A lovely outing
A lovely outing
The time was currently ten a.m. in the morning and Morgan Daniels was helping her seven-year-old get ready for their outing later with Maia. The little one hasn’t once shut up since Morgan Daniels mentioned it to her yesterday. She was happy that her daughter got excited over hanging out with the woman who meant so much to her.
Maia had sent the older woman a message informing her that she was on her way. The red-haired was going to be the designated driver for the day since they will be using her car because Eleanor had a blind date to attend.
Well, not even a date if the other person wasn’t even aware she will be going on a date. Maia Shelton had the brilliant idea of hooking Eleanor and Janata without their knowledge. Of course, Eleanor knew about this and even though she tried hiding it, Morgan knew she was excited about spending time with Janata. Janata on the other hand, well, Morgan wasn’t too sure.
Although it was a brilliant idea, Morgan couldn’t help but feel worried for her best friend. Janata wasn’t like Maia and the older woman was scared that once Janata realized that she was forced on a date with someone who hurt her, she may act out. Hurt Eleanor even more by creating a scene and embarrassing her in public, then get upset with Maia for setting her up to the point of it affecting their friendship.
Maia on the other hand seemed confident about her little set-up, and to an extent, Eleanor also looked relaxed.
“Do you think this is okay?” Eleanor asked, her voice filled with nervousness. Morgan Daniels offered her a smile to help her ease her nerves.
“You look great” she replied with certainty because she indeed looked great.
Eleanor is effortlessly beautiful. The young woman didn’t need any heavy makeup, the freckles scattered on her face brought out her natural beauty. And her skin. She had the most delicately tanned skin Morgan Daniels had ever seen. Sometimes, she was jealous of Eleanor's skin. She had charcoal dark hair and deep piercing brown eyes, and a smile that drives all your fears away.
“I’m nervous” she admitted, earning a chuckle from her friend.
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed” Morgan replied sarcastically as she brushed Lea's hair, earning her an eye roll from the brunette.
“Aunt Eli, where are you going?” Lea questioned, tugging at Eleanor’s dress. Morgan Daniels had finished brushing her hair and the instant she finished, the little one rushed over to Eleanor.
“Aunt Eli has a date”
“I want to go on a date too” Little Lea stomped her feet on the ground and folded her arms.
“But you are going out on a date. With mummy and her friend,” Eleanor replied and Lea's face lit up with excitement.
“I am going on a date with Mummy and her friend?” she cooed with big eyes.
“Yes, you sure are” Eleanor confirmed and Lea went dashing off into the living, yelling the words “I have a date, I have a date” at the top of her voice. Morgan Daniels was certain echoes of her voice could be heard through the entire floor.
“If I have a date with someone and they are not as excited as Lea, then I’m calling it off” Eleanor joked, making Morgan chuckle. She took out her lash curler from her make-up pouch that was on the vanity table.
“Aren’t you going to get ready?” Eleanor asked once she had finished curling her lashes.
“Nope. I changed my mind” Morgan uttered plainly, making Eleanor’s mouth go wide in shock. The look of horror on her face made it difficult to keep up with her prank as she burst into a sudden fit of laughter, earning an eye roll from her best friend.
“You are a bitch, you know that” she questions.
Morgan laughed harder. “I know. But you have a point, I should get ready” she stated, getting up from the bed and walking to the wardrobe that had all our clothes.
For her date, Morgan Daniels planned on keeping it simple since they had to go to the park and visit other sites. So she settled on sweatpants, and a crew neck, but she decided to wear a shirt under since the weather was a bit cold now but will get hotter within the day, and all of these will be paired with Nike air force.
When Morgan emerged from the room, her phone was ringing. The caller ID shows Maia. So she immediately answered.
“Baby,” Morgan answered and she could feel Eleanor's gaze on her from the corner of the room. The older woman listened attentively to what Maia was saying on the other end.
“Yeah, she’s like that. Just tell her where you’re going” Morgan spoke into the call and she could feel Eleanor furrow her brows, wondering what she could be talking about.
“Great,”
“Is she complaining about Karen?” Eleanor asked, referring to the blonde at the reception who gave Morgan a death glare when they first came to the hotel.
“Yeah. I thought it was just with me, but turns out she has a natural dislike for everyone” Morgan stated. Of course, only a Karen will feel such distaste towards persons she’s never met.
“If this keeps up, I will need to talk to my uncle about this. The success of a hotel depends on how its employees treat its clients. It is inadmissible that she keeps acting like that” Eleanor says, getting into her business mode.
“The CEO has spoken” Morgan joked, earning me a joke on the shoulder.
There was a light knock on the door, causing Lea to squeal in excitement. She rushed in the direction of the door, opened and immediately threw her petit figure against Maia.
"Hi, mummy’s friend"
"Hi Lea" Maia greeted with a smile on her face. "You can call me Maia" she added as they walked in. Lea laced her hand with Maoa and led where Morgan and Eleanor were.
The older woman stood from the couch where she was seated and walked toward Maia. Placing her hand on the red-haired's lower back, she pulled her in for a quick kiss on her lips.
"Aunt Eli, look. Mummy and her friend are kissing" Lea exclaimed and Morgan Daniels mentally facepalm. As a result of Maia looking so good, she couldn't help but pull her in for a kiss, forgetting that she hadn't explained her sexual preference to Lea.
"Yes, they are" Eleanor agreed, shooting a knowing look in Morgan's direction.
She shrugged, making Maia wonder what was going on between us.
"Hi, Eleanor" Maia greets as Eleanor stood up from the couch and places a peck on both sides of Maia's cheeks.
"How are you?"
"I'm great" Maia reiterated. There was a brief moment of silence between them before Maia spoke up.
"So, Janata should be at Paxton in the next ten minutes" Maia stated.
"Yeah. I want to thank you for this Maia. I would never have had the courage to do it on my own"
"Oh, it's okay. I'm tired of seeing her mopping around. And no matter how hard she denies it, I know she's still head over heels for you" Maia's reply had Eleanor blushing.
"Just don't fuck up"
" I won't, I promise," Eleanor replied almost immediately, putting a hand up like she was taking an oath.
"Mummy, aren't we going?" Lea tugged at her mother's sweatpants.
"We are baby. Let me get my purse okay?"
Both girls were currently at the park, walking hand in hand with Lea in the middle, skipping like a happy puppy who had just been rewarded a treat for being good. This was the third place they were visiting.
After they left the hotel, they went to ‘Continental’, Morgan Daniels's favourite breakfast spot in Grassview, thereafter, they drove to the mall and right now, they were currently at the Grassview galleries, an amusement park that offered so many fun activities. Lea hasn’t shut up since they left the hotel and Morgan Daniels was thankful Maia didn’t seem to have a problem with it.
“Mummy, can I go on the merry-go-round?” the little one looked up to her mother with pleading eyes
“Sure monkey, but be careful,” Morgan answered but it went to deaf ears as Lea had already dashed off. Maia burst into a fit of laughter.
“She’s a handful,”
“You have no idea” Morgan replied with a smile on her face.
Maia and Morgan Daniels sat where they had a clear view of the merry-go-round, so she could keep an eye on Lea and make sure she didn't get hurt.
“You look beautiful today,” Morgan complimented out of the blue, Maia’s cheeks turn a crimson shade of pink.
“So do you” she replies.
A ginger-looking female with red hair held in a ponytail and probably in her twenties, wearing an apron approached both girls. She smiled at them, exposing her white pearls.
“Hi, what can I get you?” she asks.
“Uh, a cup of soda please,” Morgan said. She was still full from the meal she ate early at Continental food pub.
"A hotdog and a cup of soda too," Maia says. The young lass scribbles our order on the notepad she had in hand before walking away.
"What time do you leave tomorrow?" Maia asks, filling the silence that crept in.
"In the morning" Morgan replied dejectedly.
Maia's face fell, making the older woman sad. If she could, she would stay longer. But she had business to handle back in Crestview. She didn't want a repeat of what happened with Terry to happen with Resha
"Don't be upset. You know I have a business to handle back there" Morgan tried cheering the red-haired, but the pout on her face stayed.
"But you have a business here too," she counteracted, with sadness in her voice.
"I can hardly call that a business" Morgan muttered under her breath.
Terry had completely drained the business. Morgan's club had fallen short of stock. It's hardly even a club at this point. She was unable to give the older woman concrete explanations as to what happened to her club. Morgan Daniels was furious.
This was a business she put her entire heart into and she trusted Terry with it because she had proven herself worthy of taking up that task.
Now, Morgan wished she hadn't given her any trust.
She had gone home that night and had a talk with Eleanor who promised they were going to figure everything out.
The ginger-haired returns with their orders and places them on the table. Maia immediately picked up her hotdog and took a large bite, making Morgan furrow her brows in confusion.
She chewed slowly on it, before taking a sip of her soda.
"I'll be in the Crestview on Thursday" Maia Shelton announced, playing with the straw of her drink.
"Oh?" excitement building in Morgan's stomach.
"Yeah, I lost an employee and they'll be having a wake keep," she says, taking another sip.
"Dang. I'm sorry for your loss"
"It's okay," Maia brushed it off.
Morgan Daniels could tell something was bothering the red-haired, but she decided not to press on it. Instead, they turned to the merry go round where Lea was playing with a girl her size she had just met.
"Where will you be staying once in the southwest?" Maia inquired, filling the silence between them.
"I don't think that will be necessary since we'll be driving back to Grassview on the same day"
"Well, can't you come earlier? You can sleep in the house and I promise to drive you there myself" Morgan Daniels was desperate to spend more time with the red-haired. She needed to have Maia in her arms again.
Maia pondered before replying. "I don’t think that will be right, but I will see what I can do," she says.
Morgan was sad. There was no way she could convince Maia to come early. She wanted to spend more time with her.
"Does she know?" Maia Shelton asks out of the blue. Morgan Daniels furrowed her brows, wondering what she meant.
"I'm sorry?" she questioned.
"Does she know about her parents?" Maia explained, pointing in Lea's direction.
"Oh yeah," Morgan stuttered. "I mean, I explained things to her the best way I could. I can only hope she understood" the older woman finalised.
There was a long pause between both girls. It wasn't uncomfortable. Nothing had to be said between them. They just sat there and watch Lea have fun.
"Do you still have it?" It was Morgan's turn to break the silence and it was Maia's turn to frown in confusion.
"The wedding ring I mean" she elaborated.
Maia Shelton didn't have to respond. The large smile that made its way to her face was all the answer Morgan Daniels needed.
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