Perceptions 27-28/66
Chapter27
Eve sat on the plush navy blue couch, her shin resting on its back, while she watch Alexis move around the small kitchen area. "What are you making?"
Alex wiped her hand on her jeans. "There're chocolate chip cookies in the oven, Peanut M&M cookies waiting to go in and I'm working on cinnamon rolls right now."
"You haven't done much cooking lately." Dr. Malone said nothing, simply resumed kneading the dough. Eve rose from her seat and crossed the room to stand across the kitchen island from her lover. "Allie."
Alex punched a fist into the dough. "Don’t. Ok, Eve. Just don't. I can't do this right now." she said through clenched teeth.
"What?"
"I'm not going to fight with you."
"That's not what I was going to say." she walked around the island to stand closely beside to pediatrician. Alex merely raised an eyebrow. "Tsk. always so serious, Doc. Lighten up." She grabbed a sprinkling of flour and tossed it on her wife.
Alex stared at her in disbelief. "I can't believe you just threw that on me !"
Eve picked up a handful and dropped it over Alex's head. "Yep and oh look, I did it again."
Alex turned to grab her but Eve was too quick. "You're going to pay for that counselor." She grabbed the bag of flour from the counter while Eve grabbed the small bowl of it from the island.
Eve tossed another handful on her. "Doesn't look like it. In fact, it looks like ... ack!" She coughed as a barrage of flour hit her face. "I can't believe you did that!" More flour flew in her direction. She tried tossing more at Alex but seemed to get more on herself. "Ok ok I give up!" she set the bowl on the island counter and held up her hands. She waited until Alex had her back turned then upended the bowl over the doctor's red head. "Heh heh sucker!"
Alex turned off the oven before facing the lawyer. "You really shouldn't have done that."
Eve's lips quirked in a half smile. "Seemed like a good idea to me." She watched as Alex slowly closed the distance between them. "Besides, what are you going to do about it?" An evil gleam filled Alex's stormy grey eyes. Without a word, she scooped Eve into her arms and started carrying her down the hallway. "Allie! Put me down!" she protested. Alex continued until they were in the bathroom. "Allie! Hon, put me down. Please."
Alex finally placed her on her feet and locked the bathroom door. "You deserve to be punished."
Eve waggled her eyebrows. "And just what did you have in mind?"
Alex turned the knobs in the shower, then pulled her blue Yankees sweatshirt over her head. "We’re going to take a shower together and nothing sexual is going to happen. " She grinned mischievously as she stepped out of her faded blue Wranglers and white cotton panties.
The lawyer's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You can't be serious!"
Dr. Malone pulled Eve's white long sleeved Old Navy tee over her head. "This is what you get for ruining my kitchen. Ain’t payback a bitch?" She unsnapped the black Levis. Eve remained still. She dropped her head in frustration. "Now what?"
"What happened to us, Doc?" Eve asked bewildered.
Alex stepped into the bathtub under the spray of the shower head. "That's a serious discussion which breaks the cabin rule number six, no serious discussions in the bathroom." she stated lightly trying to ignore the ache in the pit of her stomach.
"Allie..."
"Eve, either get your fine ass in this shower or get out of the bathroom." Alex said irately. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes when she heard the door close. "Damn it." She punched the shower wall in a fit of rage. Why do I keep doing this to myself?
Eve sagged against the closed door. You know damn well what went wrong, Evangeline. You're just scared Allie knows too.
Chapter28
Alex walked slowly along the lake shore with Abby bounding alongside her. After several moments of deep reflection, she pulled out her cell and dialed her best friend's number. "Hey Kel, it's me."
"I thought you were in seclusion. Did something happen?"
She let out a deep pent up breath. "You could say that. Eve found me. Found out about the baby. Is here to drag me back to Columbus."
"Shit." Kelli whispered.
"Shit's right." She stopped walking to throw a stick for her dog. "I miss her but I don't want to leave here. It's too risky."
"So don't. Just stay there at the cabin. Or better yet, go home to your mom's. Or change locations every couple of weeks."
Alex nodded even though she knew Kelli couldn't see her. "I thought of that." She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "How much did you tell her the night I left?"
"Probably more than I should have." The psychologist admitted. "But damn it, Doc, she's so oblivious to what's going on with you. She tried arguing that there was no way you were depressed and I wound up slipping by telling her about the failed fertility treatments and your diminished sex drive."
"Oh you didn't!"
"I'm sorry. I also tried to make her see how supportive you were of her career even though you don't want her running for governor."
"Christ Kelli!" Alex exclaimed. "Is there anything you DIDN'T tell her?"
"I didn't tell her you were pregnant, or that you quit drinking, or that you knew about the affairs or about the job offers you've rejected. I still think you're nuts to have turned down St. Jude's and the Mayo clinic AND John Hopkins. What's she done for you?"
Dr. Malone walked out onto the boat dock and stared out over the water into the darkening evening sky. "This isn't about me or the sacrifices I’ve made."
"The hell it isn't! For the past twenty years, I’ve watched you lose more and more of yourself in an effort to keep eve happy. You've been so miserable since your first heart attack, I doubt you'd know what it feels like to be happy again."
"Hold on just a goddamn minutes here, friend."
"One more thing and I'll get off of my soapbox. I hate that she's hurt you so badly, Alex. It bothers me more than I can say how she's crushed that goofy fun loving spirit of yours. You deserve better." Alex held the phone away from her ear to sniffle softly. She brought it back in time to hear Kelli swear. "Damn it, now I’ve made you cry."
She wiped a tear from her eyes. "No you didn't. I ... oh... I'm just freezing my ass off here on the dock. Runny nose from the cold."
"You're a lousy liar."
"I know. Are you still coming to the cabin tomorrow?"
"Should I?"
"Please. Eve is less likely to pick a fight if someone else is around. Are you still going to stay until New Year's?"
"Do you honestly thing I'd let you watch college bowl games alone?"
"Ok stupid question."
"How's junior behaving?"
"Ha! Yes, someone who also calls him junior. Eve hates the nickname."
"Of course she does. She wasn't the one who coined it." Kelli scoffed.
"Anyways, junior seems to enjoy all the things I'm not supposed to have because of my heart. Beef in all forms, pork chops, sausage, bacon, gravy, butter, beer, coffee. I haven't caved on the beer and coffee, but all the foods I have. He only tolerates chicken if it's fried. All other forms make me gag."
Kelli laughed heartily. "That's your kid alright."
They chatted for a few more minutes before Alex decided it was too cold outside and disconnected the call. She paused briefly outside the back door and took a deep breath before entering the cabin. Abby dashed inside ahead of her and settled on the couch next to eve. Traitor, Alex thought to herself.
Eve used her finger to mark the spot in the book she was reading. "You were gone a long time." Alex shrugged noncommittally. "Are you giving me the silent treatment now?"
Alex pulled a box of death by chocolate ice cream from the freezer and a bottle of water from the refrigerator before she sat at the kitchen table. "No." she answered simply. She opened the box and started eating the cold food. She looked up to see her partner staring at her in disbelief. "What?" she wiped her mouth with her shirt sleeve. "Do I have something on my face?"
"You just spent two hours outside in 20 degree weather the come inside to eat ice cream. Have you completely lost your mind?"
The doctor dropped her spoon and closed the box, her appetite gone. She stood and shoved the ice cream back in the freezer. "As a matter of fact, I did. Now I’m trying to find it again."
Eve rose from the couch, crossing her arms. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Alex shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It's for me to figure out." She started down the hallway toward the bedroom.
The candidate followed, hot on her heels but was met with a slammed door once she reached the bedroom. She tried the knob only to find it locked. She pounded on the door. "Allie! Damn it Alexis, open this door!"
"Go away, Evangeline."
"Not until you open this door."
"Not gonna happen, babe." A ringing cell phone in the kitchen/living room interrupted their argument."Better get that, counselor. It might be your trusty campaign advisors." Alex yelled through the door.
Eve stomped don the hallway and picked up the ringing phone, half tempted to throw it against the wall. Instead she answered with a curt "What?"
"Uh, Eve?" came her father's voice from the other end of the line.
"Dad? Is something wrong with mom?" Panic mode slipped into place in eve's mind.
"No no. Everything here is fine. Just wanted to let you know we're not doing Christmas here this year."
"I know. Mom called a week ago."
"Ok. Well, Merry Christmas, Evie girl."
"Merry Christmas, Dad." She hit the red end button. Second later the phone rang again. She glanced at the caller id. "Hey mom."
"Evangeline?"
"Who else did you expect when you call your daughter's cell phone?" she laughed.
"Honey, why are you answering Alex's phone?"
"I thought it was mine. She locked herself in the bedroom because she's being a pig headed, SELF RIGHTEOUS" she yelled the last part.
"Don't forget pompous, overbearing failure!" Alex shouted back.
"Eve darling, " cut in her mother. "I need to speak to Alex."
"Just a minute." she returned to the bedroom door. "It's for you." After what seemed like an eternity, Alex opened the door the glare at the lawyer. As she handed over the phone, Eve asked. "Any idea why my mom's calling you?"
Alex merely shrugged as she removed the phone from Eve's grasp. "Malone here." Eve followed her to the kitchen. "You could say that." She pulled on her insulated flannel and ropers. "Not at the moment." She cast a brief glance at Eve on the way out the door. "I know and you’re right." She dusted the snow off of the bottom back porch stair and sat. "I don't know what to do anymore, mama Benson. She's been picking fights ever since she showed up this morning."
"How did she find you?"
"Bothered a colleague of mine, who called claiming to have picked me name in the hospital secret Santa." She rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"You can come stay with us whenever you feel like it, dear."
"Thanks."
"For someone so smart, that daughter of mine sure can act like an idiot."
"No argument here. Some days though, I wonder it it's worth the hassle. Wonder what would've happened if we hadn't gotten together, hadn't run into each other that day on campus. Wonder what my life would be like."
"Well then, Alex, maybe it's time to let her go."