Honeymoon From Hell - Part 1

(This story will appear in my book of short stories, Seasons of the Heart: Family Stories, to be printed later this summer on Smashwords. Watch for stories on this blog three times per week, M, W and F.)

 

The Acapulco cliff divers propelled themselves one by one off the edge of the cliff and down into the chasm toward a small, deep pool rimmed by jagged rocks. After each diver popped back up to the surface to wave, I let out my breath. After all five had completed their dives, the absence of oxygen had made my head spin.

Still, I stood on tiptoe with the others, leaning over the railing to see the black water far below. Something shoved against the back of my knees and my legs buckled. I fell forward over the safety rail, gasping.

Was I going to die on my honeymoon?                   

Yesterday, I had gazed down from the plane window at the sheet of blue ocean far below. The early morning sun shimmered on the water like the new diamond wedding set on my left ring finger. I was on my way to Acapulco, on my honeymoon. Crazy to admit that four months ago, I hadn’t yet met the man I just married.

I’ve always loved the adrenaline rush of doing something new or unplanned, and when Matt Sawyer walked into my life with his ready smile and twinkling eyes, I was itching for excitement and romance. He’d come in with a travel agency customer to pick up some trip materials. Our eyes had locked across the open computer workroom; seconds later he was at my desk asking me to lunch.

When Matt asked me to marry him on the third month anniversary of the day we met, I shouted “yes!” We’d been inseparable since that first date. Believe me when I say, I had fallen head over heels in love. Seconds later, we were pulling out a calendar to look at dates. All my married friends had talked about how a bride needed at least six months to plan a big wedding, but six months seemed an eternity.

Did I want a big wedding? Eloping sounded daring and exciting, so Matt and I set a date just three weeks away, followed by a week-long trip to Acapulco!

I closed my eyes and remembered the short ceremony in the judges’ chambers at the city hall in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Then, after several hours of weather delays, we made the hour-long commuter flight from Ponca City to Dallas. The taxi dropped us at the airport hotel close to midnight, where we planned to spend the remaining few hours before leaving at 6 am on our charter flight. Inside the hotel, exhausted but exhilarated, we buzzed for the desk clerk.

“Sawyer, Matt and Jennifer,” Matt said to the clerk then winked at me. The desk clerk rifled through a file box on the lower counter, his brow furrowed.

“Nothing for that name.” He looked at Matt without blinking.

“You’re kidding, right? Honeymoon joke? We have a six a.m. flight to Acapulco and it’s our wedding night.” Still smiling, Matt stepped closer to the counter.

“Nothing for Sawyer. And we are all full. Sorry.”

“You’ve lost our reservations?” Matt asked. His steely voice was low.

The clerk shrugged. Tears sprang up into my eyes and my body quivered. The excitement of the day had done me in. I needed a hot bath, a soft bed and some easy loving from my new husband, not this!

At one a.m., Matt and I were sitting in the nearly empty all night cafe next door to the hotel. I fell asleep, my head resting on Matt’s shoulder.

At five a.m., he shook me awake. “Let’s go on over to the airport and check in for the flight.” We rode the few miles to the main terminal in a taxi, and then rolled our suitcases down deserted concourses toward the gate for our charter flight.

As we passed a kiosk selling travel insurance, Matt stopped. “What do you think? It sure is cheap, and if anything happened . . . We can put each other as primary beneficiaries, and our parents as secondary. It’s so cheap. What do you think?” We read over the materials, filled out the application and then wrote out a quick check. It was such a small amount, and Matt seemed to think it was a wise idea since we were flying out of country.

We hurried on to the gate, where we found another couple already waited there. They were wearing twin Hawaiian print shirts and khaki shorts.

“Sarah!” Matt said with a wide smile. He greeted the woman with a kiss on the cheek. “You didn’t tell me at the reunion that you were honeymooning in Acapulco this year!”

“I didn’t know – and I guess you didn’t either,” the woman replied, her cheeks dimpling with a coy smile. Her husband, Ryan, shook hands with both of us and then stood quietly, staring at his wife. She was drop dead gorgeous, with long thick hair, a Barbie nose and big eyes.

I felt a quick flash of jealousy when I noticed Matt staring at her, too, then shook it off. We were on our honeymoon and I wasn’t going to let my frequent battles with the green-eyed monster spoil the excitement of this new adventure. Jealousy had destroyed many of my previous relationships; I didn’t want it to destroy my marriage.

Our plane seats were several rows in front of Sarah and Ryan and I made myself forget about her, but then, when the airport shuttle dropped us off at the hotel, they were right behind us as we checked in at registration. When we walked across the open air lobby to the elevator, they followed close behind. We all got on the elevator on the same floor, and minutes later, they were using their key card to enter the hotel room right next door to ours.

“Hey! Let’s go exploring,” Sarah suggested. “I can’t wait to check this place out.”

The four of us decided to spend the next few hours together. First, a walk through the hotel compound, a stroll on the beach, then a quick dinner in the hotel’s restaurant before a meeting with our tour leaders and the other couples on our charter trip. Sarah didn’t want to attend the meeting; she wanted to hit the numerous bars in the hotel compound instead.

I insisted that Matt attend the meeting with me. I knew from experience that at the meeting, our trip leaders would offer tips about venturing outside the resort compound, like how to deal with vendors on the community beaches as well as street beggars. We would probably be reminded not to drink or eat anything that had been in contact with the local water, or risk intestinal upsets.

Unfortunately, the meeting was held after we had already eaten dinner, and something Ryan ate or drank had already begun to make him ill. Even before the meeting, he was doubled over with cramps and Sarah was pouting.

“Join us for a nightcap after the meeting,” Matt suggested to Sarah as Ryan hurried upstairs to their room. She took Matt’s arm as we went into the meeting.

As I listened intently to the information being presented, Sarah whispered in Matt’s ear. Her giggling was distracting, and not only to me. The couple in front of them turned to glare more than once.

When we left the meeting, Sarah steered Matt to the nearest hotel bar, and I followed closely. My green-eyed monster was beginning to raise its ugly head. This was some way to start my honeymoon.

“So, Matt,” Sarah said as soon as we had settled into a booth, “you and Jennifer haven’t known each other very long. Any surprises yet?”

Matt looked at me and grinned. “Absolutely not. She’s perfect for me in every way.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek. Sarah rolled her eyes. What was she up to? Ryan was upstairs feeling sick and she was flirting with my husband.

“What do you two like to do together?” She leaned across the table, showing inches of cleavage.

“You name it, we like to do it. Right, Babe?” He winked and grinned at me. Was she referring to hobbies, recreational activities or the bedroom?

“Come on, Matt. I mean, do you two like to do it outside, like we did? Remember that night out in the middle of the football field?” She gave a girlish giggle and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

I pulled away from my husband, my blood beginning to boil.

He looked uncomfortable as he shook his head. “Come on, Sarah. That’s ancient history. You and I were just high school kids.” He hugged me to him. “Jennifer and I are the best ever, whatever we’re doing.”

“Well,” Sarah said. “I still remember, except when Ryan makes me forget. And now he’s upstairs puking his guts out. Some honeymoon.” She took a long drink of her tropical concoction and let her gaze roam the bar.

Low lighting and candles made the open-air tropical setting mysterious. Slow ballads, sung in Spanish by a roving trio, would have made it romantic if Matt and I had been alone.

Sarah’s look settled on a couple of guys drinking beer at the bar. “You kids go on up to your room. I’ll hang out here a little longer, then come up and nurse my hubby. See you.” She slid out of the booth and sashayed over to the bar, swinging her hips and sipping her tall drink.

Matt’s eyes followed her for a few seconds, and then he turned to me. “Sounds good to me. We haven’t had our honeymoon night yet.” He leaned over and nuzzled my neck.

“No, we haven’t.” I felt my heart pound and heat moved downward from my stomach as he nuzzled my collar bone. “Let’s go.”

We left the bar and were soon alone on the elevator, going six flights up to our room. He pulled me close then slid his hands over my breasts. My breath quickened and I reached out to grab the front of his pants. He was already hard and big, pressing against the zipper of his shorts.

“Oh, baby,” he moaned, as he pushed me against the wall of the elevator. Then, the bell dinged, and the doors opened on our floor. We stumbled out and hurried down the hall, but just as we passed the door of Ryan and Sarah’s room, we heard a loud moan. “God, Help me!”

 Matt looked at me and then stopped and knocked on the door. “Ryan, you okay, buddy?” There was another groan. “You want me to go down and get Sarah? Have her bring you up some 7-up or something?”

“Yeah, would you? Thanks. God, this is awful,” Ryan moaned.

Matt hurried to our door and unlocked it for me. “I’ll run down and get Sarah. Be right back.” He hurried down the hall.

I turned down the bedspread and left a few low lights on, then put on my sexy white negligee and slipped into bed. Heart pounding, and thinking about glorious honeymoon love-making, I waited to hear the key in the door.

After about twenty minutes, I began to worry. Where was Matt? Was Ryan sicker than we thought? Fifteen minutes later when Matt finally got back he rushed into the bathroom to shower, then slipped into bed, naked.

(Look for Part 2 of Honeymoon for Hell on Monday, June 17, 2013)