I awake with purpose and dread. I’m determined to get the words in today. Maybe I’ll break my record of nine thousand five hundred words in a single day. But I realize that by the time I get the words in today, nearly half of my trip will be over. As I make myself presentable for the day, I remind myself, that I’m not here to vacation, but to work.
On my walk to have breakfast at the Tiki Terrace Breakfast Buffet, I begin to have second thoughts about the dinner cruise I agreed to attend with Tom. But I think about his heart-breaking story of the death of his wife, and that he’s visiting Maui all alone. I’ve been to Hawaii a couple of times, alone. But Tom’s first time should be fun with someone to share it with. Someone to take pictures of him.
As I think about him, his good looks and likeable personality, he exits a room on the ground floor. He checks that his door is securely shut and turns to see me coming his way.
“Hi, neighbor.” Tom smiles. “I’m on my way to breakfast. How about you?”
I draw up beside him and we walk together. “Wild horses couldn’t keep me from enjoying their breakfast buffet,” I answer him.
“I take it, you’ve eaten here before?”
“I call Ka’anapali Beach Resort my home away from home. Maui is my favorite of the four major tourist islands and I always enjoy staying here. The people here are the epitome of Hawaiian hospitality.”
Almost to prove my point, we arrive to the terrace and are greeted with, “Aloha and good morning.”
Tom looks down at me and gives me a smile like, I see what you mean.
He follows me to all the tables full of delicious foods. After filling our plates, we seat ourselves at a table for two. I bow my head and whisper a quiet prayer of thanks for the bounty of food before us. Seconds after raising my head, Tom whispers, Amen, and picks up his fork. We eat in companiable silence, making very little small talk.
“I’ve really enjoyed breakfast. Thank you for dining with me, once again. But I must excuse myself. I’ve scheduled a tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. Apparently, there’s some really great scenery to be seen, only by air,” Tom informs me.
“Oh, you’re going to love it. Be sure to purchase the video of your tour. I still have the VHS copy from when my youngest daughter and I were here for her college sophomore spring break,” I share.
He gives me the most gorgeous smile of wonderment. “I’ll see you soon, April.”
* * *
I spend the morning under the palm trees writing. I had the outline finished before arriving in Maui. Yesterday and this morning, I’m putting meat and potatoes, to the story. It’s filling out nicely and I’m getting excited with the twist that the story makes. Something that I didn’t anticipate.
Allowing myself a break during lunch time, I walk to the Whaler’s Village, just to stretch my legs. But once I’m back to the resort property, I collect my laptop, another bottle of water, and again I’m adding to my current WIP.
Déjà vu comes over me, when I hear a small crush of a leaf and see an icy water bottle in my peripheral. I turn with a smile to Tom. “I’ve been around the pool for nearly three hours and not once have I seen you take a drink of what now has to be a very warm bottle of water.” Tom laughs. “I’m not sure if that makes me stalkerish, or a person with concern for your wellbeing.”
I accept the bottle of water from him and take several large gulps. I didn’t realize how thirsty I had become. “Let’s go with the latter.” I offer him after I recap the bottle. That causes him to smile.
“Would you mind if I hang out here with you? I promise to be quiet and will let you continue working. One of the things I put on my to do list while I’m on vacation is to read the book that meant so much to my wife.” I watch as he turns the lounger around so that he too, is facing toward the ocean. He sets down, legs outstretched, opens up a small back pack and pulls out a copy of my fourth release. And Then He Kissed Me. Rolling his towel into a tube shape, he puts it behind his neck. I watch as he picks up the gently used book and settles back to read.
I don’t answer him, because he already has his nose in the book. I wonder what he’s going to think of the story. A story that is most personal to me. But I can’t be stalkerish and watch him read, I need to get more words in, before I go to my room to shower and ready myself for our sunset dinner cruise. It strikes me, that it sounds like something a young couple in love would do. We are not young nor are we in love. So why do I feel a bit giddy at the idea of our date?
* * *
At five-thirty, I’m done. There are no more words left in me today. I excuse myself and go to my room. After my shower, I open the closet and notice the dress I bought when I first arrived. Tonight, seems like a perfect night to wear the Palm Tree Muu Muu with the setting sun on the print. I add a pair of strappy sandals and my diamond necklace. I love how a muu muu can be worn as a cover up or dressed up for a special occasion.
I look one more time in the full-length mirror on the sliding closet door. I try to see myself as Tom will see me. Will he be proud to have me at his side or am I putting too much thought into this dinner cruise? It feels like a date, but I haven’t dated in years. “Look at you getting all giddy,” I say to my reflection. “Oh, what am I doing? Am I making a mistake?” I wait for the woman in the mirror to answer me. She doesn’t.
I smile when I approach Tom under the palm trees, where we had agreed to meet. He has on khaki slacks and a Hawaiian button-down shirt. He must have made a stop at Hilo Hattie in the Whaler’s Village.
“Hi, handsome,” I great him as I approach. He turns at the sound of my voice and regards me with an appreciative smile.
Closing the space between us, he takes my hand. “You look beautiful.” There’s a hesitancy to his voice. It makes me wonder if he feels guilty for saying something he probably had told his wife many times. But it’s like he shakes himself out of it and states, “I hope you are hungry. The menu sounds amazing.”
“I am. I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I had an ice cream cone when I stretched my legs and walked to the Whaler’s Village during lunch time.” As we approach the shore, I whisper, “Would you like to know a secret?”
Tom leans his ear toward me. “I’ve never been on a catamaran before,” I admit.
“This is your seventh trip to Hawaii and this will be a first for you?” he asks in disbelief. I nod. “We’ll experience this first together.” His smile fills his very handsome face.
Seeing the joy on his face at that knowledge makes butterflies flutter in my core. It’s a reminder to me that this man came alone to Hawaii, at the request of his wife. That could not have been an easy promise to keep. He’s doing all the things that they should have been able to do together.
We approach the shore, where the catamaran is docked. “Aloha! Welcome to the Teralani. Please come aboard. The open bar is ready to serve. Once we’re away from the coastline, we’ll have the buffet ready for your dining pleasure.”
We choose a table for two near the railing. The staff is already filling the serving tables with dishes that have my stomach reminding me that breakfast was several hours ago.
“What would you like to drink?” Tom asks.
“Pink lemonade if they have it. Or regular is fine. Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back.” Tom walks the short distance to the open bar. My eyes following him. I know that he is off limits, but he intrigues me. I remind myself that we’re just enjoying each other’s company for the short time we’re both on Maui, alone. That word makes me feel lonely. I didn’t feel that way until Tom came along.
Tom sets our beverages on the table and takes his seat. “They told me that the dolphins were very active on their way to the Ka’anapali Beach shore. We should be in for a treat in a short while.”
It’s moments until we pull away from the shore. The sun is glistening off the water. The music is soft, bordering on romantic. There’s the slightest of breeze. It’s a perfect evening. A waiter comes to our table and tells us to help ourselves to the buffet. Then he invites the same to the people at the table behind me.
“Shall we, April?” Tom’s voice seems a little lower than usual.
“Yes, please,” I answer with exuberance. He stands, helping me from my chair and then places his hand at the small of my back as we make our way to the buffet tables. I will my stomach to not growl when I see the variety of chips, dips, rotisserie chicken, grilled ono, sundried tomatoes, garlic bread, and brownies. Several other dishes catch my eye too.
We return to our table with our plates full. “I wasn’t going to miss out on one of these brownies,” I point out. “Chocolate is my weakness,” I add.
“My wife used to say that chocolate with peanut butter is heaven on earth,” Tom says with a smile.
A quiet groan escapes me. “No truer words ever spoken,” I agree. Tom lets out a belly laugh. I’m glad I can give that to him. That in the midst of grieving his wife, he can laugh.
The captain of the vessel alerts us to a school of dolphins. Fortunately, they are on our side and we have a perfect view of their antics.
In the past ninety minutes we’ve seen the islands of Moloka’i and Lana’i. The sun is nearly touching the ocean on one side and the coast of Maui is on our other side. Both are so beautiful, that I don’t want to miss either.
A wait staff member comes to our table. “If you would like, I can take your picture with the sun in the background. It will be a reminder of a most romantic evening.”
When did I become shy? It’s Tom that hands his cell phone to the gentleman. Then he reaches for my hand across the table. We turn slightly and lean towards each other. “Awe. Such a handsome couple,” the gentleman says as he takes a couple of pictures.
Tom releases my hand as he takes his cell phone. He stares at a picture and then swipes to look at another. The silence from him is disconcerting. His facial features are hard to read. I become uncomfortable, wondering what he’s seeing, thinking. Suddenly, he lifts his eyes to mine. I detect a slight shimmer in his eyes. He smiles and then hands me his phone.
When I look at the screen, it takes my breath away. The sun is perfectly between the two of us, just touching the water. And the man was spot on when he said we are a handsome couple. I can’t help but continue to stare at the picture. Except, we aren’t a couple. But it is the most beautiful picture I’ve ever seen. I want so badly to ask him to send the pictures to me, but I wonder if he’s thinking of his deceased wife and waiting to take his phone back so he can delete the pictures. Before I can allow that to happen, I quickly send the picture to my cellphone. Once I feel it vibrate in my lap, I raise my eyes to look into Tom’s. I wasn’t expecting the smile that greets me.
“You know, he is right. We are a handsome couple,” Tom voices, still smiling at me. “I can imagine that Stephanie is smiling down, in happiness for me. She didn’t want me to be alone. Because of you, these two days have been enjoyable. It’s not the trip I dreaded.”
For a person that is full of words, I’m speechless. I slowly hand his phone back to him. “I sent the two pictures to my cell phone. I was afraid that you would think of your wife and delete the pictures,” I admit.
“Awe, that’s a shrewd way of giving me your digits,” he teases. And I blush.
He puts his phone on the table and reaches for my hand, which I gladly give him. Then he turns to look at the setting sun. My eyes follow his. Only half the sun is visible. Our cruise and our second day together are nearing the end. As I turn back to gaze at Tom, he’s watching my expression. I’m wondering if he can see the war going on in my head. They say the eyes are the mirror to the soul. How can my heart skip a beat and my stomach have butterflies for a man that I only met less than 24-hours ago? This wasn’t supposed to happen. I came for a writing retreat. This was supposed to be all work. The saying that my Aunt Marlene used to use on me comes to my mind. All work and no play makes April a dull girl.
I feel the catamaran come to a stop. I look to the sun and there’s a sliver of an arch just above the ocean. I feel my hand being raised as I turn back to look at Tom. He leans in and his lips brush my fingers with a kiss. “Thank you for joining me tonight. This is more than I dreamed.”
“Me, too,” I whisper.
We disembark and we both come to a stop. The walkway and the palm trees separate us from our resort. “Would you…” we both speak at the same time. I giggle.
“You first,” he insists.
“I was going to ask, would you want to take a walk? There’s still some light to walk the beach to the Whaler’s Village. We can walk back on the street side with the lights, since it’s nearly dark.”
He throws his head back in laughter. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
We walk to the Whaler’s Village. Many stores have closed for the night. The ice cream shop is still open, but neither of us are hungry. We walk through the village and turn to walk back to our resort.
“I’m going to save your number in my contacts,” Tom informs me. “If you would like to save mine, my name is Thomas Scott.”
We take a few steps and the moment of reconning has come. My heart is beating double time and I feel like I’m holding my breath. Tom must feel the change in me, holding my hand and walking so close. He stops with his hand firmly in mine, causing me to stop. In slow motion, we turn to face each other. He looks expectantly at me.
I take a deep breath to get my breathing under control. Slowly I say, “My name is April.” I clear my throat and speak more clearly, “My name is April Decton.” I watch his eyes as awareness comes.
“The April Decton? The author that my wife liked so well? The April Decton that is the author of And Then He Kissed Me?” I can only nod. I can’t imagine the emotions he’s feeling. “I’m not mad, but why didn’t you tell me yesterday, when I pulled the book out to read?” His sounds almost hurt.
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t want to get in a discussion, when I needed to be writing? Or maybe I didn’t want to scare you off if it caused you to be sad about the passing of your wife? Or maybe I didn’t think I would see you again.” I can’t look into his eyes any longer. I look at the blood red nail polish on my toes.
The hand that isn’t holding mine comes into view, just as his index finger lifts my chin so that he can see into my eyes. He has a small smile. “Our fortieth anniversary would not be until next year. I came this year, because I am ready to live again. I will always love Stephanie with every breath in me, but she would not want me to be alone and I don’t want to be alone. This trip to Maui was to reflect on her and then maybe I could think about dating again. I find it coincidental that I meet the Christian contemporary romance author that Stephanie was so fond of. Frankly, I feel a little guilty that I have met you and she didn’t get to. But I can’t help but wonder if she’s what brought us together.”
I feel so guilty when my eyes drop to his lips. It doesn’t go unnoticed by him. He leans to me and kisses my forehead. “Come on. Let’s get back to our resort.” I walk quietly beside him, taking in what he said. I don’t want to be anybody’s rebound. I hadn’t planned on being anybody’s anything. I’ve been happily single for so many years.
We walk quite a way when he leans slightly into me. “You are awfully quiet. Care to share what you’re thinking?”
“The simplest of terms? A lot of emotions are swirling around,” I reply.
It’s a quiet walk the rest of the way. When we get back to Ka’anapali Beach Resort, he guides me to the whale shaped pool. No one is in the pool, but there are a few people sitting in lounger chairs. We sit on a lounge chair, sideways. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and we both look into the water as the light dances on the ripples of water.
“I know that you came to work. You have a book you need to get to your editor, but could you carve out some time with me to go for a drive to Haleakala Crater? I hear the sunrise from there is spectacular. Wouldn’t it be fitting to see the sun rise that we just watched set? I’m not interested in riding a bicycle down the mountain to see it. I’d rather be in the convertible that I rented.”
“When my youngest daughter and I were here, we made the drive up. But not before sunrise. I hope the brakes work well on that convertible,” I tease as I turn my head to look at him. “And we better wear some warm clothing, because my daughter and I nearly froze when we arrived to the top and I needed to use the restroom at the observatory. We only had on shorts and little tops. Let’s just say, we didn’t get to observe.” I laugh at the memory.
Tom stands and pulls me to my feet. “We need to get a little bit of sleep. Shall we meet at the front desk at five?”
“That’s an ungodly hour to be up, but I’ll make the exception for you.” I smile.
“Come on. I’ll walk you to your room.”
When we get to my room, before I remove the keycard from my clutch, he puts his hand over mine to stop me. “I would really like to kiss you goodnight, but given the short amount of time we’ve come to know each other, I feel I should ask your permission.”
I look into his eyes and whisper, “Yes, please.” And then he kissed me.