Lauren paced in the lobby of the hotel room. She had a hell of a time getting out of the family outing to the beach. But somehow she had dressed in a one shoulder, black and white flower print dress that fell right above her knee. Her feel slightly ached in her black strappy wedge shoes. But the effect was perfect. Her outfit said she was smart and mature but still fun and young. Lauren feared she would make a bad first impression and people don't really come back from bad first impressions. She pulled her cell out of her white clutch purse and checked the time just as she saw Jillian walked through the sliding front doors of the lobby. Jillian's eyes met hers and a smile lit her face. Lauren smiled back as she noticed the outfit Jillian wore. She looked great in black skinny jeans that were accentuated by a rainbow studded belt and fitted white tee. She wore checkerboard flats. Lauren couldn't help but laugh at how they had both worn black and white. She suddenly felt overdressed. As Jillian approached she shifted her weight.
"Am I way overdressed?" Lauren asked with a slight frown. Jillian laughed softly as she reached for Lauren's hand and leaned in for a lingering kiss that made Lauren's stomach flutter.
"A little bit,babe." She grinned and looped her arms behind Lauren's back. Lauren gave her a quizzical look and then laughed at the faux innocence on her face.
"Should I change?" Lauren asked and brought her hands up to cup Jillian's face. Jillian pulled back a little and looked her up and down.
"Are you comfortable in that?" She asked with a raised brow. Lauren sighed and thought for a moment.
"Not really but I'm fine. The longer we wait the more nervous I get." She said with a slight smile. Jillian nodded and pulled away but quickly grabbed her hand to lead her through the hotel and out to her car. It was a plain grey sedan that didn't really scream Jillian but it seemed nice enough and when Lauren sat down she was greeted by a scent that was purely Jillian. Sweet, soft, and encompassing. Lauren smiled and looked over at Jillian who promptly started the car and began to drive.
"So do you drive, Lauren?" Jillian asked while keeping her eyes on the road and slightly speeding. Lauren tried not to panic.
"I have a slight phobia to be honest." She smiled nervously and Jillian slowed down a little.
"I get it. My ex used to be the same way." Lauren felt comforted by her non-judging tone.
"Have you dated a lot?" Lauren asked trying to sound nonchalant. She glanced sideways at Jillian whose face didn't change.
"Not anymore than anyone else I suppose. Like four real relationships." She shrugged her shoulders and brushed it off. Lauren looked straight ahead and saw the sun lighting up the horizon with swipes of pink and orange. She stared at it so long that when she looked back at Jillian her face seemed spotted. She quickly blinked to clear her vision.
"So who am I meeting at this party?" Lauren asked with a raised brow, more than a little nervous.
"A lot of the same people at the beach last night will be there. Plus my mom and dad and my older sister." Jillian said as she turned into a residential area and parked on the street outside of a white two story victorian style house with around ten cars in front of it. "Don't worry. This is nothing compared to my 12 nieces and nephews you have yet to meet." She smiled as Lauren's eyes widened at the number. Lauren only had one nephew. And she was glad for it. She couldn't imagine a bigger family. "My family can be a little much but my friends will be a great buffer." She took Lauren's hand and led her around the side to a white picket gate that opened easily with one hand. Lauren instantly heard commotion. Loud talking and laughing filled the air. Jillian squeezed her hand to reassure her. The yard opened up into a patio that held a little over 30 people it seemed. They all seemed to pause a moment as they spotted Jillian and then all burst into greeting. A series of introductions and hugs later, Lauren knew just about everyone in the party. Jillian and Lauren had settled on a gliding chair at the edge of the party. They sat opposite Jillian's friend Emma, from the beach, and her other friend Heather.
"So you guys seem to be settling in together fairly well huh?" Heather asked with a slight smile that seemed insincere. Then she looked pointedly at Lauren and said, "Jillian isn't usually the type to jump into a relationship." She said on a little laugh. Lauren smiled and shrugged lightly as she took Jillian's hand in hers, claiming her stake as nonchalantly as she could.
"Jillian and I are not in a relationship. But I will admit that I don't like to share. Not one bit." Lauren said with a slight warning in her voice. Heather frowned and promptly stood to walk away. As Heather entered another group Lauren turned to Jillian. "An ex of yours I presume?" Jillian smiled. "This is going splendidly." Lauren grinned genuinely amused by the atmosphere of controlled chaos. Time flew by as Lauren and Jillian chatted about their lives and dreams. Jillian pulled Lauren aside and led her beyond the white gate and into the woods behind the house. Tall looming oaks surrounded them. Splashes of every kind of green assaulted their vision. The sun had already set so every color seemed dulled by the twilight. Jillian didn't seem to need light to find her way to where she was going. Suddenly the woods opened up and a single tree stood. The tree had wood planks nailed into it and Jillian smiled and pulled her towards it. Lauren figured now wasn't the time to tell Jillian that she had a fear of heights. She quickly removed her wedges to allow herself to climb. Jillian released her hand and reached for the board and began to climb. Momentarily, Lauren had a nice view of Jillian's butt and she chuckled.
"Hey. You better not be checking me out back there." Jillian said jokingly. Lauren followed Jillian's ascent up the tree until they reached the top and Jillian lifted a board to gain them entrance into a really nice treehouse. It held an old trunk, two chairs, a makeshift table and an area rug. It was nothing like what Lauren had remembered her treehouse looking. It was much cleaner and well kept. A small radio sat upon the table. Lauren pulled herself up onto the wooden floor. Four windows on each wall kept the room illuminated pretty well solely by moonlight but Jillian reached over and switched on a lantern that hung from the slanted roof. Lauren could barely stand and she laughed as she lightly hit her head on the roof.
"You could have warned me." Lauren laughed as she rubbed her slightly sore top of her head. Jillian grinned and tried not to laugh as she slightly bent over to avoid the same fate. She sat down on the small reclining chair that sat opposite of Lauren. Lauren thought better of it and instead sat on the carpet. It was better than sitting in a childs chair. She smiled at Jillian who looked like a giant in the small chair. "So who built this?" Lauren asked while she glanced around the small room.
"My dad did a very long time ago." She smiled, obviously fond of the place. "Thanks so much for coming and meeting my family. You really didn't have to." She smiled broadly and Lauren waved away her thanks. Jillian paused a moment then stood and sat beside Lauren on the carpet. She stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back onto her elbows and looked up at Lauren. Lauren took the opportunity to claim Jillian's lips. It was a slightly rough kiss, brought on by holding it in all day. She eased Jillian's mouth open, suddenly needing to taste her again. She tasted like frosting on a cake. Sweet, but not overbearing. And hot enough to make Lauren want more. A little voice nagged that she had wanted to wait so she broke the contact. She looked into Jillians eyes and admired the light brown streaks that were highlighted by the moonlight. She moved a strand of hair from her face. "Do you always have to kiss me like that?" Jillian frowned slightly.
"Like what?" Lauren asked with a tilt of her head.
"Like you are seeing into my soul." She said and her face softened. Lauren softly kissed her lips once more.
"You don't know how much I actually want to do that." She smiled. "I think I may have a thing for you." She grinned mischievously. Jillian's tongue darted out to moisten her lips.
"I may have a thing for you too." She smiled and pulled Lauren down to meet her lips once more.
