Boys Don't Cry

Chapter: 3

Rating: R

It had been about six weeks since Mary had moved to New York. She had gotten a job with a CBS affiliate at a small station as a producer. It was like channel eight back in Minneapolis, the station with all the ratings, the one that everyone secretly wanted to work at. The New York lifestyle took a little getting use to but she was managing just fine. She was enjoying her new start in life.

Rhoda had been trying to convince Mary to call Lou ever since she had moved in but she was getting absolutely no where. Her pregnancy was progressing, she was starting to show, and Lou was missing out. Not that she minded attending Mary's appointments with her, but she thought that Lou deserved to at least have the option. So Rhoda did what she thought she had to. She called him and convinced him to come to New York.

Mary came into the livingroom dressed in her pyjamas. She attempted to pull the tank top down over her burgeoning bump but it rode back up exposing about three inches of her curved lower abdomen. "I need to go shopping." she said. "Everything is too snug."

"Oh, I think you look cute." Rhoda said, slipping on a pair of red high heels. "And you have cleavage that most women would die for."

She looked down at her expanding bust line. "Yeah, I suppose so." she said, sitting down on the sofa. "They're still a little tender though." she reached for the remote. "So who's the lucky guy?"

"Phillip."

"Phillip from downstairs?" she asked. "The guy with all the muscles?"

Rhoda picked up her earrings off the coffee table. "Yeah." she replied. "We're going dancing."

"Sounds like fun."

She put the earrings on. "I just hope he's not one of those guys who goes on and on about himself." she said. "What you think? Look okay?"

"They're perfect."

Rhoda got up off the sofa. "You need anything before I leave?"

"I think I can manage, thanks." she said, flipping through the channels. "Have a good time."

"I'm certainly going to try." she picked her purse up off the table by the door. "I'll see you later, kid."

Mary stopped on an old Katharine Hepburn movie and was becoming quite engrossed when she heard a knock on the door. She got up off the sofa. "Rhoda." she drew out. "What did you forget?" she opened the door to find Lou on the other side. "Lou, what are you doing here?" she tugged her tank top down.

"I came to see you." he said, handing her a bouquet of flowers. "Can I come in?"

She took the flowers from him and opened the door. "Sure." she looked around for a coat or a robe. Something, anything. It was too late his eyes were sliding over her. This wasn't the way she wanted him to find out. She closed the apartment door.

"Are you pregnant?" he asked, a little stunned. He looked over her thoroughly. "You are, aren't you?" he asked, looking at her from the side. "You're pregnant."

"Yes."

"I thought you were on the pill?"

Mary nodded. "I was."

"Is this why you left?" he asked. "Because you're pregnant?"

"No it's not the reason." she said, laying the flowers down on the kitchen counter. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until after I got to Roseburg."

Lou was taking everything in, his mind was reeling. She would have told him already if he were the father. She would have. "How does Matt feel about it?"

"Matt?" she arched an eyebrow. "I don't know. He doesn't know. I didn't really think that there was any reason to tell him."

"I think he should know." he replied. "I mean it's the right thing to do, Mary. The man does have a right to know he's going to be a father."

"Why do you think this baby is Matt's?"

He shrugged. "Isn't it?" he asked. "I did see the two of you together."

"I didn't know you could get pregnant from kissing."

"Don't try to be cute, Mary."

"I'm serious." she said. "I had dinner with Matt once, the night that you saw us. And besides that was two months ago. I'm seventeen weeks pregnant."

"Seventeen?" he was trying and failing to do the math in his head.

"Yes."

"So who's the father?" he asked. "Who else were you seeing?"

"The baby's yours, Lou" she said. "Congratulations you're going to be a father."

He was absolutely silent for several long moments. "Are you sure?"

"What do you mean am I sure?"

"Well we were both seeing other people..."

"I'm positive." she was a little hurt, but given the circumstances she had no right to be. "You're the only possibility."

"You mean I'm the only guy you've been having sex since this entire thing started?" he asked. "What about all those dates?"

She shook her head. "No." she looked down at the floor. "You were the only one. I'm not the kind of woman who can carry on a sexual relationship with more than one man at a time."

Everything was happening so fast. He came at Rhoda's request and hoping that they could work things out between them. He wasn't expecting things to go back to the way they were at any point of their relationships, but he was hoping to find common ground. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Mary raised her eyes to meet his. "Of course I was going to tell you."

"When?"

"I...I don't know when." she replied. "I was hurt and I was angry."

"I had a right to know, Mary." his voice was low and filled with hurt.

"And now you do."

"You should have told me when you found out." he said. "I would have been there for you."

"It's fine." she tried to gloss it over. "I've been doing just fine without you."

Lou had went from being shocked to being hurt to being angry. "I can't believe this!" he mumbled. "I can't believe that you would keep something like this from me."

"I'm sorry." she suddenly found herself apologizing. "I just...I didn't know how you were going to react. This wasn't planned, we weren't even really in a relationship. And I kept thinking about our fight and I really...I didn't think you would believe me, which you didn't."

"And I'm sorry." he said. "I thought...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed like that."

"No, it's okay." she assured him. "This entire thing is one huge mess."

He couldn't help but notice the smooth stretch of skin peeking out from underneath her tank top. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but he felt like he had somehow lost that right. "May I?"

"Oh, um, sure."

His hand gently glided over her slightly rounded stomach. A smile played on his lips. "So everything's okay, right?" he asked. "You're fine? The baby's fine?"

"Yes, we're fine." she was starting to soften a bit. He was kind and gentle and she couldn't deny the love she felt. "I'm due in mid June."

"Let's start over." he took her hand and led them over to the sofa. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?" he immediately went into overprotective mode.

"I'm fine, Lou, really I am."

"I'm sorry." he said. "I've just never been in a situation like this before."

Mary half laughed. "Neither have I."

"Yeah I guess you haven't." he replied. "There's so much to figure out."

"I think you need to slow down." she suggested. "There's plenty of time for us to figure things out. We have about five more months."

"Okay." he breathed out. "I guess that will give us time to get use to the idea."

"You know, Lou, you don't have to do this..."

"I want to." he said, firmly.

Mary nodded. "Okay." she said. "I just don't want you to feel pressured."

"I don't feel pressured at all." Lou assured her, reaching out to touch her stomach again. "I'm quite happy actually. Did you really think I wouldn't be?"

"It crossed my mind."

"I know that you said that you were sorry that we started this entire thing, but I wasn't." he told her. "And I'm definitely not now."

"I've missed you." she said, almost hating to give in and admit it. Like it would somehow make her less of a person. "And I'm sorry...about everything."

"I've missed you too." he leaned in and softly kissed her lips. "I'm sorry too, things really got out of hand. You know things haven't been the same since you left."

"I'm very happy to hear that."

"Pregnancy looks very good on you." he said, looking her over. "I think you may be even sexier than before."

Mary smiled. "Compliments like that will get you everywhere."

"Yeah, I know."

They were quickly falling back into old and familiar habits, but damn it felt so right. So good. They found themselves moving closer together and suddenly they were right back where they initially started only this time there was undeniable evidence of their relationship between them.

It didn't take them long to make it to the bedroom. But there was something different about this time. It was softer, more gentle, yet still very intense. Maybe it was because she was pregnant, maybe it was because something had changed between them. Either way it didn't keep them from exploring each other for a second time that night.

tbc...