The Weekend at the Wheels Inn

It was the third time we had gone away together, but the difference was that his entire extended family would be there with us this time. I hesitated when I heard that since we weren't exactly at that stage in our relationship yet, in my estimation.

Michael picked me up on Thursday night. We both took Friday off since all of his aunts and uncles told him they were doing that. When we arrived at the Inn, I immediately noticed our rooms were all in a row on the same floor. That should've been my first red flag.

The room doors were all open, and music played from somewhere. Everyone we met had a drink in their hand and a smile on their face. The atmosphere was happy. People were playing cards in one room. In another group, men were telling jokes and laughing more than the kids were, making them the loudest group on the floor. There must've been at least fifteen kids, ages eight to 15. They were left to do whatever they wanted in the Inn without supervision.

The Inn offered an arcade, a mini-putt golf course, an indoor swimming pool, a skating rink, racquetball courts, and squash courts. It was a place any kid would love at any age. If the kids came into a room where they were, the parents would dig into their pockets and throw a $20.00 bill at them to get the kids out of their hair.

Arriving around 5:30 in the afternoon, we had yet to eat, and then we would swim. We kept it quiet since we didn't want all the kids to join us in the pool. The Inn had two restaurants, one of which was a burger and fries joint, while the other was a fine dining place. Michael wanted to hit the burger and fries joint so he could get back to partying with his family, but I insisted on the fine dining so we could escape the crowded family atmosphere for a few minutes. When we arrived, I thought Michael would barely talk to me since he enjoyed his family.

While I thought it was great to see Michael love his family so much, his admiration for his aunts and uncles was slightly over the top. The men drew the manager's attention numerous times for their level of noise, and the kids equally drew the manager's attention for playing in the elevators. The poor man must've earned every penny that weekend.

People dropped into any room when they were exhausted from partying. It didn't matter whose room it was or who else was in the bed. I saw brothers-in-law in bed with their sisters-in-law and friends' wives in bed with friends' husbands. Now, I know they were drunk, and nothing was going on, but even still, the whole scenario was ludicrous. Never before in my life had I ever seen anything like this.

The following day, everyone woke up early, returned to their respective rooms, and ate breakfast together like everything was normal. But after breakfast, the fathers made a trip to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and the Beer Store to return their empties and to purchase more booze for that evening. Michael went with them and left me alone with his aunts and all those kids.

I went to the sitting area with my book to get away from the noise on the floor because, when I closed my door, every aunt and the older sisters of Michael knocked to see what was wrong. After the fifth knock, I left the door open, and when nobody was around, I slipped into the hallway and down the stairs to the sitting area, where I tried to hide behind my book and sunhat.

But with so many kids around who are so observant, it's impossible to hide.

"Why are you hiding behind that book?" one of Michael's younger cousins, who must've been eight years old, asked me.

"I'm not hiding. I like to read, and it's impossible to read with all the noise on our floor, don't you think?" I said.

"No, that's not true. I've been watching you. You're not having any fun at all. You don't like our family very much. But you do like Michael. Huh?"

"What makes you say that? Of course, I like your family."

"I don't even think you like kids," she said as she stared me down, her eyes meeting mine.

"Yes, I do. It's just that I'm not used to being around so many kids all at once."

"I don't think so. I think you would rather have stayed home now that you're here. You don't like Michael as much as you thought you did. That's too bad, too, because he's a sweet and really nice guy," she said, then left.

I sat there pretending to read my book for a long time but thinking about what she had said to me. I couldn't help but think that if this young girl could see right through me, so could many other people. I felt horrible and foolish.

***

When Michael returned, I told him I signed us up for Racquetball and Squash.

"That's great. I think we're going to have so much fun. Did you get some reading done?" Michael said. "My cousin told me she talked with you. Be careful of her; she's only eight, but her IQ is through the roof. She's pretty astute and observant as an eagle high in the sky."

"Yes, I got that impression just from our short conversation." I smiled at him, and we returned to our room to change for our afternoon on the courts.

***

We played until we both worked up a good sweat in racquetball and then ventured over to play squash. I knew Michael hadn't played that much squash before, so he said. But when we hit the court, I soon discovered he was a snake in the grass.

"When I was in the navy, we played squash on board. It helped pass the time and kept my waistline trim. I guess I should've told you before we started playing. Sorry about that." He laughed.

I was slightly perturbed but smiled and said, "No, that's fine. We're having fun together and getting some exercise, aren't we?"

"Well, maybe you are. But honestly, I'm not getting much of a workout here."

I thought he was joking, but when I turned to see his face, I realized that he was being serious so much for the sweet and friendly guy. The rest of the day continued with more of the same type of instances. They happened so frequently that I cringed wherever he wanted to touch me. I couldn't believe how much I wanted to be home in my bed alone.

***

We drove home in silence, both of us feigning fatigue. We had spent three nights staying up late and going all day.

"I had a great time, Michael; thank you for taking me to meet your family," I said as we pulled up to the car park where we had met.

"I'm glad. I'd like to see you again. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure," I said. And got out of the car.

On Monday I made a significant change in my life. I called the phone company and changed my number. And just like that, his plus one was no longer his. He had no way of getting a hold of me. I took his number and threw it away.

I learned that being a plus one isn't all that it's cracked up to be.