CHAPTER 11
Every ring made her look up, thinking the caller would be the new father-to-be. She gave up later in the afternoon when she hadn't heard anything from him. He was obviously not into the game.
This had been a dying wish after all. She felt a little disappointed. When she closed for the day later in the evening, too tired to cook, she had driven herself to her favourite Cafe for dinner and went home. There was a car parked at the garage and she wondered who it was. Just as she walked to the car, the door opened and Jason stepped down from the backseat. Evan stepped back, surprised.
"I've been busy." He said, swinging the door open so she could see the papers on the seat.
That must be the reason for his silence. She suddenly felt excited to know that, "Okay," she replied, casually.
"But I had to come." To his driver he said, "Give us a minute, Sam." Then he closed the door.
"We should talk." He said to Evan, "Your place please."
He followed her to the elevator and they were on their way to her apartment. It felt strange standing here in a confined space with him and having nothing to say. Whatever he had to say must be so serious he had to come down here. She tried to read his face from the corner of her eyes. He was unreadable. His face gave nothing away. At her door, he watched her open it and tried hushing a laugh
"That lock needs to be changed. It was too easy to unlock. I can have someone fix that." He said.
"No, you wouldn't." She fired back, a little too harsh.
Jason watched her quietly, what mood? "I don't mean any insult. I was here the other night. You were too drunk to give your friend the code." She blushed pretty, he noted. "I had to unlock it."
"I see what you mean. Can I get you anything," She asked rather than dragging that line with him. It was safer for everyone to change the topic.
"Water is fine." He followed her to the fridge, "I heard you agreed to do it."
Evan noticed how he didn't use the word for what she was to be, "Surrogate? Yes. Isn't that what you wanted?" She poured him a cup and handed it to him.
Jason accepted the cup but didn't drink, "I... have you thought this through? I mean these changes everything." He said.
"I'm an adult Mr Valdez."
"Jason, please."
She ignored that, "I am capable of thinking things through," she told him blankly, "If you however have a change of mind, then..."
"No. I just wanted to be sure. I heard Doctor Tom already walked you through the procedure."
"Yes. I know all about surrogate mother than ever now, thanks to him. I intend to be the sexiest surrogate mother ever." She joked.
"What?"
Both turned to see Logan, all white faced at the door. He looked like he had just been confronted with his worst nightmare. "Did I just hear you right? Surrogate mother?" he said walking briskly into the room uninvited.
Evangeline wondered how he got in, "Did I forget to lock the door?" When Jason murmured about changing her lock, she glared at him.
"I have your card." Logan explained. She stretched her hand asking him to return the card. Logan ignored her and stared at the man standing in the room with her. Recognition hit immediately. "It's you?"
Evangeline knew the instant Logan became hostile that they knew each other and it wasn't in a good way.
Jason ignored him and turned to Evan instead, "I'll have my Lawyer draft up the contract and you can give your lawyer and let's talk amendment." He said, dropping the cup on the table, then he stared at Logan like he was seeing a disgusting fly, "I see you need to discuss with your boyfriend."
"Ex-boyfriend." She corrected but he was out.
Logan looked at Evan from head to toe. "Did I hear right?" He asked again.
"Not that it's any of your business but yes, I'm doing it." She moved away from him and went to seat in her couch.
"Is this a way of getting back at me?"
"What for? You and Mary? Please" She felt insulted, she hadn't even given a thought to them at all.
"I didn't sleep with her Evan," Logan said, crossing the distance between them. He crunched beside her, "I didn't sleep with her. She drugged me, took those pictures but we didn't do anything."
"That's hard to believe."
"She confirmed it after I showed her the CCTV recording. She wanted to get me to do it, apparently, I kept saying your name, so she let me be."
Evangeline stared at the man in standing intimidating right in her front. Once she had loved him. Her world had revolved around him. Now, she wasn't sure she wanted those feelings anymore. It had been easy to be angry with him. The anger was a welcome relieve. If this was true, then doesn't that change everything? She turned away from him
"Please don't do anything rash because you're mad at me and Mary."
"I'm not doing this for you or anyone." She yelled angrily and stood up. "Leave Logan."
"Evan, please. Let me make it up to you," He pleaded.
"This change nothing Logan." She told him blankly and walked him out. Closing the door, she sighs heavily. Realization of what Logan had just revealed dawned on her, "Oh my God." She gasps. "This indeed changes everything."
But she knew she was in no way giving up the idea of having a child. If Logan could live with that, then perhaps she could consider taking him back. But somehow, it didn't feel right. It would be best if Logan wasn't a part in this chapter of her life. Zoe listened half-heartedly to her friend as she told her about her insane plan. She didn't support the idea. But with Logan being in the clear, she asked instead if that would change everything.
"So what do you intend to do?" She asked. They were seated in her room, watching the latest release of Keeping up with the Kardashians season finale
Evans took a scoop of her favourite vanilla ice-cream before replying. "Nothing. I think I'll just let Logan go. I can't have him in this."
"Even when you love him?"
"Zoe?" She drawled, "How did you?"
"I knew. You did a good job hiding it but I knew my friend was in love."
"Well, that changed when I saw him with Mary." Evan disagreed.
"It wasn't real."
"My point exactly. Now, I don't know what's real or not anymore." She said, concentrating on the show.
"You're not one to get so into this." She flipped the channel
"What, Zoe?"
"I want you to really think this through. Having a child out of the blues, that's a lot to take in. a whole responsibility" She explained, "You're throwing away your life when you can start afresh with Logan."
"How the hell is giving birth the same as throwing your life away?" Sudden realization made her ask, "Wait, did he put you up to this?"
Zoe rubbed her temple gently, "I met him this afternoon, though he didn't make me plead on his behalf, and he told me about Mary." When Evan didn't say anything, she smiled.
"Nothing happened between them. I hoped you'd get back with him but this surrogacy thing, I don't get."
"I'm just done you know. Done with the normal. I want to do this. I just don't know where Logan fits into all this. I need more time."
Zoe's smile made her ask, "What again?"
"Your mind is made up about this already." She told Evan, "I don't mind seeing you wobbling around for one."
Both friends laughed heartily, "I intend to be sexy." Evangeline warned, "No wobbling here."
"Let's wait and see." Zoe said, "Want to bet."
"Stop, I won't wobble." She said seriously, mentally taking a rain check on that.
Be the sexy pregnant mother!
