Companionship

Chapter 8

Tina left her home with her personal security, Mr. Hines and got inside Travis. "Hi, guys!"

Marcy and Ellen spoke along with Diaz. Lisa was asleep.

The newcomers buckled up and Marcy drove away.

"Where are we going shopping?" Tina was excited. Mike had given her his black card and for some reason, his measurements.

"Rodeo." Marcy answered.

"Rodeo?!" Tina hushed herself so she wouldn't wake up Lisa. "Rodeo Drive?!"

"Yes." Marcy drove smoothly.

Tina nearly fainted. Mr. Hines smirked. "Why are we shopping there? Christmas presents?"

"You haven't gotten Christmas presents yet?"

Tina gulped. "It's not December yet."

Marcy shook her head. "T, we have over 5,000 people in our family. You're going to have time to shop for them all while studying and taking finals?"

Tina blushed. "5,000?"

"Not to mention friends, staff and your kid."

Tina felt overwhelmed.

Ellen, too. "I haven't gotten any gifts yet."

"Lucky for you, you're married to me. I do my Christmas shopping early. I just put your name on with ours as a family unit." Marcy pulled into the parking lot of a store.

Ellen started breathing easier. "Oh thank goodness. I'm sorry. I usually get things in December."

"Where there's a crush and a higher likelihood of what you want being sold out or price-jacked so high, you can't afford it?"

Both Tina and Ellen were chastised.

Marcy turned off Travis and got out to help Lisa wake up and get out. "To answer your question, no. We are not shopping for Christmas gifts."

"What are we shopping for? You never told me." Ellen came to stand near her wife.

"Clothes for the shoot and dinner."

Tina was too confused. "Shoot? What dinner?"

"I thought you talked to your husband?"

Tina giggled. "I do!"

"His buckethead self should have told you that we have a photo-shoot every year for our Christmas card and we need to find outfits for it. We also need outfits for Christmas dinner."

"What are you guys doing for Christmas?"

Marcy gave her the most conflicted look. "What?"

"Mike and I haven't spoken about Christmas. I don't know what we're going to do."

Marcy cocked her head with a frown. "Tina, you're going on vacation."

"Winter vacation?"

"Stop." Marcy knew Tina was smart and wondered why it was taking its sweet time showing up.

"What'd I do?" Tina pouted.

"You know damn well we always leave the country for vacation. Now that you and Mikey are married, you'll be leaving, too."

Tina gasped. "But-!"

"But?"

"How?"

"How what?" Marcy was losing her patience.

Tina shrugged helplessly, knowing that. "I don't know."

Ellen did. "It's a rush. Being swept up in their life. I advise you to just hold Mike's hand really tightly."