When I was 14, I worked up the nerve to ask to ask Cynthia Randall to go to the movies. When she said yes, I looked for the most romantic movie I could find in theatres in the late summer of 1990. Given a choice between Flatliners, Presumed Innocent, and Ghost, I figured the safest bet was the one with the guy from Dirty Dancing. 

Turns out it was the right choice. The movie was an instant classic and, until millennials hijacked the term, 'ghosting' someone meant appearing shirtless behind them and ruining their pottery. I know it doesn't sound like much but you really have to see the movie to appreciate the romance.

The only problem was that Cynthia's annoying little sister wanted to tag along and Cynthia didn't know how to get rid of her. I told little sis that Ghost was one of the Poltergeist movies and she wouldn't be allowed in the theatre.

The only reason I was able to scare off the sister was because Ghosts can take many forms and mean different things to different people. They can be cute and funny like in Casper or Ghostbusters; romantic like in Always or Ghost; or terrifying like in Poltergeist or The Haunting.

I think it's like that with life's figurative ghosts as well. Sometimes we come face to face with choices we made in our past and they either validate us or haunt us. There are friendly ghosts that confirm that we made the right choice way back when, or terrifying apparitions that make us wonder where everything went so wrong. The problem is, when we're making these critical choices, we have no idea which way it will go. Every decision feels like the right one when me make it. And we won't know which way it will go, until one day...we do.

********************************************************

"Casual? Open-toe? Dressy? Semi-dressy? What you do think?"

Ashley's request for advice on the appropriate footwear to pack was fairly straightforward and could have been easily answered in moments. Of course, you would never know that from the blank stares she's currently receiving from Jeff, Niko, and Louie who are gathered at the Cedar Room for a cool refreshing beverage. The silence is broken by Niko who punctuates the moment with his patented Niko candour.

"I don't give a shit, bring whatever you want," he says.

"Not to be the stereotypical female, but packing for a getaway weekend is more involved for me than it is for you. You're guys. You could show up anywhere in overalls and sandals and get away with it. I need to know, am I going to any events while I'm there? Will I be going to a restaurant? Is it a super-classy place or could I get away with semi-dressed-up? Will there be a function where I need to dress garden party chic?"

"I'd say it's more like upscale gentlemen's club chic," Niko says.

"In this little fantasy of yours, am I the stripper or am I getting the lap dance?" Before anyone can answer, "You know what, never mind."

"No, no no," Louie jumps in. "Please go on, spare no detail."

As that moment of awkwardness hangs in the air, Jeff attempts to get the conversation back on track. "Where are you going for your little excursion?"

Now all three stare at Jeff with confused looks.

"You didn't tell him?" Ashley asks Niko directly.

Niko is searching for a way to answer when Louie bails him out. "Niko invited Ashley to the cottage for Canada Day."

"The boys weekend?" Jeff says, oblivious to the implied protest in the question.

There are few things more sacred amongst a group of guys than an annual cottage weekend in the summer. Sometimes the only thing that will get you through another frigid northern winter is the thought of getting drunk and having a speedboat pull you around a lake on an inner tube.

Some of the more popular Canadian summer celebrations include May 2-4 weekend, Canada Day, and Bonhomme's birthday.  For Jeff, Niko, and Louie, their annual summer getaway is spending the Canada Day weekend at the cottage. Canada Day is the national holiday celebrated on July 1st and no matter what day of the week it falls on, Canadians make a long weekend out of it. When it falls on a Wednesday, the country essentially comes to a standstill for the entire week.

Nobody questions it, and most Canadians simply accept it as a birth rite. No different from universal healthcare, global hockey domination, and feeling smugly superior to Americans.

Like a majority of the population of Southern Ontario, for Canada Day the boys make the trek about three hours north of Toronto to a region known as 'cottage country'. Their specific destination is Niko's family cottage in Honey Harbour on Georgian Bay.

When Niko's parents moved out west in his early 20's, taking care of the cottage fell on him alone. Being a teacher, the situation is ideal. From the time school lets out in June through Labour Day, Niko spends the summer up in Honey Harbour. And the summer doesn't officially start until Jeff, Louie and some others come up for what has now become the Most Important Three Days of the year.

It's not that Jeff is opposed to Ashley joining, he was just thrown by the idea of a woman joining the group. Most of the women who end up at the cottage are there by way of special invitation by Niko. That 'special invitation' usually comes in the form of picture of his junk with the caption "You like?"

Or at least that's what Jeff is telling himself. The real reason Ashley's invitation has Jeff discombobulated is that he still hasn't sorted out his feelings towards her after his pseudo-awakening at the basketball tournament. The girls on the team were right, he DID have a flash of jealously when he thought Ashley had brought a new guy to the tournament.

But what does that mean? He doesn't really think of Ashely in that way. She's been an amazing friend and she's really helped him feel better about his life ever since the night of the high school reunion. He hasn't completed the journey of becoming the new Jeff Dempsey, but he's also no longer overwhelmed by the sense of hopelessness that once consumed him. Even that progress would not have been remotely possible without her.

So was that moment of jealousy a reflexive reaction to the thought of losing his guide and life coach, or is there something more? Until he has that answer, it's unlikely Jeff is going to feel comfortable in his own skin around her.

"You don't mind if join you, do you?" Ashley asks tentatively.

"No, of course not," Jeff spits out. "That will be great. Who's up for another round? I'm buying."

"Grab me one while I hit the head. I gotta piss like nine large dogs," Louie proudly declares.

Jeff and Louie head in opposite directions, leaving Niko and Ashley alone at the table.

"You need to tell him this weekend," Niko blurts out.

"I don't think the cottage weekend is the time to bring it up."

"Are you on crack? The cottage weekend is the ideal time to bring it up. A walk on the lakeshore while the moonlight reflects off the water. You two won't be able to keep it in your pants."

"You almost composed a beautiful romantic thought there."

"I have hidden levels," Niko says.

The two sit in silence as Ashley ponders her options. "So about the packing..."

"At no time will you be required to dress garden party chic."

**************************************************

The cottage weekend routine has been well established over the past two decades and it is adhered to with the same reverence for tradition as the Vatican selecting a new Pope. The gang travels up in one car where Jeff drives and Louie is banned from picking the music. They used to rotate responsibility for selecting the tunes but that went out the window, as Louie himself nearly did, after what became known as the Macarena incident of 1996.

When they reach the town of Honey Harbour, there are two main stops for supplies. Honey Harbour Town Centre is where they pick up food, hardware, and fireworks. Just down the road is the liquor store. With four people this year, they decide to pair up. Niko and Louie get dropped off at Town Centre while Jeff and Ashley go ahead for the booze run. They then swing back and grab the guys at the Town Centre at which point they are no more than 10 minutes away from Niko's cottage.

Jeff and Ashley hit the booze store like a well-trained black ops special forces unit. In less than three minutes they are in and out with a variety of hard liquor, two mini-kegs of beer, and in a new wrinkle, a box of red wine. In fact, the only hitch in the mission comes when Ashley broaches the topic of local women with Jeff.

"I don't really know any of the locals," Jeff says to her query. "Really, I've never ventured too far away from Niko's cottage."

"Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone this weekend," she says.

Jeff processes this for a few seconds, unsure why she's saying this.

"Is that something you think I should do? You know, as my life coach."

"Do you feel like you're in a place where you're ready to get back into a steady relationship? "

Jeff is given a bit of a reprieve by the fact the short drive to the Town Centre is over and they get out of the car and go in the grocery store looking for Niko and Louie. They walk in silence for what feels like an uncomfortable period of time.

"I think I am." Jeff finally says. "If the right situation presented itself, I can see myself with somebody."

"How will you know it's the right situation?"

"I guess its just one of those..." Jeff is halted both in mid sentence and in his tracks. "Holy shit!"

Ashley looks ahead to see what could have spooked Jeff but as she follows his line of sight, all she sees is Niko and Louie talking to a blond woman in her mid to late 30's. "What is it? What do you see?"

"Trouble," Jeff says solemnly.

*************************************

Summer 2000

In the summer of 2000, while the rest of the Western world was being introduced to Jeff Probst and the phrase "the tribe has spoken," 23-year-old Niko Stassinopoulos was blissfully unaware of the birth of reality TV. Fresh off his first year as a teacher in the public school system, Niko was enjoying his first work-free summer since the tenth grade.

In an homage to his favorite Seinfeld episode, it was known as the Summer of Niko. While Jeff and Louie were back in Toronto working day in and day out, Niko was taking advantage of all the R&R opportunities of Honey Harbour.

Mornings were usually spent explaining to the previous night's guest that he was so busy and it was a shame she couldn't stick around. This was usually followed by a boat ride with an hour of fishing thrown in for good measure. If the catch was good, he would clean it and throw it on the BBQ followed by a cold Dos Equis.

In the afternoon you could find him listening to music while working on his already perfect tan. At night he'd head into town and chat up one of the many lovely young women visiting the area. Then he would repeat the process the next day.

On the weekends, Jeff and Louie would join them for beer, tunes, water-skiing and overall fun in the sun. It was cottage Nirvana. It couldn't possibly get better.

Until, it did.

July 19, 2000

Niko and Louie enjoy a mid-afternoon beer on a patio overlooking the water. There aren't a lot of pubs in Honey Harbour but the view from this one is hard to top.

"I'm telling you, there's something to it," Louie says definitively. "These things don't get made up out of thin air."

"It's local legend, Lou. If it were real, we would have hard evidence."

"No, here's how I know it's not just made up..." Louie went on to list why his latest local myth & lore theory was real but Niko didn't hear any of it. His attention was diverted by a vision of loveliness entering his peripheral vision. She was slightly tall, very fit, and had her long blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. By Niko's best guess she was early 20's, maybe a year or two younger than he.

When he tuned back in to Louie's pontificating, he was only able to catch the tail end "...so, what do you think?"

"Maybe you are on to something," Niko said, hoping that would put an end to the conversation. He should have known better.

Louie droned on, but not long after the young blonde sat down, she was approached by a Townie well into a serious day bender. Niko could only pick up bits and pieces but the drunken tool kept saying things like "You should smile, beautiful" and "We could be real friendly to each other, would you like that?"

Niko reasoned that this could not have been the first time she had to deflect the unwanted advances of a drunken idiot. What's more, she was handling herself just fine. Niko realized she didn't need rescuing. On the other hand, ass-clown wasn't taking a hint. Niko then concluded he couldn't possibly listen to Louie for one more minute.

"I think you and I should take a boat ride together. How does that sound?" The drunken tool slurred. "That's really kind of you but I don't..." She never got a chance to finish that sentence. From out of nowhere she felt two hands on her shoulders. When she spun around to see who it was, Niko leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hi sweetie, sorry I'm late. Staining the deck took longer than I thought." Niko smiled, sitting down and pulling his chair close to her.

Caught between two strangers, she was beginning to feel like she was living an episode of the Twilight Zone. She quickly did a threat assessment in her head and decided Niko was the safer of the two options and decided to play along.

"I told you it would," she said in a playful I-told-you-so manner.

"Oh, and your Mom said dinner Friday is a go but don't forget to order the invitations for your sister's shower. They really should have gone out weeks ago – her words, not mine." Niko turned to the drunken tool. "Is this a friend of yours? Hi I'm Niko." Niko held out his hand and buddy reluctantly shakes it.

"You guys have good one," he says as he stands up and quickly exists.

Niko's somehow yet-to be named real life fantasy woman stares him down with a few seconds of cold silence, before asking "So what's the deal? You get off on the whole 'Knight in shining armour' shtick?"

"First of all, great use of Yiddish. And no, it's not chivalry, it's sheer opportunism. I saw an opening to break the ice with a beautiful woman and voila – here we are."

"Is your name really Niko?"

"Niko Stassinopoulos. I have a cottage just a few minutes from here."

"I'm Beth. I'm spending the summer at my parent's cottage across from Jack's Rock."

"You go to university near here?" Niko asks.

"I just graduated, actually. I'm taking this summer to figure out what I should do in the fall."

"Well, hello Beth," Niko says, extending his hand. "It is a genuine pleasure to meet you."

As Beth took his hand and held it for just a few seconds, Niko felt a jot of energy go through him that he had never experienced before. He always told the boys to never fall for cottage girls because what you're experiencing is nothing more than a mirage. Away from the sun and the lake and the beach, it will never be the same. But as each second ticked away and he found himself unwilling to let go of her hand, he feared for what was about to happen.

That fear was not unfounded.

For the next few weeks Niko and Beth were rarely apart. Beth loved to spend sunny days with him out on the boat as they toured the thousands of tiny islands nearby. At night they would watch the sun set over the lake and when it cooled off, they would go inside and warm each other up.

One afternoon, they had arranged to meet in town to grab an ice cream before heading back out on the water. Beth arrived there first and Niko saw her from afar. He started towards her when something gave him pause.

An older man approached Beth, giving her a warm hug and kissing her on the cheek. Niko's curiosity was too much for him to turn away. As he got closer, he saw that the man's face was very familiar. He knew him from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

When Beth saw she was in the presence of both men, she was visibly uncomfortable.

"Oh hi," she said as Niko joined them. "Niko, this is my father. Dad, this is Niko."

Her father! Of course, that made sense. Niko felt all the anxiety lift away from his body...momentarily.

"Charles Secord, nice to meet you," he said offering Niko a firm handshake. Niko gave him his best 'meet-the-dad' firm grip with eye contact and that's when it hit him.

"Superintendent Secord?" Niko said in a tone that was pleading for a correction.

"One and the same." He turns to his daughter as a thought strikes him. "Be sure to get those campus housing forms in to the U of W. Freshman housing is very competitive and if you wait too long, you might not get a spot."

And that's when the second shoe dropped. There are a few more minutes of conversation but Niko didn't catch any of it. His head was ringing with the kind of anxiety that early man experienced after finding themselves cornered by a sabre-tooth tiger.

Later, Niko and Beth found themselves alone walking towards the shoreline.

"Your dad is Superintendent Secord?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah???"

"What's the big deal?"

"I'm a teacher in his school system."

"Teachers are allowed to have personal lives."

"So do you want to tell me why you're applying to freshman housing?"

"It's not a big deal, I turned 18 in May."

"I'm nailing my boss's 18 year-old daughter and you can't see why it's a big deal?"

Beth shrugs and continues walking. Niko rushes after her.

"You told me you just graduated from university," Niko presses.

"No. You asked if I went to university and I said I just graduated. You assumed I meant from University."

"That's dishonest," he says.

"Not dishonesty, sheer opportunism. I saw a window to start dating a hot cottage guy and voila – here we are."

************************************

Present Day

"Jeff!" Beth exclaims as Jeff and Ashley join the conversation. She gives him a big hug and holds both hands for a moment. "God, you guys look exactly the same. It's so great to see you all."

"Beth, this is our friend Ashley. Ashely, this is Beth." The two exchange pleasantries.

"So what are you doing in these parts? I've haven't seen you around here in years!" Niko asks.

"Just spending some time at my parent's cottage. It's their 40th wedding anniversary this year so we're having a huge family celebration."

"That sounds like a lot of fun for you," Jeff says politely.

"How about you guys? How long are you here?"

"Niko's here all summer, the rest of us are just here for the long weekend," Jeff says.

"I gotta run but I'd love to see you guys and catch up," Beth says. "We're having a pre-Canada Day bash at my folks place tonight. Mom's having it catered and we've got fireworks planned for midnight. Why don't you guys come? It'll be fun!"

"Thanks but I don't think we can ma-"

"We'll be there!" Ashley declares.

The three guys shoot her a look with Niko's being significantly harsher than the others.

"That's great," Beth says. "Niko knows how to get there so show up anytime after 8." She starts to walk away but then stops and turns around. "Oh, one more thing. It's a semi-dressy thing so you'll want to dress garden party chic."

Niko cannot bring himself to make eye contact with Ashely whom he knows is giving him a look at that precise moment.

"Not a fucking word," Niko says slowly and emphatically.

************************************************************

Their arrival at the cottage was not filled with the gleeful excitement that is usually the case. There was still a lot of acrimony simmering under the surface and it is impossible not to notice.

As they unpack the car and set up their rooms, very little was spoken until finally Ashely couldn't bear the silence any longer.

"So she's an ex-girlfriend, big deal! We all have exes. It doesn't mean we can't still go and enjoy free lobster and red wine."

"Red wine with seafood? Really Ashley?" Louie says as he passes by, allowing the condescending tone to linger in the air.

"Easy, we just don't go," Jeff says as he enters the cottage. "We just go on as if we never received the invitation."

"We can't not go," Niko insists. "Thanks to Chatty Cathy opening her big mouth, if we don't show up now it's going to look like this was a whole big deal."

"Which clearly it's not," Ashley mutters under her breath.

"I think we should go," Louie says.

"You think Niko would look bad if he bailed?" Jeff asks.

"Who cares about that? If there are some big shot muckety-mucks going, I might be able to get some inside information on the truth behind the Honey Harbour Honeys."

"Louie, for the last time, it's not a real thing," Niko says.

**********************************************

Niko's exasperation comes from the fact that ever since Louie first heard the legend of the Honeys, he's been obsessed with proving that it's true. This has been going on for decades. In fact, the reason Niko got up and pretended to be Beth's boyfriend on the pub patio 17 years ago was because Louie was droning on about the Honey Harbour Honeys.

As the legend goes...In the early days of ship travel through the Georgian Bay ports there was competition to bring the ships through the various ports. Merchant ships were the lifeblood for shop owners and craftspeople in those areas and steady ship traffic could mean the difference between riches and poverty.

To entice ships to stop in Honey Harbour, there were a group of "hostesses"who would entertain the sailors when they came to town. Of course this posed a moral dilemma for the more pious townsfolk who relied on the ship traffic but could not abide by the methods used to ensure their continued visits.

So in time, the entire operation went underground. On the surface, no such activity could be seen taking place so everyone was happy. But for those in the know, the Honeys could still be located, and their services still accessed.

Over time, ship traffic became less important and Honeys were rendered obsolete by Father Time. But it is rumoured that the Honey Harbour Honeys still exist to this day. And just as a Leprechaun must give up his pot of gold, anyone who successfully locates the Honey Harbour Honeys will find a sensual treasure as his reward.

Louie is determined to be that man.

*****************************************

Jeff has been around angry Niko enough to know there is no reasoning with him and the best course of action is to leave him alone and let him calm down on his own. So with Louie on the hunt for mythical creatures, Jeff and Ashley found themselves alone on a walk along the shoreline.

"I've never seen a woman have that kind of effect on him" Ashley says.

"You weren't around for the Beth experience. It was quite an ordeal."

"I'm kind of envious in a way."

"What could you possibly be envious of?" Jeff asks.

"I don't think I've ever been with someone who holds that kind of power over me all these years later. When they were together, it must have been incredible."

"They had chemistry, there was no denying that."

"Did you and Ellen have that kind of chemistry?"

Jeff doesn't answer right away. This question throws him for a bit. "We must have had something. We couldn't have stayed together for twenty years without anything at the core of it."

They walk in silence for another few moments.

"So how did he screw it up? What local cottage skank did she find him with?"

Jeff just smiles. "You think that's what happened?"

*******************************************************

Late Summer 2000

As the summer drew to a close, a feeling of dread was overcoming both Niko and Beth. Within days, the clock will strike midnight on this summer paradise and the demands and rigours of regular life will take over.

One of their favorite things to do was a boat trip to Kennedy Island, a small island north of Honey Harbour. There are a handful of cottages on the island but a large chunk of it was uninhabited. They liked to climb to the top of the island and watch the sunset and stars appear as they lay together on a blanket.

On this one late August night, Beth couldn't avoid the conversation any longer.

"I don't want to go," she said out of the blue.

"We can stay here for as long as you want."

"No, I mean to Wisconsin. I don't think I can go."

"You have to go. You have a full ride swim scholarship to a Big Ten school. Do you have any idea what kind of opportunity that is?"

"I don't care. I just want us to be together."

Niko smiled as he looked in her eyes. "I know. I feel the same. But you'd be crazy not to go."

"God, you sound just like my father."

"He must be a smart man."

"Or maybe you're both just really old."

"Okay I know this is going to make me sound really old but...you're only 18, you have the next four years which will be one of the best times of your life. Dorm parties, swim competitions, new friends, the whole thing. It's a part of growing up that you need to embrace."

"Will we try the long distance thing?"

Niko chuckled. "I know in theory that works, but in reality, it almost never does. Look, I've seen it a million times. The pretty girl with the boyfriend back home has the best of intentions but she meets cute guys in the caf, or in class, or at a party and in time, the loneliness becomes too much. They usually wake up in the cute guy's dorm room one morning wracked with guilt and shame and then they have to call the boyfriend back home to have the talk."

"How do you know that's what happens?"

"Because I'm usually the guy they cheat with." This brought the slightest grin to Beth's face but was still not enough to remove her sadness. "I know it sucks, it sucks for me too.  But we'll see each other next summer and be together then. It will come around in no time."

"It won't feel like it."

"You'll be fine. I mean, it's not like you're in love with me," Niko said matter-of-factly.

Beth looked up with tears streaming down her face as she nodded to contradict him, not agree with him.

This time, Niko was left completely speechless. He could only hold her in silence.

********************************************

Upon arriving at the Secord cottage party, the first thing Ashley notices is how incredibly underdressed she is for the party. Even with her best summer top and dressiest shorts and strappy sandals, she is still outshone by the elegant and expensive summer dresses that most of the women appear to be wearing.

She tells herself she will forgive Niko for this one day, but that day isn't coming anytime soon.

As she makes her way to the bar, Jeff and Louie find a table where they sit down and scope out the place. Jeff is simply trying to remain inconspicuous, hoping they all get through the night without any major incidents. Louie, however, has other plans.

He is convinced that someone at the party knows something that will help him in his quest for the elusive Honey Harbour Honeys. Just as he looks to see where he should situate himself, a conversation walks within his earshot.

"...taking the boat next week over to Mermaid Island," a man's voice is heard saying.

"Mermaid Island. I know why you want to go there," another man teases.

"Now, now. It's not like that."

"Hey I'm not your wife, you don't have to put up a front with me."

The men move out of earshot but that's all Louie needed to hear.

"Mermaid Island! Of course!" Louie cries out drawing the attention of those in the general area.

Mermaid Island is another small island in the Georgian Bay located west of Pleasant Point and east of Minnehaha Point and Royal Island. The guys have heard the name plenty of times but only now does the name have any significance.

"What are you talking about?" Jeff asks.

"Why do you think they called it Mermaid Island? Mermaids... luring sailors...the Honey Harbour Honeys...it fits perfectly."

"I'm pretty sure you're thinking of sirens. Isn't the island shaped like a mermaid?"

It is and Jeff's logic was irrefutable to anyone not named Louie Delulio.

"I know I'm right, I'm gotta go find out more."

"You have fun; I'm going to see if I can track down Ashley." Jeff says.

"It won't take long, she's over there talking to some GQ looking dude."

'What dude?" Jeff's head snaps around and, to his dismay, Louie was actually right this time. There under a coloured light is Ashley laughing and chatting with a handsome, square-jawed, man around their age. Whatever they're talking about, she seems to be enjoying the conversation.

Jeff can't look but can't look away either.

On the other side of the property, Beth approaches Niko with two glasses of champagne. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

"You see, there's a sentence I've never said to a woman," he says, accepting a glass and taking a swig.

Beth bursts out laughing and then gently shakes her head as she looks deep into his eyes. "It's really you."

"You look great. Time's been a friend," Niko says softly.

"The same goes for you."

"Sure, but that was never in question."

"You're an asshole."

"The place looks the same. Does your Dad still have the boat?"

"Yep, same one. We had a lot of good times in that boat."

"A few of them even involved sailing."

"You remember?"

How could I forget? All those times we told your Dad we were going down to the Marina to 'Prep the vessel'." Niko says, emphasizing the air quotes.

"We prepped that vessel all night long sometimes."

"Yes, we did." Niko says.

A few moments of silence hang in the air before..."Do you think you might want to prep the vessel again?" Beth blurts out.

Niko is dumbstruck. Did she just say that? Is she serious?

Before he can get answers to any of his internal questions, Ashley's handsome GQ guy appears, putting his arm around Beth's waist. He kisses her on the cheek.

"Oh hi, hun." Beth says. "Have you met Niko? Niko this is my husband Matt."

They shake hands. "We actually met briefly many years ago," Matt says. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all," Niko spits out. "We were just talking about sailing."

Matt frowns ever so slightly. "That's too bad. I was hoping you were discussing the possibility of fucking my wife."