by Tremay, Joy
Eric walked closely beside her as they walked toward a restaurant that faced the ocean.
“They serve large portions here, so your stomach won’t growl anymore,” Eric teased.
“Oh, my gosh, you heard my stomach during the meeting, didn’t you?” she asked, embarrassed.
His deep, masculine laugh made her stomach clench for an altogether different reason than hunger.
“Let’s just say that I could tell you were a tad famished, but don’t worry, I barely heard a rumble.”
Red-faced, she followed him to the front of a colorful restaurant, where a smiling young woman stood at a podium.
“Aloha, sir, welcome to Mixed Plate. Would you like to sit indoors or out?” she asked.
“Aloha, we would prefer outdoor seating, please,” Eric answered.
The woman motioned for them to sit at an empty table facing the ocean. The restaurant was filled to the brim with customers of all ages.
“This is quite a view,” Mia said as she looked out at the beautiful scenery. Several yachts and boats glided across the clear blue water while stand up paddle boarders enjoyed themselves along with a group of kayakers.
“Yes, it is,” Eric said quietly.
Mia glanced at him and caught his heated stare. She knew that he was talking about her and not the view. Once again, she felt the heat of attraction between them, potent and palpable.
“Here are your menus. Would you like anything to drink?” asked a pretty, young waitress.
The waitress’ attention was focused solely on Eric, and Mia noticed how the waitress blatantly ogled him.
“Just cold water, please,” Eric said politely.
The waitress looked noticeably disappointed at his lack of interest in her. She turned her attention reluctantly to Mia and repeated her question.
“Just water with a lemon slice, please,” Mia answered before she glanced down at her menu.
“I recommend their marinated beef. The plate comes with a side of macaroni salad and rice,” Eric said.
Mia looked up and found him smiling at her. “That sounds good to me,” she said.
“Two plates of the beef mixed plate, please,” he told the waitress, who nodded and left. A moment later, the waitress returned and placed two, tall glasses of cold water on their table.
“Mahalo,” Eric said as the waitress took their menus and walked away.
“Must be nice to be familiar with the local language and customs,” Mia said, sipping her water.
“I know a bit of Hawaiian pidgin, since I picked it up during summer holidays here.”
He took a sip of his cold water then smiled at her.
“Were you born and raised in Edmonton?” he asked, his eyes steady on hers.
“I was born in Tucson, Arizona,” she answered. “I was really young when my parents divorced, so I traveled back and forth between Edmonton and Arizona growing up. I call Edmonton home, where my mother was born and raised, but I visit Arizona often, my father’s hometown.” Mia lifted her long hair away from her nape to let the fresh breeze cool her heated neck. She noticed that Eric watched her movements carefully and became self-conscious.
“I see,” he said, contemplatively. “It must be a shock to your system every time you change from a hot desert climate to a cold one.”
“Yes, it is,” she said with a rueful laugh. “As a child, I spent winters in Edmonton and summers in Arizona. I would have preferred it the other way around, but it wasn’t up to me.”
Mia lifted her glass of water and took a long sip, then licked her lips while Eric watched her intently.
“Do you prefer living in Edmonton to living in Arizona?”
Mia nodded. “Even though I’m close to my dad, I feel that my mom needs me more. I’m also very close to my cousin Mandy, whom I live with. Our mothers are sisters and she came to live with my mom and I when we were teenagers. I visit my dad for extended periods when I can.”
“No brothers or sisters?” he asked curiously.
“I have three half-brothers and two half-sisters,” she answered with a grin. “They’re a good, rowdy bunch. They range in age from twelve to twenty.”
Eric’s eyes widened. “That’s quite a brood.”
“Since I’m their big sister, I can keep them in line. Something my stepmom appreciates. She’s pretty cool.”
“Here you go,” said the waitress, as she placed two large plates on the table. “Is there anything else you’d like?”
“No, thank you,” Eric said.
“Enjoy,” the waitress said before walking away.
Several mouthfuls later, Mia was happily getting her fill of the delicious food. She was taken by surprise at how much she could put away in just a short time.
“I see you do like the mixed plate,” Eric said in amusement as he finished his meal in no time at all.
“This is very, very good,” gushed Mia. “The meat is so tender and full of flavor.”
Eric’s eyes twinkled at her appreciation of the meal. “Glad you liked it. Save some appetite for dessert. They have the best poi pudding here,” he said with relish.
“Poi?”
“It’s made from pounded taro root from the taro plant which is called kalo in Hawaiian.”
“I’ve heard of it,” Mia said, “it’s purple-ish, isn’t it?”
Eric smiled. “Yes, it is and it’s very good.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Mia said, wiping her mouth with her napkin.
“You missed a bit,” Eric said and with his finger, gently reaching out to wipe away a kernel of rice from her mouth. Mia’s eyes widened at his unexpected touch.
Her awareness of him had been increasing during dinner, especially since their bare knees occasionally touched underneath the table. She desperately wanted to reach out and kiss him.
“How did you get into the hospitality business?” Mia asked, trying to reign in her lustful thoughts.
“My father and Bliss Corporation’s chief executive officer went to university together. When I graduated from college, my father recommended me to work for Bliss Corp. I learned how to run a hotel from the ground up, and within a few years, I rose to the general manager position. It’s been a rewarding experience.”
Mia nodded, impressed. She was still trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
“Why did you choose the hospitality business, Mia?” Eric asked.
She hesitated before she answered him. “I didn’t actually choose it, I just kind of just fell into it. Mandy recommended me for a front desk position three years ago, when she worked at the hotel. I was unhappy with my administrative assistant job at the time, so I took it.”
“What was your major in college?”
“English,” Mia said with a short laugh. “Not a very marketable major. I thought I wanted to be an English professor.”
“You changed your mind?” asked Eric.
Mia nodded with a wry smile. “Somewhere around my senior year, I realized that perhaps I should have majored in something else. By the time I graduated, the last thing I wanted to do was go on to graduate school, like so many of my classmates. I was the quintessential confused college grad with a degree I didn’t know what to do with. Fortunately, my father was a faculty member at my university, so I was very lucky to get a free ride on my education.”
“What university did you go to?” Eric asked, taking a sip of his water.
“The University of Arizona in Tucson,” she answered. “Go Wildcats!” she added, lifting her fist up briefly. “Mandy used to tease me that my brain got sunbaked during my four years there, which is why I was so confused by the time I graduated.”
“Are you still confused?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his question.
Mia shrugged. “I like working in the hospitality industry and interacting with the public. It has its perks - like going to Hawaii.”
“You’re good at what you do. Ben can’t stop raving about you.”
“Th
anks,” said Mia gratefully, “Ben is a great supervisor and we all love him at the hotel. He has a streak of kindness in him that’s a mile long.”
The poi pudding arrived, and Mia fell in love with the yogurt-like, slightly sweet flavor of the dessert. After dinner, Eric suggested they take a walk, and she readily agreed. A short stroll later, she found herself standing at a bridge, staring at the shimmering blue water of the ocean. The warm breeze felt good on her face as she took in the vibrant pink and red colors of the sunset.
Eric stood behind her, a solid presence she couldn’t ignore. She felt him press against her back, making her shiver, even though it was a balmy evening. He placed his muscular arms around her, his hands now on the wood railing on each either side of her. She shuddered, feeling his warm breath at her nape. He added subtle pressure to her back as he pressed into her from behind. She could feel his hardness against the thin cotton of her summer dress, and she closed her eyes briefly, trying in vain to contain her rising hunger for him.
Mia turned her head, dying to feel his lips on hers.
“Tourists are coming our way,” he said quietly.
Deeply disappointed, Mia turned to face the ocean again. She heard several people conversing loudly as they walked passed, breaking the intimate spell between her and Eric.
Suddenly, he backed off and took her hand in his. His large hand enveloped hers completely, and she was pleased, if slightly stunned, to be holding hands with her boss. They strolled through the busy streets of Lahaina at a leisurely pace, and entered a few novelty shops, containing a variety of knickknacks and trinkets, and small art galleries filled with expensive paintings and sculptures.
“We should get back,” Eric said, glancing at his watch almost two hours later.
Smothering a protest, Mia nodded and they walked the few blocks to his car, still holding hands. She didn’t want the evening to end, especially without a goodnight kiss.
* * *
Eric had not wanted to release her at the bridge. He had become so aroused, he had briefly entertained the thought of taking her back to his condo. When she had turned her head to look at him, he had fiercely wanted to kiss her. He had heard people coming their way and used them as an excuse not to succumb to temptation. But he couldn’t stop himself from holding her hand during their stroll through Lahaina. He knew he had to draw the line with her, but she was too irresistible. Mia was a distraction he had to resist, at least until their business trip was over.
CHAPTER FOUR
Over the next few days, Mia became certain that Eric was angry at her. His behavior toward her was impeccably polite and coolly professional, but completely lacking in warmth. It had made her feel downcast and dejected, as well as completely confused. The passionate kisses, the dinner and the walk through Lahaina now seemed like an aberration. His aloof indifference hurt her more than she wanted to admit to herself. His behavior just didn’t make any sense.
As Mia sat on the beach one Saturday morning, she concluded that perhaps she had imagined Eric’s interest in her. But she didn’t know how to stop the intense longing she felt for him. It didn’t help that every time she saw him, he was looking even more gorgeous than the day before.
As she continued to sit on the beach, moodily contemplating the ocean before her, a large, golden Labrador Retriever lumbered over and dropped a wet stick on her lap. Mia laughed and patted the dog’s damp head before she threw the stick toward the ocean.
“Sorry about that. My dog, Derby, must have taken a liking to you.”
Mia looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand, and found a blond, blue-eyed, tanned, well-built young man grinning down at her. He wore yellow, Hawaiian print, board shorts and nothing else. He was very good-looking in a boyish way, with well-defined muscles. If she had not been thoroughly infatuated with Eric, she may have found him extremely attractive.
“That’s all right. He’s a cute dog,” Mia said, as she watched Derby fetch the stick from the beach and carry it back to her.
The young man grasped the stick from the dog’s mouth and threw it back into the ocean again. Derby swam into the water with glee as he searched for the stick.
“Derby has a knack for recognizing pretty girls,” said the young man, smiling, showing a dimple. He held out his hand. “My name’s Charlie.”
Mia shook his hand, pleased by his offhand compliment.
“I’m Mia.”
Charlie sat next to her, wiping away the sand from his muscular legs. “I’ve seen you about the past few days, strolling along the beach.” At Mia’s surprised look, he chuckled and added, “I swear, I’m not a stalker. I own a timeshare condo at Kaanapali Beach and come here to surf every morning.”
“I’m here on business,” Mia said, aware of his perusal. She wore gray shorts and a strapless, light blue tank top that showed off her bare shoulders. Over the past few days, her skin had taken on a glowing tan.
“I hope it’s a long business trip,” Charlie said with a wink.
Mia couldn’t help smiling at his flirtatiousness. He looked like a fraternity boy with a heartbreaker air about him.
“Five more weeks, and then it’s back home to Canada,” Mia said, wishing she could stay in Maui longer, even though Eric had been making her feel morose lately.
“You’re Canadian?” Charlie asked, then glanced away briefly as Derby barked at a passing dog, before turning his attention back to her.
“Partly. I’m half American,” Mia answered, smiling.
“What part of Canada do you live in?”
“Edmonton.”
“Is that in Alberta?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Mia said, impressed. When she was traveling, she would sometimes receive a blank look when she told people where she lived.
“I have friends who like to ski in Banff,” explained Charlie. “I’m from California. Santa Barbara, to be exact. Sometimes people ask me where that is.”
“At least they’ve heard of Santa Barbara. When I tell someone in the States that I live in Edmonton, they ask me whether it’s near Vancouver or Toronto,” laughed Mia. “Then they ask inane questions like do I see polar bears in my backyard.”
“What?” Charlie grinned. “You don’t?”
Mia rolled her eyes at him.
“I love Santa Barbara,” said Charlie, “but I consider Maui to be my second home. It helps that I work remotely.”
“What do you do?” asked Mia curiously.
“I’m a cinematic artist for a video game company. It’s fun work.” Charlie paused before saying, “Say, if you’re around tonight, my friends and I are having a beach party here. Maybe you’d like to join us?”
Mia hesitated, even though she didn’t have any plans. She had hoped that Eric’s behavior toward her would thaw, and perhaps he would invite her to go out with him again. But who was she kidding? She needed to find a way to forget him and have her own fun. There were five more weeks left of her trip, and she was determined to make the best of it, with or without Eric.
“Why not?” Mia asked with a shrug.
* * *
Eric raked his hair back as he stared blankly at the facts and figures on his desk. He had been having difficulty concentrating all day due to a certain pretty, young woman who kept inconveniently popping into his thoughts. Mia distracted him to no end. He thought of her almost to the exclusion of everything else, and that did not sit well with him.
The weekend had finally arrived, and he was glad that he had been able to keep his distance from Mia all week. But now his patience was wearing thin. He saw her every day, but he steeled his mind and body to be completely professional with her. Every night, he ended up at a local bar in Lahaina, drinking with Kimo and other old friends and acquaintances, hoping to distract himself from thoughts of her.
It wasn’t working, though. He was tired of keeping Mia at arm’s length, and the longer he had to keep up the pretense of not being attracted to her, the more irritable he became.
“
Hey, boss, do you want to go surfing?” Kimo asked, peeking his head around Eric’s office door. “Whatcha doin’ anyway? It’s Saturday morning. You shouldn’t be working.”
Eric smiled wearily, shutting down his computer. It was no use, he couldn’t focus anyway.
“Okay, let’s catch some waves,” said Eric agreeably.
“Finally, brah. You’ve been grumpy all week,” Kimo said. “I bet it has something to do with a certain pretty girl.”
“Let it go, Kimo,” warned Eric lightly. “Right now, you need to concentrate on your surfing skills. They’ve been kind of rusty lately, from what I’ve heard.”
“Ouch,” Kimo said with a wince as they walked out of the hotel together. “I’m going to have to prove you wrong, braddah.”
* * *
Mia peered through the thick, green foliage, looking for Derby’s stick. She giggled as she heard Charlie mutter irritatingly under his breath.
“He’s got plenty of toys and sticks, but no, he only wants to play with this one,” he said, parting the thick brush and finding the stick. “Here, Derby, go fetch!”
The dog barked and leapt into the air, catching the stick between his jaws.
“Thanks for helping me. I’ll see you tonight?”
Mia nodded, smiling. “Sure, I’ll meet you here. Is there anything you want me to bring?”
“Just yourself. Hope you’re not afraid of night swimming.”
“What if there are sharks?”
“Don’t worry. There hasn’t been a shark sighting in this area in a long time. I’ll keep you safe, pretty lady.”
Mia laughed. “If I had a loonie for every time a guy said that to me…”
Charlie chuckled and rose. He gave her a shaka hang loose gesture, extending his thumb and smallest finger with his three middle fingers curled, before he whistled to Derby to follow him.
“Who was that?” asked a deep voice curtly at her side.
Startled, Mia turned and looked up. “Eric,” she said with an indrawn breath.
Mia hoped her voice had not sounded as unsteady as she suddenly felt. She had grown accustomed to seeing him only in his business suit the past few days. This morning, his muscular, toned body was bare except for a pair of dark blue board shorts. His hard chest displayed a six-pack that only male models possessed.