Page 179 of Johnny

“I don’t recall ever hearing about dolphin attacks.”

“I’m not getting in the water.”

“OK,” I say, surrendering. “But you know… this is like a one-in-a-million experience. We could

come out here to this same spot a million more times and it might never happen again.”

She looks down at the playing dolphins. One jumps straight up in the air like it’s showing off. Then

looks at me. “No.”

“You’re sure?”

She looks at the dolphins again. “Nope. I’m not going in. No way.”

“Cool,” I say. But then I stand up.

“What are you doing?”

“You don’t have to go in. But I am. Because for as long as I can remember my life has been one

disaster, one disappointment, one bad thing after another. And tonight this amazing woman comes

along and encourages me to find the lost boy inside me, and you know what? That’s what I’m gonna

do.”

And then I duck under the handrail and jump in.

Blue glow erupts in long, uneven crackles of light as I sink, my hands above my head in a reverse

torpedo and faces of dolphins blurring by. I laugh, and a burst of bubbles come out of my mouth. Then

I wonder if the microphone picked that up and Megan heard me.

I’m falling for her, I realize.

I’m literally falling for her right now.

I want the fantasy Charlotte Kane spoke of. Not with her, obviously, but with Megan. I want to

marry someone. I want to have kids. I want to have a regular job, and a house with a mortgage that I

worry about paying, and a car that doesn’t come with a driver.

I want family dinners, and holidays filled with laughter. I want quiet nights with my wife, and

frantic moments when my kids need me, and a dog. I want a dog.

I want to think about private schools, and Friday night football games, and raising money for my

daughter’s band class. I want to go on vacation I have to save for, and complain about long hours at

the office, and force a smile at corporate parties because I’d rather be home at nine o’clock, asleep in

bed.

I want that fantasy.