Chapter Seventeen
Kelly
My palms were sweaty, and my heartbeat thumped in my ears as I paced my living room, waiting for Reese to arrive.
It had been a whole week since I last saw her, and I was feeling withdrawal symptoms. It was tough not to skip out on her days off, but that was the burden of owning my own business. I had to be there no matter what.
She had a small smile on her face, and her golden hair flowed freely down her back. Her freckles appeared darker, probably from the sun she had been getting over the past few weeks. She was wearing a plain white tank top and navy shorts.
“Hey,” I said lamely.
“Hey, yourself,” she said as she leaned in for a hug.
I wrapped my arms around her, taking in her sweet, minty scent. Ted jumped up, ending the hug abruptly, and she leaned down to hug him. I was going to have to get a new wingman.
“Nice shirt, by the way.” She looked up and down at my blue classic Hawaiian button-up shirt.
“I’m glad you like it so much. I have a present just for you.”
I held the door open as Reese came through, taking a seat on the sofa. Ted jumped up and lay down next to her, placing his head in her lap. Reese slowly stroked his head as he wagged his tail.
“Ted sure has a crush on you,” I said, fighting the urge to add that I did, too.
“Is that so?” She took Ted’s head in both hands and gazed into his eyes. He licked her nose in response. “I love you, too, buddy. You’re the best boy.” She rubbed behind his ear, and one of his hind legs started to shake.
As much as I was envious of my dog (ridiculous), a large lump formed in my throat as I watched her be so kind to my dog. It made me like her even more, which felt impossible at this point.
I walked over to the kitchen island and came back with my surprise for her— a pink floral Hawaiian shirt to match mine.
She took it without hesitation and laughed. “This is perfect!” She immediately began unbuttoning the shirt and draped it over her shoulders.
“Now you’re ready to get lei’d.” I winked at her, and she laughed harder than I thought she would. So hard that she snorted a little as she covered her face with her hand. “Are you ready to go?”
Reese leaned down and kissed Ted on the nose. He wagged his whole rear and moved closer to her. “You be good while we’re gone.” She gave him a few more head scratches before turning on the TV. “Here’s Gossip Girl. You can thank me when we get back.”
A half hour later, we arrived at the luau with some time to spare. Kahale had instructed me to arrive a little early so he could hand over the tickets. We were walking side by side from where we parked when Reese asked, “Does Kahale do this full-time?”
“He used to,” I said, walking with my hands in my pockets so I didn’t try to reach for her.
“He’s been working part-time for this luau since high school.
Afterwards, he continued working here while pursuing his electrical apprenticeship.
Once he was a full-time electrician, he cut down and only works here on the occasional Saturday.
Maybe a Sunday if he wants to get out of family dinner. ”
“Does your family really get together every Sunday?” A light breeze pushed some of Reese’s hair into her face. I reached out and tucked the loose strand behind her ear. My fingers tingled from the contact, and deep pink creeped up her neck.
“We try to. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, but for the most part, there’s at least one of us there at my parents’ place.”
“I think that’s amazing. I haven’t seen my mom and Paul for more than a couple of days over the last two years.”
“Do you miss them?” I asked.
“I do, but my role in my family has always been to obey what they say and go with the flow, especially when it came to moving again.” She frowned slightly.
“When did you guys start moving around?” I asked.
“We moved at least every two years. Sometimes after only six months.” She paused for a second, and I thought that might be the end of it.
Then she looked down at her shoes and said, “But I remember leaving behind my first true set of friends that I had made in kindergarten. We were stationed at the base in Laughlin, Texas. I was going into first grade when they sat me down and told me we were moving to Mountain Home, Idaho. At first, I didn’t really get it.
I thought maybe I was just going to leave for the summer, and then be back in time to start school again in the fall. ”
“It wasn’t until the moving trucks came that I realized I was never going to come back.
I had gotten all of my friends’ addresses, and we sent letters in the beginning.
But by Christmas time, I stopped getting them back.
Idaho was great, though, and I’d easily made friends in school.
Even though I missed my friends in Texas, I felt like I was fitting in.
But then by summer, my parents sat me down, again. ”
Reese stopped walking. I wanted to comfort her, but I didn’t know how.
She looked back up at me, her eyes slightly misty.
“I knew, even then, that I wasn’t allowed to complain.
This was our duty. I should be proud that my stepdad was serving our country, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
After that, I just stopped trying to make friends.
I was going to move again, and no one was going to try to stay in my life. ”
“My one constant was my dad. Not Paul, but my actual dad. I would see him every summer in Phoenix and spend time with Beth and her family. But by the time I was ten, he was getting married. My summers looked different as he and his new wife started a family of their own. They didn’t have time to look after me and the kids they were raising.
I stopped going when I was twelve, and I’ve only seen him a handful of times since. ”
I was taken aback by how honest she was with me. It made me think of my own family and how lucky I was to have them. That they had chosen me. I wish someone had chosen her.
I knew I needed to say something, to let her know that I appreciated her trusting me like this. Trusting me with the real her. I swallowed hard, trying to force out the right words, but nothing came. Instead, my hand moved for hers, our fingers interlacing.
She looked down at where our fingers met, then back up at me.
“Is it too hot?” I asked, using our code word from weeks ago.
“It’s perfect,” she said, giving me a little squeeze.
We continued towards the luau, hand in hand in silence, until we saw Kahale waiting for us at the entrance. He was shirtless with his tattoo on full display. He was wearing his traditional green fern headband and had green shorts covered in palm leaves.
“Oi, don’t you two lovebirds look cozy.” He nodded towards our interlocked hands, but neither of us pulled away. I felt a warmth spread through my chest knowing that her hand was still in mine.
“Thanks for the hookup, brah,” I said.
He looked between us for a second before handing over the tickets. He leaned forward and lowered his voice so only I could hear. “You betta watch yourself tonight. The Lee brothers are performing tonight.”
He didn’t need to say anything more. I nodded in acknowledgement.
“Have a fun night, lovebirds,” Kahale repeated as he laughed and clapped me on the back.
He took off back inside to help with the final preparations for the night. The guests would be here in about twenty minutes.
I kept hold of Reese as I led us through the entrance, but she pulled me back.
“What was that about?” she asked, narrowing her eyes in the direction Kahale took off in.
“Nothing.” I shrugged and tried to walk again, but she was glued to her spot.
“Kelly.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Ugh, fine.” I owed it to her to be honest. “He was just telling me that there are some guys working tonight that I used to...not get along with back when we were kids. They’re a bunch of bullies, even still in their thirties.”
She seemed to accept this and started walking again. She didn’t press me for any more of an explanation, and I was grateful for it.
We walked into the main part of the luau and were met by a white-sand beach.
There was a stage in the center for the entertainment, with rows of long wooden tables and benches surrounding it for guests.
There were tiki torches surrounding the perimeter that were being lit by staff members.
Fifteen feet away from the stage, you could see where the ocean met the beach.
It was a scene I had grown up with, one I could draw with my eyes closed.
“Aloha, cousins!” A petite staff member in a hula outfit approached us. She had long black hair that reached down to the small of her back. She smiled brightly at us. “The luau doesn’t open for—”
“Oh, it’s okay,” I interrupted. “My brother, Kahale, works here, so we’re here on a family pass.”
“I gotcha.” She smiled, but it was far less cheery than before. “Do you and your girlfriend want a souvenir picture?”
I was about to tell her that Reese wasn’t my girlfriend, despite the hand holding, when Reese spoke up.
“We would love one!” She looked at me, and her eyes twinkled with excitement.
Fuck. I wasn’t big on taking pictures, thanks to the trauma my mom had inflicted on us growing up. But I would do anything for Reese.
The hula dancer led us to a backdrop between two large palm trees.
She placed a floral lei around Reese’s neck and a brown stone one around mine.
Reese and I positioned ourselves in the middle, and she wrapped her arms around my waist. Her head reached right at my chin as I brought my arm around the small of her waist and tugged her in close.
“You guys are so cute!” Hula Girl said. “Say cheese!”
I saw the flash in my peripheral, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Reese.
Hula Girl handed me the photo, and there I was, looking down at Reese, smiling like a complete fool. Reese was smiling so brightly, and I thought it might be the best thing I’d ever seen.