the backseat and hands me three jars of magic jelly. “How much do I owe you?” I ask him.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he responds.
“No, I pay my own way,” I inform him in my no-uncertain-terms tone.
“Okay then, I’d like a kiss.” He leans toward me, smiling.
There is nothing I’d rather do than press my lips against Kai’s, but an image of Leilani flashes into my mind. “I can’t,” I tell him before turning and running toward my room.
Chapter 15
When I return to the room, Baggy and Ruthie are awake and beginning to move. I give them each a jar of the magic jelly with a brief explanation of the morning’s events. Baggy is slightly bummed to learn that Kai’s brown-bag dealings at the bar are not something seedier, but her eyes light up when she tells Ruthie and I about her latest scheme.
She confides to us that she and Howie are going on a top-secret sting operation to catch a jewelry thief at the Marriott a few hotels down the beach. “Howie?” Ruthie and I ask in unison, looking at each other to see if we had missed something important.
“Oh, Howard is Jim’s real name,” Baggy tells us, as if that explains everything. When we continue to look perplexed, she adds, “He only uses Jim—his code name—when he is undercover on super-secret spy operations.” I am tempted to tell her that the very fact that he has shared all of this information with her proves that he is not a real spy, but I don’t want to rain on her parade. She seems almost giddy with happiness, so I suppose a little pretend danger won’t hurt anything.
Ruthie tells us that she is going to try snorkeling today. For someone who normally only dips her toes in the water to bathe, she sure is turning into quite a fish. I’m pretty sure it’s only because of her latest conquest (whose wardrobe seems to consist solely of shorty wetsuits and long board swim shorts), but I decide not to call her out on it.
I inform them that again I intend to spend the day painting, and they both head out, excited to begin their next adventure in paradise. I pull out my easel, admire my waterfall rendition for a moment before I set it aside, and stare at a blank canvas. I’d like to replicate the emotion of being pulled into Kai’s strong embrace as he saved me from the smack of jellyfish, but I can’t paint a muscular arm wrapped around a damsel in distress. I had enough trouble attempting to explain away the waterfall scene. If Kai saw a water rescue scene, he would think I am some kind of deranged stalker.
In the end, I decide to create a super close-up impression of a jellyfish. As is usually the case, I lose myself in the pleasure of painting and have no idea how much time has passed, other than the fact that my tummy is growling angrily. I stand back to look at the finished piece and am pleased. I have captured the iridescent essence of the animal and somehow found a way to express the beauty in a creature that I now fully despise. Feeling rather pleased with my emerging talent, I head in to shower off the paint and grime of a long day’s work.
Jim, or Howie, or whatever we are supposed to call him, joins us for dinner. He regales us all with tall tales of his spy adventures. I wonder if he is delusional and really believes the stories he shares, or if he is just eccentric and likes to entertain. Either way, he is funny and charming, and Baggy seems to be completely taken with him. When he takes her hand and says, “Let’s go cut a rug,” Baggy giggles like a schoolgirl before following him to the dance floor.
I sit back in my chair to enjoy watching them for a bit. Their effervescence for life is apparent as they flounce around in each other’s arms. We should all be lucky enough to find someone to share that with, even if he is a little crazy. Besides, she’s more than a little crazy herself.
Ruthie spots her crush at the bar and saunters off. It’s so odd to see her being the chaser, when she is so accustomed to being
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he responds.
“No, I pay my own way,” I inform him in my no-uncertain-terms tone.
“Okay then, I’d like a kiss.” He leans toward me, smiling.
There is nothing I’d rather do than press my lips against Kai’s, but an image of Leilani flashes into my mind. “I can’t,” I tell him before turning and running toward my room.
Chapter 15
When I return to the room, Baggy and Ruthie are awake and beginning to move. I give them each a jar of the magic jelly with a brief explanation of the morning’s events. Baggy is slightly bummed to learn that Kai’s brown-bag dealings at the bar are not something seedier, but her eyes light up when she tells Ruthie and I about her latest scheme.
She confides to us that she and Howie are going on a top-secret sting operation to catch a jewelry thief at the Marriott a few hotels down the beach. “Howie?” Ruthie and I ask in unison, looking at each other to see if we had missed something important.
“Oh, Howard is Jim’s real name,” Baggy tells us, as if that explains everything. When we continue to look perplexed, she adds, “He only uses Jim—his code name—when he is undercover on super-secret spy operations.” I am tempted to tell her that the very fact that he has shared all of this information with her proves that he is not a real spy, but I don’t want to rain on her parade. She seems almost giddy with happiness, so I suppose a little pretend danger won’t hurt anything.
Ruthie tells us that she is going to try snorkeling today. For someone who normally only dips her toes in the water to bathe, she sure is turning into quite a fish. I’m pretty sure it’s only because of her latest conquest (whose wardrobe seems to consist solely of shorty wetsuits and long board swim shorts), but I decide not to call her out on it.
I inform them that again I intend to spend the day painting, and they both head out, excited to begin their next adventure in paradise. I pull out my easel, admire my waterfall rendition for a moment before I set it aside, and stare at a blank canvas. I’d like to replicate the emotion of being pulled into Kai’s strong embrace as he saved me from the smack of jellyfish, but I can’t paint a muscular arm wrapped around a damsel in distress. I had enough trouble attempting to explain away the waterfall scene. If Kai saw a water rescue scene, he would think I am some kind of deranged stalker.
In the end, I decide to create a super close-up impression of a jellyfish. As is usually the case, I lose myself in the pleasure of painting and have no idea how much time has passed, other than the fact that my tummy is growling angrily. I stand back to look at the finished piece and am pleased. I have captured the iridescent essence of the animal and somehow found a way to express the beauty in a creature that I now fully despise. Feeling rather pleased with my emerging talent, I head in to shower off the paint and grime of a long day’s work.
Jim, or Howie, or whatever we are supposed to call him, joins us for dinner. He regales us all with tall tales of his spy adventures. I wonder if he is delusional and really believes the stories he shares, or if he is just eccentric and likes to entertain. Either way, he is funny and charming, and Baggy seems to be completely taken with him. When he takes her hand and says, “Let’s go cut a rug,” Baggy giggles like a schoolgirl before following him to the dance floor.
I sit back in my chair to enjoy watching them for a bit. Their effervescence for life is apparent as they flounce around in each other’s arms. We should all be lucky enough to find someone to share that with, even if he is a little crazy. Besides, she’s more than a little crazy herself.
Ruthie spots her crush at the bar and saunters off. It’s so odd to see her being the chaser, when she is so accustomed to being
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