“But this is champagne. It doesn’t count,” Timothy told me. “Besides, I want to make a toast.”
I took the glass he was handing me rather unwillingly. I had to admit, the sparkling clear liquid was beautiful, a faint amber color, and the smell was somewhat like newly baked bread with a touch of almond. And the glass it was in! Wow. My friends and I usually toasted each other with sparkling apple juice that we’d poured into plastic goblets. This flute was delicate and ringed with etchings at the bottom of its cone shape. The decoration was formed with tiny chips in the glass that made it shine like cut diamonds.
“To us,” Timothy said, touching his champagne flute to mine.
I stopped examining the fancy glassware and took a sip. The champagne wasn’t awful, just kind of tickly like carbonated water or soda when you just opened the can. I drank a little more, and then kept tasting it until I’d finished the whole glass. (There was hardly anything in the flute.)
Timothy took my glass, then unrobed me. Finally, we’d gotten to the fun part.
The rest of our evening proceeded favorably. In fact, the new room or my few sips of champagne made what followed like pure enchantment. No Sleeping Beauty or fairy tale princess received as sweet a night of loving as I did!
***
The next morning, Timothy went to his magical closet, where he said he had provisions for everyone. The guys didn’t seem that interested in Timothy’s presents. They were hovering over our table, raiding our leftovers, although they admitted they’d already breakfasted a couple of hours before. The guards were too busy stuffing their mouths to watch what Timothy was doing, but I was eager to see whatever he’d bought us. I loved the silly hats and the adorable shirts and jackets he’d presented me with before. And I was especially delighted with the look on his face each time he doled them out. His eyes got all eager: shiny, luminous, and full of fun when he did.
Timothy, with his back to everyone, started tugging out huge blue plastic bags. We couldn’t see inside, so it was great fun to see each item as it was pulled out.
The guys got jackets, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats. Timothy had bought us the same. They were heavy jackets and warm hats. Where were we going, Alaska?
Next, Timothy pulled out binoculars, throw away cameras, a heavy wool sweater for me, and a small tube with sea sickness tablets, which he said we should all take before we needed them. When Bob looked disappointed, Timothy picked up another bag from the closet the guards cameras and binoculars, too, but theirs came with a scolding about remembering their priorities. Terry nodded. I’m not sure that Bob paid much attention. He was using the binoculars to stare out the hotel windows.