Primitive Flame

by Lakes, Lynde

The first wave of shock subsided, leaving her stunned, horrified, but not sorry. At least he wouldn’t try to rape again. Lani’s stomach knotted. What was wrong with her? A human being was dead, yet she was relieved.

  She had to talk to Cort. She got only his recorder. He’d mentioned an errand. She needed someone now. If Grandfather were only here, but he wasn’t. He trusted Millie. Lani dug through her purse, frantically dumping the contents onto the couch. Her hands shook as she snatched up the card with Dr. Mililani Kahaluu’s home phone number. With rigid fingers, Lani punched the digits.

  The repeated ringing tightened the knot in the pit of her stomach. She was about to hang up when Millie came on the line. “Aloha, Mililani Kahaluu speaking.”

  “Millie, thank God. It’s Lani. Keo’s granddaughter.”

  “Of course. What’s wrong? You sound upset.”

  “It may be happening again…fire…retribution.”

  “Slow down, Lani.” The soothing tone in Millie’s voice calmed Lani, and she took a breath. “Are you talking about a repeat of what happened to your family?” the doctor asked.

  “Yes, yes.” Lani explained about the attack on her, and how the guilty man had died in flames. “Doctor, I’m scared. I don’t want to be responsible for people dying, yet I hated Butch for what he tried to do.”

  “You didn’t cause Butch’s death.” Millie’s voice carried an inarguable firmness. “He drank too much and got behind the wheel of a car. That was his mistake. Alcohol was the only link between the attack and the accident.”

  “But the car mysteriously burst into flames.”

  Millie paused a moment. “I can’t explain that. Let the authorities figure it out.”

  Lani doubted they ever would. “I feel all this anger.”

  “That’s understandable. Butch tried to do a monstrous thing and you never got to face him with your rage. His death hasn’t ended your right to express your anger. Do it. Get it all out.” The doctor listened until Lani tired of venting her feelings, then said, “Just remember, you’re not in control of the events. We’ll talk more about this on Tuesday, but for tonight don’t stay home alone. Get out around people. Can you do that?”

  “I have a date, but I was thinking of breaking it.”

  “Is it with someone you trust?”

  Lani thought about it for a moment. She did trust Cort. Still, she didn’t know how much she could tell him without driving him away. “Yes,” she answered.

  “Keep the date. It’ll be good for you. Call if you need me before Tuesday. Now, are you going to be all right?”

  “Yes. Talking about it helped. Thanks, Millie.”

  After Lani hung up, she turned on the radio. It blared with rap music. She didn’t change the station. Perhaps the noise would blast the lingering misgivings from her mind. She hurried through a shower and laid out her clothes.

  Lani usually saved the delicate dress she’d placed on the bed for elegant occasions. In the past, just looking at it raised her spirits, and wearing it made her feel sensational. She touched the ivory pearled lace bodice and traced her hand over the black lacy skirt. The usual uplift didn’t come. But the doctor was right, and rushing around to get ready did help calm her.

  Lani slipped on the dress and stepped into the matching black brocade heels. She leaned close to the mirror to make sure she applied enough makeup to conceal the bruise on her cheek. The ice had taken care of the puffiness around her eyes. Automatically, she applied White Ginger perfume to the hollow of her neck. Okay, she was as ready as she’d ever be.

  The old house creaked and she rubbed her arms. It seemed as though the walls had sinister eyes. “You have nothing to fear but the fear itself,” she told herself. Still, it would be cooler outside.

  Evening breezes caressed her skin as she walked out onto the porch to wait.

  At the familiar roar of Cort’s Porsche, Lani sighed in relief. He circled the driveway and parked in front of her. As he stepped out of the car, her troubled mood eased another notch. With a curious detachment, she assessed how handsome he looked in his charcoal slacks and pale gray aloha shirt. Although she was barely aware of it, feeling seeped back into her body.

  Cort gave her a three-strand orchid lei and kissed her temple. “You look terrific! Mmmm, you smell good too.”

  “You too.” Her spirits lifted even higher. Perhaps the date was a good idea.

  Heading toward Honolulu, Cort guided the car into the flow of evening traffic. Lani couldn’t keep her mind off Butch. Her mood darkened again. At the next stoplight, Cort’s sweeping and blatantly admiring look told her he liked what he saw. So they both looked good and were attracted to each other. None of that was important. A man was dead.

  Lani took a breath and exhaled, feeling like her insides might burst if she didn’t get out her news. “Butch died last night. His car went off the road and burst into flames.”

  For an instant Cort looked stunned, then angry. “No wonder I couldn’t find him today.” He shot her a quick glance. “Surely you won’t waste any tears over him.”

  “I feel awful that he’s dead. But I’m glad he isn’t alive to drug and attack another woman.”

  “Amen to that. No law says you have to forgive him just because he’s dead.”

  “His death shocked me.”

  Lani told Cort what she could without mentioning her fear that she might be responsible. Having him to talk to made her feel less alone, but she didn’t want to take advantage of his willingness to listen and drag the evening down. For tonight she’d put her concerns on hold.

  “Thanks for listening, Cort. Your support helped.”

  “I’m glad you let me in.” His tone was gentle. He stared at her for a moment, then with eyes as bright as sun-kissed jade, he winked and sent her a playful grin. “Actually, I’m very attracted to brooding women. One in particular.”

  Lani tried to smile.

  “That pitiful smile doesn’t fool me, you know.”

  This time her laugh was real.

  He reached over and touched her hand. “With Keo in San Francisco, you need someone close by to keep you from thinking too much.”

  “Volunteering for the job?” She would like that.

  He saluted. “Cort Wayne, reporting for duty. Tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.”

  She didn’t feel a bit playful. Still, she darted a teasing look at him, trying to hold up her end of the easy bantering. “No ulterior motives, I presume?”

  He grinned. “You’re as suspicious as you are lovely. You’re accusing an innocent man, babe.”

  She laughed again. His stream of light teasing was the medicine she needed. “Innocent? You don’t even believe that yourself.”

  The easy banter continued until they were seated in Michel’s Restaurant at the Colony Surf Hotel. Diners dressed in glamorous attire looked like they belonged in a scene out of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The room had huge crystal chandeliers and open-air frontage along the beach. Lani’s gaze scanned the darkened waters, illuminated only by maritime colored lights. In the background, she heard an elaborate rendition of “Clair De Lune” drifting from the piano bar. Relaxing, and without even being aware she’d done so, she let go of her lingering shock about Butch and her worries about Pele causing his death.

  Lani placed the menu the waiter offered to her next to the silverware and looked around, feeling like a child in wonderland.

  “Hey, bright-eyes, do you like chateaubriand?”

  “Love it.” She felt a pang of hunger as aromas of meat cooking wafted in the breeze.

  A waiter peered down his long nose and asked if they’d decided. Cort handed him the menus and ordered. “And bring us a magnum of Cristal champagne, too,” he added in a deep, confident voice. The waiter nodded and left.

  Cort smiled. “You look like that adorable little girl of four again, excited with rosy cheeks.” He leaned close. “What were you like as a child?”

  “I never thought of myself as a child. You bring out
that part of me. I always believed I was born grown up, responsible.”

  The waiter brought the champagne, allowed Cort to approve the label, then popped the cork and filled the glasses.

  “A toast.” He raised his glass. “To the playful child hidden within you.”

  “And to the mischievous little boy in you.” She clicked his glass with hers.

  “Touché.” His eyes twinkled. “Now, what made you so grown up and responsible? Doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  He took a sip of champagne, looking at her over a glass that looked too fragile to be in such strong hands. His amused look kept her answer from being too introspective.

  “My folks were a bit reserved, and being around them made me grow up quieter and perhaps more serious. They expected a great deal, and I tried to please them.”

  “So, you like to please?” Cort’s teasing tone disquieted Lani almost as much as the little feather strokes he was tracing along her fingers.

  “Sometimes,” she said evenly, as if immune to his touch. She took a deep breath. “What about your childhood?”

  Cort flashed a grin. “Grew up in L.A. Like most boys, I played whatever sport was in season, which pleased my dad. Mom, an English teacher, made sure I also spent time in the pursuit of the arts and my studies. She’s one of those super moms.”

  Lani grinned. “Don’t tell me you’re a mama’s boy?”

  “Not hardly. But we’re close. Like your parents, mine expected a great deal. I had to be artistic and scholarly for Mom and macho for my dad.”

  “Must’ve been a challenge.”

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

  Something evasive in Cort’s tone and the way his eyes darkened briefly made her wonder what he’d left out. She guessed even he had skeletons in his closet. Maybe everyone did.

  “You’ll like my parents,” he said, “and they’ll love you.” Cort paused as though waiting for her to say something. Before she could fully assess his words, he asked, “You said you were adopted. Know anything about your birth parents?”

  She shook her head. “I’m working on it.” She couldn’t tell him the story about being Pele’s daughter. He’d think she was out of her mind, and she wouldn’t blame him. The waiter brought their food and she used the interruption to change the subject. “The food looks and smells wonderful.”

  Cort leaned forward, as though ready to pounce on her with more questions about her family. Before he could get the words out, she hit Cort with a question sure to distract him. “Have you heard from Mr. Kohea? I mean, has he found anything?”

  Cort frowned. “Come on. No touchy subjects tonight, okay? Did you know the chef here studied in Paris? Never a bad meal comes out of his kitchen.”

  Lani wished they could discuss anything, but she was as guilty of holding back as he was. She laughed. “I think we’ve discussed the food to death. Got another safe subject?”

  He went silent for a moment. “The hell with safe subjects. I need to know what makes a phenomenal woman like you tick. You’ve shown more courage and passion than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  “High praise, but—”

  “Please, let me finish. What I don’t know about you would fill a library. Why are your birth parents a touchy subject? And how does your grandfather fit into the picture?”

  Lani looked down at her plate. “Tonight isn’t a good time.”

  His eyes searched hers. “Sorry, that was insensitive of me. I know you’ve had enough stress without me pressing you into difficult ground. For the rest of the night, I’ll do whatever I can to keep your mind off anything unpleasant. Deal?”

  When he reached over and squeezed her hand, she rewarded him with a grateful smile. They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, then Lani hit on a safe subject. “How did you get into flying?”

  Cort shook his head. “I think I got the idea in the womb. Mom must’ve flown while pregnant. With money in short supply, the air force was my ticket to the clouds.”

  Lani loved watching the excitement in his eyes as he told about his stint in the air force, and she enjoyed the humor he wove into his stories.

  After dinner, they progressed from one nightclub to the next. Lani adored dancing and Cort was an excellent partner. At one club the band played all the songs from the movie Dirty Dancing. Cort showed her how to undulate her body like a snake. The gyrations embarrassed her at first, but as she got into the rhythm of the music, she lost her inhibitions and let herself go. With Cort she was freer, happier and willing to risk things she’d previously avoided.

  When the band took a break, Cort led her out of the club toward the beach. On the way, he stopped by his car and took a blanket from his trunk.

  “What’s this? You keep a blanket in your trunk?”

  He grinned. “Doesn’t everybody?”

  Lani laughed. “You’re unbelievable.” Slick operator, she thought. No wonder he was able to charm the panties off women. Julie had admitted she’d exaggerated about him, but how much of it had been true? He certainly knew how to set the stage for a seduction and how to titillate a woman until she was more than willing.

  Lani studied Cort’s profile. She had to trust him. He already had her heart. For now she’d have to ride this roller coaster on its upward climb. If need be, she could always call it quits. For now she was having too much fun building romantic memories to enjoy for a lifetime.

  She knew she was kidding herself—a person can’t exit a roller coaster until the ride is over. She would have to keep her guard up and not love too deeply or care too much when the affair was over. Yes, she knew they would end up lovers, but she’d say when the time was right. Even though she’d become addicted to this green-eyed, talented hunk of surprises, she had to be in control. She laughed at herself. As if she could be. What was the Alcoholics’ Anonymous creed? Take it one day at time? No matter how he charmed her, tonight was definitely not the night. Lani repeated not tonight over several times to program her mind and to protect herself from her body’s reaction to him.

  They removed their shoes and walked a short distance in the soft sand, then Cort spread the blanket and pulled her down beside him. Still holding her hand, he stretched out and sighed.

  “We had quite an aerobic work out,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I needed a few minutes of fresh night air to rejuvenate.”

  Without answering, she stretched out next to him and looked up at the clear, star-studded sky. She waited, trembling a little, wondering when he would make his first move on her.

  Music floated on the breeze from one of the hotels—the band was playing “I Just Called To Say I Love You” with a Latin beat.

  Cort gave her hand a squeeze. “Know much about the stars?”

  “I can usually find the Big Dipper.” Lani felt the salty breeze wash over her. The magic of the night seeped into her soul as Cort’s warm hand reassured her.

  “July is a good month for stargazing.” Cort pointed. “Do you see Scorpio?”

  “That large star group there?”

  “Exactly. And do you know what it’s called here in the islands?”

  “Of course, Grandfather told me. Maui’s Fishhook.”

  “That’s right, you’re a boomerang local.” He flashed a grin. “Notice how The Milky Way is brightest in the direction of Sagittarius’s arrow?”

  Lani nodded. “How do you happen to know about constellations?”

  “Learned a bit here and a bit there. It’s good for someone who flies to know a little about the sky.”

  He knew more than a little. He pointed out several constellations. She was being lulled and relaxed by the rhythmic lapping of water over sand and by Cort’s soothing voice.

  After about twenty minutes of stargazing and quiet conversation, he suddenly rose to his feet and extended a hand. “Come on. I know a place where we can dance until four in the morning. Are you game?”

  “Surely, you’re kidding?”

  “Nope. Serious.”

&n
bsp; Lani took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. He hadn’t even kissed her. She wondered if the astonishment was reflected on her face. After he returned the blanket to his trunk, they went to a club at the top of Ala Moana Hotel.

  Windows along the dance floor extended from floor to ceiling. Looking down over the luminous lights of Honolulu made her feel like she was dancing on top of the world. The city lights extended for miles in the maze of streets below. Lani felt animated and unaware of being tired.

  Hard rock music made conversation impossible, so they just danced, squashed in the middle of the crowded floor by the other couples also moving fervently to the beat. Around three forty-five, Cort led Lani out of the nightclub into the cool, early morning air.

  He took her to a small outside breakfast bar along the beach. They watched the sky lose its darkness while they ate strawberry-mango waffles and drank hot Kona coffee. Aromas of food and sea air wafted around her on the breeze.

  The only sounds on the deserted beach were waves licking the shore and the occasional cry of a frigate bird. Lani rubbed her arms.

  “Cold?” Cort didn’t wait for an answer. He hugged her close, circling her with his welcome heat.

  The sunrise started over the horizon. Then, like magic, the whole sky awakened under a coral blaze of the golden tropical sun.

  “I’ll bet when we started last evening, you never expected to spend the whole night with me.”

  She gently touched his jaw, prickly with dark blond stubble. “I had fun. You’re full of surprises. Just when I think I’m starting to understand you, bang. Another switch.”

  “Are you tired?” he asked.

  “Honestly? Yes. Once I get to bed, I’ll sleep all day.”

  “I’m not ready to let you go. How about going to the park, finding a shady tree and sleeping away the day in each other’s arms?”

  She laughed. “You’re crazy! I should go home.”

  He grasped her waist, lifted her from the stool, and swung her around in the air. “Why? Let’s do it! What’s the harm?”

  She thought about Grandfather’s isolated house. If she were alone she’d probably stew about Butch. And what if the frightening visions started up again? “I’m game.”