Becoming Pastor's Wife Ch. 03

Erin knew what she was doing had risk. She had gone behind her parent's back to go with Alan on a business trip that might end up with Alan's book and podcast getting picked up by a major publisher. The excitement and anxiety of the trip was evident on her young face as the 18 year old high school senior wore her comfortable sweatpants, volleyball captain's sweatshirt, and sneakers while she sat in the passenger's seat of Alan Watkins' truck.

The unease for Erin centered on how she could almost hear her parent's voices in her head and how disappointed and upset they would be that she left without their permission. Erin sighed as she tried to not think about her parents and the tough conversation that was ahead.

Alan knew there was something not quite right but the trip to the airport was mostly in silence. He was neatly groomed and dressed like he was expecting to need to make a good impression as he wore khakis and a nice button down shirt. He was tempted to ask Erin what was wrong as she stared out the window in silence but he decided not to risk an awkward early moment in their trip.

The duo arrived at the airport and parked the truck in a parking ramp. Erin was subdued as she exited the truck and he gathered the bags without any trouble and they made their way into the mass of people at the bustling airport.

Alan and Erin checked in to their flight and proceeded to make their way to the security line. He let her walk in front of him to the line, in part to make sure she was alright navigating the packed airport and in part so that he could take an extra glance or two at her round ass in her sweatpants.

With folded arms and a stress induced headache beginning to build, Erin found the buzz of the security line to be the break from her concern she needed. The annoying process of going through the security checkpoint gave her a chance to recalibrate herself and she tried to focus on the positives of the trip. The opportunity this trip presented for Alan's book, the church, and his podcast demanded Erin refocus and be as present as she could be. Erin knew the tough conversation she would have with her parents would be difficult, but she knew she was making the right decision to help Alan launch the church and book beyond anything they would be able to do on their own.

The duo settled into the waiting area for their flight to Denver. Erin and Alan sat next to each other in silence and watched the planes take off and land from the runway before the boarding numbers were called out.

"You ready? Going to be a busy weekend." Alan said excitedly.

Erin smiled back, "Absolutely, going to be an adventure."

The two boarded the plane and made their way into the coach seating area. Erin sat in a window seat and Alan was in the middle.

As the plane doors closed and the jet began to make its way to the takeoff area, Erin closed her eyes and attempted to snooze for a bit.

It didn't take long for Erin to have the fact her parents didn't approve of the trip weigh on her. She opened her eyes and looked at Alan.

Erin leaned over to Alan and said, "My parents didn't approve of me coming this weekend. We had a big fight. I left this morning after my Dad went to work and I left a note explaining why I left for my Mom. I just felt like I had to tell you."

He thought about what she had said to him as the plane was next in line to take off. Alan was quite excited to have Erin with him but to also know she actively had to fight to be here with him made his heart soar for a moment.

Though he had no idea the depth of her commitment or interest in him, this felt like an affirmation that he was right to involve her in the church and media launch, "Thank you for telling me Erin. You know I certainly have had to sacrifice for everything I'm trying to do with Elevate Church. I'm just really glad you're here with me. Trust me, your parents are fantastic people. They will see all of the good that comes out of Elevate."

Erin was reassured and smiled as the plane launched down the runway on the way to Colorado.

The flight was entirely uneventful. Erin snuggled up in her warm sweatshirt and sweatpants and took a nap while Alan contemplated how the weekend might unfold, meeting with possible publishers and networking for podcasting and book possibilities.

Upon landing and exiting the plane, the duo went to the shuttle service area of the airport. There was a shuttle from the Grand Eagle Mountain Resort to drive them to the Rocky Mountain exclusive hideaway.

The shuttle bus had two other traveling couples with them and as the bus went on its way Alan and Erin were seated across from each other careful to maintain public distance due to their clear age difference.

Soon the scenery turned as the freshly snow covered mountains appeared alongside the bus. Erin had never been into the mountains before and was very interested to see them up close and personal.

Miles from other resorts, Grand Eagle had a conference center, spa, salon, indoor pool, bar, restaurant, and dance club. It featured high end accommodations and the rustic mountain cabin feel with large beams, expansive windows, vaulted ceilings, and taxidermy animals made the lobby feel wonderfully grand and inviting.

The grandeur of the hotel caused both of them to gawk as they carried their luggage to the front desk. The older woman behind the rustic wood carved front desk happily greeted them as they approached.

"Checking in for two rooms, name will be Alan Watkins." Alan said as he handed over his drivers license and credit card.

The front desk lady typed on her computer, "Ah yes, here we are. Accommodation for two under Alan Watkins."

She took and swiped his credit card and driver's license. She then made two door keys and wrote "307" on the envelope, "Here you are, room 307. Go down the hallway and up the elevator then once on the third floor you should see the room soon after you exit the elevator. Enjoy your stay with us."

Alan paused when he saw the room keys in the same envelope. Then when he heard the explanation, he paused to make sure he heard everything correctly.

Erin had been listening in to the conversation and was taken aback by the two room keys for the same room, "No, there has to be some sort of a mistake. We need two rooms, not one."

Alan said, "Yes, we were reserved for two rooms for the conference this weekend. There has been a mistake. Can you get another room for us?"

The attendant looked a bit flustered, "Oh my, so sorry about that. Let me double check. Ah yes, looks like your room was booked for an upgrade from two rooms into one suite by Stone Rock Publishing."

Alan was a bit frustrated at the room mixup but paused when the change was made by the publishing company. If he made a big problem out of the room and it got back to the company, it could be a big negative for him going into the weekend.

He asked, "Okay, so just wondering would it be possible for me to buy another room separately for the weekend? I can keep the one on the reservation."

The front desk attendant typed away on her keyboard and shook her head, "Unfortunately, Mr. Watkins we are all booked on account of the conference this weekend. The publishing company has all of the rooms and you got one out of the allotment. You would have to try one of the other resorts but it would be quite the drive to the next resort. I'm sorry, sir."

Erin's eyes got wide as she realized there was a real chance she ended up in the same hotel room for the weekend as Alan, "Alan, you have to fix this. We don't have a car and...well...you know this won't work."

Alan tried to calm Erin and then nodded to the front office attendant, "We will figure something out. I will keep this room for now. Thanks."

He turned away from the front desk and started to make a move towards the elevators across the thick red carpet and past the bustling restaurant and bar area overlooking a massive outdoor patio with hot tubs, saunas, individual fire pits with chairs, and a background scenery of a large mountain with skiers tricking down at various speeds.

As the duo got near the elevators with luggage in tow, Erin grabbed Alan's arm, "Alan...what are we going to do? I need my own room."

He looked at her with concern and understanding, "Erin, I know but let's go put our bags in the room and just take a minute to do some research and see what options may be available to us."

The elevator opened and inside it had mirrors on all sides and a brass railing around the midsection. They entered the elevator and Alan pressed number three and he was hardly able to avoid the scowl on Erin's face clearly seen in the reflection of the elevator mirrors.

The elevator reached the third floor and the doors opened with a sigh from her as they departed. No doubt the risk of her leaving behind her parents back was weighing on Erin as she walked with arms folded just beneath her large breasts covered up by her bulky high school volleyball sweater as Alan dragged the luggage ahead of her.

They found room 307 and Alan pulled out his key and unlocked the door.

They opened the door to find the room to be more of a romantic suite than a plain hotel room.

The room had a large window perfectly looking out over the ski slope.

Once comfortably inside the room, the size of the room and the grand king size bed come into view. Dark hardwood and great lighting allowed the cream and green colors throughout the carpet and bedding to really make the room feel like a rustic cabin with an amazing view of the ski area.

Erin walked into the large bathroom and was surprised at what she saw. There was a private jacuzzi tub clearly big enough for two plus a dual overhead shower alongside. Decorated in gray floor and white tile, the bathroom had a modern and upscale feel.

She walked back out of the bathroom and looked at Alan as he gazed at the inside of the romantic bathroom, "This is quite the room upgrade for us...you...upgrade for you."

Erin could feel her cheeks get the mildest shade of red at her verbal slip up.

Just then the phone rings and startled both Alan and Erin. He picked up the phone and heard from the assistant for Harold Stevens that Mr. Stevens was in the bar with a few associates from the publishing company and they were hoping Alan could stop by and say hi.

He didn't want to disappoint his potential employer and said he would be down in a few minutes and quickly hung up the phone.

"Who was that?"

Alan paused, "Well...that was Mr. Stevens' assistant. Apparently, he has requested I come say hello down in the bar."

"We have to figure out where I can get a room Alan."

He said, "I'm fully aware of that. Look, I will bring it up with Mr. Stevens. He rented out the whole resort for the conference. I'm sure this was just a mistake. Look, just stay here and research and call other resorts and see if you can find a room. I will pay for everything and we will get you an Uber or something to get you back and forth."

Erin rolled her eyes at Alan, "Or maybe you should be the one to go to the different hotel. This is a really nice room."

Alan went over to his suitcase and pulled out a blazer he could put on over his shirt to give a more business feel to his look.

"Erin, I'm sorry but I have to get going. I don't want to be late. We have the rest of the day to figure this out. I will make sure to bring it up when I go see Mr. Stevens. I'm sure his assistant messed up or something. I will be back." Alan said as he dashed out the door before Erin could reply.

She wanted to reply with some sort of rebuttal but he had dashed out of the room in such a hurry.

She breathed in deeply through her nose and let the breath back out of her mouth. Erin hoped to relieve the stress that was building up from the room fiasco but found the technique to be lacking.

She couldn't help but be nervous as she turned her cell phone on for the first time since before the flight.

She tossed the phone onto the bed and took a stroll around the room as the anxiety from the start to the weekend caused Erin to close her eyes and wonder if it was really worth it.

The phone instantly lit up with a voicemail and missed call notifications.

Erin didn't have to see who the call was from to know her parents had been frantically trying to get a hold of her.

She sighed and called her Mom knowing that it was best to get this over with.

The phone connected and Erin's Mom, Sandy, picked up quickly, "Erin! Erin!"

Erin replied calmly, "Hi Mom, everything is fine."

Sandy said, "Good grief Erin. You scared us half to death. Why did you go when we told you we didn't want you to go?"

Erin rubbed her forehead with her free hand as the stress of all of this was emanating through the phone as her Dad, Paul, joined via speaker phone, "Erin, did Alan take you? Are you away from him?"

A perplexed Erin replied, "Alan would never, ever take me against my will. Why can't you two understand that I wanted to go on this trip. I know things didn't go well at the end at the church but Alan is a new man. Elevate Church and his book have a real chance but I needed to support him."

Paul snapped back, "He's a crazy man honey! You are very out of line to go against us on this. You should be back home studying for the rest of your senior year. Young lady, when you get back here you will not be working with Alan anymore."

She stiffened her back as her Dad told her the punishment that awaited her upon returning from the trip, "What do you mean I will not be working with Alan again?"

Sandy chimed in as she tried to quietly chide Paul without Erin hearing, "Paul, not now. Quiet."

She responded, "No, now. Tell me now. What is going on?"

Paul hushed Sandy and in an annoyed tone said, "Erin, we can't let this continue...so when you get back...we are taking away your car that we bought you, taking away your phone, and I will personally be driving you to and from school. Young lady, you will be focusing ONLY on the rest of your senior year. Also, if you want any help from us for college...the same restriction will be in play. Honey, these rules are because we love you and you don't need to be around that Alan anymore. We will even pay for your return ticket change to come home tomorrow."

Erin was both angry and sad. The way her parents didn't have any interest in supporting her was a lot for her to process.

Tears appeared in Erin's eyes, "But...why do that? I've...never done anything. I have tried for years to be exactly what you want me to be. I want to be here and help with this. I want to be a part of something."

Sandy cut in, "You will be able to do your dreams but honey this isn't a dream of yours. Alan isn't worth your time."

Erin wiped a tear, "I'm staying and I will be back Monday. I love you both. Goodbye."

Before her parents could respond, Erin hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed while she dropped her head into her hands and sobbed.

The tears flowed as Erin thought about how everything had gone awry and how once she returned home her life would be locked down for years.

The choice of pursuing her own dreams or going down the path her parents had laid out for her only caused her to resolve in the quiet of the Colorado hotel room to want to see things through with Elevate Church and help Alan as much as she could even if it was only for the rest of the weekend.

Erin thought about the logistics of finding another hotel room and grabbed her phone to begin to look for another room option.

She swiped past all of the missed calls and texts from her parents and searched for another room option in the area.

After he departed the room before Erin called her parents, Alan strode confidently towards the elevator. While certainly the room situation with Erin was a problem, meeting up with Mr. Stevens at his request had to take precedence. Once in the elevator for the short trip down to the main floor, he took a minute to breathe in and out to try to calm his nerves. There were a lot of positives in the emails exchanged and the fact the company paid to have him come out to Colorado was a major bonus and a hint they had real interest in his book and podcast.

"This is the new you...you got this. Elevate Everything." Alan said to no one but himself in the mirrored reflection of the elevator as the door opened and he stepped out.

He made his way into the restaurant and bar area and approached the hostess and asked for Mr. Stevens table.

The hostess led Alan back to a far corner table with a number of large leather chairs around the table.

As Alan approached, he heard loud laughter which was likely the result of the number of empty drinks and the hint of cigar smoke permeating the otherwise quiet hotel bar and restaurant.

Harold Stevens, a bald big man in his early 60s, was the clear center of attention for the men and the first to make eye contact with Alan.

"Alan Watkins, I presume." Harold said with a big laugh and a last puff of his cigar before he put it down.

Alan tried to sound as confident as he could as he made his way around the table of men who seemed like hyenas worshipping their lion overlord, "Yes, great to meet you Mr. Stevens. Seems like quite the table over here. Hope you fellas don't mind me crashing the party."

Harold Stevens stood up and laughed as he extended his hand and applied his powerful handshake to Alan's hand, "Alan...no, no, no...these are just the douchebags I pay to laugh at my jokes. All they have to do is write and put out some damn fucking good content and then I bring them out here for a weekend of...work."

Harold then introduced the group of writers and podcasters plus his assistant.

Harold threw his arm around Alan's shoulder and pulled him in before he turned to the group, "This guy right here, Alan, he's been absolutely on a roll. This is the guy I was telling you fuckers about. Boom! Outta nowhere this fucker starts dropping truth bombs all over! About life and going for it and making every man get up a level...or umm...fucking...how did it go again?"

"Elevate Everything." Alan added.

"Right! Fuck yes, seriously just awesome fucking stuff. Had to bring him out here and have a chat this weekend. You fellas might have to make Alan look good for me soon." Harold said as he gave Alan a shoulder hug and invited him to sit down.

Alan sat in a wingback leather chair alongside the other middle aged men as a slightly drunk Harold rallied on about what potential he saw in Alan, "It's so good too the stuff you were saying about your wife...uhhh...Bambi. Right, good she sounds like a sexy blonde with her bubbly personality and everything that you wrote about in your book. When I saw you had two rooms, I figured it was a mistake and had that dipshit assistant of mine change it and upgrade you. How long have you and Bambi been married? It's like I'm always telling these fuckers, I don't take any man seriously until I see who he's fucking. No guy who works for me and makes real money will ever be fucking some basic broad. If you can't sell yourself to a hot woman them how the fuck are you going to sell to anyone?"

Alan got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Either the early day drinking was getting to Harold or he thought Alan and Erin, or Bambi as he called her, were married.

In an instant, Alan saw every decision he had made in the past few years flash before his eyes. At every point he had given up, with his former marriage to Kay, with his first church, even with his son Matt. Everything he had risked to bet on Elevate Church and on his book and podcast. Right or wrong, the reality was that Harold had the ability to launch his media career and all of the hopes and dreams Alan had along with it.

Alan replied out of reflex with the truth, "Well, we aren't married."