Todd laughed at Sabine’s story and downed his shot. “Is the man really worth all that aggravation?”
“Abso-fricking-lutely,” Sabine said with enthusiasm. “And so is the rest of his family so far.”
“Then he ought to be worth riding this media crap out too,” Joe said.
“Doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t,” Sabine said, the three shots finally dulling the internal pain. “I’m crazy in love with a man I met less than a month ago. It’s too late to pretend I’m not. Once all of Seattle sees us together on his show, there will be no keeping that a secret anymore.”
“Welcome to the club,” Joe said firmly, lifting his shot glass while the man he desired merely looked back at him and smiled. “Sometimes it happens fast.”
Chapter 14
Koka arranged the pans and bowls in strategic places on the set as he thought about how much he hated Mondays. When he opened his restaurant, he was going to be closed on Mondays. Mondays would be a day to play. Today he was forced into setting up for taping his show, but his mind was still on the disturbing news Edwina had shared with him this morning.
Neither of them had seen the newscast Sunday evening, but Edwina had gotten a courtesy notice from the network that Todd Lake had been mentioned. The only reason he hadn’t gone tearing after Sabine was that she hadn’t come sobbing to him. This was everything she had worried about, but nothing of real concern from his point of view. It didn’t change anything real about them, other than they might have to be more careful about going to the mall on Saturdays.
He looked up and stood straighter as he saw Joe Kendall walking across the set toward him.
“Nice black eye. Did you win or lose?” Koka asked.
Joe laughed at the man’s quick humor. It was a good match for Sabine’s laser wit. “Let’s just say my younger brother Martin looks a lot worse than I do.”
“So it was Sabine’s ex who provided the photos? I shouldn’t have shown him I was the better man so soon,” Koka said. “It’s obvious now he took it as a dare.”
Joe laughed. “No, Martin was an ass to her long before you came along. After I beat a confession out of him over releasing her photos, my mother disowned him and my two older brothers tossed him out in the street. Everyone in my family is tired of him hurting Sabine, not to mention how his daughters are going to feel. What kind of message is he sending to them?”
“How hurt is Sabine?” Koka asked.
Joe sighed and shrugged. “She went all PR Barbie on me when I told her. It’s hard to tell. This betrayal from Martin is like number two hundred thirty-five or something, over the last decade, but it’s worse than even parading the other women he slept with in front of her. This time the attack was even more personal and she has to make peace with herself all over again. Though the good news is Martin’s new wife found the entire folder of Sabine’s boudoir photos and burned them all in their barbeque grill. She called my mother and bragged about doing it.”
“It is almost a pity about the photos,” Koka said. “I would have liked to have seen them. I imagine she was quite beautiful.”
Joe nodded. “She was. I was there when she took them.”
He stopped talking for a moment and studied the attractive man flexing muscles as he prepped his cooking set.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I really need to ask you a serious personal question. I consider Sabine part of my family as well as one of my best friends, so think of this as a concerned brother inquisition.”
Koka stopped his work again and nodded. “Okay. Ask anything you want.”
“The news showed several of the women you’ve dated in the past. None of them were remotely like Sabine. They were all polished and accomplished, not the warm, huggable mother type at all,” Joe said. “If Sabine is just a novelty to you, I’d just as soon you cut her loose before this goes any further. She’s going to survive her divorce from Martin, but she’s already falling in love with you. If you hurt her, I’ll probably try to break your nose, even knowing you’re going to fold me into a pretzel afterward.”
Koka smiled broadly, put his hands on his hips and laughed. “I pray to the goddess that you are right about Sabine Blakeman falling in love with me. She refuses to say it back when I say it to her. I can’t even tell if I’m wearing her down. She makes jokes to throw me off.”
Was that really an answer? Joe rubbed his face as he circled back to his original concern. “So back to those other women you dated—what was the allure with Sabine? Tell me a damn good story and convince me this is the real thing for you.”
Koka nodded, smiling again. “Real is a good word, Joe. Sabine stood up at the bachelor auction, yelled at a clone of one of those women you probably saw, and chastised her for being disrespectful. Then she spent her entire savings to buy me. And she did all that without knowing I was Todd Lake or The Sexy Chef. In one of the worst evenings of my life, I became a real man to a woman again.”
“Like a grown-up version of Pinocchio?” Joe asked.
Koka laughed and nodded. “Yes—something like that story. I also love Sabine’s sense of humor. She has a sexiness, which any sane man would be elated to find in a lover. No offense, but your brother was crazy to let Sabine Blakeman out of his bed. I assure you I will not be making the same mistake.”
Joe snorted. “Sabine said you were poetic. Now I’d like a plain answer to my question. Are you in love with her too?”
“Yes. I think I fell in love with her when you two were arguing about her buying the wrong man. After you left us, she kept apologizing for me overhearing about her mistake. I had to stop myself from kissing her then. For our date I was supposed to take her here to the set, but instead I took her to my home because I wanted to get to know her. I probably scared her that night, but my pull toward her has been very strong from the beginning.”
“I think her pull to you was equally strong. I bet once her daughters get used to the idea of their mom being with another man, they’re going to love you,” Joe said.
“Do you think so?” Koka asked.
Joe nodded, liking the sincerity in the man’s face. “Yes. They are both very much their mother’s children even though they look like their dad.”
Koka smiled. “I think my daughter will like Sabine as well. Halia is coming to visit this week. Her school is on break.”
“I hope this whole situation works out for all of you then. Sabine deserves a happily ever after. I sincerely hope you manage to give her one,” Joe said.
“If you have any suggestions for how to help Sabine deal with this media nonsense, I am willing to hear your advice,” Koka said. “I stayed away this morning only because I can’t bear yet to hear her gloating over being right about what would happen. Maybe I am also avoiding the argument that she might make, which would only make me angry with her lack of faith in me. I am not willing to let her go. We will work this out—one way or another.”
“Well hold on to that he-man thought and let her cool her heels for a day or so. For all that she sounds flip at times, Sabine is actually a careful thinker. Just don’t give her too long though or she’ll think you’re put off by the negative publicity,” Joe advised.
Koka snorted. “We are too new to each other still for Sabine to understand just how determined I can be when I want something. I want her in my life. It really is that simple to me.”
Joe laughed. “Thanks for talking to me. It helps to know how you feel.”
“Good. I may need your help again later when I decide to talk Sabine into marrying me. I want Pekala to be at my wedding, so it must be soon. It is my first time to marry. I’m finding it hard not to rush my future bride.”
Joe laughed loudly. “Dude, now that is outright crazy talk. You’ve known her less than a month and Sabine just got out of a marriage. Talking her into marrying you is going to take an absolute miracle.”
Seeing all the rest of the crew starting to bring equipment to the set, Joe lifted a hand. “Looks like you’re about to get
really busy. Take care, Chef Lake. Happy cooking show today.”
“Thanks for coming by, Joe. I forgot to ask. How are things going with the right Todd?” Koka asked.
“He got to watch me beat up my brother yesterday. Since he’s still talking to me, I consider that a good sign for us,” Joe said, waving as he walked away.
“Aloha,” Koka called. He hummed as he returned to work.
Chapter 15
“You’re home early, Halia. It’s only Wednesday. Did you drive all night to get here?”
Pekala watched her graceful great-granddaughter balance precariously on a chair as she searched in the top of the closet for her memory box. The content inside it had changed over the years, but she had not added anything much since her husband had died. Now she hoped to add one or two more photos to it before her life ended.
“I left early and drove most of yesterday because I wanted an extra day at home. I am skipping only one class this morning to be here. Don’t tell Dad,” Halia said.
“I won’t tell. The box should be near the back, ku`uipo. I haven’t looked at it in a long time. You may have to ask Denise where it is. I think she was the last person to put it up for me because I still don’t trust your father enough to let him touch it,” Pekala said.
“Wait—here it is way in the back,” Halia announced. She pulled an ornately carved wooden box from behind a stack of cotton blankets and then climbed down from the chair.
“Mahalo,” Pekala said with relief, patting her lap. She smiled when Halia set the box on her legs and climbed into bed beside her.
Flipping through the box’s contents, she finally found what she was looking for and handed it willingly over to the girl who shared her sentimental heart.
Halia smiled as she took the photo. “I remember when you first showed me this picture and asked me not to tell Dad you had it. I was eleven. To this day, I still have never told him. Mom doesn’t have any pictures of them together. I’ve treasured knowing you had this.”
“Koka went through a phase of wanting to burn the past and remove all traces of it. I think it is important for you, and for him, to know where you come from.”
Pekala peered at the couple in the photo. “See how they touch so lovingly. You came from love, Halia. Your father was young and foolish, but he once loved your mother with his whole heart. It was no one’s fault that she couldn’t love him back in the same way. Sometimes it just turns out that one person in a couple loves more than the other. We can only hope that never happens to us. Have you fallen in love yet?”
Halia laughed at the gentle, probing question. “No, Kupunawahine. My heart has not been captured yet.”
“No matter child. You will fall in love eventually. Nineteen is young. There is plenty of time for you,” Pekala said, knowing well she might not live to see it come to pass. She was already surprised to have lived so long. “What is important today is that your father has finally found love again. I had almost given up on anyone softening his heart. He was becoming hard-hearted as he got older.”
Halia didn’t know how to answer that, so she said nothing. “I found the news broadcast you had Denise email to me. I watched it last night before I fell asleep. The woman is not as perfect as the others they showed Dad dating. I don’t think I even remember him with any of those women. Is Sabine Blakeman as nice as she looks?”
Pekala chuckled. “Her heart is very kind, but I would say Sabine is nice to everyone except your father. They balance each other in interesting ways. He insulted the French toast she made me for breakfast Saturday and she harassed him back about the number of skillets he owned. When he laughed at her rebuke and told her he loved her, she ignored his declaration. Who could blame her? But he did not get mad over her using his kitchen. When she is around, he smiles constantly. She is like sunshine compared to his dark cloud nature.”
Halia giggled at the description, and at how much her great-grandmother obviously approved of the woman. “Dad certainly is a dark cloud at times.”
“But not when Sabine is around,” Pekala exclaimed. “That’s why you need to get involved.”
She pointed a shaky finger at the man in the photo. “Your father still sees this man in the mirror, so he is not properly understanding Sabine’s concerns about not being as perfect as those other women. He is still using his masculinity as a weapon with her to get his way. I’m worried that he will try to bully her into what he wants. His insistence without true understanding will only chase her away.”
Halia reached over and covered her great-grandmother’s hand. “I don’t mind helping if you feel it’s that important. After what you’ve told me, I want to meet her anyway. What do you want me to do?”
“Take the picture and show Sabine the past. I think it will help her see things more clearly. She is a sharp woman,” Pekala said. “I wish I could go with you.”
“We could take the van. Denise could drive us,” Halia offered.
Pekala shook her head and leaned back on her pillow. “Too tired today, ku`uipo. I’m glad you’re here though. It is an important thing to help keep the sunshine in our family. Seattle can be a very dreary place.”
Halia leaned over and kissed the cheek of the wisest woman she had ever met. “Sleep, Kupunawahine. I will go do what you ask. I just hope she’s as nice as you say she is.”
***
“What is this? A PR invention?” Sabine asked.
“Call it anything you like,” Anthony said. “But the fact is that you need to do some image repair on yourself. You won’t let Blanche help. You won’t let me help. I don’t like seeing you depressed like this. You just got over that jerk you married.”
“Oh . . . so you did notice my divorce. You never said anything.”
Sabine tapped her pen on the stack of papers while she listened to Anthony’s lecture.
“It seemed a little insensitive to congratulate you on your divorce. Dating Todd Lake on the other hand infused some life back into you and had you humming. So yes, this is a PR intervention because I want to hear you humming again. A happy worker is a productive worker,” Anthony declared.
Sabine snorted at the platitude and gave him her best disbelieving glare. He’d earned it. “And this has nothing to do with the fact that you just happen to like Todd Lake.”
“I don’t need your association with the man to make friends with him. He’s called every day checking on you. And I waited until today to confront you about your silence with him,” Anthony said.
“I’m your employee, Anthony. You don’t get to have an opinion about my boyfriends, whether they call you to spy on me or not. This is not high school, even if you agree with the rest of Seattle that I’m the pudgy band geek dating the physically fit quarterback,” Sabine said tersely.
“So Todd Lake is your boyfriend,” Anthony declared, brightening to hear her finally admit it.
Sabine shook her head, dismayed that he’d gotten her to say anything at all. “I don’t know what he is, but you wouldn’t be the first person I told.”
“Do you know why I haven’t offered you a partner position yet?” Anthony asked.
Sabine glared openly, not bothering to soften it. “Because I didn’t have a high profile man in my life that you might extort for charity until now?”
Anthony laughed. “No. Because you lack self-confidence, Sabine. Your insecurities hold you back. I doubt you even realize that you get intimated by every beautiful client that comes along. For all her aggressive traits, Blanche never lets anyone intimidate her, not even you. And you could give lessons in witty comebacks. But you need to step up and own your power to change anything you see that needs changing. That’s what we have to convince every client we can do. This situation is your opportunity to react differently than you ever have before.”
Sabine sighed and nodded. “Okay. My insecurities could be holding me back. I guess those comments are fair. I wish you had saved the lecture for my yearly performance evaluation, but what the hell. The week can’t g
et much worse.”
“My comments were not a judgment on your personal life. And your reaction to what I said is exactly what I’m talking about,” Anthony exclaimed.
A knock on her open doorway had Sabine’s gaze lifting. Blanche stood there with a young, dark-haired girl.
“Sabine, you have a visitor—a Ms. Halia Whitman. She says you were expecting her.”
Blanche towered over the girl by a foot in her four-inch heels. Sabine hadn’t been expecting her, but she did know who she was.
“Yes. I forgot to have Jan put it on the group calendar. Anthony, I’m sorry. I really need to talk to Ms. Whitman about something,” Sabine said, using her most professional voice.
“Of course—we’ll finish our talk later.”
Anthony gave her a look that said this was just a reprieve. Ignoring him, Sabine shut the door on both him and Blanche.
The girl had already entered her office before she could issue an invitation. By the time she turned back, the girl was sitting in the chair Anthony had just vacated. Obviously, she had inherited Koka’s directness.
“Hello,” Sabine said, walking back around to her desk chair. “You must be Koka’s daughter. Your father told me you were beautiful, but I think for once his poetic descriptions fell short.”
“Mahalo,” Halia said. “My dad’s college degree was in Comparative Literature. He intended to be a poet, but said he couldn’t support raising a child on it. Cooking was his hobby at the time. He went to culinary school and came out a chef. But he loves the work. Now I can’t imagine him doing anything else.”
“He still has the soul of a poet. Sometimes the things he says are so beautiful they make me cry. Please don’t tell him I confessed that. He’s so arrogant now I can barely talk honestly to him,” Sabine said. “So did you just come here to meet me? Or did Pekala send you to check on me after the newscast Sunday evening?”
Halia smiled. “Kupunawahine said you were a sharp woman.”
Sabine laughed. “Pekala is the sharp woman. I’m just treading water and trying to keep my head up where there’s air. Some days that isn’t so easy a task.”
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