by Freda Ann
“It’s a work in progress. We actually talked the ladies into a Harley ride up the Hana Highway and back yesterday. It was a lot of fun.”
“Well, well. They actually trusted you two with their lives. Smooth.” The waiter sat a cup of coffee in front of Jacques as he tipped his head up at him to say thank you. “Seriously, I’m happy for you. You could use a little distraction while you’re here on my island.” He lifted his cup and raised it to Brandon before taking a sip.
“Thanks man. We’re hoping to spend more time together. We haven’t seen them today though. Maybe we’ll catch up with them later.”
Jacques laughed out loud thinking back to when he first moved to Maui. “Hey, - do you remember when the three of us rode the Harleys to Kaanapali? And we had the bright idea to try and ride on part of the beach?” Brandon and Stephen busted out laughing. “It was fun until I busted my ass when I hit some soft sand! Man was I embarrassed when everybody watched and laughed at me.”
“As I recall, you were the one to suggest it. We just went along for the ride.” Brandon laughed even harder picturing Jacques wrapped around the bike in the sand as a crowd gathered. Luckily the only thing hurt was his pride.
“Yeah - it wasn’t one of my brighter ideas I guess.” He shook his head still grinning.
They remembered some of the good times they’ve had when they all got together and also talked about the football game that was on last night as they finished breakfast. Before Jacques left for the kitchen, he offered his car anytime they needed it.
Stephen said he needed to pick up a few things at the store so they took Jacques up on his offer to use the car and headed into town to do a little shopping.
* * * * *
Mindy has always wanted to learn how to surf, though Faith tried it when she was a teenager but just a few times, so they decided to take a lesson.
They checked in at the activity shack where a few others were waiting for a lesson, were given wet suits to put on and were told to meet their instructor over near the surfboards to the left of the shack.
The cute bleached blonde college aged kid fit them to a board and showed everyone the basics on shore. He stressed the fact that the key to surfing is being able to balance yourself calmly so you don’t lose your footing on the board. The more relaxed you are, the less chance of falling off.
After simulating being on the surfboards in the sand, practicing jumping up to a standing position about ten times with knees bent and arms out for balance, they all headed out into the water for the real lesson.
Mindy and Faith noticed the water was definitely colder than it is in Florida. Since it was still a bit early in the day, the waves weren't too high or rough which helped them paddle out a ways and climb on the boards to a sitting position without going under.
There was only two other people in the group so the instructor was able to stay close by as they bobbed up and down on the boards while he talked them through the steps one more time.
“OK, now keep an eye behind you from time to time so you know when a good wave comes. Go ahead and lay on your board so you’re ready.” They all did as told. “You see the wave coming? The two foot one back behind us? When I say go, start paddling as fast as you need to so you stay on top of the wave then jump up before it breaks and ride it out.” He turned to watch the wave. “ - Go!”
Mindy and Faith did as told and could barely keep up with the wave at first but managed long enough to jump up on the board with their knees bent for balance as they tried hard not to fall.
They were able to stay on the board without crashing in the water for a little ways but Mindy lost her balance first and went down almost face first just before Faith lost it and fell in sideways after her.
They came up smiling and laughing saying how much fun it was and couldn’t wait to do it again so they paddled out to where everyone else was hanging, waiting for waves, and did it again. Over and over until they were able to stay up several times in a row most of the way.
Faith and Mindy were having so much fun and never knew it could be so exhilarating to surf. The hour flew by so quickly but they were a bit worn out anyway so they headed for the shore to return the surfboards and thank their instructor.
“You want to rinse and dry off then head to the beach bar and grill for lunch,” Faith asked? “If you feel like chilling after that we can head to the pool to swim and relax in a cabana.”
“See - we think too much alike. I was thinking the same thing!” Mindy told Faith as they busted out laughing at each other.
They sat at a table with an umbrella over it and both ordered a pulled pork sandwich, minus the bread, some fries and water with lemon to drink. They figured they could use the hydration after being in the salty water and sun for over an hour.
The ladies talked about surfing and their trip so far as they ate lunch. When they were done, they walked to the infinity pool to see if they could find an available cabana. Luckily there were a few unoccupied so they grabbed one facing over the pool so they could also see the ocean.
Mindy put her things down and as she sat on the edge of the cabana, she grabbed her cell phone to take a picture. “The kids will love this. The view is picture perfect. I can’t wait to tell them I actually surfed. They won’t believe it.” She smiled at the thought of her children.
They took their wraps off and sat in the cabana enjoying the breeze and the view as they watched other guests come and go. Mindy decided to give her kids a quick call before it got too late in Florida. She sent the pics she just took to her mom to show the kids how nice it was there. They loved them and couldn’t believe she took a surfing lesson. Since it was bath time for the kids, they only talked for a few minutes but Mindy perked up after hearing their voices. She told them she’d call or text grandma every day to check on them and tell them she loved and missed them. That made them all happy.
Faith looked over at her as she ended her call. “I know you miss them terribly but they’re being spoiled by their grandparents - and you are long overdue for this vacation.” Mindy glanced over at her friend and gave her a look as if she knew she was right.
Mindy reclined halfway back and breathed in the fresh air as she was letting herself relax. As her mind cleared, thoughts of Brandon starting filtering through unsolicited. She wondered why she couldn’t quit thinking about him. Trying for a bit to push the thoughts out of her head, she scooted to the edge of the cabana, took her sunglasses off and turned to Faith. “I think it’s time for a swim.”
“Oh - OK,” Faith said, looking a bit puzzled.
Mindy went to the deep end and dove in head first. After getting used to the slightly cool water, she began swimming laps. She swam the length of the pool several times then stopped in the deep end treading water for a bit before swimming to the ladder and climbing it. As she stepped off the ladder onto the pavement and stood up, she walked right into someone.
Feeling a bit embarrassed she looked up to apologize. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see - “ She couldn’t finish her sentence when she looked into the man’s mesmerizing eyes. Starring at him with her mouth open, she realized how stupid she must look and quickly spoke up. “Brandon!”
Turning towards her, he smiled looking like a cheshire cat. “Well, well. We were wondering what you girls were up to today and now we know.”
Trying to compose her facial expressions and suddenly feeling overly exposed in front of him, “We?”
“Yeah, Stephen and I. He’s over there at the cabana talking to Faith.” He pointed in their direction.
“Oh, I see.” Trying not to appear any more surprised, Mindy started walking towards the cabana to dry off as Brandon followed alongside but seemed to be slowing his pace.
He slowed a bit so he could get a better look at the beauty walking next to him. He couldn’t help but gaze over at her as she sauntered. He liked to watch her walk. He noticed her lavender bikini top that criss-crossed in front at her collarbone and hooked behind her neck. Lowering his
eyes, he saw a lavender and black bikini bottom that hugged every inch of her in all the right places. It really accented her rear-end. He tried to keep from drooling before speaking. “So uh - how has your day been going?”
She felt the heat of his eyes on her body and suddenly felt warm all over despite the breeze blowing over the water running down her skin. “Actually, it’s been a pretty good day so far. We took a surfing lesson which was a lot of fun.” She grabbed her towel to dry off as she stood next to the cabana.
“Hey Mindy.” Stephen said casually as he nodded at her.
“Hello Stephen. I see you found Faith.” She couldn’t help but grin with pursed lips.
“We were actually looking for a cabana when I saw Faith sitting here and noticed the one next to her had just been vacated.” Glancing at Faith then back, “I was waving to Brandon to let him know as you were getting out of the pool. That’s probably why he didn’t see you step out.”
She looked up at Brandon with a grin then back at Stephen, noticing he was sitting on the side she had occupied before her swim. He continued his conversation with Faith so she stood there holding the towel in front of her feeling like she needed more coverage.
“Here, you can sit on ours and tell me about your surfing lesson.” Brandon sat on the side near Stephen then patted the other side hoping Mindy would sit down next to him.
Pausing to notice how comfortable Faith and Stephen seemed together, she went to the other side, slowly unwrapped the towel that covered her and spread it out before sitting on it. She stretched her legs out in front of her and glanced down quickly to make sure she wasn’t about to rub legs with Brandon, though the thought of it did excite her and made her tingle all over.
“So was today your first time surfing?” Brandon asked to get the conversation going since Mindy seemed a bit reluctant to say anything. He wondered why a knockout like her would feel the least bit self conscious in a bathing suit.
Looking in his direction, she answered. “It was!” The thought of how much fun she had made her happy. “And it was exhilarating. I had so much fun doing it. - Don’t get me wrong, it was tricky at first but after landing face first in the surf three or four times, I was able to stay up most of the way the rest of the time we were in the water.”
They sat there talking about surfing for a bit then Mindy wanted to know more about Maui. Gleaming at him while he told her, she kept thinking how good it felt being near him.
Chapter 6
“Enough about me - tell me about you. I don’t even know your last name.” Brandon smiled when he angled his body towards her a little more, like he was talking with his best friend.
Mindy is normally cautious what she tells people she doesn’t know too well but the more she talked to Brandon, the more she felt comfortable around him. Like she could tell him anything without worry.
Feeling slightly giddy all of a sudden, she just started talking before she chickened out. “Shane. My last name is Shane. It’s my madden name. - I’m a divorced mother of three great kids. I share custody with my ex-husband Daniel, who I actually get along with . . . now at least.”
Mindy looked out towards the water as she thought of when she could barely stand the site of Daniel, let alone be around him. He cheated on her towards the end of their marriage and things were never the same between them afterward.
She knew that her marriage still would’ve fallen apart though, maybe not as quickly, but they eventually realized they weren’t soulmates. They met in high school and were each others first real loves, or so they thought. After they split up, she knew that what they shared wasn’t that once in a lifetime kind of love she hears people talk about.
Bringing her attention back to him she continued. “After we separated, it took us a little while but we finally found a way to co-exist and actually get along. I credit the kids and Daniel’s current wife with a big part of that. She’s the best thing that happened to him and is wonderful to my children. She helps simplify everything between me, their dad and the kids. We are really good friends. - I guess it’s kinda strange now that I think about it.”
“I don’t think it’s so strange.” Brandon spoke up. “I’m also a divorced parent with two awesome kids, not that I’m bragging.” He smiled big. “And I too get along pretty well with my ex, whom I share custody with. - We realized after several years together, we are much better friends than spouses.”
Curling her legs closer to her body as she turned towards Brandon showing more interest. “So how long have you lived on the island? - I assume your kids and ex-wife live here too?”
Shit! Brandon wasn’t prepared to deal with the little white lie just yet. He looked out at the ocean trying to figure out just what to say. But he knew he couldn’t keep lying to her. “Well - I don’t actually live here on Maui. I - “
“I don’t understand. How can you work here at the restaurant if you don’t live on the island? I doubt they fly in a different Chef each week.” Mindy looked at him puzzled.
“ - So I have a little confession.” He looked at her to gauge her response before he continued.
Mindy stared at him trying to figure out what he was going to tell her. “OK - go ahead.”
“I’m not really a Chef. I’m actually here on vacation too. A good friend of mine, Jacques, is the head Chef here. I’d seen you and Faith walking the horses on the beach earlier that day and then saw you again in the restaurant. There was - there was something about you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you and then I saw you across the room. - So I came up with a crazy plan because I really wanted to meet you.”
Mindy stared at Brandon with a blank look on her face. She wasn’t sure how to react or what to think of someone who would do something so crazy just to meet her.
Looking totally sincere as he pled his case. “It was the only way I could think of to meet you without being just another guy trying to hit on you.” He glanced over at Stephen and Faith then back again before continuing. “When I came to Maui, I had no intention of showing interest in anyone of the opposite sex. It was the last thing I wanted to think about. But - there you were on the beach and I couldn’t look away. I don’t know why and I’m sure it sounds strange but I kinda felt mesmerized by you. I watched you walk down the beach with Faith until you were out of site. - Creepy, huh? Not quite the way I meant it to sound.”
Mindy looked out at the ocean again, not sure what to say or think. Had she misjudged him totally? Or was he being truthful with her?
Brandon couldn’t help but think that he totally blew it. She’s probably thinking what a pervert he was to watch them walk all the way down the beach, two women he didn’t know. His heart was starting to sink. - But it’s not like they were in a private area. It was a public beach, he thought to himself.
“Mindy, it wasn’t as bad as it probably sounds. Have you ever felt a connection to someone before you met them? - Well that’s what I felt. Like we knew each other from somewhere or in another lifetime. I knew I had to meet you after I saw you for the second time at the restaurant. I didn’t want to take a chance of never seeing you again - so pretending to be the Chef was what came to mind. It’s all I could come up with on spur of the moment.”
Staring at her beautiful profile as she looked towards the water, Brandon started to get a feeling of doom. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner Mindy. I couldn’t seem to find the right time. Please forgive me. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Mindy turned, looking him directly in the eyes. “Well that makes me feel better - ‘Chef’!” Shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m trying to decide if I should be totally weirded out or extremely flattered.”
“Well I think you should go for the extremely flattered myself.” He couldn’t help but smile at her with a slight belly laugh.
Looking towards the ocean and back again. “So where do you live if it’s not here?”
“California. Just outside of L.A. My ex-wife and her boyfriend live a few miles away fro
m me. It makes it really convenient to share custody of the kids.”
“I’m sure it does. My ex lives about thirty minutes from me. Not quite as convenient as your situation but we make it work. As I said before, his wife helps out a lot.”
Trying to keep the conversation going so Mindy doesn’t think about his little white lie. “So what do you do for work?”
“I’m an Interior Designer. - After college, I worked for a large firm for about ten years. I started my own business a few years ago and it’s actually pretty rewarding. And you?”
“Well - I produce films.”
“What kind of films? You mean like movies? - Like on the big screen?” Mindy’s eyebrows raised with surprise. That was about the last thing she expected him to say.
Laughing at the comment and her look, “Yes, those kind.” He laid back in the cabana relaxing a bit since she didn’t seem to push the fact that he lied to her.
Still looking surprised, “That’s actually pretty cool. I’ve never met a producer before.”
“Well you have now.” He smiled coyly still looking at her. “But trust me, it’s a lot of work sometimes and very long hours when we’re filming.”
“But you enjoy it, right?”
“Yeah, I really do. It gets my creative juices flowing, you know what I mean? And that makes me feel good.”
Looking at Brandon, “I do know. I feel the same way about my career. I love the creativity it allows me.”
They both looked away gazing out at the ocean listening to the sound of the water and the breeze, enjoying each others presence. Each one thought how good it felt - the connection. There was definitely a connection that neither one of them could deny - and they felt it deep inside.
After several minutes went by, Brandon looked at Mindy again. “Would you consider having dinner with me tonight? There’s a really good restaurant just down the street we could try if you’d like. Something different.” He didn’t push her for an answer right away. He could tell she was thinking about it. He was just happy she didn’t turn him down as soon as he asked.