The Mutual Admiration Society, Texas Chapter

It was nearly midnight on Sunday night when he finally got into Dallas.

"Oh my god, look at this room!" he exclaimed walking into her hotel room, which was nearly half the size of her entire apartment, then turned his attention to his host. "Wow sweetie, you look great."

She smiled sleepily, knowing she looked like hell after a long and unnaturally hot day of meetings, and simply hugged him hello.

***

While he pondered ordering a martini by waxing poetic about the supremacy of gin over vodka, she gleefully remembered how she had saved him from his vodka tonic fascination by insisting he drink Tanqueray with her five years earlier. When she ordered her martini sweet and dirty, he followed suit, which required educating the bartender on the type of vermouth to use.

After the tequila, beer and whisky she had already enjoyed at a party prior to his arrival, she knew she'd be in trouble after this drink. And when the heartburn kept her up past 3 am, she cursed silently. Outwardly she merely rolled over and grimaced in his general direction.

***

When a drunk girl ran up to the bar cackling and generally acting the fool, they both rolled their eyes. She sighed in painful recognition of a stunt she had pulled too often in her youth.

A few minutes later, as if reading her mind, he randomly said, "you make me feel good about being an adult."

"I'm not sure how to take that."

"You've matured so much over the course of our relationship, and we've stayed close through all of it and I feel like that's a reflection on me. Like I've matured too."

The comment vaguely embarrassed her, though she knew he didn't intend for that to be her reaction (finally hitting 'adulthood' was the unofficial theme of their week together). "I was 22 when we met, so...yeah. But I was thinking the same thing when that chick came up here, how often I used to pull that shit too."

Then she flashed him a smile. "I just had one of those moments when you clearly see your life. This is what adults do: they go on business trips and drink martinis in the hotel bar, visiting friends they don't ever get to see. Look at us being all growed up!"

They giggled like little kids and finished their grown up drinks.

***

"Since we have several hours of driving in front of us, I'm going to take the opportunity to give you your Pearl Jam education."

"..."

"We'll start with No Code," he continued, since she was his captive victim. It was four hours until they'd get to Austin.

It wasn't her favorite music, but he loved it so she played along. They discussed Eddie Vedder's voice and the imitators since him. After a while, they sat in silence watching the countryside pass them by.

"If nothing else, at least my Texas memories will now have a Pearl Jam soundtrack," she offered when he finally accepted she would never fully appreciate them on his same level. "We're making memories!"

"We're making memories," he agreed.

She continued staring out the window at the green Texan expanse.

***

"Sweetie, it's so cute!!" She walked around his house as he proudly showed off his new home.

"Lets hang the art!" He was excited about the return of his framed piece, the very first she had ever shot of him, that she had confiscated "for safe-keeping" when he left Los Angeles. "Until you're settled," she had promised him. And now she made good on her end of the bargain.

"I'm so proud of you," she told him after they decided on the proper place for the picture. "You're all grown up, what with your own house and everything."

He smiled sheepishly.

***

"Oh damn, this is good tequila," he said as he enjoyed the aroma from the freshly open bottle. She been waiting for him to crack it open for 5 days. He tortured her by insisting they have dinner and catch a movie before delving into the agave juice. One of his band members joined them.

"To your new home," she toasted, raising her glass.

"To you visiting," he countered.

"Salud," said the platinum-haired bassist.

They sat in the living room for a while, discussing where the TV would go and why Johnny Depp seemed so queer in the latest Pirates movie. The bassist insisted the tv go in the corner, to give everyone equal viewing access. The homeowner slowly came to the same conclusion. She took pictures of all of them in various degrees of drunkeness.

Earlier, they had regaled her with an improptu private concert in the car. The curly-haired lead singer and his quirky bassist with the piercing eyes, pretending to do vocal exercises and then breaking into song. Later, when it came time to say good-bye to the bassist, he gave her specific instructions on how to deliver his hugs to everyone.

She didn't want to leave.

***

"Jesus, what's IN here?" he said, struggling with her oversized luggage.

"My laptop weighs about 10 pounds on its own," she explained, reaching for the suitcase. "Here, I'll take it so I don't have to listen to you complain about it."

"No no no. I've got it. Stop. Give it to me!"

She raised an eyebrow but let him take over. He insisted on taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

"Well aren't you super strong?" she mocked.

He grunted.

"Wow, you're my hero," she giggled, continuing her good-natured mocking at the bottom of the stairwell. "Now you can cross 'hero' off your to-do list!"

"Yeah, I did have that as a life goal. Mission accomplished," he agreed as they walked into the terminal.

He fetched the coffee while she stood in the check-in line.

***

He sauntered up with water for her as they walked to the security checkpoint.

"Aww, thanks honey," she said, desperately needing hydration after a long night of much tequila and little sleep.

He checked the time.

"Do you have to go now?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"Yeah," he shrugged apologetically. "I wish we had time for breakfast..."

"I'm gonna miss you!" She threw her arms around him.

"I'm going to miss you too," he responded, squeezing back.

She didn't want to let go of him, but he had to get to work and she had a flight to catch. "Thanks for everything, honey."

"Thank YOU for coming to visit."

It was the moment she'd been dreading since she'd arrived in Texas. She stared at his face, knowing she wouldn't get to see it again for a very long time.

"I'm so proud of you," he said suddenly.

She gazed up at him quizzically. "Why?"

"The fancy hotels, the big girl job. Look at you, sweetie!"

She rolled her eyes, but thanked him for the compliment. They smiled at each other, and then she turned away so she wouldn't have to watch him walk out the door.