Chapter Fourteen
"Well, where to?" asked Brian when they had gotten back to the car.
"I've got to go back to the hotel to change, and so does Nick." Drew said.
"Change for what?" Mackenzie asked.
"I made reservations for dinner at the Hotel Mac." Nick answered.
"Okay, so that's two stops, any others?" Brian looked around.
"Well, I think I'll head back to the hotel too. I've got to call Beth," AJ said.
"Mackenzie? Kevin?" asked Brian.
"Might as well go back to West Ed." Kevin looked to Mackenzie for confirmation. "We could have a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant."
"Sure, why not?" Mackenzie nodded.
"What about you guys?" Drew asked Tanna and Brian.
"Whatever. I'm easy," Tanna said innocently. When everyone laughed and she blushed. "I didn't mean it like that! Geez, get your minds out of the gutter."
"I guess I've been elected driver by default, so I'll play it by ear after dropping everyone off." Brian said. "Okay, people! First stop, West Ed." Everyone piled into the car and Brian drove off.
When they got to the Fantasyland Hotel, Drew went up to her room and the rest waited in the lobby. They talked about the movie, life in general, and AJ told them about Beth.
Half an hour later, Nick looked at his watch. "Drew better hurry up, or we'll be late. Our reservation is in 40 minutes, and I've still gotta change."
"I'll go up and see if she's almost ready." Tanna offered.
"Thanks!"
"Drew? Can I come in? It's Tanna." She knocked on the door. It opened and she walked into complete and utter chaos. "Are you alright? Whoa! Which hurricane hit here?"
"Hurricane Drew. I'm having a slight crisis here." Drew laughed. "You wouldn't, by any miracle, happen to have a pair of nylons on you? There's a run in mine."
"No, I don't, sorry. Here, let me see them. Maybe we can do some damage control." Tanna looked at the pair Drew held up. "Okay. I think that they're beyond hope."
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Drew sighed and sat down on the bed. "So what do I do?"
Tanna pursed her lips in concentration. "I suppose it's out of the question for you just to go without." When Drew shook her head, she continued. "Okay then. I guess our only course of action is to buy you another pair. We're in a mall full of stores. There has to be one that sells pantyhose!"
"Okay. Do you think you could buy a pair for me? Please?" Drew asked.
"Sure. I'll go stall Nick, and pick some up. Be right back." She hurried out the door.
Mackenzie was sitting listening to 'guy talk' when she spotted Tanna enter the lobby. Tanna beckoned to her, so she disentangled herself from Kevin's arm and hurried over.
"What's up?" She asked.
"Small crisis. I've got to buy a pair of stockings for Drew. Can you stall Nick? Tell him 10 minutes, okay?"
"Sure." Mackenzie turned back to the group.
"What was that all about?" Howie asked as Mackenzie sat down again.
"Oh, nothing. Tanna says that Drew'll be ready in about 10 minutes." Mackenzie answered.
"Where was Tanna going?" Brian asked.
"She just had to pick something up for Drew. No big deal." Mackenzie answered evasively. The boys shrugged, and went back to talking about sports. A few minutes later, Tanna came running by with a plastic bag. She flashed Mackenzie a grin, and thumbs up.
"There you are. Perfect!" Tanna said as Drew stepped out of the bathroom. "Now, we better hurry. Your reservation is in half an hour, and I'll bet that Nick is getting anxious."
They got downstairs, and joined the group. Nick whistled when he saw Drew. "Now I have to go make myself worthy," he said. "Let's get out of here."
They said goodbye to Mackenzie and Kevin, and piled into the car again. The drive downtown was uneventful. They got there with just enough time to drop AJ, Howie, and Nick off, wait while Nick quickly changed, and whisk Drew and Nick off to Hotel Mac.
"Whew! Well, our group has considerably dwindled. What do you want to do now?" Brian asked as they sat in the car in front of the hotel.
"I dunno. Since everyone else is going for dinner, wanna get a bite to eat?" Tanna suggested.
"Sounds good. Anyplace in particular?"
"Well, since I'm basically out of cash, how about somewhere cheap?"
"We could go to your place and I could cook you something." Brian said.
"You can cook!? Regardless, my parents are probably already making dinner. But you're welcome to join us if you don't mind a little questioning." Tanna answered.
"Questioning?" Brian frowned a little.
"Yeah, my parents are slightly psycho, so they're bound to ask you questions about your life."
"Oh, that kind of questioning. I can handle that. Lead the way!"
"You're sure you want to do this?" Tanna asked as Brian parked in front of her house.
"Yeah! I mean, how bad can your parents be?" He answered.
"Oh, you'd be surprised!" they got out of the car. "Even Drew is afraid of my parents. Actually, it's mostly Mum, but ya know."
"Well, we'll see." Brian held open the glass door for her. Tanna opened the front door and bent to keep Hobbes from running outside.
"Mum? Is it okay if Brian stays for supper?" She asked when Mrs. Thompson poked her head out from the kitchen.
"I suppose so. It's just pot-stickers, but it would have been nice to have a bit more notice than this."
"Sorry." Tanna raised an eyebrow as if to say 'I told you so'. Brian shrugged.
"It'll be about 10 more minutes. Could you set the table?" Mrs. Thompson asked. Tanna headed out the kitchen to get the utensils.
"Can I help?" Brian asked.
"If you really want to." Tanna said, and handed him a pile of place mats, and the salt and peppershakers. "Just put those on the table, please."
"Which one?" Brian looked at the kitchen table and the many plants on it.
"The dining room one. Just follow me." Tanna smiled.
Dinner was largely unremarkable, if you could call the grilling that Brian put up with unremarkable. When they had finished eating, and Rachel was whining about clearing the table, Tanna suggested going for a walk.
"Take the dog with you." Her mother called.
"But it's dark, and he's hard to find in the dark." Tanna protested. Her mum began to insist, but Mr. Thompson caught her eye, and she relented.
"Let's get out of here, quick, before she finds something else for me to do." Tanna whispered as she and Brian bent to put on their shoes. Brian chuckled.
"Where are we going?" He asked once they were outside.
"Let's go down to the meadow. It's really pretty down there at night. Besides, it's not too cold out." Tanna indicated for Brian to turn left towards the ravine.
"Okay. Is it the same meadow where Drew took Nick?"
"I think so. There are a couple she could have gone to, but the top one is her favorite." The conversation lulled into silence. They walked quietly down the wooden stairs and into the ravine.
"Hey, is that the bench that you told us about after Drew and Nick got back from their walk?" Brian asked, pointing. When Tanna nodded, he suggested that they sit on it.
"I'd rather not, if that's okay." Tanna said.
"Sure." They started walking again. "Any particular reason why not?" he asked softly.
"It's just that Charles and I used to come down here and sit on that bench quite a bit. Those aren't times I like to remember."
"Was he your ex?"
"Yeah. We went out last summer, and into the fall. He lives in Calgary, but I thought that we could make the long distance relationship work." Tanna went on to explain to Brian about her relationship with Charles. He listened sympathetically. Halfway through her explanation, Tanna began to cry gently. Brian brushed her tears away in an echo of her gesture earlier that day.
"He was a jerk! I'd like to break his legs!" Brian said forcefully as he hugged Tanna.
She gave a small laugh. "That's what all my friends said. I wouldn't let them, though. We may think he deserves it, but he probably thought he was doing the right thing at the time."
"You are too forgiving. It's positively sickening." Brian tried to lighten the mood.
"Gee, thanks!" Tanna grinned briefly. "But that's the reason I'm so wary about relationships now. Long-distance, or otherwise."