Plates clash and conversations buzz in the diner as Tristan and I wait for our friends. After we order drinks, Tristan pulls out the book we bought. The pages rustle as he thumbs through it. “There’s a section about being pregnant at work.”

I can’t imagine it will tell me anything I don’t know, but I humor my husband. “Um-hmm.” I sip on my seltzer, and bubbles tickle the back of my throat as I swallow.

He grins as he glances up at me. “There’s one about pregnant sex too.”

I chuckle and lean in close to speak softly. “You’ve been having it for a few weeks now.” The memory of what my sexy alien does to me makes me blush a little and I say, “Maybe you should write that book.”

He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Maybe I should. But...” He frowns. “What is it you say? I don’t kiss and talk?”

I grin at him. “Kiss and tell.”

“Right.” He leans forward and places a hand on my knee as he grins. “Got any plans for after dinner?”

I open my mouth and put my hand over it as I fake a yawn. “I’m awfully tired. Maybe I’ll call it an early night.”

“Excellent plan.” Tristan gives me a knowing look as he slides his hand further up my leg. “I’ll tuck you in.”

I chuckle as I stop his traveling hand and think about how lucky I am that my alien match is so perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. I say, “I bet you will.”

A girl calls out, “Hey, guys!” and I glance over to see Hannah and Jake coming toward us.

I scoot over as they join us in the booth. Hannah is practically bouncing as she says, “I’m so glad you called us, I have some exciting news to share.” Since I know she and Jake are trying to get pregnant I look at her expectantly. She says, “We’re having a baby!”

“That’s so exciting.” I hug my friend and then glance at Tristan. He looks like he’s about to explode so I nod at him.

Tristan lets out a breath of air as if he was holding it in. “We are too.”

“Nice!” says Jake as he and Tristan exchange high fives.

“Really?” asks Hannah. She hugs me again. “Oh my gosh. Congratulations. We’re going to be moms together!”

“When are you due?” I ask.

“December second.” You?”

“November first.”

Hannah frowns, and I think it’s because she believes I’ve been keeping my pregnancy a secret. I say, “I was taken by surprise. I mean we weren’t even trying, and even though I’ve been tired, I’ve been so busy with my new client it never occurred to me I was pregnant. I just found out this afternoon.”

Hannah shakes her head at me. “You work too hard, Cassie.”

“She does,” says Tristan. “But you know how our girl is.”

“Driven,” says Hannah as she grabs my drink to take a sip. The waitress appears and I say, “I’ll take the burger, medium, and French fries.”

“She’ll have a side of steamed broccoli too, please,” says Tristan. He winks at the girl. “We’re having a baby.”

Jake says, “Us too.” She smiles as she writes on her pad and I chuckle at how proud the guys are. Once our orders are in and the waitress walks away, Jake asks me, “What kinds of foods are you craving?”

I think about how hungry I’ve been lately, and since I attributed it to the stress of my high-profile client I’ve been focused on eating right to keep the extra pounds at bay. I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve been living on Oliver’s shakes for breakfast so that’s good, right?” Our friend Morgan’s alien husband, Oliver, invented a nutritional energy powder that’s taking the world by storm, and I’m a convert.

“No late night trips to the store for ice cream?” Jake asks Tristan.

“Not yet.” He reaches over for my hand. “Cassie knows I’d go if she asked.”

I smile at him. “You do take good care of me.”

Hannah says, “Jake does the same. And he’s got me eating so well every night I’ve just about forgotten I used to survive on chips and toaster pastries.” She reaches down to her stomach. “This baby has me eating a lot though.”

I smile when I recall that Hannah’s not exaggerating. She found herself an alien who loves to cook, and he takes care of her in ways she really needed. I ask, “Have you told Morgan yet?” I think about our friend who now lives on a big farm about an hour outside the city. She and Oliver had a little girl last fall.

“No. I was waiting until we saw them again on Saturday. You’re still coming to dinner, right?”

“Oh.” I think about how much work I have to do for a motion I’m making on Monday and frown.

“Don’t give me that look,” says Hannah with a stern voice. “We haven’t seen you in forever. Do you even remember the last time you talked to Morgan?”

The three of us girls used to get together no less than once a week when we were all single, but since we’ve all gotten married we don’t see each other as often. I say, “It’s been a while, but it’s not just due to my schedule. Morgan’s busy being a mom, too.”

“Well she managed to get a babysitter, and you know whatever Jake makes is going to be amazing. No excuses. Even the most successful lawyer in town needs a break once in a while.”

Tristan nods as he waits for me to agree. I sigh. “Fine. We’ll be there.”

“Oh,” says Tristan. He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a tin of tea. He hands it to Jake. “This is the stuff I was telling you about.”

I tease my husband. “You’re letting him in on the secret stash?” A while back, I represented the first alien to be arrested for caffeine consumption. It was a high-profile case, and the media had a heyday with it. Accusations were raised that our president had knowledge of the issue and did not address the problem. While I think the rumors have merit, it muddied the waters for my case, so I publicly stated that, until proven otherwise, the accusation against President Stone was a smear campaign. A week later, a package came to my home. It didn’t contain a note, but the tins of tea with the presidential seal and text on the back detailing the story of the president’s desire to provide a safe alternative to coffee for aliens made me assume it was a thank you gift from the president herself, and some intern overlooked including a card. The mix of herbs supposedly provide energy benefits similar to coffee, but in a non-addictive form for aliens.

Hannah takes the container of tea from Jake. “Presidential tea. I saw something about this on TV. Does it really work?”

Tristan smiles at her. “It does. I’ve only tried it once, but it gave me an amazing amount of energy.”

Plates thump before us as the waitress sets them down, and I inhale the intoxicating odor of my burger. Now that I know I’m pregnant, I’m going to give in to my hunger. We’re all quiet as we begin to eat, and I let out a little sigh of appreciation when I taste my first bite.

Hannah says, “I know,” she holds a fork full of meatloaf in the air. “I feel like a cavewoman with the way I’m craving beef.”

I speak over my mouth full of food I can’t seem to shove in fast enough. “Me too.”

The two of us continue to eat quickly and make little noises. When I’m done, I resist the urge to lick my plate and notice Jake and Tristan watching us with confused looks on their faces. “What?”

Jake turns to Tristan. “I’m a little afraid right now.”

Hannah looks at me and starts to laugh as she drags her finger along her plate for the last of her mashed potatoes. “We’re kind of gross.”

I glance down at the ketchup on my shirt. “Yeah.” I should be horrified at myself, but somehow it’s funny to me too. I tilt my head towards the guys. “It’s their fault. We were civilized earth girls before they came along.”

Hannah reaches over and snags one of Jake’s carrots. “Exactly. It must be the alien influence.”

“Definitely.” I let out a sigh of contentment and lean back to loosen my jeans.

“Full?” asks Tristan.

I shake my head. “I was making room for ice cream.”

Jake grins. “I knew it.”

“Hmmm.” Tristan reaches for the book we bought tonight, and he flips to the back. “Ah ha!” he says. He reads out loud. “Erocian dad, don’t be alarmed if your wife has an insatiable appetite. Your alien genes may trigger a primal instinct in her neither of you knew existed. Don’t worry. The extra—” Tristan cuts himself off and looks up. “I guess it’s normal.”

“Wait a minute,” I say. I reach for the book but Tristan pulls it back. “What did that last sentence say?”

“It’s nothing.” Tristan grabs the menu and pushes it at me. “What kind of ice cream do you want?”

“Nice try,” says Hannah. She holds out her hand. “Give me the book.”

I scowl at him. “Don’t make me get all lawyer on you.”

“Every seen a crazy artist?” asks Hannah.

Jake holds up his hands. “Dude. Cut your losses. You better tell them what it said.”

“Okay, okay.” Tristan lowers his voice. “It says you’ll lose the extra weight once the baby begins to nurse.”

“Extra weight?” both and Hannah and I ask.

I ask, “How much?”

Tristan practically whispers. “An additional thirty to fifty pounds beyond normal.”

I moan. “Oh my god.”

“Me too?” asks Hannah.

My friend has always been thin without giving it an ounce of effort. I’d feel bad for her, but at least she doesn’t have to go to work every day with a bunch of cut-throat women. “Great,” I say.

“Ladies,” says Jake, “it’s not a big deal. I’m sure you two will lose it in no time.”

“That’s easy for you to say.” I groan. “What judge is going to take me seriously when I’m the size of a whale?”

Tristan winks at me. “You’ll just have more for me to hold on to.”

Jake says, “Right. All those soft spots...” He gives Hannah a smoldering look.

“Well.” Hannah turns to me. “Since we can’t help it, I’m getting ice cream.”

I’m tempted to chastise her, but my stomach actually growls, and I let out a sigh. I suppose if it’s only going to be temporary I might as well embrace it. “Me too.” I have a feeling this is only the beginning of the life changes I’m going to make for motherhood, and I’d better get used to it.