by Robyn Amos
Ace was a great friend and an amazing chef. But their conversation at the gym reminded her that he was in a different league.
In school, when he’d been a big fish in a little pond, women had clamored to reel him in. Now that he was a big fish in a big pond, Ace was catch of the day on every girl’s menu.
Ronnie knew she’d never be able to compete with the beautiful, experienced women Ace was used to dating. They’d had one incredible night together, but what if that was just an average night for him?
She didn’t need that kind of pressure. Not when she had to shoulder the weight of moving up from behind in the next round of the Food Fight.
Trying to calm her frenetic thoughts, Ronnie settled into her roomy seat with a glass of wine, next to LQ.
“I guess you had a good time on your date last night,” LQ said. “I thought you and Ace were just friends.”
“What do you mean?” Had LQ somehow figured out that Ronnie had slept with Ace? Could LQ read it on Ronnie’s face?
“I’m talking about the article in the Vegas Review.”
Ronnie’s heart leaped. “We were mentioned in the Vegas Review?”
“You didn’t see it? My husband saw it online and called to tell me about it. I assumed someone already told you. Here. I have a printout of it in my purse. They say no press is bad press.”
Her adrenaline spiked. That didn’t sound good.
Sure enough, there they were. A blush instantly crept up Ronnie’s neck as she read the headline.
“So, you’re dating the competition,” LQ said, unable to hide the note of judgment in her voice. “I hope it’s to throw him off his game and not the other way around.”
Ronnie tightened up, not yet feeling the calming effects of the wine. “LQ, Ace and I are old friends. We respect each other too much to let anything personal get in the way of our work.”
“I’m glad to hear that, because the Sexy Chef is a notorious player. I had a friend who—”
“Don’t worry.” Ronnie wasn’t in the mood for a lecture. “I don’t think Ace and I will have another night like last night. I’m not going to let a man steal my focus. If anything, my desire to beat him is stronger than ever.”
“Good,” LQ said, clearly relieved. “I need that prizemoney to buy a new house. I’m not raising a family in that chichi Georgetown apartment we have now.”
As embarrassing as it was to have her friend questioning her judgment, something else was bothering Ronnie. “I just can’t believe such a small local paper cares anything about two chefs out on the town.”
“Celebrity chefs. You’re going to have to get used to this kind of thing from now on. Gourmet TV has a lot of viewers and food competitions get big ratings.”
“I guess I didn’t realize that.” All the more reason to keep things strictly business with Ace. It was bad enough to make a mistake, but it was worse still to do it with the whole world watching.
The combination of white wine and not getting enough rest the night before put Ronnie to sleep shortly after the plane took off. She awoke sometime later at the plane’s sudden lurching dip and a smattering of startled gasps. Disoriented, Ronnie looked at LQ, who was wide-eyed and gripping the armrest tightly.
The fasten seat belts sign dinged and the captain’s voice came on over the loudspeaker. “We’re flying into a thunderstorm and will be experiencing some heavy turbulence for the next several minutes. Please stay in your seats until I turn off the fasten seat belts sign. Flight attendants, please take your seats, as well.”
Ronnie caught her breath. She was a reluctant flyer at best, at times like this she considered giving it up all together.
The plane continued to bob in the air, and Ronnie could hear the rain pummeling the aircraft. Swallowing hard, she couldn’t help thinking that they might actually crash.
Throughout the plane she heard nervous laughter and several frightened shrieks with each jerk and dip. In the back of the plane, a baby was wailing inconsolably, and
Ronnie had to fight the urge to do the same. If she started screaming over a little turbulence, security might carry her off the plane when they landed in Hawaii.
Trying to keep her nerves in check, Ronnie closed her eyes and clutched the armrest. Where was that wine when she needed it? Of course, it would take an entire bottle to dull her anxiety right now.
That’s when her worst fear was realized.
The oxygen masks dropped from their panel. Physically shaking, Ronnie reached for the mask, fumbling to fit it over her mouth.
LQ, mask over her mouth, was audibly praying and crossing herself. Ronnie decided it was time for her to do the same.
Aloud she said, “Dear God, please don’t let this plane crash.”
When her plane landed safely in Kauai, Ronnie had never been so happy to see the ground. LQ immediately pulled out her cell phone to call her husband. And Ronnie, who was just glad to be alive, was stuck in a daze as she went through the motions of claiming her baggage and picking up her rental car.
When she finally got into the convertible and started the drive to her hotel, her mood began to brighten. The scenery was like nothing she’d ever seen before. Where Las Vegas had been all lights and architectural whimsy, Kauai was flora and tropical fantasy.
As Ronnie drove toward her hotel, the sun was beginning to set over the mountains. On impulse, she pulled over and parked on the side of the road so she could take in the view. For those few minutes, though they’d seemed like hours, when the wind had batted the plane around like a kittenwith a ball of yarn, Ronnie had thought she’d never see a sight like this one again.
As she watched the wind ripple through the palm trees, she realized something important. She was being foolish about Ace.
He’d made it clear that he wanted to be with her, and she really wanted to be with him. What else mattered?
She could continue to get hung up on his past, or she could enjoy the present. After that harrowing flight, she knew life was too short not to enjoy it.
Besides, Ace was nothing like any man she’d dated before. Looking back, she could see that there had been a dozen warning signs with men like Andre. She’d known Ace as a friend for so long, she already knew that he cared about her.
It was time to stop holding back and let herself enjoy being in a romance again. Enjoying the company of a handsome man didn’t mean she had to be stupid about it. There wasn’t anything wrong with a little competition fling. Once the All-Star Food Fight was over, they’d be returning to their old lives in separate states.
And letting herself trust Ace a little bit didn’t mean she was blind to reality. As LQ had reminded her, he’d always been a bit of a player. He wasn’t heartless, but he didn’t stay with one woman for long. Because they were friends, Ronnie believed she was more than just another notch on his headboard. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t eventually go looking for his next seduction.
If she entered the relationship with her eyes wide open for a change, maybe she could avoid getting hurt.
Ronnie got back into her car and drove to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Poipu, where she was greeted with a cool drink and a Hawaiian lei.
As she entered the open-air hotel, she could hear theblowing of a conch shell and a native drumbeat. Torches were being lit on the back of the property. Ronnie felt like she was stepping into another world.
This is a new beginning, she thought to herself. I’m going to stop living like a fat girl.
She hadn’t lived like one when she was one, so why was she stifling herself now that she was thin? It was time to get reacquainted with the old Ronnie who had no worries or fears. What would that Ronnie do next? That was easy.
Go big, or go home!
Chapter 12
It was nearly noon when Ace pulled his rental car up to the hotel. He’d expected the bellhop to reach for his luggage, and he’d even expected a lei greeting.
But instead, as he walked toward the opening, three women dressed in hula skirts li
ned up to dance for him.
Instantly, his mouth curved with male appreciation as his gaze skimmed over the trio of shaking hips and swaying arms. “Now, this is what I call VIP treatment.”
Traditional Hawaiian hula dancers—
Wait a minute. His eyes skidded back to the dancer in the middle. “Ronnie!” He clapped his hands together in surprise. “This is fantastic.”
Like the two others, Ronnie was dressed in a grass skirt, a floral halter and a headpiece made from purple orchids. He watched her hips roll and sway with new appreciation. As her body moved, he saw the little stud in her navel glint in the sunlight.
The dancers circled him, and as they swayed by, they each put a lei over his head.
Ronnie gave him her lei last, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. Ace laughed out loud. “This is amazing.”
She pulled away, looking embarrassed. “Oh my God, they’re everywhere.”
Ace looked over his shoulder and saw a photographer standing a few feet away, snapping pictures. This had to be Garett’s doing. If his friend hadn’t flown out last night, Ace would have had the chance to call off this media circus Garett was orchestrating.
“Don’t worry, he probably works for the hotel,” Ace said, trying to downplay the photographer’s presence. “Someone will probably try to sell us a copy of that picture later today.”
As soon as he got inside, he’d wring Garett’s neck and make sure that picture never saw the light of day. Until then, he didn’t want her to worry. “This is the best greeting I’ve ever gotten. How did you set this up?”
Ronnie’s eyes were bright with mischief. “I took a hula lesson this morning. The girls teaching the class were so nice. They agreed to come out here and help me give you a special welcome.”
Ace’s heart was light in his chest. He’d left Las Vegas wondering if Ronnie was going to start pulling away. And here she was arranging this incredible surprise for him. Maybe she did share his feelings.
“LQ and I are going on a tour of the botanical gardens this afternoon, so I knew I wouldn’t see you until dinner. This is just my way of saying hello.”
Ace leaned down, circling her bare waist with his hands. “Well, hello,” he said, pressing his lips against hers.
He knew he was giving the photographer a show, buthe was going to have to deal with that later. Right now he just wanted to feel Ronnie close to him.
He took his time, letting his lips sip at hers. Her lips parted slightly, and he teased the opening with his tongue. When the kiss finally broke, they were both out of breath.
Ronnie sighed. “I thought my hello was pretty good. But yours is better.”
Ace was reluctant to let her go. “Dinner at eight?”
“Don’t kid yourself, we’re both from the East Coast, and there’s a six-hour time difference. At eight o’clock we’ll both be snoring. Let’s make it six.”
“Six it is. Meet me in the lobby. I’ll take care of the rest.”
After he and Ronnie parted ways, it took Ace a few minutes to check in. Then he called Garett to meet him for lunch. His friend showed up to the poolside grill without a clue as to how upset Ace was.
“We need to talk,” he said as soon as Garett pulled up a chair.
“What’s on your mind, buddy?”
“Did you sic a reporter on me this morning?”
Garett laughed, crossing his legs. “No, not at all.”
Ace sank back into his chair in relief. “Thank God, because Ronnie set up an amazing hula greeting and—”
“He wasn’t a reporter,” Garett continued. “He’s just a photographer I hired. I wasn’t happy with the coverage we got in Vegas. I thought we could stimulate some national press if we leaked some juicy photos.”
“Oh geez, it was you,” Ace said, pounding the table with his fist. “I thought I told you to kill the whole showmance thing. I don’t want photographers popping up every time I’m alone with Ronnie.”
“That’s what you think. But just that little article in the
Vegas Review has caused the preorders for your cookbook to go up on Amazon.”
“Garett, I want to make this crystal clear. Fire the photographer you hired and kill the photos. If I see that shot of Ronnie kissing me in a hula skirt in a newspaper, you’ll regret it.”
Garett held up his hand as if he were swearing on the Bible. “Okay, fine. I promise to fire the photographer. You definitely won’t see that photo in the paper, okay? Now, let’s order. I’m starving.”
“Thank you,” Ace said, opening his menu. Now he could plan his romantic date without any worries.
At six o’clock Ronnie met Ace in the lobby as promised. Taking her new attitude to heart, she’d gone shopping after seeing the botanical gardens and bought several sexy new outfits.
Today she was wearing a white orchid-print sarong dress that knotted at her breasts, with a pair of high-heeled sandals. She wore her hair down with a white plumeria flower by her ear.
Ace, wearing his own bamboo-print Hawaiian shirt with tan slacks, took her arm. “You look perfect for what I have planned this evening.”
He escorted her to his car and they drove toward the mountains.
Normally Ronnie didn’t like to ride with the convertible top down. Her hair would whip around her face and she’d end up looking like a bedraggled mop by the time the ride was over. But this evening there was just enough breeze to blow through her curls without tousling them.
The late-spring air in Kauai was cool enough to be refreshing and warm enough to be comfortable. They were surrounded by breathtaking views at every turn. Colorsseemed more brilliant in Kauai. The grass was a deep emerald, the flowers were bright enough to paint a rainbow and the sky framed it all in a dreamy blue.
“I feel like we’re living in a fantasy right now. If we didn’t have to compete in three days, I’d never want to leave.”
“Fantasy is the theme for this date. For now, forget about the competition and everyone else. This evening is just for us.”
“Where are we going?” She studied the smirk on his face. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
“No, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
They continued up the mountain, across tiny one-lane bridges and beside steep drop-offs. Ace pulled over a couple of times so they could enjoy the unexpected waterfalls trickling down the mountains, and chickens running wild on the side of the road.
Finally they pulled into the parking lot of a tiny building. Ronnie read the sign on the window. “Helicopter tours?”
“This is the best way to see Kauai. I came here once a few years ago, and the helicopter tour was the highlight of my visit.”
Ronnie’s heart started to race. “I didn’t have a chance to mention this, but I had a really bad flight. I’m not sure I’m ready to get into another aircraft so soon. Especially one so small.”
Ace came around to her side of the car and pulled her door open. She still wasn’t convinced that she wanted to get out.
“Do you trust me?”
She took a deep breath. He’d never given her a reason not to. “Yes.”
“Then know that I wouldn’t put you in danger. Thiscompany is the best. And I’ll be right beside you to hold your hand. Believe me. You don’t want to miss this.”
Hadn’t she decided to stop holding herself back? Even though the thought of getting in that tiny aircraft gave her the shakes, she couldn’t give up flying. If she made it through this next Food Fight round, she’d have to fly to Paris. And even if she didn’t, she’d still have to fly home. Now was her chance to lay her fears to rest.
“Okay, let’s do it,” she said, finally.
They entered the building, filled out their release forms, which did nothing to assuage her fears, and were escorted out to the helicopter.
They put on headphones so the pilot could speak to them above the noise of helicopter blades, and Ace took her hand. Ronnie held her breath as the helicopter lifted off. S
he soon forgot her reservations as she got caught up in the incredible sights below her.
They flew over the colorful fingers of Nā Pali Coast and over more waterfalls than she could count. The pilot pointed out the falls from the old TV show Fantasy Island and the movie Jurassic Park. Ace squeezed her hand as they looked down into the stunning gorge of Waimea Canyon.
Between the Hawaiian music the pilot played for ambience and his funny commentary, Ronnie realized that she was having the time of her life. And she would have missed it if she hadn’t allowed herself to trust Ace.
After they’d been in the air for nearly an hour, Ronnie was shocked to see the helicopter descending in the middle of an open field. Immediately, her heart started hammering. “Is there something wrong with the helicopter? Why are we landing?”
“This is your final destination,” the pilot said, and Ronnie looked at Ace in confusion.
He just smiled cryptically and helped her out of the helicopter. He led her through a path of trees that opened to a gorgeous lagoon where a table for two had been set up. It was surrounded by tiki torches and two covered platters sat at each place setting.
Ronnie felt her eyes welling with tears. No one had ever gone to this much effort for her. She was always the one who planned Valentine’s Day and birthday surprises. She’d practically come to the decision that romance was something men only practiced in the movies.
Trying not to blubber like a fool, Ronnie wobbled in the grass on her heeled sandals. “Why don’t you take those off,” Ace said, kneeling to unfasten the straps for her.
As soon as his big hands touched her ankle, her knees almost buckled. It must have been her rush of emotion that overwhelmed her. Because suddenly Ronnie wanted Ace with a passion she’d never experienced before.
He took her arm and helped her get seated at the table. Finally she could trust her voice to speak. “This is the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me. Thank you.”
Ace smiled. “Believe me, Ronnie, you deserve it. It may not be my place to say this, but, I caught a glimpse of how Andre used to treat you, and it always bothered me. I want you to know that not all men are like that.”