“Probably not. My friends Carl and Doug have a boat that actually floats. It’s anchored off St. Croix. They have a macrobiotic cook who also does deep-tissue massage. And I’ve told them, should I die between islands, they’re to toss me overboard and sail on. Oh, Kate, stop crying.”

It had hit me. Bruno was saying good-bye.

“Stop it or you’ll make me start,” he said. “And I don’t want my makeup to run.”

Four of Bruno’s male friends came into the room. They smelled of leather, faint cologne, and cigarette smoke. They were all my age or younger, one balding, one bearded, but all of them impeccably dressed and oh so handsome.

“Ah, back for more,” Bruno said. “Boys, this is Kate.”

They smiled and nodded, as if they’d heard all about me.

“Hi,” I said, giving a half wave.

“Kate’s going on a trip to . . . Disney World!”

“Oooh,” said one of the men eagerly.

“It’s no big deal,” I said, but from the way everyone began talking, it apparently was. “Can I just say a great ride? Pirates of the Caribbean—”

“I like Countdown to Extinction!”

“Splash Mountain. Space Mountain. Any ride with a mountain in it.”

The cutest of the cute asked: “Are you going with kids?”

I nodded.

“Then eat at Cinderella’s Castle. She’ll greet you all at the door.”

“Toontown is the best place to meet the characters . . .”

“Listen closely to the most important word I’m about to say. Are you listening?”

“Yes.”

“Fastpass. Otherwise you’ll be in line all day.”

Too bad I didn’t have a pen and paper, because their suggestions were golden. One man spoke of how he admired that Disney was the first major conglomerate to give full benefits to same-sex partners. Two of them fought over whether Goofy was gay. Bruno told how all his guy friends growing up had wanted to schtup Annette Funicello from the Mouseketeers. Not Bruno: He had a thing for Cubby. “He was cute. An angel. We were perfect for each other.”

Watching Bruno revert to those first-crush feelings was sweet. We all took it in. Someone began to hum “It’s a Small World.” I was the content observer of a Disney Magic Moment. After it passed, Bruno was quick to ask: “Will you promise to bring me back a set of mouse ears?”