holding each other close, aware of the building sexual attraction between them. The music finished and he took her hand, leading her from the little dance floor.
âAnother drink?â
âNo, Iâm ready to go if you donât mind. Iâm still a bit jet lagged.â
He opened the car door for her at the hotel. It was late, no staff appeared. A low branch of a large plumeria tree bowed over them. He plucked one of the creamy sweet flowers and handed it to her.
âPut it on your pillow and youâll know youâre in the tropics.â
Catherine drew a deep breath inhaling the scent of flowers, the soft breeze, the tang of salt. In the lull of music and voices they could hear the soft splash of waves lapping on the beach in front of the hotel. âItâs been wonderful. Thanks so much, Bradley.â
âItâs been wonderful for me too.â He leant forward to kiss her goodnight but this time he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with more passion than heâd ever shown before. Catherine curled her arms around his neck and returned his kiss. They pulled apart somewhat breathless. Bradley smiled and touched her cheek.
âSleep well. See you after work tomorrow. If I can get away early thereâs somewhere Iâd like to take you.â
âIâm in your hands. Youâre being very generous,â said Catherine.
âI wish I could spend every minute with you . . . while youâre here.â He took a step towards the car. âWeâll make the most of it, shall we?â
Catherine nodded and walked up the white stone steps into the hotel lobby knowing he was watching her. He waited until she was out of sight before pulling away from the portico.
The next morning Catherine caught a bus down to the Ala Moana shopping centre and lost herself among the stores â Liberty House, Sears and Shirokiya â as well as browsing among the proliferation of shops selling Hawaiiana looking for gifts to take home. She bought bottles of Hawaiian flower perfume and quilted potholders and cushion covers featuring brightly coloured flowers and palm trees, which she thought her mother would love. She wandered into a boutique called Carol and Mary and tried on dresses and bought a new swimsuit. As she was paying for it Kiannâe, the dancer from the Moonflower, came in and the woman in charge hurried to greet her. Kiannâe smiled at Catherine.
Catherine smiled back. âExcuse me, but I saw you dancing last night and I thought you were just wonderful.â
âThank you,â replied the beautiful young woman. âHave you found something to buy here?â
Catherine held up her pink carry bag. âA new swimsuit.â
âTerrific. They have lovely things in here,â said Kiannâe.
âYes. I love the dresses you wear in your show. Do you buy them here?â
âWhy, thank you. No, my aunty makes my holomuus. Based on the old style. I come in here to feel modern.â
Catherine laughed. âWell at least youâll never go out of fashion.â
âI hope not. The dances I mean. We teach the little ones so it gets handed down.â
She had a lilting accent and Catherine thought she was the most beautiful woman sheâd ever seen. She guessed Kiannâe was around her own age, perhaps a little older. With her smooth olive skin and classical looks it was hard to tell.
Kiannâe smiled her wide infectious smile. âEnjoy your swimsuit. Enjoy Hawaiâi.â
âWhere are we going then?â she asked late that afternoon as Bradley drove past the multi-storey Kaiser Hospital at the Ala Wai yacht harbour.
âIâd like you to see Pearl Harbor â the Arizona memorial,â he said quietly.
âOh, the American battleship that was sunk. It got America into the war didnât it?â said Catherine.
âCertainly did. The whole Seventh Fleet was attacked. December 1941. I think
James Chesney, James Smith
Katharine Kerr, Mark Kreighbaum