A Trip in the Fall Pt. 03

Thank you all so much for the feedback and encouragement. As I said in installment one, I had planned on two installments and then said I would see where things went. After developing the characters and the story line, I've determined I've got three more installments in me/the story. This installment will focus on the trip around New Years, the next will focus on 3 months from February to April, while the final installment will run from May to August. Thanks in advance for reading and as always I appreciate the feedback!

***

Ch. 1-Tuesday, December 28th

Brandon pulled into his parking space at his apartment as the winter sun began to set. He grabbed his duffel out of the backseat and ran up the steps to his door; he had to hurry and get laundry finished so he could repack. His flight from Newark to Knoxville left shortly after 8am the next morning, meaning after 1 layover in Charlotte, he would be in Knoxville around 12:15. That worked out perfectly, because Sarah had somehow found a flight for her that would leave New Orleans at 7:45, fly to Charlotte, then they would be on the same plane for the short 1 hour flight to Knoxville.

Once they arrived in Knoxville, they would pick up the rental that Brandon had reserved, stop at a grocery store to get things for a few days, then make the one hour drive to the cabin that Brandon had reserved for them in Pigeon Forge. After their argument at Brandon's parents over Thanksgiving, Brandon had given in and allowed Sarah to pay for the majority of the trip. She had handled all of the flights and was handling the hotel in Nashville. Brandon had stood firm that she let him pay for the cabin in Pigeon Forge as her Christmas present.

Sarah gave him two criteria for the cabin, a hot tub and views of mountains. Both of those were easy to come by, but due to the growth of the area in the prior 10-15 years, finding one that didn't have people right on top of them was a bit more of a challenge. He was able to find one after a lot of digging, and one that would let them in after 2, instead of the usual 4. Since they would only be there 2 nights, they didn't need anything super fancy, that apparently was coming for Nashville. Sarah had booked them in at the Opryland Hotel in one of the king rooms that overlooked the main atrium.

As Brandon sorted out the rest of his clothes for the trip, he turned his attention to Sarah's other Christmas present. He opened the box that he had recently got from his friend's dad who was a jeweler in Washington, DC. In it was a single 1 karat diamond pendant on a very dainty silver chain. It didn't look like much, but it had set Brandon back about $800, which was much less than the $1,500 it was appraised at, it was good to know people. He closed the box, and carefully packed it in his empty water bottle for protection and went to switch the laundry. He would have to go shopping for something to wear for New Year's Eve, but he figured he could find something while they were in Nashville and then send it back, thus saving him taking an extra bag. As he wrapped up packing, he hopped in the shower, talked with Sarah on the phone for a bit, and then headed off to bed so he could make it to the airport by 6:45-7am.

***

As Brandon was getting things rounded up, Sarah was doing the same thing. The issue on her end was that she couldn't decide what to take. The part of the trip to Pigeon Forge was easy, she just needed lounge clothes because they had decided they were just going to stay in and relax. The three days in Nashville was where she was having issues. When she had been in the city at the beginning of the month to track some vocals, she had picked out her New Years dress which was supposed to be waiting at the hotel. She hoped Brandon would like it, she wanted to impress him, which was a feeling that she had never dealt with in adulthood. High school was one thing, but she constantly found herself putting things back in her closet, pulling other things out, looking online at shops that had handled wardrobe for the tour, and then starting the whole process over again.

She finally settled on her clothes for the trip, packing them all before fishing the little pink Victoria Secrets bag out of the back of her closet. She had found a red nightie that she was convinced Brandon would love, folding it up and placing it at the bottom of her suitcase so Brandon wouldn't see until she wanted him too. She grinned at the thought of how surprised he would be.

The final thing that went into her bag was the card that held Brandon's Christmas present. She felt bad, he had told her not to get him anything, that the trip was enough, but she knew he had gotten her something, so she was determined to get him something. The issue was she had no clue what to get him and considering she still hadn't seen his apartment in person, she settled on a gift card to Dicks/Golf Galaxy. She was unsure at first how much to put on it, but one day over the phone, she overheard him talking to a friend of his while they were at a golf simulator. Brandon was complaining about how his clubs were due to be replaced, but he had other things he was spending money on. So, figuring she was the other thing he was spending money on, she had gone online and found out golf clubs were expensive, so taking a risk that he wouldn't kill her, she put $500 on the card and hoped that would get him started on his new clubs.

As she zipped her suitcase shut, she called Brandon, made sure they were on the same page for the next day then headed off to the shower. As she shaved her legs, she had to laugh; in the past, she never would have shaved her legs everyday for a guy, but for Brandon, feeling his hands move up her smooth legs sent shivers through her body even now as she simply thought about it. She climbed into bed and fell asleep, knowing that the next night she would be curled up in bed with Brandon.

Ch. 2- Wednesday

Sarah awoke at 4:30 with a groan, even if she was getting to see Brandon, 4:30 was way too damn early. She got out of bed, got herself together in the bathroom, then headed downstairs to grab a quick bite to eat. As she came down the steps, she could smell the coffee pot on, meaning her dad was up already too. As she entered the kitchen, Jim was sitting at the table looking over a magazine. Sarah poured a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal then sat down saying, "Morning Daddy."

Jim smiled back, "Good morning sweetie, all packed?"

"I think so."

Jim nodded and turned back to his magazine while Sarah ate her breakfast. As she drank the milk from her bowl, Jim heard her sigh. "You okay?"

Sarah didn't respond right away, then said, "Yes, I'm just tired. Didn't sleep much, I think I'm too excited. The internet is one thing, but I just miss Brandon that's all."

Jim nodded, "Well you two have a week together now, you're going to see him in February for Valentine's Day. We assume he is replacing your mother and I for the ACMs in Vegas this year?"

"Is that alright?"

"Of course darling, you know I hate getting all gussied up."

They both laughed and Jim continued, "Are you still planning on meeting him in South Carolina in April?"

"Yeah, there's a tournament his team is playing in there."

"Alright so you'll see each other once a month for at least 3-4 days between now and your tour starting. It seems like you all have figured out what works for you."

"I guess but I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of things that normal couples get to do. Like go get dinner cause we don't want to cook, real movie nights curled up on the couch, things like that."

Jim thought for a moment, "Have you told him you're moving to Nashville full time in May?"

"No, it's a surprise for this weekend. Instead of a three hour flight, it's just about two so that should help."

"That's all well and good, but is that something you want to do long term?"

"Well it's better than what we are dealing with now. We've only been seeing each other for 3 months, it's too soon to be thinking about marriage."

Jim laughed, "Hold up there, I like the guy, but not that much yet."

Sarah laughed as she put her things in the sink and said, "Alright, we better get going."

The ride down to New Orleans was a little over an hour and a half, Sarah kissed her dad on the cheek goodbye, cleared security and made her gate with about 45 minutes to spare. When they called first class, Sarah stood up and walked towards the attendant, scanned her ticket on her phone and then made her way down the gangway. As she said hello to the pilot then settled into her seat. She decided to grab a nap on the flight to Knoxville, put her headphones on as the flight attendant handed her a bottle of water, then began to doze off as the stewardess started her safety speech.

***

Brandon's alarm went off at 6, he checked his phone to make sure his flight was still on time. He then checked a text from Sarah that had come in about five minutes prior, "Daddy just dropped me off at the airport, heading towards security now."

Brandon typed back, "Awesome! I'm heading to the airport in about 20 minutes. Just going to grab something to eat there." He hopped out of bed, showered, grabbed his phone and watch chargers, along with his kindle, threw them in his backpack and he headed out to his truck. He made the short 35 minute drive to the airport, pulled into the long term lot like normal, and grabbed the shuttle to the terminal.

He checked his main bag and then headed to security. He emptied his laptop and other things required and stepped into the body scanner, after getting the all clear, he stepped forward where a TSA agent motioned for him. He walked over where his backpack was spread out on a table. Brandon pulled his shoes on and said, "Is there a problem?"

"Sir, we need you to empty the rest of your bag."

Brandon emptied out a bag of snacks, his empty water bottle and a few other things. The TSA agent began looking through things, finally opening up the water bottle, and sliding Sarah's necklace out.

"Sir what is this?"

"My girlfriend's Christmas present, it's a necklace. Open it and you'll see."

The agent opened the box and shook his head, "Ooo eee, that is fancy."

He closed the box, slipped it back into the water bottle, before sending Brandon on his way.

As Brandon neared his gate, his phone vibrated; when he opened it, he was greeted with a selfie of Sarah on the plane with the text, "Just boarded!!! See you in a few hours!"

Brandon smiled and typed back, "Just getting to my gate, see you soon."

Brandon had enough time to grab a Coke and a candy bar before making his way to the waiting area. About 20 minutes later, first class had been called, which thanks to Sarah, Brandon was enjoying for the first time. Brandon boarded, found his seat, and settled in for the 2 hour flight to Charlotte.

***

Sarah's flight touched down first, when the pilot gave the all clear announcement, she texted Brandon letting him know that she was on the ground, but as they taxied, the message flashed undeliverable, so she figured he was still in the air or just landing. Her flight had a great time, instead of the 2 hour and 20 minute flight as planned, they had made it in about 2 hours. As the plane taxied to the gate, Sarah packed her headphones and pillow in preparation for deplaning.

10 minutes after Sarah had landed, Brandon's plane touched down and he turned his phone back on, being greeted by a text telling him that Sarah was on the ground, then another saying she was off the plane and heading towards the next gate. She had come into Concourse B and their departing flight was leaving out of Concourse E. As they taxied, Brandon's pilot came back on welcoming them to Charlotte, updating them on the weather and announcing that they were coming into Concourse C.

Brandon pulled up the terminal map and texted Sarah, "We are coming into Concourse C, so I don't have quite as long of a walk."

Sarah texted back, "Alright, I just got done in the bathroom, I'm going to grab something to drink, what do you want?"

"Grab me a bottle of water and 12 oz Red Bull."

"Red Bull? I'm the one that's been up since 4am, what's your excuse lol."

"I'm an old man, we've talked about this lol. Someone has to drive, and you like to sleep in the car."

As Brandon's flight pulled into the gate, his phone vibrated with another text, "Just got to the gate, they are already boarding. Gate E5. I told them you were coming but they sent me on."

The flight attendant opened the door, so Brandon sent back a thumbs up emoji, stood up and was the first one off the plane. He hustled up the jetway and emerging in the terminal, he quickly got his bearings and began to head towards Concourse E. Checking his watch he saw he had 10 minutes to spare, so he ran into a bathroom, then headed towards his gate. Just as he entered the concourse, over the loudspeaker he heard, "Brandon Baker to gate E5, your flight is in final boarding."

Rather than walk, he took off at a light jog and finally reached the gate; he became aware that there was no one but the attendant there. He pulled his boarding pass up on his phone and approached the counter. The attendant smiled, "Mr. Baker?"

"Yes ma'am. Sorry for the wait, my flight had to wait to taxi."

She pointed toward the scanner, Brandon turned his phone, the scanner turned green and with a fast "Thanks," he walked down the jet way. As he walked onto the plane, he could see Sarah in the 3rd row back, sitting by the window, looking down, as he walked towards her, he felt his phone vibrate, ignoring it, he walked to the row and said in his best fake, fangirl voice, "Oh my god, are you Sarah Bixby, the singer?!"

Sarah looked up, ready to deal with the fan, but instead of a fan, it was Brandon with a goofy smile on his face. She burst out laughing, standing up and hugging him. She pulled away enough to kiss him. They kissed for a moment before being interrupted by the flight attendant, asking them to take their seats. Brandon apologized, stowed his backpack in the overhead compartment and sat down beside Sarah.

"I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

"Yeah, I used the bathroom, and then had to jog the last little bit, they announced the flight was in final boarding and I was the last one."

Sarah laughed, "Well that's fun, normally it's people making announcements for me."

As the plane began to pull away from the gate, Brandon smiled, "Well it's all good now. We will be in Knoxville in an hour, and will be to the cabin an hour or so after we leave there."

Brandon's hand had come to rest on Sarah's leg, and she had lifted the armrest, allowing her to lean against him and rest her head on his shoulder. As the pilot taxied and began its takeoff, Sarah began to pester Brandon, "So are you going to tell me about the cabin? It's not fair to keep it a secret from me."

Brandon chuckled, "No, you'll see it when we get there. It fits your criteria, mountains, hot tub looking at those mountains, private and simple. I think you'll love it."

"Well you picked it, so I'm sure I will. It'll be nice to just relax, I listened to you and didn't bring anything for this part of the trip other than comfy clothes. We can sleep in, watch tv, and just be with each other."

Brandon squeezed Sarah's leg and settled in as the plane reached its cruising altitude, "It'll be absolutely perfect."

Ch. 3

The flight from Charlotte to Knoxville was only about an hour and it seemed as soon as they hit cruising altitude, they were starting their descent. They touched down in Knoxville and made their way off the plane, and after a quick stop at the restroom, they made their way to the rental counter. Brandon had reserved an SUV since the manager of the cabin said that 4WD or AWD was recommended at all times of the year due to the steepness of the road into the cabin.

After filling out the paperwork so they could both drive, they made their way out to the parking garage and found their Toyota 4Runner, threw their things in the back and headed towards Pigeon Forge. As they neared their cabin, they found a grocery store to stop at and pick up supplies for the next two nights. As they walked into the store, Brandon looked at Sarah, "Did you make a list?"

"No, I thought you did?"

Brandon laughed, "Well, I guess we are winging it. We need coffee, Coke, bourbon, what else?"

"Awww, we really are a couple, we can't decide on groceries. I want bacon and eggs and pancakes for breakfast!"

"Okay, what about lunch and dinner?"

"How about we just get things to make sandwiches for lunch since we don't know if we are going hiking or anything."

"That makes sense, how about steak tonight for dinner since we have a grill, and tacos tomorrow night since they are quick?"

Closing her eyes Sarah said, "Yummmm, that sounds perfect."

They picked up everything they needed, and then some, they were both like kids in a candy shop, grabbing random things off the shelves as they made their way to the cashier. They piled everything on the belt and as the cashier rang them up, she looked up to ask them how they were and Brandon saw the recognition in her eyes. The cashier smiled and looked at Brandon, then back to Sarah before saying, "I don't want to be rude, but are you Sarah Bixby?"

Sarah smiled and moved some hair out of her face and said, "Yes, I am."

The cashier squealed loud enough to cause Brandon to take a step back in surprise. She then said, "OH MY GOD!! I love you and your music!!!!"

Sarah smiled, "Well thank you, that means a lot. What's your name?"

"My name? You want to know my name? It's Beth."

"Well hello Beth, it's nice to meet you."

The cashier finished ringing up their groceries, mumbling to herself that she couldn't believe Sarah Bixby was standing in front of her. As Brandon was paying, Sarah looked at the cashier, seeing her fumbling with her phone, said, "Would you like a picture?"

"Really? It would mean so much, but I don't want to be rude?"

Sarah smiled back, "It is no big deal, we can have my boyfriend take it."

Brandon finished putting bags in the cart and Sarah moved around him, handing him Beth's phone and putting her arm around the cashier and smiling as Brandon snapped a couple of pictures. He asked Beth, "Double check to make sure they're good."

Beth flipped through and told him they were great. Sarah smiled at her and thanked her for supporting the music and they made their way out to the parking lot. When they reached the SUV, Brandon laughed, "Well, that was fun."

Sarah laughed as she helped load their groceries in, "Yeah, it's still weird being noticed randomly in public, especially when on vacation like this. That was pretty tame compared to sometimes."

They laughed and climbed into the 4Runner, Brandon plugged the address into his phone and they made their way to the cabin. As they made their way up the mountain, Brandon understood why the vehicle recommendation was made. The road was steep, like he was used to back home, and it was packed gravel which caused the 4Runner to slide a few times in the corners. They finally saw the post with the house number on it, they pulled down the driveway to be greeted by a 1 story log cabin set in a small opening in the trees. Without the leaves on the trees, you could just make out the other cabins on either side of them, but they were definitely secluded.

Sarah exclaimed, "It's so cute!!"

She hopped out of the car and ran to the front door, as had been arranged, the key had been left under the mat, she found it, unlocked the door, and ran inside while Brandon started to grab things out of the car. When he walked into the cabin, it looked just like the pictures on the website; there was a small kitchen and table right when you walked in the door. The kitchen shared the room with the living area that held a couch and two chairs along with the tv and a fireplace. Off to the right, through a door, was the bedroom which had a king size bed and a jacuzzi tub along with a standard bathroom. As Brandon dropped their bags on the bed he walked back into the living room and looked out on the deck where he could see Sarah leaning against the railing. He walked through the doors, coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. "Like it?"