Heavy Turbulence

by Kimberly Fox

  That seems to work. Ethan’s face gets serious as he reluctantly climbs into the water. We’re in the ocean at the Dolphin Sanctuary Club swimming with the gorgeous mammals. It’s a large tank with netting along the sides and bottom. I feel bad that the dolphins are trapped but they seem so happy the way they’re swimming around and playing with the tourists.

  Ethan swims over to me, constantly looking below the water like there’s a shark swimming around in the tank. A dolphin swims under the water below him and he lifts his feet up and takes a sharp breath.

  I can’t stop giggling. “I didn’t think you got nervous.”

  “I don’t,” he says, flinching as another dolphin swims by him.

  “You’re totally nervous,” I say, trying to hold in a laugh. I love seeing him on edge like this. “Mr. King of the Jungle is nervous around a harmless dolphin.”

  “That’s right,” he says, constantly looking around. “King of the Jungle. The ocean is not my kingdom.”

  A dolphin swims towards me and spins onto its back. He glides past me, chirping for a belly rub. His skin is so rubbery and smooth. I wonder what’s going through his mind as I pet him. Dolphins are way smarter than we give them credit for.

  Ethan is watching me touch it with wide eyes. I wonder what’s going through his mind as well.

  “Come,” I say, waving Ethan over before the dolphin swims away. He shakes his head no.

  “Touch him,” I say. “Did you know that dolphins can use tools to solve problems?”

  “Problems like how to get around and breathe on land?” he asks. “They can’t be that smart.”

  “They are,” I say. “They can speak to each other and even transmit knowledge to their young.”

  “So?” he says, not looking impressed at all. “Humans have made airplanes, cell phones and even went to space. We’ve discovered math and art and invented thousands of languages. You think I’m going to be impressed over a few chirping noises?”

  I roll my eyes at him. “You’re the worst.”

  “Look at that!” he says, smiling for the first time today.

  Stephanie screams as a dolphin humps her. “Get it off me!” she screams. It’s holding onto her with its flippers and going to town on her life jacket.

  The guide blows his whistle and pokes the dolphin with a pool noodle and he vanishes under the water. Stephanie fixes the enormous sun hat on her head and tries to act like nothing happened as Megan is dying of laughter beside her.

  “Wow,” I say to Ethan. “Her sluttiness transcends species.”

  Ethan is barely paying attention. His huge eyes are scanning the water underneath him. “God they’re everywhere!” he says in a panic as a dolphin swims below, not anywhere near him.

  He shoots me a dirty look when I can’t stop laughing at him.

  “I’ll go take some pictures of you instead,” he says, swimming to the edge of the enclosure.

  “Okay, Aquaman,” I say. “Or should I call you Awkward-man?”

  He climbs out of the pool and takes off his life jacket. “Ha ha very funny,” he says.

  A dolphin swims by me on its back but I just ignore it, choosing to admire the other animal in front of me. Man, I’m going to miss seeing those tattooed muscles every day.

  He leaves to get the camera in our bag when Megan sees me and swims over. She starts singing and I join in with the next verse:

  “Under the sea, under the sea

  The dolphins will hump your leggers

  They’ll leave you preggers

  Take it from Stephanie”

  “Under the sea, under the sea

  Look over here miss

  At the cute porpoise

  Now give me money”

  “Under the sea, under the sea

  I’m trapped inside this pool

  This shit is really not cool

  Please set me free”

  “Alright, that’s enough.”

  “Agreed.”

  I frown as a dolphin swims by. “Poor guys stuck in here. Now I feel bad.”

  “Me too.”

  Ethan comes back with the camera as another dolphin swims in front of us upside down, wanting to be pet.

  I smile at the camera as Ethan takes a picture. He checks the screen and nods. “You two look great.”

  Megan is looking at me funny. “You guys are hanging out a lot,” she says. “Isn’t Aaron jealous?”

  I shrug. “Probably.”

  She looks confused. “Am I missing something?”

  “No,” I say, looking away.

  Megan grabs my arm. “Tanya. I know when you’re lying.”

  I take a deep breath and let it out. “Aaron cheated on me.”

  Her hands fly up to her mouth. “Oh my God!”

  “With Stephanie.”

  “OH MY GOD!” she screams. “That bitch!”

  “Wait,” I say, grabbing her wrist as she’s about to swim over to give Stephanie shit. “It’s fine. Really.”

  Megan grinds her teeth. Her nostrils are flared and she’s breathing heavily. “No, it’s not fine,” she says in a tight voice.

  But it is. Ethan has made it all worth it.

  “When did this happen?” she asks. Her hands are clenched into fists under the water.

  “Monday,” I whisper.

  “MONDAY?!? I’m going to kill that bitch.” I haven’t seen her look like this since Cindy MacMillan stole my recorder and broke it on the jungle gym in the sixth grade.

  “Please don’t make a scene,” I say, holding her back. “It should have been over between me and Aaron a long time ago. I’m happy that it happened because it made me realize that at least.”

  Her face softens from anger to sadness. “I’m so sorry Tanya,” she says, rubbing her forehead. “I’ve been so busy with the wedding and entertaining Lucas’ family. I didn’t realize what you were going through. I’ve been a shitty friend.”

  “No, you haven’t,” I say, feeling bad. “It’s your wedding week. Of course, you’re going to be busy. I just didn’t want to ruin it for you.”

  “You?” she asks. “It’s not your fault. At all.” She turns and glares at Stephanie. “It’s that bitch.”

  Stephanie is rubbing a dolphin’s belly in a very sensual way. She’s wearing a big white t-shirt and an enormous, flopping sun hat. Her skin is still way to sunburnt to be exposed to the sun.

  Megan looks pissed. “Look at her,” she says. “Is she going to give it a blowjob? I can’t stand that girl anymore.”

  “Then why is she the maid of honor?” I ask. It just blurts out of me before I can stop it.

  “I’m sorry about that,” she says, looking down. “She helped me so much at work with the magazine. I really didn’t know anything and she’s taken me under her wing and really helped me out. She’s Lucas’ sister and she paid for the honeymoon.” She shakes her head and sighs. “And I never really asked her. She just kind of claimed the role. I asked her to be a bridesmaid and she said that she’d love to be the maid of honor. She just kept talking about it and I didn’t have the heart to tell her no.”

  My best friend looks like she feels really bad. I think it’s time to let her off the hook for this.

  “It’s okay,” I say, trying to let it go. “I don’t want to cause any strife or stress for you this week. I’m fine being a bridesmaid. Really I am. I’m just happy to be up there when you get married.”

  Megan bites her lip as she thinks. “That’s why it should be you.”

  Silence hovers between us.

  “Don’t you see, Maximus?” I say, quoting one of our favorite movies. “That is why it must be you!”

  “Oh Russel Crow,” Megan says, clasping her hands together. “Who would have thought that an Austrian gladiator could be so dreamy?”

  “Australian,” I correct.

  “That’s what I said.”

  “You said Austrian.”

  Megan looks confused. “What’s the difference?”

  “Does L
ucas know how absolutely clueless you are when it comes to geography?” I ask.

  She shakes her head. “I’m waiting to tell him after the wedding.”

  “Smart move. Lock him down first.”

  “That way he can’t go anywhere.”

  “Or he can move to Austria and you’ll never be able to find him.”

  Megan crushes her hand into a fist. “I’ll find him. Even if I have to cross the whole outback looking for him.”

  I shake my head and laugh. “I’m returning the toaster I got you and getting you an atlas for your wedding gift.”

  “A toaster?” Megan says, perking up. “How many toasting levels?”

  “Forty-nine.”

  Her smile drops into a frown. “I guess that will do.”

  We both laugh and all seems to be forgiven. It feels good to be joking around with my best friend again. I’ve missed her. A lot.

  “So Ethan?” she asks. “What is going on with that?” Are you two…”

  I tell her everything that happened. Everything. It’s nice to finally tell her and the shocked look on her face is priceless.

  “Wow!” she says, when I’m finished. “That’s crazy.”

  “Here comes Ursula now,” I say, motioning behind her with my eyes.

  “Hey, bestie!” Stephanie says, swimming over with her gigantic hat blowing in the wind.

  Megan has a look in her eye straight out of the Terminator movies. I place my hand on her arm. “It’s okay,” I whisper. “Just let it go. I have.” Not really.

  “Not right now, Stephanie,” Megan snaps. “I’m talking with my best friend. Tanya.”

  Stephanie glares at me with an evil look. I just smirk at her. That’s right bitch. I’m the best friend.

  “Whatever,” Stephanie says, rolling her eyes. “The dolphins over there are cooler anyway.”

  “You pronounced hornier wrong,” I say.

  “Ugh,” she snorts as she swims away to the sound of Megan and I laughing.

  Megan hooks her arm around mine and we swim around the enclosure with the dolphins racing past us. “I’m sorry again, Tanya. I feel really shitty.”

  “It’s okay,” I say, really meaning it this time. “Let’s just let it go because you’re getting married tomorrow!”

  Lucas is in the water with thick, white suntan lotion all over his nose. He high fives a dolphin and then squeals in delight.

  Megan is watching him with a big smile on her face. “He’s such a nerd.”

  “That’s okay,” I say with a laugh. “So are you.”

  She squeezes my hand under the water. “I know. We’re perfect for each other.”

  They are and I can see why they gel so easily together. Ethan and I are anything but the same. I glance over to where he’s sitting in a chair, leaning back into the sun with his eyes closed. He’s looking as hot and buff as ever. Are we perfect for each other?

  I take a deep, heavy breath as I contemplate the answer.

  I really can’t tell.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tanya

  Day Five

  I walk to the rehearsal dinner feeling like I’m walking on a cloud. We got home from the dolphin excursion around two o’clock and Ethan and I fucked for three hours, napped for twenty minutes, I took a quick, ten-minute shower and then we left.

  Only the wedding party was invited tonight so Ethan made plans to eat dinner with his aunt and uncle. He’s been ignoring them all week to be with me and he feels bad.

  The private dinner is set up on the beach. Just a few tables in the sand with some music playing, drinks and food. This is where the reception will be tomorrow and Megan just wants to go over everything and have a little party afterward.

  Mr. and Mrs. Carson are the first ones I see when I walk over. “Excited for the wedding?” I ask them.

  “Oh yes,” Megan’s dad says. “You two were always so close that we thought you’d marry each other.”

  Her mom slaps her dad. “Frank!” she says. “Don’t say that.”

  “What?” he asks, with his palms out. “You thought that too.”

  Her mother looks at me and smiles. “He’s kidding dear.”

  Mr. Carson shakes his head. “No, I’m not.”

  “Well,” I say, “we did have over a hundred pretend weddings where we married each other.”

  “I thought you two were lesbians for sure,” he says.

  “Frank!” Mrs. Carson says, grabbing her husband’s arms and pulling him away. “Leave the poor girl alone.”

  “What?” he says with a shrug. “I love lesbians.”

  “Frank!”

  Cynthia and Julia come over looking as hot as ever. They skipped the dolphin excursion today to work on their tans for the wedding. And they look great.

  “New dress?” I ask Julia.

  “Of course,” Cynthia says, answering for her.

  Julia thrusts her chin in the air. “It was on sale for your information.”

  “How much?” Cynthia asks.

  “Only four hundred,” Julia says with pride.

  “Only?” Cynthia asks.

  “It was ten dollars off,” Julia answers.

  “What a deal,” I say, nodding.

  She looks at me and smiles. “Thanks.”

  My sarcasm flew right over her head.

  “So what are we supposed to be doing tonight?” I ask, looking around. Lucas, Aaron and two of Lucas’ other friends are by the bar with Stephanie. Megan is talking with the wedding coordinator. She’s moving her hands around like crazy like she always does when she’s really excited.

  “We’re supposed to stand beside that bitch Stephanie and smile,” Cynthia says.

  “Here comes the bride,” Julia says.

  “You girls look gorgeous!” Megan says as she rushes over. She takes a minute to look each one of us up and down, throwing out compliments about our hair, figures, outfits and makeup like a Gatling gun. She looks so happy. I’m so excited for her.

  I can see Aaron out of the corner of my eye, watching us. He was friends with Lucas in high school and they became close again when Aaron and I started dating again. I think it was Megan who convinced Lucas to ask him to be a groomsman so that my boyfriend would be in the wedding party. Talk about a backfire.

  “I love your hair,” Julia says, touching Megan’s curls.

  “Thanks,” she says with a beaming smile.

  Aaron is walking over with a beer in one hand and a strawberry daiquiri in the other. Shit.

  “I got you this,” he says, handing me the pink slushy drink.

  “She’s not thirsty Aaron,” Cynthia snaps.

  “Yeah, why don’t you give it to Stephanie?” Megan says, glaring at him.

  “Or pour it over your head,” Julia adds.

  He looks around the circle of lionesses and gulps. “Can I talk to you for a second?” he asks me in a tiny whisper.

  “Fine,” I say, walking away from the group of snarling women. “What is it?”

  He tries to hand me the drink again. “Strawberry daiquiri. Your favorite.”

  I cross my arms over my chest, leaving the cold drink melting in his hand. “You’re five days late,” I say coldly. “I asked you for that when we first got here. Remember? You ditched me in line and went to the bar instead.”

  “Look, Tanya,” he says, hunching his shoulders. “I fucked up.”

  “Big time.”

  “Can you give me a second chance?”

  I almost laugh until I see that he’s not joking. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” he says, his chin dropping to his chest.

  “Why do you want to get back together?” I ask with a raised eyebrow. “Because you see me with Ethan and you’re jealous?”

  “No,” he says, sighing heavily. “I love you. I’ve made a mistake.”

  I’m not buying it. He only acted interested when Ethan came sniffing around. Before that, he acted like he hated me.

  “You know when we started datin
g you were fun and cool,” I say. “In high school, it was exciting being with a guy in a band. You had so much passion and drive. That was back when you liked me.”

  “I still like you,” he says.

  “No, you don’t. We were just together over the last year because I was lonely and you needed someone to take care of you. I think we stopped liking each other a long time ago. I don’t know why I kept trying to make it work. It’s so clear now that we are all wrong for each other.”

  He looks at me with sad eyes. “You really believe that?”

  I nod. “Aaron, you were fun in high school. But you’ve become miserable and depressed. I think you hate yourself because you didn’t make it big as a rock star. And the worst part is that you probably could have if you put some actual effort into it. You’re really talented but your laziness outweighs your talent. I think you’re depressed Aaron and I’m done letting you take it out on me.”

  He pulls a little blue box out of his pocket. “But I bought a ring.”

  “Oh Aaron,” I say, shaking my head. “Good luck with everything.”

  I leave him staring at the ring that he bought in the resort jewelry store. I hope for his sake that they have a good return policy but if I were him I wouldn’t hold my breath.

  My three lionesses are watching me as I walk back to them. “That was fun.”

  Right on cue, Stephanie walks over. “Hi bestie!” she says.

  Megan turns her back to her and grits her teeth.

  Stephanie doesn’t take the hint and grabs Megan’s arm. “Come dance with me,” she says, pulling her.

  Megan yanks her arm back. “I’m talking to my friends,” she snaps.

  “Okay,” Stephanie says, shrugging it off. “I saved you a seat beside me at dinner.”

  Megan slides her arm around mine. “Actually,” she says, turning to Stephanie, “I’m going to sit with Tanya at dinner.”

  “With Yawn-ya?” she asks, rolling her eyes. “Boooorrrriiinng. I want to talk to you about how I’m doing my hair tomorrow. I’m thinking up.” She grabs two handfuls of her blond hair and holds it up over her head.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Megan says, turning away. She’s never been one who could hide her anger and right now it’s coming through loud and clear. Stephanie gives me the stink eye and storms off back to the bar.