by Di Morrissey
Catherine laughed.
They danced through another song holding each other close, aware of the building sexual attraction between them. The music finished and he took her hand, leading her from the little dance floor.
‘Another drink?’
‘No, I’m ready to go if you don’t mind. I’m still a bit jet lagged.’
He opened the car door for her at the hotel. It was late, no staff appeared. A low branch of a large plumeria tree bowed over them. He plucked one of the creamy sweet flowers and handed it to her.
‘Put it on your pillow and you’ll know you’re in the tropics.’
Catherine drew a deep breath inhaling the scent of flowers, the soft breeze, the tang of salt. In the lull of music and voices they could hear the soft splash of waves lapping on the beach in front of the hotel. ‘It’s been wonderful. Thanks so much, Bradley.’
‘It’s been wonderful for me too.’ He leant forward to kiss her goodnight but this time he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with more passion than he’d ever shown before. Catherine curled her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. They pulled apart somewhat breathless. Bradley smiled and touched her cheek.
‘Sleep well. See you after work tomorrow. If I can get away early there’s somewhere I’d like to take you.’
‘I’m in your hands. You’re being very generous,’ said Catherine.
‘I wish I could spend every minute with you . . . while you’re here.’ He took a step towards the car. ‘We’ll make the most of it, shall we?’
Catherine nodded and walked up the white stone steps into the hotel lobby knowing he was watching her. He waited until she was out of sight before pulling away from the portico.
The next morning Catherine caught a bus down to the Ala Moana shopping centre and lost herself among the stores – Liberty House, Sears and Shirokiya – as well as browsing among the proliferation of shops selling Hawaiiana looking for gifts to take home. She bought bottles of Hawaiian flower perfume and quilted potholders and cushion covers featuring brightly coloured flowers and palm trees, which she thought her mother would love. She wandered into a boutique called Carol and Mary and tried on dresses and bought a new swimsuit. As she was paying for it Kiann’e, the dancer from the Moonflower, came in and the woman in charge hurried to greet her. Kiann’e smiled at Catherine.
Catherine smiled back. ‘Excuse me, but I saw you dancing last night and I thought you were just wonderful.’
‘Thank you,’ replied the beautiful young woman. ‘Have you found something to buy here?’
Catherine held up her pink carry bag. ‘A new swimsuit.’
‘Terrific. They have lovely things in here,’ said Kiann’e.
‘Yes. I love the dresses you wear in your show. Do you buy them here?’
‘Why, thank you. No, my aunty makes my holomuus. Based on the old style. I come in here to feel modern.’
Catherine laughed. ‘Well at least you’ll never go out of fashion.’
‘I hope not. The dances I mean. We teach the little ones so it gets handed down.’
She had a lilting accent and Catherine thought she was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. She guessed Kiann’e was around her own age, perhaps a little older. With her smooth olive skin and classical looks it was hard to tell.
Kiann’e smiled her wide infectious smile. ‘Enjoy your swimsuit. Enjoy Hawai‘i.’
‘Where are we going then?’ she asked late that afternoon as Bradley drove past the multi-storey Kaiser Hospital at the Ala Wai yacht harbour.
‘I’d like you to see Pearl Harbor – the Arizona memorial,’ he said quietly.
‘Oh, the American battleship that was sunk. It got America into the war didn’t it?’ said Catherine.
‘Certainly did. The whole Seventh Fleet was attacked. December 1941. I think this is a very special memorial. Being a naval man, it has a lot of meaning for me.’
‘Of course.’ It was obvious that Bradley loved the navy, as had his father and grandfather.
Catherine was silent as they parked near the visitors’ centre where the tenders departed to take visitors out to the odd-shaped white memorial floating in the harbour.
It was late in the day and there were only two other couples boarding the tender. It was manned by smartly dressed naval personnel and cruised across the bay to the sunken remains of the USS Arizona.
The six visitors clambered onto the memorial and as they went through to the midsection one of the men took a bunch of flowers from his wife, dropped it into the water and saluted. Bradley stood to attention, and everyone fell silent. After a few moments Bradley took Catherine’s hand and pointed out the remains of the sunken vessel below them.
‘The memorial doesn’t touch the ship below . . . it’s where more than a thousand men are entombed,’ said Bradley. ‘If you look carefully, you can see oil from the Arizona still rising to the surface.’
Catherine shivered. The thought she was standing on the grave of those young men was so sad.
At the far end of the memorial, in the Shrine Room, they stood before the marble wall where the names of all those lost were carved. Everyone spoke in whispers.
Catherine glanced at the solemn-faced Bradley. ‘Do you ever think about going to war?’
He thought for a moment then said, ‘I think if you choose to serve your country, you accept whatever comes along.’
‘Whether or not you agree with the reasons behind it?’ she asked, thinking of the protest demonstrations against the Vietnam War she’d seen on television at home and in London.
‘Like I said, you choose to serve. I believe in what our government is doing. The public doesn’t always know what goes on behind the scenes.’ He took her arm. ‘Thanks for coming along. I thought it might give you a sense of the history that’s here.’
‘Yes. Thanks for bringing me.’ The visit had given Catherine a sense of how important the navy was to Bradley. As the tender ferried them back to the visitors’ centre, Bradley put his arm around her.
‘Are you up for another Hawaiian institution?’ he asked. ‘Something romantic.’
‘Of course. Where’re we going?’
‘It’s a show – Don Ho at the Beachcomber Lounge. But I thought we’d have a cocktail under the banyan tree first. You can change into something else for the show as it doesn’t start till later. Or you can go as you are of course. You look lovely whatever you wear.’
‘I bought some things today including a dress, so I’d like to wear it tonight. That’s thoughtful of you.’ She was learning Bradley was thoughtful – and a planner.
They took their regular spot under the banyan tree and a waiter appeared and Bradley ordered a mai tai for Catherine and a Tom Collins for himself. She wondered what that was and would have preferred something other than the sweet and sneaky mai tai but she didn’t want to hurt Bradley’s feelings.
‘And bring us a platter of pupus as well, please,’ added Bradley.
Catherine lifted an eyebrow.
‘Little snacks, Hawaiian hors d’oeuvres,’ he explained.
They picked at the tasty food, Catherine had a second mai tai, which she sipped slowly as she was already feeling somewhat mellow from the first one and they talked and talked. She found Bradley immensely entertaining and interesting. Their conversation always flowed easily and fluently without her having to think of a subject to discuss or wonder what to say next.
Bradley glanced at his watch. ‘Do you want to slip upstairs and change?’ Catherine would have preferred to stay where they were as the sun had set and it was cool, the courtyard and beach almost deserted.
‘Is your room okay?’ asked Bradley as he pulled out her chair.
‘Yes. It has a wonderful view of Diamond Head from the little balcony, or lanai rather. Why don’t you come up? I’ll only take a minute to change.’
Bradley grinned. ‘Now that’s something I like to hear. None of this fussing and primping and messing with hairdos that takes hours.’
The room was neat, spartan almost, with dark wood, crisp white sheets, a mosquito net looped above the bed and a stiff arrangement of waxy red anthuriums with spiky green leaves was arranged on the coffee table. A bowl of plumeria sat on the bedside table. Catherine suddenly felt a little uncomfortable at the intimacy of the small space. Bradley didn’t seem to notice and strolled onto the small lanai and looked at Diamond Head, a glimpse of Waikiki Beach and the lights from the hotels illuminating the sand.
‘Won’t be a minute.’ Catherine scooped up her dress and sandals and shut the bathroom door. She slipped out of her clothes and took off her bra. The new dress was daring and backless. She brushed her hair and swept it up in a ponytail that she twisted into a knot, wisps curling around her face. She touched up her make-up, sprayed her new pikake perfume in a mist around her head, added some dangly earrings and slipped her feet into silver sandals.
Bradley was leaning on the lanai railing and straightened up as he heard Catherine behind him. He turned and stopped. ‘Catherine, you look lovely, utterly gorgeous. I love the dress.’
She was pleased and twirled before him. ‘Just trying to fit in with the locals.’
‘You need a flower in your hair.’ He took her hand and led her into the room and took one of the plumeria blooms from the bowl. He tucked it in her hair. ‘There. Perfect.’ He leaned forward and kissed her gently.
But his lips lingered and Catherine found she was winding her arms about him, clinging to him as their kisses became more passionate. They fell back on the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, desire and longing overwhelming them. Catherine kicked off her shoes and pulled at Bradley’s shirt as he tugged at the straps of her dress. But as they clung together, naked in the soft light, Bradley pulled back, searching her face.
‘I’m not so sure we should be doing this.’
‘Why not? It’s all right,’ she murmured.
He was still hesitant, shy even, and let Catherine lead. She felt powerful and it heightened her desire to feel she was in charge. Such a caring man, not wanting to push himself on her, but she ached to have him make love. She pulled him on top of her and Bradley surrendered.
They lay together, warm wet bodies side by side as they came back to reality.
Bradley nuzzled her neck. ‘That was wonderful. I can’t tell you how wonderful.’
‘Mmm, yes, it was.’ She smiled and ran her finger down his firm lean chest.
‘I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your make-up, crushed your clothes.’
‘Who cares! It was fun.’ She laughed. She felt full of energy. ‘Hey, I’m starving, can we still make that show?’
Bradley sat up and looked at his watch. ‘Yes, the late one. It’s only over the road. You still want to go?’
‘If you do. Though I’m very happy to stay here,’ she said giving him a cheeky look.
He laughed, swung his legs over the side of the bed and began to dress. ‘I have the tickets. You shouldn’t miss Don Ho.’
As they left the hotel Catherine felt different. She had the feeling the staff, the taxi drivers waiting out the front of the hotel, passers-by in the street, were giving them knowing glances. Bradley held her hand as they ran across the road.
Inside the lounge Catherine felt she was entering another world, but one with which she was becoming familiar. In the time she’d been in Honolulu Bradley had introduced her to cocktail lounges, piano bars, garden terraces, resort hotels and beachside cafés. Drinks, food, entertainment amidst stylised Hawaiiana with slick American overtones was so new, so different, from what she had known at home and in cold wet London. It was not hard to take. As they settled into a booth under starry lights where a candle flickered in pink glass surrounded by flowers, she asked Bradley if he’d lived like this before he came to Hawaii.
‘Californians like their bars and nice eateries. My parents dine out every week at their club and try new places with their friends. My father retired early with ideas of dabbling in real estate but really my parents just enjoy themselves.’
‘What about holidays? Where do they go?’ Catherine was thinking of the camping trips she was used to where they piled into the car and headed along the river to a quiet spot to pitch a tent, or out into the hills where her father fished quiet streams or panned for gold. Their nights were spent talking around the campfire or the bush barbecue. Sometimes her cousins Peter and Suzanne were invited and the bush would ring with their laughter and excitement.
‘Oh, my folks like Lake Tahoe. There’s a lodge that’s lovely in the winter, not that they ski or skate, we kids did though. And in the summer the lake was fun, but the water is really cold. My folks liked the casinos and the nightlife. Lots of big-name entertainers go to the casinos.’
‘Sounds fun,’ said Catherine politely. ‘Our parents sound quite different.’
‘Are you liking it here?’ He leant over and took her hand, looking concerned.
‘Of course! This is a dream. Fantastic. It’s going to be hard going home to the humdrum.’
He squeezed her hand. ‘I don’t live like this normally, either. That’s the magic of Hawaii. It’s the ultimate romantic getaway,’ said Bradley softly.
His words stung her. ‘Is that what this is? How often do you have romantic getaways?’
‘Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. This is a first for me too,’ he said quickly and earnestly. ‘In every way.’ He took both her hands in his. ‘Can I kiss you?’
They leant across the small table and he kissed her quickly but fiercely, trying to erase his words. They drew apart as the waiter put their drinks on the table.
‘Catherine . . . these past few days, well, it seems like months . . . they’ve been very special. This is the first time I’ve really had someone to share Honolulu with and, well, it’s just wonderful.’
Catherine didn’t speak, but nodded, feeling rather lost for words. It had been a wonderful magical time. And their lovemaking had brought them closer together.
Bradley continued. ‘Do you think you could stay on here a little longer? Change your booking?’
‘Heavens, I have no idea. But, yes, what a fabulous plan.’
‘I want to spend more time with you,’ said Bradley softly. ‘As well as show you Hawaii. Maybe we could go to another island.’
‘How many islands are there in Hawaii?’
‘Well, hundreds, but most of them are really tiny. The main ones are Oahu, that we’re on now, the Big Island of Hawaii with its volcanoes, Maui, and the one that’s supposed to be the most beautiful of all, Kauai. And the smaller ones are Lanai and Molokai.’
‘Volcanoes. Won’t that be dangerous?’
‘No, not really. They’re not the explosive type. More damage is done by tsunamis.’
‘What’s a tsunami?’
‘A tidal wave. The Hawaiian islands are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so if there’s an earthquake anywhere out there, the effect is felt in Hawaii. Luckily, most of the tsunamis are quite small.’
‘That’s a relief.’ She squeezed his hand. The islands sounded beguiling and exciting and to see them with Bradley made them even more appealing.
He handed her the menu. ‘Let’s order dinner, the show is about to start.’
Catherine enjoyed Don Ho’s show. His throaty voice, his humour and flirtatious manner, the bevy of Hawaiian dancers and singers was unlike anything she’d seen before. The last big show she’d seen had been an outdoor concert by the Who in London where it had rained.
She whispered to Bradley, ‘Not like the Who, is it?’
‘Certainly not. Do you want to dance? This is his signature tune.’ He pulled her to her feet as several couples went onto the small dance floor. ‘Know the two-step?’
‘Kind of.’ She allowed Bradley to lead her as the singer began.
Tiny bubbles . . .
Bradley was a great dancer and, being tall, he swept her easily around the floor holding her close, singing softly along in her ear.
So here’
s to the golden moon
And here’s to the silver sea
And mostly here’s a toast
To you and me
So here’s to the ginger lei
I give to you today
And here’s a kiss
That will not fade away . . .
He kissed her gently and led her from the dance floor. ‘Shall we leave now? Do you want to go somewhere else?’
He looked at her with such longing that Catherine picked up her purse. ‘A nightcap on my lanai?’
He stayed the night. And in the morning when she awakened he was sitting on the lanai, wrapped in a white towel, smoking a cigarette. She looked at his strong back, the outline of his head and thought he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.
‘Good morning. Sorry I slept in, how long have you been awake?’ she called.
He put out his cigarette and came towards her. ‘Not long. I watched you sleep for a while. You look like a little girl.’ He dropped the towel and slid into bed beside her. ‘You in a rush to go anywhere?’
She giggled and reached for him. ‘No, sir. Are you?’
‘My day off. We could stay here all day . . .’
Bradley and Catherine spent as much time together as they could for the next few days, while Bradley arranged time off work for a trip to Maui. She phoned her parents to tell them she’d be spending a bit longer in Hawaii.
‘I’m moving into a cheaper hotel when I get back from Maui.’
‘Sounds like you’re having a good time. You like Hawaii, eh?’ said her father.
‘It’s fabulous,’ said Catherine, knowing her voice was very upbeat.
Her father seemed amused. ‘Sounds like it. Well, you enjoy yourself, love. You sound very happy. Must be nice to be in the sun after London. We can’t wait to have you home though. Your mother is making all kinds of plans.’
‘Oh that’s nice of her but, Dad, I really just want to relax. Be with you, ride around the place, settle in, you know. No parties, please. You know what Mum’s like.’
