by Tremay, Joy
Eric sidled up to Mia and whispered, “Your hip rotations are turning me on.”
“Stop it,” she whispered, biting back a smile.
“Pau, finished,” said Olina as she swayed to a halt. “You’re naturally graceful, Mia. Oy, I’m a little out of breath. I think I need to sit down now.”
“Sorry, Olina, I didn’t mean to wear you out,” apologized Mia, helping Olina settle back down on her lounge chair.
“No, it’s okay. Na keiki, the children, are kicking and are probably excited about the party. Speaking of, where is everyone?”
Eric and Mano drew some rattan chairs near the women.
“You know our family and friends. They’re on Hawaiian time,” Mano answered, strumming on his ukulele.
“Meaning they’re always late,” explained Eric to Mia.
“Is the kalua pork ready?” Olina asked her husband.
“One more hour,” he answered.
“Here, have some coconut shrimp,” Eric said, holding the tray out to Mia and Olina.
“Mmm, this pupu, appetizer, is so onolicious,” Olina said appreciatively.
“Everything you eat is ‘ono lately,” chuckled Mano teasingly.
“I can’t wait to try the pork,” Mia said, her stomach grumbling.
“We also have poi and lomi lomi salmon, a cold salad made of tomatoes, salmon and onions. Mano did most of the cooking,” Olina added proudly. “He loves to cook, and he’s really good at it, too.”
“I also prepared Filipino chicken adobo,” said Mano, rubbing his belly in anticipation.
“What’s that?” asked Mia curiously.
“It’s chicken cooked in soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, black peppercorns and bay leaves, served over a bed of steamed rice,” he answered. “It’s delicious.”
Mano began to play a lively tune on his ukulele, while Olina sang a traditional Hawaiian song.
Mia smiled at Eric, her smile deepening as he took her hand in his and weaved his fingers through hers.
One hour later, the party was in full swing. Over fifty people had arrived, most of whom were Mano and Olina’s extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends. All were enjoying the plentiful food and beer. Children ran around the yard, chasing the chickens, while musicians played traditional Hawaiian music on guitars and ukuleles.
Mia watched a tall, beautiful woman in a yellow tank top and tight, brown mini skirt chat with Eric, and wondered who she was. She had noticed the other woman approach Eric earlier while she had been conversing with one of Olina’s cousins. The two had been talking for almost an hour now, and each time Mia had looked over at them, the woman seemed to be standing closer to Eric.
Olina approached Mia when she suddenly paused, and stared at the woman talking to Eric. “I didn’t know she was going to be here,” said Olina, frowning.
“Who is she?” asked Mia with intense curiosity.
Olina hesitated briefly before answering carefully. “That’s Leilani. We used to be really close, but when she moved to Oahu to attend university, we drifted apart. Now, we only see her once in a great while, when she comes back to visit her folks.”
Olina gave Mia an odd look of apology. “She and Eric were childhood sweethearts. They dated for many years and they were briefly engaged,” she disclosed reluctantly.
Mia’s eyes widened, utterly astonished. The svelte beauty talking to Eric had been his fiancée? Her gaze narrowed as she studied Leilani more closely. The woman was almost as tall as Eric. She possessed silky, straight, jet black hair—which almost reached her waist—and a delicate, lovely profile.
“Is she Hawaiian?” asked Mia, unable to take her eyes off the other woman.
“Leilani is hapa-haole, half Caucasian,” answered Olina. “Her father is from Switzerland and her mother is part-Hawaiian and part-Chinese. Leilani was born and raised in Kauai.”
Mia continued to watch Eric converse with Leilani, and felt a wave of jealousy as Leilani placed her hand on his arm. He laughed at what Leilani said, and Mia felt her stomach muscles clench at the obvious familiarity between them. Eric bent his head toward Leilani, his lips close to her ear.
“If you’ll excuse me, Olina, I have to go to the bathroom,” Mia said suddenly, tearing her eyes away from Eric.
Olina gave her a worried look. “Mia, don’t let Leilani bother you.”
“I’m not bothered,” Mia lied.
As Mia walked away, she glanced at Eric, and at precisely the same moment, he looked her way, and their eyes met. He must have sensed her disquiet, because a look of concern entered his eyes before she hastily looked away.
After she used the bathroom, she wandered to the front yard and sat on a bamboo bench to gather her thoughts. Perhaps she had drunk too much beer, because she suddenly felt unbalanced and discombobulated.
“What are you doing here?” asked a deep voice, startling Mia out of her thoughts. She glanced up and found Eric standing over her. “Are you all right?”
Mia sighed and shook her head. She was angry at him for not telling her about Leilani. How could he not mention her to him? “Who was that woman you were talking to?” she asked, knowing she probably sounded as jealous as she felt.
“Who? Leilani?” Eric asked, frowning.
“Olina said that you were once engaged to her. Why didn’t you tell me you had a fiancée?”
Mia was aware of her accusatory tone, but couldn’t seem to stop herself.
Eric stared down at her with an inscrutable expression, and she wondered what he was thinking. Perhaps she had been too direct.
“I didn’t think it was important,” he answered simply, shrugging his shoulders.
Her eyebrows spiked upwards at his nonchalant answer. “What if I told you I had a fiancée? Wouldn’t you deem that kind of important?” she asked, sarcasm laced in her question.
Eric paused before answering. “I suppose it would be, but what matters now is the present, not the past.”
Mia clenched her fists and tried to get a grip on her raging emotions. “Did you love her?” she asked quietly.
“What has that got to do with anything?” Eric asked, surprise and annoyance in his voice.
“Really, Eric? You don’t think that question would interest me in the least?” she asked sarcastically.
“And why should it? It holds no relevance to us,” he said coolly.
“I disagree,” snapped Mia, losing her patience.
Eric fixed her with a steely gaze, his jaw clenched. She defiantly stared back at him, not in the least bit intimidated.
“Eric, so this is where you’ve been hiding,” said a teasing voice.
Leilani stepped into view, and Mia was finally able to see her up close. She was even more stunning than from afar. Leilani’s sultry blue eyes raked over Eric with a hungry gleam.
Eric pointedly looked at Mia. “Leilani, let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Mia.”
Mia rose from the bench and saw the surprise and disappointment in Leilani’s eyes a moment before she quickly masked her expression.
“Hello, nice to meet you,” Leilani said politely with a smile that wasn’t quite sincere.
“Hi.” It was all the response Mia could muster at the moment.
Leilani turned her attention back to Eric and touched his arm fleetingly.
“I’m surprised you didn’t mention me to your girlfriend, given our long friendship, Eric,” said Leilani with a pout.
Mia narrowed her eyes and looked at Eric.
He returned her look with a wry twist of his lips. A taut silence ensued while Leilani studied his reaction.
“After all,” added Leilani smugly, “you and I do have a long history.”
“Leilani,” Eric said mildly, “why don’t you try some of the dishes Mano cooked? I’m sure you’ll love them.”
Both women heard the steely tone of his voice, and Leilani pursed her lips at his dismissal.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you both alone,” said Lei
lani with a smirk. “Nice meeting you, Mia.” She paused and looked at Eric with regret in her eyes, before slowly walking away, her hips swaying seductively in her tight mini skirt.
Mia waited until Leilani was out of earshot before she spoke again. “You didn’t tell her about me earlier?”
“What do you mean?” Eric asked, puzzled.
“You were talking to her for an hour, and I never came up?”
“What - you were timing me?” he asked in an incredulous voice.
A confusing mix of emotions overcame her. She gave him a frustrated glare and turned to walk away from him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Eric asked, grabbing her arm.
Mia tried to shrug off his hand, but he tightened his hold on her. “I’m too upset to talk to you right now. I might say something I’ll regret later,” she said, exasperated.
Eric gave her a hard look before he released her. “Fine, but we’re going to talk about this when we get home,” he said firmly.
Mia gave him an icy glare before she stomped away.
* * *
Eric watched Mia leave, feeling bewildered and annoyed by her irrational behavior. How dare she walk away in a huff? Her temper tantrum was childish and totally uncalled-for.
When Eric had seen Leilani tonight, he had been pleasantly surprised to see his former childhood sweetheart and fiancée again. He had not seen her in almost three years, since she lived in Oahu. They had not kept in touch, and when he went to visit his brother and sister-in-law in Honolulu, he never sought her out.
Leilani was still beautiful, but in his opinion, she couldn’t hold a candle to his Mia. He had been mildly surprised at Leilani’s boldness as she had stood so close to him during their conversation, but he remembered her penchant to flirt. He had not thought much of it until he had happened to glance over at Mia and saw her cold look.
He was unaccustomed to being questioned by anyone - especially by the women in his life - but it dawned on him that perhaps Mia may have felt threatened by Leilani. It’s true that he and Leilani had shared something special once, but it had been a long time ago. They had gone their separate ways, and as far as he was concerned, she was part of his past.
Since then, he had never embarked on a serious relationship with anyone, unwilling to commit to any woman. His career took precedence over everything else, and he enjoyed being a carefree bachelor. Looking back on his relationship with Leilani, he now knew that it had been more or less a teenage crush that had eventually led to a marriage proposal and a brief engagement. He had regretted the impulsive decision to propose almost immediately, and was relieved when the engagement had been broken off by mutual consent.
What he shared with Mia was completely different and unique. In a short span of a few weeks, she had been able to stir in him something so deep and powerful that he needed to be with her all the time. Every molecule of his being hummed when she was near, a sensation he had never experienced with Leilani, or with any other woman.
The boyhood crush and infatuation he had felt for Leilani paled in comparison to the all-consuming need and powerful lust he felt for Mia. She stirred him in a way that Leilani had never done. Her hold on him frankly stunned him. He didn’t want her to know the power she held over him, because it left him feeling vulnerable.
* * *
Mia began to feel a little foolish as she looked out across the lawn.
“I’m sorry about Leilani being here, Mia,” Olina apologized.
Mia was standing on the lanai, and turned to smile weakly at Olina. “That’s okay. She has a right to be here. You’re friends.”
Olina shook her head in denial. “We were once, but we rarely speak now. Dat girl always had a thing for Eric. I think she found out about my party through the coconut wireless.”
“Coconut wireless?”
“Gossip goes through the grapevine at lightning speed. Coconut wireless gets information passed by word of mouth faster here than using cell phones.”
“Sounds efficient,” said Mia.
Mia glanced over at Eric and saw him approach Leilani. She watched them converse for a few minutes, then he walked away, missing the fleeting look of agony on Leilani’s face.
“Eric has no feelings for her anymore,” reassured Olina. “They are friends, nothing more.”
“Thanks, Olina, but I can’t be 100% certain of that,” said Mia quietly.
Eric stepped onto the lanai and gave Olina a fleeting smile before he focused on Mia. Mia’s heart began to pound under his intent regard. Her irritation had disappeared, only to be replaced by insecurity.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, his gaze inscrutable.
Mia nodded, hoping that what she was feeling wasn’t showing on her face.
Eric turned to Olina and swept her into a hug.
“Mahalo nui loa,” he said. “Tell Mano I’m sorry we left early.”
“I will. Don’t worry about him. He’s too busy playing mahjong,” Olina said, smiling. “Mahalo no kau hele ‘ana mai, thanks for coming.”
Mia gave Olina a hug. “I hope to see you again before we leave for Maui.”
Olina gave her a warm smile. “I’ll accompany Mano to Lihue tomorrow night when we drop you off at the airport.”
Eric took her hand and they walked off the lanai together. As she looked back, she noticed Leilani standing in the yard, her arms crossed against her chest, watching them leave. The regret and bitterness in the other woman’s eyes was apparent, and Mia felt suddenly sorry for her.
“You’re being ridiculous,” sighed Eric as he attempted to hold Mia in his arms. “Jealousy is not an attractive trait, you know.”
“Who says I’m jealous?” asked Mia, pushing her hands against his chest.
Eric laughed. “It’s pretty obvious.”
“Don’t be delusional,” she countered crossly. She remained rigid in his arms and refused to give him eye contact. When she heard his husky laugh, she looked up to see him looking down at her with an amused expression.
They had just arrived back at his house and were standing in the middle of the living room.
“I didn’t realize you possessed such a temper,” he murmured as he swept her long hair aside and caressed her neck with gentle fingertips.
She tried not to react to his tender gesture.
“Please tell me about her, Eric.”
“What do you want to know?” he asked, placing his arms around her waist and tugging her closer.
“When were you engaged to her and for how long?”
“We were briefly engaged when we were twenty-one,” he answered, pausing to give her a kiss before he continued. “We had both just graduated from college. I had completed my degree at the University of British Columbia, while she had finished at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I wanted her to move to Vancouver to be with me, thinking that by marrying her, I could tie her to me. But several weeks after our engagement, we both realized that neither one of us was ready to get married, so we called it off.”
Mia felt a little relieved at his explanation, but she was still feeling insecure.
“Did you love her?” Mia asked the loaded question without blinking.
“I did,” Eric said without hesitation, causing her heart to suddenly clench, “but it was the love a boy felt for a girl he had grown up with. We spent our childhood summers together and share great memories. What we had was special, but we eventually grew apart. Now all I feel for her is friendship.”
“From what I saw tonight, Eric, I don’t think she feels the same way you do.”
“What makes you say that?” he asked, frowning.
“Call it woman’s intuition. I think she still wants you,” Mia answered thoughtfully, remembering Leilani’s bitter expression.
“It doesn’t matter, Mia. I want you and only you,” he said firmly, melting her insecurities away.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his head down. “Well, that’s good to hear,” she said soft
ly.
“Remember that the next time you interrogate me,” he said teasingly. “Time to make up.”
Mia couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do more.
* * *
Mia couldn’t sleep. She sat on a barstool in the kitchen, contemplating the glass of milk in her hands.
She had been thrilled when Eric had told her that he wanted her and no other woman. It wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but it was a step forward in their relationship. She had been taken aback by her strong possessive feelings toward him. She had certainly never felt this way about any man before.
No man had ever made a substantial impact on her life. During college, her roommates had been on a constant emotional roller coaster with their boyfriends. She had never been able to truly empathize with them because she had never undergone true heartache. Her breakup with her last boyfriend, whom she had dated for nearly a year, had barely stirred her emotions. At the time, Mandy had accused her of having the feelings of a tree. It was only now that she was beginning to understand why her roommates had been so angst-ridden.
Mia chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. Her love for Eric was growing stronger every day, but she wasn’t sure if she should tell him how she felt. She was afraid she was setting herself up for heartbreak. She decided that the only thing she could do right now was to take one day at a time and enjoy the present.
She sighed and took one last gulp of her milk before she returned to the bedroom. As she snuggled back into bed with Eric, she felt contentment seep into her bones as he pulled her into the warmth of his embrace. There was no use in worrying about the future because life was too unpredictable, especially with Eric.
The next morning, a rooster’s loud crow woke Mia just as the sun was rising. A cow mooing in the backyard had her opening one eye. She felt Eric kiss her gently and opened her bleary eyes as he looked down at her.
“I’m off to go surfing with Mano. I’ll be back in a few hours,” he said with a smile.
A thin, cotton sheet draped over her naked figure, and he ran a hand down her stomach over the sheet.
“Maybe I should stay,” he said as he looked at the mounds of her breasts.
