Page 45 of Inflame

“Drinks are free if you are sitting and playing casino games. During lunch and dinner, nothing is free.” Why do I even need to explain this to him? Surely he has more world experience than I do to understand that visiting high touristy cities costs a lot of money.

“I did add more money. You probably just blew through it.”

“Fine. Whatever, Ethan. I’ll check my account and make sure I don’t try to overdraw again.”

“Good to see you are acknowledging your inability to be financially responsible.”

“Bye, Ethan.”

If he did add more money, it wasn’t nearly as much as I expected. I hate being micromanaged like this. I need my own money and to regain my spending freedom back. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and new businesses usually don’t make a profit the first year. If I want to survive without going absolutely crazy, I may have to keep my job at the gym or find a second job to make ends meet. Asking Ethan for more money isn’t going to cut it. He pretty much has made that clear numerous times.

I make my way back to the table.

“Ready to go to the show?” I ask.

“Still waiting for the bill,” Nic says, looking around the restaurant for our waiter.

“I took care of it,” I say meekly.

“Thank you, Claire,” Graham says with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, thank you,” Angie echoes.

Nic, however, is looking at me with an emotion that I cannot decipher. Is he mad? Disappointed? Frustrated? I ignore his mood change and pull out our tickets for the show from my handbag, passing them out one by one.

We walk to the theater reserved for the show.

“You didn’t need to spend your poker winnings,” Nic says softly, as our tickets get scanned in line. We follow the usher down the long aisle toward our seats. “I could have paid for dinner.”

I frown. “It makes me feel better to not be a taker.”

“No one thinks that. Planning the trip takes time and effort. Both of those things do not have price tags attached. So, me footing the bills while we are here is the least I can do.”

“I appreciate the gesture, but—”

“It’s not open for discussion or negotiation.”

His words make me tremble. I can’t help but find it an attractive quality that a man wants to take care of things. Sometimes it is nice not to have to think about every little detail when it comes to finances. What the hell am I going to do once I am back in Portland and the monthly loan bills come pouring in? How am I going to keep myself from slipping farther into debt?

So far, the real world sucks. No real job, no real paycheck, and an insurmountable amount of debt.

The show starts promptly on schedule, and we have wonderful seats in the center of the theater. I am awestruck by the introduction and sit back to allow my senses to be flooded with stimulation as the story unfolds.

The stage design is magnificent. The floor is constructed to open up to reveal a huge pool the performers can dive into or do water tricks. The flexibility and acrobatic skills of each member is commendable. Being a former cheerleader, I know how hard it is to maintain that level of skill and synchronization. I don’t even think my body can stretch half as much as theirs can anymore. These performers are human pretzels.

Several times during the show, I catch myself gripping Nic’s arm, as I watch particularly challenging moves being performed. The flips and the dives—truly amazing. I breathe the show and forget I am an audience member. It is like I am part of the performance, and it is truly a magical experience.

We exit the theater and find a gelato shop to get dessert. I choose the banana and coconut flavors in a waffle cone. It is a splurge moment.

“What did you think of the show?” I ask. I didn’t realize how much tension was in my shoulders until I’m able to sit back and relax into the chair.

“Spectacular,” Angie answers first. “Best show I’ve seen, to tell you the truth.”

“I agree, it was very well done,” Graham says, sneaking a bite from her cone, making her giggle when she catches him.

“The stage setup was remarkable,” Nic adds.

“Yeah, I love how it opened and closed,” I agree. “The behind-the-scenes workers should have come out at the end and taken a bow. It would have to take dozens to coordinate all the set changes and timing of when to open and close the pool.”

---