Complicated Relationships (The Southern Devotion Series Book 3) (6 page)

Chapter Ten

Making Plans

The spontaneous date with Lanie went so well that we began talking for a few hours every night. During the day, we’d send text messages back and forth with little quips about our day. Our second date would be on Saturday, it had been a long time since I'd had a weekend night off.

I scheduled time with MJ and Macy for the day. Mary Jane arranged our afternoon activities with Macy while I was at work the night before. We began our day at our favorite local diner to chow down on greasy burgers and salty fries. Junk food is a weakness and a very rare tradition between the three of us. We began the junk food challenge when MJ and I worked in Disney. We'd eat healthy at every meal and then agreed that once a month we'd pig out on whatever sinful treat we wanted. Somehow it never failed that we decided upon burgers and fries.

“Derrick and I are going up to Fall Creek Falls this weekend, and we wanted you and Macy to come along,” Mary Jane stated as soon as we sit down.

Macy’s excitement shown brightly, “Yes, please Tristan can we go?”

“Well, I have a date this weekend being that I’m off for a change.” 

Mary Jane doesn’t hesitate to say, “Bring her along! We’d love to meet her.”

“I’m not sure we’re serious enough for an overnight trip. We’ve had barely one date and a kiss.” 

Mary Jane placed her hand on top of mine, “You two have been talking for a while though, right? Ask her, you never know what she’ll say. And if it makes her feel better she can share a room with Macy and Katelyn, and you can sleep on the pull-out sofa.” 

Macy sat with her hands together in a praying fashion, and her bottom lip jutted out in a pout. Once MJ noticed the pose, she mimicked it. "Fine, I'll ask her." They both cheered with victorious excitement.

Next evening I decided to take Lanie out, so we had two official dates before a weekend trip idea was brought up. Lanie insisted it was fine for me to pick her up for this date; that was a good sign that the trust was building.

Tonight we’d decided on dinner theater. There’s a great theater on the outskirts of town that is inside a barn. The tickets are a little pricey, but you get an all you can eat buffet dinner in the cost, so it comes out as a pretty cheap date, in the long run.

Once shown to our table, I held the chair for Lanie before taking a seat across from her. Small talk between us flowed easier than I’d ever experienced with anyone else. We rarely had awkward silences it seemed. During the course of the meal, I brought up Fall Creek Falls. “Oh, wow. Um, yeah I’d love to.”

“You would?” I exclaimed, sounding more surprised than I intended to.  

She read me wrong at that point because she said, “Were you hoping I’d say no?”

“No. Of course not. I didn’t know if we were serious enough for an overnight.”

Lanie shrugged and said, “Who decides when we can do stuff in a relationship?” As soon as she said relationship she began to back pedal, “Um, I mean a friendship relationship. Err…dating. I…”

I covered her hand with mine, “I know what you mean, and it doesn’t scare me for you to call it a relationship." She breathed a sigh of relief before taking a bite of her salad. "Your friends, are they a new couple as well?"

"Um, no. They're newlyweds. Macy would also go with us because they have a young daughter who will be there. My friend said it would be fine for you to share a room with the girls, and I could take a pull out couch. It can be a strictly platonic weekend. I'll be a perfect gentleman."

Lanie seemed at ease with the whole idea. When I first considered the conversation in my mind, I thought it would be a lot more awkward and that she'd find an excuse not to go.

The following weekend we made plans to meet up at the Nature Center at Fall Creek Falls. Macy spent the night with Mary Jane and Derrick because she wanted to ride up with Katelyn. There’s a huge age difference in the two of them, but they get along like best friends. Lanie and I headed up a little earlier so we could stop and pick up supplies along the way.

When we arrived at the Nature Center, I texted Mary Jane, and she said they’d be there in just a few minutes. Lanie had never been to Fall Creek Falls Park before, so I started to show her around a little. We walked first to the overlook for Cane Creek Falls. She stood against the banister, and I leaned up against her back “Waterfalls are very romantic,” she said with an audible sigh.

“They are,” I agreed as I bent to plant a tender kiss on her exposed neck. She turned in my arms, placed her palm against the back of my neck and pulled my face down to hers to kiss me.

Wrapping my arms around her I lost myself momentarily until I heard the words, “Get a room man, this is a family park.”

Lanie turned back toward the falls embarrassed though I recognized the voice. “Hey man, it’s about time you guys got here.”

Derrick and Mary Jane were standing on the steps looking down at us when I noticed their mouths dropped open. I turned to introduce Lanie and noticed she wore the same expression.

“Lanie,” Mary Jane stated.

Confused, I asked, “You know each other?” 

Katelyn jumped down the stairs and hugged Lanie tightly, “Hi Ms. Harris.” 

Lanie returned the hug and commented awkwardly, “Hey Katie, I hope you’re enjoying your summer.” 

And then everything started to click into place. Mary Jane must have sensed that I needed some private time when she made her next suggestion. “Katelyn why don’t we go on down to the Cascades so you and Macy can swim. Lanie and Tristan will meet us in a few minutes.” 

As soon as they were out of sight I could face Lanie. “Katelyn is the student whose father you went out with?”

She nodded and then asked, “Which means the best friend you’re in love with is Mary Jane?” 

“Was Mary Jane…past tense.”

“You sure about that, Tristan?” she asked without a hint of jealousy, only curiosity in her tone. Part of me wished there had been a little jealousy. It's hard to read this girl sometimes, and I'm not even sure she's feeling the same attraction as I am. We had only been on two dates, but we had been flirty with each other over a span of two months. We felt more established as a couple than we may have looked.

“Positive. Are you going to be alright spending the weekend with them?”  She entwined her fingers in mine pulling me in for another kiss.

“I’m here to spend the weekend with you and I’m excited about it.” That convinced me enough for us to drop the subject and move on. We started our trek down to the Cascades swimming hole. The wooden staircase was at least two stories long. At the bottom, it stepped off onto rocks, and you had to climb the rest of the way down. There were only about five feet of rocks to climb down, but I still had to act chivalrous. I jumped down first then turned to help Lanie. Placing my hands on her hips I lifted her into the air and brought her to the lowest level.

At the bottom, Mary Jane had a towel laid out on the rocks, and she wore a tank top and shorts. You could see she was beginning to show now. “She’s pregnant?” Lanie asked.

“Yep, isn’t that awesome?” I couldn't contain my smile as I stared at MJ's barely swollen belly remembering the last time she was pregnant and everything we went through with it.

“It is.” She sounded a bit distant in her response. If she had seen me staring at MJ, she might have jumped to the wrong conclusion. I spoke the truth to her before; my feelings for Mary Jane were in the past. It didn't mean I couldn't be happy for her as my closest friend.

Glancing around I noticed Katelyn and Macy were already using the natural rock slides to go into a swimming hole. They seemed to be taking care of each other pretty responsibly. Derrick sat on a rock not far from them taking photos of the falls and surrounding area.

“Mind if we sit with you?” I asked MJ.

She patted the ground next to her, “Of course not. Lanie I apologize for the shock today.”

“No worries,” Lanie answered sincerely. Lanie stood up and removed her shirt and shorts to reveal a bikini that was tasteful yet sexy as hell. My heart immediately began to race as my eyes raked over her body. Her breasts were perky with her nipples noticeable beneath the light blue bikini top. I couldn’t think straight as I stared at them. My eyes moved down her body to her long smooth legs. I imagined her legs wrapped around my waist. Her porcelain skin would feel like silk against mine. The images that went through my mind at this moment were practically pornographic.

Lanie turned around and bent over to get into her bag where she pulled out a bottle of lotion. The position she stood in made things quite painful for me in a certain area. Mary Jane reached over to smack my leg getting my attention and letting me know she noticed my ogling. I adjusted my shorts and cleared my throat.

“Can you put some lotion on me before I go in swimming?” she asked handing me the bottle of suntan lotion. I stammered out a yes before squirting a large drop in my hands then methodically rubbing it over her back. While I lathered her up, she pulled her hair from the ponytail it was in, ran her fingers through it then tied it up in a bun on top of her head. My fingers massaged her shoulders, and I zoned out into a fantasy again.

“Thanks, Tristan. I’m going to swim with the girls for a few minutes if you don’t mind?” Lanie brought me out of my x-rated fantasy again, and I shook my head to clear myself of any more inappropriately timed thoughts.

“No problem.” She leaned forward to give me a quick peck before taking her turn down the rock slide. She swam over to join Macy and Katelyn as they played.

“You two are cute together,” Mary Jane said as she watched me observe Lanie.

“I like her a lot. Is that weird for you?” 

Mary Jane sat up. “We made peace a long time ago, Tristan. She’s a sweet woman. We had a rocky beginning, but Katelyn loves her, and it looks like Macy does too.”  She pointed out to the water where Lanie and Macy were laughing and playing around together. Katelyn must have done the introductions for me. I wished I could've had them meet before the trip, but it didn't seem to matter.

“Is it weird for Derrick?”

Derrick stepped up behind us at that moment. “Is what weird for Derrick?”

“Lanie and me?”

He shook his head, “Not in the least.  It doesn't seem weird to you either based on that hot lip lock we interrupted. Do me a favor though, Katelyn doesn’t know I went out with Lanie once so don’t tell her, please.”  It was a promise I could easily keep. I didn’t want Macy to know either because it seemed a bit weird to think about even.

Lanie swam over and stepped out of the water; I looked to see if Derrick noticed her, but he didn’t. He only had eyes for MJ as he bent to kiss her belly and spoke to their unborn child. I stood up to engulf Lanie in her Minion covered beach towel. Her lips quivered with the cool breeze hitting her wet body. She took a seat between my legs, and I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around her to warm her up. She leaned her head back, “Thank you for inviting me this weekend. Macy’s great.”

“How long have you two been dating?” Derrick asked.

“Not long, we met at a club downtown; it’s new…” her voice trailed off as recognition hit. She covered her mouth and said, “Oh my gosh. You own A Shot in the Dark?”

Derrick laughed, “Yep. My brothers Ashton and Gavin and my brother-in-law Cameron all run it together.”

“What about your sister?” 

He seemed confused, “I don’t have a sister.”

Lanie was equally confused now, “Oh sorry, I guess he's your brother-in-law because he's MJ's brother?" We all tense up worried that she may have an issue with same-sex marriage, and that is something that could break this from going anywhere else for me.

“He’s married to my brother Gavin.”

Light dawns in her eyes, but there was no disgust or even surprise. “Duh, sorry that was stupid of me to ask.”

“They had a dual marriage ceremony in New York with Ashton and Gracie,”  I added trying to ease the awkward moment. Mary Jane had told me all about the ceremony after we met. She hadn't been able to attend because of her internship, but they sent her a video and several pictures of the event. I felt as though I had attended myself.

Lanie smiled, “That’s neat. I’m hoping they legalize it here in Tennessee soon as well, but it’s great that so many states recognize it.”

Macy shouted, "Tristan!" causing me to tense up until my eyes landed on her at the top of a rock slide. She held up her hands and mimicked taking a picture then pointed to the water. Derrick handed me his phone so I could snap a few pictures of her as she slid down into the creek below.

She began her swim over to me, and I yelled out, "Bring Katelyn in too!" Macy turned to grab Katelyn and together they swam over to us.

Mary Jane opened her backpack and pulled out bottled waters for the girls. They downed them as though they hadn't had water in days. "You girls hungry?"