The Venue

by T J Payne

  ***

  The limo ride lasted more than an hour.

  Amy and her family didn’t mind, though. They played with all the switches and consoles, running through the various lighting options and turning on all the TVs.

  They didn’t touch the mini-bar, though, despite the sign that read “Complimentary.” None of them trusted that sign. As Amy’s mom said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Or booze. They’ll charge you one way or another.”

  It was only near the end of the trip that Amy began to wonder why they had been driving for so long. Her place was only thirty minutes from the airport. Unless they were flying out of a different airport. The windows on the limousine were all blacked out, so she couldn’t even gauge what freeways they drove down.

  Just as she pulled out her phone to check a map, the limo came to a stop.

  The door opened and daylight streamed in, accompanied by the roar of an engine.

  A smiling man in a suit motioned for them to exit.

  “Right this way,” the man said, having to practically shout over the noise.

  Amy was the first to climb out.

  She had to let her eyes and ears adjust to the blinding light and roaring engine. It was a small airport; Amy didn’t recognize the area at all. They were standing on a tarmac only a few yards from stairs leading up to a private jet plane.

  A ground crew jogged their luggage from the trunk of the limo to the plane’s baggage loader.

  Amy’s group, still in a daze, wandered up to a flight attendant standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding a tray of champagne flutes. “Welcome,” she said in a thick accent that Amy couldn’t place. It might have been Russian. Maybe German. Amy wasn’t exactly a world-traveler. “Champagne?”

  “Do we have to go through TSA?” Candice asked.

  The flight attendant simply grinned at her with a face that seemed to say, I cannot answer your question because I don’t actually speak English. Then she motioned for all of them to walk on up the steps to the plane.

  “If I’d known that I wouldn’t have to go through the x-ray, I wouldn’t have worn my slip-off shoes,” Candice muttered as she gripped the handrail and pulled herself up the stairs. Roger and Mariko followed behind, their heads swiveling around, taking in the fact that they were about to have their first charter flight.

  Amy lingered on the tarmac a moment.

  “What airport is this?” she asked the flight attendant.

  The woman only smiled in response. “Champagne?” she said.

  Amy took a flute and walked up the stairs.

  The inside of the plane didn’t disappoint.

  Rows of recliners.

  Open bars.

  A full movie lounge.

  Scattered throughout the plane were small groups of people Amy assumed were also wedding guests. Mostly young women, probably a few years removed from college. They were all stylish and professional, like Barbie dolls who grew up to become lawyers. But even they couldn’t fathom this level of luxury. They played with the remotes on their seats, giggling as personal televisions descended from the plane’s ceiling.

  “Wow,” Candice said.

  “I’m feeling a little insecure that I only got him a hundred-dollar Target gift card,” Amy said as they claimed a grouping of recliners for themselves.

  “Okay, seriously,” Mariko said. “This dude’s dropping stupid amounts of money on us. How good of friends were you?”

  “Oh, Amy and Caleb were inseparable,” Candice said. She began to recline her seat. “His mom and I used to joke that they were going to get married someday.”

  “We were just friends,” Amy said.

  “You obviously never saw the way he looked at you. Even back in third grade, that boy was head-over-heels.”

  “That boy was a creeper,” Roger said. “Just a weird, creepy kid.”

  “Roger, be nice,” Candice said.

  Amy turned to Mariko and shrugged. “We grew up across the street from each other. We were best friends in elementary school. We kissed once in middle school.”

  “But you never talk about him.”

  “We grew apart. Started hanging out with different groups.”

  “That’s it?”

  “I mean, we were still cool. We’d say ‘hi’ in the hallway and stuff.”

  Mariko looked around the plane. “So, where does all this come from?”

  “Caleb’s grandparents owned a bunch of property in the Bay Area,” Amy said. “When they died, it all went to him.”

  “Why not Caleb’s parents?”

  “Because they’re assholes,” Roger said.

  “Roger, be nice,” Candice said. Then she turned to Mariko and said softly, “It’s true. They could be a bit unpleasant. But you didn’t hear it from me.”

  “So, he made a fortune flipping houses?” Mariko asked.

  “Kinda,” Amy said. “I heard he took that money and put it into finance. Venture capital and tech start-ups and stuff. I know he invested in a few companies that got bought out by Facebook and Google. Probably some others.”

  “He was always a smart boy,” Candice said.

  “And a weirdo,” said Roger. “Just seemed like a miserable kid.”

  “Roger…” Candice said while continuing to recline her seat. “Caleb is obviously doing very well for himself. Some kids are late bloomers. I’m glad he found happiness.” Candice couldn’t help but giggle as her seat went almost completely horizontal, practically transforming into a bed.

  Amy looked around. The words of her mom nibbled at her. Had Caleb actually found happiness? Is this what happiness looked like? Could that sullen kid who glared at Amy whenever she dared talk to another boy actually be happy?

  Yes. Of course, he could. Her mom was right. Caleb had made a couple hundred million before he hit thirty. Amy, meanwhile, was an aerobic dance instructor who lived alone and was vacationing with her parents and ex-girlfriend. Who should be judging whom?

  The flight attendant walked by with another tray of champagne flutes.

  “Please prepare for takeoff. Flight time is eight hours and thirty-five minutes,” the flight attendant said. She seemed to be able to speak some decent English when she wanted to, Amy thought.

  “Where exactly are we flying into?” Amy asked her.

  “To Caleb Hunt’s wedding,” the flight attendant said, her English suddenly sounding broken again.

  “But where? What country?”

  The flight attendant smiled and shook her head, not understanding the question.

  Before Amy could ask again, she walked off.

  ***

  Even in the luxurious recliners, and even with the eye-masks, ear plugs, and complimentary slippers, Amy struggled to sleep. She tried watching a movie but couldn’t concentrate. Same with reading a book.

  One by one, everyone nodded off around her. Her father first, making that heavy purring sound he made when he slept. Her mother, meanwhile, slept silently, only to erupt in sudden fits of nasal snorts before going silent again.

  And then there was Mariko. Her head cocked to the side, pulling her mouth open as she slept. It was as though the top half of her face was serene and peaceful, while the bottom half of her face was a ghoulish scream. Amy chuckled at the sight.

  Feeling the need to stretch her legs, Amy stood and walked to the bathroom.

  As she approached the rear of the plane, she passed the three young, stylish women she had seen earlier. They huddled together, playing some card game, but using it mostly as an excuse to keep drinking free martinis late into the night.

  As Amy walked by, she accidentally made eye contact with one of them. Shit. Now she felt she had to converse.

  “Are you all going to Caleb and Lilith’s wedding?” Amy asked.

  “Yep,” one of the women said. “I’m Angela. That’s Becky and Jasmine.”

  “Amy,” she said, giving a shy wave. “You’re friends with Lilith?”

  “Sisters. Sorority,” Ange
la said. On cue, all three women flashed some hand signal that Amy assumed had something to do with Greek life.

  Amy had tried the sorority thing in college but ultimately rejected the notion of paying dues to have friends. Amy participated in Rush Week, got a few invites to join, and then promptly never responded. She preferred being by herself anyway. Throughout her life, Amy was the type of person who only maintained one or two close friends. There was no need for more.

  “What was Lilith like?” Amy asked.

  “She was a total disaster when she joined,” Angela said.

  Amy raised an eyebrow.

  “We had a tradition. Every year, we would allow one project-girl to join. We don’t tell them that, of course. But we’d bring the ‘Eliza Doolittle’ under our wing and we’d fix her,” Becky said.

  “Fix her?”

  “Tough love,” said Angela. “Lilith was just trashy. So needy and desperate. She clung to us. But we put up with it. And now she’s marrying a billionaire.”

  Amy’s mouth involuntarily twitched upwards in a grimace. She quickly converted it to a smile. So, Lilith was BFFs with girls who spent four years shaming her.

  “You’re good friends for traveling this far to support her,” Amy said, trying hard to sound genuine.

  Jasmine, the only one of the women who hadn’t said anything, let out a laugh. “Fuck that. I’m here for the free Euro trip!”

  Becky and Angela laughed with her.

  Amy forced herself to join in.

  CHAPTER 3

  Amy stepped off the plane.

  They had touched down in a small airport surrounded by snow-capped, jagged mountains.

  The mountains were so perfect, so beautiful, so stunning that she was sure one must be the Matterhorn — the steep, pointed mountain that Walt Disney recreated in his parks. Of course, as Amy looked around, there were five or six mountains that could qualify.

  She breathed in an air that was so crisp it made her shiver.

  “Enjoy the rest of your trip,” the flight attendant (who had rediscovered her ability to speak English, yet again) called out to them from the plane.

  As Amy stepped onto the tarmac, a ground crew ferried luggage from the plane to a large, executive helicopter that waited nearby. Its spinning rotors added to the mountain breeze.

  By now, Amy had stopped asking questions. She had stopped acting surprised. Of course there would be a helicopter portion of this trip.

  Though, on second glance, perhaps it wasn’t an executive helicopter. There were no windows except in the cockpit. It looked more like a repurposed military chopper.

  They walked across the tarmac, angling their heads down to keep the blowing air from sending dust into their eyes. Then they climbed up the low staircase into the belly of the machine. Only Amy’s mom paused to ask a question of the crew member who stood by to assist people up the steps.

  “Excuse me,” Candice shouted over the roar of the engines. “May I sit in front? I’d like to see the mountains as we fly over them.”

  “I am sorry, ma’am, but that’s not allowed,” the crew member said pleasantly.

  “Rats,” Candice said as she pulled herself up into the helicopter without another word.

  Amy lingered a moment on the tarmac.

  “Fun times ahead!” the crew member said to her with a big grin.

  She nodded and climbed up the steps. As she took one final glance behind her, she saw another plane circle overhead. More guests must be arriving. How many? Amy wondered. How much did this all cost?

  She ducked her head and went inside.

  “Here’s a seat. Sit next to me, Amy,” Candice said as she motioned Amy to sit beside her.

  Amy plopped down into the empty recliner.

  “Your father ate fish on the plane. I told him not to. It always gives him the most dreadful gas.”

  “Mariko’s in for a fun trip then.” Amy glanced over to the seats across the aisle where Mariko and Roger settled in.

  The doors sealed shut.

  The rotors sped up.

  Amy felt the helicopter lurch off the ground and climb into the sky.

  “Do you have a moment to chat, sweetie?” Candice asked.

  The helicopter was much louder than the plane and its roar drowned out all other conversation. This was obviously the opportunity her mother had quietly been anticipating for a full day now. Hell, probably for weeks.

  “I don’t know why you insist on pushing away anyone who gets close to you,” Candice said, not waiting for an invitation to continue.

  “Let’s not do this, Mom. We’re on vacation.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right; you’re right. It’s your life. None of my business. I fully and completely respect your ability to make your own decisions. I’ll stop butting in.”

  Candice sat quietly for five seconds. Amy was impressed. It might be a new record. And then—

  “But seriously, Amy, if you can’t make Mariko work, then there’s something wrong with you. You’re my daughter, I love you, I think you can do anything you set your mind to, but you’ll never do better than Mariko. Never. Not in a million years.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “There. I’ve said my piece. I’m done. Feel free to continue ruining your life out of some deep-seeded commitment issues. Heaven knows where you got those from. But it’s none of my business.”

  “Agreed.”

  “But seriously, Amy—”

  “Mom!”

  “Just tell me what went wrong. You’re so good together.”

  “We had a fight.”

  “A fight? You and Mariko? Please.”

  “A disagreement.”

  “About what?”

  Amy sighed. “I came home from work one day. It was a Saturday. I was sweaty and exhausted. And then Mariko shoves sperm donor paperwork in my face. She’d been researching it for months, kinda doing it behind my back.”

  “Probably because she knows you well enough to guess that you’d flip out and get trapped inside your head and become a little baby about the whole suggestion. But continue, sweetie.”

  “And then, mid-debate, she pulls out a ring.”

  “Isn’t that sweet?”

  “I don’t know. It just made me think back to Caleb. He was my best friend, we did everything together. We were a good match.”

  “You were not a good match.”

  “Anyway, we kissed in middle school and everything changed. We barely spoke again. We lost track of each other.”

  “Well, you were gay.”

  “It’s not about the sex side of it, Mom.”

  “Good. Because I cannot sit here and imagine you and Caleb Hunt doing… you know…” she scrunched up her face and shook her head at the mere thought of it.

  “It’s just that Mariko and I have fun. She’s my best friend. But marriage and sperm donors… it felt like… it felt like kissing Caleb. Everything had changed. And I didn’t like it. And when I moved out, we were friends again. And we can go on this vacation with you and be totally cool.”

  “Sweetie,” Candice said, taking a long pause as she seemed to choose her words carefully. “I think you’re full of it.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “For this sliver of time, you and Mariko still love each other. And when she finally moves on, which you know she will because she’s out of your league—”

  “You are just a joy today, Mother.”

  “— then you’ll really be hurt and it’ll all be your fault because you never learned that things change. Relationships change. People grow up. You have to grow with them or be left behind. You’re trying to hold onto your twenties, just like those poor souls who hold onto their high school days or their petty grudges.”

  Candice turned away from her and reclined her seat, signaling the end of her lecture. “But it’s your life. Do what you think is best. Love is hard. Love is a fight. Relationships feed the best and the worst in people. If Mariko isn’t bringing out the stronger, better p
erson in you, then disregard this old nag. What do I know? Couples either give each other strength or amplify each other’s weakness. It’s always a risk. But sometimes, you just have to live with the unknown.”

  Candice closed her eyes and looked as though she were about to relax into a restful nap. Amy watched her. Suddenly, Candice’s face wrinkled up. She bolted upright in her seat, waving her hand in front of her nose. “Good lord, what is that smell?!”

  The pungent aroma smacked into Amy. She looked across the aisle as Mariko burrowed her nose down into the collar of her shirt. In the seat beside her, Roger raised his hand. “Sorry, everyone. That fish from the plane is givin’ me the salmon squirts. I’d open a window, but…” he motioned around at the encased helicopter cabin.

  “Ugh. Dad!” Amy cried out.

  “Christ Almighty, Roger,” Candice exclaimed. “I’m trying to make a point about love over here!”

  “I said I’m sorry. Geez.”

  Amy covered her nose. She glanced across the aisle and made eye contact with Mariko. The bottom half of Mariko’s mouth was still buried inside her shirt, but Amy could see the tips of Mariko’s cheeks pull up and her eyes twinkle in a smile. Mariko was laughing.

  Amy laughed too.

  ***

  The helicopter touched down on a small landing pad in the mountains.

  Everyone wearily stepped out and saw a line of limousines waiting for them. One of the drivers held a sign that read “Holgate Family and Guest.”

  They walked toward it. The other groups of guests wandered to their own designated limos.

  The driver holding the “Holgate” sign seemed to sense their exhaustion. He flashed a big grin and did an exaggerated thumbs-up. “Heeeeey! Big smiles! This is wedding. Fun time. Happy-happy!”

  They climbed in.

  The ride was long and uneventful. The backseat had several TVs and a wide selection of movies, but nobody cared to watch anything. Mariko and Candice talked about a TV show they were both into. Roger took a nap. Amy just sat, zoning out.

  After another hour, the limo came to a stop.

  Amy momentarily wondered what leg of the journey they were about to embark on now. A boat, perhaps? They hadn’t had to ride a train yet. Despite sitting on her ass for fifteen hours, Amy was exhausted. All she wanted was a shower and a nap.