Russ: Dionne' and I had been out dancing, at what was becoming our favorite place to go. I loved the way she seemed to fit so well into my arms as we danced. We seemed to adjust to each others mood and movement and not just on the dance floor. I was beginning to think that she could be the person I might want to spend the rest of my life with. We had just open a bottle of champagne and were headed for the hot tub, when the phone rang and I flicked the viewer on. It was Mercedes! She wanted to ask me to go on tour with her for a year. Dionne' went on to the hot tub, with the Champagne and I poured myself a whiskey! I had no problem going on tour, I told her, it was the Year part I was having trouble with. Rhett had talked to me about this already and I hadn't been exactly enthused over the idea of being away from Dionne' that long. I looked at Mercedes for a long time thinking as she spoke to me. I heard the words, I'll speak with Rhett, coming out of my mouth. Do you want to talk with your sister? I transferred the call to the hot tub and went to change.
The next day I called Rhett and told him I had talked to Mercedes and Yes I would do the tour.
Dionne' and I had talked about it the night before. She wanted me to help her sister but she didn't like the idea of my being gone a year either.
What we decided was maybe this was a good thing. She would do her thing and I mine. It sounds like a smooth transition on the surface but I could feel a ruffling underneath. I wondered if she thought Mercedes and I might become more than friends.