“Well, I might as well work on my tan again today,” Caryn said, then proceeded to get ready for her day.
Picking up her towel and slipping on her sandals, she decided she would find a nice place down on the beach today.
She made her way down the hill, noticing the beautiful scenery along the way. The long sidewalk gave way to a view of the ocean below while the tall palm trees swayed in the breeze. Every breath she took hinted of tropical flowers and the salty ocean.
Finding a free lounge chair, she arranged her towel on the back and settled in with her romance novel that she was currently reading. It was difficult to concentrate, though, with the waves beating the shoreline. After a while, she decided to get up and walk along the break of the water.
But this didn’t satisfy her either.
‘Maybe I should grab a shuttle to the little shops in Lahaina,’ she thought. Wrestling with the thoughts, she thought that might take her mind off being alone.
She gather her things and began to climb the hill to the hotel. No longer paying attention to where she was going and looking onto at the path in front of her, she suddenly noticed a person standing in front of her.
Startled, she stopped and looked up. There stood Nick. “Hello there,” he said with his usual big grin.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” she apologized.
“I was wondering if you were gonna walk right into me for a second. I stopped a while ago when I saw you walking up the hill. Thought that would save me a trip.”
“Ah…” she was at a loss for words at his sudden appearance.
“It’s ok,” he consoled her. “Where you off to? It’s only noon? I was just going to the beach myself.”
“Well, I was kinda bored down there so I thought I’d grab the shuttle over to Lahaina and check out the little shops over there. I understand there are a lot of great little places to get souvenirs."
“I believe there are.”
“Did your girlfriend go there yesterday?”
“Oh. Her? Well, she has more expensive taste than that. She took my credit card and found the ‘good’ places to shop.” Nick raised his hands and made imaginary quotation marks with his fingers in the air to accentuate the word ‘good.’
Caryn thought a bit then realized what he meant by good. “Oooooohhhhhh,” she said, a slight smile curling her lips. “You mean expensive.”
“Bingo!”
“So where is she today?”
“We stayed up kinda late last night so she has a headache this morning. I didn’t wanna stay in the room all day so here I am. You want company to Lahaina?”
She thought for a second that answered, “Yeah. That would be very nice.” They both smiled at each other as if a secret pact had been arranged to keep each other company.
They walked to the front of the hotel and Nick told the Valet his room number. Soon a sporty little red Porsche convertible pulled up. Just enough room for two. Nick opened the trunk so they could drop their beach gear inside, then they took off for Lahaina.
“You definitely need a convertible when you’re in Hawaii,” Nick instructed.
“I guess so. This is so much fun! Wind sweeping through our hair…the ocean view…the fresh air!” Caryn giggled. She realized that spending time with Nick made her feel young again. And perhaps this trip to Maui would be good for her after all.
They zipped down the road and were soon in Lahaina. Nick turned off the main road and found a place to park. “Where should we start?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never been here before,” she confessed.
“Well, I’m hungry and I hear there’s a Hard Rock right on the ocean. Let’s go there first.”
They walked down the street toward the ocean and found the Hard Rock. It sat across the street from the ocean with just a rock wall on the other side exposing a great view of the sail boats and parasailors.
They grabbed a burger and had some lemonade. They talked and laughed. Before they knew it, they had spent most of the afternoon inside the restaurant.
“Oh man, it’s getting late. Jon is going to wonder where I am,” Caryn said, suddenly worried.
“So what,” Nick said, challenging her concern. She just stared at Nick, as though she was trying to decipher exactly what he meant. Finally, he explained. “So what, Caryn. He doesn’t care what you do all day. So why do you care what he says when you get back?”
She stared again, unable to come up with an answer for a bit. “I…ah…I do…because…he…he’s my husband.” She finally got it all out.
“That’s it? You don’t sound very convincing,” he said a bit smugly, sitting across from her with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Well, you don’t know anything. Marriage is hard. It takes a lot of work.”
“I know that,” he answered, now leaning on the table, almost reaching her on the other side. Then lowering his voice to an almost whisper, as if to tell her a secret, he added, “That’s why I’m not married.”
Caryn immediately sat back in her chair and stared at Nick, not wanting to believe what she just heard. Finally, she was able to speak. “That was quite smug.”
“No. I’m just being honest, Caryn. Have you ever been honest with yourself in your whole life? Or do you just go around trying to please everyone else all the time?”
She couldn’t answer him so he continued. “Do you remember why you are here? Well, I’m here for the exact same reason. I love my girlfriend. But she is NOT the easiest person in the world to live with. I’m here to find out if it’s worth it. Is SHE worth it. Is she worth the work it takes to make this relationship work. Cuz if she ain’t, I’m not gonna do it anymore. Do you understand me now? I’m not getting married until I know for sure without a doubt that it’s for real.”
Caryn still sat looking at him like he was speaking some foreign language. He just stared back at her, now sitting back in his own chair across the table. He finally spoke once more. “Caryn, can you be honest with yourself? Can you be honest with me?”
She looked down at her hands, then rose and gathered her things. “I need to get back,” she said walking toward the door. Nick just sighed and realized that she was not going to be open with him. At least not right then. But he hoped that his questions would help her in making her decisions. He had come to care about her, even though they had only known each other a few days. He knew she was a good person and it hurt for him to see a good person hurt.
Nick paid the bill and went outside. Caryn was waiting outside the door. He didn’t push the conversation anymore. “Come on. Let’s go back,” he said, then smiled at her. She smiled, thankful that he wasn’t going to push the conversation any more. They got into the car and drove silently back to the hotel.
“I hope to see you again,” he said as she gathered her things from the trunk.
“You will,” she answered with a smile. “Thanks for the good time today.”
They walked into the lobby then parted their own way to their rooms. Caryn’s heart sank as she thought about the words he had spoken. How could such a young man be so wise?
Entering the room, Jon was waiting for her. “I booked dinner at a nearby restaurant for us. Is that ok?”
“Sure,” she said faking a smile on her face. “I’ll take a shower and then we can go.”
The hot water pounded her muscles. There was so much tension in her body that she felt as though she had been in a physical fight. She breathed heavy thinking of the words Nick had spoke.
After the shower, she dressed island casual and they made their way to the lobby to grab the car. They drove down the road about 5 minutes to a nice sushi restaurant. Jon knew how much Caryn loved sushi and he wanted to surprise her with this dinner. He knew he had been remiss in paying her attention and was trying to make it up to her, which she recognized and appreciated.
During dinner, she asked about his golf game. He was more than happy to tell her all about the beautiful course he had played that day and how much better he golfed in Hawaii. He even complimented her…well kind of. “This was such a good idea you had. I golf so much better over hear than I do back in LA!”
She smiled politely and pretended to listen to his words. But her mind was elsewhere. She was now thinking about a young, blonde man and his provoking words from that afternoon.
After dinner, they made their way back to the hotel. “I’m going to go down to the bar by the beach for a drink. Do you wanna go?” she asked Jon.
“No. I’m pretty tired. You go have a good time,” he answered. She didn’t know why should would have expected anything else. So she smiled and walked away, down the walkway to the bar below.
They had drank some hot sake during dinner and Caryn was already feeling good. But she wanted to drink a lot that night to help drown out all thoughts she had. She was tired of thinking and just wanted to rest from it.
It looked different at night. They had lit the tiki torches along the path and throughout the bar. It gave a soft ambience. Caryn found an empty table and sat down. A waiter came for her order. “A Mai Tai. One of those big ones you serve in a pineapple,” she ordered.
The waiter smiled and answered, “Yes Ma’am,” then disappeared. He soon reappeared with the drink. Caryn pulled off the piece of pineapple used to garnish and nibbled on it as she began to sip the drink through the straw provided. Thoughts ran through her head and she was determined to drown them out.
But she didn’t sit alone very long. As she took the last sip of the drink, she noticed a pair of long legs standing on the other side of the table. She looked up to see Nick standing in front of her, a gorgeous smile plastered on his face. She did not smile back, but instead asked, “What are you grinning about?”
“I just find it amazing how we keep bumping into each other like this,” he answered.
“I think you're following me. You just want to make my life more miserable than it is,” she growled.
His smile fading, replaced by a more somber look, he sat down across from her. “Why would you say that?” he asked, confused.
“I don’t remember saying you could sit down,” she barked.
“I didn’t ask. What’s wrong, Caryn?”
“You! You are what’s wrong!” she accused. “I came here to work on my marriage and instead you fill my head with doubts and fears.” She buried her head into her crossed arms on the table.
Nick moved to the chair closer to her and put his hand on her back. “Caryn. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. Really, I didn’t! I just don’t like seeing you feeling bad. You are a nice lady. You deserve to be happy.”
She raised her head a looked at him, a tear running down her cheek. With his other hand, he wiped the tear from her face.
“Oh Nick. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I’m so confused about everything. I really want my marriage to work.” She paused then continued, “Or maybe I don’t. I don’t know if I love Jon anymore.”
“Oh,” was all Nick responded.
Just then the waiter came back “Another one?”
“Yes please,” she answered.
“Maybe you better just have a Coke,” Nick suggested.
“Nope. I’m getting blasted tonight. Either join me or move along.”
Nick shrugged his shoulders, then looked at the waiter and said, “I’ll have what she’s having.”
“Yes sir,” the waiter said, soon returning with two large pineapples filled with Mai Tai.
They sipped on their drinks. Nick had managed to change topics and now had Caryn laughing instead of crying. They were having a good time again. After finishing the drinks, he suggested they go for a walk. He thought that the walk would be good for Caryn, perhaps sober her up a bit. But what he didn’t realize is that he was a bit tipsy as well.
Nick took care of the bill and Caryn removed her sandals. They left the bar and lights of the tikki torches and made their way down the moonlit beach. After walking down the beach a while, Caryn said, “Take off your shoes, Nick. The sand is so warm between your toes here.”
“OK,” he said, plopping down onto the sand right there. He pulled his shoes off and pushed his feet into the sand. “You’re right. It does feel good,” he said, looking up at Caryn, who was still standing. Then he stared at her in the moonlight. The moon glinted from her eyes, almost mesmerizing him. He reached up to her hands and pulled her down to him. She fell onto him, pushing his body down into the sand, and laid there looking down at his face in the moonlight.
Reaching one arm around her waist and the other around her neck, he pulled her face to his and kissed her. He kissed her hard and passionately. And she did not resist. She met his kisses with her own, her lips parting to accept him, and her tongue reaching out to find him.
As the kiss deepened, he rolled her over to her back, he now on top. His lips moved from her lips to her neck, then to the side nibbling on her left ear lobe. Her eyes closed, she felt his hot breath in her ear and down her neck, and it made her want him.
The alcohol they had consumed had weakened their sense of all that was right and their animal instincts had now taken over.
Nick’s lips made their way back down her neck to her front where he felt her breasts heave against him from her heavy breathing. He stopped and looked into her eyes searching for the answer. Did she want him to continue or stop? She looked back up at him, hazed by the alcohol and the situation. There was no doubt of the wanting in her eyes, but he suddenly realized what he was doing. He was about to make love to a married woman. And that was something he could not do.
He quickly lifted himself from her, turned and walked out to the water, kicking at the waves as they approached, frustrated from the situation he found himself in. She did not move. She just laid there, wondering what had happened, feeling empty. She finally sat up and looked at Nick’s silhouette in the moonlight. His hands were on his hips and he was looking down at the water. And his shoulders were slumped over.
She finally found the courage to speak. “Nick?” she said in a mousey voice.
He turned and walked over to her, sitting down next to her in the sand. “I’m sorry,” he quietly said.
“For what?” she asked, still confused.
“I didn’t mean to take advantage of you like that.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she consoled. Then she looked down at the sand and said, “I understand you not wanting me.”
“Oh God, Caryn,” he quickly spoke. “You don’t know how bad I want you right now. Just…just not like this. You’re taken. You’re not free. And I can’t do that. I will not come between you and your husband. I was wrong.”
Silent tears ran down her face that she wiped away. Then Nick continued, “If you weren’t married, I would be with you right here, right now. But you’re not. And I can’t. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and I’d give anything to be with you. And you’re funny. You’re fun to be with. You’re fun to talk to. You are everything that I would look for in a woman.”
Hearing this, Caryn began to sob. “What’s wrong?” Nick asked, grabbing her to hold her tight.
In between sobs, she said, “That’s…the…nicest…thing…anyone…has ever…said…to me.”
“Oooohhhh, baby,” Nick said, caressing her hair. “You are so sweet.”
They sat there for a long time, Nick holding her while she wept. After she finished crying and Nick wiped away her last tear, they looked at each other and began to laugh. He kissed her nose then suggested that they get back to the hotel.
They walked slowly back to the hotel, hand-in-hand. They didn’t know what time it was and didn’t care. They had shared a very special night and finally Caryn knew felt loved again.
At the entrance to Caryn’s wing, Nick kissed her cheek and whispered goodnight. She smiled then went inside. She slipped into the room and into bed without waking Jon, which was a good thing because it was now 3:30 in the morning. But she could not sleep. She just kept thinking about the wonderful man who had held her in his arms that night and made her feel loved.
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