“Dude, six months ago if I had suggested you would be driving this fine piece of machinery you would have told me to go f**k myself,” Adam said, laughing. I might add that Braden normally drove a BMW M6 convertible.
“Go f**k yourself,” Braden answered.
“I feel like we should be dropping somebody’s kids off at soccer practice,” Jess said.
“Or transporting a soccer league,” Lily added. Adam had seemed to take Lily’s presence in stride. In fact, I almost thought that he might have secretly been happy she was going. I was pretty sure that Adam really was getting bored with things that were too easy.
The trip would only take about forty-five minutes so we would be there in plenty of time for the opening get-together of the UFO gathering that I had also booked us into. I brought along plenty of information to supplement that fine documentary Jess had made us watch the other night. I wanted us to sound like well-informed conspiracy theorists, as I felt it was important to blend. God knows, we didn’t want to seem odd.
Bruno was being doggie-sat this weekend by Aunt Beth and Grandma and Grandpa Pierce. Beth had just taken him with her (along with a few thousand dollars’ worth of doggie accessories and gourmet kibble) after an emotional goodbye. I thought Braden might actually cry. We both came from very close families. Cam and Jess climbed into the rear seats and Adam and Lily took the middle. I, of course, rode shotgun.
“Now I want you kids to behave back there. No fighting or kicking the seats,” I joked.
“Yeah, don’t make me turn this minivan around,” Braden added.
About fifteen minutes later we had made it out of the city and we were on the open road headed for rural Bucks County, PA with Lily, Jess and I belting out the lyrics to Southern Cross along with Crosby, Stills, & Nash. It was getting darker earlier now and by the time we were close to our destination the atmosphere had definitely changed.
“Nice location,” Cam called out from the back. “Very Blair Witch Project.”
“You know if I were driving a spaceship I’m not sure I’d want to land here,” Lily said, peering out the window.
“It’s better than the Ozarks, or the Mojave desert or any other places that they land. I mean at least they have hot tubs and a bar here,” I noted.
“It’s probably really pretty in the daytime,” Jess said optimistically.
“Maybe tomorrow when it’s light out they’ll plan a fall foliage nature hike and dead alien recon mission,” Adam added.
We arrived about fifteen minutes later. We pulled into a long drive bordered by trees and at the end I saw a large historic-looking white building that was actually quite lovely. Ha! The main lodge was in the center and two other wings connected to it on each side. The drive continued on around a small lake to the rear of the hotel and I could see the lights of cabins along the perimeter nestled amongst the trees and backed by forest.
“Hey!” Jess called out. “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
“This is it. Overbrook Lodge,” Braden called back. “Must be for a better class of UFO hunters and conspiracy theorists.”
We parked the van and went into the main lodge where a huge stone fireplace formed the centerpiece and the hardwood floors gleamed. A bellman directed us to the antique-looking front desk where we checked in and got the lay of the land. There was a restaurant, saloon and gift shop, along with conference rooms, located in one wing and there were bedrooms and suites in the other. The front desk clerk gave us a schedule for the UFO conference, the keys to our luxury cabin, and instructions on how to get there. The restaurant did deliver to the cabins so we grabbed menus, placed an order, and left to go settle in.
The cabin was really nice too. We went in and quickly looked around. The floor plan was similar to that of the main building, as there was a central stone fireplace. A big screen TV was fixed to the wall behind it in lieu of artwork and it was surrounded by comfy-looking sofas. A tall bookshelf filled with novels, magazines and board games stood to one side. Behind the central fireplace area there was a modern kitchen, a small bar, and a table that seated eight. Sliding doors at the back led out to a deck that, as promised, housed a hot tub. To each side of the central area there were two bedrooms, and every bedroom had its own small private bathroom. Even though it was rather spacious, it had a cozy atmosphere. It also smelled like spiced cider, which, combined with the rust and gold décor created an autumn-like feel.
“This is pretty!” Lily said, sounding surprised.
“How much did you pay for this, baby?” Braden asked me suspiciously.
“Um, two or three thousand?”
“Two or three thousand?” Cam laughed. He was a former financial planner, by the way.
“For two nights?!” Jess asked. She was just a person who had a better grasp of money matters than I did. I was never good at that stuff.
“I think so,” I replied. “I just paid for it out of my trust fund.”
“I suspect that Braden will be handling their finances as a couple,” Adam said as Braden laughed and shook his head.
“So should we pick bedrooms?” I asked excitedly. I might have actually enjoyed Girl Scout camp much more if this had been my cabin. Nobody really had any preference about bedrooms as they were pretty much exactly alike so Cam and Jess went to the left along with Lily and Adam and Braden and I wound up in the two bedrooms to the right.
Braden and I took a few minutes to check everything out. Our room had a nice queen size bed with a very soft-looking comforter in a rich red color. The décor in there was also warm and rustic and so, like the rest of the place, it was very cozy. The private bathroom would make things easier. Our joint morning shower could be slightly more awkward with a line of people waiting outside. We started unpacking and putting our things away.
“I was thinking. After dinner and this get together, or whatever it is, we could come back here and have a drink and maybe enjoy the hot tub for a while,” Braden said as he unpacked. I had a feeling that was just the beginning of his plan for the evening.
“That sounds nice.” I smiled.
“And then later, we could come back in here and I know a position we haven’t tried that I think you would really like. I’ve been saving it for a special occasion,” he said happily.
“Well, actually, I have a surprise for you later too,” I said, feeling myself blush a little.
“What kind of surprise?” he asked, sounding very intrigued.