by Reina Torres
Pulling his gaze away from Ku‘uipo, he looked over at Hi‘ilani. “What does that mean?”
She gestured at the lei around his neck. “That’s a ti leaf lei. They twist the ti leaves around and around, almost making it into a rope and leave some of the tips out like a decoration.” She let that sink in. “But if you want to take it off, go ahead. Baron did a while ago.”
He huffed out a breath. “Baron’s just being Baron.”
“When is Baron not Baron?” They shared a laugh together. “But I see what you’re saying. Still, if the lei is bothering you, take it off.”
“I’ll leave it on.”
“I think that will help.”
“Help with what?” Riddles. She may think she’s being cute, but what’s with the riddles?
“Seriously, Train? You just need to be brave and go talk to her.”
He spared a glance at the rest of his team spread out over the grass, listening to the music and in some cases talking to the interns.
It seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves.
Except for Ku‘uipo. She was done with her conversation with the blond student and she was busy looking through the stack of CDs on the table.
“So, are you ready to pull on your big boy pants and talk to the lady?”
Train didn’t even look at Hi‘ilani. He didn’t want her to see his reaction in his eyes. It wasn’t as simple as she made it out to be. First, Ku‘uipo was her friend and so she’d want her to be happy.
So did he, but he also knew that they only had a few more days on the island and it wouldn’t be in either of their best interests to start… to start anything with that kind of a clock hanging over their heads.
Right?
“Uh. Well. If you’re going to sit here and mope. You can do it by yourself.”
With a quick shift of weight, Hi‘ilani got up and walked away from him, heading straight toward her friend.
“Great.”
“What did you do?”
Ajax sat down beside him, taking up the space that his girlfriend had just left.
“She wanted me to pull up my big boy pants.”
Ajax turned to stare at him. “You better keep your pants up all the time around her.”
“Yeah, I know.” He almost laughed. “I’m frustrated, not stupid.”
“Oh,” Ajax did laugh then, “I’d like time to think on the ‘stupid’ aspect. Hi‘i was looking over at you earlier and she was worried. You weren’t your usual self. I got what she was saying, it looked like you wanted to put your fist through a wall… or someone else’s face.”
“I don’t.” He protested. “I didn’t. Hi‘ilani pointed out that I was just thinking too much.”
“Well, remind me to tell the commander that you were thinking ‘too much.’”
“Ha ha.” Train laid back on the mat and stared up at the sky. “Look, can you just let me suffer in silence? Is that too much to ask?”
A deep, ponderous silence was his answer.
The song that was playing on the stereo ended abruptly and the conversations all over the lawn stopped in turn.
“Aloha no, everyone!”
Pushing himself up onto his elbows, Train looked across the lawn and saw Hi‘ilani all but drag Ku‘uipo into the open, grassy expanse in front of the table.
“I know most of you are familiar with your director, Ku‘uipo Ornellas.”
A resounding cheer went up from the interns and Ku‘uipo managed not to wince too much at the sound.
“I have known Ipo since we were learning from the same Kumu Hula before we were even in kindergarten. And it’s been a long time since we danced together back in High School, but I think we might remember the dance we did for the talent show.”
Ku‘uipo groaned aloud at the idea. “Really? Isn’t your boyfriend going to have a few things to say about this song?”
Hi‘ilani shrugged and turned her gaze to Ajax. “Jack? Just remember this was a dance from years ago, okay?”
Laughing, Jackson shook his head. “Whatever you say.”
Looking down her shoulder at Hi‘ilani, Ku‘uipo gave her friend a knowing look. “You have him whipped.”
Hi‘ilani returned the look with a jaunty tilt of her chin. “Don’t knock it until you’ve had it, girlie.”
Ku‘uipo looked out at the crowd of interns. “Keep in mind that she still dances a lot and I practice once in a while so it might not be-”
“No more excuses!” One of the interns had cupped a hand to the side of their mouth. “Just dance!” A gesture from Hi‘ilani gave Uluwehi the sign to start the CD.
Train leaned toward his friend. “Do you know this song?”
Ajax shrugged. “It sounds vaguely familiar, but even when they start singing, I’m not sure I’d be able to tell if I have or not. Not knowing the language makes me realize how much more there is to a state that most people forget is even a part of the United States.”
“Then what do they think the last star on the flag is for?”
Jackson laughed. “I don’t know, but it’s true.”
The voices came through the speakers and the two relaxed a little. The words were sung in English.
But that relief didn’t last long as the lyrics started registering in his brain.
… if I want someone special, local boys are the one for me…
It didn’t help that the dance movements were sassy and flirty. And the girls looked like they were having a lot of fun, playing off each other. Train could see the identical choreography that they were both performing, but they were each adding little things to the dance, almost as if they were having a conversation with each other and with the audience.
It didn’t help his state of mind or the rapid pulse of his heart in his chest that Ku‘uipo danced like she was born to it.
Her gentle hands moved through the night air, lit in the soft glow of paper-covered lanterns and strings of lights. Her hips rocked and swayed to the music as her smile gave her expression a warmth that was filled with beauty.
Beside him, Jackson shifted on the mat. “Why do you suppose Hi‘ilani picked this song?”
Train turned to look at his team leader. He hadn’t heard even a hint of doubt in Jackson’s voice in the last few months.
“It’s a cute song,” Train struggled to sound like he meant the words. “Don’t read too much into it.”
But even as he said the words, his eyes moved to the side of the clearing where Ku‘uipo’s assistant, Uluwehi, stood. He was local. They, no doubt, shared a common knowledge of the islands and that was probably one of the reasons that they looked so comfortable with each other.
See? That wasn’t so hard! He was already arguing with himself and they hadn’t even been on a date.
No, they hadn’t even spoken for very long. Sure, he’d looked quite a bit, but actual conversation?
What would they have to talk about?
Train kept watching the two and clapped and cheered when they were done, but he was finding it more and more difficult to keep his smile in place. It was too difficult.
And smiling wasn’t difficult for him.
He was the happy, joking member of the team. He was the one who diffused situations with well-placed barbs and a joking nature. And he tried to call on that part of his personality when Hi‘ilani and Ku‘uipo worked their way toward their end of the lawn.
“Wow.” Hi‘ilani flopped down on Jackson’s lap and snuggled into his embrace, leaning her head back against his shoulder. “That was fun.”
Jackson leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. “That was great.”
She leaned away and looked up at him with a sly smile. “Just great?”
“Baby,” he placed a peck on her lips, “you know you were amazing.”
She let out a soft feminine sigh. “It doesn’t hurt to tell a girl that once in awhile.”
Train was aware of Ku‘uipo standing at the edge of the mat. She looked more than a little uncertain about what sh
e should do.
And for the life of him, he had no idea what to say.
“What do you think, Train?”
He turned to look at Hi‘ilani and saw the spark of mischief in her eyes. He just didn’t know what to say. Tongue-tied wasn’t one of the problems he usually had.
“It was good.”
It wasn’t just Hi‘ilani turning to look at him, it was Ajax too.
“You’re both really good dancers.”
“Wow,” Hi‘ilani shook her head, “what is wrong with you.”
Ku‘uipo waved it off and laughed, but even Train could tell it was a little strained.
“Hey now, don’t push him to be nice. It’s been awhile since I’ve really danced and I know I’m in no way near as good as Hi‘ilani. Talk about performance anxiety.” She spared him a little look, but he couldn’t read her expression since the lights were behind her.
“I’m going to get some party music on and see if we can’t get folks to dance just for fun.”
Without another word, or a look, Ku‘uipo walked back across the lawn toward the stereo.
Train didn’t even have to look over to know that Hi‘ilani and Ajax were glaring at him. He certainly didn’t want to see her expression, because she was really good at giving him what she called a ‘stink eye.’ And one glare from her made him feel like she kicked him right where it hurt the most.
Right in the heart.
Before he could think better or worse of it…
Well, before he could think at all, he was up on his feet and walking across the lawn to the table.
He had no idea what he was planning to say to Ku‘uipo. All he knew was that it had to be good.
Yeah, he was screwed.
Ku‘uipo was looking through a rather impressive stack of CDs.
“Need help looking for something?”
She spared him a glance, but her hands kept moving, lifting, flipping, and then setting aside case after case. She was quick, sifting through a half a dozen before she answered him.
“If you want to pick something out. Go ahead.”
Polite. Cool.
Crap.
Reaching out, he picked up a case and looked at the names of the songs on the back. “I’d be guessing completely on this one.”
She looked at the case in his hand and nodded, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Yeah. Those are all in Hawaiian.”
“I’ve picked up a little from Hi‘ilani, but just the easy stuff. This is way beyond my ability.”
She picked up another case. “Maybe you can just tell me what kind of music you like.”
“I’m kind of all over the place on genre. I like music you can dance to, but nothing too fast.”
“So, no heavy metal, head banging stuff?”
He stared at her. “Do they have Hawaiian head banging music?”
Her shoulders shook before he could hear her laughter. “Maybe, I don’t know. I mean I don’t think I’ve heard any, but you never know what’s out there.”
He shook his head. “I just can’t picture it.”
“Me neither,” she agreed.
He looked at another case. “This looks like it might be my style.”
She looked at the cover and nodded. “HAPA. Good band.”
“Hapa.” He turned the word over in his mind. “That means… half, right?”
“Right,” she turned to face him fully. “My parents are both hapa. Half Hawaiian and half something else. That makes me half Hawaiian too.”
“And I owe you a whole apology.”
“Oh?” The word said she was surprised, but the tone of her voice said he was right. “What for?”
Taking in a deep breath, he looked over at some of the interns. Uluwehi was sitting back on the grass with another man, talking quietly.
“Are you dating him?”
“Him… Uluwehi?” She laughed out loud. “My assistant? Oh no. Not me.” She seemed like she needed a moment to absorb the idea before she tilted her head as she looked at him. “What made you think we were dating?”
Now that he was about to say it, he knew how stupid it was going to sound. “You kissed him.”
Yep, there was that look that said he’d grown a second head or a third eye.
“When did- wait! On his cheek? I always kiss him on his cheek. That’s what you mean?”
“It’s a kiss. And guys… they like kisses.”
“They?”
“What?” He needed to put some distance between them before he made a fool of himself. Okay, so maybe that bird had flown already.
“You said guys… and then ‘they.’ Aren’t you a guy?”
He hung his head down. “Do you have a big stick or something?”
“What? A stick?”
“Yeah,” he couldn’t help but laugh at himself, “so I can pry my foot out of my mouth?”
And then the two of them were laughing together and Train felt the whole world around them change.
The whole world inside of him too.
She was… a sweetheart.
Gorgeous. Passionate. Generous. Amazing.
“So no,” she gave him a smile, “I’m not seeing him. He’s a really good friend and he’s a local, it’s something we do all the time.”
“I don’t.” He shrugged.
She sighed and he found himself wishing she was sighing for another reason.
“You’re not local.”
He shrugged. “I could learn.”
“Learn to be local?”
His grimace was light-hearted. “One of the cashiers at the PX is as good as local. She came here during Vietnam, married a local guy. She’s local.”
“Well she’s been here since the… sixties? That’s quite a bit of time.”
He picked up another CD case. “I’m a fast learner. I bet I can learn to be local.” She was laughing so hard she had to lean on the table. “I can.”
She sucked in a breath.
And then another.
By the time he’d counted to four she was almost calm.
Almost.
Turning to look at him, she looked intently into his eyes.
God, she’s beautiful.
“Why do you want to be a local? And what’s with the rush?”
In for a penny…
“Then you can kiss me on the cheek when we see each other,” he touched his pointer finger on one hand with the pointer from the other, “you could kiss me on the cheek when we say goodbye,” he touched the next fingertip, “you could kiss me on the cheek when-”
She kissed him on the cheek and shorted out his brain.
He could blink.
He knew his heart was working because it was pounding in his chest.
But words? Nope. He was silent.
“Wow,” she sighed as she looked up into his eyes, “that’s all it took to make you quiet? Hmm… I’ll have to remember that.”
Yep, blinking. He could do that.
And he stood still as she moved back to the stereo and popped out the CD that was in there and replaced it. “Do you know how to dance? Or do you just jump to conclusions?”
“Am I going to live that down?”
“I don’t know,” she looked at him and smiled, “are you planning to stay around for the next sixty years?”
The question stunned him, but she waved off the shock on his face.
“Relax. I’m just joking.” She hit play on the machine and held out her hand. “Come on, let’s see if you can dance.”
She moved toward the open space of the lawn but stopped short when he didn’t move.
“What?” Her smile dimmed a little. “You don’t want to dance?”
“Dance? Yeah, sure. I’m just not sure why you want to dance with me.”
“Because I want to.” She let go of his hands and started to walk away.
No, she started to dance away toward the center of the lawn, and the sweet sway of her hips stole his breath and the rest of his mind along with it.
Wha
t choice did he have but to follow her?
If she was crazy enough to dance with him, he was going to enjoy every minute.
The music was catchy, a bouncy rhythm that seemed perfectly in harmony with the dark night, round paper lanterns, and the soft trade winds blowing in from the ocean.
…my nights would be so lonely…
Not tonight, he thought as he took hold of her hand.
She continued to step and sway to the rhythm, mouthing the lyrics in time to the song.
…my heart does the tango…
Yeah, this song was just about perfect.
He gave her hand a little tug and she switched directions, moving in toward him, but not quite into his arms.
…gotta drop all your love on me…
Her eyes were half-closed from what he could see in the soft lighting, but she knew how to move.
Every inch of her body seemed to come alive with the music and every inch of him felt it. She wasn’t just dancing, she set the night on fire.
Train held onto her hand as she moved closer, just inches away from him and as his eyes pored over her face, her free hand lifted and her palm flattened against his belly.
The feel of her skin warming his through his t-shirt, rolled over him like a wave, and when she lifted her hand, trailing the nails of her fingers over his abs, he was so glad for the darkness surrounding him. But when her fingertips were just inches from his nipple, he lifted the hand that he’d set on her hips and grabbed her hand away from his chest. With the change of distance between them, she stepped back and gave him a teasing grin before she lifted their joined arms and turned, wrapping herself into his loose embrace.
She moved in place, rolling her hips back and forth in a way that sent his heart into his throat and all his blood rushing south and the only thing that he was touching were her hands.
…I want you to drop baby, drop…
And there he was, falling even deeper.
Seven
When Hi‘ilani and the others left at the end of the party, Ku‘uipo walked them all to the front of the hotel. As she stood beside her old friend on the steps, she took a moment to look at the assembled group before them.
