Page 11 of Duty and Desire

Chapter Nine

Gio

I was none the worse for wear after the previous day’s hike, so I figured I wasn’t as out of shape as I’d thought. I sat on the veranda with my first cup of coffee at hand, gazing at the photos I’d taken. I had to admit, they didn’t do the views justice.

The one I’d taken of Nick, however, had captured his habitual expression, a mix of contemplation and something else I couldn’t pin down.

Not that he had any idea I’d caught him on my phone’s camera—I’d chosen my moment well.

I’d engaged in a little misdirection, pointing out to sea at a passing ship.

But no sooner had I clicked, than I was overcome with a surge of guilt.

I could have asked him if it was okay to take a picture, right?

Something in me was certain the answer would’ve been no.

Once I’d finished my breakfast, I stretched out on one of the steamer chairs and read for a while—a paperback I’d picked up at the airport. I recalled reading rave reviews of it, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Keeping my focus on the page proved difficult. The words danced, and my mind kept tugging me back to a bench hewn out of rock, itchy legs, and a beautiful smile.

“Morning.”

I placed my book face down. “Good morning, Aulani. I’m back here.”

A moment later, she joined me. She glanced through the open patio door and let out a mock gasp. “You cleaned.”

I laughed. “I didn’t spend much time here yesterday, that’s why it’s so tidy.”

Aulani placed her hands on her hips. “You’re in a better mood today.” Her face lit up. “Did you write something?”

I smiled. “Not exactly. I went on… well, sort of a date.”

She tilted her head. “With Nick?”

I narrowed my gaze. “Have you been following me?” I demanded in a teasing tone.

“A lucky guess.”

“We went out for dinner, after spending the day hiking up to Mount Pahia.”

Her satisfied expression left me in no doubt she approved. “About time you saw something of the island. And with someone who knows the place.” She flushed. “And such pretty company too.”

“Oh, so he’s pretty now?” Not that I disagreed.

I could do nothing all day but sit and stare at Nick, and I’d count it a day well-spent.

Aulani let rip with an unladylike snort. “I may be old but I’m not blind.”

“I did discover one thing that will make you happy. He knows about the stalker—if that’s what he is.”

She expelled a breath. “Thank goodness. Like I said, Nick is a sweet guy. I would hate to think he’d attracted someone who would harm him.”

I reflected on what Nick had revealed about his family. “There’s a vulnerability about him. When he speaks, I can’t escape the notion there’s so much more beneath the surface that he can’t share.”

And whatever he was hiding, it brought him pain.

Aulani bit her lip. “That’s the writer in you talking. Maybe you should write a book about Nick.”

I smiled. “Funny you should say that. I had the same idea.”

And thanks to our conversation during dinner, I knew where that idea was leading me.

“So will you two be going on another date?”

I shrugged. “Another hike, at least.”

I liked the prospect of another meal at sunset, but maybe in a different location.

Someplace more intimate.

At some point during the previous day, my hike had moved from being a chance to gain inspiration to a desire to spend more time around Nick. My hurried request that we “do it all again” was born out of a need to be with him, to talk with him, laugh with him.

“I think you should explore the island some more,” Aulani suggested.

“Anywhere specific?”

“At the south of the island is the St. Regis resort. It has these bungalows spread out over the water, like the petals of a flower. And there’s a wonderful bar where you can watch the sunset while you have a drink.”

I chuckled. “You’re the second person to mention that bar to me. Something about it having cute servers?”

Her eyes twinkled. “I wouldn’t know about that. I only have eyes for my husband. But I do know someone who tends bar there every Wednesday afternoon. And you know him too.” She beamed. “Well, what do you know? Today is Wednesday. I’m not sure what time he finishes, but I can find out.”

I laughed my ass off. “Aulani, you’re about as subtle as a train wreck.” When she frowned, I held my hand up. “Relax. You did your job. Looks like I’m going out for a drink later.” And seeing as the St. Regis seemed pretty upmarket, I was going to dress accordingly.

Knowing Nick would be there?

Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.

The bar was definitely swankier than Kai’s place of work. There was a restaurant too, but I resisted the urge to glance at the menu. I had a feeling it would be out of my wallet’s range.

I took my seat at a table looking out across the lagoon.

I’d spotted Nick behind the bar, dressed in black pants and a tee.

Dark was such a good choice for him. It accentuated his hair and his tan.

I hadn’t tried to attract his attention—he was working, right?

—but every now and then I glanced over at him, watching him engage the bar patrons in conversation, flashing them that same warm smile I’d seen during our dinner.

He’s a natural, a people person. I imagined that made him good at his various jobs.

“What can I get you, sir?”

I jumped. A cute server with a bright smile stood next to my table.

I grabbed the drinks menu and scanned the list of cocktails. “A mai tai, please.” I avoided looking at the price.

“Certainly, sir.”

I couldn’t resist. “And please say hi for me to the gentleman behind the bar.”

His eyes gleamed. “Of course. Is that all the message? Just hi?”

“For now.” I couldn’t miss the sway of his hips as he made his way to the bar.

I leaned back in my chair and drank in the view.

Boardwalks connected the resort’s bungalows to the shore, and there were flowers everywhere.

Steamer chairs sat on the lawn that bordered the restaurant, shaded by thatched parasols, and couples sat beneath them, enjoying the last of the day’s sunlight.

Boats went to and fro, either out in the lagoon or heading to their moorings next to the properties.

Then I spotted a familiar face.

Claudia was apparently spending another day sunning herself. She lay on one of the chairs, a Kindle on her lap and a glass in her hand.

And she was looking at me over the rim of her sunglasses.

“Sir.”

Damn it, that server was way too stealthy.

I thanked him as he placed a flower-shaped mat on the table, then set the squat glass on it. He handed me a folded piece of paper, that gleam still evident. I opened it, thinking it was the bill until I spotted a scrawled message.

I finish in thirty minutes. Will you stay until then?

I smiled. “Would you deliver another message for me?”

The server grinned. “Sure. Just call me Cupid. What’s the message?”

I laughed. “One word—yes.”

That grin widened. “My favorite word.” He left a black leather folder next to my glass, then sashayed back to the bar.

I opened the folder, but there was no bill. Instead there was a single line of text.

This is on me.

I turned my head, and found Nick gazing in my direction, smiling. I raised my glass and returned the smile, then sat back and resumed the observation of my surroundings, including sneaking a glance at Claudia now and then.

She was doing the same thing, and I found her scrutiny a little disconcerting. Then I had a thought. I peered at the rest of the bar patrons.

Nick’s shadow wasn’t there.

I forced myself not to check on her. So what if she was watching me? All I was doing was having a drink, right? I focused on the sights and sounds of the lagoon, even though I could feel her eyes boring into me.

Lady, concentrate on the cute servers. They’re way more interesting than I am.

I opened a new doc on my phone, and started typing. Claudia was going to be a side character, the ex-girlfriend who couldn’t take Nick’s rejection and was following him everywhere, scaring off the competition. I was so tempted to send her a message written on a napkin.

A word of advice. Never piss off a writer. Their revenge is to put you in their latest book—and then find ingenious ways to kill you.

“How was the mai tai?” I jumped as Nick pulled out the chair next to mine and sat.

I peered into the glass I couldn’t recall emptying. “Awful, but maybe a second might reverse that opinion.” I leveled a stern gaze at him. “Only this time, I’m buying.”

He chuckled. “Fine.” He signaled to the server, and held up two fingers. “So… what brings you here?”

“Someone told me about this place. I had to see for myself.” I inclined my head in Claudia’s direction. “Your visitor seems to like the place.”

“Claudia’s waiting for me. I’m taking her out to dinner this evening.”

“I was thinking about you this morning,” I said truthfully.

“Well, about what you said last night. Are things that bad between you and your father? Do you think he’ll ever come around to you being gay?

” My family was a regular pain in the ass, but I knew they loved me and supported me, even Nonna in her own way.

Nick stiffened, and I had the feeling I’d overstepped a mark. No matter how much he’d shared, Nick’s family life was none of my business.

How would you feel if someone asked you a whole lotta questions about your personal life? Especially if you knew the person doing the asking was a writer .

“I’m sorry. It was just that… well, there was pain in your voice when you spoke.” I huffed. “My mom used to tell me to take off my Mr. Fix-it hat, that I couldn’t solve every problem I encountered. And I don’t for one minute feel I can solve yours, but maybe talking about it can help.”

Nick stared at me, a faint crease upon his brow, and I knew he was deciding whether or not he could trust me.

Finally, he broke eye contact and shifted his attention to the lagoon.

“I doubt my father will ever accept my sexuality. I think he’s too old to change his views now.

” The wistful edge to his voice tore at my heart, and I had to fight the urge to put my arm around him and hug him to death.

“You mentioned your brother. He isn’t too old, surely. Maybe there’s a way you can win him over.”

Nick bit his lip. “Did you really come here to talk about my family?”

I couldn’t reveal my true motives, so I went with the first thing that came to mind. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

He smiled. “Why do you ask? Do you have something in mind?”

“I’ve always wanted to try snorkeling.” Well, maybe not always, but watching so many tourists trying it out had piqued my interest.

Nick beamed. “Sure, we can do that.”

I gestured to the steamer chairs. “What about Claudia? Will she mind you disappearing again?”

He chuckled. “I don’t think she’ll mind. Besides, we’ve run out of things to talk about. Can you meet me at Vaitape at ten? We can make a day of it.”

“I’ll bring lunch.”

The server arrived with our drinks, and I paid for them. Once we were alone, Nick raised his glass. “To another day in each other’s company. May it be as enjoyable as the first.”

I was glad I wasn’t the only one who’d enjoyed our first day together.

We spent the next half hour talking about what we’d see in the lagoon. Nick outlined four main stops, and I nodded and smiled in the right places.

My mind was a whirlwind of writer thoughts, all focused on my main character, Nick, who’d fled his home because of his hateful, repressive family.

Although he was far from them, they were still a part of his life.

They’d sent a former student friend to watch him and report back, except Nick had no idea she was on their side.

Now all I had to do was remember it until I could get back to my laptop.

The seed of a book had been planted, and I wanted to water it.

“Where are you?”

I jumped. “Sorry. I zoned out there for a moment.”

Nick’s eyes danced with amusement. “Let me guess. You were thinking about a book.”

You have no idea.

I drank the last of my cocktail and stood. “I should go. You have a dinner date.”

And speaking of Claudia, she was packing up her stuff.

Nick rose, his hand outstretched. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

It wasn’t so much a handshake as a brushing of fingertips, but the crackle of electricity accompanying it startled me. Nick jumped a little too.

“Until tomorrow.” I got out of there before Claudia could decide she wanted to interrogate me, not looking back as I exited the bar. I was buzzing, and while it could have been the aftereffects of two cocktails, I knew better.

It was Nick.