by Sieni A. M.
He looked away. “I can think of a few things.”
That statement made her heart flutter. What did he mean by that? Alana licked her lips and gazed at his chest.
“I was impressed when I first heard you speak Samoan,” she said, revisiting their earlier conversation.
Chase smiled against her forehead, and when she looked back up at his face, he gave her a look that made her think that he knew all along. Well of course he would have. He would have sensed it from her aura that day at the ‘ava ceremony.
“So tell me, when do you see yourself in your sister’s shoes?” he asked.
“When?” she raised one eyebrow and shrugged.
“You do want those things, don’t you? The man, the big wedding, a family.”
She glanced over at Kane and Malia and saw his beaming smile and her radiant face. Yes, she wanted that. She wanted someone to look at her the way Kane looked at her sister and everything that came wrapped up in it. Warmth. Love. Intimacy.
“Yes. I want that,” she admitted. “Marriage, children, but minus the big, fat Samoan wedding. If I can get away with it, which will be a miracle in itself. I would love to get married at dawn with only a few people in attendance.”
“At dawn?” He arched an eyebrow.
“Yes. It would be magical to start a new chapter in my life at first light. And because it’ll obviously be dark, I want lots of fairy lights.” She sighed dreamily.
Chase stared at her. “Rebel,” he finally stated and she laughed.
“I know. Can you imagine the look on Aunty Malae’s face? She’ll probably be up the whole night with a fit.”
Chase grinned before his face was replaced with something more serious. “I hope that what you wish for will come true, Alana. The man that you’ll marry will be a very lucky person.”
Before she could form a response, he spun her around. When he pulled her back to his chest they rocked to the music in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
“This flower in your hair smells good,” he said quietly.
Alana gingerly fingered the white gardenia that was pinned to the side of her updo. “It does.” She smiled. “It’s actually my favorite flower.”
“Because of what it symbolizes?”
She frowned before she laughed out loud. “I honestly don’t know what it symbolizes.”
She’d never thought to find out. Despite being the daughter of a florist, and surrounded by a plethora of tropical flowers, she never stopped to wonder. To her it was simply a beautiful array of petals that emitted a heavenly scent.
Chase smiled. “It signifies joy, purity, beauty, and when given as a gift, secret love.”
Alana turned her head away uncomfortably and licked her lips. She rolled her shoulders backwards in an attempt to ease the muscles there, and before she could change the subject, Chase inched his fingers from her waist to the small of her back. His large hand splayed open and she suddenly felt the familiar warm pulse that was there the day before at the waterfall. She shot her eyes up to him and he returned a slow, warm grin. His eyes held hers and she inhaled deeply when his fingers slowly swept upwards, as if they were treading softly over water, aligning her spine as he went along and easing the ache that was there minutes before. Alana held her breath and couldn’t believe he was healing her here, in front of her entire family. The act was too intimate—the feeling too sensual—and she guessed it must have looked that way too, but she didn’t dare look around to see who would be watching. She instead shifted her gaze to the front of his shirt, pretending to study the patterns on his tie. When his fingers reached the curve of her neck, the tension in her muscles and bones was completely gone, replaced with liquid warmth that tingled her from her head to her toes.
“Well,” Alana whispered on an exhale, “if you ever get fired from bringing people back from the dead, you can always resort to being a masseuse. Or chiropractor. That was amazing.” She breathed easily. “I could get used to this friends with benefits arrangement.” When the realization of what she just said hit her, her eyes widened in horror. “I meant this friendship,” she quickly corrected.
Chase chuckled and then released her when the song came to an end. Alana stepped back and her eyes widened when she saw Manu approach and come stand beside her.
“Alana,” he spoke firmly. “A dance?”
She glanced up at Chase who was studying her. “Thank you, Chase,” she said before taking Manu’s outstretched hand.
“It was my pleasure,” he responded before winking at her and walking away.
She almost sighed out loud. His magic fingers left her spirit feeling elated and her body completely at ease. The effects of getting her back aligned put her in a sleepy stupor, but the next song happened to have a catchy beat and one she recognized immediately from her university days. When Sera approached them and grabbed her hand to drag her to the middle of the dance floor, Alana laughed out loud and went willingly. Manu followed and the three of them danced together, her hips swaying to the bass of the music and remaining that way for the rest of the evening.
Chapter 19
What brief bursts of sunshine appeared the following day did little to dry the damp road which was muddy and brown from cars driving over and disturbing the earth. Alana avoided the murky pot holes as she walked along the beaten path from her house to the main road, but her steps nevertheless kicked up wet dirt onto her calves and shorts.
“It’ll be fun, Sera, trust me.” She smiled at her best friend as they meandered together.
The wind picked up and ruffled the leaves, sending a spray of dew drops their way. The blanket of grey clouds overhead threatened to spill another rain shower, and Alana guessed it wouldn’t be long.
“If it’s a good day tomorrow, we’ll head to the beach, I promise.” she glanced over at Sera who seemed to be distracted.
They were both dressed in their sneakers, tank tops, and shorts, ready for some much needed exercise. A lavalava was wrapped haphazardly around Sera’s hips while Alana had hers draped over her shoulder. The wedding festivities were finally over, and some of the overseas guests were already making their way back home. Her grandparents had left to return to the States, and David and a few of her cousins were on driving duty to and from the airport. Sera had a little over a week left before she returned to her island, and there were still so many places Alana wanted to show her before her departure.
“Don’t worry about me, Lana. I’m just content to be here. Your family has been incredibly hospitable,” Sera said. Alana smiled. “You’ll have to promise to come to my island next.”
“Of course I will! One of these days.”
Sera suddenly halted and turned to Alana. “Is there something going on between you and Chase?” she asked.
Alana stopped in her tracks. “What? Where did that come from?”
Sera smirked. “Alana, I’m not dumb or blind. I see the way you look at each other. Like there’s some little secret you share that no one else knows.”
Bingo, Alana thought. Truer words were never spoken. If Sera only knew what that little secret really was, she’d probably flee to the seaside and paddle herself back to the Solomon Islands.
Alana tried not to smile at the image. “We’re friends, Sera. Nothing more.”
“Uh huh,” Sera said mockingly. “Look, I don’t blame you if you have feelings for him. I mean, look at the man for heaven’s sake! Chase has the full package—looks, charm, money. Any girl would be insane not to fall for him, especially if that girl’s already nabbed his attention.”
Alana sighed heavily. Chase definitely had the whole package and more. More like oversize baggage more.
“He’s a complex person, Sera. I’m just getting to know him as a friend.” What Alana failed to add was that the more she learned about her new friend, the more intriguing and interesting he became.
“All I’m saying, Lana, is that, complication or not, you two seem to click well together. Besides, you can’t just keep
filing guys away in the ‘friend’ drawer for the rest of your life. At some point you’re going to have to take a risk.”
“You say that as if I have guys lining up at my doorstep pining for my attention.”
Sera snorted and rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re Godzilla’s sister.”
“I’ve just met Chase, and he’s made it perfectly clear that we’re only friends. Besides, I’m not going to simply jump into something serious without getting to know someone better,” Alana continued.
“He does not look at you as only a friend. But if what you say is true, and your friendship suddenly developed into something more, will you go for it? Or shy away from it?”
Alana wasn’t ready to answer that question. She wasn’t ready to have this kind of conversation with Sera or anyone else for that matter. She preferred to keep her thoughts about Chase to herself. She admitted to herself that there was an attraction there. Okay, maybe a little more than an attraction. But how could she talk about him without giving away his secrets? It was so much easier if he was filed away separately from the rest of her friends. To mix these two worlds up could turn into a messy feat, and she didn’t know how to go about handling that. Despite these lingering thoughts, Alana secretly agreed there was a deep connection. But how did one sustain a relationship with someone who lived forever? You’re getting ahead of yourself, girl. She wouldn’t get the chance to find out anyway because it was discouraged. Chase made that perfectly clear. So why did it seem like he was pursuing her if he wasn’t supposed to? You’re just friends. That’s what he said you are.
“You’ve been emotionally devoid all these years, Lana, but lately I’ve noticed that a bit of the old you has returned. That’s a good thing, and if Chase is responsible for it, you should pursue it, take a risk, and see where it takes you.”
Alana turned away, her face flushed with heat that had nothing do with the humidity, and continued walking towards the tar-sealed road. She heard a car approach and froze when she recognized the familiar sleek black curves of the Land Rover. The car stopped beside them, and the window rolled down.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted out. Her cheeks flared with embarrassment from the conversation she and Sera just had.
“It’s nice to see you too, angel,” Chase answered with a twinge of amusement in his voice. He looked handsome with his hair disheveled and wet, probably from a shower. Alana flushed at the endearment. “Hey, Sera,” he greeted her friend.
“Hi, Chase.” She smiled in return. Alana ignored the twinkle in her eye when she glanced at her—the one that told her that her point had been made.
“We’re going to a volleyball game down the road. Do you want to come with?” Sera asked innocently.
Chase looked at Alana. “Sure. If you don’t mind me tagging along. I don’t want to come in between what time you have left together.”
Did he have to be so thoughtful? This was her cue, and she wanted to prove to Sera that they were just friends and she had nothing to hide.
“Sure, come with us,” she said.
Chase smiled brilliantly which sent electrical zig zags straight to her chest. “Hop in. I’ll give you a lift.”
They arrived at the village volleyball court which was really a makeshift setup on patchy grass and muddy earth in an open field. The faded net sagged and hung between two posts on opposite ends to each other. The posts were driven into the dirt and held firmly by a pile of rocks. A game was in progress, and the ball was whacked back and forth over the net until someone smacked it down into the mud sending dirt flying everywhere. Laughter ensued and high fives were slapped in mid-air. The teams were mixed between the girls and boys that lived in and around Alana’s village, and their feet were bare and muddy. Their hands were also caked in dirt, and she smiled at their appearance.
“This is going to be one messy game.” She took off her sneakers and socks. “Who’s up for the challenge?” Scrambling out of the car and wrapping the lavalava around her waist to cover her legs, Alana raced towards the court.
“Alana!” a girl close in age to her called out. “Come join our team!” Alana smiled and went to stand in position. Her bare feet hit the dirt and sunk into the mud. She admitted it felt good in a therapeutic kind of way. When Chase and Sera sauntered over and stood to the side on the safety of the grass, Alana waved and called out to them to join in.
Sera glanced at the unappealing ground before shaking her head. “No thanks. I’ll keep score.”
Chase chucked off his shoes and walked to the side of the opposing team. Alana smiled and noted he was dressed in a well-worn grey T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and black shorts that stopped at his knees. She heard a snicker behind her. Turning her head, she came face to face with Eli, the self-proclaimed volleyball champ and village flirt.
“Who’s your palagi boyfriend, Lana?” he sneered while thrusting his hips suggestively in the air.
Ugh. Alana wanted to slap the smirk off his face. Palagi—meaning foreigner, outsider. The word never bothered her before, but coming from Eli’s mouth it felt derogatory, dirty, and downright racist. She didn’t like that it was directed at Chase—someone who probably knew more about their culture, history, and language than her and Eli put together.
“Threatened by a little competition, Eli?” she shot back.
His eyes narrowed into slits, and Alana turned back around smiling to herself just as the ball was served, marking the start of the game.
The ball sailed towards her, and she hit and launched it to the middle of the net, setting up a shot that could result in a spike if her team played it well. A teammate received and hit the ball high into the air just as another jumped and punched it down on the opposing team’s side. Cheers and claps rang out as they garnered a point.
“Girlfriend’s got skills,” she heard Eli say behind her. “Nice set up, mata pusi.” His voice purred and Alana scowled before crouching low, getting ready for another round.
When the ball was served again, it bounced from team to team until Alana’s side took control and set it up for another spike. As the ball flew towards the ground, Chase dove and executed a perfect save by hitting it away from the dirt and sending it back up to the net where his teammate spiked it downwards, hitting the earth and spraying mud all over Alana’s legs. As claps resounded around them, she watched Chase stand up from the ground and dust off his hands, the front of his shirt smeared with dirt. He raised his arm at the back of his neck and pealed it off. Alana’s heart did a little somersault. When he caught her gaze, the sides of his mouth tugged up into a grin and he gave her a wink. She shook her head and couldn’t help smiling in return.
“No frolicking with the opposing team, Lana,” Eli whispered gruffly near her ear.
Irritated, she turned to him. “Grow up, Eli. The way I see it, he just earned his team a point. Something you have yet to do for ours.”
Her challenging words created their desired effect when he glared back at her with malice. “Just watch this—your palagi’s going down.”
He took off his shirt and flexed his muscles, puffing out his chest to accompany his threat, stretching the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wannabe tattoo that was imprinted on one man boob and wrapped around one bicep. Alana laughed at his ministrations which only served to fuel his temper more.
The game picked up its pace as players shot, spiked, and slid for the ball. Even when rain sprinkled down in short bursts, adding a slippery element to the game, it went on uninterrupted. After several rounds, the teams had even points, and the next round produced the winner. With the ball in hand, Alana stood at the back corner of the court gearing up to serve. Her heart thundered with competitive excitement and adrenaline. She glanced up and saw Chase staring at her with his hands on his hips, anticipating the direction she was going to hit the ball. As she raised and slapped it into the air, Eli’s voice broke through her concentration, and she sent it flailing weakly across the net.
“S
top staring, Alana. Desperate doesn’t suit you,” he hissed.
Frowning, Alana watched as the ball was received easily on the other side and set up for a spike. When the ball flew up, her eyes widened as Chase reared up high and punched it down with a force so fierce she was sure it broke the sound barrier. Crack! The ball flew down and smacked Eli squarely in the groin sending him sprawling backwards until he hit the ground with a thump. Clutching his abdomen, he rolled into a fetal position and groaned loudly. The ball bounced and rolled within the court barrier.
The teams erupted in chaos, the noise deafening. As if on cue, the dark clouds opened up and rain beat down harder than it did before, thunder shutting out the sounds of laughter and pure elation. Shouts and cheers rang out as the winning team gathered to jostle and pound Chase on the back. Alana couldn’t help when her lips broke out into a smile. She looked at the ground where a few guys were attempting to help Eli up while he cursed and gripped his crotch protectively with his hands.
“That bastard broke my—” The words were smothered with a groan, effectively shutting him up.
His friends were unsuccessful in holding back their laughter as they tried to get him to sit up. Alana giggled and ran to Sera who had her lavalava wrapped protectively around her head, the rest of the bystanders scattering off in various directions.
“Let’s get out of here!” Alana shouted against the pummel of rain.
As they raced towards the car, Chase joined them and they settled inside. Dripping wet and covered in dirt, he drove them back to her house. When they parked in the driveway, Sera jumped out and covered her head as she ran into the house.
Alana turned to Chase and took in the scene before her—shirtless, muddy, and damp from head to toe. The rain pelted the roof of the car and cocooned them in a grey sheath.
“That last shot was a bit over the top, don’t you think?” she asked.
One side of his mouth tugged upwards in a small grin. “Believe me, I was holding back,” he said, one hand gripping the steering wheel. “I didn’t like the way he was talking smack to you.”