She read the instructions again and again and was sure she had followed them perfectly, and yet she couldn't fathom why things were turning out wrong.
"Damn I can pass the bar exam but can't follow simple instructions," She mumbled and she again reread the instructions slowly. A knock at the door broke her concentration as she yelled out. "Who is it?"
"It's Nora, you know the one you called telling to rush over here," The voice behind the door replied and Evangeline breathed a sigh of relief as she stumbled over the several small boxes that littered the floor and rushed to open the door.
"God I'm so glad to see you," Evangeline said as she pulled a surprised Nora into a tight embrace.
"I can tell, what's wrong?" Nora asked as Evangeline finally released her and moved back into her apartment. Nora closed the door behind her and then walked into the living room. "Whoa," Nora commented on the littered space.
"I don't know what I'm doing here, they're all wrong. I swear they make it look so easy but it's a lie," Evangeline exclaimed as Nora bent down and picked up the box closest to her feet.
"Oh," Nora said with a slight smile as she read the label. "And you took all of these?" She asked waving to the boxes on the floor.
"Well yeah, the first one was wrong, and then the second one, so I decided to get a larger variety, but they're all wrong," Evangeline whines as she flopped down on the couch, pouting.
"Ok well, what did they all say, sweetie?" Nora asked as she took a seat beside Evangeline on the couch.
"Positive, they all have two lines, some blue, some pink, others red, but always two. And they're all wrong," Evangeline proclaimed again.
"Yeah and I'd probably agree that that was a possibility with just one maybe two but sweetie I think you have every brand of pregnancy tests there are."
"And they're all wrong Nora, I am not pregnant, I can't be," Evangeline said so defiantly as if by saying it so it would make it so.
"Well, I guess the one way to be sure is to go to your OBGYN…"
"NO!" My OBGYN is a doctor and Michael McBain is also a doctor," Evangeline said as if it were a logical statement and her words caused Nora to stare at her in confusion.
"Yeah," Nora said coaxing her to continue.
"Michael is John's brother, what if my doctor talks to Michael and tells that I'm pregnant, Michael will tell John. I mean Michael's a great guy, and I really like him but he's got a big mouth. I don't want him telling John before I do. Not that any of it matters because…"
"You're not pregnant," Nora finished for her and Evangeline nodded her head. "Honey, you know there's that whole doctor-patient privilege law, so I doubt your OBGYN would tell Michael anything about you. But if it would make you feel better there's a clinic just on the outskirts of town, I can take you there now if you'd like," Nora offered.
"Oh God, Nora would you, that would be so great," Evangeline said as they both stood, readying to leave, but a knock on the door stilled them.
"Evangeline, it's me, John," The voice called out and Evangeline's eyes grew three times their normal size and she started to bounce on her feet in a panic and fanned her hands wildly about.
"It's ok, calm down," Nora whispered. "You go answer the door, talk to him out in the hallway and I'll clean this up, go," Evangeline did as instructed hurrying to the door, opening it, and moving out into the corridor, closing the door behind her before John could get in.
"Hi John," She greeted, and then she leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips, and he stared at her with a baffled looked. "What are you doing here?"
"I left work early, and thought I'd come by to see if you wanted to go out for dinner or, I don't know, do something," John replied and he noted how nervous she was acting. "Is something wrong, am I interrupting something?"
"No, it's just I was heading out for a bit, but I would love to go out for dinner."
"Good," John said with a smile as he began to move around her and reach for the doorknob.
"Where are you going?" Evangeline asked and hurriedly stepped in between John and the door and stalled his venture.
"Sorry, I was hoping to relax here and wait for you to get back, maybe catch a quick nap if that's all right?" Before Evangeline could think of anything to say loud thumping noises could be heard through the other side of the door. "You have company?"
"Huh?" Evangeline said as if she hadn't heard him clearly.
"Evangeline who's in there," He asked as his brow furrowed a little at her evasiveness. Evangeline's heart began to pound and her head throbbed as she tried to think of what to say.
"That would be me," Nora said as she swung the door open, greeting them with a smile. "Hey, John."
"Hey Nora," John replied as he kept his eyes fixed on Evangeline, who felt so small under his gaze. "So you want to tell me what you two were doing in there, that's making me unwelcome to stay here while you're out?" Again Evangeline was at a loss for words.
"Oh nothing, don't be silly of course you can stay, oh that is if Evangeline says it's ok. But believe me, there's absolutely nothing in there to make you unwelcome," Nora said as she moved further out into the hallway carrying a bag, which both Evangeline and John spotted. "Truth is, Evangeline was helping with some things," Nora said lifting the bag a bit. "You know lingerie and other stuff."
"Other stuff?" John repeated with a chuckle, suddenly getting a picture in his head about why Evangeline had kept him out in the hallway.
"Yes, stuff, you know stuff that would have completely embarrassed me had you seen them, which is why Evangeline was stalling you out here, but it's all good now so," Nora said eyeing Evangeline who in turn pushed the door open allowing John entrance. John walked past Evangeline stopping right beside her and partially in the doorway of the apartment.
"Did you get any 'stuff' that you'd need me to help you with?" He asked playfully as he leaned down and whispered in her ears. Evangeline nearly melted not only at his words but also at the images it provoked but then remembered her current dilemma and that it was those kinds of thoughts that got her in the mess she feared she was now in.
"No, sorry," She said throwing him a polite smile. "You know to make yourself at home and I shouldn't be too long."
"Ok."
"Bye," Evangeline said as she then hastily turned not seeing that John had bent down to kiss her, to which she had left him hanging there. He stared after the retreating ladies wondering what was really up with them. He shook his head, smiled, and then moved to the couch where he settled down for a nap.
