Nordlys: The Northern Lights Orgy Club

10

"Hey, Jen!" I call out to my friend from across the cafe.

She waves at me, then repositions the large bag on her shoulder before edging her way through tables to get to me.

"Hey girl! What's poppin?" she asks, plopping down in the chair next to me, her bag sliding off her shoulder to land with a thunk on the floor.

"Well!" I say, and then hesitate.

I signed a non-disclosure agreement, how much can I even say right now? She puts down the menu and looks at me with more interest.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Uhhh, I just came from the doctor's office" I reply.

"Oh God, no" she says drolly. "Tell me you didn't!"

She leans in close and peers into my face.

"You did! You're fucking pregnant! Jesus!" she exclaims loudly.

I take a sip of my coffee, ignoring the stares of bystanders.

"You're keeping it?!" she laments with astonishment. "I can see your whole fucking life now, rooted down in a comfy suburban neighborhood, with your perfect little monsters running around underfoot, while your ass grows as big as a house" she grouses.

A waiter comes over to take her order, and she pauses her tirade to ask for a coffee and a croissant.

"I'm just amazed" she says after the waiter leaves. "I never saw you settling down with Lars. Even now, in your perfect suburban future, I don't see Lars in it" she informs me, shaking her head.

I purse my lips, not sure what I can say to that. Jen has always had something against Lars, from the very beginning of when we started dating, but she can't tell me what it is. She says she can't put her finger on it, but that she can't see him clearly. Something is hiding his future.

Jen is uniquely talented in that way. She can look at a person, or a decision that person makes, and then get a clear vision of their life cascading into the future. She's one of the few people here I can talk to about "witchy things", and she's also my aerobics instructor. I asked her about her evil eye tattoo when I first took her class, and our friendship kinda sprang up from there, but now I'm involved in the witchiest thing I have ever done in my entire life, and I can't say a word to her about it. I may need to request special consideration from the Overlord.

"There's something else though" she leans back in her chair and gives me an appraising look.

Her hand reaches up to her ear and rubs at it without being conscious of it, and her head tilts thoughtfully. She sighs through her nose frustratedly, but then the server comes with her order and she is distracted.

"So what does Lars think about the baby?" Jen asks, stirring her coffee precisely once counter-clockwise, and then thrice clockwise.

"Uhh, I haven't talked to him about it yet" I admit.

We were tired out after the visit from the Overlord and Tex, and so there was no time for talking. Just sleeping and bathing and going to work. I imagine Tex must have told him about the baby, when he left me alone with the Overlord. Right?

"That's good, give yourself more time to change your mind" Jen replied sagely.

"I'm not going to change my mind" I chuckle softly.

Jen heaves a mournful sigh. "I know" she says with a sad shake of her head.

After coffee I head back to work for the rest of the day, and I can't help but wonder if I will miss my job when the baby comes. It's too soon to tell my boss about the baby, according to the doctor. They said I should wait until I am 3 months along before I tell anyone, in case I have a miscarriage, which is common in the first trimester.