by Cherry Kay
“You’re awake,” he said, not even looking at her. “How’s your leg?”
“It hurts a little,” she admitted, unable to take another step forward. She was looking at his back, his shoulders were broad, and his sweatpants hung onto his hips. There were hints of sunburn on his back as well. It was something that shook her senses…
“You hungry?” he asked her, turning to look at her this time.
“Not really.”
“Well, I am,” he said with a sigh. “This is going to take a lot of cleaning up,” he murmured.
“Sorry, I can’t help much today,” she told him.
“I didn’t ask you,” the host told her irritably.
Caryn almost felt offended, but then she remembered she had thought about his characteristics. Maybe he was like her, someone who disliked conversations that weren’t meaningful. “Sorry,” she found herself saying. She had pride, but she knew when to bend to tempers. He was someone she wanted to get to know better, after all. David Pierce was the reason why she was here, and she had been lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to be in his house.
“I can have a few people to help,” he added.
It seemed almost like an afterthought. Just so he could seem nicer. And these few people were probably his maids and butlers or something.
“I can help you with breakfast, though,” she suddenly said, in a brighter than usual voice.
His brow rose. “I preferred your lower-toned voice. You just sounded like some random annoying woman.”
She blinked, offended this time. “I can’t control my voice when--” “You’re stressed or hurting?” he interrupted her.
Caryn found herself nodding.
“We can check on your place later, after we eat,” David said, walking for the kitchen.
In the daylight, his house looked more beautiful than ever, it wasn’t exactly cavernous, but it was a home made for a millionaire, or billionaire, if the billionaire permitted that kind of house. Her father’s family didn’t even have this kind of estate, she thought. He was a billionaire, at least according to the news, but he certainly didn’t act like one.
Hot nerd came into her mind. What? She almost laughed aloud. When did a nerd even become hot? He didn’t even wear glasses, for crying out loud. She followed him into the kitchen, and he began pulling out food from the fridge and cabinets.
“You good with eggs and toast?” he asked her.
She nodded, eyeing the ingredients. This wasn’t going to be just ordinary scrambled eggs on toast. There was white wine vinegar, olive oil, and thick slices of bacon, English muffins, and even a lemon.
She wasn’t much help, she found out moments later. He did all the work. The best she could do was to wash the dishes, like the ill-domesticated person that she was. He made her feel like she barely knew how to move in the kitchen. Did this guy take lessons with Gordon Ramsey or something? His movements were quick, almost like he belonged in the kitchen. For a second there, she began to doubt if this man was the same man that had started a gigantic tech company, the same man who had pending cases against his former colleagues.
“I didn’t see these at the grocery…” she murmured.
“They’re not available anywhere on the island. I had these flown over,” he replied, not looking at her.
Caryn watched with rapt attention, and in twenty minutes, David had cooked Eggs Benedict worthy of a Michelin star restaurant. She saw that he forced a smile, telling her breakfast was ready.
“I don’t have to eat here, you know. If it makes you uncomfortable,” she said.
“What makes you think that?” he asked, raising a brow.
“I can, well- it’s pretty obvious I’m intruding your privacy--”
He held a hand up. “First things first, you needed help, you didn’t know the roof was going to fall on you.”
“But you did,” Caryn said.
He blinked, rapidly at that. “I figured that place looked dangerous enough to live in as it was. Another big storm and that roof was gonna cave in, you know?”
She nodded, almost disbelieving him. “Right.”
“You don’t believe me,” he said with a slight frown.
“Do I have to believe everything you say?” Caryn retorted. “I know you don’t want me here, I know you think I’m intruding--” “It was my choice to help you,” he told her, as he began to east his breakfast. “Let me just finish this, then we can talk.”
She bit her lower lip, and ate in silence.
*
His Hummer was among the two other cars parked in his large garage. He also had a Wrangler, and a Dodge pick-up. He chose the Hummer still, placing a footstool on the passenger’s side to help her up. David knew the survey was going to take a while, but he had called a few people early on, to help with the cleaning up of his place, and highly likely to help her as well.
He made no mention of this to her, however, choosing to keep quiet so there would be no additional conversations about feeling awkward.
“I have no intention of letting you walk back to your place,” he said. He saw it in her eyes that she made the right decision to take that ride with him. Despite their homes being quite close to each other, the main entrance to his villa was a good fifteen-minute walk from his house.
Her leg was obviously in no position to hobble about. He had checked on it beforehand, and saw that the bruise had purpled up, but the bleeding had thankfully stopped. They drove past the small dirt road to her abode, and she looked surprised.
“Where are we going?”
“The community hospital,” he told her.
“Don’t,” she said quickly.
“Why?”
“I’m fine.”
“If you’re worried about expenses-“
“I’m not,” she said, cutting him off. “It’s just- I’m fine.”
He shrugged. “Alright.”
David made a U-turn and proceeded to drive back to her place. The rest of the drive was quiet, an unbearable ten minutes for him to be confined in such a small space with someone he barely knew. They arrived at her place, with the Hummer climbing over fallen branches and trees.
Caryn got out of the car without his assistance as soon as they arrived. Her eyes looked worried, her face a bit pale and tired. He surveyed the site, carefully avoiding the tin roof on the ground, apart from the bits of broken glass. He wanted to tell her to be careful, but he fought against it. She was old enough, after all.
“Oh no,” he heard her murmur, as soon as she entered the house that had lost half its roof, and most of its utensils. Household items were strewn all over the place, but it was a good thing her closet and the bedroom remained intact.
David knew it would take at least a day or more to have the house fixed, especially with the meager number of hardware stores available in the island.
“Grab your stuff,” he told her, surprising himself.
“What?” her eyes narrowed.
“Grab your stuff. You obviously can’t sleep here tonight.”
“And you’re letting me sleep over again at your place?”
He shrugged. “It’s an extended pajama party, until we can figure out something.”
He had already figured out something, early on. It was just a matter of waiting for supplies. He was no expert with construction, and he didn’t want to mess up the cottage even more; which was why he hired people.
“I’ve done a bit of woodwork,” she told him.
“By woodwork you mean for high school projects?”
She shook her head. “I’ve repaired my own apartment before.”
“Not with that leg,” he motioned, picking up her suitcase and laying it flat on her dirty bed. “Start packing.”
She sighed and walked for the closet, grabbing her clothes by the armful. David walked out of the bedroom, making mental notes as he walked around the destroyed house. His home hadn’t been damaged much, there was just a lot of debris and a few of the outdoor furniture had gone missing-but his predicamen
t wasn’t as unfortunate as hers.
Fallen trees had obscured the quaint view she had of the ocean. From her porch, he saw that his home was barely visible, except for that specific spot where the plants were sparse. He would have to have a few of the greenery replanted, to compensate with the current ones that had been uprooted.
He hadn’t thought about buying the property adjacent to his villa because he liked looking at the seemingly abandoned home from his veranda. It was small, definitely smaller than the guest bedroom she had slept in last night.
He waited for another five minutes before coming back inside. Her suitcase was full, and she was just about to close the bag.
“Ready?” he asked her.
She nodded, knowing there was nothing else she could save in here. “I’ll have to call the owner of the house,” she said, closing her eyes. “I’ll look for another place today.”
David nodded. “Your jeep might need a bit of work, though,” he said, pointing at the broken windshield.
Caryn groaned. “No…”
He shook his head. “Come on,” he said, grabbing her luggage. “We’ll figure something out later. In the meantime, let’s head back to my place.”
She dutifully followed him. It surprised David, actually. Maybe she was too tired to protest, too tired to assert. If she did, the situation would only be a loss for her. He was just in time. As soon as he drove back to the villa, he saw his private maids and handymen waiting for him outside the gates.
“Gentlemen, ladies, good morning,” he greeted, opening the driver’s window. “Are your houses okay?” he asked them.
“Took a beating, but it survived, Sir,” one man who was seemingly in his late forties replied.
David nodded. “Have you guys eaten, yet? Best you should before work.”
“Will do, sir,” a pleasantly plump woman said. “We’ll see you at the house.”
“Alright,” he said, driving away slower than usual. He liked the six people he had hired, even if they weren’t permanent fixtures in his villa. He saw the look on Caryn’s face.
“I don’t employ them 24/7, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he told her, arriving in front of the garage. “I still want my moments of solitude.”
She nodded, saying nothing as he grabbed her luggage, carrying it all the way to the front door, avoiding the ground filled with rubbish. A bright sunshine filtered down the island, bathing them with warmth, and it was as if no storm had happened, were it not for the uprooted trees and disturbed landscape.
“You can stay at the guest room,” David said, trying to sound welcoming.
“Like I said,” Caryn began, “You don’t have to force yourself to accommodate me.”
“I’m not,” he said quickly. “This is purely for humanitarian reasons.”
“Like it’s your corporate social responsibility,” she murmured.
He frowned, nearly stopping in his tracks. Did she know who he was? He forced himself to ignore the comment. “I have social responsibilities, and that includes helping a neighbor.”
“You can drop the niceties, you know,” she said, “I can take harshness, I can take rudeness.”
“I’m not that kind of person,” David replied, his teeth almost gritting. She was beginning to annoy him, because she read through him. He didn’t want to be nice, but he knew he had to be nice. It was called adulting. Being civil was part of it.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m tired. Can I sleep for a few?”
He nodded, taking her suitcase to the guestroom. He was tired as well, but there were so many things to do, like repair her rented house, and call the owner in the mainland, apart from checking his villa for any severe damages.
He met up with his ‘head’ housekeeper. She was actually the first person he had hired as help, and he saw her walking about the surroundings of the house, checking every nook and cranny with her husband, who was an excellent gardener and carpenter as well.
David spoke to them about his neighbor’s house, and the couple, along with the rest of the group agreed to help repair the young lady’s home. It had been old Mr. Kahele’s place, and he was highly respected, even if he was no longer there. David placed a few calls to the mainland, a secure line, he made sure; and he began to prattle out materials needed. They would be flown in tomorrow morning, he had been informed.
In the meantime, she was stuck with him, whether they both wanted it, or not.
*
It was past five in the afternoon when Caryn woke up to find that power in the island had been restored. The villa was aglow with both warm and fluorescent lights, and the place had been tidied up without her even noticing. She decided to take a long bath before heading out. Head out to where? Back to her crumbled down place? He had wanted her to stay here, in fact, he almost demanded for her to stay.
She had been blunt about it, and he didn’t need to be nice, but he was. It dawned on Caryn that he was a difficult man to read, and he was probably an even more difficult man to love. Love? Ha! What was she thinking? Sure, he was attractive, but that appeal disappeared every time he scowled, or pretended to be nice. Was he always like that?
Still, she had to be thankful that he was her neighbor, and that his conscience still existed. She grabbed a pair of shorts and a shirt, and she walked out of the room, only to find the living room empty.
“David?” she called out.
No one answered. She didn’t want to explore the house without him, a gesture of respect. Instead, she walked out of the house, and onto the veranda she had seen the first day she moved into the island. A lot of the shrubbery and trees had been cut down, and she could now see her little cottage better.
Her eyes narrowed, seeing someone outside the little house. David was there, along with a few of his help. He was carrying part of the tin roof that had collapsed, tossing it into a heap far away from the structure itself.
Caryn found a smile playing on her lips. Here was a man who didn’t care, and yet he cared greatly without her in front of him.
“So, you’re the mysterious neighbor,” a voice interrupted her.
She spun around, startled. She saw the same woman she had seen by the villa’s entrance. “Hello,” she greeted. “Yes, I’m the neighbor.”
“So I gather,” the woman replied, “I’m Leilani. And you are?”
“Caryn.”
“Caryn,” Leilani repeated, “That’s the first time I’ve heard that name, you know. How are you feeling?” she asked, seeing the bandage on her leg.
“Better.” A one-liner response was better than none at all.
“How are you liking the island so far?”
“It’s… nice,” she said, lamely. There were many adjectives for it, and she had written down what she had felt of the island, but she didn’t want to give herself away. A life of secrets propelled her to move better for herself, even if she didn’t want to sometimes.
Leilani smiled. “Glad to know that.”
“Have you been here long?” she found herself asking.
“All my life. But the boss just moved here less than three years ago,” she said, motioning towards the opposite cliff where Caryn’s house was. “We were just a quiet island back then, and we’re still a quiet island now.”
“You welcomed him here?”
“We didn’t know much about him, until he bought the island’s only five-star hotel,” Leilani told her. “A quarter of our population work for him.”
“How is he? As a boss?”
“Quiet. Not much has changed, but he’s done some good to the local economy, I think he partnered up with the guy who bought 90% of the island. The good thing here is, he’s been focused on improving our only hospital and all the other things the government hasn’t, yet,” Leilani was looking at her. “He’s a nice guy, quiet, but nice.”
He showed the exact opposite. He’s confusing, she thought. She nodded. “Yeah, he took me in.”
“My husband and the rest will be fixing up Mr. Kah
ele’s place. I’m sure he won’t mind you being here. The house is too quiet without his family, and he’s a lone wolf often.”
“He is?”
Leilani nodded. “Quite. I think he likes it too. You know these rich people, they have a world of their own, and weird may be bad, or it may be good. I think it does him good, though.”
Caryn didn’t say anything for a moment. “Thank you,” she began, “for helping me.”
“Not a problem,” the lady replied. “I’m off to make dinner. Feel free to explore the grounds.”
Caryn nodded, thanking her again. Would David be alright with that, though? She stayed in place for a while, watching David lift a broken-down chair off the ground, and his biceps bulged with the weight. She took a deep breath in, thinking about how nice that looked.
Suddenly, he looked up, and she caught her breath in her throat. He stared at her for a moment, and then he continued to work. Caryn knew it was time to step back from the veranda. They had an unpleasant conversation about niceties, something she regretted now. Her mind began thinking of ways on how to make it up to him, how to make it up to the quiet, but supposedly nice billionaire. No one on the island knew he was one, everyone probably thought he was related to Mr. Ellison, or had worked for him, and was just fortunate to have that kind of money to live comfortably.
Well, Leilani said she was free to explore the grounds, and that probably didn’t include the rooms in the house. She began to walk about, taking her time, telling herself she was going to enjoy the last rays of the sun. His villa’s grounds reached as far as her eyes could see. Just how big was the place? He had cultivated the villa with nature in mind, with bougainvillea and a multitude of fruit trees strategically placed about. The plants had been bent and broken from the storm, but she knew a little extra care would spring them back up.
The fruit tree behind her rented house, however, was another story. She had been an unfortunate lodger, but she was fortunate to have a neighbor with six or eight rooms to spare. She was fortunate he lived alone. She was fortunate he was ‘nice’.
She walked back into the house as soon as the perimeter lights flickered on. The moment she got into the foyer, she saw him standing there, hands in his pockets, with a new shirt on.
