by Mimi Barbour
Lying under the Hawaiian sky with this delightful character gave her such pleasure that it needed to be shared. She reached for Pi’s hand that seemed to know hers was searching, and she clung. Glancing over her shoulder, she grinned into the old man’s twinkling eyes that returned her delight. Time stopped. Only the wind and waves played on, performing for the two souls who were linked forever.
Chapter Three
“Pi, are you sure this is the hotel I’m to stay at? It’s positively luxurious.” Leilani had no doubt her eyes had expanded to twice their normal size. She swiveled in every direction, not caring if she looked like the typical gawking tourist.
“Yes. I have your booking here. You’re on the seventh floor, in room 715. The Jordan Hotels have a sterling reputation, and the Waikiki Jordan is considered one of the premium hotels in all of Hawaii.” He pulled the taxi over to the side and stopped in the brilliant circular driveway under the magnificent archway leading to the reception desk.
Lighted gardens full of tropical plants graced the entranceway, and glamorous chandeliers lit the gleaming marble floors. Huge, decorated Christmas trees, whose leaves arced upward rather than down, sat in various corners, while twinkle lights made the greenery beautiful and glowing. Busy shops, open to the foyer, were full of happy customers, and the suited bellmen rushing to and fro added to the industrious feel of the place.
I love it! For the first time this year, her favorite season awoke the child in her who enjoyed this holiday better than any other. Mainly because most years her mother would make an effort to join in the gaiety and Leilani would bask in her increased animation.
Soon as the car stopped, she stepped out of her side before Pi had a chance to open her door. Instead, he went to the trunk and opened it. As he reached in to get her suitcase, Leilani grabbed it before he could. Though they struggled, she won. “I saw you rub your back earlier, when we jumped down from the hood. You should have told me you were uncomfortable.” She stared at him, wearing a mock frown.
Pi looked a bit peeved for a second, and then grinned. “I passionately dislike being reminded I’m an old man, and I’ll admit to being called slightly stubborn.”
“Slightly? Right!” exclaimed Leilani. Pi’s devilish wink earned him another smile that came as natural to Leilani as breathing.
He took over the suitcase and guided her to the front desk where the female receptionist greeted him like a long-lost friend.
“Pi, you old devil. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Susanna. I had the honor of picking up Miss Leilani Taylor from the airport. She’s to be a guest here for the next two nights.”
“Yes. We’ve been awaiting her arrival.” Susanna, a beautiful island girl wearing a lovely traditional muumuu, turned and included Leilani in her smile. “Aloha, Miss Taylor. Welcome to the Waikiki Jordan. It’s a pleasure to have you stay with us.”
“Aloha! And trust me, the pleasure is all mine.” Leilani couldn’t believe how nice it felt to speak even one modest word in the language her mother had taught her from when she was a child. As soon as she had completed her registration, she turned to Pi who had stood patiently waiting.
“Mahalo, Pi. Thank you! This has been one of the best nights of my life.” She knew her eyes glittered, but it couldn’t be helped. Spending the hour with this stranger had given her back her innate joy, and she couldn’t thank him enough. “Considering how my trip started, because of you, I didn’t have to count to three.”
With his head cocked to one side, he asked. “Three?”
“You know, bad things always seem to happen in threes. And you stopped mine at two.”
He laughed and wagged his finger. “My dear Leilani, the night isn’t over yet.”
“Oh, pooh. I’m here and safe. What could possibly happen now, aye?”
She noticed the grin he couldn’t hide, and it tormented her for a few seconds before he interrupted her musings.
He handed her an embossed card with only his name Piʻilani at the top. “I will be at this number. Call me anytime you want to go somewhere, and I will be here in ten minutes. Okay?”
“Okay, Pi! Aloha po. Goodnight.”
“Aloha po, Leilani.”
She felt his eyes watching her as she turned to walk away toward the elevators. Somehow, knowing he was there made her feel much more comfortable with her future. She turned for a last wave, and then rushed to join a group of people pushing in through the open doors.
Before she could enter, the right wheel on her suitcase snapped and it flipped over, stopping her cold. A man who rushed to get to the same elevator tripped over her fallen suitcase.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry.” For a second, Leilani saw his disgust before he’d covered it up with a pleasant smile.
“No worries. Here, let me help you.” Even though she’d packed it full, he lifted it easily and set it upright, only for the silly thing to topple over again.
“I’m afraid the wheel must have broken.” Leilani didn’t want to apologize once again, but she sensed annoyance oozing out of the actor who wore a mask of congeniality. After all, a suitcase is an inanimate object, and it hadn’t broken on purpose to annoy this particular man.
The doors opened for the next car, and he lifted her suitcase, waiting while she gathered her overlarge, brightly decorated bag and stepped inside. Strangely, there wasn’t another person in sight as the doors slowly closed. The stranger pushed a button, then turned toward Leilani. “Which floor would you like?” His respectful voice was low and masculine, rather husky even.
As the elevator began its ascent, Leilani realized she’d forgotten her room number. She became so flustered, that she had to search through the many pamphlets she’d gathered at reception before she finally found her registration packet. But before she could tell him the number, they flew from her hand and scattered everywhere. As she bent down to pick them up, he did also.
His shoulder pushed hers, and just when the elevator made a terrible grinding racket and stopped dead, Leilani faltered to keep her balance. The added momentum flipped her to the side, and she knocked him to the floor, landing in his arms.
A few of the leis were now wrapped around her face, and she smelled their strong scent as she gasped for breath. Her pinned-up hair had come loose and was wreathing her shoulders to her waist. The short skirt from her sundress had landed in such a way as they could both see the color of her dainty, white lace bikini panties.
An exclamation, Leilani couldn’t stop, immediately got him moving. He realized her predicament, reached down and gave her skirt a flip, so she was decent again. Since her hands were pinned under his body, there was no way she could have fixed it herself. That helpful action on his part seemed to bring them to their senses, and soon they untwisted themselves and sat up with their backs against the mirrored walls.
Trembling, and not sure why, Leilani gave herself a few seconds to catch her breath and let her heartbeats settle down. To say her throat was in her mouth would have been an understatement. It had happened so fast, she hadn’t had time to be frightened, but now the reaction was taking its toll.
“What in the world…?” For one of the first times in her life, she had few words.
“I have no idea. This isn’t possible. I know the maintenance on this elevator is completely up to date.” He rose and checked the panel where the lights were out. Instead, it showed no signs of life whatsoever. He then used the call button ingeniously hidden behind a decorated panel. Again, there was no sign that it had worked. “Oh for heaven’s sake!”
Still shaken, Leilani sat watching the dude become angrier when the machine didn’t behave the way he’d expected. Only a faint luminosity from the emergency lights around the ceiling kept them from being completely in of the dark and actually added a kind of romantic glow to the enclosed space.
“Do you really believe that slamming your hand against those buttons will do any good?” Sarcasm wasn’t her usual way of dealing with things, but for some reas
on his ridiculous action brought out the worst in her. “I’m sure if we wait patiently,” she continued, “the hotel staff will get us moving soon.” Careful not to push his buttons, she tried to sound levelheaded. Sitting on the thick carpeting seemed to be the safest place for now, and as far away from him as possible.
“Yes, you’re right. It’s been a long day.” His fingers rubbed at his forehead and then swept through his well-groomed black hair only for the thickness to reset itself in stylish disorder. He leaned against the wall, but his glare toward the closed doors didn’t fool her. This handsome Hawaiian was hugely annoyed.
“I’m going to just sit here and enjoy having a few minutes to relax,” stated Leilani. Her hint fell on deaf ears. He was now taking out a fancy knife, releasing the screwdriver thingy, and soon began to take out the screws from the gleaming brass plate.
“Fine, you do that.” Silly fool didn’t even look her way while he spat the words out and gouged himself. “Son-of-a-bi—”
Clearing her throat reminded him he had company, and cut off his expletive. His childishness made her smile. She pushed her dratted suitcase behind her, crossed her legs, and leaned back, getting as comfortable as she could.
The man, dressed to kill in a beige suit that probably cost double what she’d spent on makeup in her lifetime, now took off his jacket to drop it in a heap on the floor. He pulled his designer, blue silk tie loose, stuffed it in his pants pocket, and rolled up the sleeves to a creamy shirt that highlighted the muscles in his toned chest and arms.
Without thinking, Leilani reached over and rescued his jacket. Folding the garment neatly, she placed it away from where his feet could trample it. Then her attention returned to the evening’s entertainment.
Whew! Now that she had time to look, he was one gorgeous package. Not too tall, he still carried himself with an attitude of power, and she had no doubt that he was used to the world playing the game his way. Either it happened or he made it happen.
She crossed her arms and took an audible breath, hoping he’d notice. Could he make things worse with his poking around in the switches? Heck, what if he electrocuted himself? She’d have to perform live-saving measures, maybe CPR. Just because she was a nurse didn’t mean she had to sit by and watch a fool injure himself. I’ll use scare tactics.
“Just so you know, I’ve never been good at administering CPR. If you get a shock and need medical assistance, you’ll be on your own.”
This did stop him for a few seconds. He glanced her way, a slight sneer on his lips. “I’ll have you know I’ve worked in this hotel for many years. I happen to know my way around most of this machinery.” As if on cue, a sudden snapping shock happened at the end of his statement.
So did the short plunge that the elevator took. But this time, when he lost his balance, the stranger landed on top of her. Within a few seconds, the car shuddered and held, a grinding sound heralding some obstruction.
Automatically, her arms had lifted to protect him, and she’d clutched his face toward her chest. The lights dimmed, came back on, and then shut off. They were literally in the dark. Both held their breaths as if the weight of the air might make a difference to the elevator dropping further. No one moved. She embraced him, and he lay quietly in her arms.
Chapter Four
Kale Jordan had never felt more frustrated than he had today. His role as the owner of Jordan Hotels had always sat heavily on his shoulders, but he normally performed his duties with aplomb and a huge amount of energy.
Today was different. Earlier, he’d broken off his romance with Ramona Haui, a pampered daughter of one of the richest island families, a girl whose sense of entitlement surpassed his by a long shot. Spoilt and sassy, her verve had excited him to begin with, and they’d formed a liaison, becoming lovers.
As soon as he’d given her the power of being known as his girlfriend, she’d begun to take advantage. Making plans for him, without his knowledge. Taking his acquiescence for granted when she wanted her way about parties and such.
Tonight had been the last straw. He’d worked brutal hours over the last few weeks to get the season under way, and had flown to three different hotels to deal with hitches in their smooth running, mainly personnel problems and all involving women. When he’d arrived back to town that morning, he’d had visions of a quiet night followed by a trip to his beach house the next morning. A trip he planned to take alone, to refill his depleted reserves.
Instead, Ramona had attacked with all her demands the minute he’d arrived in the office. Note to self—find out who blabbed and fire that person. His orders to staff had been strict. Tell no one about my plans to return today. No one included—no it actually pertained to his girlfriend. That alone was a sad state of affairs.
Their breakup scene was ugly. Ramona’s bitter recriminations were disgusting and included language that caused Kale to cringe. Hell, he figured he’d heard it all during his university years, and then working with some pretty hard-assed businessmen, but her invectives, spit at him with venom, had them all beat. Go figure, a face of an angel hid the mind of a slut.
Why she’d been so upset, he’d never know. All he’d wanted was a few days off to rejuvenate his energy and work on his hobby. Be alone and soak in some well-earned peace and quiet. Without these times, his life as owner and manager of the Jordan chain would sap all his strength, and he’d get nothing accomplished.
After she’d stormed from his office, continuous setbacks had occurred that demanded his exclusive attention. By the time he’d settled them, he had no choice but to retire to his penthouse home and try to steal away in the morning.
Except now, here he sat sequestered in a broken, unlit elevator with a girl who looked like the perfect representative for Miss Hawaii. Without doubt, another gorgeous misfit! He knew that the beer he’d promised himself would have to wait even longer.
A strange hum began and the earlier ceiling lighting resumed working and began to throw an eerie radiance around the space. At least it gave enough illumination for them to be able to see what they were doing.
Kale quickly removed himself from her arms, but not before a strong whiff of the perfume from her flowers invaded. This time the lilies must have rubbed against his face. His first sneeze heralded the beginning of a profound allergic reaction. The next sneeze verified that it had hit him with a vengeance.
“Bless you.”
Why did she have to sound as if she cared? He hadn’t even wanted to acknowledge her. Gruffly he replied. “Tank ew.”
“Allergies?” She spoke, while at the same time nodding all-knowingly. He wished he could say no. That a bug had flown up his nose, or that he had a terrible cold. Allergies in a man had always seemed sort of well… girlie, and he hated the weakness. Instead, he leaned his head against the wall and accepted the tissues she held out.
“Yeth.”
“It must be my flowers.” She sighed but surprisingly took them off, and lovingly placed them in a plastic bag she’d found inside the huge purse she carried. She moved it to the opposite side of the floor area and asked, “Better?”
Kale appreciated her gesture, so he nodded.
“I have allergies myself, so I know what you’re going through. At home there’s a yellow flowering plant called Broom, a Scottish import that blossoms into gorgeous flowers to decorate our island highway. And every spring I suffer for months until the flowers die off.”
“Where’s home?” Now why did he encourage her? He hadn’t meant to ask, it just came out automatically.
“Victoria, Canada. On Vancouver Island. At one time I thought it the most beautiful place in the world, but then I arrived here.”
He sneezed once again… and again.
“Bless you.”
This time he only nodded in acknowledgment, not caring if she thought him rude. And not realizing that she might take that as a hint to continue yapping. Good Lord!
“My mother was an island girl, born here in Honolulu. She passed away last week,
and I’m bringing her ashes back to her homeland. Apart from the strain of my mother’s passing, I also worried about the flight. You see I’ve never travelled before. To tell the truth, I’ve never been out of British Columbia.”
“Does any woman tell the truth?” Where had those words come from? He might think them, but he’d never say so. It was as if someone else directed his tongue. Before he could stop it, another belligerent phrase spilled out. “If so I’ve never had the good fortune to meet her.”
Gruffness distorted his voice to where even he had trouble knowing who spoke. He’d perfected an accented politeness that so titillated the ladies, and a calm directness that worked with the male patrons, and always used these mannerisms around the patrons. With this little lady, all he’d done was grunt and sneeze. What the hell was wrong with him?
Chapter Five
The peevish man sounded so much like her mother that Leilani automatically switched into her calming mode. She answered his outrageous comments with a soothing directness that had always worked.
“Aye, you know that’s a silly statement, and you can’t really mean it. Why there are many women who can be trusted. Take me for instance. I’ve never purposely lied since I left my teens behind. I try and help people every day and it’s paid off with loving friends and a fairly happy life.”
He stared at her, and as if by a silent command, the lights brightened enough for them to truly see each other if they sat close. Strange! Both moved simultaneously.
“I guess you do look like a nice person.” Grudgingly, he admitted what any blind man could see. She knew only honesty shone from the eyes she’d turned to meet his.
“You do also,” Leilani offered.
“Now how can you possibly say that? You don’t even know me.”
“I don’t have to know you. Remember, you stopped and helped me with my suitcase while everyone else ignored my dilemma and ran to catch the elevator. Even though you were allergic to my flowers, you never demanded that I remove them, right? I find most people are genuinely nice and are only trying to get along in life.”