Poncho interrupted my thoughts. "Leo is holding down the fort for now with Sybil and Vivian. Keanu will be interviewing for new help this afternoon. Anna and Sybil have agreed to more hours until we get new staff trained." He moved my empty plate on top of the tray and straightened up. "I came in early to make your breakfast."
"You didn't have to do that."
He brushed my comment aside. "I heard what you did for me. You told the detective that I did not do this. You were determined to prove my innocence, and I happen to think that is worth at least a little food for a hungry young lady." His voice turned gruff. "Maholo."
My inquisitive nature had to know. "Will you leave the café, or can Alana make you stay?" I hoped he wouldn't leave, but with his culinary skills, why should he remain there when he could make more money elsewhere?
He looked at me, thunderstruck. "You know about the agreement? But how?"
Me and my big mouth. There didn't seem to be a way out of this one. "Ah, I might have happened to see it."
Poncho gave me a doubtful look. "Well, it does not matter anymore. When I was out of prison I could not find a job anywhere. I was desperate to help my family. I came to see Hale and put on a cooking exhibition for him. He was quite impressed until he ran a background check on me. Hale decided to hire me anyway—provided that I promised to sign an agreement that I would stay for at least five years. If I did not measure up, he could let me go at any time and would not provide a reference."
I still didn't understand. "But you still could have left, right? What would Hale have possibly done to you if you quit?"
Poncho was silent for a moment. "Sure, ho'aloha, I could have left. But Hale and his family carry a lot of clout in this town. He would have told lies about me, and then when he mentioned that I had been in prison—" He sighed. "I do not know if anyone would have hired me and did not want to take a chance. I have a family that must come first. They are happy here, and I did not want to uproot them."
I was suddenly envious of Poncho's children. How I wished I'd had a parental figure like him in my life. What a wonderful husband and father, putting his family first above his own needs. "But why did you agree to it in the first place?"
He shrugged. "Simple. My wife and I had no money. She lived with relatives while I was in prison. When I was released, they did not want a killer in their house, so we had to find another place to live. No one else would hire me, so I had no choice. Hale promised to at least give me cost-of-living raises every year, and it was all a lie. It made my blood boil to look at him each day, but what else could I do? Well, besides kill him, that is. Sorry, bad joke there."
I grimaced at the words. "Ouch. So now what?"
Poncho was quiet as he lifted the tray in his hands, so I posed a new question. "Are you going to leave us?"
He shook his head. "That is being addressed today. I am pretty certain that I will be staying. With more money of course."
Something was up. Poncho acted like a little boy who was dying to tell a secret. "What's going on? Do I still have a job?"
He chuckled. "I believe so, but you will have to find out for yourself."
"Wait!" I clutched his arm. "You know something. Spill it."
"Spill it?" Poncho feigned mock horror. "You never say that expression to a chef, Miss Carrie."
I sighed in resignation and opened the door for him.
Poncho gave me a perfunctory bow. "I thank you for everything—for being my friend and your faith in my innocence. The Loco Moco Café and I are both lucky to have you. If I ever had a daughter, I would want her to be just like you."
His words touched me deeply, and I was forced to turn away and blink rapidly for a moment. "Thank you for breakfast. I mean, maholo."
Poncho smiled. "I will see you tomorrow. Come in a half hour early, and I will teach you how to make the Loco Moco."
"Sounds good."
I closed the door noiselessly behind him and stared around at my luxurious accommodations. It would have been easy to sink back into that amazing soft bed for a little while longer, but I didn't want to waste my day off. I planned to sit on the balcony for a while with my coffee, soak up the sun, and do some soul searching. I had so many things to be thankful for today—my life, for one. Plus I was young, in paradise, and had a new man—or did I?
First things first. I needed to find a new place to live. I didn't plan to sponge off Keanu and his parents any longer, no matter what he said. I grabbed the coffee mug and picked up my cell and started toward the balcony with it. The police had found it on the pier the night before, where Lola dropped it. Despite some scratches, the phone still worked—another miracle in itself. I noticed that Vivian had texted me while I had been talking to Poncho.
So glad you're okay! I'm at the restaurant and probably will be all day since we have no other help now. Smiley face emoticon. I'll stop by and see you on my way home. I want to hear all about your night with Keanu. Another smiley face emoticon.
Good grief. I could only imagine what she must have said to Keanu when she saw him at the restaurant earlier.
She had sent a separate message below it. Lola's landlord called me this morning. Guess he found out from Detective Ray that she was staying here. I gave him your number. Later.
No sooner had I read the text, than my phone buzzed in my hands. Startled, I glanced down at the number, a local one but unknown to me. Why would Lola's landlord want to talk to me? "Hello?"
"I'm looking for Carrie Jorgenson," a scratchy male voice said.
"This is Carrie."
The man cleared his throat. "Hi, my name is Arnie McCabe. I'm the landlord for an apartment building on Hani Drive. A Vivian Banks gave me your number."
Speak of the devil. "How can I help you?"
"My tenant, Lola Simmons, died last night."
No matter how many times I heard this, the words still made me shudder. "Yes, I worked with Lola. Did you know her well?"
"Apparently not well enough, from what I heard," he admitted.
Yeah, join the club.
"Detective Ray Kahoalani called me this morning with some questions," Arnie went on. "He told me that Lola had been staying with Miss Banks while the repairs were going on in her apartment. I called Miss Banks to see if she would be cleaning the place out. She put me in touch with Lola's boyfriend, who referred me to her father. Anyhow, Miss Banks said you might be interested in the apartment yourself."
The thought that I'd actually slept near a murderer was enough to creep me out. While I appreciated Vivian putting in a good word for me, I couldn't see myself staying in Lola's apartment after everything that had happened. I debated about what to tell Arnie. "Ah, it's probably a bit out of my league. Too bad because I really do need to find a place."
"That's all right. I shouldn't have any trouble renting it." Arnie coughed into the phone, a phlegmy sounding one that made me think he was a heavy smoker. "I do have an efficiency apartment one floor up from Miss Simmons' if you're interested. The tenant just moved out last week."
My pulse quickened. "How soon will it be available, and what's the price?"
He told me the amount, and it seemed manageable. "Tomorrow," Arnie replied. "I have someone in there cleaning today. The previous tenant was pretty meticulous, so for once I don't have to make any repairs. I don't allow dogs, but you can have a cat for a fifty-dollar pet deposit."
"I don't have a pet." Benny crossed my mind, and I was heartbroken when I realized that he was now homeless. As much as I adored Vivian, she had made no bones about her dislike of the cat. "Did Lola's father say if he was taking her cat?"
Arnie snorted. "I mentioned the animal, and he asked me to take it to the pound. Poor little guy. I'd keep him myself, but my wife's allergic. Can you let Miss Banks know? She didn't mention the cat when I talked to her."
"I'll take him if that's all right." It was obvious that Vivian wouldn't. "I can swing the deposit okay."
"Sure thing," Arnie replied. "Mighty nice of you to do that.
"
"He's really a sweet cat, and I don't want him to end up at the pound." I was excited about having my own place and becoming a pet owner, all in one day. It was wonderful to finally be independent.
I made arrangements to stop by later, fill out an application, and bring some references. True, I hadn't seen the place yet but was fairly certain I'd want it. I only had enough money for the security and pet deposit and half a month's rent, but since we were in the middle of the month, Arnie said I could pay the next month at the beginning of February. I couldn't afford any furniture yet, but hey, one thing at a time, right?
I went out onto the balcony with my coffee. Despite a slight headache, I was happy and content. Poncho's words from the other day rang out in my head—I treat every day like it's my last one on earth because we are never promised tomorrow. That was what I fully intended to do from now on.
My thoughts returned to Keanu. Where had he gone after leaving the café? My phone buzzed again. I recognized the number and groaned inwardly. "Hello, Brad."
"Hey, babe." His sensual voice greeted me. "I heard about what happened last night. You okay?"
I was surprised that he had reached out to me. "I'm fine, thanks."
He paused for a moment. "Listen, I guess I did act like kind of a jerk. It wasn't until you left that I realized how much I liked having you around."
Brad always had such a way with words. "Look, we tried. I'm not blaming you entirely. I made mistakes too. You didn't want me to tag along to Hawaii because you were afraid I'd want some type of serious commitment."
"Kind of," he confessed. "I'm not the marrying type, babe."
"Yeah, I get that. I don't wish you any ill, Brad, but I don't want to be a couple anymore. We're not in love with each other, and I honestly don't think we ever were."
"What's love got to do with it?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused and not like Tina Turner at all. "You're beautiful and fun to be around—well, most of the time. Plus we had some good times in between the sheets. Who says we have to be married? Can't we just party for now? I'll try hard not to stray again. Promise."
He just didn't get it. If there was one thing I regretted in my life, it had been rushing into a physical relationship with Brad. Next time would be different, I promised myself. "You cheated on me, Brad. I really doubt I could ever trust you again. Take care of yourself."
Maybe he'll grow up someday. I disconnected and leaned over the balcony, watching the sun as it shimmered on the surface of the resort's swimming pool below. To my left was a picture-perfect view of the ocean. It looked calm and serene compared to last night. I winced, allowing myself to relive those awful few moments again for a split second.
Brad's philosophy about life and love was certainly original. His mind had never run deep, so to speak. It was sad that he didn't understand the message I was trying to convey.
"Men." I sighed out loud.
A soft laugh sounded from behind me. "You say that word with such enthusiasm."
I whirled around to find Keanu standing in the doorway, his eyes locked on mine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.
"Long enough." Keanu remained in the doorway, his eyes unwavering. "I assume that you must have been talking to your ex."
I placed the phone down on the glass-topped table and looked back up at him. "Yes. He wanted me to move back in."
Keanu's jaw clenched ever so slightly. "What did you tell him?"
"Well no, of course," I said. "I'm not in love with him. Sure, it made me angry when he cheated on me, because I thought we were exclusive. But I don't think I ever planned to marry him. I wanted to run away from my life, and he was the excuse I needed to do it."
He watched me in silence for a few seconds. "I know you're short on funds, so you're welcome to stay here for as long as you want."
I shook my head. "There's a vacancy in Lola's building, but not her apartment. It's available tomorrow. I think I can swing the rent okay. I'm taking her cat too."
A huge smile broke across that adorable face of his. "You're a big softie, Carrie."
At a sudden loss for words, I stared down at the floor. My mind was instantly flooded with insecurities. Could he have regretted what happened last night? Did I want to get involved with someone else again so soon?
Keanu walked over and stood directly in front of me. He placed his hand underneath my chin and tipped it upward with his finger. "I think you have some questions for me."
I nodded. "I wanted to know if—"
"It can wait." Keanu pulled me toward him and captured my mouth with his. My arms went around him, and I forgot what I wanted to say as I felt his kiss everywhere, from my pulsating heart to the tips of my toes. He moved his lips to the side of my neck and trailed a path down it.
"In case you had any doubts," he whispered in my ear, sending delicious shivers down my spine, "I don't regret kissing you last night. Since the first day you came into the café, I haven't been able to get you out of my head." He placed my hand over his chest. "You're in here now too."
Keanu kissed me again. My knees started to buckle from the want and desire, but he tightened his hold around my waist, supporting my body. The heat flooded through me until I thought I might erupt like a volcano. When we broke apart, I was breathless and buried my face in his shoulder. To say I didn't want to be with him in an intimate way would have been one whopper of a lie. At that moment, an image of Brad flashed through my mind. I'd done the same exact thing with him. I wanted this to be different.
"There's something I should say before we go any further," I murmured as he kissed my hair.
He gently lifted my face until our eyes were level. "Okay. What is it?"
I reached for his hand. "I think you're terrific but—"
"Uh-oh." He smiled, but his eyes regarded me with caution. "This isn't another rejection, is it?"
I was confused. "Another one? What are you talking about?"
He leaned back against the rail of the balcony and ran a hand through his hair. "This is exactly how things started out with my ex a few weeks ago."
"Tammy?" I asked.
He looked at me and grinned. "Asking around about me at the café, eh?"
The heat rose through my face. "You know you don't have to ask anything over there. Everyone is more than happy to volunteer information."
He roared with laughter. "What were you going to say?"
"It's not a rejection," I said, suddenly talking very fast. "I want to be with you. I'm attracted to you and think you're terrific. But I need to take things slow this time. That was my mistake with Brad. I jumped right in without looking first." I shivered. "Jeez, I hate that expression. It makes me think of the water. Am I making any sense?"
Keanu reached forward and put his arms around my waist, pulling me toward him. "Yes, you are. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. I was attracted to you since the minute you walked into the Loco Moco. I wanted to ask you out when you said you'd broken up with Brad, but was afraid to rush you. I figured you were upset."
Relief spread through me. "Thank you for that. So why did you break up with Tammy?"
"She broke up with me," Keanu explained. "We were growing apart. It was really for the best. She also wanted to focus more on her career, which can be pretty demanding at times."
"What does she do?" I asked curiously.
He pushed a piece of hair back behind my ear. "Tammy's a hula dancer. She performs at the Aloha Lagoon, but other places as well. As you can imagine, her services are very much in demand around this state."
I was suddenly jealous of a woman I'd never even met. "She must be beautiful."
"Yes," he admitted. "But so are you. Inside and out."
"I can live with that." I reached up and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "What about the address for Poipu? Do you live with your parents?" That might make things a little awkward if we were going to be spending time together in the future.
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Keanu grinned. "So you looked at my folder too?"
I lowered my head in embarrassment. "Guilty as charged."
"I have my own apartment. That address on file is from when I first started here. I moved out shortly afterwards. Tammy was living with me briefly, but she left about a month ago when we broke up. Anything else you'd like to know?" A smug smile hung at the corners of his mouth.
"That should do for now," I said, feeling slightly reassured that he didn't live with his mother and father. I wasn't positive that I was up for meeting them—yet.
Keanu kissed the tip of my nose. "I've got a great idea. How about I take you out to dinner for a real date tonight? I promise I won't rush you into anything you're not ready for. We'll take things as slow as you want. Let's just have a fun evening getting to know each other better."
"As long as it's not the Loco Moco," I teased. "I'm not a cheap date."
"How about Starlight on the Lagoon?" Keanu asked. "You never did get to sample their cuisine last night."
"Sounds wonderful."
He looked like he wanted to kiss me again, but we were interrupted by the ringing of my phone. I wondered if it was Detective Ray. He'd hinted last night that he might have more questions for us. "Hello?"
A deep, ethereal male voice answered. "Carrie Jorgenson, please."
"This is Carrie."
"Carrie, it's Jeff Temple from the Hana Hou Theater."
My heart stuttered inside my chest, and I didn't dare breathe. I stared at Keanu, pointed to the phone, and then mouthed Oh my God.
"Who is it?" Keanu whispered.
"Hello?" Jeff called.
I gulped in a couple of mouthfuls of air. "Hi, Jeff, how are you?"
"Carrie, we enjoyed your audition the other night."
My lips formed another Oh my God at Keanu. "Did you really?"
He paused on the other end. "Well, let me be honest. We enjoyed your acting audition. Your singing leaves a little to be desired."
"Oh." I was crestfallen. This was a thanks, but no thanks call. I was surprised he had even bothered to phone me. Calls were usually reserved for those who'd been chosen for actual parts. Still, I tried to take the positive away. "Well, if I continue to work on it, maybe you'll consider me for the next show?"
Death of the Big Kahuna Page 20