Gentle Persuasion

by Cerella Sechrist

  “That sounds wonderful. I’ll have the passion fruit tea, please.”

  “And a cup of Kona for me, thanks,” Dane put in. “Do you think we could try those paninis on the menu?”

  “Of course. I will put your order in right away.”

  “And if you and Mr. Inoa have time, we’d love for you to join us.”

  Mrs. Inoa glanced at Ophelia, seemingly uncertain if she felt the same way as Dane. Ophelia nodded at her. “Yes, I’d love to get the chance to hear more about your family. You must have quite a history with the island.”

  These words caused Mrs. Inoa to beam proudly. “I will see if the staff needs any assistance or if they are all right without us for a few minutes.”

  She moved away, and Ophelia turned her head to find Dane watching her once more. She attempted a smile, but the mood between them felt awkward.

  “The Inoas seem like lovely people,” she commented, wanting to ease the tension she felt between them. Did he think she was only interested in spending time with him because of her recruitment agenda? The thought disappointed her, though she couldn’t understand why it should.

  Dane gave a short nod in reply to her words but stayed silent. Ophelia concentrated on keeping herself from fidgeting by counting the tiles in the mosaic pattern on the tabletop before them. This practice had always served her well as a child at dull dinner parties where one hint of boredom would earn her a chastising glance from her mother. She simply trained herself to count something as a distraction—silverware, patterns in the wallpaper, designs in a tablecloth...

  “You said you were working this assignment without commission.”

  Ophelia looked up as he spoke, thrown by his sudden choice of topic. She found herself caught in the directness of his gaze. “But surely there’s something in it for you, if I agree to return.”

  Ophelia leaned back in her seat and measured her answer. After a moment’s consideration, she saw no reason to keep it a secret from him.

  “If you sign, Reid Recruiting will open another office in Europe, in Paris,” she clarified, “and I’ll become Director of European Operations.”

  Following this admission, Dane remained frozen, and then he let out a low whistle. “So there really is a lot riding on this for you. Paris. Your dream city.”

  This observation both thrilled and discouraged her—his tone held a slight edge, but she was pleased he had immediately noted how much living in Paris meant to her.

  “And if I don’t agree to sign with Towers Resorts?”

  She took in the rigid tension of his posture and felt some of her own buoyancy dissipate. “I suppose it won’t concern you at that point, will it?”

  “Touché.” He leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. “Lillian Reid doesn’t seem like the sort to take failure lightly.”

  Ophelia’s jaw clenched. “My mother may appear harsh to others, but she has her reasons.”

  “I’m sure she does. I doubt her life has been easy, what with losing her husband at such a young age and finding herself with a daughter to raise on her own. She must have worked very hard to get where she is, and I don’t suppose she’d like to lose what she’s gained without a very hard fight.”

  These words surprised Ophelia. “That’s...true.”

  “So I’m sure she’s the type of woman who can appreciate how someone else might feel the same—having fought so hard to remove myself from the corporate environment and establish myself here in Hawaii, I don’t plan to leave.”

  She flushed more deeply at how he had turned the conversation on its head. Before she could think of a response, Mr. and Mrs. Inoa approached, each carrying a platter with drinks and plates of paninis and intriguingly bright purple chips which Mrs. Inoa explained were taro chips, sliced and fried from the starchy root vegetable that grew on the island. They settled everything on the table, and Ophelia and Dane abandoned their conversation as they shifted to make room, forcing their chairs closer together by necessity.

  They spent the next hour eating and chatting with the Inoas, and Ophelia felt her tensions dissolve in the presence of island hospitality. Mr. and Mrs. Inoa were as easygoing and kind as their son, and Ophelia found herself relieved that they had joined their table when they had. Even Dane’s edginess thawed over the lunch until he was laughing and sharing much as he had been the day before. The sound of his pleasure sparked something deep inside her being, warming her and drawing out her own laughter, as well.

  At one point, Dane caught her eye, his grin broadening, following an anecdote Mr. Inoa had shared about Keahi and his brothers. His gaze held hers, and she felt herself drawn to him in a way she had never experienced with anyone else before. For one brief instant she felt as if she...belonged. She held the feeling close until Dane eventually looked away as Mr. Inoa launched into another story. But she savored the sensation, even after it had left, and wondered what sort of magic the islands possessed to cause such happiness, no matter how fleeting.

  * * *

  IT WAS OBVIOUS to Dane that Ophelia had charmed Mr. Inoa. Her lilting laughter at his stories and the prodding questions that she asked must have appealed to the older man’s storytelling abilities. By the time they finished lunch, Mr. Inoa had offered to show Ophelia some of his pencil sketches of the local flora and fauna. Ophelia seemed genuinely interested, even eager, to take a look, and Dane found himself marveling at how different she was from every other recruiter he had encountered before.

  Mrs. Inoa checked on the staff—the café had filled with patrons for the lunch hour as the four of them had talked—and returned shortly after Mr. Inoa and Ophelia had excused themselves to look over Mr. Inoa’s sketch collection.

  Dane drained the last of his Kona as Mrs. Inoa resumed her seat, automatically reaching for the carafe to refill his mug.

  “This Ophelia, she seems like a very nice woman. Very interested in the culture and history of the islands,” Mrs. Inoa remarked.

  Dane said nothing. What was there to say? Ophelia was very nice. More than that, he found her easy to talk to and fun to be around. But that changed nothing about her true motives for being in Hawaii.

  Mrs. Inoa studied him closely, and he pretended not to notice as he fiddled with his coffee mug.

  “You are worried,” she noted, and he forced himself to meet her eyes, hoping his expression remained neutral.

  “Now, why would I be worried?”

  Mrs. Inoa clucked her tongue. “Have you forgotten that I have been where you are? Facing the struggle of keeping a coffee plantation running without the necessary funds?”

  He couldn’t meet her gaze after that— He looked away, his own eyes roaming over the customers scattered throughout the café.

  “There is no shame in it, Dane.”

  He took a swig of his coffee, barely tasting it. “There is for me,” he murmured. “I’ve never failed to accomplish something I set out to do.”

  “And you haven’t failed at this,” Mrs. Inoa reminded him. “You must simply find another way.”

  His stare swiveled back to hers as if of its own volition. “If anyone should know the impossibility of that...it’s you.”

  She scoffed slightly and poured herself another cup of Kona from the carafe. “I did not fail at what I set out to do.”

  He waited for her to elaborate.

  “I set out to save my husband, not my plantation. A sacrifice had to be made to ensure my success. Selling the coffee farm provided the money for my husband’s treatments. It was not a failure, to lose the plantation.”

  He frowned with chagrin. “I never thought of it quite like that.”

  She clicked her tongue once more. “You must consider what it is you want, Dane Montgomery. Is it the plantation? Or something else?”

  His frown only deepened at these questions.

 
“What else could I possibly want?”

  Her gaze slid in the direction Mr. Inoa and Ophelia had departed. He felt his own eyes widen after another second passed.

  “Mrs. Inoa, I’m not sure I appreciate what you’re implying.”

  Her look was bemused as she sipped from her mug. “You like this woman. Ophelia Reid. You cannot hide it.”

  He grunted and leaned back in his seat, feeling rather petulant at this forthright observation.

  “I do like her. She’s not quite as pushy as the others. But she’s still one of them.”

  Mrs. Inoa shook her head. “You are so bitter, for one so young. I think it has less to do with them and more to do with your own fears.”

  “I’m not afraid—”

  “But you are, dear boy. You are afraid you made a mistake in coming here. As much as you love it, you worry that you cannot see it through. The recruiters are only a reminder of what you may lose. They remind you of your own possible shortcomings and precarious situation. It is not fair to blame them all for your own choices—especially not this girl.”

  Her words left a sour taste in his mouth. “You do realize that if I accept her offer, I’ll be leaving the island—that Keahi may be out of a job.”

  Mrs. Inoa waved a hand in dismissal. “It will hardly come to that. On the contrary, if you accept, Keahi can run the plantation in your absence, and you will have the necessary income to keep it afloat.”

  He remained silent at this.

  “At times, a sacrifice must be made to see something through,” Mrs. Inoa pointed out. “The only question that remains...is what will your sacrifice be?”

  * * *

  DANE AND OPHELIA departed the Ho’okipa Café amid hugs and well wishes from their hosts. Ophelia felt the warm glow of an afternoon spent with friends, and before leaving, she insisted Dane pose with the Inoas for a photo with her disposable camera.

  They spent the remainder of the afternoon touring the studios and galleries of Holualoa’s art district, taking in sculptures, paintings, photography, artisanal crafts and more. By the time they exited the last shop, Ophelia felt both inspired and awed by the abundance of local talent.

  She noted that Dane had been pleasant but slightly preoccupied throughout the remainder of their day together, and as they climbed into the Jeep to head back to the inn, she felt a twinge of guilt for how her sightseeing had taken him away from more pressing duties at the plantation.

  “Dane, I should... I want to...” She drew a breath, steadying herself. “Thank you for taking the time to show me around today. I really had a lot of fun.”

  He slid a glance her way. “Wasn’t it all part of our arrangement?”

  She felt a keen stab of disappointment. “Oh. Of course. Yes. But...with Keahi, and yesterday...” She stopped before she said something she’d regret. “I appreciate you holding to your end of the bargain, given how difficult this week has been for you.” But it had been more than just that for her. Somehow, over the course of their time together, Ophelia had thought that she and Dane might have grown a little closer—moved beyond the roles of recruiter and candidate, even if only by a small margin. Apparently, Dane didn’t feel the same, and now her cheeks began to flame with embarrassment.

  “I just appreciate how, er, thorough you were in fulfilling your duty.”

  She caught the flicker of a grin at the corner of his mouth. “I had a lot of fun, too.”

  Then, to her utter astonishment, he winked, and she felt her heart speed up in her chest. Ophelia looked out her window, trying to still the rapid tripping of her heartbeat, and focused on the horizon, a golden strip with lines of pink fire at the edges. They drove in silence for a few miles until Dane put on his flashers and pulled the Jeep off the road and onto a stretch of gravel.

  “Come on,” he said.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to catch the sunset. It happens fast in Hawaii.”

  He climbed out of the vehicle, and Ophelia followed, coming to stand beside him as the sun began sinking rapidly in the distance.

  “It’s a clear sky,” he observed. “Maybe you’ll see the green flash, if you’re lucky.”

  “Green flash?”

  He looked her way. “It’s a natural phenomenon here—somewhat rare but not impossible to witness. In that split second after the sun disappears into the horizon, an emerald-green spark can flash. It’s easy to miss, but you also have to be careful not to watch for it too closely because your own eyes will create a green retinal burn by staring at the sun, so you have to look at just the right time to catch it.”

  “Sounds complicated.”

  “It’s worth it.” He held her stare for a little longer and then looked back at the horizon. “Look for it when I tell you but not before.”

  Ophelia did as he told her and kept her gaze focused elsewhere, finally settling it on the man himself. She studied the angle of his jaw with its light dusting of scruff, the length of his neck before the line dropped to his broad shoulders.

  “Ophelia?”

  “Hmm?” she responded distractedly.

  “Do you think I could be happy, working for Bianca Towers?”

  As his words registered, she felt her mouth open in disbelief.

  “Now. Look now.”

  She automatically turned her head in time to see the sun’s last brilliant light before it dipped beyond view, and then, in that brief second of its disappearance, an ethereal green glow winked at her in the dusk before burning out.

  “I saw it! Dane! Did you see?”

  “I did.”

  “I saw the green flash!” She gasped with joy. “It was there!”

  She laughed in utter delight before turning her attention back to the man beside her. “I saw it flash!”

  But she realized Dane wasn’t looking at the horizon—he was watching her. She felt a shiver stretch over her from head to toe at the expression in his eyes.

  He inched closer, and she leaned in as though it were the most natural thing in the world. His hands came up to rest against the sides of her neck, his thumbs running back and forth along her jaw.

  His face was so close that she could count the lashes rimming the warm blue pools of his eyes. He had a few freckles scattered across the bridge of his nose, and his lips were parted ever so slightly, his breath faintly raspy as he stared down at her.

  Her stomach felt lodged into her chest, and her heart beat wildly against the confines of her rib cage. Her skin tingled with a thousand pinpricks of awareness—the brush of his elbows against her forearms, his fingertips kneading lightly into her hair, the slightly rough touch of his palms along her jaw.

  He held her for so long that she closed her eyes, wanting to remember this feeling of security, of safety in his arms.

  Then he kissed her, and her lips came alive under his, moving slowly and without urgency. She trembled and reached her arms around his waist, both for support and to draw him nearer. She didn’t know how long they stood, locked together like that, as the sunset dissipated, and the world shifted toward evening.

  At last, they pulled apart and looked into each other’s eyes.

  “You were right,” he murmured.

  She was finding it hard to regain her equilibrium after what had just happened. Her blood sang in her veins, and her mouth kept willfully attempting to turn upward.

  “About what?” she breathed.

  He ran his palm over her cheek, and she felt herself turning into it.

  “I really shouldn’t have underestimated you when you first arrived on my doorstep.”

  She tugged him close and planted another soft kiss on his lips before answering him.

  “I told you so.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  LILLIAN REID RETURNED her offi
ce phone to its cradle, resisting the urge to slam it down in frustration. She loathed spending time reassuring her clients. She had built this business from the ground up, a forerunner in her field. Hadn’t she earned the right to a little trust on their part? The situation with Bianca Towers would be resolved shortly. Ophelia would come through. She had not groomed her daughter for any less. But tackling a recruit such as Dane Montgomery for a client as glamorous as Bianca was bound to draw attention. She supposed she should be grateful that her company’s name was on everyone’s lips. Even if most of the chatter was concerning whether this recruitment would skyrocket her firm to international success or plummet them into eventual bankruptcy.

  Considering this potential outcome caused her to shudder. She had not come this far to see her business face downsizing. With the economy’s turn, she’d worked harder than ever and had kept the Reid Recruiting name at the top of the nation’s list of reputable, successful executive search firms. Landing Montgomery would solidify that reputation and allow her to expand into Paris, with her own daughter at the operation’s helm. With her contacts and background in France, such a move would push her firm into the sphere of international business and increase the overall net worth of her company.

  She pushed back from her desk and stood, moving to look out over the Manhattan skyline. She had labored to ensure Ophelia’s future. It was why Cole was such a perfect match for her daughter. He was one of the best recruiters she’d ever seen, and with him at Ophelia’s side, Lillian could rest assured that her business would continue to thrive under the couple’s leadership. That is, once the two of them reconciled.

  Of course, turning over the reins wouldn’t happen for many years to come. She had no intention of retiring early to some tropical paradise like Montgomery had done. The very thought elicited another shudder.

  She checked her watch. It was shortly after 6:00 a.m. in Hawaii. Her daughter would be awake by now, certainly. She knew better than to stay abed with so much at stake.

  Lifting the phone’s receiver once more, she dialed Ophelia’s cell phone number and waited for it to ring.