Carly-the-bride wandered over to join Leilani and me at our table. In her early thirties, she was a pleasant-looking, somewhat curvy woman who seemed to be one of those people totally happy in her own skin.
Her smile was sweet, her brown eyes crinkling at the corners. I loved how the shag cut with curtain bangs and subtle highlights flattered her.
I'd met her in person the day before when she'd flown in with Justin Cooper, her husband-to-be. Fortunately, she'd been my favorite kind of bride to work with, realistic and organized.
Carly was decked out in full bride-to-be gear. She sported a white one-piece swimsuit that flattered her curves. Gold cursive lettering proclaiming The Bride was splashed across her chest. And a sparkly silver tiara graced the top of her head.
From her happy laughter, it was apparent she hadn't yet heard about the missing necklace. I briefly considered telling her, but the news would ruin her afternoon, and I didn't want to be the one to do that. I was confident her aunt would tell her soon enough.
"Kristy"—she beamed at me—"you were right about everything. The beach is fantastic. How are we doing on time? I have the schedule on my phone, but I left it in the bungalow."
So much for being organized.
I pulled my tablet from my bag and flipped it open. "We'll wrap up here in about fifteen minutes," I said. "That'll give everyone plenty of time to clean up, get dressed, and make it to the Ramada Pier for the luau by six-thirty. They'll serve dinner and start the show at seven. Tomorrow morning is sightseeing. We'll meet at the entrance to the lobby and leave at nine."
Suddenly, we heard a frantic scream. We looked up to see that Movie Star Alex had grabbed another bridesmaid. His latest victim was the maid of honor, Lauren Maxwell.
"Geez," Leilani grumbled. "What's up with that guy?"
"Kristy?" Carly moaned, looking at me like his actions were something I had control over.
Again, Alex had his victim slung over his shoulder and was effortlessly holding her with one arm, her slim frame making his job easier. His other hand held the remains of a Lava Flow.
He took a few steps towards the surf but then turned to smile back at the group. They all shouted out "boo" and "you suck!"
Somewhere along the way, Lauren had lost her oversized black plastic-framed glasses. She pounded on his back and kicked her legs in front of his face.
When I'd met Lauren the day before, she'd struck me as painfully shy. Now she was loudly shouting a string of profanities at Alex, something that surprised me.
The night before, I'd been amused to see her dressed in an aloha shirt decorated with colorful Pokémon characters. Today, her pink one-piece swimsuit sported a picture of the anime cartoon character Sailor Moon. I was starting to think of her as Anime Lauren. The cobalt-blue tips and highlights in her shoulder-length brunette hair coordinated well with her suit.
Unlike earlier, when Alex had snatched up Roxanne, it seemed like he'd grabbed Lauren simply for the fun of it. There was a wide goofy smile on his face before he laughed and tossed back the rest of his drink, flinging the plastic cup on the beach. He then turned and started walking towards the surf.
"Loser!" one of the bridesmaids yelled out to Alex.
I sighed and stood up, knowing that as the wedding planner, I needed to go out and have a heart-to-heart with Alex. I'd have to remind him he was here because of Carly and Justin, the happy couple, and he shouldn't do anything to spoil the occasion.
I'd just stepped onto the sand, and Alex hadn't made it more than five or six steps toward the ocean, when Jake stepped in front of him. Alex tried to go around, but Jake again blocked his path.
Alex absentmindedly let go of Lauren, and she landed on the beach with a thud. He casually stepped over her to get in my photographer's face. I was still too far away to hear what the men were saying, but after several moments, Alex got an icy look on his face and gave Jake a hard shove.
Surprisingly, Jake didn't budge. Instead, he returned the shove, and Alex was knocked back several steps before toppling to the sand.
No, Jake, you can't do that to a guest.
Alex quickly jumped up, rage on his face. His fists were tightly clenched as he readied himself for a fight.
The groomsman stared at Jake for a moment, breathing hard, before seeming to think better of it. He then turned to go back up the beach and almost ran into Lauren, who had climbed to her feet.
She stood, hands-on-hips, directly in front of Alex. She was also breathing hard, her face red from anger and embarrassment.
Without warning, she swung her arm and, with a resounding crack, connected with a solid slap to his face. It appeared he hadn't been expecting it and didn't have time to avoid it.
"Ka-Pow!" somebody shouted from the volleyball pit. Most of the men, and a few of the women, started to clap—some were also laughing.
The blow was loud enough to be heard over the pounding of the waves, like a branch that had broken off the side of a tree. It staggered Alex, and he fell back onto the sand again.
"Slimebag!" Lauren shouted at Alex before turning and stomping up the beach in the direction of the bar.
Alex climbed unsteadily to his feet, angry and apparently looking to continue the confrontation with Lauren. Jake again stepped in front of him and shook his head.
By now, the entertainment value had drained from the encounter, as Alex wisely chose to slink back to the volleyball game. I noticed everyone in the group avoided making eye contact with him.
"I'm starting to regret inviting Alex," Carly said with a deep sigh and a shake of her head when I returned to the table. "Lauren's right. He's acting like a jerk. I suppose he hasn't changed a lot since college."
"If you knew he was a bully, why'd you invite him?" I asked.
"Oh, he was Justin's roommate all through school. I couldn't invite everyone else and not ask him. I'm glad your photographer was there to stop him. He seems like a handy guy to have around."
I was starting to think I agreed with her.
Carly got up to retrieve Lauren's glasses, which had fallen on the beach. Then she followed the maid of honor, who'd stomped into the bar, obviously upset and wanting another drink.
I let everyone know they had time to relax for a bit and get ready for the luau. Several people seemed relieved as they packed up and headed back to their rooms. After what had just happened, many appeared to welcome the chance for a change of scenery.
* * *
The Ohana Luau was always one of the highlights of any wedding week. Ohana means family, and people of all ages would attend the event. It was held at the Ramada Pier, an area of the resort on the beach set aside for larger events.
As I arrived, traditional Hawaiian music was being played on the main stage by a three-piece group featuring a steel guitar. The music was upbeat and foretold of a fun evening ahead.
Guests dressed in colorful aloha shirts and muumuus filtered onto the pier from the central part of the resort. They gathered around the bar and gradually filled the tables.
Several guests, most holding a complimentary beer or rum punch, had collected around the imu, the in-ground barbeque pit where a whole pig had been slowly roasting all day. With a great deal of ceremony, two shirtless native Hawaiian men in colorful skirts removed the pig from the pit. They then carried it to an open-air kitchen along the side of the venue, where men in white coats and chef's hats prepared the pork in a style known as puaʻa kālua.
I walked into the seating area and saw one of the groomsmen, Orson Cross, standing at the bar with two rum punch cocktails in front of him.
Orson was tall and thin, almost to the point of being skinny. As with most of the wedding party, he was in his early thirties. His skin was pasty white, and his long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, emphasizing his skeleton-thin face and oversized nose.
Orson's eyes were riveted on a video game he was playing on a handheld gaming console.
"Hi, Orson," I said as I walked up to him. "Can I take your drinks to the table?"
He briefly looked up and smiled. "Hi, Kristy," he said. "Hold on. I'm almost done with the level."
With a final flourish, his fingers danced over the buttons. The video game played a happy fanfare, and Orson relaxed.
"We issued an update to this game today," he said as he shoved the device into his pocket. "I was making sure it was uploading correctly."
"Carly said you design computer games. Was that one of yours?"
He blushed pink and looked down at his feet. "Yeah, um, I'm the lead developer at the company. We're about to launch volume seven in the Orc's Apprentice series. The last release won Fantasy Game of the Year, so we're hoping for some decent sales."
"Wow," I said, thoroughly impressed. "I had no idea."
"Are you a gamer?" he asked.
"Um, no. I haven't played video games since I was a kid."
"You should try it," he said with a knowing grin. "The graphics and gameplay have come a long way since the old Nintendo Game Cubes and PlayStations."
I walked with Orson over to our table. Alex was off to the side, talking with Wealthy Derek. I noticed Orson went out of his way to avoid them.
Alex didn't look so much like a movie star anymore. The side of his face was red, and there was the start of a nasty bruise under his left eye.
When we reached our table, Orson delivered one of the rum punches to Anime Lauren, who also seemed to be actively avoiding Alex.
She'd changed into a short yellow dress with the Pokémon character Pikachu across her chest. I was glad to see she wasn't showing any ill effects from the earlier encounter on the beach.
"I'm here, on time," a voice behind me said. I turned to see Jake standing three feet away. He had a grin on his face, as if he'd pulled something over on me.
That man has the most dangerous smile.
He'd changed into a tight black T-shirt and was wearing some kind of sensual cologne. I caught traces of wood, musk, and leather. I could picture Jake as a cowboy, sitting in front of an open fire with a soft drift of smoke.
There were parts of me that were slowly starting to wake up, parts that hadn't been awake in a long time, maybe not since my divorce, now almost seven months ago.
"I'm glad you made it," I said, doing my best to keep my voice even. "We have maybe thirty minutes until the buffet opens and the show starts."
"No worries," he said with his lopsided grin. "Let me know if there're any specific shots you want."
"Tonight should be simple. Take some general memory photos of the luau and the show. I'll also need candids of everyone and some small group pictures. We have permission to use the luau stage for a group shot if you can get everyone up there, but don't force it."
"Okay, I'll see if they're in the mood for it."
"During dinner, they do the quieter part of the show," I said. "Nani Johnson does her ukulele numbers, and she sometimes has a singer with her."
"That should be easy. What else?"
"After that, the Aloha Lagoon Hula Wahines do some dance numbers with the guests. They already know about our wedding party. They'll pull Justin, our groom, up to hula in front of everyone, so make sure to get that."
"I'll shoot that in video," Jake said slowly as though he was mentally planning the shot. "If I stand behind the stage, I can rack focus to get some reaction pictures of Carly as he dances."
"Great idea. I can already imagine how well that'll work out."
"How late should I stay tonight?"
"Well, after the Hula Wahines, the Ahi Fire Knife Dancers come on stage. The house lights are then basically off for the rest of the show. You might as well take off after they start up."
"Perfect," he said as he nodded and gave me a wink. "I should have all the time I need."
Oh my god. He winked at me. I liked it, but who does that anymore?
"Don't forget," I reminded him. "We're meeting in the lobby tomorrow morning at nine o'clock for a group visit to the Fern Grotto. Make sure to get there a little early. The grotto's a beautiful place. It'll be a great setting to get candids and small groups."
"I'll be there," he said. "I looked at the raw images from this afternoon. Some of them are pretty good. I'll clean them up, and we can review them tomorrow whenever you have some time."
His cologne was starting to trigger thoughts that were definitely inappropriate for the workplace. I wondered if I could find out what it was so I could sprinkle a little on my pillow.
Jake started to circulate through the crowd. He worked the wedding party, chatting with people and shooting pictures. His muscles flexed and bunched as he turned the camera to capture different angles.
Geez, I really need to find a boyfriend.
While I was mesmerized by Jake's physique, Aunt Audrey walked up to the table. Rather than one of the complimentary drinks, she held a glass of the resort's high-end reserve pinot grigio.
Reluctantly pulling my attention away from the view, I asked, "How'd it go with the police? Is there anything they can do about your necklace?"
"It doesn't appear so," she said, clearly disappointed. "I'd place more faith in Jimmy Toki. He seems a little more on the ball. The detective I talked to, Ray something, says there isn't a lot he can do."
"I'll work with Jimmy to see if he's learned anything yet."
"Thank you, dear. That necklace has always been Carly's favorite piece of jewelry. As a child, I'd let her wear it, and she'd pretend she was a princess."
On the stage, a shirtless native Hawaiian man wearing a colorful lavalava skirt blew a loud musical note on a conch shell. The sound signaled the start of the feast.
* * *
In the relative calm between dinner and the main part of the show, I spent a few minutes chatting with bridesmaids Madeline and Victoria Trapp, a pair of identical twins. They were both tall and athletic, with similar hourglass figures.
Physically, the only thing that set them apart was their hair. Although both women had the same honey-blonde color, Victoria had long flowing tresses, while Madeline's locks were cut shoulder length.
"Hello, ladies," I said as I took an empty seat next to them. "You were both fantastic in the volleyball pit today."
"Thanks," Victoria said with a shrug. It was hard not to think of her as the sister with the long hair. "I thought we were terrible. We haven't played together since college. We were pretty good back then."
"Well, we were," Madeline said absentmindedly as she looked out at the rest of the wedding party. "But that was a long time ago. My serve is terrible, and I can barely set the ball anymore."
I caught a distracted tone from both women. I wanted to help if I could. "Is everything okay?" I asked. "Is there anything I can do for you while you're staying at the resort?"
"If you could turn back time about ten years, that would solve a lot of problems," Short-haired Madeline said in a wistful tone. There was a somewhat distant look in her eyes as her gaze lingered on Movie Star Alex and Wealthy Derek, who were now chatting with Carly and Justin, the bride and groom.
She turned and saw my puzzled look. She then gave a small laugh and shook her head. "It's okay," she said. "We're good."
"It's sweet of you to keep asking," Long-haired Victoria said as she flashed me a beautiful smile. "But we're fine."
"Okay," I said, a little discouraged. "Let Leilani or me know if anything comes up. We'll take care of it."
I didn't want to be overly pushy, so I let it go. As long as nothing spilled over to the rest of the wedding party, I'd gladly let them keep their secrets and work out their problems on their own.
By now, nearly everyone in the group was smiling and laughing. The lone exception was Angry Eddy Martin. He stood near the bar, looking out at the ocean, so I went over to talk with him.
He didn't look as grumpy and intimidating as he had earlier in the day, but he still didn't look all that friendly. He now seemed annoyed and frustrated, as if something was gnawing at him.
"Hi, Eddy," I said. "How's everything going?"
"It's alright," he said in a quiet, steady voice. "The resort is gorgeous. Carly and Justin chose a great place to get married."
"Have you known them both a long time?" I asked.
"We all started out as freshmen together in the same dorm. Justin started dating Carly our sophomore year."
"That's a long time to know a group of people."
"Yeah," he said as he glanced over at Flirty Roxanne. "It's interesting seeing everybody again. I'd lost track of most of these people over the years."
"Do you know why Carly only invited people from college to be in the wedding party? I'm sure our bride and groom have family and friends they could have asked."
Eddy snorted out a laugh and nodded his head. "I hear it happened because Carly and Derek the billionaire have apparently stayed pen-pals for all these years. The rumor is that Derek said he'd come to the wedding and even be the best man, but only if Victoria and Madeline Trapp were bridesmaids."
"Why those two?" I asked.
"He used to date Victoria. I think he even dated Madeline for a while before that. So, since the first three people in the wedding party were part of the old circle from college, it snowballed from there. Carly has several sisters, and she used Derek as the excuse why they all couldn't be in the wedding party. I suppose it saved her from hurting anyone's feelings. As I understand it, the rest of the friends and family will show up later in the week."
"Deciding who to exclude from the wedding party is never easy," I agreed. "What did you think about how it happened?"
"Hey, we get to come out to paradise a week early, courtesy of Carly's aunt. I was all for it." He grunted and held up his beer. "One last time to get the old gang together."
* * *
When the Ahi Fire Knife Dancers took the stage, I was entranced, like the rest of the audience. The unique event combined athletic skill, unflinching bravery, and ever-present danger.
Jake spent a few minutes shooting the fire dancers then returned to the table. Since he was done taking pictures for the night, I expected him to take off. Instead, he pulled out an empty chair and sat next to me.
A whiff of his cologne drifted past, and his presence pressed in on me. As the fire dancers transitioned from one scene to the next, Jake leaned in closer, his mouth brushing my ear, sending tingles along every nerve ending.
"Those guys are pretty good. Do they ever miss as they're tossing around those flaming knives?"
I turned so I could talk to him without having to raise my voice, which brought our faces to within a few inches of each other. As soon as I realized what had happened, my heart sped up a notch.
"In the six months I've been here, they've only missed a couple of times," I said. "Haven't you ever seen the show before?"
"I haven't been to a luau in years. But we were always going to them when I was a kid. Whenever family would come over from the mainland, my parents would take us to one of the luaus. I've always loved them."
"Same for me," I sighed. "The first time I went to one was on my honeymoon, seven years ago. The marriage didn't work out so well, but I'll never forget the fun I had at the luau."
"How long ago was the divorce?" he asked. His deep blue eyes met mine, and I could sense he was genuinely interested in my answer.
"It was final about six months ago," I said with a shrug. "There weren't any kids, and he wanted to move on with his life, so it was a simple process."
He looked at me for a moment, then nodded. He reached out and lightly rested his fingertips on my arm. His touch felt both exciting and comforting.
"I understand what you must have gone through," he said quietly, a somewhat distant look in his eyes. "It's not easy when someone you care about no longer wants you."
He seemed to realize he'd brought down the mood, and he pulled his fingers away. I was a little sorry to feel them go.
He again gave me that lopsided smile and spread out his arms. "But it's hard to be sad when you live in paradise, huh?"
"It certainly helps," I said with a laugh. "Not living in the same city as before helps as well. Too many things there reminded me of my ex-husband."
"How did you end up at Aloha Lagoon?"
"I was lucky. I found out about the job through an ad the resort put in a wedding planner's magazine. The interview process was quick, and I've been working here ever since."
He looked like he was gearing up to say something else when he seemed to change his mind. "Okay," he said. "I'd better take off and start to clean up the pictures from tonight. I'll meet you down in the lobby a few minutes before nine tomorrow morning."
He got up, and my eyes followed him as he left the Ramada Pier. I knew I'd be thinking about him tonight.