by B. E. Baker
16
Trig
Geo doesn’t say a word for almost half an hour, staring intently out at the waves and surf on the East Shore. When she does speak, it startles me.
“Is that the Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens?”
“Yeah,” I say. “It’s like a mile from my place.”
Her eyes widen and she claps her hands. “That’s top of my list for wedding venues. Do we have time to stop and take a look now?”
I want to get home and drop off my stuff, as well as make sure everything is lined up, but I glance at my watch. It’s nearly three, but that’s probably plenty of time. I’ve got dinner being brought in for the meeting at four-thirty. If we go drop things off, we won’t have time to backtrack. “Sure.”
I turn around and take Wailapa road to the Gardens. I glance over at Geo as often as I can because, as gorgeous as the scenery is, her reaction to it brings me more joy. I could almost stare at her all day, but when she’s excited? I can’t look away. Her wide eyes glisten, darting to and fro as she takes in the lush vegetation blooming wildly in front of the oceanic backdrop. Her lips part slightly when we pull up alongside the Poinciana Maze to park.
I’d love to witness it when she takes in the Garden for the first time, but I really ought to make sure everything is ready at the house. It leaves me torn. “Would you mind if I drop you off and come back in thirty or forty minutes? Maybe you can get a preliminary feel for this as a venue option and if one of the ones they have here feels good, set up a meeting for tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” she says. “That’s perfect. I’m sorry for forcing you down here so last minute.”
I shake my head. “I don’t mind at all.” This is where I should walk away, but I can’t quite bring myself to miss her reaction. Five minutes won’t kill me. I could walk her inside and then head to my place.
I open my car door and walk around to her side as she’s climbing out.
“I thought you were dropping me off,” she says. “Which is completely fine. Go and be fancy. I’m actually pretty competent at what I do.”
“I know that.” I take her hand in mine. “But I know the owner, so if you run into any issues, I can lean on him.”
She hugs me suddenly, squeezing me tightly around the chest. I wrap my arms around her too, always happy with the feel of her in my arms. She’s not tiny like Brekka. She’s just right.
Geo finally pulls back, but I keep one arm around her shoulders and we walk toward the entrance.
A man’s voice calls out behind us. “That cannot be Geode Polson? Is that really you?”
We both spin around, my arm falling off her shoulders when I see my old family friend, Ethan Trainor. He looks like a stereotypical surfer dude. Streaky blond hair, bronzed skin, rippling muscles that are easy to see from under a shirt with the top few buttons undone.
“Ethan?” I ask.
“Ethan!” Geode says at the same time.
My head swivels toward Geo and our eyes meet, hers reflecting the puzzlement in mine. “How do you know Ethan?”
Ethan has reached us, his arms outstretched. “Geode, I can’t believe you’re here.” He turns to face me. “Geo broke my heart for the very first time. Actually, probably the only time.”
Geo rolls her eyes and steps away from me to hug Ethan, who holds on a little too long for my taste.
The pieces click for me. Ethan went to Emory, and he’s several years younger than me. Of course he would have gravitated toward her in school. From what Brekka says, women badger Ethan. If he was interested in Geo and she passed… she must care even less about money than I thought.
“It’s been too long,” Ethan says, “but all is forgiven now that you’ve flown all the way out here to see me.”
Ethan’s always been a ridiculous flirt. His ‘chill dude’ and ‘hang ten’ slang always annoyed me, but he’s a nice enough guy for the most part. When he grins his toothy grin and Geode smiles right back, her eyes sparkling with genuine warmth, I grit my teeth.
“I’m actually here for work,” she says. “I’m planning a wedding.”
Ethan glances from Geo to me and back and comes to the wrong conclusion. “Are you getting married, Trig?”
For the first time in my life, I want to say yes. I want to grab Geo’s hand and pull her against my chest. But that would be past crazy and inching toward clinically insane. “No, not me. I’m just the Best Man.”
“That makes so much more sense.” Ethan puts his arm around Geo. “I looked up to Trig for years, you know. I even wore the same jacket he did for over a year, and the same sneakers. But I wouldn’t recommend him as a potential spouse.” He winks at me, and I push my irritation down. He really did dress just like me for years. It was kind of adorable, in an obnoxious way.
Ethan walks a few steps ahead, arm still draped around Geo’s shoulder. “You’ve come to the perfect place for a dream wedding. We actually have four distinct venues available. I’ll shuffle around whatever you need to get you the dates you want.”
Geo bites her lip, which only emphasizes the whiteness of her teeth. When I notice Ethan staring at her mouth, I clear my throat.
“Oh, sorry Trig.” She turns to Ethan. “He’s got a big meeting at five. He was going to walk me in to introduce me, well…” She glances my way. “To introduce me to you, I guess.”
She created the perfect opening for me to bow out, but my feet aren’t walking back to my car now, not while Ethan’s basically hugging her.
“I’m still a little confused on how you two know each other,” I say.
“I studied hospitality at Emory,” Ethan says.
“I knew your family owned resorts,” Geo says, “but I didn’t realize you had holdings in Hawaii.”
“Well, the Gardens used to be a non-profit, but you know how that goes,” Ethan says. “No profit, not much success either. It was about to be sold at auction and we picked it up for a song. I’ve been here ever since. I’m even doing a decent job, thanks to what I learned at good old Emory.”
“Little Ethan Trainor and studying aren’t compatible concepts in my brain,” I say.
Ethan ducks his head a little. “Well, that’s where Geo came in. She helped me quite a lot. She was my study partner, and I liked her enough that I wanted to impress her. I even took her out a few times before that big beefy guy stepped in and stole her from me.” He glances at Geo’s left hand and raises his eyebrows. “But I guess that didn’t work out? Somehow I missed that memo. Last I heard you were getting married.”
Geo blinks quickly and gulps air, but before I can figure out what to say to save her, she speaks. “I was, but actually Mark died almost four years ago. Killed in action.”
Ethan’s face crumples. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
But his arm tightens around her shoulders, and I realize that while he genuinely feels sad for her, he’s not really sorry. I wonder how many of his earlier jokes were constructed on an underlying element of truth.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Geo says. “There’s never an easy way to tell people.”
“Not at all,” Ethan says. “He was such a good guy. I feel bad for making fun of him now. I was just jealous.”
He managed to hit on her and express condolences in the same breath. I’m rethinking my prior impression that Ethan was an empty headed trust brat. The surf bum image might be hiding more.
She shakes her head. “You didn’t know. It’s fine.”
“I honestly had no idea, or I’d have expressed my condolences a long time ago. I’m pretty out of touch out here,” he says.
Geo glances my direction, and then down at her watch. “Oh no, I almost forgot. Trig has that meeting later, and he’s cutting it a little close I think. He only stopped here because he’s too much of a gentlemen to turn me down.”
“I can bring you back tomorrow,” I say. “Is there a good time for you, Ethan? Or if you’re busy, maybe one of your people can show her around?”
&
nbsp; He snorts. “Oh please. I’ll reschedule whatever it takes to catch up with an old friend.” Ethan beams at Geo. “I’m completely free right now, though. I’d be happy to take her back to her hotel after she’s looked around. Or if she needs some hotel recommendations, I have several I could show her during your meetings. We have affiliations with three.”
A few days ago, I’d have wanted to punch Ethan in his tanned surfer face, but not today. Today his offer and obvious interest doesn’t make me angry. I’m completely calm.
“She’s not staying at a hotel. She’s staying with me.” Pride swells up inside me for some reason. “Geo’s my girlfriend.”
I said it before back at the nursing home, but that was different. It’s not like anyone there would know, but Ethan knows everyone I do. Which means the word will be out twelve seconds after we leave. I’ve never called anyone my girlfriend before, not in thirty-four years, but I’m not panicking. In fact, it’s as though for the first time, I’m not afraid. Like I’ve freed myself from my parents, somehow.
I haven’t known Geo long, but she’s everything I want. She’s organized and reserved and classy. She’s loyal to friends and family. She moved back home when her mom became sick, weathered the storm of losing her mom, for all intents and purposes, and her dad in the same year. She’s forgone the easy path of relying on her looks to make something of her life that’s unrelated to appearance. She eschews all drama in favor of modesty. She’s got a quick mind that maneuvers through chess and risk assessments easily.
Possibly most important of all, I love talking to her, even when she’s miffed at or annoyed with me.
It’s like the dust has cleared from my brain and I realize something. Geo’s the only girl I want to kiss. The only girl I want to talk to, other than my sister. Geo’s the girl I care about the most in all the world. Something in my chest explodes and I breathe easier, like I’ve pulverized an anvil that had been weighing me down.
Because my thoughts force me to acknowledge something. Something I haven’t ever said to any woman outside my family.
I love Geo.
I want to take her in my arms right now and tell her a thousand times. But it’s not the best timing for my epiphany, I guess.
“I can give you my address,” I offer. “If you want to stay Geo, and Ethan can give you a ride, that’s great.”
Geo steps toward me without hesitation. “I love what I’ve seen Ethan, and I think this may be exactly what Luke and Mary need for their wedding, but can I come see it tomorrow? I really ought to head to Trig’s house in case he needs help preparing for his meeting.”
I never understood that stupid Dr. Seuss line about the Grinch’s heart. Until that moment. The heart I just discovered grew at least one size with Geo standing next to me. No melodrama over collecting men who worship her, no attempts at making me jealous like every girl I’ve ever dated until now.
Simple support.
“That’s completely fine,” Ethan says. “I have a meeting at ten but it shouldn’t take all day. Can we do eleven? Then if you need more time, we can eat lunch at one of the local resorts. It would give you a chance to check those out, too.”
“That’s perfect.” Geo leans against me, her face pressed to my chest. “It was wonderful seeing you again Ethan, and I apologize if I seem tired. We had to wake up early this morning, and it was a long flight.”
Ethan shakes his head. “Not at all. If anything, you look more amazing than you did back at Emory.” He turns toward me. “Looks like I’ve lost my chance with this one again, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look happier, man. Good for you guys. Maybe you’ll be planning a wedding here next.”
I look down at the shiny, ebony top of Geo’s head. Maybe we will.
17
Geo
Trig doesn’t say much on the short drive to his Kauai house. When we pull up to a large wooden gate, I scan the area. “Is this like a condo?”
He turns toward me, his eyebrows drawn together. “Are you kidding?”
“Totally,” I lie. “But seriously, is this your place? Or another family cabin?”
“Not that it matters really,” he says. “Mom and Dad don’t care where we go or when. But Brekka and I bought this one ourselves.”
“Together?” I ask.
“Yep.” His eyebrows draw together. “Well, yes and no. Technically at first we didn’t.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m thirty-four,” Trig says. “And Brekka’s twenty-seven.”
“Okay,” I say. “What does that have to do—”
“I’m getting there, Miss Questions.”
We pull through the gate and I gasp. “Is this on ocean front acreage?”
He bobs his head. “Three acres.”
Even the driveway is sculpted. Flagstones lead to three garage bays, the entire thing overlooking a verdant green field that drops to the ocean below. “This place is amazing.”
“Thanks. Mom and Dad bought it for me and Brekka as a graduation present. She graduated high school the same time I got my MBA.”
“I thought you said you bought it?”
He reaches back and pulls our bags out of the rear of the car. “I’m getting there. Be patient.”
“It’s not one of my strong suits,” I mumble as I climb out.
“I’m gathering that, but this isn’t a chess game. You don’t need to figure this out. I’ll tell you.”
I sigh and try to take my bag from him. “Then get on with it already.”
He tugs on the bag until I flop against him, and then he kisses me briefly. “I was worried back there for a minute that Ethan would kidnap you and paddle you out to some private island, never to be seen again.”
“Does he have a private island? Because if so, maybe I’m rethinking this whole thing.” I gesture at the door that leads into the enormous beach house behind us.
He shakes his head. “I knew I should’ve bid higher on that island.”
“Wait, is there really an island?” Who knows with him?
Trig laughs. “Ethan’s family only has a few hundred million. He probably lives in a hut outside the botanical gardens. Which is why if he kidnapped you, I might never find you again.”
I smile against his mouth. “He could have kidnapped me years ago and didn’t. I’m sure I’m safe.”
He shakes his head. “I think he only recently realized what he lost.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh please. We only went out like three times.”
“Which is technically two more times than we’ve gone out. But to answer your earlier question, when I decided to start Nometry, Brekka convinced me to sell this house and use the money as my startup capital. She was a freshman in college, but I made her a half owner anyway.”
“You didn’t have other funds to use?” I ask.
“Only my trust fund, and Brekka pointed out that I didn’t want my company to be owned by the trust.”
“Smart,” I say. “But how are we staying here now if you guys sold it?”
“Two years ago it went on the market, and we decided to buy it again. With our own money this time.”
“Nice,” I say.
He straightens. “I value it more now that I paid for it myself.”
“I bet you do.” I finally grab my bag. “I mean, when I graduated, my parents gave me a new flat iron for my hair. It was a really nice one, salon quality. It cost almost two hundred dollars. But when that one eventually gave out, I bought the replacement myself.” I walk up the steps toward the door into the house. “And I’ve got to say. I value my sleek hair much more now, knowing I paid for it myself.”
Trig chases me up the stairs. “Mock me if you will, but this was a big deal to me.”
“I believe you,” I say. “I’m not actually mocking you. I’m more mocking me.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’ve done really well. You own a business.”
“I can barely make my monthly payment on a one bedroom condo,” I say.
/>
“But surely you’re saving.”
I look down at the floor of his garage, which is nicer than the floor of my kitchen. “Not really.”
“What are you spending your money on, then? Manicures?” He takes my free hand. “Because I’d say that’s totally worth it.”
I shake my head and force the words out. “My parents wanted kids really badly.” I still think about all the siblings I never met. Mom lost them all before I was born. “They spent every extra dime on trying everything available at the time, but none of their children survived. Until me. My mom was almost forty when she had me. When I was growing up, we never had much left over after they paid the bills. Then Dad’s company laid him off before he vested in his pension. So when he died, Mom’s decline accelerated, and well. Her social security doesn’t cover the costs of her care. Or at least, not at any place I’d be willing to leave her.”
It’s so embarrassing to be telling this multi-billionaire that I have basically nothing, other than a mother I’m caring for alone.
“You pay for your mother’s nursing home.”
I can’t meet his eyes. It’s all so pathetic. I can barely make my condo payment and my car payment with enough left over for Mom’s nursing home. Well, except now I have almost a hundred grand I could spend. If it wasn’t already too late.
Trig’s hand touches the bottom of my chin and lifts my head upward until my eyes finally meet his.
“I love you, Geo. When we first met, I thought you were the most beautiful person I’d ever seen. You floored me. Your hair, your eyes, that body.” His eyes widen and he shakes his head. “But you’re so much more than a knockout. The more I got to know you, the more I realized that you glow, not because of your outward appearance. Because of the sacrifices you make for others. You make the world around you a brighter place, and that inspires me. Your worth isn’t tied to your bank account balance or some stock portfolio. Not to me. I love the inside of you, the light you give.”
He leans over and kisses me, his lips soft but urgent, and I drop my bag. It topples down the stairs and crashes against the ground. The sound jerks me back to reality and I glance down at the resultant mess. My clothing spewed out all over the floor, and I breathe a sigh of relief that his garage floor is so clean. But I wish my pink lacy bra wasn’t lying on top of a heap of beach gear.
