by Freda Ann
Brandon and Stephen reached in their pockets for money to put in the jar. They all agreed it was an awesome tour and would highly recommend it. Stephen and Faith were the first off and Mindy was following close behind Brandon when she felt a hand grab her arm. She turned to the person next to her and was surprised to see Chase. She was really hoping she’d make it off the boat before he found her again.
He smiled at her with his blue eyes and boyish grin that always got to her. “Hey, Mindy. I wanted to catch you before you left.”
Mindy looked at the line behind her waiting to also get off the boat. “Chase. I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. I’m with some friends.”
As she started to turn away from him, he grabbed her hand and slid a folded up piece of paper into it. She momentarily looked at him again. “Do me a favor, please look at this later when you’re alone.” He grinned and slowly let her hand go, walking away towards the front of the boat as she left.
‘Do me a favor’ - huh! She thought disgustedly to herself. Why would I want to do him any favors. I owe him nothing. The nerve of him to even say that to me! Mindy felt her face getting flushed as she got to the end of the gangway noticing Brandon standing there waiting for her looking concerned.
“You ok Mindy? I didn’t see you behind me when I turned around.” He put his hand out for her to hold his.
She started to reach her hand out for his when she realized the paper Chase gave her was still in it so she quickly put it in her shorts pocket and grabbed Brandon’s hand catching up to his pace. “Yes, I’m fine. Just lagging behind.” She tried to push the thought of Chase out of her head but struggled with it a few times on the ride back to their hotel. Each of them talked about their favorite parts of the tour which helped Mindy keep her mind otherwise occupied and made her feel happy again.
* * * * *
Knock, knock, knock. “He’s here.” Faith sounded happy as she said bye to Mindy, grabbed her purse, a light sweater and headed to the door of their hotel room. “Hi Stephen, I’m ready.”
Stephen looked her up and down shaking his head with a smile. “Faith, you look really nice.” He reached out his arm for her to take.
Faith looked quite pleased with his response to her sundress and heels. “Thank you Stephen. You know how to make a lady feel good.” She walked out into the hallway pulling the door shut behind her as she slid her arm inside Stephens and walked to the elevator.
After the tour, everyone headed back to their rooms to clean up and get ready for dinner. Stephen asked Faith if she wanted to go with him to the sports bar again for dinner and the game. She was more than happy to go. Brandon wanted to take Mindy to a nice restaurant at the top of one of the tallest buildings in downtown Maui that slowly revolved while you ate. She liked the idea and was looking forward to it. He told her the views from the top were supposed to be pretty awesome. Jacques had recommended it to him to try out with Mindy while on the island.
Mindy decided to wear the LBD that she brought with her. It’s a form fitted dress with small silver rhinestones framing the neckline which laid just below the base of her throat. The neckline ran over the top edge of her shoulders around the back where it turned into a wider band that hung loosely just behind her shoulders continuing down slightly below the middle of her back. The upper half of her back was exposed. There was a two-inch shimmery silver band going across the bra line that added depth to the dress. It hugged her body with the hem hitting mid-thigh. It was one of her favorite little black dresses. No matter how many times she wore it, she always got compliments on how pretty and sexy it was. She hoped Brandon felt the same.
Putting her shoes on, Mindy noticed the time. Brandon would be knocking on the door any minute now. She put her lipstick on, looked over the whole outfit in the full length mirror near the bathroom and grabbed her clutch just as a triple knock came on the door.
She opened the door to a smiling, gorgeous man who seemed to regularly make her heart skip a beat when she saw him. Mindy couldn’t help but look him over from head to toe. He was wearing a deep blue suit with a pale pink button-down shirt with a two-tone blue and pink paisley print neck tie. He had on black leather wingtip oxford shoes and his hair was lightly gelled. He looked perfect! She inadvertently licked her lips causing her blush. She wondered if he noticed.
Before she knew it, Brandon leaned down with his dimples still obvious and planted a soft kiss on her lips not once, but twice. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth playfully after the second kiss then released it before kissing her a third time. “That’ll teach you to lick your lips in front of me.” He lifted his head up but couldn’t seem to lose the smile. “Shall we?” Gesturing his hand forward they walked side by side to the elevator.
Brandon pushed the elevator button. When it opened, he held the door as Mindy walked in. When she walked past him to the middle of the elevator, his eyes followed her and his jaw dropped. With eyes wide open, he couldn’t help himself. “Wow! That is one amazing dress you have on babe.”
He walked inside, pushed the button for the ground level and thought how thankful he was that no one else occupied the elevator. He stepped close to Mindy with his back to the door as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. “You are such a beautiful woman.” And he claimed her mouth with one long, hot kiss that had them both feeling flustered when the elevator dinged as it stopped on the ground level and opened up. They looked at each other with want but gained composure when Brandon turned to exit grabbing Mindy’s hand on the way out of the elevator. Both of them couldn’t help but wish the trip down the elevator took much longer to get to the bottom.
Chapter 9
The hostess led Brandon and Mindy to their table by the window. It was flanked by tall planters behind each chair and a spacious walkway up to the next level which gave them the privacy Brandon hoped for. Jacques had called his friend, the manager, to set up the reservation for them. Once again, Brandon owed him for the hook-up but knew that Jacques wouldn’t accept anything in return. He always says he will forever be in Brandon’s debt for telling him about the Head Chef position years ago when he was here on vacation.
Mindy stared out the window taking in the amazing views that went as far as the eye could see. She couldn’t help but smile and feel so blessed to be able to experience such beauty in her lifetime, especially with this hunky man sitting across from her.
Turning her head to look at him, he smiled back at her and asked. “What are you smiling at?”
She looked out the window again for a brief second then back at him before answering. “The view -” Looking deep in his captivating eyes she continued, “ - and you.” Her lips relaxed a bit to a sexy smile as she held his gaze.
“Well if you keep that up, we may not make it to dinner.” He let out a husky laugh. “We may have to leave early and just have dessert first.” He returned the sexy smile, holding Mindy’s eyes only to be interrupted by the waiter who stopped at their table. Brandon glanced at the wine list and ordered a bottle for them. He told the waiter they needed some time to look over the menu before ordering.
They looked at the menu and when the waiter came back with the wine, they ordered an appetizer and their entree. After toasting to another great day in Maui, they sipped the wine for a bit taking in the various sites from their vantage point. They could even see the ocean between some of the buildings in the distance off to the south.
Brandon talked about the whales they were able to see on their tour and how good his pictures turned out. Then he remembered he’d been wanting to ask Mindy who the man was that spoke to her on the boat. He knew there was more to their relationship than him being just a friend or acquaintance by the way she reacted when he spoke to her. And he didn’t like the way the guy looked at Mindy. It seemed too intimate which made him feel a bit protective and territorial.
Trying to figure out how to approach the subject, he knew he had to ask and get it over with so he looked over at her, still with a bit of hesitanc
e when the words just came out. “So who was the guy on the boat who spoke to you? He seemed to know you pretty well.”
Mindy’s pleasant look suddenly changed to one of dread as her eyes opened wider and the soft smile quickly disappeared. The subject she hated to talk about suddenly became one that she needed to get off her chest so it wouldn’t be the elephant in the room any longer. She knew she would need to explain to Brandon but wasn’t sure if she was ready yet. And how much should she tell him?
Taking a minute to think about where or if to start, she looked out the window and gathered her thoughts before facing Brandon again. She took in a slow deep breath and let it out before she started talking. “To be honest, deep down I was hoping I would never see him again so I would never have to mention his name. He's a painful part of my past that I have tried to forget for two years.”
Brandon looked away and his heart sunk as he suddenly felt guilty that he asked her about him. He looked at her again and reached his hand across the table to lay it on top of hers. “I’m sorry Mindy. I had no idea. If it's too painful, you don't have to talk about it. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Mindy looked down at his hand lifting her thumb over his, as if to thank him for the gesture, then looked up at his face before continuing. “Ever since I saw him on the boat I wanted to tell you about him but I was waiting for the right time.“
She took another slow, deep breath to calm her racing heart. “We started dating about three years ago. We met at work and became closer and closer as we got to know each other. Once I knew he was interested in me, I kinda let him know I felt the same with nice little gestures. We had some good times together and he gave me every indication that he was as crazy about me as I was with him. - After almost a year of dating exclusively and another passionate night together, I told him I loved him.”
Mindy swallowed hard and took another breath, slowly letting it out before continuing. “I didn’t really expect him to say anything back. I just wanted him to know how I felt, though it should’ve been obvious at that point to anyone who’s ever been in love.”
Looking out the window again, Mindy pulled her arms back from the table and nervously put them in her lap as she fought to keep the tears at bay. Not because she wasn’t over Chase but because she never got the closure she desperately wanted and needed. “After I said those three words, we laid there for a little while in silence. I just figured he was processing what I admitted out loud but thought he already knew. - For some reason I started getting a weird vibe like something was wrong with him. Like he’d turned into a different person all of a sudden. Kind of cold.” Her voice cracked a bit.
Brandon felt a stab in the pit of his stomach and again regretted asking her about him here in a nice restaurant. He was beginning to feel Mindy’s pain as he watched her fighting the emotions of her past. It’s like she was suddenly back in that painful time of her life. A time she admitted she was trying to forget. Damn it Brandon, why did you have to ask about this now?
Mindy took a few deep breaths telling herself she would not cry over this man again. He wasn’t worth it and she wouldn’t let him have a hold on her any more. Looking at Brandon she swallowed hard again and continued. “After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he lightly kissed my hair, climbed out of the bed and went in the bathroom for a while. - When he came out, he went and got something to drink in the kitchen without a word. I went in the bathroom for a bit and when I came out he was flipping channels on T.V. I told him I was leaving and he said he needed to get to bed anyway. I hugged him and he gave me a peck on the lips and said goodnight. - We were never together after that night. He basically quit calling me or looking for me at work and a few weeks later he told me he got a temporary job in Alaska he couldn’t pass up. - After he left town, a few letters were exchanged but they came less and less frequent as time passed with no real feeling of connection in any of them. I knew we were done for good once he left. I guess I kept writing him hoping he’d snap out of it and tell me why he reacted the way he did. - He moved back to his home state after his job was over and all communication pretty much ended between us. I knew it was for the best because I needed to get over him and held out hope until that final letter.”
The waiter brought their entree and filled their glass of wine half full before leaving them alone. Grabbing her glass, Mindy took a sip and set it down before picking up her fork and looking across the table. “If he’d only explained why he reacted the way he did, I could’ve let it go after he left. That’s what hurt me the most. - There was no communication about his reaction to my confession or his feelings about it. He didn’t have enough respect for me after all those months together to tell me why it bothered him so much. To this day I still don’t know. - Nothing. - Nadda - “ She looked at her plate and grabbed a fork full of vegetables then glanced up again. “Anyway, that’s all I’m going to say about him so lets enjoy our dinner and the rest of our evening.” Giving Brandon a sincere smile, she put the food in her mouth and chewed it. She glanced at her plate and couldn’t help but wonder if she’d shared too much with a man she hardly knew. But once she got started talking about it, she felt the need to get it all out.
They ate in silence for several minutes, enjoying the food and the grand view from the expansive window they sat in front of. Brandon tried to process what Mindy told him. The hardest part being that any man would do something so hurtful to this wonderfully thoughtful and beautiful woman who deserved so much better. At the very least an explanation for his actions. Human decency would dictate it after all the months they’d spent together. It was unfairly cruel to leave her wondering all this time. He saw that it still caused her some pain even after a few years.
He knew he had to change the subject to something more pleasant. “So tomorrow I thought we could rent a car and drive to Lahaina, do some shopping, site seeing and have some lunch there like you wanted. Then we’ll head back to freshen up before going to the luau I booked for all of us.”
Looking up from her food, “That sounds really good Brandon. It’s definitely something we were hoping to do. I think it’ll be fun.”
“I agree. And I know Stephen will be on board, especially since Faith is going.” He smiled at Mindy before eating more of his fish.
Up one level from where they were sitting, a native Hawaiian woman started playing the piano. She was really good and the music was soft and mellow. They enjoyed the rest of their food and each other’s company for the next hour then decided to head back to the hotel after Brandon paid the bill.
He walked Mindy to her room. She wanted so bad to invite him in and have more alone time with him but she knew that before she could get any closer to Brandon, she had to close a difficult chapter of her life. She knew that meant talking to the one person she’s dreaded talking to for the last two years.
“I can’t begin to thank you for such an awesome day and another wonderful dinner.” Standing outside her room, she smiled up at Brandon and turned to fully face him. She stretched both hands out to grab his, entwining their fingers together and pulling them into each other. She looked towards his chest then up to his face. “Please know that I want nothing more than to invite you into my room and continue where we left off the other night. - But before I can do that with a clear conscience and feel like I’m worthy of those feelings, I need to bring closure to my past once and for all. - I hope you understand.” She looked directly in his eyes so he felt her sincerity and knew just how much she wanted to be with him.
He squeezed her hands tighter and leaned into her as he lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her ever so softly and looked her in the eyes again. “I do understand Mindy and I respect you for that.” He rubbed his thumb back and forth across her fingers. “I believe that before someone starts a new chapter in their life, they need to close the previous one or they’ll never truly find happiness.”
Brandon pulled Mindy against him one more time and slid his arms around her hugging her to his body. He laid h
is head against hers with his mouth just above her ear as he spoke softly. “I’ll be here any time you want or need me. Do what you need to to do and I’ll see you in the morning.” He faced her and slid his hands up to frame her face as he looked deep in her soul and kissed her. Letting go and lowering his hands, he stepped back. “Goodnight Mindy.”
She watched him turn and start to walk away when she said goodnight and waited until he was out of sight before she unlocked her room and went inside. She wanted to look for the piece of paper she shoved in her shorts pocket earlier. She hadn’t looked at it yet but she was pretty sure Chase put a phone number on it hoping she’d call him.
After she found the white piece of paper, she slowly unfolded it as her heart began to race. She told herself it was almost over. Two years of torturing herself with almost unthinkable thoughts about him and feelings of her own inadequacy. She had wondered if she would ever be worthy of a man’s love after Chase left.
She made herself breathe through those negative thoughts to calm her heart rate. After two years of deep soul searching, she knew the problem didn’t lie within herself and she was about to let Chase know just how unfair he’d been to her after all the time they shared together.
Mindy looked down at the paper in her hands and took a slow deep breath, blowing it out through her mouth. His writing looked pretty much the same as a few years ago when he wrote her. She read the three lines he wrote. ’Please meet me so we can talk. I’d really like to see you,’ was all he wrote along with his phone number.
Short and not so sweet, she couldn’t help but think. No ‘I’m sorry for running out on you with no explanation’ or ‘You didn’t deserve the way I left you wondering for the past two years’. Nothing that would make her want to see him face to face again. She knew just talking to him on the phone would be torturous enough. But she knew that was the only way she would finally have closure to that chapter of her life so she could move on.
