Holiday Hookup

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “Sure.” Selena gave Blaine an apologetic look and slung her bag over her shoulder.

  “Is something the matter?” Blaine asked, stepping into Titus’s personal space.

  “I need a word with Selena. This doesn’t concern you, Mr. Stephens. She’ll still be able to fix dinner for you tonight. What was on the menu again?” Titus looked at her expectantly.

  “I’m going to do a tomato-eggplant bruschetta topped with mozzarella and a basil-macadamia-nut pesto.”

  “Is that going to be filling enough?” Blaine wrinkled his nose at her.

  “It’s basically a pizza,” she said, exasperated. She didn’t need his help. She needed him to get to the car that was taking them to Pe’ahi before it left them stuck at the wellness center all day. And with Titus on high alert, she wouldn’t get a chance to sneak back upstairs until she was supposed to be there.

  “Throw in a couple of beers and you got a deal.”

  “There’s a six pack of Coconut Hiwa Porter in the fridge.”

  “I’d want a lighter beer for the pizza.”

  Holding in a sigh, she reached into her bag for her notebook. “How does Bikini Blonde Lager sound from the Maui Brewing Company?”

  Blaine gave her the shaka and then finally got the hint and left them alone.

  She wasn’t worried that Titus was going to lay on her about fraternizing with the customers, because he would’ve have opened up with that. He got off on slut-shaming his employees. Just another reason she’d rather go back to the Miami Diner where she started her career than work at the Maui Wellness Center on a full-time permanent basis.

  “I heard a rumor that you used to work for Anton Koslov, the famous chef.”

  Selena managed not to roll her eyes. “That was a long time ago.”

  “He’s coming to visit this weekend. And I want you to cook for him.”

  “No.” Selena hated the fact that the thought filled her with a cold fear, and she had to physically lock down her knees from shaking. “I’m not interested.”

  Titus frowned. “I thought you’d like to reconnect with your old mentor.”

  She’d rather stick a fork in her eye.

  “Why don’t you see if Leif is free? He’s got some good skills in the kitchen and I’m sure the chef would appreciate his island delicacies. Leif’s malasadas would sweeten even the most twisted and evil heart.”

  “Those are awfully fattening.”

  “Yeah.” Selena sighed. She wondered if they could convince the driver to stop for the doughy sacks of sugar that exploded with flavor and melted in your mouth.

  “Just one dish?” Titus asked. “You always get rave reviews on your ahi poke bowl. It’s a simple and easy dish and I want it to be part of the chef’s experiences in the wellness center. I cleared it with Kirk Diamonte, and I’m prepared to offer you a five-hundred-dollar bonus.”

  “Five hundred for one meal?” That would buy a textbook at the Cordon Bleu or some really nice wine. Selena liked the irony that it would be going toward her Paris fund. And the little voice in the back of her head said, Your ahi poke is your signature dish. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a compliment from the old bastard? And it was so damned easy. It was practically foolproof to make.

  “Now that I think about it, maybe it would be a good idea to connect with Chef Koslov,” Selena said. “Text me the details. And I’ll make sure I’ve got enough for servings for whoever else is going to be there.”

  “Where are you going now?” Titus said. “We could discuss the menu.”

  “I got a few errands to run before I have to come back and make dinner for Mr. Stephens.”

  “You two seem to be having a good time together.”

  “Yeah, he’s great.” Great in bed. “He has a nice sense of humor, and it’s a pleasant to cook for someone who appreciates what you’re doing.”

  “So he’s enjoying the healthier choices that you’re making for him.”

  Selena shifted from one foot to the other. She really wanted to get going to Pe’ahi and watch the waves with Blaine, but she didn’t want to be too obvious that she was blowing Titus off. Otherwise he might follow her to the car and then they’d be busted.

  She gave what she hoped sounded like a carefree laugh. “I can’t say that I’ve totally transformed the junk-food junkie, but at least he doesn’t put his nose up at any of the vegetarian dishes that I serve him.”

  “His family was very concerned about his stress levels and eating habits. Would you say that in the past few days, you’ve seen a difference in his attitude?” Titus opened up his iPad and looked poised to take notes.

  “I can’t really say because I haven’t known him previously, but he does seem to have embraced the island’s lifestyle.”

  “That is a good sign, because his family was worried that he was working himself into a heart attack.”

  “Heart attack?” Selena nibbled on her lip, suddenly feeling guilty about letting him have the laptop to work. He should be resting.

  “You did see the YouTube video, didn’t you?”

  “It was one of the first things I did when I realized that I had been assigned to him.”

  “Has he shown any loss of control or anger-management issues?”

  She thought about the YouTube incident, but wasn’t going to narc on Blaine. She would just have to keep an eye on him and make sure that he went to the meditation sessions and the ukulele lessons. Like she had told him, it wouldn’t be a magic pill to fix everything in his life, but it would help. Shaking her head, she said, “I just cook his meals. It’s hard to be mad at somebody feeding you.”

  Titus leaned in and muttered under his breath. “He did get a little snippy with the staff when they wouldn’t give him a car or access to the internet.”

  “Well, he is tech geek with a lot of money. He’s not used to hearing the word no or being offline. So I can imagine that he was irritated, especially if it wasn’t his choice to come here.”

  “He didn’t have to agree to our terms.”

  “From what I understand, his family coerced him into coming here.” Selena didn’t want to sound like she was defending him, but it was the truth.

  “His mother is driving me crazy,” Titus admitted. “She calls me on a daily basis wanting an update even though I’ve given her a copy of his itinerary. I’ve told her that he’s not allowed to use the phone because it will interfere with his de-stressing.”

  “What’s she so worried about?” Selena wondered.

  “From what she told me, Mr. Stephens collapsed shortly after the punching incident.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. She made it a point to ask him what the heck was up with that. He was too young for a heart attack, or at least, he should have been too young for a heart attack. Sometimes it didn’t matter how old you were if you had been abusing your body for years.

  “I know he was under a lot of stress at work,” she said.

  “And that’s why we have to be diligent that he concentrates on relaxation. I told Mikelina to sign him up for some deep meditation classes in our serenity studio.”

  “He should like that,” Selena said, hiding her smirk. She could hear him complaining about it now.

  “Well,” Titus said reluctantly. “I won’t keep you. I’ll text you the information about Chef Koslov’s dinner party. Have a nice day.” Titus paused for a moment, and she got the impression that if she had wanted to extend the conversation, Titus would be more than willing to stick around. Instead, she waved and hurried off to the parking lot, hoping he wouldn’t follow her.

  Blaine better not have left without her. She wasn’t going to go all the way up to the North Shore without some company. At first, she didn’t see the car outside the lobby and her heart sank. But a whistle caught her attention. Blaine stepped out of a car and waved at her before ducking back in
side.

  “Sorry! I feel like mission impossible over here trying not to get caught,” she said as she got in the backseat with him.

  “It’s all part of the exciting adventure. Uncle Rollo over here—” Blaine gestured to the driver. “—he says he can only take us so far to Pe’ahi, but he’s got a cousin that could rent us some mopeds to take us down the dirt road leading to the beach area.”

  “More like the rock area,” she said. “And we’re still going to have to park the bikes at the top of the hill and climb down.” Selena had only been there once, and she almost twisted her ankle. But the sight of the roaring waves was worth it, especially during December when the swells got up to sixty feet you could watch a crazy surfer drop fifteen feet straight down and still catch the wave.

  “It’s all good,” Uncle Rollo said. “Me and my cousins will take care of you guys.” He shot them a shaka and then they were off, cruising down the road to the north coast of the island.

  “What did Tight Ass want?” Blaine asked.

  “He was worried about your health.”

  “I’m touched,” Blaine said, putting a hand over his heart.

  “Your mother’s worried about you. She’s been calling him every day for updates.”

  “My mom has him spying on me?”

  “He’s not doing a good job, otherwise she’d be getting a much different report than you’ve been eating all your vegetables.”

  “She’s been a little overprotective lately.”

  “Can you blame her?”

  Blaine narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you mean?”

  “What happened when you collapsed? Was it a heart attack or stroke?”

  “Hell no.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I ignored some warning signs. I had been dizzy. I hadn’t eaten much that day. I think my blood sugar tanked. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. How I didn’t manage to crack my head open is a mystery.” Blaine rubbed her shoulder. “But I’m fine. I got checked out at the hospital and there’s nothing to worry about. I told that to my mother, but she didn’t believe me.”

  “That was serious.”

  “I know.”

  “You need to make your health a priority, not work.”

  “That’s what I’m doing,” he said. “And I’m glad you’re here to keep me on the straight and narrow.”

  “Is that what I’m doing?” she said tartly.

  “Among other things.” Blaine gave her a wicked smile. “Any chance that we can hop in the water once we’re there? I didn’t bring a swimsuit. Maybe we could go skinny dipping?”

  Selena snorted. “No. That water is for watching not for swimming, unless you’re crazy.”

  “I’m a little crazy.”

  “And it’s not private at all. There will be a ton of people there.”

  “I’m not shy either.”

  “I noticed,” she drawled. “If you want to go swimming there are a lot better beaches that will have lifeguards, along with some surf breaks. We’ll go there instead. Pe’ahi is nicknamed Jaws because the rocks are like teeth that will chew you up.”

  “Eh, not really, but close enough,” Uncle Rollo said. “If you want to swim, I’ll take you to D.T. Fleming. You might even see a sea turtle.”

  That sounded nice to Selena.

  “No,” Blaine said. “I need a little excitement. Pe’ahi sounds perfect.”

  Selena rolled her eyes.

  “Then I guess surfing is out,” Blaine said.

  Now it was Uncle Rollo’s turn to snort.

  “Considering your first lesson was yesterday, yes. Even if you were an experienced surfer, only professional surfers should be out there. It’s dangerous, even when the waves aren’t fifty feet high.

  “Besides,” Uncle Rollo said. “The way to do it is to be towed out, by a Jet Ski if you really want to get to catch a wave.”

  “Don’t encourage him,” Selena groaned.

  “If the riptides don’t kill you, the waves will slam you into the rocks and drown you.”

  “Okay, then.” Blaine said. “Believe it or not, I don’t have a death wish.”

  “I know, but you’re still looking for some excitement, right?”

  “It’s been an exciting week. I suppose I could just sit and enjoy the waves.”

  “Don’t worry, by the time we get to the waves you’re going to be begging to sit down and relax for a bit. It’s a strenuous hike. But if you’re still not filled with adrenaline by then, maybe we could do some rock climbing and get a nicer view.”

  Blaine intertwined his fingers with hers. “As long as you’re with me, I know I’ll have a good time.”

  Uncle Rollo let them off just as the road started getting narrower and muddier, but his two cousins were waiting for them. They paid to rent the motor bikes to go the rest of the way. There was no way she was going to ride tandem on the back of Blaine’s bike. She liked to be in control of her own moped, especially when the roads were slick and treacherous.

  “It’s about a two-mile drive,” Uncle Rollo said. “Just leave the bikes at the top when you get there and hike down to the beach area. And when you’re ready to come back, give us a call.” Uncle Rollo held out his phone.

  “No can do,” Blaine said. “I’ve got a cell blocker on my phone.”

  “I got the number,” Selena said. “Thanks, Uncle Rollo.”

  “Have a good time.” He waved and sat down to talk to his cousins as they got on the bikes.

  As they zipped along the trail, the hot sun beat down on her head and neck. She was glad they weren’t walking the two miles because there wasn’t any shade anywhere. The heat would’ve made walking this almost impossible. Puttering along as fast as she dared on the muddy track was fun. She and Blaine playfully raced each other until they had to back off because of a rut or a slippery patch in the road. She almost dumped the bike a couple of times.

  Blaine, even though he was a city boy, was doing all right on the motorbike. As they went farther down the trail, they passed a few people who were crazy enough to be walking. Others were on motorbikes or ATVs. Selena was glad that Blaine was enjoying himself, throwing out a shaka and then looking back to grin at her, when she was still maneuvering around, trying not to fall off her bike or hit someone.

  “Careful,” she said. “People might think that you’re a native and start asking for directions.”

  “I’ll just tell them to follow me. Because that’s where the party is.”

  Selena had to laugh. It sure was.

  They parked the motorbikes on the top of the hill. Ahead of them was a huge field of sugarcane and there was barely a path. “I feel like I’m in a horror movie,” Blaine said.

  “It does have a bit of a Children of the Corn vibe to it,” Selena said, pushing aside stiff branches of the sugarcane.

  Eventually they came to the end of the field. Straight down was a steep winding path that led to the rocky beach area. They passed several couples who had stopped to regret the fact that they were only wearing flip-flops on their feet. The leaves on the trail were wet and made the trek very treacherous.

  “I should’ve brought my ice skates,” Blaine said.

  “Just watch your footing,” Selena said. “The last thing we want to do is haul you back up that hill and across that long road on a stretcher.”

  “That’s what I appreciate about you,” he said. “Always looking on the bright side of life. I told you that I’m fine.”

  They eventually got down to the rocky beach area. There were a few people sitting on the black rocks looking out at the waves. Some had picnic blankets. Others were drinking beers.

  “That’s one hell of a view,” Blaine said.

  “Are you hungry? I packed some sandwiches and snacks in my backpack.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve carrie
d that for you.”

  “It wasn’t heavy. You’re the one carrying the water. If we had been walking, though, I certainly would have made you carry it.”

  “Give it to me now, because I want to climb up those rocks.”

  Gladly,” she said. Looking up, and up, and up. “Do we have to?”

  “Can you see up there?”

  “No.”

  “Then neither can anyone else. I like the idea of being out here, and having you all to myself, with just the wind and the crashing of the waves.”

  “I’m game if you are.” She handed him the backpack. “Make sure you use the rope that they’ve got tied up down here. Just in case the rocks are slippery.”

  Selena wasn’t much of a rock climber, and she wasn’t much of a thrill seeker either. Unless you counted the thrills coming from sleeping with a man she’d only known a couple days. She felt the flutter of giddiness in her stomach. She wasn’t like this. Normally when she did go on nature hikes, it wasn’t to make love in the open air. But she had to admit that the idea appealed to her. Blaine appealed to her. She knew she was falling for him hard, and even though it had been a crazy few days so far, she liked everything that he suggested doing.

  The climb was hard enough that her heart was thumping, but it was worth it. They climbed up to a flat rock ledge. There were more footholds to climb above them, but she wasn’t brave enough to attempt that. Below them were jagged rocks and the crashing surf. Selena couldn’t see the beach below until she lay flat on her stomach and peeked over the edge.

  Sitting up, she could see the surfers in the distance being towed out by the Jet Skis in order to catch some of the bigger waves. But they looked like small figures in the distance. She couldn’t make out any discerning features, so the only thing they had to worry about was somebody on a Jet Ski with binoculars. And they were more interested in saving the surfers from drowning to death than they were looking around trying to spy on couples planning on having sex on a rock.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  BLAINE WOLFED DOWN the sandwich she made for him. Selena had used crushed chickpeas and watercress as a filling. It was tasty. He didn’t even miss his meatball sub with extra cheese. Well, maybe he did a little. But he’d never tell her that. Or that he was jonesing hard for a Philly Cheese Steak. She’d probably make him one with textured vegetable protein, whatever the hell that was. And even worse, he’d probably like it.