Chapter 12

“But Prudence is a university student. She won’t want to have a baby while at Uni.”

Reg made a factual remark. “Frances, there are at least several female students who are expecting babies, as far as I have observed.”

Frances retorted, “Yes, but all of them are married, so it is not such a problem for them.”

Reg backed down. “Sorry, I didn’t know that. Sorry I spoke.”

Frances patted his arm. “No, it is all right, Reg. Your observation was accurate, just not fully comprehensive. These girls are having babies by choice, and have a husband to help them cope. It is different for a single girl, which is why we three got contraceptive implants.”

Freda was quick to add, “Not that we object to having your babies, Reg. We are simply planning for the future. I for one see you as a long-term project with us girls. I want to always be with you, when you see me as wonderfully as you do.” She beamed at him, and he kissed her in reply.

Frances made the decision.

“Okay, girls, do we let Reg speak to her about joining us, and what she is willing to do about joining our little club? All those in favour?” Three hands went up, reluctantly. There was no great enthusiasm for Prudence, given that she was seen as an outsider, but they trusted Reg to make a good decision.

Reg said, “Right, are we getting back to sleep now?”

Erika cleared her throat, and Reg looked at her. “What, Erika?”

“Can I suggest you go back to Prudence instead of me, and she can face you when she wakes up? That should concentrate her mind.”

“You don’t want me to make love to you, Erika?”

“God, yes, I do, but we need to get this new project off the ground. Go to it, Reg.”

“Okay. I’ll do it. Which is her room? I haven’t gone there in the dark before.”

Erika told him how to get to her door. “The lights are out, but the bed is on the left. There is a bedside mat on the right side, which is the side I was on. Don’t trip over the mat as you go.”

Reg was noting those details. “Okay, I am off. Wish me luck.” He climbed out of bed over Frances, kissing her as he did so. He left the room thoughtfully.

Following the instructions, he found Prudence’s bedroom door by the yellow cast of the small night light in one of the power sockets. He eased the door open and slipped into the dark room. Gently he orientated himself according to Erika’s guidance, and shuffled his slippers over toward the bed.

He was pleased when his slippers encountered the bedside rug. From there, he was able to find the bed, and turn the covers down. Sitting on the side of the bed, he took his feet out of the slippers, and eased himself under the covers, careful to not come up against Prudence. He was remembering that his body would feel cold in comparison with hers.

Once in the bed, he was conscious of Erika’s body fragrance there, and allowed the delicious aroma to percolate into his nostrils. There was another unfamiliar smell there too, and slowly his mind told him that it was Prudence. His memory subconsciously had noted her body fragrance yesterday morning, despite the pervasive aroma of vomit in that bathroom.

He permitted the two fragrances to combine to send him to sleep.

He was wakened by Prudence demanding, “Erika! Stop snoring!”

Reg remarked in a soft voice, “Sorry, Prudence.”

“Reg! What are you doing in my bed?”

“I took over from Erika. She was wakened by you talking in your sleep, Prudence.”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t realise I did that.”

“I didn’t realise I snored either. Both of us have these facts to live with. It comes from sleeping alone; you don’t notice how you sleep.”

“True. Hmm ... Reg?”

“Yes?”

“The girls all sleep without nightclothes. Do you do the same?”

“Yes, that’s right. Frances insisted on it, my first overnight stay here. She said it was a house rule, so I observed it.”

“That means you and I are in bed together, both naked, right?”

“Now that you mention it, yes, you are right. So?”

“So, can we cuddle together?”

“If you would like that, Prudence.”

“Yes, I would, please.”

Reg moved his body closer to Prudence, until he felt her knees touching him. “Oh, you sleep with your knees up. Do you?”

“Not always, Reg. I often turn and sleep on my back. I am going to do that now.”

She moved herself around, then said, “Come closer, Reg. I want to feel your heat against me.”

He made the requisite shift across the bed, until he was against her slim torso.

He asked her, “May I touch your breasts, Prudence? I would love to know what such delicate breasts feel like to handle.”

She gasped, then declared, “I would like to know the same thing, Reg, so please do.”

He ran his nearest hand over her chest, fondling each breast first of all, then returning to finger the nipples, bring them to a hardness that belied their original softness. Prudence’s breath speeded up in response, and she gasped out, “That feels nice, Reg.”

After handling her breasts for a while, he leaned over to find her face and kiss her on the lips.

They both fell back from each other for a pause, then Reg said, in a voice not much more than a whisper, “Prudence, would you like to be one of my girls?” Before she could answer, he hurriedly added, “I know it must be odd, me having several girlfriends and now asking you if you would like to be one, but I am certain it is the correct thing for us. There is a connection between us that was not there before, and I hope you feel the same way.”

Prudence caught her breath before replying, so as not to seem too eager.

“Reg, I know what you mean. Yesterday with you, even while I was so ill, was a magical time for me. You were so attentive, making me feel I was the most important person in the world – in your world at any rate. I would love to be one of your girls, if they don’t reject me out of hand.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Prudence. What you SHOULD worry about, and this is important, is that to become one of my girlfriends you have to be prepared to have sex with me: lovemaking to completion.”

“Oh! I didn’t realise you were having sex with all of them. They have all let you have sex with them?”

“Not quite, Prudence. More correctly, they INSISTED that I have sex with them! I was a virgin, but so were they, and it was a learning process for all of us, but they have decided that we should all be together. I am amazed at this decision, but there it is. I accept their verdict.

However, I talked with them about you, my dear, and the verdict was that if you want to join our little clan, - and it is entirely your own choice – you have to have sex with me as well, to show your commitment to the group.”

“Reg. Reg, my darling man, I would love to have sex with you, BUT...”

“But what, Prudence?”

“But I am not protected, and at this time in the month, I am not safe.”

“I can understand the difficulty, Prudence. You don’t want to have my baby, then?”

This resulted in an other intake of breath. “Your baby? You would want me to have your baby?”

“At an appropriate time, Prudence, when you are ready to start a family. The others want to do so as well, but they have contraceptive implants at the moment. Do you want to start on a baby now, or later?”

Prudence face buckled, and she started to cry. Puzzled at this response, Reg pushed forward to cuddle her head and kiss her face all over. “I am sorry if I have upset you, Prudence, love. I didn’t mean to cause this to happen.”

She broke off her sobbing to tell him, “I am not upset, Reg. I am so overwhelmed by everything you have said. I really want to have sex with you, and to have your baby, but I also want to finish my degree course; and I am not protected!”

“Prudence, I would offer to wear a condom, but I don’t have any, with the girls being well protected.”

“But what can I do?”

“If you do want to start a baby, I will be by your side the whole way through. I promise I will not leave you, Prudence.”

She calmed down a little. “Can I talk it over with your other girls, Reg, before I decide?”

“Certainly. We can postpone the lovemaking until you decide to have a baby or a contraceptive. Shall we just go to sleep for the rest of the night, Prudence?”

“You are a lovely man, Reg. I have never met a man like you, and thought I never would. I expected to be alone, and now I don’t have to be!”

They both were soon sound asleep, and the departing migraine failed to rouse Prudence from her slumber. Reg didn’t even snore this time.

They were woken by Frances, Erica and Freda bursting in at 7 a.m., full of the joys of youth.

“Come on, you pair. Time to get up”, declared Frances. “What did you get up to last night? Did you do it?”

As Reg and Prudence sat up in the bed, both naked., they looked at each other to see who was going to speak.

Reg took the lead. “We fooled around a bit, but we didn’t go the whole way,” he explained. “Prudence doesn’t have protection at the moment, and she is unsure what she wants to do, so we agreed she should discuss it with you three today. After that, we can work out what she will do.”

Prudence added in clarification, “I agreed that I would be having sex with Reg, but we didn’t fix the circumstances, until we girls have talked it over. I need help from you three before I make any decision.”

Erika accepted these odd statements, announcing, “Right, it is time you were both up and showered. Breakfast will be ready shortly, so don’t waste time over your ablutions. Reg, keep your hands off her.”

Half an hour later, they were all sitting round the breakfast table, enjoying their cereal and mugs of coffee. Prudence had to tell them, “I am still not up to par, so if you will explain to the lecturers that I am still getting over a migraine, I will be happy to do any assignments you bring back for me.” She looked over at Frances.

“Frances, this is your house, so is it okay for me to spend another day here? I won’t need Reg today, as I can wander around by myself, and get something to eat if there are things in the cupboards and freezer that I can use, assuming that is fine with you?”

Frances was okay with that. “Just help yourself to anything in the food line, Prudence, and get yourself better. We can have our talk after we get home again.”

Reg was being cautious. “Are you sure you don’t need any help, Prudence? I am happy to help if I am needed, you know!”

She insisted, “No, Reg. You get back and catch up on what you missed yesterday. I might need some help with whatever assignments I have to deal with tonight, so that is when you will be of most help. I am just tired from the effects of this migraine: my muscles are sore, so I don’t want to be walking much. Around this house is enough, I think.”

The others all left for their classes, and Prudence prepared to relax for the day. She had a notebook in her purse from the last lectures she had attended, and studying them would be enough for her today, she surmised.

The group all arrived together at the end of the afternoon, bags and briefcases bulging with textbooks and notebooks for the evening’s studying. They also carried several bags that had interesting aromas drifting from them.

Reg explained, “Frances insisted on a visit to a takeaway on the way here, so we have a selection of Thai food for our dinner tonight. Can you put the kettle on please, Prudence?”