‘No… no,’ Lils said between fits of giggles, ‘I like it.’
‘Yup,’ Victoria agreed, raising her glass to the screen. ‘I say amen to that!’
‘Cheers!’ Malie said, pleased she’d got them all laughing again.
‘Truth be told, I’ve had enough of men to last me a lifetime. And anyway, I have my hands full helping with your wedding, V.’
‘Good job too since I’m going to need your knowledge to get it right.’
‘Have you suddenly added wedding planning to your repertoire, Lils?’ Malie asked, confused. Lily was a great organizer, knew her food and drink, but wedding planning?
‘No, but no one other than Blake knows the Hawkesbury Estate as well as her.’
‘The Hawkesbury Estate?’ Malie frowned.
‘That’s what I’m dying to tell you!’ Victoria practically squealed. ‘Blake has asked if he can host the wedding! We’re going back to our summer home, ladies, for my wedding!’
Malie felt her elation through the screen, her own heart dancing with it. ‘That’s amazing, V, I’m so happy for you.’
‘Thank you, and I just know you had something to do with it, Lils!’
Lily smiled, her own eyes glistening. ‘I may have mentioned in passing how special the place was to us as kids and how beautiful a wedding venue it made… all off the back of telling him you were engaged.’
They all laughed.
‘Well played, Lils!’ Malie toasted her drink to her but then her eyes fell on V and the way her smile dropped slightly.
‘It is the perfect venue,’ V said, but her voice was softer, more reflective and then she looked away from the screen.
‘What is it, V?’ Malie asked, her heart lurching a little. Why the sudden shift in mood?
‘V?’ Lils prompted too, leaning into the screen, her eyes narrowed.
Victoria looked back to them and gave a little grimace. ‘I have one teeny, tiny problem – Stella.’
Lily’s frown became even more pronounced. ‘You mean, Oliver’s mum?’
‘Yes.’ She looked away and then whispered loud enough for them to hear. ‘She wants the wedding to take place in their home village back in Norwich.’
‘And what about Ollie?’ asked Lils. ‘What does he want to do?’
‘He wants to do what makes me happy…’ Victoria shrugged and gave a guilty smile, ‘which is of course, Hawkesbury.’
‘Well, there you go, then,’ Malie said. ‘Simple. Let him tell her.’
‘I don’t want to upset her, especially with his father being so sick…’ Victoria started to fumble with the sleeve of her dressing gown, her happiness from seconds before dissipating.
‘How’s his father doing?’ Lils asked. They’d all known Oliver’s father, Eric, was ill, the whole country did. He was a bit of a British legend, an uber successful entrepreneur, and as such his illness was public knowledge, as was the experimental treatment he’d received recently.
V’s expression lifted. ‘Really well, against all the odds, even the specialists can’t believe how well he is doing.’
‘She’ll be so happy he’s doing so well, a simple decision over the wedding venue isn’t going to ruin her mood,’ Malie said jovially.
‘And it’s your wedding day, after all,’ Lils said, ever the romantic in spite of her own bitter experience. ‘They will want you both to be happy above all else.’
‘You think?’ Victoria said, hopeful.
‘Defo,’ Malie said.
Lily nodded. ‘Best you break the news sooner rather than later, though, else knowing you it will worry you sick and you won’t be able to enjoy anything until it is done.’
‘Well, we’re going for dinner today and it’s bound to come up.’
‘It’s as good a time as any,’ Lils said.
‘Regardless of what Oliver said, Dutch courage gets my vote.’ Malie threw back her drink to emphasize her point.
‘I agree.’ Lily grabbed up a water bottle and chugged back the contents. ‘I’m pretending it’s gin!’
They all laughed and Victoria’s attention was once again off-screen, her laugh morphing into a wicked grin. ‘Erm, I have to go, guys…’
Malie leaned into the laptop, trying even though she couldn’t to see around the screen. ‘Oh aye, what’s caught your eye?’
Lils laughed, her cheeks flushing pink. ‘I don’t think we want to know.’
Victoria snuck a look back at the screen, ‘Speak soon, yeah?’ and her eyes lifted over the laptop edge as she leaned back and the lid was closed for her.
‘I think you’re right, Lils,’ Malie said. ‘Only now my head is taunting me with the fact that V is getting some and we’re not.’
‘Speak for yourself. Like I said, I’m done with the male sex.’
‘Very wise, that makes the two of us!’ Malie poured more bubbles and took a considered sip.
‘Pardon me?’ Malie frowned at her friend’s disbelieving gaze. ‘Did you just say you’re done with the male sex?’
‘It’s overrated.’
‘Malie Pukui, since when have you gone off sex?’
‘I didn’t say I was off sex.’
‘Off males then…’ her eyes widened, ‘are you…?’
‘No… although there was this rather feisty ladies’ surf champion that paid us a visit a couple of months ago. I definitely considered it.’
‘Malie!’
‘OK, OK, I just meant…’ Hell, what did she mean? She wasn’t off sex, she wasn’t off men, she was just distracted, exposed, vulnerable, turned on, falling for and quite frankly out of her comfort zone with one in particular. ‘I have no idea what I mean, this cheap plonk has clearly gone to my head.’
‘Well, on that note, I’m going to have to love you and leave you, honey. I have to get this lot back to the restaurant and get marinating.’
‘Sure. Speak soon, babe. Happy marinating!’ She blew Lily a kiss and closed the lid of her laptop, placing her glass and the bottle on her bedside table.
The distraction of her friends and getting wrapped up in V’s excitement had sure gone well—Not!
She’d only managed to turn the conversation right back to her own mess by the end of it. And still, she was no closer to sorting any of it out.
Well done, Malie, well done… She flopped back on her bed, staring up at her smooth white ceiling and watching the fan at its centre go round and round and round.
In less than twenty-four hours Zoe would be here and then she could really avoid sweating the serious stuff. And speaking of Zoe, she raised herself up on her elbows and scanned the open-plan room. She could give it one more once-over. A dust, a hoover, perhaps… yeah, her neighbours in the block would really appreciate that at this time of night. But there was plenty she could get done quietly. She could reorganize the crockery for starters and add some fancy hotel touches to Zoe’s room: toiletries, towels on the bed, maybe move a plant in there…
God, what was she doing? She may have teased Victoria about losing her mind but Malie was well ahead of her. Thank heaven for Zoe’s visit, her no-nonsense attitude would have Malie thinking straight again… once Malie had convinced her friend that there definitely was no hope, not even a smidgen of a future for her and Todd – Ah, Todd… even now her body warmed, the tiny little flutters starting up, well-fuelled by the bubbles she’d consumed. She turned onto her side and pressed her face into the pillow, breathed in her own familiar scent and tried to block him out.
That was how she found herself when her alarm went off at 5.30 a.m., the creases of her pillow ingrained in her face, her body as tight as a coiled spring and Todd’s name on her lips. Oh yeah, she’d only gone and dreamed of him, too.
She just prayed her morning workout would burn him out of her system… before they started his lesson at dawn. She could always ask Kalani to take her place if not.
No, Malie, it was your charity donation. Not Kalani’s.
Perhaps a swap then? She hadn’t seen who’d won Kalan
i’s lessons, perhaps it would be some overweight, balding dude with a BO problem. She shuddered. Better the devil you know than…
She sprang out of bed, refusing to listen to the rambling of her head, or her heart any longer.
She would get through the morning and then she would be safe in Zoe’s company having the time of their lives! Perfect!
FOCUS. ON. THAT.
Chapter Fourteen
HE’D TOLD HER DAWN but Todd arrived at the surf school long before that. It was still dark, the moon and stars still bright, the breeze rustling in the palm trees and the sound of the waves rushing over the sand the only real noise.
It was serene, soothing to his hyped-up body that had spent the last few hours in bed, wishing sleep would claim him and dreading the ping of his phone telling him she wouldn’t be coming to the lesson. Even now he half expected one, and if not that, then Kalani appearing to tell him that he’s standing in. And not just for this session but the whole damn lot.
He couldn’t blame her either. He’d really overstepped the line last Sunday and in pushing her for more last night, more of her, more of her past, more of what was going on beneath the surface, he’d pushed her away.
He of all people understood not wanting to talk about the personal. He’d kept a close lid on it his entire life. Social workers couldn’t even drag the truth out of him. But Malie… she’d managed to crack his life-long hard exterior and she’d done it in less than a week. Maybe that was the reason he couldn’t let it go – let her go – he couldn’t believe that a connection as powerful as this could be one-sided. She had to feel it too. And if she did and was still fighting to hide it from him, heaven knew how vulnerable she was beneath the captivating front.
He’d felt so close to breaking down her walls last night, so close to understanding and getting to know the real her. But then she’d run as fast as she could. Hiding, blocking him out, again.
The swing from sheer joy at Tara’s progress, through the sight of Tara being so lovingly embraced by her parents when they’d returned her to them, through their continued chatter through the glass… Malie had watched it all and slowly her expression had changed and it had killed him to witness the tears, to see her cry and not have her confide in him, not to trust him with it.
He leaned against the trunk of a palm tree and stared out at the sea, breathing in deeply and letting it out slowly. It truly was beautiful here, such a contrast to the cities he was used to and the twenty-four-hour hive of activity. To be able to walk and find peace in the sound of the ocean, the quiet of the hour, had its appeal. No wonder Malie loved it.
In the distance the odd boat bobbed at sea, along the coastal road a few early workers prepped their shops and bar fronts for a day of trade, and on the beach there was the odd walker, the odd runner, some with dogs, some… Malie?
His eyes narrowed, his heart raced. She was a good distance away but even so, he knew it was her. Nalu too, trying to catch the sand that kicked up on her heels. Her hair was scraped up high on her head, flying out behind her in a mass of curls as she stuck to a pace that was punishing even by his standards and yet she made it look easy, the line of her body lithe, athletic, captivating.
He pushed away from the tree and started to walk towards her, the movement impulsive, but then his stride faltered. This was her time. Not his. She wasn’t here for his lesson – that was at least thirty minutes away – she was here to train and to interrupt her, even without last night hanging over them, would be wrong.
He hung back, gluing himself to the palm tree and hoping it would make him less obtrusive. He wondered if she was interval training and waited for her to slow down, walk, even, before picking up again, but no, she ran and ran, going past the surf school and continuing on. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, even when she was no more than a dot he watched, amazed, impressed, and ever more hooked.
He smiled, the image of himself running beside her, of passing up his treadmill for a run outdoors, along a beach, beside a lake, anywhere with her by his side – he shook his head. Why was he even thinking it? The closest he got to a running partner was a personal trainer and he hadn’t even used one of those in years, preferring to work out alone, and that made his whimsical imaginings just plain odd. Unsettling, even.
She turned back, her face to the sea as it had been when she’d run past him and still she didn’t pause, not until she hit a set of bars positioned at varying heights between the road and the beach. Without pausing for breath, she launched herself in the air, grabbing hold of the high bar and bending her legs, crossing them at the ankles. She lifted herself up. One chin-up, two, three… no way… He’d known she was fit, she had to be to master what she could on the waves, but seeing her training was something else.
He watched her, for how long he wasn’t sure, but when an insect took advantage of landing in his gaping mouth, he woke up to his voyeuristic behaviour and snapped his jaw shut. He either made her aware that he was here, or he found himself somewhere else to wait out the sunrise. Question was, which?
Now he’d seen her, now he knew she was only several metres away at most, did he really want to walk away? No.
He looked back to the horizon, to the sun just starting to peek over the deep blue of the sea and decided: that was the sun, it was close enough to dawn in his mind.
He started to walk towards her, watched as she dropped down from the bars and wiped her sweat-banded wrists across her brow. Sweat trickled down her chest, into the valley of her vest top, the Lycra clinging to her body, her shorts just as tight. Every glorious curve was accentuated by the fabric as she stared out at the orange glow starting to build over the sea. Her skin shone gold, even her eyes took on a similar hue, their green absorbing the amber from the steadily rising sun.
She fisted her hands on her hips, dragged in one deep breath followed by another and another, her eyes lost in the view – just as he was lost in her. What was she thinking? Was it about him? Had she suffered all night just as he had done? Was he the reason she was up before the crack of dawn?
It was Nalu who spotted him first, the dog’s excited bark breaking the quiet, his tail wagging so fiercely it slapped against her legs.
She turned to look down at him, ‘What is—?’ and then she saw him, her eyes lifting, her lips parting in a surprised ‘O’.
‘Morning.’ He smiled and Nalu ran towards him, eager for his attention, which worked in Todd’s favour since it meant tearing his eyes away from her appeal and keeping his hands busy as he dropped to his haunches and stroked the dog’s head, then his tummy as he rolled onto his back.
‘I wasn’t expecting you quite so early.’ She walked towards him, her trainer-clad feet and bare, toned calves inching closer and closer.
‘I couldn’t sleep.’ That was a bit honest. A bit too honest. He blamed it on her legs getting too close, her bare thighs, her curvaceous hips and slender waist, her ample… he swallowed and his eyes leaped to hers. His easy grin, forced. ‘How about you?’
Her eyes narrowed, her arms crossing over her front. So defensive and the day had only just begun. ‘How about I – what?’
‘Couldn’t sleep?’ he said, getting to his feet so that she had to look up at him to maintain eye contact.
‘I slept just fine, thank you.’
He didn’t believe her, he almost said as much but stopped himself. He’d already scared her off enough, he didn’t want to risk losing her completely.
She looked away to the sea. ‘For your information, I always work out at this time of day, before the world wakes.’
He followed her gaze. ‘I can see why.’
And he really could. The rays of the dawning sun stretched along the horizon, gradients of pink, orange, blue. He felt himself inhale and let go, a sense of calm befalling him until he noticed the watchful, curious look upon her face.
‘What?’ he said, not knowing whether to smile or not.
‘Nothing.’
He smiled now. ‘Nothing?’ He raised
his brow. ‘That glint in your eye means nothing.’
‘I don’t have a glint—’ She shook her head, her curls bobbing with the move and sending coconut his way as she laughed it off. ‘If you must know, I was appreciating it through your eyes. I guess you don’t see this much.’
‘I see the sunrise often, it’s just that it’s normally through the gaps in the skyscrapers beyond the glass.’
‘You should get outside more. Don’t you go out into the countryside, the seaside even?’
‘I’ve never had the desire to.’ His eyes were very much fixed on hers, her upturned mouth so close that if he dipped, he could kiss her.
He could feel the tension mounting in the air, a very different kind of tension to that of seconds before and as her eyes flicked to his lips, he said, ‘I didn’t know what I was missing out on before.’
Only he knew in that second it wasn’t the sunrise he’d been missing, but her… Malie… the thought burned through him, fighting with his survival instincts to back away.
‘And now?’ she whispered. ‘Do you see it now?’
He lifted a hand to cup her jaw, his thumb soft as it caressed her cheek. He did see it. He wanted her, and he wanted her to see it too, the possibility of what they could have if they took the risk.
‘Yes,’ he said, looking down into her beautiful green eyes fired with amber and wishing her to see the truth in him, in herself. ‘Yes, I see it.’
He lowered his head and saw the precise second the shutter fell, the spell broken in the widening of her gaze.
She dragged air into her lungs and stepped back, almost stumbling over a resting Nalu at her feet. ‘We’d best make a start.’
She turned in the direction of the surf school and without looking back called out, ‘I just need to freshen up and change.’
He watched her go, his body running from hot to cold and back again.
What are you doing, Todd?
He didn’t know. He just knew that he couldn’t let her go – that in two weeks he may be leaving but life wouldn’t be the same. In fact, now that he’d met her, he was struggling to imagine life without her in it.
Meet Me in Hawaii Page 18
