by Ann Omasta
Our resort is on the small side, but it is stunningly beautiful. As my eyes scan around, they land on either huge bushes bursting with enormous, colorful blooms or crystal-clear water in every direction. I have traveled to Florida and several islands in the Caribbean, but this place takes the cake for both natural and man-made visual delights.
The tropical bar, which features both a swim-up section for service from the infinity pool as well as a more traditional land-based side with comfy-looking bar stools, catches the attention of all three of us. I am surprised to find as we belly-up to the bar that our chauffeur is now playing the role of bartender.
He hands each of us a tall glass garnished with pineapple and filled with a fruity, frozen beverage that smells of rum before giving us an enthusiastic “Aloha!” and a dashing, white smile. I am pleasantly surprised to see a tiny gap between his two front teeth. Somehow, it makes him even more attractive. I consider mentioning that we didn’t order these drinks, but after taking a sip, decide to just twirl the tiny umbrella and smile back at him.
“Mmm, delicious.” Ruthie licks her lips, thrusts her small but perky boobs onto the bar, and gives him her best flirtatious ‘come hither’ look. Most men would jump the bar to be at her beck and call, but our driver/bartender doesn’t seem to take notice.
Giving a slight pout, but clearly undeterred, Ruthie twirls her hair and says to him, “You have been driving us around and now you are plying us with drinks, and we don’t even know your name.”
He looks directly at me when he answers her question. “My name is Kai.” His name sounds Hawaiian and exotic. It suits him perfectly, and I try not to make it obvious that I am repeating it silently in my mind, practicing to say it sexily. “Kai. Kai. Oh yes, Kai . . . Nope, I just don’t have it in me—not even in my imagination.”
Kai has already fixed drinks for two other patrons and is now focusing on something below the bar. He apparently doesn’t share the island-time attitude that allows many workers in tropical locales to move in extra-slow motion.
Baggy, Ruthie, and I sit in silence, which is a rarity with these two. Our breathtaking surroundings, along with lengthy flight and six-hour time zone change, seem to be finally catching up with us.
Kai finishes what he has been working on and comes to stand in front of me. He gently places the most gorgeous, brightly hued flower necklace I have ever seen around my neck. He leans over the bar to kiss my cheek before saying, “You can’t arrive in Hawaii without getting properly lei’d.”
Ruthie snorts at the double entendre; and call me crazy, but I could swear that Kai blushes a little. He has such a dark complexion that it’s hard to tell, but I’m pretty sure I see a pink flush rise on his cheeks before he turns away to take another patron’s drink order.
The blushing must have been my imagination. I’m sure he uses that tired line multiple times every day. It sure felt good when his lips pressed gently against my cheek though, and my skin still feels tingly where his fingers brushed against my neck when he was adjusting the lei.
Ruthie looks a little perplexed by the attention he is giving me, but she doesn’t comment on it. Baggy’s eyes are glassy as she stares off in the distance. I mention what a long day it has been and suggest returning to our room. Surprisingly, neither of them pose an argument.
As we shuffle back to our room, Kai dominates my thoughts. I don’t care if he makes a habit of flirting with guests at the resort. I like it, and I want more of it. I gingerly touch my kissed cheek, not wanting to rub off any of the lingering effects. I feel enveloped by the tantalizing aroma of the fresh flowers that Kai has hand-strung for my lei. Even though this has been one hell of a day, I can’t seem to stop smiling.
Chapter 9
The three of us sleep like the dead. When I finally open the light-blocking curtains, it’s obvious that the sun is high in the sky. Baggy and Ruthie screech at me and squint like moles coming out of a cave, but I feel fantastic and insist to them that it is time to rise and shine. They both eventually rise, but are too grouchy to shine before having an infusion of caffeine.
We head down to the resort’s restaurant in search of bacon. I scan the large open-air-concept room, attempting to look casual, so it won’t be obvious that I’m looking for Kai. “I don’t think he’s here.” Ruthie whispers the words near my ear, proving that I wasn’t nearly as stealthy with my search as I had thought.
“Who?” I ask, trying rather unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. She gives me a knowing smile, but doesn’t directly call me out on my bluff.
As the hostess leads us to a table, Ruthie informs her that we would like coffee and hot tea to drink. “Just bring us a whole pot of each, please.” I start to interject that this is not the hostess’ job, but Ruthie beams a sweet smile at the young Hawaiian woman and circumvents the table, heading straight for the buffet line before I have the chance.
My first instinct is to follow normal restaurant protocol by sitting at the table to wait for the waiter or waitress to give us permission to go fill our plates with food. My tummy grumbles as I start to pull out my chair, so I throw caution to the wind and follow Baggy directly to the delicious-smelling custom-order omelet station.
Once our plates are filled to the point of having food nearly topple off, the three of us head to our table to find two large pots of steaming liquid, exactly as Ruthie had demanded. I shake my head slightly as I riffle through the wide selection of tea bags. Ruthie wouldn’t know how to react if something ever didn’t go her way. She is just one of those people who expects everyone and everything to accommodate her wishes, and somehow it always works out for her.
I try not to be bitter about my sister’s charmed life, but sometimes it just gets to me. Just as I’m telling myself to be happy for her and not let it bother me, I look up to find Baggy giving me a shockingly silly smile. She has taken a piece of the sweet, juicy pineapple and stuffed it in her mouth, leaving the rind side out so it looks like frightening teeth. She looks ridiculous, and I have to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from spewing papaya-infused pancakes everywhere.
Just as Ruthie is looking at me to see what is so funny, we all hear a sound that makes us freeze. It is the loudest, most high-pitched, joyful giggle that I have ever heard. When I turn to discover the source of the laughter, I almost fall out of my chair from shock. The bellowing, gleeful cackle is coming from an enormous giant of a Hawaiian man. He is pointing a sausage-size finger at Baggy’s pineapple wedge smile and doubling over with laughter.
Even bent over, it is obvious that he is a huge man. He looks to be the size of a successful Sumo wrestler. The girlish tone of his laughter doesn’t match his stature at all, and the pure joy escaping from his lips makes all of us join in with him. Before long, we all have tears streaming down our cheeks and Ruthie has to make a break for the restroom to avoid wetting her pants.
The large laugher plops down in Ruthie’s vacated seat to try to calm down. He finally wipes his forehead with the back of his hand before saying, “Phew, that’s the best laugh I’ve had all day.” His speaking voice is almost as shrill as his laughter. He continues as if Baggy and I aren’t gawking at him in wide-eyed shock. “I am your waiter, Honi. Please let me know if there is anything I can get for you.”
Baggy and I nod and watch as he braces his arms on the table to heft himself upright. Just then, the most gorgeous, exotic woman I have ever seen rushes up, grabbing him by the arm. “Honi, do you know where Kai is? I need to talk to him.”
I try to hide my disappointment. Honi excuses himself and walks away, talking in hushed tones with the beautiful woman. I feel tears welling in my eyes and silently curse myself for being so irrational and flighty. Of course Kai is involved with a beautiful woman. With his drop-dead gorgeous looks, how could he not be?
When Ruthie returns, she and Baggy talk animatedly. I barely listen to their conversation because I am so annoyed with myself for allowing any kind of hope to creep in about having a fling with Kai. What had I bee
n thinking? Maybe this is just some kind of rebound daydream that is a result of being left almost at the altar. I need to focus on me (and my happiness) during this trip. I do not need a man to be happy.
As we walk to our room to change into our beachwear, I promise myself that I will not give Kai another thought. Even as the oath is fresh in my mind, I can feel my misbehaving eyes peeking over to the not-yet-open bar to see if he is there.
He’s nowhere to be found. I really don’t care about his whereabouts anyway. I was just curious what time the bar opens. I try to convince myself of that, but even I don’t believe it.
Chapter 10
Baggy and Ruthie decide to head down to nab some poolside lounge chairs, but I opt to take advantage of being so near the sea and tell them I’m going for a swim in the ocean. They both seem a little surprised at this newly discovered, somewhat adventurous streak in me, but they refrain from commenting on it.
The pale, large-grain sand tickles my toes as I walk along the shoreline. I stop and gaze out over the water, letting the wind and fresh air sweep over me. I stand there wondering if it’s possible to actually smell sunshine. Inhaling the faint scents of salty water, marine life, fresh pineapple, coconut tanning oil, and some tropical flower, I decide that this must be exactly what sunshine smells like—and happiness. I am breathing in the aroma of pure happiness.
I peel my black cover-up over my head, toss it on the sand, and jog into the water. I had been braced for it to be chilly, so am pleasantly surprised to find the undulating water to be warm and inviting. Of course it’s warm, I tell myself, smiling as I lower my body farther into the foamy ocean. This place is truly paradise. How does anyone ever leave?
I don’t want to think about ever having to go home, so I clear my head by diving into the next big wave. The water swirls around me while I swim out to where the water is calmer, past where the waves are breaking. I decide that this is a great opportunity to get some exercise that is actually enjoyable, so I start swimming parallel with the shore.
I swim and swim. Periodically, I check to make sure the current isn’t pulling me farther away from the beach. When my out-of-shape legs get tired of kicking, I take a break and float for a while, but soon I get back to swimming. I think I could swim miles here. Speaking of that, I pop my head out of the water to gauge how far I have gone. There are beautiful houses along the shoreline. I spend some time swimming on my side, looking at the understated but amazing beachside residences.
For a moment, I consider turning back. After all, I should swim only half as far as I intend to go, so that I have enough energy to swim back. I almost have a panic attack when it pops into my mind that I might be swimming with the current and it might be a lot harder to swim back, until it dawns on me that returning to shore and walking back is an option, if needed. Considering that, I decide to keep swimming in the direction I’ve been heading.
The sun is warm and feels wonderful on my shoulders. I swim a good while longer before heading toward shore to walk back to the resort. The walk is almost as enjoyable as my swim had been. The homes, resorts, and restaurants along the shore are all lovely.
I am shocked to pass numerous chapels along my path. They all seem to have huge windows overlooking the ocean, and weddings in progress. I try to figure out if this is a special date, which would explain the large number of ceremonies, but I can’t come up with anything. Weddings must be big business on this island. Each time I see a bridal party and photographer outside, I scurry quickly past, in an attempt not to photo-bomb the pictures of their happy day. Just because my almost-wedding wasn’t picture-perfect doesn’t mean I should ruin someone else’s photos, although some shameful and sinister side of me is tempted to do just that. Luckily, the urge is not a strong one, and I am able to quickly tamp it down.
By the time I get back to our resort, I am mostly dry but beginning to sweat from the heat and my exertion. I retrieve my cover-up from the sand and don it after showering off inside the gate at our resort. Before returning to the pool area, I scrunch my hair in an attempt to make it presentable. I wonder why I am suddenly concerned with my appearance and tell myself that it is not because of Kai.
Even as I’m trying to convince myself of that, my eyes wander over to the bar. Kai has his back turned, but I can tell by the shirt stretched taut over his broad shoulders that it is him. I hide my smile as I rejoin Baggy and Ruthie.
“We were about ready to send out a search party,” Ruthie informs me, shading her eyes with a hand to look up at me, even though she has on oversized sunglasses.
“Your concern is touching.” I roll my eyes after making the snarky comment. They are both sunning themselves on lounge chairs and sipping frozen concoctions from split-top coconuts. They couldn’t have been too worried.
I plop down on the empty lounge chair beside them and peel off my cover-up. When I see Kai looking my way, I decide to stretch my arms, arching my back. When I peek back in his direction, he is still looking and rewards me with a huge grin. I smile back before looking away and wondering what has come over me. Had I actually been flirting with this visually stunning man?
I decide that maybe this new, braver, Hawaiian version of me will have way more fun than the old Roxy did. I get up and try to saunter sexily over to the bar. Since I still have my long, awkward limbs, I fear that the reality of my gait is more gawky than sexy, but I’m in too far to turn back now.
“Roxy.” Kai flashes a dimple at me as he finishes a drink for another patron and hands it over to her. I decide that I love the sound of my name when it comes from his lips. The woman breathily thanks Kai and tucks a bill into the tip jar. He gives her a quick, almost curt nod and starts dumping ingredients into a blender for his next concoction. The woman pouts for a moment, but hops off the barstool and heads back to her lounger.
Kai pours the contents of the blender into a hollowed-out coconut, adds a tiny umbrella with a pineapple wedge and cherry, and sets it in front of me. I turn my head from side to side, wondering if he has accidentally given me someone else’s drink. “I didn’t order this,” I inform him, unintentionally furrowing my brow.
He reaches out to run a finger down the line on my forehead. “Trust me, it’s exactly what you need. There is no frowning allowed in paradise.”
I had always been a firm believer that you can’t trust anyone who says “trust me,” but somehow it didn’t sound like a used car salesman’s pitch when Kai uttered the words. I sit there for a moment, uncertain why my gut is telling me that I should, in fact, trust this man.
Kai must have taken my silence for annoyance at his presumptiveness because his next words are, “Just give it a try. If you don’t like it, I’ll make you something else—whatever you want. On the house,” he adds when my silence continues.
My brain is fluttering with potential responses, but not any that I wish to utter aloud, so I lift the coconut and try to look sexy as I seek the straw with my tongue to take a sip. My attempt at flirtation must not have been a total fail because Kai is gazing at me like he wants to jump over the bar and have his way with me. Normally, that thought would scare the crap out of me, but for some reason, I find the idea oddly intriguing.
When the fruity, rum beverage hits my taste buds, I can’t hide my delighted reaction. I close my eyes, tip my head back, and release a deep “Mmmmm” as the delicious coolness slides down my throat.
Upon opening my eyes, I find that Kai is watching me intently. The look on his face is priceless. We stare at each other in silence for a long moment before he breaks the tension. “Well, now that I have no blood left in the upper half of my body . . . I take it you like the drink?”
I nod at the rhetorical question and manage to wink at him before sliding off my barstool and taking my drink back to my seat. I can feel him watching me go, and I have never in my life felt so sexy and wanted. I don’t care if this is his game and he flirts with everyone, I like how having his attention makes me feel.
When I maneuver the sha
dy umbrella to cover my lounge chair, Ruthie almost jumps out of her seat. “You’re blocking my sunshine,” she screeches at me before turning to smile prettily at the handsome lifeguard. I wonder at her ability to turn her feelings on and off so quickly and with such vehemence.
Once we get the shade situated to everyone’s liking, the rest of the day is spent basking by the pool. I pretend like I’m not watching Kai. I hate to admit it to myself, but there is something about him that is disturbing to me. I decide to bring it up as we are eating lunch at the resort’s café, which is situated across from the pool, still in Kai-viewing proximity.
“So, what do you guys think that bartender is up to?” I broach the subject with Baggy and Ruthie, trying to sound vague and casual.
Baggy jumps on the opening. “Do you think he’s selling drugs or firearms or something behind that bar?” I had been hoping they hadn’t noticed the brown paper bags that Kai periodically exchanged for money. I had wanted to believe that I was imagining it or that there was a logical explanation for the seemingly seedy transfers that Kai was conducting. Hearing that Baggy noticed and was suspicious completely dashes that hope.
“No, I’m sure it’s nothing like that,” I inform them, trying to convince myself as well.
Even though I had brought the topic up, I suddenly want to dismiss the subject from our conversation (and my mind), but Baggy latches on to it and won’t let it go. She holds her pointer finger and thumb up Charlie’s Angels style into a pretend gun. “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” she assures us before jumping up from the table and peering around the corner of the restaurant, finger gun at the ready. She peeks around to make sure it’s safe, before waving Ruthie and I over. Ruthie immediately jumps into the fun, raising her imaginary gun to follow Baggy.
“What have I started?” I wonder aloud, shaking my head at my own stupidity before getting up to follow them.