One Night Stand Gone Wrong

The week went by exceptionally well.

The friends had not spent time together in a long time, and some of them had never met. They all got along like a house on fire.

Mathew got enamored by Arabella’s spunky personality and her honesty. He was pleasantly surprised to see how well-mannered Belle was and how well Arabella had raised her daughter, all on her own to boot.

He asked her out after a few days, and she agreed.

Arabella thought Mathew was fun and adventurous and seemed to be a good guy. He already knew all about her, thanks to all the nights they had spent drinking and spilling secrets. She felt comfortable being herself with him.

More importantly, being Thomas’s best friend, he was probably not trying to score her to just hook up with a single mom.

She was not looking for a marriage at the onset, but she was not okay with one-night stands or flings.

Surprisingly, they got on much better than either had dared to hope.

They had similar interests and were both adventurous. They went on a couple of dates together without the others and enjoyed every moment of it.

Before their vacation ended, the new couple became the most cuddly and cheesy of the group.

Mathew loved Belle and treated her like his own, which everyone could see was not an act. It impressed Arabella a lot and gave her some hope.

Three days before the trip ended, Arielle and Thomas left the others and the kids and went out together. They had not gone out together, just the two of them, after they reconciled. Thomas could not bear to leave Adrian behind for even one evening.

It had been Arielle who had dragged him away because she had something serious to discuss.

After dinner and dancing, they ended up strolling by a park.

Arielle sat him on a secluded bench and confessed her thoughts.

“I want to be a surrogate for Joe and Rick’s child. We could do artificial insemination with both samples and leave the rest to fate. Just one try!”

Thomas was shocked and needed a minute to come to his senses.

“What?”

“They are my closest friends. Joe is like the best friend/cousin I never had. I want them to be happy. They have played with the idea of using a surrogate, but they did not want to keep the child away from the mother or take help from a random woman.”

“All their pleas for adoption were rejected. They turned their lives upside down to get adoption permits but never managed. I just want to help. I want them to be happy.”

Thomas did not know what to think. Even though she would not have any physical relationship with them, it was still awkward for his wife to conceive someone’s baby.

He kept thinking things over and was silent.

Arielle could sense his thoughts and added, “It’s awkward. I know. I got this idea when Adrian was born and saw the look of longing in their eyes when they took care of him. I never said it out loud, not even to Ar, because I was never sure. Even now, I am leaning both ways.”

She wrapped herself in his arms and said, “Say whatever you want. It’s normal if you don’t want this. I won’t do it if you say no. I will never breathe a word, and I won’t regret it. I had the thought, and I just had to tell you, get it out of my system.”

Thomas held her tight and kissed her tenderly on the face.

“To be honest, my first thought was whether you had lost it or it was a prank. And then I thought you were probably drunk or crazy. Pregnancy is not a joke. It’s fine to want to help your friends, especially since they are more your family than friends. But you could hurt yourself fatally during pregnancy or childbirth. Let me sleep on this. I will tell you when I have thought it through.”

Arielle kissed him till they were breathless.

“Thank you for even thinking about it. I was ready to drop the idea if you said no. I know this is crazy.”

On the last day of their vacation, the mood was somber.

None wanted to part ways, but duty calls, and they could not just leave their lives behind.

Joe asked if John had any plans ahead. John would be leaving PGI sooner or later.

John shrugged it off and said, “I am waiting for these two to start a company. I can join as an investor. I have a lot of money now. They left all their fortunes and are broke.”

Everyone laughed while Mathew agreed.

“We could do it. Just between us, we have enough money and resources to start a new company.” Mathew added.

“We all live in different countries now. That might not be possible,” Arielle said.

“Well, you and I are stuck together. Rick has agreed that we will move wherever you move. I mean, he stays away most of the time, and sadly you are my only family now. I also don’t trust you with Adrian.”

Arielle threw a French fry at him as they all laughed.

Joe continued, “Arabella got kicked out by her family after her pregnancy. She can move. Belle will have so many people around if we stay close.”

Arabella raised her glass to show her consent.

Joe looked at John and added, “John seems ready, though he may need to travel back and forth a lot to keep in touch with his family. That should not be a problem since he is rich.”

They laughed at the innuendo as he continued, “And based on what I gathered, Mathew has not lived in one place after college. It would do him good to settle down someplace, especially if he is serious about Ar.”

Arabella glared at him, so he added.

“I mean no pressure, Mathew. At least for now, but you gotta keep some things in mind. I knew I would move around the world to keep Rick company. I have not lived in his quarters because we missed the slot when it opened. My parents were sick and on their last days.”

Joe smiled at Rick, who hugged him tighter at the mention of his parents. They had a great bond between them.

Joe shrugged and added for Rick’s benefit, “It worked out in the end since she got knocked up, so I moved along with her.” He pointed at Arielle as he added.

They all laughed as he jokingly remarked, “I am the default dad when these two get knocked up. How heavy is the weight on my shoulders!”

But soon, they all became silent as they pondered over the possibilities.