21
Denver
There was a time in my life when I worried about everything—what people thought about me, whether or not they liked me, and it killed my confidence. I went through high school with very few friends, watching as Brielle, my ever-so-popular younger sister had crowds of friends swarming her. It was like she was born to be the center of attention. I was bullied and teased for being scrawny and book smart because back then, that was something to hide. Kids are awful, but it turns out adults aren’t always better. I’ve kept to myself most of my life, trusting very few people, but when I decided the Marine Corps would be the best avenue for me after a shitty high school experience, I had to change my mindset about others. I had to let people in and learn to trust. The guys I spent my time with and deployed with became more like family than friends, and I gained a sense of confidence during that time, finding out that it didn’t matter what any of us looked like. We had a common goal of protecting and surviving that brought us together, making bodily features a blurry difference in the background of our lives.
Battling my way through combat and having to watch friends get hurt and sometimes even die put life into perspective for me. I promised myself then I wouldn’t let anyone affect the way I think or feel about myself, and it’s been the best gift I could have given myself.
I see a similar sense of pride in Kai, and I think that’s what’s highlighted our connection. Her dry sense of humor oozes confidence but without being over the top. She’s beautiful, yet doesn’t care to think of herself that way, or so it seems. She’s just easy to read and get to know. It’s a fresh breath of air after my past relationships. She’s special. I know that.
“I’m bored,” Aya says, dropping her head down on top of the white-linen-covered table we’re seated at.
“The show is going to start in a few minutes. It will be worth the wait. I promise.” We’ve eaten the traditional pig roast and enjoyed the accompanying sides, and other kids are running around playing, but I asked Aya to sit still so she’s here when the show starts. “Are you excited to see Kai?”
“Obviously,” Aya says. “Isn’t that the only reason we’re here?” When Aya is bored, it’s her thing to make sure I pay the consequence for not keeping her entertained every second of the day. I try to ignore her moments of irritability, hoping they’ll subside, but I know it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
“No, you’ve been asking me to take you to a real luau for years and here we are.”
“But you just want to see Kai,” she says with a small smile.
“I want you to have fun, baby.”
“Well, I’m bored.”
Just as I hear the word bored for the thirtieth time since we finished dinner twenty minutes ago, the sound of drums slowly grows in the distance. “It’s starting,” I tell her, feeling excited to see the show too. I’ve never been to a luau either. We definitely didn’t have them on base, and I wasn’t invited to any off base. I know this type of luau is the entertaining-tourist kind, which is different than traditional luaus, but nevertheless, it’s fun, and I get to see Kai in a grass skirt again.
The lesson she gave us last week was very slow and easy going, but from what I’ve heard of these luaus, they aren’t very slow paced, so I’m curious as to what we’ll see.
Flash forward fifteen minutes, and I’m being dragged up on stage. “This is payback,” Kai whispers in my ear. How can I truly be upset when she’s wearing a traditional grass skirt with nothing more than a bikini top and a puka shell necklace. Her bronze skin is illuminated by the glowing tiki torches encircling the area.
Volunteers were invited to join in with the Hukilau dance. Aya is sitting with Noa and Lea at the table, clapping her heart out and shrieking my name with excitement.
“I know you have moves.” Kai isn’t letting me off the hook with this one, and I admit I deserve it, even though it wasn’t my idea to put the spotlight on her at Man Buns.
One of the dancers is instructing the guests on the few arm and hip gestures to follow when the music restarts. “I’m not ashamed of my moves,” I tell her. “I know what you’re doing.”
“I think the other guests deserve the privilege of enjoying your talent as much as the clientele at work,” she whispers.
“Well, I don’t know about that. There are kids in the audience, so I’ll need to keep it tame here,” I respond.
“Hmm,” she says. The music restarts, and Kai’s hands fall to my hips as if I need assistance with the movements. She’s pressed up against me, her breasts feathering against my back. Her touch is slight, and it’s enough to send a wave of flames through my body, rather than allowing me to focus on the dance. “Remember, people are watching.”
“I know people are watching,” I mutter back.
“Don’t lose your focus,” she whispers as she gently drags her fingernails up my back. Shit. This isn’t part of the dance. “Maintain control.”
“Kai,” I grumble.
“You want me?” she whispers.
“You can’t do that right now,” I try to convey through a slur of words.
Her hands slide up to my arms, repositioning them to match what everyone else is doing, then her knee gently presses into the back of one of my knees. “Bend your knees slightly,” she says. When she removes her knee, she makes sure to slide it up the back of my leg first.
“Kai, I can’t control myself with you like this. People are watching. Aya is watching.” Her hands release from my body, and she moves on to the next person, using incredibly different teaching tactics that don’t require physical contact. Now, I’m just standing here with everyone staring at me as I’m supposed to be doing the Hukilau, except I’m focused on keeping my dick in place. Damn her.
My mind spins throughout the entire volunteer dancing section of the show, and I finally snap out of it as I’m chauffeured back to my seat by Kai’s soft hand. “Good job, Marine. I’m glad I can teach you some new moves,” she says softly as I arrive at my seat.
“Nice, Den. I had no idea you could do the hula too,” Noa says. “I’ll have to have a hula night at the restaurant.”
God, I need to find another job. One that preferably has a desk and no uniform.
“Dad, your phone keeps ringing,” Aya says, handing it over to me. “It’s Auntie Brielle. Do you think she’s finally coming to visit us?”
That’s weird. We talk about once a week for a few minutes or on text, but she doesn’t usually call me at night during the week. “I don’t think she’s coming out, baby. She’s all the way in Massachusetts. It’s a pretty long flight out here, and she just saw us a few months ago.”
“Oh,” Aya says, looking downcast. She loves Brielle, but we only see her once a year, at most. She went to college out on the East coast and stayed there afterward.
“I’ll call her back after the show is over,” I tell Aya.
The fire twirlers are up next, followed by another volunteer activity for the kids. Aya didn’t want to go up for some reason, but with her recent mood swings, I decided not to push her like I normally would.
As the show comes to a close, lawn lights slowly brighten from around the seating area, and a path back to the hotel lights up for the guests to follow. We remain in our seats, waiting for Kai, but while we’re sitting here, I pick my phone back up and call Brielle.
“Hi, Brophy,” Brielle answers.
“What’s up? Is everything okay?” Aya’s staring at me, waiting for an answer that she won’t be able to hear.
“Um … define what you mean by ‘okay?’” she continues, dragging out whatever it is she has to say. I want to think if it was bad news, she would be crying and have spit it out by now, so that eases my concern just a bit.
“Bri, do not make me guess. Just tell me.”
“Well, you know how you changed your phone number last year?”
“Yes, I know how I changed my phone number last year,” I tell her.
“Well, I didn’t,”
she says.
“I’m aware of that too.”
“Okay, so evidently, Isla still has my phone number.”
Hearing Isla’s name sends a shooting pain into my stomach. “What are you talking about?” My voice sounds like someone just kicked me in the gut.
“She called me, Den.”
“What the fuck does she want from you?” I ask, with anger seething through me.
“She went searching for you at Kaneohe Bay, I guess, and no one would give her any information other than that you had separated from the Marines.”
“They won’t tell her anything,” I say, trying to make myself feel better, but I know Isla, and nothing will stop her from finding out what she’s looking for.
“They didn’t. That’s why Isla called me. She wants to know where you and Aya are.”
“Why?” I snap.
“Dad, what’s the matter? Why did you say a bad word?” Aya asks.
I wave her off and stand up from my chair, placing my finger against my other ear so I can hear Brielle better.
“Kai!” Aya yells, running off toward her. I take the opportunity to turn around and walk in the opposite direction, not wanting Aya or Kai to hear this.
“She said she wants to talk to you about custody. She’s prepared to take care of Aya now or something.”
“No way in hell,” I tell her.
“I know, Den. I know. I’m not sure about the laws in Hawaii, but while she’s in the process of looking for you, I’d find a good attorney.”
“She left us two years ago because she didn’t want to be a mother anymore,” I remind Brielle. I know this isn’t her fault but I’m so angry I don’t know what else to do other than yell at the one person who will listen to me.
“I don’t think she stands a chance of gaining custody, but you should be prepared.”
“Did you tell her anything at all?”
“No, I told her I wasn’t getting involved,” Brielle says.
“Does she think I’m still in Hawaii?”
“She said Molli told her you were, but not where. No one is willingly going to tell her where you are, but I don’t see how you can hide for too long. She’s always been a determined little wench.”
“Fuck,” I shout.
A hand on my shoulder reminds me I’m not in private and I whip around, coming face to face with Kai. “Are you okay?” she mouths.
I shake my head and hold up my finger, asking her to wait a minute.
“Anyway, I just wanted to get ahold of you as soon as I could. I’m sorry, Den.”
“Don’t say anything to Mom and Dad, okay? I don’t want to worry them,” I tell her.
“I wouldn’t. Dad would probably go after her, and yeah ... that won’t end well.”
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree there. Dad was in the tail end of Vietnam, so we’re more alike than I’d like to admit sometimes. No one gets in the way of his family, and he will do just about anything to make sure of that. When Isla left us a couple of years ago, he went searching for her, determined to break her down and change her mind, in hopes of saving Aya from the pain her rejection would cause, but Isla was good at two things—running and hiding. As for me, I’m good at letting things go and moving forward, leaving the unwanted behind. It was the perfect storm for a broken family, and it left little hope of future reconciliation. Anyone who hurts Aya or me even just once, they’re done in my life. I don’t give second chances.
“Thanks, Bri. I’ll keep you updated. Just let me know if you get any more calls from her.”
“I will. Love you, brophy. Tell Aya I’m sending her kisses and nail polish.”
I roll my eyes at Brielle’s signature blonde comment. “Will do. Later.”
“What’s going on?” Kai asks. “Are you okay? You’re all red.”
“Are Noa and Lea gone already?” I ask her.
“No, they’re over by the fire pit at the pool bar.”
“Can they watch Aya for a few?”
Kai looks concerned in reaction to my question. “Yeah, I’ll go take Aya over there. Just stay put.”
22
Kai
I pull Lea aside privately while Noa is performing some kind of magic trick for Aya since she was unsettled when I brought her over. “Something happened, or something’s going on with Denver, and he didn’t want to talk about it in front of Aya. Can you keep her occupied for a few while I go find out what’s going on?”
“Of course,” Lea says. “I’ll make her a smoothie. Or, I’ll let her help me make a smoothie!” I swear Lea is still a child sometimes, but I know she’s trustworthy and spent years babysitting our neighbors’ kids. She has a young personality, so she’s a good person to win kids over too.
“Great. That sounds fun. I’m sure Aya will love it. Don’t go anywhere else, though. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“No problemo,” Lea says. “Aya, do you want to do something super fun?”
“Depends,” Aya says with curiosity.
“Aya, I’ll be back in just a minute okay. Can you keep Lea and Noa company while I go get your dad?”
Aya shrugs. “Okay, I guess. Do I get paid to babysit them, at least?” I close my eyes and laugh because she apparently already knows these two are immature adults in some ways. That’s pretty perceptive for her age … and hilarious.
“How does a dollar an hour sound?” I ask her.
“Like a ripoff,” Aya says. “But I’ll do you a favor.” She covers her mouth and giggles. “Make sure Dad is okay. He doesn’t look right, and I heard him say a bad word.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
I jog back down the path that leads to the beach’s walkway. The luaus are just down the beach a ways. They’re away from the general public area since they’re paid events. By the time I get back to the event space, I find Denver seated in the sand, staring out into the dark ocean.
I take a seat next to him and rest quietly, waiting for him to talk first.
“She left us two years ago. Never said goodbye or gave us a reason. Divorce papers were on the kitchen table with her signature. She wanted nothing, so we didn’t need lawyers. All I had to do was sign the papers and mail them.”
“Was that her on the phone?” I ask, feeling a pain my chest, wondering what she could want if it was her, and if it’s him she wants back. I haven’t known Denver long enough to be confident that he’d give up a past to be with a potential future.
“No, it was my sister,” he tells me.
I want to say that eases the tension I’m feeling, but it doesn’t. Denver wouldn’t have brought his ex-wife up unless whatever the problem is related to her in some way. “Oh, okay.” I don’t want to push him. His silence is deafening, and it’s clear he needs a minute.
“She wants custody of Aya. She’s hunting me down and knows I’m somewhere in Hawaii.”
His words gut me—not just for him but for Aya. How could this woman consider putting her child through that after disappearing the way she did? “I don’t see a court ruling in her favor, Denver.”
“There’s so much to consider, Kai. The courts always rule heavier on the mother’s side. That part isn’t in my favor. My job is not in my favor, either.”
“Being an absent mother for two years is not in her favor,” I add in.
“I will do everything I can to keep full custody of her.”
“I know you will,” I tell him.
“I’m unlisted, but the damn Internet more or less shows where people are standing at any given moment.”
“Has this happened before? Has she tried to come back?”
“No, but I changed my phone number last year. The year prior, there wasn’t one attempt to reach me. Isla, my ex, she hurt Aya so much, Kai. I can’t let Aya go through that again.”
“Can I help you in any way?” I don’t know what I can possibly do for him, but I know I’ll do whatever he needs.
He takes my hand and holds it between his, then pulls in a lon
g inhale. “I don’t know. I have to find a lawyer and a new job real fast.”
“The front desk just had an opening for the morning shift. I know it wouldn’t be as much as you were making, but the hotel pays fairly well.”
“I don’t know. Standing in a suit every day doesn’t feel like a good fit for me. Plus, I have nowhere to take Aya.”
“What about security for the beach?” It’s not through the hotel, but the county is always hiring security for the beaches.
“I didn’t even think of that.”
“I know someone who can help,” I tell him. Dad worked for the police force in Maui. He was friendly with the security branches for the public recreational areas. They’ve kept in touch over the years to make sure Lea and I were okay and getting by.
“Kai, that would be amazing.”
“I’ll make a phone call tomorrow,” I tell him. “I also know of a good law firm downtown. I had to go through them when dealing with my parents’ will. They were very accommodating.”
“Good. Okay. The court can’t take her from me, can they?” he asks.
I fold my free hand over his. “Denver, I have never seen a dad as caring as you are. That little girl absolutely loves you, and any judge would see that. Your ex-wife hurt her, and maybe it wasn’t physical pain she caused, but everyone knows emotional abuse can be just as bad.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d have to worry about this. I figured she was gone for good. It’s been two years—two fucking years without seeing her daughter. What kind of person can do that?”
“An unstable one,” I tell him. “Remember that.”
He leans over and places a soft kiss on my cheek. “I don’t want to put you through my crap, Kai.”
“You’re not going to put me through anything. I told you I was in this to try and make something good work between us, and that wasn’t conditional.”
The Man Cave Collection: Manservant, Man Flu, Man Handler, and Man Buns Page 105