Poly at the Poly Pt. 01

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."

"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.

*

After dinner, the six of us went down to the lobby together before going our separate ways. Cassie gave Mike another tight hug.

"I hope we keep meeting like this," she said, "It's been so much fun seeing you again."

"It was nice to meet you," Allison said brusquely, shaking Cassie's hand.

"Your husband is so funny," Cassie said.

"Oh yes, he's a riot," Allison said.

Jack put his hands on Emily's shoulders. "This was nice," he said, giving my wife a little squeeze. "I hope we see each other again."

Emily blushed. "I'd like that."

"Nice talking to you," Cassie told me, as she gave me a little hug. She started laughing at her own joke.

I just shook my head.

Once the others were gone, Mike, Allison, Emily and I stumbled back to our room. The sun was slowly slipping down the horizon, making everything look dramatic. The heat was almost bearable now. I wasn't comfortable, but I no longer felt like I wanted to escape my own skin.

I'd only had one drink at dinner; it was everything else that had me feeling drunk. We'd consumed like royalty, but now I was paying the price and it was too rich for my stomach.

"That was odd," Allison said as we meandered back to our room.

"Running into Cassie?" Mike said, "She's a nice girl, right?"

"She's OK," Allison said.

"It's fun to catch up with people like that," Mike said, "After so much time. Interesting to see where they've ended up. I'm happy for her, it seems like she's got things going well."

"Her husband is, like, her dad's age," Allison said.

"I think it's sweet," Emily said, "Finding true love so late in life."

I eyed my wife. We hadn't even gone to a park yet, but Disney was clearly already melting her usually analytical mind.

"I don't know, don't you think it's kind of creepy?" Allison said.

"He's so handsome," Emily said, "I could see it." I gave my wife a look and she shied away. "What?" she asked, "Don't think I didn't notice you giving Cassie the eye a couple of times, too."

Had I been staring? I didn't think so. But it wasn't hard to imagine I had been looking a little, what with Cassie being Cassie and all.

"She's always been gorgeous," Mike said, "Imagine being Jack's age with a woman like that."

I waited for Allison to say something to her husband, but instead she turned to me.

"What do you think, Paul?" Allison asked.

"All of this is weird," I said, "But who am I to judge if it works for them?"

Allison counted the words on her fingers, then cheered. Emily shook her head at her friend's antics, but I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"I'm going to get you, yet," Allison told me, waggling her finger in my face. "Whole paragraphs. They're coming, buddy!"

Whatever energy I had left was worn down by the walk back to our hotel room. I didn't even have the strength to open up our bed. I flopped, face first, onto Mike and Allison's.

"It's still early," Allison announced, "We should go to the pool."

I groaned in response. I couldn't imagine getting off the bed, let alone heading out for a swim.

"I want to go, too" Emily said.

"I want to die," I said. My accent came through so strong, it was like Boris Badenov had entered the bedroom. I was too tired to care.

Mike, Allison, and Emily each took turns in the bathrooms, changing into their bathing suits. My consciousness flitted in and out as they went. I noticed Emily put on a black, conservative one-piece that covered everything and more. Allison had on something navy and utilitarian. Like something she might have competed in. Mike wore the standard male trunks; a blue, plaid pair.

"You'll meet us there, Paul?" Allison asked as the group gathered their things to go.

"Sure," I said. I was pretty certain I was done for the day. But at that point, I'd have made any promise that would let me pass out.

I felt Emily lean over and kiss the back of my head.

"See you in a bit," she said, rubbing my back affectionately.

Then she was gone.

*

I woke up in near-darkness. The room was empty. Eerily quiet.

I looked out the doors to the balcony and saw a blackened parking lot staring back at me; the rows of streetlights mirroring the star-filled sky above. Though Emily and our friends were out and about, the sun had clearly called it a night. I'd slept for a little over an hour. I was so disoriented, I felt like I'd lost days.

When I looked at my phone, it showed me a text from my wife.

Emily, from about ten minutes before: Still at the pool. See you soon?

I groaned but got dressed. I found my bathing suit, a pair of green trunks, and pulled them on along with a t-shirt and some flip flops. At least I no longer needed to bother bringing sunscreen.

Outside, the resort was surprisingly lively. People had left the parks and were now filling the paths. Many of them seemed to be starting their evening, rather than calling it a night.

When I got to the pool, it was like stepping into the middle of a block party. People were everywhere; swimming, playing, or lying on the lounge chairs. Kids raced around while adults sat back and sipped large, obviously alcoholic drinks. Music blared, yet it was nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd. It seemed like half the hotel was out and enjoying the atmosphere.

The only problem was, I couldn't find Emily. I circled the pool twice, to no avail. I was certain people were staring at me -- the weirdo wandering around the water. I was about to head back to the hotel room, assuming I'd just missed the group, when I heard a giggle.

It was strange. The laugh sounded like Emily and yet very much didn't sound like Emily. Incongruous and familiar all at once.

I realized it was coming from a spot behind me. There was a set of stairs near the rock wall on one side that I hadn't noticed till then. Or maybe I had seen it but dismissed it as an employee path or something like that.