by Freda Ann
Mindy looked up at this gorgeous man’s eyes as she waited for him to repeat himself. She couldn’t believe she was even thinking of him like that. She was determined not to let anyone of the opposite sex make her think twice about them. Not since Chase. She would not let herself fall for another man. Not for a long, long time. The pain still haunted her sometimes.
Looking at the blonde before glancing briefly at the other woman, Brandon asked, “So what do you think of our new food options? Do you think they’d do well on the regular menu? The restaurant staff works hard at bringing their patrons the best food in Maui.” He tried to appear professional but just couldn’t help smiling at her.
Mindy tried not to smile back but there was no fighting it as she looked at his eyes. “Everything was wonderful.” Looking over at Faith then back to Brandon she continued, “and we would highly recommend all of them as regular menu items. You would make a lot of people’s taste buds happy.”
“That’s wonderful to hear. I’ll pass along your compliments to the kitchen staff. I’d like to personally thank you for agreeing to sample them for us. And if you have any problems while here, please don’t hesitate to ask for me. My name is Brandon,” he smiled again and extended his hand to the blonde, gripping her thin hand with nice long fingers gently as she lifted it to his. He looked at the other woman and shook her’s as well.
Looking up at him with a smile, “I’m Faith and this is my friend Mindy. We’d like to thank you again for your generosity. Everyone has been amazing since we arrived this morning.”
“Well, welcome to our beautiful island. Are you here for long?”
“We’re here for a week. And if the rest of our stay is as good as today, I’m sure we’ll regret not staying longer.” Faith smiled and noticed Mindy frequently cutting her eyes up to look at Brandon.
“Where are you ladies from?” He looked at Mindy hoping she’d answer.
“We live in Florida. Are you from here?” Mindy surprised herself by asking him.
“I lived in California most of my life but I’m happiest in Hawaii.” One of the waiters came up to Brandon, “Excuse me sir but the party at table 6 would like a word with you.” He nodded and looked back at Mindy and Faith. “It was a pleasure meeting you both. If I can help in any way while you’re here, don’t hesitate to ask for me.” With a polite nod Brandon walked across the room to table 6 where Stephen and Jacques were waiting for an update.
He decided it was best not to be too forward all at once. He could sense some hesitation when Mindy interacted with him. He was wondering if she’s in a troubled relationship or maybe recently divorced. He didn’t see a ring on her finger so that was encouraging. Either way, he didn’t want to scare her off. He decided to figure out a way to see her tomorrow and left it at that.
Chapter 2
Back at their room Mindy changed into some comfortable clothes and headed to the patio while Faith hopped in the shower. Mindy couldn’t help but think about the days events and felt a few butterflies in her stomach as she thought of Brandon. She kept telling herself she wasn’t getting romantically involved with anyone. She didn’t want the headaches or potential pain of a relationship right now. She just wanted to focus on her children and work. - Then she remembered the real reason why she felt this way . . . Chase.
Mindy had worked in sales and marketing at the Sandy Beach Golf Resort and Chase worked in maintenance. He was so handy. If it was broken he could fix it. He had a way with his hands and figuring things out.
From the first time she saw him walking around the property at the resort, she felt the sparks between them. Chase was just under six foot with a lithe, yet muscular build. He flashed the most amazing smile at her with the sweetest dimples she had ever seen.
She remembered the exact moment that turned their friendship into something more. It was on Chase’s birthday. She remembered he didn’t have any family living nearby or many close friends so she wanted to try to make it a little special for him, especially since he had to work that day.
Mindy made cupcakes for her kids the night before and brought one to work for him with a candle on top. She asked Chase to meet her in the lounge at the resort’s marina clubhouse an hour after it closed. No one would be around after hours.
She took the cupcake out of the container and when he walked into the room, she lit the candle and yelled “Happy Birthday”! She told him to make a wish and blow it out. He did as she told him with a big smile on his face. Mindy could see how much that meant to him. His smile could make her melt. Mindy knew after that evening they would be more than friends.
They sat around talking for well over an hour before someone needed him at another part of the resort property. They both stood up knowing he had to leave. He thanked her for the cupcake a third time as he slowly leaned in closer, pausing to look into her eyes with his sexy look but not saying a word. Her whole body tingled with excitement and anticipation hoping he was actually going to kiss her.
As he leaned in the rest of way, his eyes closed and he gently touched his lips to hers - once, twice, three times. But the third time was definitely the charm when his mouth opened wider and he pressed his lips harder to hers. He put his hands on her waist and slid them to her back, pulling her even closer to him.
The kiss got deeper and more intense as Mindy rubbed his arms with her hands before making her way to his shoulders and around his neck to pull him even closer. Just then he started to ease up and finished it with one soft kiss before he loosened his grip on her and looked at her eyes.
“My wish came true.” He smiled big looking at her.
“I was hoping that would be your wish,” she said with a shit eating grin. “And I’m glad you liked your cupcake.”
“It was one of the most memorable birthdays I’ve ever had.” He said gently pulling her close one last time for another kiss.
Looking at his blue eyes she couldn’t help but smile as they both said goodnight and walked out of the lounge.
Mindy thought for sure that night was just the beginning of a long relationship together. They started spending more and more time together, both at work and afterward, and couldn’t seem to get enough of each other.
She had never felt as close to anyone when they made love. They didn’t just make love once. Most times they’d lay in bed holding each other and talking after the first round, then would make love at least one or two more times. She thought their bond was amazing. Mindy had come to know him so well, or so she thought.
There was every indication that he felt the same. One of his favorite things to do when they were together was to wrap his arms around her and just hold her. At times no words were spoken. They’d just enjoy the feeling of being close.
They had dated for about nine months when Chase invited her to his place to hang out. After a wonderful night together that ended in repeated love making, Chase pulled Mindy so close and laid his left leg over her legs. As she heard his heart beating against her cheek while he rubbed her hair, she said “I love you.”
The confession was not planned and surprised even her, though she’d felt that way for a while. She stayed very still, not sure what to expect. Chase didn’t say a word or react in any way. They laid there in the same position for a while. She was afraid to say anything as she wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
Finally, Chase kissed her lightly on the top of her head, got up and went into the bathroom. Mindy laid there afraid to move. She suddenly got a sinking feeling inside. She could sense the tension building almost immediately after she told him she loved him but wasn’t sure why.
Ten minutes later Chase came out of the bathroom and asked her if she wanted something to drink. She said no thank you and headed to the bathroom.
When she came out, he was standing in the middle of the living room flipping T.V. channels. She walked over to him, put her arms around him and said she better get home. He said he needed to get to bed anyway since he had to be at work early in the morning.
> As they said goodnight, he gave her a peck on the lips. Not the usual passionate one he always ended their date with. His body language was different. At that moment she knew their relationship would never be the same.
They saw each other a handful of times over the next few weeks but only at work. When she asked him about getting together, he would have a reason why they couldn’t. Some valid and some she felt were excuses.
Two weeks after she confessed her love to him, he told her a close friend asked him to take a temporary job doing maintenance on a ship in Alaska. He said the money was too good to pass up. He told her he was leaving in a few days but would be back in a few months.
She knew boating was one of his favorite hobbies so she tried not to over-react. He actually owned a boat and used to stay on it from time to time before buying a townhome. Having grown up near a lake his dad and brothers shared the love of boating as well. He knew pretty much everything about them and how to fix them when they broke.
But in the back of her mind, Mindy couldn’t help but think the trip was his way of distancing them. Their relationship just wasn’t the same. It’s like he wanted very little to do with her now that she’d fallen in love with him.
He left on his trip and occasionally wrote and sent her a few pictures, at least the first month he was on the boat where he worked. He wrote her twice the second month and said his job would be over soon. He also told her he decided to head back to his hometown in Massachusetts after his job ended. He wanted to visit with family for a while.
They wrote each other off and on when he moved back home but the letters started dwindling and soon after stopped. The words contained in them were more friendly rather than romantic. He hadn’t mentioned missing her for several weeks despite her telling him she missed their time together.
To this day it still baffles her just what went wrong. All she did was tell him she loved him, not really expecting anything in return - but she also didn’t expect him to end things like they meant nothing to each other for the past nine months. Many times he was the aggressor in their relationship but she loved being pursued by him. He showed every indication of falling for her.
Mindy kept telling herself there had to be some underlying issue he had with telling someone he loved them but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what it was. He said he had never been married and hadn’t dated for a while. So many scenarios went through her head but then she remembered how normal he was with her and their growing relationship so nothing she came up with made sense. He never gave her a reason to suspect he wasn’t capable of ever committing to anyone.
After they ended all communication and she realized it was over for good with Chase, she refused to get seriously involved with anyone or even date for that matter. It hurt too much. She decided to concentrate on work and raising her children. That’s why she won’t get involved with Brandon no matter how hot and sexy he is.
* * * * *
After the ladies left the restaurant, Brandon sat down with Stephen and Jacques to try to figure out what his next move should be. Since Mindy seemed a bit reluctant to engage him in any real conversation he didn’t want to appear too pushy and scare her away. He wanted their interaction to be comfortable so she wouldn’t shy away from him.
He wondered what room Mindy was staying in. He thought maybe he could set up an impromptu meeting somehow if he knew what area of the hotel she was staying in. The lightbulb went off in his head. “Their bill! I can get her room number off their bill.” He looked so happy at the thought. “Most people charge their meals to their room. Ha! Jacques, go find a copy of the bill and get me the room number,” he told his friend hoping he’d agree to it.
Jacques shook his head looking down briefly before he looked at Brandon. “Oh so now I’m suppose to forget about our guests privacy by snooping on your behalf. Do you have any idea the trouble I could get in if anyone knew I did something like that? In case you don’t know by now I love my job!”
“Don’t give me that crap! All you have to do is go to wherever you keep your signed guest receipts and just look through them making a mental note of the ladies room number then tell me what it is. No sweat. I’ll find a way to make our chance meeting appear to be just that. They’ll never question it or know any difference.”
Standing up from the table, Jacques and Stephen busted out laughing knowing he was just giving Brandon a hard time. “Don’t go throwing a fit. I’ll get the room number for you but you’re going to owe me.” As Brandon stood up, they shook hands smiling at each other with a laugh.
He thanked Jacques for helping him out and headed back to his room with Stephen. They went out to the patio and talked for a little while. He was actually enjoying some down time with his best friend. He valued their friendship and had nothing but respect for Stephen.
* * * * *
Brandon and Stephen became fast friends while filming one of Brandon’s movies that Stephen landed a part in. It was Brandon’s second feature film he produced and his best one at the time. Stephen was fairly new to the business so he picked Brandon’s brain every chance he got. That’s when he realized how different, yet intriguing Brandon’s style was.
In addition to working on a few other projects together, Stephen was a great sounding board and friend to Brandon during some difficult times. He always showed up no matter what Brandon needed from him and Brandon was there for Stephen just the same.
He saw Brandon through his marital problems and eventual divorce from his ex-wife Alex. It was often times difficult juggling single fatherhood while being a sought after producer working very long hours and traveling frequently.
Brandon and Alex became better friends after the split. The longer they were married the more they realized they were just too different to truly be happy long term. Despite their love for each other and sharing two children, they knew they would be much better as friends than husband and wife. Once they realized that, they felt such relief and divorced soon after without any hard feelings. Their love ended up being that of friendship rather than soulmates.
Brandon wouldn’t date for the first few years after his divorce. But with friends and family constantly pushing him to start dating, he agreed to but only casually. He didn’t want to get serious again, not now at least with his crazy busy life.
Brandon has dated off and on, ending his most recent relationship six months ago. He had dated Tabu for three months when he knew it had run it’s course. The only problem was she didn’t want it to end and refused to acknowledge the fact that he told her it was over. She kept calling him, showing up at his house and going to places she knew he frequented trying to convince him they had a future together.
Brandon had seen her in several movies before they started dating. She was a tall, thin and very attractive woman with deep red, slightly wavy hair that most men would give their right arm to date. She usually dressed well but a little too risqué at times for Brandon’s taste. It wasn’t until Tabu attended a party that Brandon went to with a friend that he decided to ask her out. She practically talked him into it before the words were said.
The relationship started out pretty normal and Brandon even introduced her to his father when he visited a month after they were dating. J.D. hit it off with her and even wanted the relationship to get more serious once he realized how successful and well off she was. Brandon’s father thinks money and popularity is what makes marriage material. J.D. told her to keep in touch since he doesn’t hear from his son too often. He thought it would be a good way to keep up with him.
It wasn’t long after she met his father that Brandon started seeing different sides of her. Tabu went off on one of his long time female friends when she asked him to join her for dinner before she left town for a job. At first Brandon thought she just misunderstood his relationship with his friend so he didn’t discuss it with her.
A week later they went to a pool party at his casting director’s house and she made such a scene because a female gu
est climbed in the hot tub where Brandon was and sat next to him. Brandon was so embarrassed and apologized for her behavior before leaving and taking her to her apartment. They had a long talk and Brandon made it clear that he wouldn’t put up with the outbursts and jealously. She agreed that she overreacted and blamed it on the alcohol so he gave her the benefit of the doubt.
After a few more weeks, Tabu started displaying similar behavior so Brandon ended the relationship. She couldn’t believe that he would break up with her. She told him he was crazy to leave her because most of the men in the industry wanted to date her and he wouldn’t find anyone better. She said she wouldn’t date anyone else because she knew she was meant to be with Brandon. Tabu tried some underhanded things to get Brandon back including conspiring with his father. There was no way Brandon wanted her back but she wasn’t giving up.
Between Tabu finding ways to be around him, fatherhood and being under a lot of pressure with several projects in the works, he was feeling stressed more than he would admit. It was beginning to affect his quality of sleep, his focus while working and also when spending quality time with his kids. Stephen told his friend he had to take a vacation, one way or another. Being so busy, he hasn’t taken a vacation for well over a year.
That’s when Brandon and Stephen agreed to figure out a way to get him to decompress, clear his mind and body of the things he’s been internalizing. He was starting to get frequent tension headaches and knew something had to change so he could think clearer.
The two of them talked about things Brandon liked to do, and places that made him feel happy and relaxed. He remembered vacations on the beaches of St. Barts, skiing in Aspen, partying with friends in Rio, learning some of the history of Greece in Athens - and Maui. Oh yes, Maui. His favorite place in the world was Maui!
They both remembered he was never more relaxed or felt more refreshed after spending time in Maui. He totally immersed himself in everything Hawaii when he visited and that made him feel happy and refreshed. That’s when they both knew Hawaii was the perfect place for him to unwind.