled, "because you let me drive."

Aaron laughed. "I'll make better choices next time," he joked.

Lindsey's smile slowly turned into an expression of contemplation. "We, uh...We didn't plan to get pregnant, me and Steve," Lindsey began. "I was gonna tell him when he got back from deployment. The last thing I wanted to do was to put a giant obligation on him when he had a job to do."

The silence that followed allowed Aaron to let what she was saying sink in. He noticed the indentation on her ring finger where her hand gripped the steering wheel. "He didn't come back from deployment, did he?" he asked somberly.

"No..." she answered, "We had hoped to have kids...someday, after he hung up the uniform. Now, he'll never even know I was pregnant."

"I'm so sorry, Lindsey," Aaron said.

"I knew I could lose him when I married him," Lindsey explained. "I just figured, if you and I are driving together every day, you should know what's going on."

"Thanks for letting me know," Aaron smiled. He paused a moment and then quipped "does this mean we can split the cost of gas three ways from now on?"

—-

Something about that day changed everything about the weekdays that followed. Their commuter conversations became broader, more friendly and familiar, occasionally even deep and philosophical. They were becoming friendly.

And as Aaron merged back onto Henderson Pike for the 320th time carpooling with Lindsey, they laughed and sang along with the radio. It was Thursday afternoon and Lindsey's lap belt was riding low under her now-pronounced belly. She was just past 7 months. Her blonde hair had curled a bit and she had stopped trying to straighten it out. Her breasts had gotten much fuller.

Aaron had to remind himself to keep his eyes on the road—especially when she touched them, which she was doing a lot lately. Usually, she was adjusting her bra strap, but today she was cupping and lifting them.

She must have noticed his expression because she began staring at him until he looked in her direction. When he finally did, she asked "what?" as if he had done anything at all besides what she obviously was trying to get him to do.

"What, yourself," he smiled and laughed. "What are you doing?"

She gave them a squeeze. "They're bigger," she said.

"I noticed," he replied, pulling his eyes back to the road so as not to get into an accident.

"You did, huh?"

"Of course, I did," Aaron shrugged. "I drive you to and from work every day."

"And you noticed?" Lindsey teased.

Aaron tried not to smile. When he finally turned to look at her again, she was still looking at him and still had her fingers firmly grasping her tits. She gave them a sudden squeeze. "Honk honk," she said.

Aaron erupted into laughter. He had to admit that he looked forward to his trips back and forth to work more and more. As Lindsey grew more comfortable with Aaron, she became sillier and more lively. He enjoyed her company. She was funny and interesting, and there was definitely something about her.

She had always been attractive, but so were a lot of women Aaron knew. Lindsey was different. Something was definitely there, but he wasn't entirely sure what.

"Honk honk," she repeated.

That's what was there. "Are you enjoying yourself?" said Aaron, unable to lose his smile.

"So much," Lindsey replied. "You gotta try this."

A look of amused shock crossed Aaron's face. "I don't want to be indecent," he began. "Besides, my tits aren't as big as yours. I'm not sure I'd get a single honk out of mine."

Lindsey sunk her chin and looked out from under her eyebrows as she did whenever she was about to dare him to do something. "Honk honk," she repeated. "They're calling to you, Aaron."

Aaron kept his eyes on the road as he finished crossing the bridge. He suddenly reached over, grabbed Lindsey's left breast and gave it a squeeze "Honk honk," he said.

"Oh my gosh," Lindsey snorted, doubling over into laughter as much as she could with her baby bump in the way.

"You were right," he said. "That's fun."

He pulled into Lindsey's townhouse complex and pulled up to the curb by her door.

She unbuckled herself. "As always, thanks for the ride," she said. "I'd shake your hand, but it's obvious we're past first base." She winked at him, got out of the car, closed the door and walked to her door to unlock it.

Aaron waited, as he always did, for her to open the door to her townhouse. He tapped the horn twice and he could see her laughing uncontrollably as he pulled away.

—-

It was a sleepy Friday morning commute, but by the time they were on their way home that afternoon, the atmosphere was upbeat again, complete with music on the radio, office gossip and kidding around.

After they crossed the bridge to get to Lindsey's townhouse the truck in front of them came to a stop at a green traffic light and sat there, its engine idling, while the driver was clearly distracted talking to his passenger.

Aaron pressed his horn twice to get the man's attention and let him know the light was green. Nothing happened. Aaron honked again, a little louder.

"They had to have heard that," said Aaron. He looked at Lindsey. "Your turn," he joked.

Lindsey laughed. "No, they only honk for you now."

"Well, if I must," he smiled back.

She fake punched him in the shoulder. By then, the truck must have noticed they had stopped at a green and moved ahead. Aaron pulled into Lindsey's townhouse complex and stopped at the curb in front of her door. Just as he stopped, he saw the same truck on his left, honking loudly as it drove by his car and peeled its tires turning onto a side street.

As Lindsey got out of his car, Aaron turned off the engine and opened his door. Lindsey looked over the roof of the car at him, puzzled at first, but quickly realizing why he had gotten out of the car. He came around and walked behind her to her door. "Can't be too careful," he said as she opened her door. "Have a great weekend," he said as he began to turn back to his car.

"Actually," Lindsey said, pausing a bit too long for comfort. "Would you like to come in for a while?"

Aaron nodded, and he followed her through the door. "I like the place," he said, obligatorily. There wasn't anything remarkable about the place, the usual factory-build townhouse fare with a standard decor, personalized by just a few picture frames and baubles.

"Thanks," she said, locking the door behind her. "I'd get you a drink, but I don't keep anything with alcohol around these days."

"You don't need to get me anything."

"Well, can I make you dinner?" Lindsey asked as she walked into her kitchen leaving him standing in her living room.

"Don't go to the trouble," Aaron replied. "I can take you out to dinner."

It sounded odd, even as it escaped his lips. He wondered how it sounded to Lindsey. Would it sound like he was asking her on a date? Would she take it as a friendly gesture or a romantic invitation? Would such a thing even cross her mind, being that she was widowed and 7 months pregnant?

Lindsey emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand for him. "Best I could do," she said. "Thanks for the invitation," she began as Aaron accepted the glass.

"No," he said nervously. "Think nothing of it. I wasn't trying to—"

"It's just that I'd rather not go anywhere," Lindsey interrupted. "Sick of driving," she explained as her head motioned to the door.

Aaron took her gesture to mean that she'd rather not know if the guys in the truck were still around. He took a sip of the water and decided to indulge her delay. "Got any big plans for the weekend?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered cryptically.

He raised his eyebrows and shoulders to demonstrate his expectation that she would clarify.

"I'm having a guy over for dinner," she said, smiling as she walked back toward the kitchen. "Leftover spaghetti or leftover chicken?" she asked.

Aaron laughed.

"Don't keep a woman in suspense," Lindsey demanded.

"Chicken," he said. "I'll have the chicken."

There wasn't anything fancy or ceremonious about dinner. It was whatever she could grab and reheat. They sat together and joked much as they often did during their commute, but this time without a steering wheel distracting them. They loaded their dirty dishes into the dishwasher and talked a little while longer.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Aaron turned to face the living room, wondering which of them was going to call it a night. He presumed Lindsey was just being too polite to kick him out, so he decided he would kick himself out. He opened up his mouth to say something, but Lindsey cut in.

"Come sit for a little bit before you go," she offered, motioning toward the couch in the living room.

Aaron smiled and made his way over. Lindsey followed and sat near him, one knee up, her now-bare foot on the cushion. She wasn't looking at him, though. She looked forward toward the TV as if it was on. Aaron could sense that there was something making her hesitant.

He should have picked up on it before, and perhaps he had, although he had not allowed himself to indulge the thought. It reminded him of so many moments he had after dates, dropping someone off at their doorstep. There was nervous excitement, even anticipation as she sat to his right, just as she had in his car for all these months.

He looked Lindsey over, taking in the way her blonde hair curled around her ear, following the line of her neck down to where it met her collar. Appreciating the contour of her full breasts as they rounded under and then the swell of her pregnant belly beneath them, round and womanly. The knee she had raised shook as her fingers tapped her leg and her toes kneaded the couch cushion.

Lindsey turned her head toward Aaron and his eyes moved up to meet hers. He saw her bottom lip part from her top lip, the pupils of her eyes wide. Aaron pushed himself closer to her, letting his hand touch her shoulder. He could hear her breathing in and out through her parted lips.

"Aaron," she said. "I don't know if you..." She cut herself off from speaking, and lifted the corners of her lips into a smile. Her gaze shifted down to Aaron's lips.

Aaron let his other hand reach up and press its fingers to her cheek as he moved closer. Now, merely inches from her, he could feel the excitement of her warm breath on his face. In a final, quick motion, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her.

She moaned an "mmm" as she kissed him back, and she moved her arms around his neck. Her tongue met his and their kiss intensified before their lips parted and their faces hovered an inch away from each other.

Their eyes opened and met once more. Lindsey's were wet, and she dried them on the back of her wrist. "I, uh," she said. "I can't believe you kissed me."

"I thought you--"

Lindsey cut him off again. "Aaron," she said, looking him in the eye and then waiting a long time to say anything else. "When a woman is pregnant, she's not anticipating being kissed. I thought you wouldn't be interested in me like this."

Aaron ran a hand over her pregnant belly. "Like this?" he asked. He could hear Lindsey's breathing quicken again. His hand moved up and over her tit. Her eyelids closed and her chin lifted. "Like this?" Aaron asked again.

His arms wrapped her body, his right hand caressing the back of her neck. His lips neared hers again and he whispered. "Like this?" he asked.

"Yes," Lindsey breathed back. This kiss was different. It was heated, intentional, a prelude to more. She leaned into him, forcing him back a bit into a recline. She fidgeted with the buttons on his shirt, slowly winning one button after another as they kissed. His shirt open, her hands slid under his tee shirt, pushing it up. Aaron wriggled out of the sleeves of his dress shirt and parted from Lindsey long enough to pull his tee shirt up and off. Lindsey bit her lower lip.

Aaron smiled. "Your turn," he said.

Lindsey shook her head. "You don't want to see that," she said.

"Oh yes I do," Aaron insisted.

"Okay," she said, quietly. It was a sweet sound, with something caring and intimate in how she said it. She was surrendering to feelings and desires that had built up over time. She stood and pushed down the black, elastic pants she had on, letting them slide down her smooth legs. She kicked them aside and straddled Aaron's lap. Her fingers grasped the bottom of her thin sweater and pulled up, exposing the full shape of her pregnant abdomen. Her naked skin caught the rays of light which came in along the edge of the blinds as the sun crept low on the horizon outside. She pulled the sweater over her head and slid the sleeves off her arms.

Aaron looked at her and smiled again.

"Don't laugh at my funny looking bra," said Lindsey.

"I wasn't gonna laugh at your--"

"It's a special bra," she explained. "There's stuff going on up here," she pointed at her tits.

"There certainly is," Aaron laughed.

Lindsey winked at him, grasped both tits in her hands over her bra and squeezed. "Honk honk," she joked.

He reached for them, and she dropped her hands to make room. Aaron placed his hands on her tits and squeezed. "Honk honk," he repeated, smiling playfully.

Lindsey used the moment to reach the clasp at the back and unhooked her bra, letting the straps fall off her shoulders. Only Aaron's hands kept it on. He let go. Her enlarged breasts hung, full and exposed.

"They're bigger," Aaron noted.

"I told you so," Lindsey responded.

She wrapped her hands around his wrists and guided Aaron's hands back to her tits. The skin felt so soft and warm, her dark areolas peaked between his fingers as he kneaded her flesh with his hands. Lindsey's eyes were closed, her head back, her hair hanging down to her upper back. She looked like she was enjoying the feeling.

Aaron tightened his grip, pinching her nipples between his fingers. "What the—" he said suddenly.

Lindsey's head snapped forward. "Uh oh," she said. "Something came out?" she asked.

"Yeah," Aaron answered. "I think so."

"Sorry about that," she said. "That's what the special bra was about. Everything's different when you're pregnant."

Aaron smiled. "Different is just fine," he reassured her. His hands reclaimed their resting place on her tits. This time, he gently caressed them. He slid her nipple between his thumb and the outside of his index finger and squeezed.

"Oh yes," Lindsey whispered.

"Does that feel good?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron, it feels so good," she confirmed.

He squeezed again, and a white-clear droplet formed on the end of her nipple. "I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until after the baby arrives," Aaron commented.

"It will be a little different after the baby arrives," Lindsey explained, "but some women have milk during pregnancy." She suddenly giggled. "This is so weird," said Lindsey.

"I thought you said it felt good," Aaron smiled.

"It does feel good," Lindsey agreed. "That doesn't mean it isn't weird."

"Lindsey," said Aaron. "It's just the two of us."

Her eyes were locked on his now. Her expression changed from amusement to a look of permission. There was something about it that couldn't be put to words. She was offering herself to him in a way she would never have anticipated she would or could, that he could enjoy whatever her pregnant body could offer. They must have had the same thought at the same time. She leaned forward, even as he lifted toward her, his hands gliding along her sides until they reached her back. His lips met her nipple and she cupped her breast from underneath to support it. With her other hand, she pressed down from the top.

Aaron could feel her nipple discharge its milk into his mouth. He tasted it. It was new and special, something he had never experienced before. The intimacy of the moment struck him. It was an act of sensuality only she could offer him. He indulged in it and, even as his tongue brushed against her nipple, it let out more milk, this time so much that it leaked from his lips onto his chin.

"Oh yes, Aaron," Lindsey moaned. "Drink me."

His tongue flitted against her nipple, his lips caressing it as Lindsey urged her breast with her hands. He licked her milk, swallowing what he could of it, the moaning sounds of her pleasure coaxing him to continue. While the unique sensation was enjoyable, Lindsey could feel a desire build within her and the silk of her panties moistened with each moment. She straightened her back, allowing her nipple to free itself from Aaron's mouth.