Rock the Boat

"Ever since our voyage of love began

Your touch has thrilled me like the rush of the wind
And your arms have held me safe from a rolling sea
There's always been a quiet place to harbor you and me
Our love is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion
So I'd like to know where, you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where, you got the notion
To rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat, don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat" Rock the Boat by The Hues Corporation


Trevor and I reluctantly returned the Corvette at the airport in Key West Monday morning. We were flying back to Miami from Key West then home to Dallas. I didn't want to leave. I could tell Trevor felt the same way: he was unusually quiet as I finished up my souvenir shopping at the airport. On our layover in Miami, I thanked him again for our trip.

"I really love getting away with you.We should do this more often." I told him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"We could." He said, simply.

"I mean, not anytime soon. I know this was our last little splurge before we buy a house. In the future, I want us to take regular trips. Even if it's just road trips. There's so many places I haven't been. It would be fun for us to do together."

"Yeah, why not?" Trevor replied, kissing me on the forehead.

When we got back in Dallas, I pulled out my phone and called Amber to make sure she was at home. After getting my car, the second thing I wanted to do was pick up Justine. She told me Rocky had a cookout at her house and she was there with Justine. I told her Trevor and I would be there shortly.

When we arrived at Rocky's house, we put our bags in our cars, except my bag of souvenirs. I tried to let myself in the house, but I realized Rocky changed the key less lock code. I rang the doorbell and waited. Amber let us in, grinning widely at us.

"Hey you two!" She said, cheerfully giving us both a hug.

"Hey Amber. How was Justine?" I asked when Justine ran from the den to me and Trevor. Krista, April and Robbie chased after her. I petted Justine before hugging the kids.

"She was fine." Amber said, as we headed to the living room. "Look who's here." Amber announced us to Rocky, Peyton, Chris, Jackie, Will, Forrest, Sammy and Corey. "Aren't they just glowing?"

"A tan will do that for you." Trevor said quickly, flashing her a smile.

"Nope, it's more than a tan. Y'all look so relaxed and happy and blissful." Amber argued, before sitting next to Will. The more she talked, the drunker she sounded. I could count the number of times she been drunk on one hand.

"Yep, the beach will do that to you. Or alcohol. How much have you had to drink? Don't you have to work?" I asked.

Amber laughed out loud. "No. I worked last night. Got time and a half and I'm off the next 2 days!" She cheered.

"If you don't get called in." Will added.

"Good for you." I said, pulling out gifts for everyone. I figured out who was getting what from my bag. I didn't get everyone at Rocky's house a gift, but I could make it work. Forrest got Key West Fudge. I bought one for myself, but I gave it to Peyton and Chris. Krista and April put on their shell necklaces and Will blew up the beach ball for Robbie. I gave Rocky the stuffed turtle. The hand painted shell I originally got for Serena went to Jackie. Will and Amber got matching scenic mugs, and I got Sammy a Key West cocktail shaker with tropical drink recipes on the side. Corey got a Key lime cookbook and I put away the gifts I got for Ethan and EJ.

"Thanks Lily. I'm gonna use this right away..." Corey said as he flipped through the book.

"You betta. Sammy made it clear she ain't cooking." I joked, referring to her Facebook rant.

Corey laughed and Sammy pursed her lips.

"I felt bad. I didn't get you anything-" Rocky started.

"Don't. Lily's the only person I ever met that has to get presents for everyone." Trevor stopped her.

"Shut up Trevor." I told him.

"I said felt bad. Not so much now." She looked at the turtle with a smirk.

I smiled "It's not really for you anyway." I said, hintingly.

"Oooo, it's for the baby." Amber cooed. I looked at her, then Rocky surprised.

"You told everyone?" I asked.

"Not everyone." Rocky narrowed her eyes at Amber. "But you all know now." She confirmed.

Jackie congratulated her. Forrest looked her over, silently. Peyton's mouth dropped open. Sammy exclaimed, "Please tell me it's not Brandon's!"

Rocky glared at her. "Whose else would it be?"

"Anyone else would be better." Sammy muttered.

Corey nudged her.

"Don't touch me!" Sammy snapped, turning on him.

Corey put his hands up and looked away.

"Anyway, it's Brandon's baby. We are not getting back together. We will co-parent if he chooses too. Are y'all hungry?" Rocky asked me and Trevor.

"Starving." I replied, "I'll make you a plate." I told Trevor before following Rocky.

"How much has Amber had to drink?" I asked Rocky when we were safely in the kitchen.

"She was tipsy when she came over. Sammy brought alcohol from the party." Rocky explained.

"Why's Sammy acting bitchy?" I asked.

"You mean bitcher than normal? I don't know, but you better go get her. She got one more time to talk crazy-" Rocky warned.

"And what? You can't do anything while you're pregnant. Speaking of which, when did you tell Brandon?" I asked.

"I haven't told him yet."

"How does everyone know but your baby daddy?" I asked.

"Every time I try to talk to my child's father  he dodges my calls. I got his stuff out of my garage. He'll be here sometime this week to pick it up. I'm telling him then. I have my doctor's appointment too. 10am if you still want to come" Rocky informed me.

"Of course I do!" I wanted to question her telling Brandon without someone else being here, but Forrest joined us. I turned to my grilled corn, squeezing lime juice on it.

"I wanted to apologize. I wouldn't have forced you out in Shreveport if I would have known." He apologized to Rocky, looking at her stomach, then back up to her face.

She gave him a soft smile. "No, I'm fine. I'm glad you did." She assured him.

I looked back and forth between them, wondering why I felt like an intruder in the conversation. I cleared my throat loudly.

Rocky and Forrest finally noticed I was still there. "I'll take Trevor his food." Rocky said, leaving.

"Thanks." I turned to Forrest when she left. "What was that?"

"Nothin'. I talked her into going to a lounge when she said she was tired. I wouldn't have if I woulda known." He clarified.

"Hmmm..." I said, scrutinizing him while slathering mayo on my corn.

"What are you doing to that corn?" Forrest asked me, avoiding my eyes.

"Fixing it up." I said, sprinkling on red crushed pepper. "Have you tried Mexican street corn before? This is kinda like it."

"Never."

I went to the refrigerator and grabbed some Parmesan cheese. I put it on the corn before handed it over to him. He took a bite and toppings and juice went everywhere. I grabbed him a napkin as he chewed.

"Good right?" I asked him, handing him a napkin.

He nodded and swallowed. "Delicious." He agreed, wiping his hands.

"It's all in your beard." I laughed, getting another napkin.

"Did I get it?" He asked, wiping the wrong side.

"No." I wiped his face for him.

"Thank you." He said as I cleaned him up.

"No problem."

We both looked up when Trevor joined us in the kitchen.

"I need a beer." He announced.

"I have your beer. I was coming, but Forrest stole my corn." I smiled at him.

Forrest chuckled. "It's good corn, but not worth stealing."

I laughed and made myself another piece of corn before we went back out to the living room.

As Trevor and I ate, everyone told us about their weekend. Will took the kids to Sandy Lake Park, an amusement park, with Megan, Dave, Ethan and EJ. When I asked about Serena, Amber said she had to work with air quotes. I ignored her drunken antics and looked over Trevor's shoulder as he flipped through pictures on Sammy's phone of the party in Austin.

Sammy told us everything went smoothly except when Ron, her boss, found out the event was being filmed. He was flying down Wednesday for a meeting to discuss it.

"I don't know what he's going to say. All the girls and I signed off on being filmed. I have no idea why he wouldn't want us on TV." She shrugged.

"Probably has to do with the brand. He controls that." Corey offered.

"Aren't you smart? Why don't you tell them how you spent your weekend?" Sammy countered.

Corey ignored her while Sammy continued to glare at him.

"Ok... Florida was amazing. How was Shreveport? Did Lily miss much?" Trevor asked.

"There isn't much to miss besides casinos but I hope y'all had a good time." Forrest replied, looking over at Rocky for a response.

"I did. Josh lounge was great. Old school music, jazz and no teenagers running around." Rocky added.

Forrest smiled. "I told you would like it. It's only for the-

"Grown and sexy." Rocky finished with Forrest before they both laughed.

I looked at Rocky, expectantly. When she stopped laughing, she explained. "Every time the DJ would get on the mic, he kept saying this next song is for the grown and sexy only in a fake, Barry White voice."

"I can't believe y'all left me at the casino." Jackie pouted.

"You left me first in the room to go to the casino." Rocky pointed out.

"Because you didn't wanna go. I would have went to the club!" Jackie declared.

"You wouldn't have liked it." Rocky waved her off.

"You still could have asked." Jackie argued.

"We tried." Rocky said.

"I'm sure you tried really hard." She snapped.

"We really did. Peyton found a Wizard of Oz game and wouldn't leave. We couldn't even find you and you weren't answering your phone." Forrest defended Rocky.

"Well, maybe next time." Jackie said, all sugary sweet."Everything was fabulous. Forrest showed us a great time." She said, turning and resting her hand on Forrest's leg Her demeanor changed so fast it made me wonder if she should be on medication. Or in a padded room. Maybe both.

"I loved Cajun Daiquiris. Drive through daiquiris shops. It looked like ICEE machines, but with alcohol. It was amazing!" Peyton raved.

"How many times did y'all drive thru? I was close to turning my phone off after all your drunk texts." Chris admitted while we laughed.

"That was at the casino. Free drinks!" Peyton laughed.

"Lily... tell us about Florida." Amber asked.

"It was amazing like Trevor said." I said, smiling.

"What part did you go to?" Forrest asked.

"The Keys. We drove from Miami to Key West." Trevor said, wrapping his arm around me.

"That sounds so beautiful." Amber gushed. "Pictures! You hadn't posted anything!"

"I literally didn't look at my phone unless it was to take pictures, it was that much fun." I handed Amber my phone. The girls minus Jackie, all huddled around her to see. "Trevor planned a wonderful weekend for us. We were discussing making this a regular thing- weekend trips."

"All these food pictures." Sammy commented about the pictures with a smirk.

"That was the highlight of my trip." I replied.

"Really? We went parasailing and on a sunset cruise, but that was your highlight?" Trevor asked me with a grin.

"Yeah. Hi, I'm Lily. I love food." I said, holding at my hand to him. "Nice to meet you."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back in his arms in a hug. I laughed and hugged him back.

"Ohmygod, how romantic! Look at the sunset and you and Trevor. And the white dress. You look so bridal!" Amber gasped dramatically.

"I don't know about the dress, but getting married on the water crossed my mind." I laughed.

"Why didn't you ask her to marry you?" Amber asked Trevor, demandingly.

Trevor stiffened, holding me tightly in his arms. He was speechless. Drunk Amber was confrontational, nosey and kinda rude. I didn't know if I should be impressed or offended.

"Amber, come sit down. You can't tell a man when to propose. He'll propose when he's ready." Will asked her.

"He's ready! What happened?" She turned back to stare at Trevor.

"My dad promised his blessing after a year of dating. Don't expect an engagement until after then." I answered for Trevor, sending him an apologetic look. I felt so bad about Amber putting him on the spot like this. I had no idea what got into her... oh, yeah, tequila. Never mind.

"And you're going along with that?" Amber interrogated me.

"Yes." I said simply, trying to end the conversation.

"When did y'all start dating again?" Amber questioned, sitting down looking confused.

"Officially, New Year's. Well, a couple days after New Year's." I corrected myself, looking at Trevor for confirmation. He just nodded, still holding me rigidly.

"You should propose on New Year's Eve then." She told Trevor. Her eyes then brightened. "Oh! Then get married New Year's Day! It can be like a secret wedding!"

"How can it be a secret if you told everyone?" Rocky smiled at Amber, good humored.

"Yeah, stop talking, you sound stupid. You're cut off." Sammy added, grabbing the tequila bottle and moving it from her. Amber frowned up.

I looked up at Trevor and smiled. "Well, my dad wouldn't know..."

He blinked a few times before answering me. "Are you serious?"

I shrugged. "It's something to consider. I mean, we would be following his rule and reminding him he can't control my life at the same time. It's a win win."

"I don't think that's what Covey meant..." Forrest commented. I laughed at him.

"Wow... you wanna get married to spite him." Trevor shook his head. I turned back to him.

"No, I wanna get married because I love you and I want to start of lives and our family together. Spiting him with be the icing on the cake. And don't act like you never thought the same way. Remember your first proposal?" I teased him.

"First proposal?" Chris asked, confused.

"Oh yeah, when he proposes, it will be the 3rd time." I responded.

"If." Trevor corrected me and everyone laughed.

"When!" I said, confidently before giving him a kiss.



We spent the rest of Labor Day outside with the kids and Justine as they played in the sprinklers. Rocky and Forrest played some old-school r&b and hip-hop while Jackie complained about it. I normally would too, but I couldn't agree with Jackie, so I shut up and enjoyed it. While Corey and Trevor where talking among themselves, I took the opportunity to pull Sammy aside.

"Why are you mad at Corey?" I asked her.

"He went to a bar this weekend with high school friends, including Tori." Sammy said bitterly.

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, he hung out with her!" Sammy said, matter of factly.

"Other than that?"

"That's enough. He has no business hanging out with his ex."

"Not everyone thinks like you about that. You have to trust him. Do you really think something else happened?"

"Hell no. He wouldn't cheat on me."

"Then let it go." I lectured her.

She rolled her eyes. "We'll see."

"You need to come to my boxing class with me. Let out some anger." I suggested to her.

"I don't play fight."



Will took the kids home as soon as the sun set. Amber stayed to help clean. I told Trevor I would see him at home as he left along with Forrest, Corey, Peyton, and Chris.  As we finished up, Rocky pulled me into her room, saying she had something for me. I followed Rocky into her room.  She returned the present I got her for her birthday: a wedding planner and bridal magazines.

"While I was cleaning out my closet, I found these. When Trevor asks you, you'll be ready." Rocky handed them to me.

"I'm not even going to be mad at you for  re-gifting my own gift. I got you some Apple Crown too..." I remembered.

"That Crown has been gone. How do you think I got in this situation?" She asked dryly, waving over her stomach. We both laughed and rejoined Sammy and Amber in the kitchen.

"C'mon Sammy. You don't have to be anywhere tomorrow..." Amber was pleading to Sammy.

"That don't mean I wanna babysit you. I'm taking you home and you owe we $20." Sammy shut her down.

"You're charging to take her home?" I asked, puzzled.

"No, she lost a bet." Sammy answered.

"What bet?" Rocky asked.

"She said Lily was getting engaged last weekend. I told her Trevor was just trying to keep Lily's ass away from Forrest. I won" Sammy grinned.

"You both are wrong. He just wanted to surprise like he always does. I already told you Trevor is not worried about Forrest. It's obvious Forrest is interested in someone else..." I said, looking at Rocky.

Rocky shook her head. "I'm focused on me and my child. I don't want or need a relationship anytime soon and nether does he. We both had engagements end: it's just nice having someone to talk to."

"Good, because I'm all over it." Jackie said, with a smile.

Eww. I made a mental note to myself to shut that down before I went home to Trevor.

When I got home, I assumed Trevor would be in bed because he had to work the next day. He was up on his laptop. I put my bags away after grabbing the souvenir I picked out for him. When I sat on the couch with him, he closed his laptop. I grinned and put the sailor hat on his head before moving to his lap.

"You got me a souvenir too?" He asked.

"It's really for us. I wanna role play." I smiled.

"Role play huh?"

"Yes. Like we're back in the ocean, on a boat alone. You're the captain and I'm the first mate."

"Ahoy Matey." He said, in pirate accent.

"Not a pirate." I giggled.

"Are you questioning your captain, scallywag?" He continued in the same voice.

"Nay." I smiled.

"Nay who?"

"Nay captain." I corrected.

"C’mere, me beauty." He said, swatting my ass. "To the back of me ship so we can rock the boat."

"Aye aye captain!"

Sea of Love

"Do you remember
When we met?
That's the day I knew you were my pet
I want to tell you
How much I love you
Come with me my love
To the sea 
The sea of love
I want to tell you
How much I love you" Sea of Love by Phil Phillips" (I love The Honeydrippers version)

By the time we boarded the plane, I figured out we were headed for Miami, Florida. I was so excited to spend the whole weekend with him, it didn't matter where we were. When we arrived in Miami, Trevor led me to pick up the rental he reserved. After Trevor signed the necessary paperwork, another salesperson took us to a silver Chevrolet Corvette.

"You couldn't get a red one?" I said with a wide grin as he popped the trunk to put our bags in.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You know how long it took to find any convertible for this weekend?"

"No way. Convertibles are popular in Florida?" I said, teasingly.

"I know, who woulda thunk? I thought it was only popular in California." Trevor said, in an exaggerated accent.

I laughed. Our first interactions in college consisted of Trevor teasing me. At first, I didn't know know what to make of a good looking, charming guy paying me attention, but I enjoyed it. That changed when I saw how super friendly he was with everyone. It hurt the little pride I had, but it also made me comfortable enough to speak to him.

Our earliest conversation was small talk about where we were from. He made a silly comment about me having a convertible and living on the beach because I was from California. I informed him I didn't live on the coast and I would love to have any car- convertible or not.

In return, I asked him the name of his horse and what kind of truck he drove. He laughed at me and it was the start of our beautiful friendship. Friendship turned into a full blown crush for me. That crush turned into a torturous, unrequited love. Now, he was whisking me away for surprised trips instead of partying with his friends.

Who woulda thunk indeed.

We got in the car and I offered to plugged in the address on the GPS while Trevor figured out how to put the top down on the corvette.

"Key Largo?" I said, reading the address out loud. "Oh, Key Largo!!!" I exclaimed, thinking of the Kokomo song.

"Yep, we gonna take a trip through the Keys. Starting in Key Largo ending in Key West." Trevor informed me, starting the car

I leaned over and gave him a hug. "I hate that you missed your Austin trip, but I'm so glad that you did. This is going to be amazing."

"Austin will be there and spending time with you is always amazing." He put his arm around me.

I moved in closer and gave him a kiss. "I appreciate this so much... thank you."

"Thank you for coming with me." He said.

"You didn't give me much of a choice. You made my friends leave me." I said, sarcastically.

"They'll be there when we get back." He winked at me.

When I tried to look up and plan stops for the drive to Key West the next day, Trevor stopped me and told me he had it under control.

"We're going with the flow. No plans, let's just see what we find." Trevor urged me.

I conceded and decided to make a beach playlist for our drive instead.

We arrived at our hotel in Key Largo around 2am Saturday morning. We got checked in and went to our room.

"Are you tired?" He asked, sitting on the bed.

"No. I think I'm too excited." I replied.

"Wanna show me what you had planned for Sunday night?" He asked, letting me know he saw the note I wrote him.

I pretended like I was thinking about it. "You ruined all my plans with your impromptu trip." I said as I straddled his lap.

"I'm sure we can come up with something else." He smiled up at me.

"Let's hope so." I said as I leaned in for a kiss.



The next day, we didn't wake up until right before check out, which was good considering what time we finally went to sleep. We got dressed, grabbed some fruit for breakfast, and started our road trip. We put the top down, played my Beach playlist and enjoyed the warm weather, the wind whipping through our hair and the scenery. We stopped in Islamorada for lunch. We went to this great place on the docks. They did boat rentals and charters but also had a restaurant/bar and a tourist shop.

Trevor ate a fish sandwich and I devoured meaty conch fritters with an ice cold beer. I wasn't a fan of the pelicans hanging around the tables, so I ate quickly. On the way out, Trevor made me bypass the shop to purchase a bucket of bait to fed the tarpons. We both got a shock of our lives when one shot out of the water and latched onto Trevor's hand to get the fish.

After it returned to the water, we both cracked up laughing. I pulled out my phone to record the next time he fed the fish. When it was my turn, I was much more prepared. I released the bait and moved my arm away as soon as the tarpon popped up.

We were driving through Marathon when Trevor pointed out a sign for a tourist shop. He stopped there for me. It was a huge store filed with Florida, nautical, and ocean themed souvenirs. I automatically started shopping for my friends.

30 minutes in, Trevor was rushing me along. I sent him away to get jewelry for Krista and April while I looked for a gift for Robbie.

"I got shell necklaces for the girls. You're getting Robbie candy?" Trevor asked when he rejoined me.

"No, I was looking for something for Forrest. I got Robbie a blow up beach ball." I told him.

He looked down at the Apple watch I bought him. "We gotta get going Lily. We're running behind."

"What for? What happened to go with the flow T-Rev?"

"We need to speed the flow up." He countered.

"Sorry. I'm on island time." I said, smiling at him.

"You're not going to have time to get ready for tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" I asked heading to the front to check out.

"It's a surprise."

I stopped shopping when he promised me we would have time Sunday to shop in Key West. We drove across the 7 Mile Bridge that connected Marathon to the Lower Keys. I took so many pictures as we drove across. It was gorgeous. Trevor didn't make anymore stops and we drove straight to Key West. Unfortunately, we got caught in traffic stemming for an accident. Trevor kept checking the time on his watch and the dashboard.

"Babe, relax. I don't need any more surprises. This trip was enough." I said, resting my arm on his shoulder. He nodded but didn't say anything. It wasn't like him at all to be so high strung. I massaged him when I felt how tense he was. He was the one saying go with the flow. Why was he freaking out so much?

Escape came on and I turned it up.

"I hate how catchy this damn song is."

Trevor looked over at me. "What do you have against pina coladas?"

"Nothing. It's the lyrics I don't like. The couple was trying to cheat, found each other out and laughed it off."

"What?"

"Yeah. Have you listened to the lyrics?"

"Not really."

I started the song over and turned it up. At the end, Trevor grinned at me.

"I never paid attention. Kinda funny they found one another."

"No, not funny. They both deserved to be punch in the face."

Trevor chuckled. "Your solution to everything is punching someone in the face."

I shrugged. "If it works."

"Why did you put it on your playlist?"

"I needed beach music besides Bob Marley and the Beach Boys."

"How bout Margaritavile? Two Tickets to Paradise? Or Summer Breeze?" He suggested.

I immediately added them to my playlist and Trevor sang along to the songs I didn't even think about. The traffic and Trevor's mood greatly improved. We got to Key West early in the evening, but still too late for what Trevor planned. As I checked us into a lovely Victorian style bed and breakfast, I overheard him asking about rescheduling on the phone. Apparently, he was able to for Sunday. We had the whole evening open now.

"Can we do a food crawl again?" I asked him as I unpacked the new jumpsuit I bought in our suite.

"Yeah, we can do that."

I took a quick, ho-bath in the sink. I felt bad already about delaying Trevor's plans; I didn't want him waiting on me. I wiped myself down with a soapy towel before drying off and spraying myself with body mist. I left my hair down, the natural wavy texture of it in the humidity hopefully passing for beach waves. I skipped make-up all together besides a little gloss and put back on my flip flops.

Trevor was in the front house, speaking to the concierge while waiting for me. Sally, the concierge, was giving Trevor directions to places close to us. We thanked her and started off. There were a ton of different shops, attractions and restaurants on the waterfront. Our first stop was my pick, an oyster bar. I had mine raw while Trevor ordered his fried. We also took advantage of the happy hour, trying a Key Lime martini and a Key West sunset lager.

Trevor's pick was a rooftop restaurant that boasted a new-island cuisine. I tried, and loved, lobster gnocchi and Trevor had a steak with a bacon bourbon sauce. I made fun of him for ordering steak, on an island, but I ate my words when I tried the sauce. I would have licked it off his plate, if we weren't at a public restaurant.

The roof top had a bird's eye view of Mallory Square. Sally informed us of a sunset festival that was taking place there. We took a break on our food crawl to check it out. At the square, there were vendors selling food, drinks and trinkets and street performers from musicians to jugglers.

We wandered around, checking out the performers and vendors. We sampled coconut water straight from a coconut and munched on fresh guacamole and chips while watching a variety show. It featured a man and his dog riding unicycles. Trevor and I joked about training Justine. We both knew there was no way: my baby was so spoiled, she didn't even sit when ordered to. I found her a squeaky turtle and also a cute stuffed turtle for Rocky's unborn baby. There was so much to do and see, I was kinda glad we missed whatever Trevor had planned. I thought going with the flow was working out for us just fine.

We tried to find a spot to view the sunset, but we would have been better staying at the rooftop restaurant, thanks to the numerous boats and ships; They blocked the view from the ground.

"Stupid ships." I complained.

"C'mon. Sally recommended a place for dessert."

The mention of dessert perked me up. The name of the place promised outstanding desserts. After seeing the crowd at Better Than Sex Desserts, I hoped it came through on it's promise.

A long wait later, we were seated in the red room at a private booth next to one another. The walls were red and gold furnishings and sensual art adorned the room. It was dark and intimate with a sexy vibe. I took a quick selfie before Trevor and I looked over the menu that was on an IPAD.  The menu was enough to make me blush. Gyration, Slip Inside, The All-Nighter- and that was just the drink menu!

I ordered a Klimax- red sparkling wine with a rimmed-job: a champagne flute rimmed with white chocolate. Trevor ordered a Grown-up Guzzler- hard root beer with a dollop of Irish Cream. Just one sip of my drink was worth the ridiculously long wait.

We ordered Kinky key lime pie, Fork-You Fondue (cheesecake fondue with donuts holes) and Better Than Sex bread pudding to try. I also got a second drink, caramel over me- Moscato in a Caramel dipped wine glass. Wine in a regular glass would never taste the same to me.

We took turns feeding each other. There was no way we could finish all the desserts even though they were delicious. We ended our desserts with a money shot- coffee liqueur in a shot glass with whipped cream. We toasted each other before we downed them.

The shot went down smoothly, warming my insides. I grinned at Trevor, giddily.

"I think you've had too much to drink." He said, with an amused smile.

"Not at all. " I told him, running my finger through his soft, blonde curls. He normally wouldn't let his hair grow out long enough to curl up, but I was glad he did. It reminded me of college when all I wanted to do was play with his hair and kiss him over and over again.

The childish obsession I had on him then was nothing compared to how I felt about him now. I now understood the feeling of being drunk in love- I felt that way about Trevor. Everything about him was intoxicating. I pulled him to me for a long, deep, lingering kiss. It was way too passionate for a public place, but I couldn't help it.

"Lily-" He panted, breathlessly when he pulled back.

Before I could respond or he could continue, the waiter came and asked if we needed anything else. We declined and paid the bill before leaving. I was admittedly more intoxicated on the alcohol than love as we left. I held on to Trevor as we made our way back to the bed and breakfast.

When we got to our room, I pushed him on the the bed. I giggled as I fell down with him. He laughed too before pulling me close for a kiss. We drunkenly made out, his caresses causing shivers up my spine as he ran his hands over my body. They became urgent as he groped at my clothes.

"Jesus- take this fucking thing off. Why do you wear these?" Trevor exclaimed as he struggled with my jumpsuit.

"Potty mouth." I giggled, breaking away, kneeling on the bed so I could removed my clothes. He did the same then pulled me back down on the bed. I gasped out loud as entered me as we laid side by side. Our playful embrace turned passionate as we made love. He lifted my leg up and draped it over his. He thrust into me, gripping my hip to pull me closer. My mouth found his automatically and we exchanging hot, lazy kisses. Afterwards, in his arms, his deep breathing lulled me to sleep.

The next morning, Trevor woke me up entirely too early to eat breakfast. Apparently, we had plans, meaning I couldn't sleep in. I was grumpy until we were seated in the garden of the bed and breakfast. The sight of the lush beautiful greenery grabbed my attention. The smell of coffee combated my tiredness. The sound of the birds singing around us acted like a natural alarm clock. The taste of the light and fluffy banana pancakes gave me reason to be awake. I got over my lack of sleep(and possible hangover) and enjoyed the great start of our day.

It only got better from there. Trevor planned an all day water excursion us. A crew took a group of us out on a boat. Trevor listened carefully as the instructors explained the snorkeling gear to us. It was his first time. I been a couple of times before and I was more concerned with making sure he was covered in sunscreen.

The water was warm, the coral was colorful and pretty. The fish swam in huge groups and came super close to us. Experiencing it with Trevor just made it that much more fun. His amazement at it carried over to me. I had the best time.

We got back on the boat and showered off before finding a spot on the deck to dry off. We made friends with two other couples that were from Miami as we enjoyed a lunch buffet, wine and beer. We sailed to a floating playground in the middle of the Caribbean water. There was a huge ass water mat, a slide,  floating trampolines, jet skis, paddle boarding, kayaking, banana boats, and parasailing.

Trevor and I went for the things we hadn't done before. Parasailing was the first thing on Trevor's list.  I never had a fear of heights, but my heart raced when we were finally in the sky. I never felt us rising. It was like, all of a sudden, we were in the air. I looked over and saw Trevor. It felt like we were the only two people in the world up there and it instantly calmed me. The ocean was so many different colors of the purest blues. It was spectacular.

Afterwards, we rode banana boats with our new friends before jumping on the floating trampoline. Trevor and one of the guys had a backflip competition, but I wanted nothing to do with that. We slipped and slid on the water mat before we found a spot to lay out and relax before it was time to return.

We got back to our suite with an hour to get ready before whatever surprise Trevor had planned. I took a hot shower to removed the ocean water. I tanned from laying out in the sun and I really didn't feel like doing my make-up so I stuck with bronzer, liner and a red lip. I pulled on the little white dress I bought in anticipation for my date night with Trevor. I put my hair half up in a top knot and the rest down over my shoulders. I put on the only other shoes I brought- nude wedges.

"Wow... you look amazing." Trevor said, looking me over slowly when I came out the bathroom.

"Thank you. So do you." I grinned at him. He looked cute in a white button down and khakis.

We drove the rental this time to the same watercrafts I was complaining about the night before. Trevor booked us a sunset dinner cruise on one of them. After we climbed aboard, we headed to the deck with the other passengers and had rum runners while we waited for everyone to board. The boat set sail and everyone was ushered into the main cabin to eat. There was a buffet of Caribbean and American food. While we ate, the drinks flowed and the live band played Calypso music. Trevor lifted his champagne to toast me.

"Happy Labor Day Lilypad." Trevor started, "Everyday with you is like a holiday."

"Stressful and completely not worth it?" I said, with a teasing smile.

He shook his head. "I was thinking more happiness and fun, but even if it's stressful, as long as you spend it with someone you love, it's always worth it."

I stared into his clear blue eyes. They shone so bright, even in the dimly lit room.

"Thank you for giving me so much happiness and fun in my life T-Rev." I said, clicking my glass with his.

We could view the sunset from the windows in the cabin, but Trevor and I finished eating to go to the upper deck. We found a spot near the railing. Trevor wrapped his arms around me as we enjoyed an unobstructed view of the sunset over the water.

We could faintly hear the music of the band. They switched to popular pop music with an island flare. Trevor hummed along as they played Sailing. I made a mental note to add it to my playlist.

"Why didn't you tell me this song for my playlist?" I asked him when it was over.

"I just remembered it." Trevor smiled.

A new song came on and Trevor told me to add it to my playlist too.

"What is it?" I asked, at the unfamiliar tune.

"Sea of Love" he answered, before singing along softly. Maybe it was being on the water and the serene setting, or Trevor's voice reciting such beautiful lyrics, but I fell in love with the song instantly. It would always remind me of Trevor. I would go with him anywhere. He opened me up to new experiences and adventures all the time and I knew there was no one else I would rather share them with. There was no one I could love or trust more.

"I want to get married to this song." I declared, looking over my shoulder at him when it was over. "Maybe on the beach or a boat."

Trevor smiled down at me. "So I guessed you liked it?"

I turned around to face him. "I'm serious Trevor. I can't wait to be married and share a home and a family with you. Everyday will be a holiday."

"Lily-" He began, softly, but I stopped him.

"I know you gave my dad your word, and I understand that. I appreciate it and I'm fine with waiting. Just don't promise him how long we can be engaged." I smiled at him.

He nodded, before he pressed his lips into mine. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back as we sailed on the ocean.







***Hey everyone! I know there were a lot of questions regarding why Trevor changed his mind. This post didn't get into why, but like one of the comments read last week, this post is from Lily's point of view. We don't know what's going on in Trevor's head unless he tells her. Please keep that in mind this week!

Kokomo

"Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo
That's where you want to go to get away from it all
Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
oh I want to take you down to
Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo" Kokomo Kermit the Frog Version

Wednesday morning, I woke up early and made breakfast for Trevor and me. Surprisingly, Trevor was up early too and helped me in the kitchen. He said he was feeling better. I took the opportunity to scheme- I mean, plan- for Labor Day.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but we still don't know what you had. Maybe you should take it easy this weekend." I said as I flipped an omelet. I knew Trevor had his heart set on going to Austin, but I really did not want to go to Christian's party.

"I'm fine." He replied, his back to me as he made toast.

"Amber was saying there's a stomach virus going around. If that's what you had, who knows if your still contagious. We should have a stay-cation. Get a hotel room, relax." I suggested. It sounded like a lame excuse even to myself, but I had to try.

Trevor saw right through me. "Why do I have a feeling this is about you not wanting to go to Austin?" Trevor asked, trying to study me.

I focused on finishing the omelet to avoid his gaze. "It has nothing to do with me not wanting to go to Austin. We're not attached at the hip. If you feel up to it, you can go without me. I just wanna make sure you're ok."I lied.

Trevor gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm great. 100% recovered, I promise. I'm going to leave Friday, be back Sunday and we'll still have time for a stay-cation if you don't want to come."

I forced a smile. "Sounds great."

Urgh, it sounded awful! I didn't want to go nor did I want to spend our weekend apart, even if it was only half of the time. I got annoyed with myself for being the type of girl who couldn't spend time away from her boyfriend. That decided it for me. I was going to happily let Trevor enjoy his time with his friends and reach out to mine about hanging out.

I got back on routine with my workouts: running with Justine and boxing classes. Dominick was there; we worked out together and he told me how he got into MMA. Afterward, I went home to get ready for work. Amber texted me, informing me her schedule hadn't changed for the holiday: the only day she would be off was Sunday. Rocky said she would have a small gathering at her house if we couldn't come up with anything else. She already invited Peyton and Jackie. I replied, telling her that sounded good and I would call her when I got off work to discuss the details.

On my lunch break, I texted Forrest to see if he had plans for the weekend. I wanted to invite Corey to hang out with us since he wasn't going to Austin, but I figured he wouldn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of girls. Besides, Forrest lived by Lake Lewisville now- maybe I could get him to host instead of Rocky!

Forrest: Thinking about driving to Shreveport this weekend to visit my fam. What are you up to?

Me: Trying to figure out what to do while Trevor is in Austin :-(

Forrest: Why aren't you going?

Me: Principal. Don't ask.

Forrest: lol why are you so difficult?

Me: I said don't ask lol I was hoping you would host a party at the lake. Break in the new furniture.

Forrest: I don't do big bodies of water. Y'all are welcomed to come to Shreveport. I can show y'all around and there's always the casinos.

Me: Wait... what? Why don't you do water? Did you have a near death experience?

Forrest: No, I can't swim. I stay away from water so I don't have one.

Me: OMG Forrest! I'm teaching you how to swim!!!

Forrest: lol, I don't need to.

Me: yes you do. You want kids, right? Every responsible parent should know how to swim.

Forrest: My kids won't be in water deeper than 6ft

Me: =:O
How long of a drive to Shreveport?

Forrest: 3 hours.

Me: I'll let you know.

Forrest: Try to find out tonight. The casinos book fast on holiday weekends.

Me: ok

As soon as I got off from work, I called Rocky. Neither one of us had been to Shreveport, Louisiana and she was willing to check it out. She got off the phone to call Peyton and Jackie to see if they wanted to make it a girl's weekend trip.

As Trevor and I sat down for dinner, Rocky texted me back. She told me she had the rooms booked at the Horseshoe Casino Resort in Shreveport, Louisiana for me, her, Peyton and Jackie. I text Forrest the news as I filled Trevor in.

"What's in Shreveport?" Trevor asked me.

"Casinos for sure. I'm assuming seafood and Cajun food which is good enough for me. It's where Forrest is from. I'm sure he'll know some fun spots." I said, putting down my phone as I finished my text. "Are you staying with Bilal in Austin?"

"Yeah..."

"Can you take Justine with you?"

"Yeah."

Trevor and I were watching American Ninja Warrior on the couch when Forrest texted me back.

Forrest: I'll wait to leave on Friday so y'all can trail me out

Me: Yay! I'm so excited! Make sure you pack your swim trunks. The hotel has a pool ;-)

"Swim trunks?" Trevor asked me, reading the text over my shoulder.

"Yeah. He can't swim. I plan on teaching him."

Trevor nodded and went back to watching the show. My favorite contestant was on.

"That stunt man is going to win the whole show." I said, when he passed his stage.

"No, he took too long. I think the hippie dude is gonna win." Trevor argued.

"No way. He's too scrawny. Wanna put $20 on it?" I wagered.

"Bet." He said, and we shook on it.


On Thursday, I went through my closet deciding what clothes I should pack to take to Shreveport. It was harder not knowing what all we were going to do. Trevor was unusually quiet as I fretted over what to pack. In fact, he was quiet the entire evening. Over dinner, I asked if he was ok. He said he was, but I knew better. I could tell something was off.

"Do you still wanna have a stay-cation? " I asked from the closet. I kept talking when he didn't reply right away. "Check out at the casino is on Sunday at 11am, which puts us back in town before 3. I know it's one night, but we can go to downtown Dallas."

When I didn't get an answer, I turned to look at him. He was sitting on the bed, engrossed in whatever was on his laptop. He hadn't even looked up.

"Trevor?" I called him, snapping him out of his trance.

"Yeah?" He said, looking up at me.

"Sunday. Do you still wanna get a hotel room?" I asked again.

"Yeah."

"Can you look into that? I was thinking Downtown Dallas. I'm not sure which hotel, but a really nice one. It can be our last splurge before we get serious and buy a house." I smiled.

"I'm on it." He said, returning his eyes to his laptop.

"Babe, what's up? You seem... I don't know... distracted." I said, lost. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I just felt it.

"Nothing's up. Just working." He told me.

I nodded and let him get back to work while I finished packing.



Friday, I joined Sammy shopping as she bought a few last minute things for Austin. The party was on Saturday, but Sammy was leaving that afternoon just to make sure everything was in order. She just found out Christian's girlfriend, Noelle, would be there filming for her show. That meant Sammy had to upgrade her outfits. I wanted to find a new dress, not for Shreveport, but for me and Trevor's night in Downtown Dallas. He had been so distracted lately; I wanted something that would guarantee his focus on me.

"Trevor's cool with you going to Shreveport with Forrest?" Sammy asked as we tried on dresses.

"First of all, if Trevor wasn't ok with it, do you think I would be going?  Second of all, why wouldn't Trevor be cool? He doesn't have a problem with Forrest. Third, and last of all, I'm not going with Forrest- Rocky, Peyton, Jackie and I are following him out there. He's showing us around. That's it." I explained.

"First, and only of all, bullshit! Doesn't matter if y'all are just friends or if he has a problem with him. Trevor's jealous." Sammy said, smartly.

"He trusts me like I trust him going to Austin." I told her, pointedly.

"I didn't say he didn't. Trust and jealousy are different. He can trust you and be jealous. Besides, you know I'm going to be in Austin. He won't try anything."

"He won't try anything because he loves me just like I love him. Now shut up and hand me that jumpsuit. It makes you look shorter."

"Fuck you Lily. Giraffe looking bitch" She snapped, but she took it off and gave it to me.

"Thanks shorty." I smiled before trying it on. It wasn't what I was looking for, but it looked good on me so I bought it (to spite Sammy a little too).

When we were done shopping, I gave Sammy a hug and wished her a safe trip and successful party. I packed a bag for Shreveport and an overnight bag for Dallas when Trevor and I came back. Trevor was leaving as soon as he got off. I wrote him a note telling him I loved him, drive safe and don't party to hard because I had plans for him on Sunday. I put his note in the bag he hadn't finished packing. I put my Shreveport bag in the car and went to work.

Dr. Fahri pulled me into his office when I came in. He told me that his new position started in October and I could expect to be interviewed in the next couple of weeks. I thanked him before I reported to Dr. Clayton.

I was thrilled when Dr. Clayton told me we were going to start closing down after our last appointment. Technically, the clinic was still open till 6, but he didn't anticipate any last minute appointments with the holiday.

After Adil left around 4, Dr. Clayton worked with my clients while he had me start the huddle board for the next week.

As I finished the board, Dr. Charles, or Vince, the guy I had onboarding training with, joined me.

"How well do you know Dr. Fahri?" He asked me as I pulled up the appointments for the following Tuesday.

"What do you mean?" I asked, curiously. I didn't know if anyone else made the connection that Adil and I went to graduate school together. I didn't think it mattered, but I wasn't advertising it at the same time.

"I don't know. You two seem familiar and he's always pulling you aside to talk. I think you're the only person that had set hours in probation."

"I had morning and evening shift. How is that set hours?" I asked, not pausing from what I was doing.

"I interned here. I know how coveted the morning shifts are. Kinda weird you got it off the bat." Vince illustrated.

"Dr. Charles, your client is ready for ultrasound." Dr. Clayton said, joining us at the huddle board.

"Yes sir." Vince said before leaving.

"As soon as you're finished with the board, you're good to go." Dr. Clayton told me.

"No, I'm gonna stay to closing." I declined. It was tempting to leave, but I figured I should show my commitment to my job by sticking around. "I'm sure Vince will want to leave."

Vince did leave early and Dr. Clayton and I closed the clinic. He gave me helpful hints and advice for supervising if I got the promotion. When I left, I called Rocky to let her know I was on my way to her house. The traffic got me at Rocky's house around the normal time I got home from work.

There was a taxi sitting outside of her house. I watched it curiously as I got my bag out the trunk. I was beyond confused when I saw Trevor walking out the house.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"We're going on a real vacation." Trevor said, grabbing the bag from my hand.

"What about Austin?" I wondered out loud as he lead me to the taxi.

"I'll go when we come back." He opened the car door for me.

"But Shreveport..." I stopped by the door.

"Too late, they left without you."

"Justine? Where is-"

"Amber is going to take care of her. I have your other bag. All you need is your ID. Anything else, we can buy. Let's go or we're gonna miss our flight." Trevor cut me off.

"Flight? Where are we going?" I said, excitedly.

"Let's go and you'll find out." He repeated.

I got in the taxi and stopped asking questions. That is, until the driver took off.

"Can I get a hint? I mean, I packed for Shreveport. I kinda need to know where we're going."

"You packed a swimsuit, right? Really, that's all you need." Trevor grinned.

"No passport?"

He rubbed his chin like he was thinking about it. "I hope not."

"Just tell me where we're going!!!" I demanded him.

He pulled out his phone. "This inspired the trip. That's all I'm telling you."

I looked at the phone. It was Kermit the Frog singing "Kokomo".

"He said like 4 different places...is Kokomo a real place? " I laughed at him.

"Guess we'll find out." He smiled.

It's A Man's Man's World

"Man thinks about a little bit of baby girls and a baby boys
Man make them happy
'Cause man make them toys
And after man make everything
Everything he can
You know that man makes money
To buy from other man
This is a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Not one little thing
Without a women or a girl
He's lost in the wilderness
He's lost in bitterness
He's lost" It's A Man's Man's World by James Brown

Monday since I already did my grocery shopping and laundry, I had the whole morning to relax. It was raining and the perfect excuse to lounge and be lazy. I started the recipe for chicken and dumplings in the crockpot and went back to bed. Justine played around in the bedroom while I got some more sleep.

I went to work, fully rested and in a great mood. Before my lunch break, I was finishing patient charts when Adil approached me.

"Can I borrow you for a moment?" He asked.

My great mood faltered. I had no idea what he wanted, but I figured it couldn't be good if we had to speak in his office.

I got up and followed him. When we got to his office, he motioned for me to have a seat as he closed the door.

"Do you know why I wanted you to work with me?" Adil asked after he sat across from me at the desk.

I sighed, inwardly. I hated rhetorical questions. It reminded me of my dad. It also made me remember how arrogant and condescending Adil could be, especially when he thought he was right about something. Why didn't I remember that before I came to work with him?

"No, why Dr. Fahri?" I asked, feigning interest when I realized he was still waiting for a response.

"You're the only person whose work ethic is as strong as mine. Our careers were our first priority. Remember how hard we pushed one another?" Adil asked.

"I assure you, I'm not that competitive anymore." I said, with a little smile. I knew how much he hated to lose to me.

"I hope you are still dedicated. We need that in a team lead and I plan to recommend you for the job."

I looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"I told you we were restructuring when you accepted the job. Dr. Tran created a new position. One of our biggest challenges is keeping the surgeons, trainers and therapist on the same page. That will be my job as a field supervisor: I will work as a liaison between the hospital and the clinic. Dr. Clayton wants to move to day team lead because it works out better for his family. I want you to take his spot as evenings team lead."

I let that sink in for a moment- I really wasn't expecting that! "That's an incredible opportunity. Thank you so much for recommending me."

"My pleasure. To be honest, I was surprised you weren't managing already. I assumed it was because you relocated to Texas. Is it really by choice?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"No. I definitely want to advance. I haven't been at one job long enough. I hoped I would here." I answered quickly.

"The position requires a bigger commitment. It's not only the clients you are responsible for, but your team too. More often than not, the job has to come first. I need to be sure you are prepared for that before I recommend you. Without getting too personal about your family, are you willing to make that commitment?" He asked, watching my reaction.

"Of course. I'm committed to my career. I'm ready to manage. If given the chance, I know I can handle those responsibilities." I answered, truthfully.

He gave me a smile. "That's what I thought. I needed to be certain. I'll keep you updated on the changes. As soon as I know something, I'll let you know."

"Thank you again  Adil-er, Dr. Fahri."

I was thrilled the remainder of the night. I just wanted to be good at what I did. A promotion was proof that I was. I was a little concerned that a family emergency made Adil question my commitment, but I was confident I was ready for the next challenge.

I got home, bursting to tell Trevor the good news. He was in the bathroom when I arrived. I changed into a tank top and boxer basketball shorts in anticipation for my workout and run with Justine. I went to check the food. As instructed, Trevor added the cut up biscuits and turned the crock pot to low. It didn't look like he ate yet though; he must have been waiting for me. I made 2 bowls of soup and let them cool. I was pouring us lemonade when I heard the bathroom door open. I waited for him to join me. When he didn't, I went to the bedroom to see what was taking him so long.

He was curled up in bed and I immediately became concerned.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked, walking to his side of the bed, sitting down next to him.

"Nothing. Just something not agreeing with my stomach. I'm fine." He answered strained.

"Are you in pain?" I asked, feeling his forehead. He turned away, but I could tell he didn't have a fever. That was a plus.

"No..." he said, before he got up and rushed back to the bathroom.

I went back into the kitchen to get him something to drink. I was surprised when I saw water bottles and Gatorade in the fridge. He must have bought some today. It made me wonder how long he been feeling bad.

I took the bowl of soup and a Gatorade to the room. When he came out, he looked at the bowl warily.

"I can't eat that. I don't wanna risk it. Can I just have the broth? And ice?" Trevor asked.

"Of course." I told him.

I strained the vegetables, chicken and dumpling out of the soup. Trevor has a thing for Sonic's ice, so I put some ice cubes in the blender and pulsed them until they were smaller pieces. I returned to him with the food and he thanked me.

He spent the entire evening and night making trips to the bathroom. At one point, I woke up to find him with a pillow in the bathroom. I wanted him to go to the Emergency room, but the moment I suggested it, he vehemently said no. He didn't have a fever and it was probably just food poisoning so I didn't push it. When it was time for him to get up and got to work in the morning, I woke him to see if he needed to call off or if I should do it for him.

"I already did." He mumbled before going back to sleep.

I skipped my workout in favor of staying home to monitor him. When it was time for me to get ready to go to work, I was hesitant about leaving him. He urged me to go, saying he would be ok. I didn't trust that if he was feeling really worse, he would overlook his fear of hospitals and go to the Emergency room. He promised he would and I couldn't help but think of how calling in would affect my promotion; I decided to leave.

I asked Dr. Charles to switch breaks with me and he agreed. I took my break early to call and check on Trevor. He didn't respond so I waited by my phone my entire lunch for him to call me back. No response.

Hoping he was just sleep, I checked my phone constantly, calling every hour until 6pm. I finally had a missed call from him and a text.

Trevor: I'm fine. Just sleeping.

I breathed a sigh of relief and worked the rest of my shift, hurrying through my charts so I could get home as soon as possible. I even started the huddle board for the next day while Dr. Clayton was in a meeting with a client. Thankfully, he didn't mind and we left on time that evening.

When I got home, Trevor was sleeping, but his frequent trips to the bathroom stopped. I made sure he had a fresh Gatorade and a water bottle next to him. I heated up leftovers and pulled out my phone. I hadn't got a chance to tell Trevor about my possible promotion at work but I called the next best person.

"Hey bro!" I said, cheerfully when Cam answered his phone.

"Hey sis. So your phone does work." Cam started in already.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "The phone works both ways Cam. Besides, I've been busy crushing it at my job."

"Bullshit."

I laughed. "It's true. A team lead spot is opening up and my boss is recommending me."

"Congratulations Lilypad. You know dad would be thrilled to hear that. When's the last time you spoke to him?" Cam asked.

"You can pass on the news. I'm not in any mood to talk to him."

"What's going on now?"

"Did you know about the one year deal he made with Trevor?" I questioned him.

"The question is, how do you know?"

"Trevor got drunk and accidentally told me." I replied.

"You're driving him to drink?" Cam joked.

"Ha ha, not funny. It's fucking bullshit."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I didn't know about it until after the fact." He defended himself.

"You should have told me."

"No. It wasn't my place to. If Trevor wanted you to know, he should have told you."

"How would you feel if someone dictated when you could marry Jenna?"

"I wouldn't like it, but Trevor agreed to it."

"Dad went to Trevor because he knew he could manipulate him! He knew not to pull that on me."

"That may be true but it was Trevor's choice. As a man, he made a deal and needs to honor it. I support that, even if I don't agree with it." Cam said.

"Well, fuck that and y'alls fucking man law."

Cam laughed. "It's not man law. It's common law. Stick by your words."

"Whatever." I had no other arguments so I let it go and we caught up. I was chatting with my brother about how the 49ers looked when Trevor emerged from the room. I got off the phone to see how he was doing.

"Better." He answered, groggily as he raided the refrigerator. I made him sit down and got him some food. He ate a bowl of chicken and dumplings while I made him a grilled cheese sandwich. When he devoured it, I made him another. I was convinced he was on the mend. Whatever he had must have worked through his body and he was just catching up on sleep and food.

After he went back to sleep, I cleaned the kitchen. I decided to stay up a little longer and play on Facebook and Instagram. I was so glad I did. I got to take part of the hilarity that started when Amber re-posted a meme on Facebook.  It was a man in the kitchen cooking with the words:

Men cooking... because our generation of women don't know how to.

Amber captioned it:

I had to re-post this nonsense. I won't name names, but the WOMAN who posted this is stuck in the 50's.

There were already comments so I read through them.

Rocky: Um, how bout he knows how to cook because he wants to eat?

Dino: My dad cooks better than my mom. #RealMenCanCook

Sammy: Men cooking... BC you can't keep ur wife in the kitchen with yo McDonald's paycheck. #BossBishesWifin'Dudes#MakeSureYouHitEmWithAPrenup!

Serena: {crying laughing emoji} Step your game up men...or go get me a beer lol

I laughed out loud at Sammy's and Serena's comment. Men started to comment now.

Forrest: The situation ultimately depends on what you're looking for in a relationship. Matter of preference. Some men and women prefer a traditional relationship.

Corey: Why you gotta go there Sammy?

Brandon: That's the problem with women. Tryin to be a man. No man wants to be with another man #NoHomo

Sammy: I don't have a problem with traditional relationships @Forrest. Just don't sit here and post stupid shit bc I'm not 4 it

Cuz it's da truth @Corey

And if a woman being a boss makes you wanna fuck a man, that's ur issue @Brandon

Patrick:Shots Fired! #TeamFuckAMan {rolling on the floor laughing and eggplant emojis}

Brandon: No real man wants to be emasculated by a "boss bish". Pay attention to your own "man's" issue @Sammy #MissMeWithThatGayShit

Jackie: Damn, I posted this picture. I ain't stuck in the 50's @Amber. I think it's a shame when a woman don't know how to cook. It's the way to a man stomach's #MissMeWithThatFeminismShit

Sammy: My man don't have issues, that's why I don't have to cheat @Brandon

And you don't have a man @Jackie. Does that mean you can't cook?

Brandon: That's what's up @Jackie
And congrats for not being a ho... now ur a bish@Sammy

Rocky: Women are more than "bishes" and "hos". How would you like it if someone referred to your mom like that?

The whole "our generation of women" crap can go. We are still struggling to get paid as much as men, but you're concerned about this generation of women's cooking skills? Smdh@Jackie.

Amber: Exactly. A man and a woman can both work, but it's the woman's job to cook and take care of the kids. Why?

I posted a comment before they started arguing again.

Me: I agree with Forrest- it's a matter of preference. There's nothing wrong with a traditional relationship; just like there's nothing wrong with a man being able to cook.

Blake: Next time you want a door opened or gas in your car, I prefer not to do it for you #Preferences

Serena: I do all that myself. #SelfSufficient

Me: lol me too @Serena

Blake: Not surprised, y'all won't let a man be a man. Y'all wanna wear the pants in the relationship.

Me: My man wears the pants.... after he washes them himself :-)
Goodnight everyone! Chores in the AM, work in the PM. My generation does it all!

I smiled to myself and got the fuck off Facebook before going to bed and checking on Trevor.

Don't Worry Baby

"Well its been building up inside of me
For oh I don't know how long
I don't know why
But I keep thinking
Something's bound to go wrong
But she looks in my eyes
And makes me realize
And she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby" Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys

I got up to follow Trevor.

Sammy stood up too.

"Give us a minute. We'll be right back." I said, shooting her a look. Corey put his arm around her and she sat back down.

Trevor was ordering a Jack and Coke and I stood beside him. I ordered another beer. When the bartender left to retrieve our drinks, I turned to Trevor.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed. Let's take a time out. When you're ready to talk, let me know." I said, trying to broker peace between us.

Trevor nodded, but didn't say anything. We got our drinks and made our way back to the table. I really did push everything aside for the time being. We were back to joking and talking like normal. After Corey beat us playing darts, we called it a night and went home.

Trevor went to bed as soon as we got home. I took a shower to wash off the bar and smoke before joining him. He was already snoring by the time I made it to bed. I guess Trevor really did forget about everything because he was sleeping peacefully with no concern about talking about what happened at the bar. I didn't know if I should be concerned or not. Were we fighting? Was he upset with me? Did he really believe what he said or was it just the alcohol? Did he really let my dad dedicate when he would propose? Urgh! I rolled over on my side and eventually fell asleep too.

Sunday morning, I woke up before Trevor. I let him sleep and took Justine out for a walk. I was on my way to the park when my phone rang. It was Rocky, telling me she was back in town. I asked if I could come over, and she agreed. When we got there, we went for a walk around her neighborhood.

"I decided not to reschedule." Rocky said so casually, at first I didn't understand the meaning.

"Does that mean your keeping it?" I asked, gripping Justine's leash tighter.

She nodded.

I hid my relief and tried to stay neutral. "What made you change your mind?" I said, watching her.

"An abortion seemed like the easiest way to handle everything. I discovered there was nothing easy about it. I couldn't- there was something stopping me." She paused.

I waited patiently for her to continue.

"My mom told me to forget everything and anyone else and asked me what I wanted. Despite everything, I want my baby. My situation is not what I want it to be, but I still want my child. Everything else I will work out." Rocky explained.

"You're one of the strongest person I know. I know you will and you're gonna be a great mom." I encouraged her.

"The last thing I want to do was raise a kid alone but I'm going to do my best." Rocky said, thoughtfully.

"It's no excuse, but you know Brandon's hurt. He's lashing out. Maybe this will be his wake up call and you two can work on things. For real this time." I offered.

"Ironically, it took me getting pregnant to realize I don't want to be with Brandon. It's not him acting out- it's him in general." Rocky admitted.

I looked at her, shocked. "I thought you loved him."

Rocky shook her head. "I was so determined to make things right that I never stopped to really think why I cheated on him. I loved the way Brandon treated me and what he did for me in the beginning, but the thought of being with him for the rest of my life...I don't want that."

I nodded, really stunned by her admission. She had me convinced she wanted to marry Brandon.

"I'm going to let him decided if he wants to be a part of our child's life." Rocky finished.

We walked back to her house as she told me everything her mom said.

"My mom's planning to be out here to help out. She wants a granddaughter."

"Wait. Doesn't she have one?" I asked.

"My mom doesn't claim her. She's still waiting for a DNA test."

We laughed together.

Rocky needed to go grocery shopping and I joined her. At the store, Trevor called me. I told him I would be home soon. Rocky asked me what was new with me. I didn't even know how to explain what happened the night before. I didn't even know how I felt about it, other than confusion.

I told her about my job, the houses we looked at, going shopping with Forrest, hanging with Sammy and her theory on Jake; basically everything but Trevor and my discussion the night before. I decided not to worry about it until I spoke to Trevor to figure out where his head was at.

We went back to her house and separated the groceries. After I helped put her things away, I grabbed Justine and got ready to go.

"Let me know if you need anything. I wanna be there when you tell Brandon, just in case he tries to act stupid. Again." I informed her.

"I need to schedule a doctor's appointment before I tell him, but I'll let you know." She replied.

"As long as you have appointments in the morning, I can go with you."

She smiled at me. "I appreciate it, but I can handle it myself." She said, confidently rubbing her stomach.

"I didn't ask if you can handle it. I know you can. I'm so excited! I wanna be there every step of the way. Appointments, Lamaze class, everything. If you have carvings, call me. I'll even rub your back... and your feet!" I promised.

"I don't want you anywhere near my feet!" Rocky exclaimed.

I laughed at her.

When I got back to my apartment, I took Justine upstairs before unloading the groceries. The smell of bacon hit me as soon as I walked in. I walked into the kitchen and found Trevor washing the dishes. I looked at the table, and immediately smiled, amazed.

Trevor created some weird food house. The house was constructed with cut up frozen waffles, bacon strips and sausage links. The roof was made of two slices of toast. I couldn't tell what the green stuff was, but it surrounded the house like grass. Fruit loops made pretty flower decorations in the backyard. An arrangement of strawberries on toothpicks created a fence around the house. "Home Sweet Home" was spelled out in whipped cream on the table. I didn't want to know how long it took him to put it together.

"What the hell is this?" I asked Trevor.

"It's a breakfast house." He explained.

"I see that. What's the green stuff?"

"Eggs."

"Ohmygod, you're crazy." I grinned.

"No, I'm sorry. I don't care where we live. As long as it's you and me, it's home sweet home." Trevor smiled.

I gave him a peck on the lips. That one sentence told me I had nothing to worry about. I still needed him to explain himself though. "We're still need to talk about last night, but I love it and I love you. Can you help me bring in the groceries please? Then we can eat."

After we brought everything in and put it away, we sat down at the table with the breakfast house. I took a picture of his creation first before I grabbed a fork. I tried the green eggs first. The only thing abnormal about them was the color.

"It's just food coloring." Trevor assured me.

I nodded and we demolished his house while we talked.

"Are you going to tell me about the deal you made with the devil- I mean, my dad?" I asked, sarcastically.

He rubbed his face. "Jesus, I wish I didn't tell you that."

"Jesus fucking Christ, you did. Get to talking, or do I need to get you drunk first?"

"Your dad was worried about us moving too fast. He told me if we waited a year, I would have his blessing to marry you." Trevor explained, plainly.

"When did the conversation happen?" I said, curiously.

"After we moved in together-The same weekend."

"I wish you would have told me."

"I didn't think it was a bad idea-"

"It's not about being bad or good. It's one thing for him to give advice; it's completely different to make deals behind my back. It's about him trying to control my life. Again. You played right into it." I explained.

He sighed. "I'm not trying to play mind games with him. He'll beat me everyday of the week. I agreed with him about waiting for his blessing and because I didn't think you would wanna get engaged any sooner than that."

I dipped a strawberry in the whipped cream before I made my own confession. "I would have said yes if your fake engagement wasn't fake."

"I saw that. I regretted the deal I made with your dad ever since. I figured I had to wait to propose, I didn't want to wait to buy a house together too." He gave me a little sad smile. "The plan was we buy a house this year, get engaged on New Year's, get married sometime next year and start having kids immediately afterwards."

I quickly swallowed the fruit. "That doesn't have to change. Now that I know how you feel about the homeowner's association, I won't rule out a house because of it. You were way out of line about the money thing. I would rather you not spend all your savings on a house, but I wasn't thinking about it at all. I like the idea of renovations because we can make the house special and unique to us."

"Ok, I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way." Trevor apologized. "I've been thinking, maybe we should keep looking. Like you said, there's no rush right?"

"Right. There's gotta be a house we both will love." I agreed. I was confident we could find a place this year. Nothing about his plan would have to change. We sat in silence for a little bit as I chewed on a piece of bacon.

"The only thing your food house is missing is a pool." I joked.

"Speaking of a pool, we haven't even went swimming here this summer. Let's go." Trevor said, standing up.

"You're not supposed to swim after eating."

"That's an old wives' tale- you're not going to cramp up."

"It has nothing to do with cramping- I don't want to put on a bathing suit after eating that breakfast house." I groaned, dramatically.

Trevor gave me a warm, charming smile and I knew I was going along with whatever he said, even though all I wanted to do was laundry, watch preseason football and eat snacks. "C'mon, it closes after Labor Day."

"Fine." I relented.

After changing into swim clothes, we walked over to the pool, splashed around and swam for a couple of hours. When we came back, I saw that I had a text from Forrest. That made we remember the comments Trevor said the night before.

"Honestly, are you ok with me and Forrest being friends?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I am. You know I trust you."

"You said that, but it's the second time you made comments about us- er, it. Our frienship."

"It's just hard giving up the role of your best friend-"

"You're not. You are still my best friend." I interrupted him.

"I don't think that's possible. There's things we can't tell each other because we are together." He disagreed

"I don't believe that at all. I don't tell Forrest things that I haven't told you. He just understands how I think because we are similar." I tried to explained. "Does that make sense? Forrest said before I remind him of a younger version of himself. He points out things I hadn't thought about, but that's all"

"It's not even about Forrest. You're my girlfriend- I think about your feelings more than I did when we were friends only. It's better to keep certain things to myself. I think that's just how it works now."

"You can talk to me about everything. I think you have a tendency to try to baby and protect me. I've proven I can handle myself."

He studied me for a long, agonizing moment, before he smiled. "Agree to disagree."

"No way. What aren't you telling me? Small things, like that dress really does make me look fat? Or big things, like you're getting bored with me?" I asked him, placing my hands on my hips.

Trevor laughed at me. "You are not fat or boring. You have nothing to worry about Lilypad." He said kissing me on the lips. I pouted and didn't return it at first.

After several kisses, I wrapped my arms around him and took his advice: No worrying. As I kissed him back, I knew without a doubt everything would be alright.

I Can't Explain

"Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling bad
The things you've said have got me real mad
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Forgive me one more time, now (Can't explain)
I said I can't explain, yeah
You drive me out of my mind
Yeah, I'm the worrying kind, babe
I said I can't explain" I Can't Explain by The Who

I told Trevor Rocky canceled her appointment and was in Houston with her mom. We both speculated if Rocky told her, and what Mama Smith's reaction was. She definitely wasn't a Brandon fan, and that was before the asshole transformation.. I didn't know how she would advise Rocky. Trevor and I both hoped Rocky did what was right for her not based on anyone else.

Thursday, I went into work, even though I had the day off. I was tempted to stay home, just to prove a point to Adil, but I couldn't. It was well within my rights: all my benefits kicked in after my probation. The problem was all requests for time off had to put in at least 2 weeks in advance, with the exception of illness or an emergency.

I realized I probably would have been better calling off the day of; I would have missed Adil making me feel bad for requesting the day off with such short notice.  Normally, I would hide my bad feelings with a "fuck it" disguise, but I tried to be mature about it and face those feelings head-on. I appeased my guilt by taking myself to work.

Adil was surprised to see me, but I told him I was able to work everything around my schedule. When Dr. Clayton saw me, he frowned up and tried to send me home.

"Take care of your family." He urged me.

"They're taken care of. I wouldn't be here if they weren't. Besides, I'm not trying to leave y'all in a bind." I replied.

"We would have made due."

"Well, now you don't have to." I ended the conversation with a little smile.

On Friday, we were able to see the last house in Plano. It was in a residential area of Plano, with the elementary and middle school in walking distance. There was also a park and jogging trails near by. The house was one story, 3 bedroom 2 baths. There were 2 living areas, the the front one had a huge fireplace while the second featured a wet bar. The kitchen was smaller in comparison to the houses we viewed, but still a good size with an island in the middle. I was surprised by the smaller closets in the bedrooms. The one in the master bedroom was the same size at our closet at our apartment.

This was the only house we viewed with a pool; It was a decent size, 5ft deep, and kidney shaped. There was also a tiny patio and an area of grass with a small tree in the backyard. On the way out, Chad asked us if he should keep looking for listings. Trevor and I both told him no. We both agreed we could make a choice out of the ones we viewed.

I came home that evening armed with decision making tools- pizza, (because you can't think on an empty stomach) alcohol, (to encourage honesty) and cupcakes (for bribes or smoothing over hurt feelings). Trevor played on his computer as I took a shower and changed into boxer shorts and a tank top. After making us mixed drinks, we sat on the couch and tackled our food and decision.

Every single one had things that we liked and didn't liked. We went over that before we both revealed which one we were leaning towards. My top choice was the older 5 bedroom house we looked at second. Trevor favored the first house we looked at in the newer West Plano.

"The 2nd house was less expensive with more space." I pointed out.

"Yeah, because it requires more maintenance." Trevor said. I couldn't argue with that.

"The backyard was tiny at the first house." I countered.

"There's a community park."

"And a HOA" I added.

"I kinda like that too."

I looked at him, incredulously.

"We can sit in on meeting; I reached out to the president. Why don't we do that before you rule it out?" Trevor suggested.

"If we can go over what work would need to be done on the second house, I'll do that." I negotiated.

"Deal." Trevor agreed. We clinked out glasses and smiled at each other.

"That was easy." I beamed.

"Were you expecting war?" Trevor taunted me.

I chuckled but didn't answer.



The next morning, I woke up to Trevor's phone ringing. I ignored and and tried to go back to sleep until it rang again. I sighed and reached over to grab it. It was his uncle Jimmy. I nudged Trevor.

"Baby, your phone." I told him.

"Ignore it."

"It's the second time your uncle called. It might be important."

"You can answer it."

I picked up. "Hello?"

"G'morning Lily. Where's my knucklehead  nephew?" Uncle Jimmy said in his rough, deep baritone. I chuckled.

"Pretending like he's sleep."

Trevor peaked one eye open before closing it and pretending to snore.

"Put me on speaker, will ya?"

I did as he requested and put the phone up to Trevor's ear.

"He can hear you Jimmy." I said.

"You said you were gonna call me back yesterday. I'm busy enough without having to hunt you down. We talked about your responsibilities and what being a man means. You need to take care-"

"Alright." Trevor said quickly, sitting up and grabbing the phone from me. He took it off speaker and held it to his ear. I couldn't help by smile watching how fast he got up. His uncle's bellowing should be Trevor's alarm ringtone. He would get up on time everyday!

I giggled to myself as I went to the bathroom. Afterwards, I went in the kitchen, made coffee, fed Justine and gave her water.

As I prepared two mugs, I eyed the cupcakes left over from the night before. I carried them along with the coffee to bed. Trevor was off the phone, rubbing his face as he leaned against the headboard.

"What's up?" I asked, handing him his coffee before sitting the cupcakes between us on the bed.

"Cupcakes for breakfast?" He asked, raising a eyebrow.

"Yeah, they're in the muffin family. There like muffins' cuter sister."

Trevor laughed and grabbed one.

"What was your uncle talking about?" I asked sitting on the bed with him.

"I gotta go back to the Country today and take care of a few things." Trevor answered.

"Like what?" I asked, biting my cupcake.

"I have to sign some paperwork to transfer the funds from my account. Verify who I am, stuff like that." He shrugged.

"You can do that on the weekend?"

He sighed. "The Tobins' were the founding family. My Granny's side built the church. I can get whatever I want done as long as it's not Sunday."

I laughed at him. "Wow... ok Mr. Tobin. Do you want me to come with yo-"

"No." He answered before I could even finish. "I mean, it's not going to take long. I'm driving back as soon as I'm done."

"Alright." I said, finishing my food.

He got dressed and I played on my phone. I texted Rocky to see how she was doing. I reached out to Sammy to see if she had plans for the day.

After Trevor left, I took Justine for a walk before going to the gym. Rocky got back to me, telling me she was ok. I wanted to ask what was going on, but I decided to wait til she got back. No response from Sammy, but I wasn't surprised because she was not a morning person.

I got a call from Forrest on my way home, asking if I wanted to go to the furniture store with him. He wanted a woman's opinion and I quickly agreed. I went home, showered, threw on some comfortable clothes and put my hair up in a ponytail. I was scrolling through my Facebook when Forrest showed up to pick me up.

We drove to the relatively new furniture store Nebraska. It was as big as a mini-strip mall. I understood how anyone shopping would get intimated shopping alone. It was exciting for me though. Maybe because I didn't have to make any decisions and could just window shop. I helped Forrest pick out a new living room and bedroom set, but I also fantasized about what I wanted in Trevor and my house: whichever one we choose. I sent him a ton of pictures of things we could use in the house I liked.

"You and Trevor narrowed it down to two?" Forrest asked when we took a break at the Subway in the store to narrow down his options.

"Yeah. It was kinda easy. I don't know how we decided from here."

"Are you thinking Win-Win?"

"Shut up. It's hard to compromise when we feel completely opposite about a couple things."

"What things?"

"He's ok with a HOA, I'm not. I want the house that needs a little work and he doesn't want that."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Have you discussed why y'all have those preferences?"

"Not really."

"Maybe you should do that. You might find a compromise."

"I love how you always have relationship advice for me. I'm gonna focus on getting you into a relationship. Then she can go furniture shopping with you." I quipped.

He chuckled. "I have a date tonight. Why do you think I'm trying to get ready for my new place?"

"With who?"

"That DJ I meet at the bar. Rosalyn."

"What? I thought it was a professional contact?"

"It was, but she came on to me." Forrest smiled.

"You're so full of shit." I laughed. "What are y'all doing?"

"We're gonna go see Straight Outta Compton."

"Cool. Let me know what you think."

Sammy called me while we were eating. I told her I was going to check out Dominick's fight. She offered to join me after she got done working. After Forrest made his purchases and set up delivery, he dropped me home. I changed into charcoal skinny jeans, a striped blue and gray swing top that matched perfectly with my new Sketchers. I was finishing my make-up when Sammy texted and let me know she was on the way. I had just enough time to put my hair in a messy side braid.

"Why did you dress like you're about to go fight? Go put on some heels." Sammy said as I got in her car.

"Fuck no. It's a gym. You look like you're a prize girl." I said, closing the door.

"Thanks bitch. That's what I was going for." Sammy smirked. She looked great in black leather shorts and an orange sheer tiered ruffle crop top. Her hair was bone straight and oversized sunglasses and cheetah print heels completed her outfit.

We caught up on our way to the gym. When we arrived there, a lot of the women were dressed like Sammy, but I was comfortable in my jeans and tank. We found seats and sat down to watch the matches.

"Why are you testing my relationship?" Sammy asked, as she eyed a very muscular guy making his way towards the ring. His whole body portrayed confidence and strength. It was extremely sexy.

I smiled. "Nothing wrong with looking. I like what I see."

Sammy was turned off the moment one of the guy started bleeding. While I wasn't turned on, I definitely appreciated the sport more. While we waited, Trevor texted that he was 30 minutes outside of Dallas. I called him and told him where we were. He told me to give him a call when we were done so we can go out together.

The fights were behind so Dominick's match started late. Dominick was incredible. The guy he fought was at least 4 inches taller, maybe 20 pounds heavier. Dominick wore him down enough to get him in some type of weird hold that had his opponent tapping out. I cheered for him when the match ended.

"Can we go now?" Sammy asked. "Corey's already with Trevor at the bar."

"Yeah. Let me congratulate Dominick before we go." I said, standing.

Dominick headed back to what I assumed were the locker rooms. I wanted to wait by the entrance so I wouldn't miss him. Someone called my name, and I saw Richard, Dominick's roommate, waving me over. He was standing with a group of people. Diego Jr., Dino and Jake were included in that group. I looked at Sammy before I made my way over.

"Hey. This is my friend Sammy." I introduced her to Richard and Diego Jr. I said hello to everyone else.

"I didn't know you were coming." Richard said.

"It was last minute." I replied.

"Make sure I give you my number so you can call next time." Richard offered.

"This is my last match. Too gory for me." Sammy said, deflecting Richard's request for me.

"Was this your first match?" Dino asked us.

Sammy and I both nodded. "I grew up watching fake wrestling with my brother and he convinced me it was real. This wasn't that bad compared to that." I added.

There was an awkward silence; I pulled  Sammy to an opposite wall so we could wait.

"Do you think it's weird Jake doesn't speak to me anymore?" I asked, as I quickly looked him over. Besides a polite hello, he didn't speak to me at all.

"No. His girlfriend is right there."

"So? What's changed? We're not friends anymore?" I frowned.

"You never were. He doesn't want to sleep with you anymore. He has no reason to pretend. That's what changed."

I looked at her shocked. I didn't get to question it because Dino came over.

"I love your shoes. Are they Louboutin?" Dino asked Sammy.

"They are. Thank you for noticing. Lily never notices the obvious." Sammy smirked.

"I notice everything. I just don't believe it." I quipped back.

Dino furrowed her eyes. "Believe what?"

"Why she doesn't let me paint the bottom of some heels from shoemart red to save her some money."

"You're dumb as hell. I'm gonna stop fucking with you off-brand queen." Sammy said, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. I'll be off-brand queen of my castle while you be name brand pauper in your apartment."

Dino laughed. "I see both your points. They're cute shoes, if you can afford it."

"Thank you." Sammy and I said at the same time.

Dominick made his way out and his family greeted him right away. Richard joined me and Sammy on the side.

"I bet I can guess your favorite wrestler. The Rock. People say I look like him." Richard smiled at me.

Hmm, maybe his baby brother. 

I shook my head. "I don't see it and he was not my favorite."

"Who was?"

"The Undertaker. His finishing move was to send people to hell through the ring. I loved that." I smiled.

"You're crazy." Sammy commented with a little laugh.

"I think that's sexy." Richard responded, trying to put his arm around me.

Thankfully, Dominick approached and I sidestepped Richard to give him a hug.

"Congratulations. That was incredible." I praised him.

"Yeah? Wanna be my workout buddy now?" Dominick grinned.

"No. I don't even wanna spar with you anymore!" I laughed.

He invited Sammy and me out to celebrate with them, but we declined and headed to the bar. We met up with Trevor and Corey at a pool hall near Corey's apartment. Trevor and Corey were drinking and playing when we found them.

"Lilypad, you're designated driver." He said, handing me his keys.

"Ok... I don't even need to drink, I'm just wanna eat." I said.

"Of course you do." He teased me.

"Shut up T-Rev."

Sammy and I got a table close to them, ordered food and drinks and watched them play. When the food arrived, Corey and Trevor retired from playing pool and joined us to eat.

We ate and joked and had a great time. We tried to plan for Labor day, but that's when I learned Christian and Black Reign was holding their single release party over Labor day weekend. Sammy would be in Austin. Corey wasn't sure if he could get off work. Trevor wanted to go but I didn't want to at all.

"Why would I go to a party that not only  Christian is going to, but is throwing?" I asked. "Why would you wanna go?"

"It's a three day weekend. It's Ian's and Johnny's band, not Christian's. Majority of my friends are in Austin. Why wouldn't I want to go?" He listed, animatedly. I wondered how much he drank before I got there.

"Because I threatened Christian. I can't be around him after that. I'm not gonna make a liar out of myself." I explained.

"What? What do you say?" Corey asked, grinning.

"I don't remember." I answered, truthfully. "I know I said I didn't want to hear from him again."

"It was so funny. She went all gangster on him and called him a bitch and said she was gonna cut him." Trevor laughed, hysterically. I couldn't help laughing too.

"It's not that funny." Sammy laughed at him.

"It was. You know how she gets. Y'all both get like that." Trevor exclaimed, turning to Corey. "You should have heard the fights they had."

"I can imagine. I need to get a taser to calm this one down. She always trying to fight someone." He nudged Sammy.

"Whatever. A taser won't stop me." Sammy bragged.

"Tranquilizer gun, whichever." Corey amended.

That caused Trevor and me both to crack up laughing.

"Did you tell Trevor what you did today? What you were looking at?" Sammy asked, with a devious grin. I knew she was referring to the MMA fighters.

"Oh, shopping with Forrest? Yeah. What about it?" Trevor asked.

"Why'd you say Forrest like that?" I asked.

"No reason."

"Good, because you know he's just a friend." I emphasized.

"Yeah? Like we were?" He smiled at me.

"No. Forrest and me are strictly platonic. I've never had feelings for him."

"Seems like you thought about it..." Trevor said with a small chuckle.

"I haven't!"

"I believe you. Calm down. It's ok."

"I know it's ok! He gives me advice all the time about us." I said.

"Us who? Me and you? Or you and him?" Trevor said, jokingly.

I didn't find it funny.

"Me and you. We talked about how we can compromise on the house today."

"I didn't think we had a problem with that. Does he need to come and be a mediator?"

"We don't need a mediator. We need to discuss why we have certain preferences about the houses."

"Ok, why are you so against a HOA?" Trevor questioned me.

"Maybe y'all should do this another time." Sammy said, putting down her drink.

"No, we're just talking." I said to Sammy before turning to Trevor. "That's not a preference, but I don't want someone telling me what to do in my home."

"Even if it's things you're already going to do?"

"Yep."

"That makes sense." He said, sarcastically.

"You know what doesn't makes sense? Why does everything have to be family ready? It's just me and you. We can handle renovations." I argued.

"Why renovate when we don't have to?"

"It's a smarter and less expensive investment. Does that matter to you?"

"Nope. I'm not planing to resell." Trevor said, stubbornly.

"You know monthly dues can increase with HOAs. Is that important to you?"

"Not as important as living in a community. You keep talking about what it takes. It gives our kids an opportunity to grow up with other kids; they'll go to the park and the pool with kids at their school. I'd rather pay for that than fixing up a house. It's a waste of time. "

"That's important why? You act like we're getting married tomorrow. Kids aren't happening until we're married. We're not even engaged. What's the rush? Why is it a waste of time?"

"It's important because I want us to know our neighbors. I want them to know us as Trevor and Lily only. I want our kids to make friends before they notice skin colors and race. I get that you want to wait until we're married to have kids, but I have to wait to propose to you next year-" he said, growing more frustrated.

"Trevor, stop-" Corey started.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but he wasn't making making any sense. I knew I should have stopped but I kept interrogating instead."What do you mean you have to wait to propose? That's your decision. You know I'll say yes."

"Your dad won't give me his blessing until we date a year." Trevor huffed.

My mouth dropped open. "We don't need his permission-"

"Jesus fucking Christ Lily! I said his blessing, not permission. I know how much you hate being told what to do, but I'm willing to wait and play by his rules so he'll accept it. What I don't want to wait on is getting married and having kids so you can fix up a house. I don't wanna play whatever power trip game you have going on because you don't want me to put more money into our house than you!" Trevor got up from the table and headed straight to the bar.

I sat there, my mind reeling trying to make sense of everything he said.

What the fuck just happened?









***Sorry for the delay. I was working on a Rocky POV, but I need a couple of things to happen first so I scrapped it. Have a great weekend.