“Hey, Beautiful.”
Cate felt warm breath in her ear as the silky murmur
floated through her dream. A tingle ran
down her spine, making her shiver in her light slumber. She smiled, grateful her alarm had not yet
roused her. She wanted to enjoy this
dream a little bit longer.
“Good morning.”
“Mmmmrrrrrfffff…” Cate growled. She wasn’t going to let the sexy voice trick
her into letting go. She was snug and
warm and happy in her soft cocoon of sleep.
As soon as she opened her eyes it would all be gone.
“Baby...”
The warm nuzzle against her cheek invaded the filmy haze
of dreamland. Slowly Cate cracked open a
long-lashed eye.
The room was shrouded in the pre-dawn violet-gray of winter, making everything look as if it was part of a grainy black-and-white photograph. Only the figure perched next to her on the mattress’ edge was in clear relief. Her lips curved into a pout as she realized she was now awake, her lovely dream vanished.
The room was shrouded in the pre-dawn violet-gray of winter, making everything look as if it was part of a grainy black-and-white photograph. Only the figure perched next to her on the mattress’ edge was in clear relief. Her lips curved into a pout as she realized she was now awake, her lovely dream vanished.
But it wasn’t a dream.
It was better.
My funny Valentine…
Sweet, sexy
Valentine…
You make me smiiiiiiiile…..
with my heart….
Jon’s sultry croon in her ear made Cate sigh. A sleepy smile again curved her lips as she
snuggled against her pillow, burrowing a little further down into the warm
linens.
“It’s too early…” she mumbled. “My alarm hasn’t gone off yet.”
“I know. Sorry,
Baby.” Jon smiled and with a gentle
finger swept a thick mahogany strand from Cate’s cheek. “But today’s a big day. I want to start it out right.”
Cate sighed softly, her eyes still closed as her foggy
brain processed his words. “Mmmm… Sorry. Can’t.
Doctor today.”
Jon chortled throatily.
“Not that, Silly Goose.” He leaned closer to again nuzzle at her
ear. “Happy Anniversary, Baby. I made you breakfast.”
“Hmmm?” At that
Cate again cracked her lids. She gave
him a wary look before slowly raising her head from her pillow. Her auburn locks slipped over her bare
shoulders as she turned her head to glance at the clock on the bedside table. As she noted the early hour Cate pulled in a deep breath, the sweet aroma of cinnamon and sugar filling her nose.
"Breakfast?"
Jon grinned and straightened up, for the moment keeping his perch on the edge of the mattress. "Cinnamon roll pancakes with fresh raspberry puree -- NO syrup. And whipped creme fraische. Your favorite."
"Breakfast?"
Jon grinned and straightened up, for the moment keeping his perch on the edge of the mattress. "Cinnamon roll pancakes with fresh raspberry puree -- NO syrup. And whipped creme fraische. Your favorite."
“You made
them?” Cate’s husky voice didn’t mask
her surprise.
“Yes, I did. All
by myself.” Jon smirked proudly. “But they were from a mix, so…. Oh, and don’t go in the kitchen for awhile. It ain’t pretty in there…” He chuckled at his self-deprecating tease,
mentally picturing the enormous mess he had produced through his effort.
“S’okay. Cleaning service comes today.”
“And I brought you coffee. Don’t worry…”
he immediately responded to her little squeak of disagreement. “Decaf, organic. With raw sugar and fresh cream.”
Cate sighed and dropped her cheek again to her pillow,
blinking slowly as she awakened more fully.
“I should have my tea.”
“Not today, Baby.
Treat yourself.”
“Mmmm… Well….” The
sheets rustled as Cate slowly shimmied around under them, turning from her
stomach onto her side and propping herself up on an elbow. She smiled weakly. “I do
miss coffee…”
Jon slipped gracefully off the edge of the
bed. He padded silently over to the
dresser and picked up the tray he had left there just a few minutes ago. Careful not to jostle the dishes and glasses,
Jon carefully carried their breakfast back to the bed.
Cate rubbed her eyes and yawned, then pushed herself up
to sit. A gentle smile warmed her
expression as Jon settled the tray across her lap before rounding the bed to
crawl back onto the mattress. He slipped
under the sheet and sidled over to her, then ducked his head to give her a
tender kiss.
“Morning,” he murmured, renewing his greeting. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Baby”
Cate smiled and nuzzled his cheek as Jon pulled back from
the kiss. “Happy Anniversary.” She turned her attention to the breakfast
tray, humming happily as she reached for the metal travel mug. Its warmth in her hand made her sigh as she
raised it to her lips for a sip.
“Ohhhhh… God, that tastes good,” she groaned softly, savoring
the rich flavor.
Jon chortled and slipped his arm behind his wife, curving
his hand around her side. “Sometimes
it’s the small pleasures, huh?”
Cate nodded. “You
don’t realize how good they are until you can’t have them.” She sipped again, then reached to dip her finger in the whipped cream that
adorned the stack of golden-brown pancakes covered in bright red glaze. She hummed again as she licked the sweet foam
from her fingertip.
“Jon? Why did you
get up so early to do all this?” Cate
sighed and tipped her head against Jon’s bare shoulder. “We could have had breakfast together after
my workout.”
“Because.” Jon
wrapped his fingers around the little electronic box at his side. “I thought it would be nice to watch the
sunrise together.” He raised the remote
and aimed it at the sensor in the corner, pushing a button. A quiet whir
filled the bedroom as the curtains slowly parted, revealing the spectacular
panoramic view from the Manhattan penthouse’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
“But Baby, the sunrise won’t be for another hour or so
yet. It’s winter.” Cate’s eyes scanned the skyline, which was
just beginning to glow faintly pink through the velvety pre-dawn gray.
“So we’ll just stay here in bed and cuddle and talk and
take our time with breakfast.” Jon again
ducked his head to nuzzle at Cate’s neck.
“No workout today.”
“Well…” Cate’s
reluctance lasted all of a second. “Okay,
I guess.” She smiled and turned her face
to again capture Jon’s lips with hers.
“It’s a big day today,” Jon murmured softly.
“Mmm Hmm.”
“You’re only going in to the office for a few hours,
right?”
“Yes.” Cate smiled
and reached for a fork, unable to resist the tantalizing aroma of the cinnamon
pancakes any longer. “Just ‘til
noon. I took leave for the rest of the day,
and for tomorrow.”
“And you’re turning off your phone, right?” Jon arched a brow
with his question.
Cate chuckled gently.
“You know I can’t do that, Baby.
But I promise I won’t answer
it when we’re at the clinic.”
“Well, alright,” Jon conceded with a little smile. He chortled softly as he watched Cate cut a
piece from the pancake stack and spear it on her fork, then dab it with
raspberry sauce and whipped cream.
Willingly he opened his mouth for the bite when she raised the morsel to
his lips.
“Mmm.” Jon chewed
and swallowed. “Damn, that’s not
half-bad if I do say so myself.” He
smirked at Cate. “You totally just tested
that out on me, didn’t you?”
Cate giggled.
“Yup.”
“Like the old kings used to have some poor servant taste
their food to see if it was poisoned?”
“Exactly.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Jon’s fingers curled against Cate’s side, giving her a playful
tickle. She squirmed lightly.
“Hey, survival of the fittest.” Cate chuckled as she lifted her own bite of
breakfast to her lips. She hummed
happily as the flavors awakened her taste buds.
She chewed and swallowed slowly, then washed the bite down with another
sip of hot, sweet coffee.
“Seriously, Baby… this is delicious. Thank you.”
Cate smiled and offered Jon another sweet kiss. He chuckled upon discovery that her lips
tasted like raspberries and cinnamon.
They ate slowly, sharing the pancakes and savoring the
quiet. When they finished Jon carried
the tray back to the kitchen, returning with a fresh cup of Valentine’s coffee
for Cate. She sipped at the rich beverage
while Jon settled back into his place on the bed, then she set the cup aside and
curled into his arms.
Cate sighed happily as the warmth of Jon’s embrace
enveloped her. She could easily stay
here in bed with him all day, all week, forever. But that couldn’t happen, especially not
today.
Reading her thoughts, Jon reached up to stroke Cate’s hair. “A little nervous?”
“Yeah. A
little.” She sighed softly. “Not so much about the appointment. About… after.”
Jon’s heart squeezed.
He didn’t want to hear the thought any more than Cate wanted to voice
it. But he knew their recent
disappointments had made her gunshy, afraid to allow herself to hope for a pregnancy this time.
“Our life’s about to change, Cate,” Jon murmured
softly. “When the sun comes up tomorrow,
things will be a little different. It
may not seem that way, but we’ll know.”
Cate nodded, her cheek brushing against Jon’s firm
chest. Her arms tightened around his
waist. “So it’s good to enjoy it
today. Together.”
“Yeah.” Jon’s
reply was barely a whisper as he pressed a kiss against the crown of her head.
Their words ceased but their hearts spoke as they lay
together, watching the sky lighten over the city.
*****
“And there they
are… The Lucky Val-en-tines…”
Cate giggled at Edie’s sing-songed greeting as the
cheerful nurse sashayed into the consultation room. She was dressed for the holiday in festive
red scrubs under her white lab coat. A
pink ribbon sash draped across her chest, proclaiming her to be “Queen of Hearts.” On her bottle-blonde hair gleamed a pink
rhinestone tiara.
A wide grin split Jon’s face at the nurse’s getup. “Look, Baby.
We got the pageant winner today.”
“Ta dah!” Edie
twirled slowly in front of Jon, then gave him a saucy wink. “You rock star types, always flirting with us
supermodels.”
“Nah, I only flirt with the prettiest ones,” Jon gave
Edie his best sexy smile. “And I’ve been
savin’ up for you, Doll.”
“Pffft.” Edie
waved a hand at Jon as she sputtered at his attempted suck-up. “You better have been savin’ up, if ya know what I mean.”
She gave him a dirty smirk.
“Oh, I know. And I
have been.” Jon grinned back at Edie, then
glanced at Cate. His smile gentled. “Gonna make sure we do this right the first
time.” Her nod affirmed his statement.
Edie chuckled.
“Well, you’ve had a little practice at this, so I’m pretty sure you’ll
do just fine on a ‘one-shot deal’.”
Jon laughed at her pun.
“Yeah, well. I just hope you got
some better porn in there this time. All
that old stuff is gettin' kinda boring.”
“Well excuse
me, Mister Sex and Booze and Rock-and-Roll!” Edie bantered back. “Sorry we have boring porn in the Whackadoodle Room.” She rolled her eyes playfully, then gave Cate
a cheery smile. “Actually, I think we
might have a little something in there this time you’ll enjoy.”
“Oh really?” Jon
arched a brow at the nurse, grinning sexily.
“You got somethin’ special in there? Just for me?”
“I sure do. Just for you.” Edie gave Jon another wink, then turned her
attention to Cate. “Okay, Missus… You want
to head on down to the lab for your pee-test?
You know the drill. I’ll jab ya
with the needle when you come back.”
Cate nodded, exchanging a conspiratorial smile with the
nurse. She picked up her oversized tote
bag and looped the handles over her shoulder before standing up from her
seat. “See you in a couple minutes,
Baby.”
Jon tipped his head as he smiled back at Cate, mildly puzzled by
her farewell. “Okay. I’ll be here.” He watched her move quickly to the door and
slip out of the room.
Nurse Edie stepped over to the counter, tapping at her
electronic tablet to bring up the couple’s chart. “Alright, Handsome. Off with that sweater. I gotta get your blood pressure before I send
you down the hall to raise it a few points.”
Jon chuckled at Edie’s playful but accurate
statement. Uncrossing his legs and
leaning forward in his chair, he reached behind his neck to tug his gray v-neck
sweater up and over his head. He heard
and felt a crackle of static as the wool slid over his shaggy hair. He absently smoothed a hand over his hair
before draping the sweater across his lap.
“Which arm you want?”
“The Superman one, of course.” Edie grinned, not looking up from the
chart. She had done enough pre-specimen
exams with Jon to have noted the location of all his tattoos and distinguishing
marks.
With a little grin Jon pushed up the short sleeve of his
black t-shirt, baring his upper left arm.
He waited patiently while Edie made a few notations on the tablet, then
pulled the blood pressure machine over to where he sat. Jon passively offered his arm for Edie to
wrap in the uncomfortable rubber cuff.
“So, how’s Cate doing with this?” Edie’s voice was still cheery, but her
question was more serious.
“She’s a little nervous.
Excited, too.” Jon let his arm hang limply at his side as the nurse slipped the metal diaphragm of her stethoscope
under the rubber wrap. She pressed the switch to inflate the cuff around his
bicep.
Edie nodded as the machine emitted a low hum. “It’s
been a long road for you two already.
But now we’re getting serious about this babymaking stuff.”
“Yeah.” Jon
nodded, his voice softening. “She’s
doing okay, hanging in there. But she’s
afraid, too. We’ve had so many
disappointments already…”
“I know. But you
gotta keep believing and supporting each other.” The machine beeped, halting the inflation on
the cuff. Edie paused for a moment,
looking at the numbers on the machine as she listened to Jon’s pulse thudding
in her ears. Satisfied, she tugged the stethoscope earpieces from her ears and pressed the pressure release button. “Looks good, as usual.”
“We’re trying.”
Jon smiled as the nurse unwrapped his arm, the Velcro making a sharp
ripping noise. “Sometimes it’s hard, but
we get through it.”
“Good.” Edie gave
Jon a genuine smile, then pushed the machine back to its corner. She paused to note his blood pressure on the
electronic tablet, then turned back to face him.
“Okay, so.
You know the procedure. Wash your
hands first, sterile cups are on the shelf above the sink. Don’t open the cup until you need to; just
loosen the cap for easy access in a hurry.”
She smirked slightly. “Don’t
touch the inside of the cup, cap it immediately and get it over to the window
as soon as possible. After you take a
minute to get yourself cleaned up, of course.”
“And Doris takes it from there.” Jon nodded his understanding. He had already been through this process more
than a half-dozen times. The indignity
of it had worn off.
“Yep. But tonight
we’re gonna set those little swimmers free upstream, after they have a nice
little bath.” Edie chuckled softly. “I assume you’ll want to be with Cate when
Dr. Klein does the insemination?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. After you
provide your sample you’ll have about an hour to wait while it’s processed and
we prep Cate for the procedure. It’s not
a big deal, but we don’t do it in a regular exam room, just to be on the safe
side. We want to keep everything as sterile
as possible, so we use what we call a ‘clean room’. Kinda like an operating room, but a little
fancier.”
Edie paused and gave Jon a sympathetic little smile. “So, I hear you had to cancel your
Valentine’s Day plans for tonight, huh?”
Jon shrugged.
“Yeah. Actually, it’s our wedding
anniversary today, too. So it was more
anniversary plans than Valentine’s.”
“Aww. That’s
sweet, that you were married on Valentine’s Day.” Edie grinned.
“You’re just a big Sap, aren’t ya?”
Jon laughed, nodding agreeably. “Yep, I admit it. I’m a total, hopeless, starry-eyed
romantic. Moreso than my wife.”
“Really? Usually
that’s the other way around.” Edie
chortled softly.
“Oh, Cate’s mushy, too.
She just doesn’t really wear it on her sleeve.” Jon’s blue eyes gleamed, his voice gentling
as he described his wife. “But she
actually has a truly romantic heart.”
Edie smiled at Jon’s obvious affection for the woman who
shared his life. It always warmed her
heart to hear a man talk about his wife with such reverence. While she dealt with loving couples on a daily
basis, it wasn’t often she saw such devotion from the man during private
conversation.
“I’m sure she does.”
Edie’s smile turned to a little smirk as she stepped over to the
consultation room door. “Okay, Loverboy…
you ready?”
Jon stood, draping his sweater over his shoulder rather
than pulling it back onto his torso.
Considering where he was headed there really was no point. “I was born
ready, Darlin’.”
“Oh, Lordy.”
Edie’s swear was delivered with a little chuckle as she gave her eyes an
exaggerated roll. She led Jon out of the
consultation room and down the hallway toward the laboratory wing of the
clinic.
Jon chuckled, following her. “You realize I do know where I’m going, right?”
He didn’t normally get a personal escort to the specimen collection
suite.
“I know. But you
were the one whining about the boring porn in the collection room.”
Jon snickered.
“What, you got some private stash you’re gonna break out for me? The good
stuff?”
“Something like that.”
Edie smirked cryptically as they turned the corner from one hallway to
another.
Jon’s blue eyes narrowed as he detected the smugness in
her reply. “Alright, Nurse Ratched… What
are you up to?”
“Me? Nothin’. Just doing my job.” Edie kept her eyes straight ahead as she
marched down the hall. She couldn’t
control her grin, though.
“Edie…”
The nurse ignored Jon’s suspicious half-plea. She didn’t stop moving until they arrived at
the dark-paneled door to the private specimen collection room. Reaching up to the gold-framed sign attached
to the wood, Edie slid the plaque from left to right, changing the room’s
status from “Available” to a discrete “Reserved.”
“Alright, Mister Bon Jovi. Let’s see what we’ve got in here to help you
along.”
Nurse Edie turned the knob and stepped into the
room. She held the door open just far
enough for Jon to follow her in, then she pushed it closed behind them. She smiled, watching Jon’s reaction to his
unexpected surroundings.
“What the fu…???”
Jon stopped his curse just in time as his eyes widened with
surprise. He had been in this very
room more than a handful of times, but
never did he recall it looking like this.
The sleek, modern-furnished room had always been dark, manly, and
somewhat austere. But now… now it looked
like a private room at a high-end Gentlemen’s establishment.
The black leather couch and chrome-and-glass tables were
still where Jon remembered them, against the wall opposite the large
television. The small sink and vanity
were still tucked in the corner of the room, plastic specimen cups and rolls of
paper towels neatly stacked in the open shelves above the mirror. A dark, low bookcase still stood against the
wall beside the TV, holding a selection of magazines and DVDs that catered to a
variety of carnal tastes. But everything
else was new.
Soft violet-hued light glowed from black-shaded lamps on
the end tables. On the black leather
couch was draped a dark, clearly plush blanket made of what looked like some
sort of fur. In the center of the room
sat a huge round black-leather ottoman, its top inset with a smaller round dark
wood table-top. A violet spotlight
streamed down onto the ottoman-table from directly above, illuminating the wood
with a purplish glow.
The spotlight drew Jon’s gaze upward to the source of the beam. He noticed the other
usually-dimmed recessed lights had been replaced with dark purple bulbs as
well, adding to the sultry mood of the room.
In between the light fixtures hung large clusters of black paper hearts
in varying lengths, subtly hinting at a romantic theme.
Most striking, the room was filled with roses. Dark burgundy blooms overflowed sleek silver
cylindrical vases on almost every surface, their rich perfume scenting the
air. Jon counted eight bouquets of at
least two dozen roses each in his quick, wide-eyed scan of the room. The combination of the flowers with the sultry lighting and the subtle
heart motif made the room look like the site an elegant gothic Valentine
celebration. Soft saxophone music
drifting from concealed speakers emphasized the dark romance of the setting.
“Edie… what the Hell?”
Jon’s question was a wondering murmur.
He stepped further into the room, pulling his sweater from his shoulder and dropping it onto the sleek round ottoman. His gaze continued to glide over the decor. Surely this obviously
specially-prepared love den wasn’t for him.
He was only here to provide a medical specimen.
“Surprise, Baby.”
Cate’s soft voice floated through the room, over the music. Jon’s eyes widened as he turned to look at
the one place his gaze had not yet covered, the space behind the now-closed
door near the little ledge and window to the adjoining laboratory.
Jon’s pulse raced as Cate stepped forward, from the
shadow into the violet light. He
realized she wasn’t wearing the dark sweater and jeans in which she had been
earlier attired. Now she was wearing a
white lab coat that glowed purple in the room’s colored lighting. Her thick auburn tresses shone with violet
highlights, and her creamy pale skin looked almost porcelain while her painted
lips glowed the deep burgundy of the roses.
“Cate...? What…?” Jon couldn’t form a full question; his
mouth kept falling open in wonderment.
Nurse Edie came to his aid. Still smiling, she spoke quietly to her tongue-tied male patient.
“This was all your wife’s doing. She called this morning and explained how you
had to cancel your romantic plans for tonight because of this appointment. She asked if there was something she could do
for you here…” Edie paused to swallow a little lump that rose in her throat at
the romantic gesture.” “…Something to
thank you for being so understanding and supportive. We were happy to oblige. She had everything sent over this afternoon.”
Jon’s blue eyes glowed brightly as he gazed at Cate. “This is all… all from you?”
Cate nodded. “I
know it’s not exactly traditional.” She
chuckled throatily. “But since we can’t really
consummate our anniversary, this is the next best thing. I’m… I’m here to help you.”
Jon’s eyes widened as he realized what her presence in
this room meant. He swung his
disbelieving stare to Edie, then back to Cate.
“Help me? You mean… in the cup…?”
“Jon, it’s actually pretty common for a male
patient to have assistance from his partner in producing a semen sample.” Nurse Edie’s explanation was simple and
professional, without any hint of judgment.
“In fact, we encourage it. Many
couples going through fertility treatment find this practice enhances their
intimacy as well as bolsters their confidence in the process.”
Cate gave Jon a little smile. “Since we’re not going to be able to do this
the traditional way… well, I thought we should at least share as much of it as
we can.” She felt her cheeks heat with a
blush as she gave a little shrug.
A slow grin stretched Jon’s lips as the idea registered
in his brain. Now that he thought about
it, having Cate’s assistance with this task would be beneficial. And much more pleasant than doing it alone,
staring at the television.
“We have also found the quality and quantity of the
specimen is more robust with partner assistance.” Edie read Jon’s expression. “So there are some medical benefits to the
interaction, too. To put it simply,
you’re happy, she’s happy, and you get happy sperm.”
Cate chuckled softly at Edie’s cheery description. She gave Jon a little smile. “So, Baby?
Willing to give it a try? We have
a little less than an hour.”
“Sure. Yeah.” Jon chortled softly. “In fact, why didn’t you think of this
earlier?”
Cate shrugged. “I
guess I was kinda wrapped up in all the other details.
Jon held out his hand.
“C’mere.” His voice was
gentle. Cate obliged, moving over to
stand beside her husband and slipping her hand into his. She gave Nurse Edie a grateful smile.
“So, you said there are some rules?”
The nurse nodded.
“Yes. Like Dr. Klein told you
yesterday, with IUI we want to keep the process as clean and pure as possible,
without removing fertilization from the woman’s body. To do that, it’s important we get as strong a
sample as possible from you, Jon.”
Jon smirked. “I
don’t think that will be a problem.”
Edie chuckled at his macho boast. “Yes, I’m sure. But we also need this to be a clean sample,
in that it has no contaminants. That
means you will have to be a little careful about the methods of stimulation you
use.” She paused, looking from Cate to
Jon before continuing.
“First off, you both need to wash your hands before
either of you have any contact with Jon’s genitalia. Even something like hand lotion or
antibacterial gel can be spermicidal.
Also, you must limit your activities to manual stimulation. If you need lubricant, there is
water-soluble, non-spermicidal lubricating gel in packets on the shelf with the
specimen cups. Use only as much as you
need, and apply the gel to your hand, not directly to Jon’s penis.”
“Also, no vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
Avoid genital-to-genital contact such as rubbing or stroking, even while wearing
underwear. No other bodily secretions,
including saliva, should be mixed with the ejaculated semen.”
The nurse couldn’t stop
a little smirk at Jon’s involuntary cringe in response to her blunt
directive. Edie glanced at Cate and
saw her smile had faded as well, but she maintained a stoic expression.
“Bottom line is…” Nurse Edie’s smile gentled. “Take your time. Enjoy yourselves. Some couples like to watch the videos
together, or read from the magazines.
Some like to role-play. Some just
like to talk. You know what turns each
other on… Consider this back-to-basics, Foreplay 101.” She gave Jon a little grin. “And then you get rewarded with a
hand-job.”
Jon chuckled throatily, turning his gaze to Cate’s. “And hopefully we’ll both be rewarded, in about nine months.”
“Yeah,” Cate agreed softly.
Edie smiled at the couple’s affection. “Okay.
Any questions, before I leave you alone?”
“Umm… yes.” Cate
spoke up, a little sheepishly. “Is this
room soundproof?”
The nurse chuckled.
Cate’s query was actually one of the more common ones. “For the most part, yes. But there is a door and a window to the
laboratory next door, so…”
“No screaming,”
Jon finished the nurse’s sentence as a little tease for his wife.
Cate elbowed him gently in the ribs. “I was thinking more of the music,” she clarified. “I didn’t want to disturb anyone.”
“Jeez, Cate. Guys
watch pornos in here with the volume turned all the way up. I seriously doubt a little music is gonna
bother anybody.”
Edie laughed at the couple’s little squabble. She could sense their nervousness, and knew it was time to make her exit.
“Okay, anything else?
I need to go get the room ready for your procedure. When the two of you are finished here, just
stay put. I’ll come get you when the lab
is done and we’re ready to prep you for the IUI, Cate.”
“Okay.” Cate’s
soft reply was accompanied by her gentle smile.
“Thanks, Edie.”
“My pleasure.” The
nurse turned and reached for the door.
“Have fun, and think positive.”
“Thanks,” Jon replied as Edie pulled open the door and
stepped out into the hallway. When the
door closed after her, Jon and Cate exchanged a long look.
“Well, so….” Cate dropped her gaze, suddenly feeling a
little awkward now that she and Jon were alone.
The realization that there were people in the clinic who not only knew
what they were about to do, but waiting on them to finish, made her cheeks flush.
“So.” Jon gave
Cate’s hand a squeeze before releasing it from his. He gave her a little shrug and a sheepish
half-smile. “What do you wanna do
first?”
Cate paused for a moment, considering. Then a muffled noise from outside made her
spring into action.
“First we lock
the damned door.”