“I guess I forgot to mention it in all the hubbub of getting ready,” Mike said. I was getting used to his sheepish face, but the more I saw it the less convincing it became.
“Well, I suppose it really is a small world,” Allison said. Even she rolled her eyes at her own joke. We gave her a courtesy laugh.
“You said you were here with your husband’s family?” Mike asked, turning towards Cassie.
“Jack’s kids are older,” Cassie said.
I didn’t doubt it. If I had to guess, I’d say Jack’s children were probably Cassie’s age, themselves. I tried to imagine my dad on a date with a much younger woman, but the only thing I could picture was him forcing some poor, pretty twenty-something to try the borscht.
“The kids are off doing their own thing tonight,” Jack said, “It’s better for all of us. They get to have fun without their old man, and I get time to spend with Cassie.”
“That’s so sweet,” Emily said. My wife was resting her head on her hand, staring Jack’s way like he was some new compound she couldn’t comprehend. I tried to think of a word to describe how she was eyeing him, but the only one I could come up with was ‘mooning.’
“Y’all have kids?” Jack asked.
Reflexively, I felt my discomfort rise. He couldn’t have seen the landmine he’d just stepped on, but I resented him for it all the same.
“Not yet,” Mike said, cheerfully. He shared a grin with Allison that made me hurt even worse.
“No,” Emily said, firmly. Her soft expression went hard. “No kids.”
“Well, I support that,” Jack said, “Seems to me too many people nowadays feel pressured into having a family. You need to take your time, figure things out. Enjoy being young while you can.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Emily said. She turned and glared my way. For the first time since we’d sat down, I had my wife’s attention. But now I really didn’t want it.
Fortunately, that’s when our server came by and gave us something else to focus on. They brought us drinks and dropped a wok-like bowl filled with wings, noodles, and dumplings at our table. After that came a conga line of skewered meats — steak, chicken, and shrimp. It was a sumptuous feast, and now I could see why Allison and Mike had been so excited beforehand.
But we weren’t so engaged with the food that we didn’t continue our conversations. However, as before, the division was different than what I would have assumed at the beginning of our evening.
Mike spoke almost exclusively to Cassie. The two of them talked over old times — funny friendships and rueful reminders. A couple times, I noticed Cassie grabbing Mike’s hand or even his arm while she laughed at one of his stories
My own wife, on the other hand, was engrossed with Jack. She leaned forward, captivated by his every word. Mostly he asked her questions and let her stories spool out. She told him about where she grew up, her time at school, and her current career. He nodded along, his eyes crinkling at the corners, like she was endlessly intriguing.
That left me and Allison mostly to ourselves, which generally meant rolling our eyes in our spouses’ direction and sharing silly looks. Fortunately, it was something we were both pretty good at. Allison had a knack for making me laugh; just sticking her tongue out at me could elicit a legitimate guffaw. Despite the strange, inherent tension of our dinner, I enjoyed myself. Mostly.
By the time they cleared our plates, I was done. Finished. All that talking, the travel, the massive meal — I felt like I was the one who’d been slow-cooked over a roaring flame.
Then the waiter came back carrying two plates, each with a giant, golden brick of cake in the middle. The dessert was decadent, glistening and warm. Slathered in caramel sauce and festooned with chunks of fruit. Like the kind of sweet they might serve you in heaven. I was so stuffed, I could barely look at it without my stomach turning.
“The bread pudding,” Cassie said, like venerating a holy object. “God, I’ve been looking forward to this for years.”
“You have to try this, Paul,” Allison said, holding a forkful across the table. “You’ll see.”
“I can’t,” I said, my accent coming through far stronger than I wanted.
“Oh, you’re so missing out,” Mike said. He looked ready to plunge his face into the plate.
“I wish I could do it,” Emily said, waving her hand like she was trying to make the food disappear. “I really do.”
“This is your first time in Disney World, right?” Cassie asked. She was holding her own bite in midair, a precarious promise to herself. The whole table turned her way. Everything felt heavy and odd. Laden with a significance I couldn’t suss out.
Emily confirmed that this was our inaugural visit.
“So basically, neither of you have experience with this,” Cassie said. I raised an eyebrow. Something about how she said that made its meaning feel multiplicative. “Michael and Allie, how many times have you been to Disney in the last five years?”
Like a trained seal, Mike responded immediately. “Last five? Jeez, let’s see. There was the trip in 2014 and then two the next year…”
“Three,” Allison interjected.
“Oh, right. Christmas,” Mike said, “So at least seven. Maybe more.”
“So, a lot,” Cassie said, summarizing for him. She gestured to us with the full fork. The bread pudding magically stayed attached. “My point is, Michael and Allie know what they’re talking about. They’re the experts. So, you should trust them. Rely on their experience and you’ll have a good time. No matter how awkward it might seem at first.”
Jack acknowledged his wife, then turned to look right at Emily. “You’re clearly a clever girl,” he said, “Show me.”
Emily rolled her eyes at him. But she reached for a piece of bread pudding.
“Oh my God. This is. Wow,” Emily said. She took another bite and groaned, like she was bathing in bliss.
“So good, right?” Mike said.
“Paul?” Allison asked. She pointed that forkful of dessert right at me. Accusatory, yet also inviting.
I started to lean forward to take the bite, but I stopped myself. Letting my wife’s friend feed me felt a little too intimate. Instead, I took the utensil out of Allison’s hand.
Damned, but it was amazing.