Pulse 2 (Pulse Series) (9 page)

The workshops couldn
’t come to an end soon enough. I was grateful that I didn’t have to endure it alone, as Wesley and Travis were there to learn more about successful business and marketing along with me. The presentations we witnessed lasted so long that we only had time for a few breaks to get something to eat. By the time everything was finally over, the sun had gone down and it was another night in Maui.

“
I’m glad that’s over,” Wesley sighed. “Now we can finally have some fun.”

“
Fun?” I asked.

“
Yeah. There’s nothing else on the agenda. At least, not for tonight. I know that there are some other presentations Mr. Barnett wants us to attend but I think we’ve got the whole night to ourselves.”

“
I do believe that
is
all Mr. Barnett asked of us for today,” Travis pointed out.

“
That was worse than sitting around in the office,” I muttered.

The three of us laughed. They shared my sentiments. Even though it was over, I still found myself alone with my thoughts and nothing better to do. Now it was just a matter of figuring out what was next.

“All right,” Wesley said as he worked a smile onto his face. “It’s time to do it. Finally.”

“
Do it?”

“
Yeah. Let’s go hit the beach. I can’t wait to get into the water.”

“
But it’s already late.”

“
What does that matter? There are people still out there. The water is calling out to us. The weather is still warm. We’re not back home, Alice. The beach doesn’t close like a club or a bar.”

“
Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“
I know I’m right. Besides, I hear there are some things going on out there. Non-Business Conference things. It should be fun. We have the agenda for everything. If our boss wants to scold us, he can do it in the morning.”

“
Speaking of our boss, have either of you seen him?”

I asked them ab
out Rafael’s whereabouts, curious to know if they had any clue what he was up to at this moment. They both shook their heads and shrugged.

“
I haven’t seen him since last night,” Wesley said. “He spent the entire time with Cheryl. He seems to know a lot of people around here.”

“
He does,” Travis added. “I’d just assume he was getting his work done.”

They didn
’t have the answers I was looking for. I felt more uneasy thinking about what he could be up to or who he was with at this moment.

“
Forget about him though,” Wesley interjected my moment to myself. “If he wants to talk to us, he’ll find us out on the beach. What do you say, Alice? Meet us down here in thirty minutes?”

Wesley
’s enthusiasm was infectious. His body was almost shaking with anticipation of finally getting to enjoy the surf and sand. He was so eager to get out there that I couldn’t refuse.

“
Okay,” I said. “I’ll change into something more appropriate and be back.”

“
Great! Come on, Travis. You need to go, too. I need someone to stand next to so I look better in comparison.”

Wesley raced toward the elevator and headed toward his room. Travis rolled his eyes then headed back to his own room.

When I got to my room, I sorted through my things. My luggage wasn’t completely unpacked as I was too lazy to take everything out. I stripped out of the pair of slacks and dress shirt I sat around in all day then fingered through all of the swimsuits I just purchased with Danica. One of them was a tiny and revealing black thong bikini. I held it up in the air and examined it for a moment.

“
Maybe they won’t notice,” I said to myself. “It
is
kind of dark out there…”

I shook my head and began to laugh before tossing the skimpy swimsuit t
o the side. I put on a more comfortable bikini and hopped into a small pair of shorts. A pair of flip-flops replaced the heels I usually wore then headed out to the beach for my first time on Hawaiian sand.

* * *

It only took a single step into the sand to decide that was enough. I pulled my feet free from my flip-flops and held them in my hand. The feeling of my toes digging into the sand was indescribable. I closed my eyes and took everything in. The smell of the salt water cleared all of the smog from the city that had built-up in my lungs. The sound of the waves crashing was a gentle beat better than anything I could hear on the radio. The night breeze was warm and relaxing as it blew against my skin. Seeing the beach was one thing. Feeling it was a completely different experience. From my head to my toes, I truly felt like I was so far away from home. And right now, there was no place I would rather be.

“
Man, I’m going to move out here,” Wesley said, the enthusiasm in his voice louder than ever. “I’m going to fucking do it. I can’t leave this place.”

I opened my eyes and saw him holding his arms out to his sides. He spun around in the sand and began to attract the attention of some of the beachgoers. I started laughing at him but he didn
’t care. He was lost in his own world. Travis wasn’t as amused but he seemed to be enjoying the beach in his own way.

“
All right,” Travis interrupted Wesley’s through enjoyment of the sand beneath him. “Let’s see if we can find something to do.”

“
We’re already doing something,” Wesley said. “We’re taking it in. We’re enjoying ourselves. We’re relaxing. Think about it. We’re on the beach and we’re on company time. This is the best job in the world!”

“
Okay, okay…”

Travis walked up to his friend and finally got him to calm do
wn. The two of them walked down the beach and I followed just behind them.

The scene was no different from the previous times I
’d seen it. There were people relaxing on lounge chairs and towels. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them actually spent the entire night out here. Out in the ocean, there were people swimming and splashing in the water. There were even a few surfers still mesmerizing a small but captivated audience. All over the beach, groups of people surrounded various bonfires while they enjoyed one another’s company. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I felt comfortable with everybody around me. The jaded old men and women I was so accustomed to sitting around were replaced with a younger crowd just looking for a relaxing moment.

Wesley w
alked down the beach in nothing but a pair of board shorts. Travis wore the same thing, the only difference being a tank-top to cover himself up. The two of them were nothing to write home about but not that it mattered either way.

As we walked down the be
ach, the smell of food lingered in my nostrils. It reminded me that I hadn’t eaten dinner.

“
We should get something to eat,” Wesley said as if reading my mind. “What do you think?”

“
Sure. But I don’t think that food we’re smelling is for us.”

“
Sure it is.”

Wesley held his head up to the air like a smell-hound and followed the scent. Even without the smell of the food, it was hard to miss. There was a place where everybody was gathering. The people sat around tables that had been set-up on the beach. Upon cl
oser inspection, there was a long table with trays of food resting on it. I didn’t know what the occasion was but it was clear that they were celebrating something.

“
All right,” Wesley said. “It looks like they’re having a barbecue. I say we join in.”

“
Wait,” I grabbed his arm. “We don’t know any of these people.”

“
Relax. This thing is being run by the hotel. See.”

He pointed at some hotel staff members that were busy catering to everybody lining-up for food. We eventually found out that the hotel held these barbecues on the beach on a regular basis.  As we sat at our own table and enjoyed our dinner on the beach, I
realized I was no longer thinking about Rafael or what he might be doing right now. I was just enjoying this moment, however it was I might classify it.

“
I don’t know why you were so concerned,” Wesley said to me.

“
What?” I exclaimed.

“
This barbecue. We’re pampered in our offices. Before, during and after the board meetings. We’re completely catered to. I don’t see why this would be any different. Mr. Barnett is paying for everything. All we have to do is point at him and he’ll take care of it.”

“
I don’t think that’s what he meant when he said all expenses paid,” Travis pointed-out to him.

“
Oh, I think it is. If he’s paying for the flight and the room, he can afford us taking food from the hotel.”

I laughed at Wesley
’s logic. Travis shook his head at his friend like he usually did. The barbecue wasn’t like anything I ate in the city. It wasn’t that I couldn’t get anything like this back home. But having it prepared, cooked and eaten on the beach gave it a kind of authenticity I couldn’t describe. It was the complete opposite of the dinner I had last night. I was enjoying this much more and not just because I didn’t have to watch Cheryl feed Rafael the entire time. It felt like I was actually on vacation.

I looked around at the other people sitting next to us
. They were just as young as us, if not younger. College coeds who looked like they were on an off-schedule spring break. It wasn’t that long ago when I was in college. It reminded me of what I was like just a few months ago. But I wasn’t in college any more. The classes and that lifestyle was something I had to put behind me. Wesley and Travis weren’t two guys I was on vacation with. Instead, they were colleagues. I almost felt out of place among everybody else.

“
Alice.”

I shook my head and looked at Wesle
y.

“
So, what do you think?” he asked me.

“
What?”

“
You weren’t listening to a word we were saying, were you?”

“
No. I… I was just thinking. Sorry.”

“
That’s all right. It’s easy to get lost in a place like this. Travis and I were just figuring out what to do for the rest of the night.”

“
Oh…”

I turned away from Wesley and looked out toward the ocean. The waves in the water were hypnotizing. It accentuated an already beautiful night.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But I’m sure something will come to us.”

“
Yeah,” Wesley replied. “You’re probably right. To be honest with you, I’d be just fine doing nothing at all and just sitting in the sand.”

Nothing sounded better than Wesley
’s suggestion. The last thing I wanted to do was be alone with my thoughts. But if I did it tonight, I would at least have the beach there to keep me company.

Chapter 10

Sitting on the beach was even more comfortable than standing in it. I dug both of my hands into the sand. I looked down at the trail of fingerprints I left on the ground and smiled at the peace I felt at the moment.

After enjoying our dinner, we all decided to just relax for the rest of the night on the beach. Everybody seemed to have the same idea and there was more than enough space for all of us. I sat there and watched as Wesley
failed miserably at trying to flirt with all of the women who passed by. Travis enjoyed the scene even though it was hard to tell how amused he was exactly. Even though Wesley struck-out with every girl, he didn’t seem too upset about it. All three of us were too caught-up and distracted by the gorgeous scenery.

“
I think I’m going to go in the water,” Wesley said.

“
You’re going swimming?” I asked him.

“
Yeah, why not? You can’t tell me that water doesn’t look inviting.”

“
It does but… I think I’m just going to relax and let the food settle in my stomach for a moment.”

“
Right. You don’t want to get any cramps. But if you feel like changing your mind, you know where to find me.”

Wesley turned and raced toward the water. He screamed the same way a c
hild does when he’s chasing after the ice cream man. He splashed into the water and waded around underneath the waves.

“
How about you?” I asked Travis, who was sitting right across from me. “Are you going to join him?”

“
I’m a little tired of being attached at his hip, to be honest with you,” he replied. “But I don’t remember a time when I had the chance to swim in the Pacific.”

“
Well, here’s your chance.”

“
Right.”

Travis stood-up then peeled his tank-top off. He tossed it onto the ground and eventually ende
d-up in the water. While Travis floated in the water, I saw Wesley making his way toward a couple of girls who were splashing around. I would have joined them if I wasn’t already comfortable.