Perceptions 35-37/66
Chapter 35
In Columbus, the phone lines were buzzing. Leslie Martin-Hardcourt had issued a brief statement to the press stating she was challenging Evangeline Benson for the Republican's gubernatorial nomination. Eve's campaign manager, Jennifer Rhodes, pulled her blonde hair in frustration. "How the hell did our candidate drop off the face of the fucking earth?" she yelled at the rest of the campaign advisors. "This is Ohio not fucking Siberia!"
"Maybe she finally found Dr. Malone in time to spend Christmas together." suggested Jeff Clark. He wiggled her eyebrows and grinned lecherously to convey his double meaning.
"But no one knows where Doc is" pointed out Laura White leaning back in her chair.
"So we're still stuck at square one." groaned Jen looking at the ceiling. "Come on people. THINK! If you were trying to find your missing lover, where's the first place you look?"
"Someplace they feel safe." responded Laura instantly. "I'd be checking with her family, friends, co workers..."
"Now we're getting somewhere!"
"Doc was raised on a dairy farm. I figure she's either at the family farm or her own." responded Jeff. "The family farm's located in Sommerton.”
“She doesn't have one of her own." said Laura matter of factly.
Jeff flipped through a stack of papers. Above anything else, he loves proving people wrong. He pulled out a paper filled with information on Dr. Alexis Marie Malone. "Happy Lobsters Hilltop Guernseys. Her brother Aaron manages the farm." he skimmed the page. "Apparently there's also a cabin on Tappan Lake. If Alex is truly trying to hide, I'd almost put money on the odds that the cabin is where she is."
Jen smacked him on the back. "Good work. Now, we drag eve back here."
Jeff and Laura glanced uneasily at one another. Laura spoke up. "Are you certain keeping Eve closeted is such a good idea? Now that there's an opponent, I just have this feeling it's going to bite us in the ass."
Jennifer waved off the remark. "Outing someone else is a death wish, so Hardcourt's bunch isn't going to do it. Besides with the way Eve and Doc have been lately, the whole gay thing will be a non- issue by the time May rolls around."
Chapter36
Alex paused at the top of the basement stairs, unsure of whether to continue to the rec room to face Eve or return to the overly sympathetic gazes of the Benson clan. Here you go playing peacemaker again, Doc. She finally took a deep breath and continued down the stairs. However, nothing could prepare her for the sight before her. Eve had removed all of the pictures from the long southern wall and had re-hung what was essentially a timeline of their relationship.
The lawyer sat on the floor propped against the pool table, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms crossed and resting on her knees, her eyes red rimmed and bloodshot, just staring at the wall. Dr. Malone lowered herself to sit next to Eve, and held out the plate of food she's fixed for her lover. "No one said you couldn't join us for dinner."
Eve raised an eyebrow at the contents of the plate. Steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, green beans. "You made filet mignon for Christmas dinner?"
"Junior doesn't even like hearing the word T_U_R_K_E_Y, makes mama nauseous." she rolled her head to the right to look at Eve picking at the food. "What's with the wall?"
Eve speared a green bean with her fork. "Evidence."
Alex turned her head forward to take in the photos used. "Ahh."
They sat in companionable silence for several minutes: Eve poking around her food, occasionally taking a bite, Alex lost in memories. Finally, Eve spoke. "So who wants you now?"
"Huh?"
"The job offers everyone was dancing around upstairs earlier. At least, that's the only thing concerning your career that I can think of that I've ever said anything about. Like I said, who is it this time?" Alex inhaled sharply and held it. "Please Allie."
"Akron Children's. And Children's in Columbus upped their offer."
"What are you going to do?"
"Tell 'em that for the next two years, I'm playing single mommy rather than doctor, I guess."
Eve's face drained of color. "Single mommy?” She set the plate off to the side.
"Well, yeah. What else do you call a woman raising a child by herself?"
"By yourself?" she shouted incredulously.
"Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me that even with your political career, you're going to play an active role in this pregnancy and our child's life? Sorry, Eve, but we both know that's bullshit." Alex stood and crossed to stand closer to the photographs, her back to Eve. "Besides, don't you have interns and secretaries and defense lawyers to whisk off to tropical destinations and seduce?" Eve gasped loudly. “Yeah, I know about the affairs.”
"Actually, no, not anymore."
Alex crossed her arms but kept her back to her long time flame. "Got dumped again, huh?" she asked with the tiniest quiver in her voice. She clenched her jaw, refusing to let the tears blurring her vision fall. She snorted derisively. "Tell me, Eve. How am I supposed to trust you when you've been lying to me for eight years? Why should I be with you when all that matters is YOUR happiness?" She hung her head.
Eve slowly stood and came up behind her. She placed both hands on each of Alex's upper arms and rubbed up and down in a soothing manner. "I'm so sorry, Allie." she said quietly. She leaned her forehead between the redhead's shoulder blades. "I've screwed up so badly. I don’t have any excuses because there are none."
Alex turned to face her. "So where do we go from here?"
Eve grasped one of her hands and led her to the nearby barstools. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I think the big question is... is there still an us?"
"That depends on you."
"I..." Footsteps pounded on the staircase interrupting their discussion.
"Eve, there are two girls and a guy here for you." said Kelli breathlessly. "Said there was a big development in the race."
Alex shifted away from Eve but the lawyer kept a firm grasp on the pediatrician's hand. "Tell them I'm busy and whatever it is can wait. I have more pressing matters which demand my attention right now." she turned back to Alex. "We still haven't settled anything, Allie."
"Evie, as long as you've got a political career, our relationship gets put on the back burner." Alex said sighing in resignation. "Go talk to your campaign people."
"You're calling me Evie again. That's a good sign." Eve smiled broadly.
Alex waved her away. "We'll talk later."
"Promise?"
"Of course."
"Ok." Eve squeezed her hand before going upstairs.
Kelli took Eve's abandoned seat. "So?"
Alex had a slow grin spread across her face. "She noticed about her nickname. I'm going to make her work for it, but I think we're making some headway. Any idea what campaign problem is big enough to interrupt Christmas?"
"Eve has competition. Leslie Martin-Hardcourt."
Alex chuckled to herself. "You're kiddin' me right?"
"No. Why? Should I know her?"
Dr. Malone laughed harder. "Oh you know her alright. So does eve." she scrambled to her feet. "I have some calls to make. Away from prying ears." she pointed to the ceiling.
"Are you going to fill me in here?" The only response was a cheesy toothy grin tossed over the doctor's shoulder on her way to the stairs.
Chapter37
Eve stood in front of the couch where Jennifer and Laura were seated. Jeff was busy looking at the few pictures scattered around the living room. The Benson family sat at the kitchen table. The lawyer crossed her arms and glared at the two women in front of her. "What in the world was so damn important that you had to interrupt Christmas? There's a REASON I left without telling anyone."
“We need to talk strategy." Jennifer interrupted. "You have a challenger now. Leslie Martin-Hardcourt issued a statement this morning."
"Leslie Martin-Hardcourt? The state senate majority leader?"
"One and the same." Eve burst out laughing, falling to the floor in hysterics. She wrapped her arms around her shaking belly. After several moments of her campaign advisers staring in wide-eyed disbelief, she sobered. "Give me a few days to do some digging of my own. Then, we'll sit down and talk. For the time being, go back to Columbus." her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And don't bother my family or Allie. Keep them out of the papers."
Meanwhile down at the dock.
"Why are you doing this to me?" groaned Alex into her phone.
"Doc, you've been miserable for ages. Eve needs to decide once and for all what's more important to her... you or her career. If she's determined to have both, I'm pulling out all the stops."
Alex detected a note of warning in the senator's tone. "Please tell me you're not going to do what I think..."
"Let me put it bluntly. Eve is going to get shoved out of the closet one way or another. She can do it on her own to avoid backlash or a few mutual friends can do it for her. In any case, after 18 years it's about damned time she publicly claimed you. You deserve better that she's treated you, Doc."
"How the hell am I going to... you can't do this, Les." she rubbed her eyes wearily. "Evie and I are finally making some headway on our own. Don't fuck this up for me."
"I'll give you fair warning, Doc, but only because it's you asking. Have you made a decision yet on the job offers?"
"Well..."