“Come off it,” Barry said, leaning back in his chair. “Don't be so serious. I just want to have a little fun.” His eyes lit up and settled on something beyond Luke. “Hey, she's heading our way.”
Luke turned and watched the blonde stroll toward their table. She stopped in front of Barry, glanced at Luke, then settled her eyes on his friend. “You want to dance, or something?” she asked in a voice that reminded Luke of wind chimes.
Barry stood. “What else?” With a triumphant glance at Luke, he took the woman's arm and guided her toward the crowded dance floor.
Luke settled back in his chair and sipped his beer. He felt jumpy and ill-tempered. There's nothing wrong with a little fun, he told himself. Barry's just dancing. What's wrong with me? But the seemingly happy couples around him only deepened his sour mood. Now that Barry was hooked up he felt like a third wheel. It was time to go back to the ship. He stood intending to leave but instead bumped into someone.
“I'm sorry,” he said, regaining his balance and steadying the person. He looked into a pair of eyes the color of rich, brown garnets. It was the woman he'd noticed earlier, standing against the wall. He quickly stepped back.
She smiled. “It was my fault,” she said, straightening her skirt. “I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I guess I was in too big a hurry to get out of here.”
“You're leaving?” Luke asked disappointed. “Why?” What a stupid question, he thought. She doesn't owe me an explanation.
“I guess I'm just not the party type. I really don't belong here. I only came because a friend convinced me to. She promised it would be fun. But if you don't know anyone …”
Luke held out his hand. “Well, I'm Luke Hasper. And it's nice to meet you.”
“Kekili.” She smiled shyly. “I'm glad to meet you too.”
“What a beautiful name. You're Hawaiian?”
“Yes. I was born on the Big Island. In fact, I just moved here a couple of weeks ago.”
“Would you like to sit down?” Luke pulled out a chair, and when she didn't immediately sit, he asked, “Or maybe you'd like to dance?”
“No. I'm not much of a dancer. I'll stay, but just for a few minutes.” She sat and folded her hands in front of her.
Luke settled back into his seat, forgetting that only minutes before he'd been feeling lonely and had wanted to leave. Leaning on the table, he asked, “So, you live here in Oahu?”
“Yes, but I grew up on a pineapple plantation on Hawaii.”
“I can't imagine giving that up for this.”
“I didn't really have a choice.” Kekili's voice softened. “My father died, and we lost the plantation. I'm living with my sister now.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Things happen. We just have to go on.”
“You know, years ago my family lost our farm in Wisconsin—the drought. Anyway, we moved to Alaska and started over. I know how hard it can be.”
“There are farms in Alaska?”
“Oh, yeah. There's good farmland in the Matanuska Valley. We just have a small place. Well, actually my mother lives there with my little brother and sister. My father died and she remarried.”
“I'm so sorry.”
Gloom settled over Luke. “Yeah, he was killed by a bear a few years ago.”
Kekili blanched. “How awful.” She rested her hand on the table beside Luke's. “Do you want to farm like your father did?”
“I don't know. I left Alaska and joined the navy, hoping I'd find out what I wanted, but I still don't know.”
A soft smile touched Kekili's lips.
“So, what do you do here in Oahu?”
“I work for the U.S. Naval Station—in the typing pool.” She grimaced. “I don't like it much, but it's a job. I'd rather be growing pineapples.”
The waitress came to the table. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Kekili looked at her. “I am thirsty. A Coke?”
The woman looked at Luke. “You?”
“I'll have the same.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Two Cokes it is.”
Kekili was easy to talk to, and the time passed quickly. She laughed at Luke's jokes, smiled at the appropriate times, and told him a lot of the islands' history. She was fun, and Luke liked being with her.
His arm draped over the blonde's shoulders, Barry lurched toward Luke. “Hey, buddy, we're leaving,” he said, slurring his words together so badly Luke could barely make out what he'd said. Barry grinned. “Looks like you're all set. I'll see you back at the ship.”
“Yeah. See you at the ship.” Luke watched his friend stumble out of the club.
Kekili looked at her watch. “It's late. I better go. I've got church in the morning. I promised my sister I'd help with the children. They're singing.”
