Chapter Eighteen
Reese
Iwas on my second plate of pulled pork and mac salad when I saw hula dancers taking the stage. Music began to play loudly from one of the speakers we were sitting next to, and I could feel everyone’s attention shift to the action.
We were sitting at one of the large wooden tables, surrounded by tourists, and I was having the best time.
Before everyone arrived, Kelly gave me a tour of the area.
The beach area was breathtaking, especially when the sun started to set.
Now that it was dark, twinkling string lights and tiki torches illuminated the area.
While we were walking around, some of the staff members knew Kelly and stopped to talk. Almost all of them had asked about his Tutu and instructed him to tell her ‘hello’ from them. All of them were astonished to learn that he had a girlfriend, which had surprised me.
“Are you having a good time?” Kelly asked.
We were sitting side by side on the bench, our legs occasionally grazing each other.
He had been nice enough to give me the end spot, so I didn’t have to sit next to a stranger.
The older lady sitting next to him slowly shoved him closer to me.
She was extremely friendly, and every few minutes she would find an excuse to lean in closer to Kelly.
I didn’t blame her one bit. Kelly was like an actual ray of sunshine; his presence warmed you up. I watched as he interacted with others, and he had a way of connecting with everyone he met.
“I’m really glad you brought me here,” I tried to shout over the music.
“Oh yeah? I would have brought you here sooner if I had known how much you love to eat.” He winked at me.
“I’ll cross this one off my Hawaiian Ever After list,” I chuckled to myself.
“Your what?” Kelly scoffed.
“Oh, it’s just something Beth wrote on those condoms—” I said without thinking.
“You mean the condoms were a gift from your cousin? And she left you a love note?”
“More of a ‘you need to get laid’ note. She’s hoping I’ll find my Hawaiian Ever After while I’m here.”
“Are you getting close?” he asked, taking a sip from his beer bottle.
“Close to getting laid?” I joked.
Kelly almost did a spit-take and coughed as he cleared his throat.
“No. I was asking if you are finding your ‘happy’ here. But...um, are you seeing someone?” Kelly looked away, and I laughed to myself at how uncomfortable he suddenly seemed.
“Finding my ‘happy’?” I thought about it for a moment before saying, “Yeah, I think I am. I’m happier than I have been in a long time. And no. I’m not seeing anyone,” I added and watched as Kelly visibly relaxed.
A sudden burst of flames drew my attention to the stage, and I saw Kahale holding two long torches with flames at the ends. He was in the middle of a group of four other men, two on each side. He yelled as he stomped forward. The music abruptly stopped, leaving the luau silent for a moment.
The music started again, intense and faster than before. Kahale spun the torches and then threw both in the air, doing a somersault forward before catching them. The other performers followed suit until they were all in a straight line at the front of the stage.
I smiled in amazement and looked over at Kelly. He stared at the performers with furrowed brows and a tight jaw. I was about to say something when his eyes came back to mine. He tried to smile, but it was weak.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” he asked.
“I could walk off some of this pork,” I joked and rose from our table.
Kelly stood, and his older lady friend reached out for his arm. “You’re not leaving yet, are you, honey?”
“No, not at all. Just need a little fresh air.” He smiled politely.
She looked between us before saying, “You two have fun.” She winked, and I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me.
If only she knew.
Kelly chuckled as I followed him through the crowd until we made our way back to the beach.
“Is Kahale going to be mad that we left in the middle of his performance?” I asked as I removed my sandals, letting my feet sink into the sand.
“No. I’ve seen it a million times,” he said.
I had a feeling the men that Kahale had warned Kelly about were up on stage. I wanted to ask what the story was there, but I didn’t want to intrude.
We walked side by side down the beach, feeling the cool water reach our feet before retreating out to sea.
“Where to?” I asked.
“Do you see that light at the end of the beach?” He pointed, and I saw a faint light moving and shining out against the water. “We can walk down to that old lighthouse. You can’t go up it anymore, but it’s still nice to see up close.”
“I would like that.” I nodded my head in agreement.
We walked in silence as the music from the luau grew softer the farther we went.
“What else is on your list?” Kelly asked.
“I don’t actually have a list. Even if I did, I wouldn’t know what to put on it,” I said, relishing in the feel of the cool sand beneath my toes.
“We can change that. I think we should write down everything you want to experience here on the island. You can come up with some, and I’ll add in what I think is a must.”
“What are you thinking?” I asked, intrigued.
“You know, like cliff diving, or learning how to surf. You need to go to the North Shore, go see Waimea Falls, and eat dim sum in Chinatown,” Kelly rattled off ideas on his fingers.
“I heard there’s this amazing diner I need to try before I leave.” I bumped my hip into his, and he bumped me back.
“Nah, I heard the owners are crazy.” He smiled down at the ground.
The red and blue strips of the lighthouse became clearer as we inched closer. Even in the dark, I could tell they were faded.
“What’s your next destination when you’re done here?” Kelly asked, walking closer to me.
“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll be here until the beginning of September. My recruiter will probably message me at the end of July or beginning of August to see what I’m thinking.”
“Wow, that’s only about two months away.” Kelly ran a hand through his hair.
“Yeah, this assignment already feels like it is going by quickly.” While others seemed to drag on forever. “I’ll give her three different places and see what interviews I get. Where would you go?” I asked.
“Me? I haven’t traveled a lot. I’ve mostly just been to the West Coast. Maybe I would want to go to a bigger city, like New York or Chicago,” he mused.
“New York could be pretty in the fall. I could see Central Park when all the leaves change.” I pictured myself in a peacoat, taking the subway to work.
“Yes! That’s one of the few things I miss about the mainland. It was so amazing to get to see things change in the fall,” he smiled.
As we arrived at the lighthouse, the luau’s noise had ceased, though its lights were visible. Kelly took a seat in the sand, and I sat down next to him.
“It’s beautiful here,” I said.
I could already tell that this would be a memory I’d look back on when I felt lonely in a new city. I’d be thinking about this place and this man long after he had forgotten about me.
“You say that like you’re sad about it.” Kelly wrapped an arm around me, and I leaned into him, ignoring the voice in my head that warned me not to get too close.
“I guess I am a little. I’m starting to understand why you like it here so much.”
“If you like it so much, why not stay a little longer? Can you extend your contract?” he asked.
“I could ask my recruiter to inquire about it. But I’ve never renewed a contract before.”
“Why?” he asked, and I could feel the steady rhythm of his breath next to me. It was as steady as the ocean in front of me.
It was such a simple question, and yet I didn’t have an answer. “It’s just...just what I always do. I guess no one has ever asked me to stay.”
“I want you to stay,” he said, his eyes locked on mine.
I tried to swallow over the lump that had formed in my throat and looked down at where my toes had buried themselves in the sand. I wanted to admit that I wanted to stay too, but I couldn’t get the words out. “We should start heading back,” I said instead, avoiding his gaze.
His arm slowly released me, and I expected him to press me harder about this.
Instead, he got to his feet, and he lent me his hand.
His eyes were lighter than before, and he had a small smile on his face.
I gratefully grabbed hold, and he easily pulled me to my feet.
He didn’t let go, but intertwined our fingers together.
By the time we got back to the luau, almost all the guests were gone, and the staff were starting to clean up. We walked through until we spotted Kahale tying up a large trash bag by the bathrooms. He looked up, and his eyes went straight to our hands again.
I wasn’t sure what Kelly and I were. We were clearly friends, but there was a connection there that neither of us wanted to acknowledge, but also couldn’t deny.
Kelly had become my go-to person in a way no one else ever had.
I didn’t want to ruin this friendship, but I also couldn’t bring myself to let go of his hand.
“Where did you two run off to?” Kahale asked as he moved on to the next trash can.
“Just went for a walk down to the lighthouse,” Kelly said.
“Oh yeah? I remember when I used to take girls down there to make out. Maybe get to second base if I was lucky.” Kahale laughed, the sound vibrating in my chest.
“Whatever, brah.” Kelly flipped him off, and we all laughed at the gesture. “We both know that never happened.”
“I thought that was you, haole,” a deep voice growled from behind us.
Kelly sighed deeply, but didn’t turn. I whipped my head around and saw two men approaching us. I recognized them as the other fire dancers we saw earlier. The same ones Kelly was told to avoid.
After a deep breath, Kelly turned around, holding my hand slightly tighter now. “Is that you, Tommy? I didn’t even notice you.”