“I got the Rump Punch,” Kai says with a raised brow.
“I have the mojito,” the other girl, who I believe works at the hotel’s cabana cafe, says.
“Okay, and I take it the two stouts go to the two studs,” I say, placing the beers down.
“Dude, no. Just no. We’re here for Noa, not the entertainment,” one of the two guys says.
“Where is that bastard anyway?” I ask them.
“We haven’t seen him or Lea,” Kai says with an irritated look on her face. Her elbow is resting on the table, and her hand is smashed up against her cheek, holding her head up. This obviously isn’t her scene, but why is she here if that’s the case? She doesn’t strike me as the type to be told what to do or where to go.
I place the last drink, the Rump Punch, down on a cocktail napkin in front of Kai. “Here you go.”
She glances up at me with a look I can’t decipher. It’s teetering on the edge of sadness and boredom if I had to guess. “Have you had a chance to look at your menus?” I ask the crowd.
“We should probably wait for Lea and Noa,” Kai says, completely monotone.
I squat down beside her as the others continue in their conversation. While squatting down, I feel the stretch of the shorts against my junk, and it adds a quick mental note that I should not squat down—ever again—in these shorts. “You look sort of miserable,” I tell Kai.
“I am sort of miserable,” she replies.
“Why are you miserable?”
“I don’t want to be here gawking at dogs and buns.”
“So, don’t gawk,” I tell her.
“You’re not a native of the islands, are you?” she asks.
“No, ma’am. I’m originally from Dallas, Texas. I was stationed over on Oahu though.”
“I couldn’t place your accent, but now it makes sense.”
“Yup, you don’t easily lose a Southern dialect, I guess.”
“So, if you’re from Texas, why do you have tribal ink all over your chest and arm?” she asks, studying the tattoos covering the right side of my body.
I look down at the artwork, remembering the times I spent in the chair listening to the buzz of the needle. “It’s just something I wanted to do after my daughter was born. Hawaii is a part of me now, and I like the meanings behind the symbols.”
“Interesting,” Kai says with a sigh, but sounding fascinated at the same time—I think. Whatever the case is, she’s made it clear she isn’t interested in me, so I need to remember that. I shouldn’t be interested in anything about her either. We just got here, and I need to get my life on track before thinking about anything or anyone other than Aya.
Just as the conversation between the two of us fizzles, Noa and Lea meander out of the locker room, holding hands. Their matching smirks confirm what was happening back there, but still, they casually take seats around the table as they act like no one was waiting for them. “What are you guys getting to eat?” Lea asks.
“His buns,” the other chick at the table mutters.
“You want to eat my buns?” I ask her. I turn around and make a show of pointing to my ass. “Like which part would you start with?”
“Uh,” the girl laughs nervously. “I was kidding, sorry.”
“No worries, I figured the comments came with the job,” I say with a wink. At the same moment, I notice Kai giving me a snarl. “Well, I’m guessing I have other tables to tend to, right Noa?” I place the tray behind my back, crossing my hand over my other wrist. I’m just standing here with my feet spread apart, waiting for orders from him while he tries not to laugh at the sight of me.
“Dude, you really fill the role nicely. I got to hand it to you.”
“I fill the role, or the shorts?” I reply.
Noa shrugs with a cocky smirk. “Both, darling.” He gives me a pucker and wink.
“Boss, would you like to tell me what’s next on my to-do list tonight? I didn’t want to interrupt you in the locker room.”
