They continued arguing about how Henry should carry the backpack until they reached the canoes where everyone else was already gathered.
“Hi,” Henry greeted everyone with a smile. “Sorry we’re late.”
“We wouldn’t have been if you had just listened to me,” Evelyn muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
Henry didn’t react, choosing to ignore the remark rather than get angry over it.
“Your timing is perfect,” Austin said. “We’re just about ready to set off.”
Austin and James began by giving them instructions on how to load the canoe with their equipment so that the boat remained balanced. They outlined a few safety rules and what to do in an emergency. They then invited everyone to begin loading their canoes with the gear that had been laid out for them.
Each couple was issued a tent, 2 cots, sleeping bags, pillows and chairs. Everyone began quietly loading the items into their canoes, everyone except Henry and Evelyn that is.
“Evelyn, it doesn’t go like that,” Henry insisted.
“This is the only way it can go,” Evelyn objected.
“No, it can fit just like this.”
“Okay but then where are we going to put the tent?” she challenged him.
“The tent can go right here ...”
Amanda exchanged glances with Viktor. “I can’t decide if this is going to be entertaining or horrifying,” she remarked.
“Both,” Viktor concluded.
She laughed. “What have I done?”
Eventually everyone was loaded and the arguing ceased. They pushed off and began gently gliding across the lake toward the first campsite. The foliage was spectacular and they got many good photos. They stopped briefly along the way to eat lunch but eventually, an hour before dusk they arrived at the site.
The campsite was fairly large considering how isolated it was. There was no visible road that led to it and the only facilities were a couple of outhouses. There were other groups that were already there with fires going. Some were cooking food while others were still setting up tents. The guides directed them to a section right next to the river that was designated for their group.
“This is perfect!” Amanda exclaimed, excited to be so close to the water.
“You want to set up the tent so that it faces the river?” Viktor asked.
“Yes,” she readily answered.
As they began laying out their tent, the arguing between Henry and Evelyn began again.
“How is it possible to argue about everything?” Amanda asked in amazement.
“I don’t know, why don’t you ask them?” Viktor suggested.
She slapped his arm. “Don’t be cheeky.”
He laughed. “I don’t even know what that means.”
“Disrespectful but in a humorous way.”
“Oh. Well … I will try my best.”
She rolled her eyes while grinning. “Yeah, right.”
Everyone had their tents up except for Henry and Evelyn, who couldn’t agree on which pole to raise first. James eventually came and offered his assistance to help them get set up while Austin confirmed everyone’s dinner order. They had a choice of fish, steak or sausage with sides of roasted peppers, a baked potato, and baked beans with dinner rolls.
Viktor and Amanda brought their chairs over to the fire and sat next to Emily and Julia who were quietly enjoying the warm flames. A few moments later Peter and Tiffany joined them. With Henry and Evelyn’s tent finally up, James returned and offered everyone something to drink. Viktor, Amanda and the twins just asked for water while Peter and Tiffany grilled him about their beverage options or lack of, as they considered it.
“Why would you only have a couple options for all these people?” Tiffany complained loudly.
“Because they only have so much room in their canoes,” Viktor boldly answered.
His response seemed to deflate some of her indignation.
“Well if I was running this,” Peter chimed in, “I would have the food and drinks airdropped. Give people some selection.”
“Wouldn’t that kind of detract from the whole point of being out here?” Viktor asked. “Not to mention, triple the cost.”
Thinking Viktor was getting a little too confrontational, Amanda took his hand and squeezed it very tightly while maintaining a smile.
“If you could afford the cost, you would pay it,” Peter reasoned.
Amanda squeezed his hand even harder, hoping Viktor would let it drop and not continue the conversation.
Viktor shrugged and conceded, “Maybe some would.” He then turned to Amanda who smiled with her lips but scolded with her eyes. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You tired?”
“Hungry.”
“Mmm,” he grunted in agreement. “How much longer for dinner, Austin?” Viktor asked.
“Almost ready,” he assured them.
“It smells amazing,” one of the twins added.
Amanda ordered steak for Viktor and fish for herself for the first night when she booked the trip. She figured Viktor would be happy with one of those options or they could share, which is what they ended up doing.
Henry and Evelyn took a break from bickering while they ate, much to everyone’s relief. However, Peter decided to regale everyone with a story of a fish he caught on his yacht off the coast of Florida. He made sure to tell everyone how big his yacht was and how much it cost.
“What did I tell you?” Viktor whispered to her.
“Behave,” Amanda whispered back, afraid someone would overhear him.
“Should I tell him about my jet?” Viktor then asked.
She chuckled. “Stop it.”
During their time around the campfire they learned that Henry and Evelyn had been married for almost 30 years, which surprised everyone though they tried not to show it. They had one grown child, a son, who Amanda thought was likely in therapy.
Emily and Julia had just graduated college and were taking some time off to relax before the drudgery of life closed in on them. They seemed like really good kids and were very polite and personable.
Peter was a defense lawyer in New York City which convinced Viktor he was likely a sociopath. His wife didn’t seem to have much say in their life. It was clear that Peter controlled the money and by extension, his wife.
Amanda disclosed that she worked for an IT firm in Boston
