We went two-by-two to keep the path clear for oncoming guests. But for whatever reason, whether on purpose or not, I ended up walking beside Allison while Mike and Emily led the way in front of us. The tall blonde woman took long, aggressive strides, like a jungle cat, and I had to work to keep up.
“I’m so glad you and Emily were able to join us,” Allison said.
“Me too,” I said.
Allison gave me a playful grin. She knew I didn’t like to talk, so she’d created this little game for herself where she tried to make me say as much as possible. One time, she’d asked me something about her computer and — I swear this happened — pumped her fist in celebration when I gave her a whole paragraph. It turned out the computer was fine, she just wanted to see how long she could keep me going.
I didn’t mind — mostly it was cute. It made Allison happy to have a challenge. And I liked her attention. It was flirty, sure, but fine.
“I love Disney,” Allison said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “You haven’t been here since you were a kid, right?”
“I went to Disneyland when I was twelve,” I said.
“They sell Disney like it’s a family thing,” Allison said, “And it totally can be. But there’s this whole other side of the parks that you only experience as an adult. I know it sounds silly but being here really is magical for me.” She the another slow inhale, like soaking it all in. “It’s almost like this is home and our place back in PA is where we visit in between.”
“I guess,” I said.
Allison gave me a disappointed look. It was clear she’d been hoping to elicit more. “It must have been so strange going to Disneyland, after what you grew up with. I’m sure you had a very different perspective than most kids.”
I shrugged.
My parents had emigrated to America when I was 9. In some ways, everything after that felt disconnected from my previous existence. Like I’d lived two separate lives and could never be sure which one was ‘real.’ Both equally impossible in different ways. Regardless, it had left me with a slightly skewed view of life in the US, and with an accent that I did my best to keep hidden however possible.
I think Allison had this picture of a wide-eyed immigrant boy, shocked by a fantasy world become real. In truth, by the time I went to Disney with my family, I was in middle school, already jaded and pretty much over it.
“Well, being at Disney World as an adult is a whole different thing,” Allison said, “Trust me. You’re going to love it.”
We got to the main building, the Grand Ceremonial House, and walked inside. The air conditioning raced to caress me, like a lover applying salve to my aching, sweaty wounds. The lobby area was large and open, with dark wood and stone highlighted by bright accents of orange and blue. Several different styles of rattan furniture were grouped strategically through the space. Every sound seemed to echo.
We took a flight of stairs up to the second floor, which overlooked the first. Almost immediately, we ran into a long line of people waiting in front of a lectern, manned by a maitre d’.
“I’ll go check us in,” Allison said.
The remaining three of us found a sitting area off to the side by the windows. Emily and I sat on a couch while Mike flopped into a single chair facing our way. It was wooden and high-backed, and it made him look like a preppy king resting on his throne. A moment later, Allison joined us, taking the other open throne-chair.
“Ohana!” she said, throwing her arms in the air, giddily.
“I know, babe, I can’t wait,” Mike said, grinning like a little boy.
Emily and I gave them both a questioning look.
“You’ll see,” Allison said. I could already tell: this was going to be her mantra for the rest of the trip. It was a mix of exciting and infuriating.
They buzzed Allison’s phone a few minutes later and a server with slicked back hair and a thick mustache led us into the dining room. It was a larger space than I expected, and surprisingly dark. I could barely make out the tables, filled with raucous families.
We walked past a large, open cooking area with a roaring fire. Our server stopped at a nearby shelf to grab a plate of fresh bread.
Walking into that restaurant, I didn’t know what to expect. But what I saw was something I couldn’t believe.
*
Sitting at the table next to ours was, of all people, Cassie Summers.
The gorgeous blonde turned our way as soon as we walked up. She was wearing a peach sundress that bared her shoulders and accentuated her already amazing curves. As soon as she recognized us, her face spread in a smile so wide, it could have swallowed the entire resort.
“Michael!” Cassie cried out. She jumped out of her seat and gave him a hug like it had been ages since she’d seen him instead of a couple of hours. Eventually, she let him out of her grasp. But interestingly, she kept one arm around Mike’s back.
I realized that, if anything, I’d underestimated how pretty Cassie was. Even in the darkened restaurant, her eyes were an almost shocking shade of blue. She had a small, slightly upturned nose and plump, pink lips. Like I said, she wasn’t the kind of girl I usually went for, but that was mostly because she was, clearly, a different species than me.
“Everyone, this is my friend from high school, Cassie Summers,” Mike said, turning to the rest of our group. His expression made it seem like he was facing a firing squad, rather than his wife and friends. For our part, we all waved awkwardly at Cassie.
“Actually, it’s Cassie Wolffe now,” she said. Cassie gestured to the table behind her. Sitting there — staring up at all of us with a look of bemusement — was the man who was, apparently, Cassie’s husband. Though that’s not the relationship I would have guessed if Cassie hadn’t told us. “This is Jack.”
Jack looked to have about a twenty-year head start on the rest of us. He had a full head of perfectly parted silver hair and a similarly colored stubble-beard. He was wearing a button-down plaid shirt and blue jeans. His skin was practically bronze, like he’d spent decades in the sun. It was like meeting an old cowboy, ripped right off the silver screen and dropped into Disney.
Jack stood up and shook my hand. His grip was like steel and his skin, leather. He had an easygoing demeanor that, based on his laugh lines, seemed to be ever-present. But his ice blue eyes were, hard. Intense. Like just a look could peel me back, layer by layer.
“Hello,” he said to me. He repeated the same down the line, shaking hands. “Hello. Hello.”
But, when he got to my wife, Jack stopped. He reached his hand out and took Emily by the elbow, in an almost embrace. He leaned forward, meeting her eyes with a seductive combination of confidence and fascination.
“Hi,” he said. Almost like it was almost a totally different word. “It’s very nice to meet you.” He gave her a little wink and, I swear, I saw Emily’s face go pink. She fidgeted with her dark-framed glasses. Like trying to find a different setting.
There was an awkward pause, as if the scene of our play had ended and now no one remembered their lines. Finally, we all broke and took our seats at our respective tables.
Our four-top was right next to Cassie and Jacks’ two, to the point where the six of us were practically grouped together. My wife and Mike ended up closest to the other couple, with Allison and I at our spouse’s other sides, respectively. As soon as we sat down, the setup felt strange. Almost like Allison and I were the ones seated separately.
“You know Cassie from high school?” Allison asked.
Despite the fact that Allison had clearly asked her husband, it was Cassie who answered. “Yup!” she said, still bubbly. “We ran into each other at the pool before. I’m sure Michael told you.”
“Michael,” Allison said, like she was tasting the word for the first time. “I had no idea.”