Chapter 33
“I think you definitely got off better than me,” he said, and put another log on the fire, causing flames to spring up and shoot a few sparks into the night sky.
“And I think you should be thankful for the fact that your mom decided to call you Vince and not Vincenzo.”
“What’s going on here?”
Her hands full of various shopping bags, suddenly Laurie was standing on the terrace. Her light-colored dress shone in the darkness.
“Oh, we just figured out that we were both named after our grandparents,” I explained with a laugh.
“Laurie too,” Vince said.
“Yeah,” she said a bit distantly, furrowing her brow.
“How’d it go with Pili?” he asked.
“Cool.” She still sounded skeptical, though I couldn’t tell if it had to do with my presence or the fact that her brother was talking to her normally again.
“Looks like you were successful,” I said, nodding at her bags. “Let me see!”
She hesitated for a moment. Then she gave herself a jolt, came toward us, and sat down next to me on the patio sofa, one leg tucked loosely under her bottom.
Her perfume carried a subtle but not unpleasant hint of sweat.
Over the following few minutes, she proudly presented her conquests.
A bandeau bikini, gold feathery earrings, and a brightly colored dress with a hibiscus flower print.
She told us about her day in Honolulu. About the crowded streets, the huge shopping malls, and the gigantic luxury hotels of Waikiki Beach.
About the vegan restaurant Pili dragged her to and the Starbucks serving coffee cups with Hawaiian flowers on them.
“I don’t know if I’ll manage to see Honolulu before I go,” I said.
“You’re not missing a thing,” Vince replied. “It’s loud, crowded, and hectic. And it doesn’t have much to do with Hawaii.”
Laurie was silent for a moment before agreeing. Then her eyes skimmed our empty plates. “And you all? What have you been up to?”
Vince and I exchanged a glance.
“I came by to apologize, and Vince asked me to stay for dinner. Then we talked.”
“Oookay,” Laurie said, stretching and looking at me expectantly as if she’d understood that there was more to come. But Vince was the one to pick up the thread.
“Lou and I both know that she’ll only be here three more weeks. And that things between us can’t be more than a summer fling. And that’s okay.”
Laurie looked like she was going to say something, but Vince beat her to it.
“We just want to enjoy the time we have together. Nothing else.”
“Can I say something anyway?” Laurie asked.
He shrugged.
“I’m sorry for having gotten involved. I went too far.”
Vince looked positively surprised. Even I had expected more opposition.
“Right. Well, I’ve seriously got to take a shower.” Laurie stood up. “You gonna be here a little while longer?”
“Um.” I shot a glance at Vince. The fire reflected in his eyes. “Yeah, I think so.”
His smile told me that he liked my answer.
“Oh, by the way”—Laurie pointed behind her with her thumb—“I saw that the mattresses were delivered?”
“About time.” Vince sighed. “My guests can’t really sleep on frames.”
“So, we’re just missing linens?”
He nodded. “And the pillows. But I could improvise if need be.”
“You’ve still got a few weeks,” Laurie said optimistically before disappearing into the house.
“That went well,” I said to Vince.
“Come here.” He pulled me to his chest and put his arm around me, and I breathed in the scent of his skin, which was the strongest in the cool of his collarbone.
“Doesn’t it bother you at all that pretty soon you’ll be sharing this with complete strangers?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, as soon as you open your hostel, the terrace won’t be yours alone anymore.”
“That’s how it should be.”
“Hmm?”
“The Ohana was always a place that brought people together.” There was a warmth to his voice that went under my skin. “I like the idea that it’ll be that way again,” he murmured, and pulled me even closer.