Allison didn’t seem thrilled about any of that, but I didn’t care. I’d gotten what my wife wanted. Emily gave me a big smile. No matter what else might be going on, I was glad I could still act as her protector.
Allison was right about Toy Story Mania; Emily really did enjoy it. Despite all the spinning around in the cars, she got into shooting the virtual targets and racking up points. She made one fatal mistake, however: she scored higher than Allison.
“We’re going again,” the tall blonde said, authoritatively as we walked off the ride. We knew better than to argue. Fortunately, the line wasn’t too long, and we were quickly past the talking Mr. Potato Head and back in our cars. This time, Allison topped all of us, easily.
“That’s better,” she said, striding forward as we exited the building for the second time.
Mike, Emily, and I all shared a knowing look.
“I intentionally messed up the one with all the balloons,” Emily whispered, “I don’t think I could do that thing a third time.”
“I always tank it, just in case,” Mike said. The three of us nodded. It was clearly the correct policy.
After the ride, Emily said she had to pee, so we walked around to the back of the land and the bathrooms. Mike went to his side, while Emily and Allison split off the other way. I didn’t have to go, so I found a waist-high planter and leaned against it.
While I rested, I soaked in the atmosphere around me. The crowds had built up and everything looked busy. To my right was a small cafe, the line snaking almost as long as the rides. To my left was a giant Buzz Lightyear statue guarding a spinner ride. Beyond him there was a bit of an incline and then the road stopped at a tan, blank wall. Like they’d stopped making the park midway through.
“That’s going to be the new Star Wars Land,” Mike said, pointing at the empty wall. He’d come back from the bathroom when I wasn’t looking. “It’s supposed to open next week, actually. You can fly the Millennium Falcon and make your own lightsaber. It’s too bad we missed it this time, but we’re going to come back and see it next March. I can’t wait.”
A Star Wars Land sounded cool. I thought Emily, in particular, would be excited by that, with her love of all things far, far away. I pictured her eyes alight as she lifted a glowing, laser sword. Damn. We’d only been at Disney for a short time and already I was thinking about going back. That was not a good sign.
Mike sidled next to me and handed me his filtered water bottle. It was such an easy, friendly gesture but I appreciated it all the same. Maybe I read too much Heinlein, but I thought there was meaning in the idea of sharing water. Especially in Florida in August.
I knew I was supposed to like Mike. Our wives were beyond work besties — they were almost more like siblings for how well they got along. And I could concede that Mike seemed like a legitimately good guy. He was easy going and always affable. Little gestures like the water bottle helped reinforce all that.
Seeing Allison naked that morning had been fun, yes. And Mike might have played it off as a big joke. But I could tell some part of him was truly upset by it. I realized I owed him an apology.
“Don’t worry about it,” Mike said, “After last night, I get the feeling that’s going to be nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
I cocked my head at him, curious. Mike grinned back at me.
“You talked to Emily this morning, right?” Mike said, he took a swig from the water bottle. “Look, I’m not saying anything is going to happen for sure. But Allison gave me the green light and I’m planning to take advantage. You should too.”
Mike sure sounded eager for the chance to fool around with another woman, but I couldn’t help but hesitate. What about our wives? Green lights apply to both sides of the road, after all.
“I love my Allie,” Mike said, “She’s great. But we’ve been married for six years and, I dunno, sometimes it’s good to change things up a little. Do something different. Like we said last night, it’s just a bit of fun. Besides, man, Cassie fucking Summers. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t take a shot at her. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”
Actually, I wasn’t sure. Cassie was objectively gorgeous, of course, but I tended to prefer a different (tall and athletic) type. Not that I was going to mention that to Mike, even with his enthusiasm.
“Speaking of whom,” Mike said, looking down at his phone. His face broke into a giddy grin. “The it-girl has arrived.”
The girls returned from the bathroom, and the four of us headed back the way we came. The trip to the front of the park seemed so much shorter than I remembered, and I wondered if we’d skipped a whole section somehow.
While the entrance was busy, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as when I’d seen it before. A few actors dressed in rainbow-bright suits engaged with guests, pretending to be local Angelinos. We walked over to a gift shop made to look like an old-timey gas station and waited while Mike went to find Cassie.
He returned about a minute later with the beautiful blonde hanging off his arm. Both of them smiling like they’d shared a private joke. I had no way of knowing for sure, but I’d swear that they’d just kissed. It seemed that Mike had already gotten started on his real plan for the day: messing around with his crush girl as much as possible.
Cassie was wearing a tight Minnie t-shirt and a matching Minnie ears headband. Her tan shorts weren’t small enough to be scandalous, but on a body like hers, you could cover her completely in heavy tarp and it would still seem racy.
As I said before, I tended to be attracted more to cute geeks like my wife. And certainly, I found something wonderfully alluring about the athletic, tall Allison. But even I could admit that Cassie was straight up stunning. Her perfectly shaped body, heart-shaped face, and golden blonde hair. The glossy pink of her full lips, the prominent curves of her hips and chest — she looked like a real movie star standing there in the fake Hollywood street.