RAISING SUMMER

NEWLYWEDS

I bathed in the warm sunlight after hours on a plane and months with a baby, make that two babies, I could finally relax. I closed my eyes and could feel the sun above me as a warm peach color peered through my eyelids. My eyelids faded dark as I sat up and opened my eyes in protest. A man stood above me in a royal blue, polo tee shirt and white khakis. He smiles brightly as I raise my sunglasses and leave them on top of my head.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Barrett I hope everything is to your liking. Can I get you anything to drink..."

"Wait, what, no I'm not..." I struggled in confusion.

"Thirsty." Luke approached from behind me in nothing but his swimming trunks.

"No I am..." Luke crashed his lips into my cheek as I stared blankly in confusion. What was happening.

"Sorry man, my wife has had a few too many on the plane." He patted the waiter's shoulder.

"I have not!" I shouted in protest as the waiter shrugged and walked away. Luke laid in the chair beside me.

"Luke what the hell!" I shouted as he cupped his hand over my mouth.

"Shut it cupcake you're bothering the guest." He shushed me as I brought my teeth down on his hand.

"Ouch Janey what the hell you bit me." He flinched and held his hand close to his chest.

"Why the hell does everyone think that we are married Luke?"

"Because I accidentally purchased the newlyweds package."

"You didn't!" I scoffed.

"When I tried to change it back but it was so much cheaper and we got a lot more out of the package." He laughed it off.

"Oh Lord, why me?" I cried and shrank back down in the chair.

"Say something..." He said.

"I knew it wouldn't last..." I sighed.

"Seriously I was expecting at least a cursing beat down from you but what the hell I'll take it."

"You're the worst." I grabbed my towel.

"It won't hurt to just play along Jane."

"No it's bad enough that I can't spend this vacation alone but now I have to play a game of newlyweds with you. You of all people!" I yelled.

"C'mon think of all the expense paid food and The huge rooms and activities we get, do for the food Jane." He pleaded.

"Did you say all room service and free cable?" I asked myself as the thought of the plush bed to myself and my favorite on demand movies.

"Yes I did!" He reassured me.

"Uhhggg fine!" I groaned.

"But when we can you stay as far away from me as possible!" I negotiated.

"Done deal, Mrs. Barrett." He smiled.

"I'm gonna need a drink." I pulled my glasses down and laid back.

***

Luke and I walked into honeymoon sweet and examined the dreaded room. In the center of the room there lies a heart shaped bed with rose petals laid strategically from the door to the bed. I walked over to the room service cart and grabbed the wine bottle and flopped onto the bed.

"I call the bed!" Luke and I shouted in unison.

"No way I get the bed, it's my birthday present!" I declared.

"Well I paid for it!" He argued.

"You got us into this mess!" I shouted.

"Fine, we can share it!" He shouted.

"Absolutely not!" I declared.

"The bed is three times the size of ours trust me, we won't even be breathing the same air!" He set his bags down on the bed and smiled as the bed quaked.

"It's a waterbed! No way!" He screeched in excitement.

"That's it, I'm taking a bath."

I grabbed my bag and brought it into the bathroom and closed the door.

I turned the knob to draw the bath and set the wine bottle next to the bathtub. I sat on the edge of the tub and picked up a package of bath bombs in the shape of roses and tossed them into the bath fizzing and dissolving in the water. I stripped down and turned off the water and stepped in. I grabbed the wine bottle and started to drink without a glass. I rested my head back and took a deep breath. This was going to be a long weekend.