Promises Made- Promises Kept

by Jaclyn Rosamond

  ‘Do you mind?’ Cal asked, tilting his head at Eddie’s energetic propulsion of yet another dancing partner, a much older woman.

  ‘Not really. It doesn’t mean anything to him, but he seems to be giving a thrill to a few women, especially the older women whose husbands, if they’re here, are propping up the bar instead of dancing.’

  He glanced at me, surprised. ‘Would it bother him if I ask you to dance?’

  ‘I doubt it. He’s enjoying himself too much.’ I smiled. ‘That would be lovely.’

  He told me about his work as we danced. He travelled between Hawaii and Australia, for water sports, and had also been teaching skiing and snowboarding in Colorado during some of the winter months.

  He was still talking when we made our way to the bar for rehydration. Eddie joined us, catching up on the storytelling.

  ‘How long have you been travelling?’ Eddie asked, envious.

  ‘Fifteen months.’

  ‘And you’re not sick of it yet?’

  He shook his head. ‘Nope, there are still things on my bucket list and I’m quite happy to keep going indefinitely.’

  ‘Huh?’ Mystified, I lifted an eyebrow.

  ‘You know, a bucket list.’ He grinned at me. ‘A list of things to do before you kick the bucket.’

  ‘Oh.’ I thought about that for a moment. ‘I like that idea. You mean you have a list?’

  ‘Yeah. Great idea.’ Eddie chewed this over, his face keen. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s kind of long, but I’ve done a lot of things already. I should probably make a new list.’ He nodded at Eddie. ‘There’s one thing about being single that I’ve liked. I’ve done heaps of things I couldn’t have done with a wife in tow.’

  Eyes narrowed, I shot him a glance. ‘God, Cal, you make it sound like I’m Eddie’s ball and chain, or he’s mine.’

  ‘No, that’s not what I meant.’ His face clouded. ‘I mean, write a list. That’s what you should do as a couple, so you can cross off things as you do them. That way you won’t end up feeling you’ve missed out on important things in life.’

  I took in his inscrutable face. Had there ever been a bucket list he’d once shared with a woman? I couldn’t ask, but I’d say there’d been someone. Leaving me to conclude he’d left her behind.

  Later that night, as Eddie and I lay sated after a very satisfying conclusion to our evening, he asked me what I thought of Cal.

  ‘I think he’s lonely,’ I said.

  ‘Lonely? Huh, that’s not my impression.’

  ‘I could be wrong, I suppose.’ I stretched, feeling relaxed for the first time since the run up to our wedding. I wasn’t especially interested in talking about Cal.

  ‘Do you think he’s good-looking?’

  ‘Well, of course he is. He kind of stands out in a crowd, don’t you think?’ I curled my body into his, mind on other things.

  ‘You’re right, he’s noticeable. Great body, too. I bet he’s had heaps of women chasing after him, lucky bugger.’

  ‘Maybe.’ I didn’t mention Cal’s aversion to flings. ‘But you had your fair share of come-ons from gorgeous women tonight, Eddie Gallagher.’

  A flush crept across his cheeks, staining his ears. He laughed it off, but he’d noticed, and basked in flattered vanity. I smiled, burrowing into his chest. I didn’t mind him being noticed.

  Restless sleep had me tossing and turning that night, with vivid dreams of tsunami-sized waves crashing into our bedroom, of searching for Eddie, and half-remembered meaningless images. I woke with a start, panicked by a nightmare, gone in the instant of wakening.

  I rolled over to snuggle up to Eddie, jerking awake on not finding him. I sat up, scanning the moonlit room. No husband in sight. I scrambled out of bed, anxiety ramping up. He wasn’t in the bathroom. I flitted out to the deck. Moonlight revealed him walking slowly up the beach. My racing heart slowed.

  ‘Where’ve you been?’

  Eddie jumped. ‘God, you scared me!’ He pointed to his board shorts. ‘I was too hyped to sleep, so I went for a swim, then just sat on the beach thinking.’

  ‘You went for a swim? Are you nuts? There are sharks out there and no life-savers at night.’

  ‘Don’t fuss, Rose. Here I am, safe and sound, I just needed to clear my head. I need a shower now to get the sand off. Go back to bed, love. I won’t be long.’

  He offhand comments told me he was in no mood to talk. I went back to bed. The shower ran for ages before he returned, snuggling up to me as I drifted back to sleep.

  In the morning he emerged from sleep, back to his normal, chirpy self, keen to continue chatting with people we’d befriended the night before. Instead of room service, we had breakfast in the main dining room, joining a loud, high-spirited group at a large table.

  ‘I heard about your near-miss disaster yesterday in the surf.’ A guy, Brian, I think, leaned across the table and gazed at Eddie, eyes shining.

  Eddie flushed, not happy the word had spread. ‘Yeah, but thanks to Cal, I’m still in one piece.’

  I glanced out at the sea, feeling the pull of the ocean, but knowing Eddie wouldn’t be interested in any sailing I’d like to do. He’d never been on a sailing boat and would hate me to show him the ropes.

  ‘You should take more care of your husband, my dear.’ This snide comment came from an older woman, Mona, I think. Her lackluster eyes raked Eddie, before dropping a bright smile on me.

  Eddie scowled.

  My spine straightened in response. ‘He’s all grown up now,’ I said, tone light. ‘I’m happy to say he doesn’t need his mum looking after him.’

  She nodded once, her eyes dismissing me.

  I raised my eyebrows, refusing to be dismissed by a nonverbal response. She was the first to turn away.

  What was that about?

  Later, back in our room, Eddie released a verbal torrent of abuse at Mona.

  ‘Nosy bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is to give us advice? Sad old hag! Did you see her flirting with every available man last night?’

  ‘I barely noticed her,’ I said. That wasn’t true – I couldn’t have failed to notice her determined flirting with Cal and Eddie. Right in front of me. ‘She looked a bit desperate.’

  Mindful of his near miss, we spent the day exploring the island by bus, and the following day took a helicopter ride with Paradise Helicopters to fly over the stark drama of inaccessible mountains and the thousand-foot Sacred Falls. Eddie nearly chucked in the whole idea when he saw the no-doors experience he’d have from the chopper. Not wanting to miss out, I boarded and belted. And needing to save face, he climbed in and held on tight, fear overcome when he realized he wouldn’t fall out.

  We had a great time, but at the end of the two days I couldn’t put a finger on anything in particular, yet, somehow, we weren’t as close. He took photos, but didn’t automatically turn to share them with me, and only nodded without really looking, when I showed him my photos. Could it be my knockback at the idea of moving to Hawaii had upset him?

  Eddie returned to surfing again. I had no interest on sitting abandoned on the beach. I took out a kayak on two mornings and went horse-riding in the afternoons. Eddie joined me for a sunset ride on the beach.

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, when I asked if he’d enjoyed riding. ‘It was okay. Seeing the sunset was good, but seeing it from the bar, with a bottle of beer in hand, would have been more relaxing. Surfing’s been the best so far. Kayaking’s not for me, not as manly as riding those waves.’

  My kayaking photos hadn’t raised any interest.

  ‘You’re hooked?’

  Morose, he shrugged. ‘We don’t live at the coast, do we? Not much point in getting addicted.’

  On the night before our last full day on this side of the island, Eddie announced his intention to sleep in. I woke at dawn, too energized to wait for him. I left a note explaining my whereabouts and took off for a long walk on Sunset Beach.

  I saw Cal at a distance, taking advantage of h
is free time to surf on his day off. Sun shining on dark blonde hair and bronzed body he looked like a modern-day Greek god. At home on his surfboard, he dipped and turned, his feet seeming glued to the board, picking perfect waves, shooting out of tubes, face intent. Effortless. I watched for a few minutes, tempted to try again, then shook my head. Eddie needed to excel at something I hadn’t mastered. Spotting me, Cal lifted a brief salute. I walked on, enjoying my solitude as much as he relished his time alone.

  After an hour of walking, I made my way back to our beach cottage. This time Eddie had left a note.

  ‘Renting a board, going surfing. Don’t need lessons. See you later. E, xxx.’

  At a loose end, I caught a bus to Shark’s Cove for a morning of snorkeling. Reef shoes, packed in my suitcase, made their first appearance. Online searches had promised their necessity for walking on volcanic lava and sharp coral. This wasn’t a sandy beach.

  Assured by the local snorkel gear rental the sea today was perfect, no deadly currents, no large waves, I paid for inexpensive gear and set off. Hawaiian seawater tends to be warmer than anywhere I’d been on my travels, even warmer than Australia’s east coast beaches and Great Barrier Reef.

  I lost track of time, the warm water enticing me to swim for at least an hour. With an underwater camera, I took photos of turtles and lots of different fish species. Hunger eventually drove me back to land. I returned the gear and purchased food from one of the many food trucks serving famished tourists. I munched on lunch at the beach, delighted by dolphins leaping and surfing for about fifteen minutes, before they headed out to sea. With a blissful sigh I prepared to leave this slice of paradise. The only thing missing was my husband.

  Eddie was still absent when I made my way back to the cottage. I called his phone, only to find it abandoned on his bedside table. I left him another note, telling him I’d headed up to the resort for a coconut lava massage. Still not back, phone still in situ when I returned in the late afternoon, I prepped myself for our final night at the resort. Hair, makeup and summer beach dress were in place when Eddie finally returned.

  ‘Hi honey. What did you get up to today?’ I kept my tone light, concealing crabbiness at his sustained absence.

  Married we might be, but not anchored by a ball and chain.

  ‘I surfed for hours,’ he said, tone vague. ‘And after lunch I spent hours in the pool, socializing.’

  ‘Lots of women?’

  ‘Yes. What of it?’ His eyes snapped irritation.

  ‘Nothing,’ I replied, appeasing tone in place. Deflecting his thin-skinned response, I told him about my day. With much to still learn about each other, I wondered if his touchy reactions pointed to a past possessive girlfriend.

  After his shower, we headed to the clambake, Eddie resuming his usual cheerful demeanor.

  Cal once again joined us for drinks.

  ‘Thanks for all the lessons,’ Eddie said, ‘I’m going to see what I can do back home to further what I learned.’

  That came as a surprise to me. Did he think we might move to the coast? I kept quiet, waiting for more information. Living at the coast? I liked the idea. A big change, though.

  ‘Where to for you now?’ Cal asked. His cool tone surprised me. I turned to him, eyes questioning, and saw scornful eyes resting on Eddie. I blinked, clueless. I looked down, hiding a quick frown. Eddie missed the byplay, answering Cal’s question at face value.

  ‘We’re staying in Waikiki for a week, Rose wants to do a shitload of shopping,’ he said, as if shopping was the last thing on his manly mind.

  ‘Hey.’ I elbowed him. ‘You want to shop, too. T-shirts, sunglasses, shoes and more.’

  ‘Okay, but my attention span’s limited, just remember that.’

  ‘If you prefer, I’m happy to shop on my own while you surf at Waikiki beach,’ I said, with more than a flicker of irritation. Eddie had every intention of splurging. He was dissing me. I didn’t like it.

  The party revved up around us. Ticked off with undercurrents, I left the two guys and headed to dance under a starlit sky. Eddie hit the dance floor soon after, and was popular again, dancing with women of various ages, all clamoring for his youthful good looks. I tried to be pleased for him, but his daylong abandonment felt deliberate. Had I offended him somehow?

  As for me, I danced in a group of enthusiasts, sometimes with men, one of whom, I found, wanted more than just a dance.

  ‘Your husband leaves you alone a lot,’ he said. ‘How about I show you a good time?’ He pushed his hips into mine, keen for me to feel the bulge in his pants.

  Not bothering to hide my disgust, I shoved him away, ready to slap his face if needs be.

  ‘Cocktease.’ With a filthy glare he stalked off.

  Damn.

  I should have slapped his face.

  Cal rescued me, just as I was heading to find Eddie for solace.

  Hands on my shoulders, eyes murderous, he said, ‘Are you alright?’

  Shivering, I shrugged. He put a friendly arm around my shoulder easing me away from the dance area.

  ‘Wine?’

  I nodded.

  Arm still around me, he ordered drinks before heading to a quiet spot away from the dancers.

  ‘Sorry.’ I looked away, embarrassed.

  ‘Don’t be. He’s a piece of work, on the lookout for women on their own.’

  ‘There are plenty of women willing to put out, why doesn’t he take their bait?’ Anger replaced mortification.

  ‘Because they’re not a challenge. You are.’

  ‘Care to explain?’

  ‘You’re beautiful and taken. The challenge is to cuckold your husband and add a notch to his own belt.’

  ‘Charming!’

  ‘The inevitable downside of holidays in a public place, I’m afraid.’

  ‘You wouldn’t stay in a hotel or resort?’

  He shook his head. ‘No. I prefer to rent a secluded beach house or an old farmhouse in the country. Somewhere quiet and private, not hordes of tourists.’

  ‘I love that, too. Most of my family holidays were just like that. This time I thought a hotel would be a nice change, with meals laid on, beds changed, fresh towels, you know.’

  ‘A one-off experience for you? Would you do this again?’ He waved a hand at the resort behind us.

  I hesitated. ‘Maybe. It’s horribly expensive, though. It’s something neither of us have done before, a tropical holiday in a beautiful place. Next time we’ll do something different, Canada maybe.’ I trailed off, thinking about it. ‘I’ve enjoyed everything here, but I want a different type of holiday next time.’

  ‘How about Eddie?’

  ‘This is his first overseas holiday. He’s loved it, especially the surfing. But there’s still a lot of the world to see together.’ I laughed. ‘We should work on that bucket list you mentioned.’

  ‘And back home, what’s next for you? A white picket fence and two point four children?’

  I responded to his light tone.

  ‘Dunno, Cal, it sounds deadly dull when you say it like that, but that’s what most people do. We’ll aim for that, I suppose, but life doesn’t always run smoothly, does it? Who knows what might happen? Whatever it is, I’d like to think it’ll be an adventure.’

  He smiled. ‘Don’t ever lose your optimism, Rose.’

  ‘What about you? On the surface your life is idyllic – sun, surf, endless blue skies and no apparent responsibilities. Even Eddie thinks so. He’s jealous of what you do, he’d love to live your life, but I’m more realistic. I think you’ll find this lifestyle wears off eventually and you’ll want something more. Am I right?’

  ‘Perhaps. But having no responsibilities suits me. For now. One day I’ll want more.’ His eyes speared mine. ‘There’s no incentive for me. Not yet. Maybe, if I find someone, I’ll quit the hobo life and join the rat race again.’

  Further conversation proved impossible as a boy of about thirteen approached Cal. His manner was shy, but Cal knew him
and listened as the kid launched into some problem he had staying on his surfboard.

  Cal flicked me a flash of frustration, before turning away.

  Eddie claimed me for dancing and I left, with one last reluctant glance at Cal, now engaged in deep conversation with the boy. I’d enjoyed a quiet spot in his company.

  Eddie and I managed only half a song before an older woman cut in.

  ‘Do you mind?’ She flicked me a top to toe glance, pinning a fake smile on her face.

  Her question had been rhetorical, since she didn’t wait for my answer, pulling Eddie into the crowd. Eyes widened, mouth in a comical O, he disappeared into the melee.

  Alone again, I edged out of the dancing and headed to the bar. Perched on a bar stool I watched the energetic crush ease as weary guests headed back to the resort, only half-amused to see two older women duking it out over dancing with my husband. The other half of me was annoyed. This would be our last night in this romantic getaway. The romance and glamour had gone. For me.

  This wasn’t only my honeymoon. Weren’t honeymoons meant to be just the two of us? Why hadn’t we chosen something secluded and much more romantic than this place?

  With crowd numbers dwindling, the DJ put on smoochy numbers and Eddie came to claim me.

  ‘Dance with me, lovely wife. I’m dog-tired after dancing with those desperate holiday widows. Most of their husbands are off playing cards or propping up the bar.’

  ‘Or trying to bed younger women,’ I murmured, resting my head on his shoulder, arms around his waist. ‘Holidays like this seem to invite bed-hopping.’

  ‘Not for you.’ He laughed.

  ‘Or you.’

  ‘Mm.’ He was silent for a moment. ‘Never been tempted?’

  ‘You know me better than that,’ I said, surprised he’d even ask. ‘There’s zero temptation for casual sex. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I want an emotional connection with someone, and long-term commitment like us.’ I leaned back, face earnest. ‘If either of us strayed it would mean our marriage was doomed. Trust would be broken. I don’t know how people can get past that.’