This Side of the Sun (The Sun Trilogy) (17 page)

“And towel cards?”

“Let’s do four.”

“Very good. We still have your credit card on file, if you can verify the last four digits?”

Saul pulled his wallet out and found a red-colored plastic card. “8012.”

“Perfect. You’re all set, then. If you need anything at all please let us know.”

Rose handed Saul a map of the resort grounds with our room circled in pen, and a small envelope that contained plastic cards.

“Mahalo, Rosie.”

“Have a wonderful stay, Mr. and Mrs. Meyers.”

I blushed at her assumption on who I was.

We rolled our suitcases across the lobby, where Saul took me aside to a railing that overlooked a large koi pond one story down. Palm trees dotted the courtyard and in the distance I caught a glimpse of the ocean. I smiled.

Soon we took an elevator to the sixth floor, where we found building seven and eventually our room. Once inside, I cleared my throat.

“Okay, Saul. Spill the beans. They know you here.”

He chuckled. “It’s not a big deal. Grandpa left a timeshare to me and Lina. Usually we each use two of the four weeks in one of these studios. It really has everything we need, but we could do two weeks total in a one-bedroom. I figured we could use both weeks in the smaller room.”

“And you get to do this every year?” I asked, a bit overwhelmed.

“I guess so. The timeshare’s paid for through I think 2030.”

“Holy cow.”

He had set his bags off to one side of the door, and gently took mine from me. “Have a quick look around before I get you naked?” he said as he began kissing my neck. “You already taste like flowers and sunshine,” he groaned. “And honey.”

I kissed him back and then teased him by pushing him away a bit. “Let me use the bathroom first?”

He sighed dramatically. “Okay, okay. If you insist. It’s on your left.”

I walked around him, gently sliding my hand across the crotch of his jeans as I did so.

“Oh my GOD!” I shrieked. “The bathtub!”

I heard him chuckle.

“It’s huge!” I added.

Unable to resist, I set the plug in the bottom of the tub and turned the hot water on. The bathtub and sink were in a large bathroom with a sliding door made of tempered glass framed in cherry wood. The shower and toilet were in a smaller room across from the tub, with its own sliding door. Above the bathtub was a bi-fold partition meant for privacy between the bedroom area and the bathroom. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Plush white towels in various sizes were on a shelf beneath the sink and the counter had a little supply of green tea and aloe soaps and hair care products. While the bathtub was filling, I did my business in the room housing the toilet and stripped out of my sundress while in there. I left my bra and panties on, knowing they’d drive Saul wild.

“Saul?” I called from behind the privacy glass of the small door.

“Yeah babe?”

“Can you bring me a glass of water?”

“Uh. Sure. Ice?”

“Actually, just a glass of ice would be perfect.”

“Just ice? No water?”

“Just ice. Thanks.”

I snuck out of the small shower room until I was standing beside the tub, nearly nude. I checked the temperature of the water with my fingertips, and was glad it wasn't too hot, or cold. I shut the faucet off prematurely, the bathtub only about a third full. I could hear the clinking of ice cubes as Saul filled a glass and waited for him to appear. As he rounded the corner and saw me, his eyes took on a glazed-over appearance.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he whispered.

He had taken off his shirt and shorts and stood in just boxer shorts. The muscles of his chest had never looked as tempting as they did then, and his excitement was clearly obvious by how tight his undershorts had become.

I slowly walked to him, keeping my gaze on his chest, and did my best to play ‘innocent.’ I slowly slid the index finger of my right hand down his chest, causing him to shiver. The smell of the green tea and jasmine body wash I had added to the bath water swirled around us. I could feel Saul’s gaze upon me, but kept my eyes on the flesh of his chest.

“I thought maybe we could take a bath,” I whispered. “But the water might be too hot.”

I carefully glanced at the glass of ice he still held, and slowly took one of the cubes out with my left hand, never taking my right from his flesh. After a forced sigh, I slowly turned my head up to meet his gaze. He wore a look that just barely hinted at fear mixed with longing and humor. I carefully placed one end of the ice cube gently against his left pectoral, and waited for him to react. Instead of flinching, he closed his eyes and his breathing deepened. I trailed the ice down toward his navel and as a small drip of melted water ran down his happy trail he gasped.

“Holy shit,” he groaned.

“You like?” I whispered as I repeated the motion of the ice, this time starting on his other pectoral.

“I love. Oh Lord, Hattie.”

He leaned down and kissed me with passion. I felt him reach toward the counter behind me and heard him set the glass of ice down. I wasn’t aware that he had taken the single ice cube from me until I heard it added back to the glass. His mouth worked at my neck, gently but eagerly, and soon I felt my bra loosen. It fell to the floor and Saul backed away to gaze at my bared breasts. His hands soon stripped me of the matching panties and he carried me around the corner to the king-sized bed that was dressed in white linens and pillows.

“It’s been a week,” he grumbled against my belly as he lay me down on the bed.

I scooted back on the bed as he removed his boxers.

“A week exactly,” I said quietly.

“Is it okay if we try something different this time?” he asked.

I licked my lips and nodded.

He crawled toward me and kissed me again. As he broke the kiss, he turned me over onto my belly and whispered for me to scoot onto my hands and knees. I did, feeling just a bit embarrassed to give him such a view of my backside. My embarrassment faded as soon as I heard him moan in pleasure at the sight. He situated himself behind me and reached around to pull my hair back from my face. One of his hands smoothed my hair down my back as the other reached around to cup one of my breasts. The anticipation of him entering me was becoming unbearable and I whimpered.

“Does this feel okay so far?” he asked quietly.

“Uh huh.”

His hand moved from my breast to my belly, and slowly to my clit. He used a fingertip to gently caress me there, causing me to moan.

“Still feel okay?” he asked, his voice strained.

“Uh huh,” I squeaked.

He leaned forward and kissed me on the small of my back, and then moved into position to enter me. I could feel his hard cock between my legs. His erection was smooth and hot. It felt so much better than with a condom and I groaned from the pleasure. He teased me for a moment, rubbing the head of his penis against my already moist lips. His finger resumed caressing my clit and finally he entered me, more deeply than he had before. The sensation was breathtaking and I came far sooner than I had meant to. He continued to thrust rhythmically, and fell apart inside of me only moments after I had. Completely spent, we fell asleep holding each other.

Our first full day in Hawaii was spent being lazy: lounging by the pools and taking an occasional dip in the hot tub. The sun was bright with only the occasional white cloud drifting by. Saul bought a floating air mattresses from one of the pool-side shacks, as well as a bottle of coconut oil. After we had enjoyed a morning Mai Tai while lying in our chaise lounge chairs pool-side, Saul rubbed me down with the tropical oil. He said it was tradition and would help us tan, but I knew he was enjoying if for very different reasons. I had chosen a bright yellow bikini to wear for the day, which covered just enough of me to allow Saul to use his imagination as to what was underneath. My skin was painfully pale white, so I hoped the oil wouldn’t cause me to burn too badly. If nothing else, I enjoyed the coconut smell and the feel of Saul’s strong hands rubbing it into my skin.

By noon we were both starving for both lunch and each other. We returned to our villa and quickly ordered room service: two Cokes and two burgers with fries. We were told it would arrive in about half an hour. During that time my yellow bikini managed to find its way to the floor, along with Saul’s bright blue board shorts. The excitement of not knowing if we’d finish by the time the food arrived was oddly arousing.

After lunch and a lazy nap, we headed back to the pools, where I floated on the air mattress while Saul swam nearby. A breeze had picked up, which I welcomed as the heat seemed more intense this side of the sun, so to speak. The motion of the air mattress floating had me near asleep when Saul suddenly pounced on the side of the floatation device. I shrieked when I rolled off and into the water with him. Saul grabbed me around the waist and pulled me closer. His arms were strong and reassuring and his skin smelled of the sun. I allowed myself to relax in his arms, more content than I had been in a long time. He put his forehead against mine as we enjoyed the moment of closeness.

“Marry me, Hattie,” he whispered. His voice was sincere and strong, and filled with desperation. I shivered in his arms. Not from being cold, but rather from the effect he had on me. He kept his forehead against mine and closed his eyes, slowly inhaling and waiting. “Please,” he whispered.

“Saul…”

“Shhh. Don’t answer. I don’t want to spoil the day with a ‘no’.”

When I began to speak again, he hushed me with a deep, passionate kiss.

“Saul, stop,” I mumbled against him.

He looked at me, hurt. I placed my hands on either side of his face and looked at him lovingly.

“Yes, Saul.”

He looked confused.

“Yes, I’ll marry you!”

He looked stunned for a few moments while what I had said sunk in. “You will?” he asked, still looking like a sad puppy dog.

“Yes,” I repeated. “I’ll marry you.”

Finally, a grin spread across his face and he lifted me halfway out of the water in a huge hug.

“Thank you,” he said, sounding on the verge of tears. “I swear as long as I live I’ll love and adore you.”

We kissed again, until the sounds of children playing “Marco Polo” reminded us where we were.

“Let’s go to dinner to celebrate?” he asked hopefully.

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Let’s get ready. We need to stop somewhere on the way.”

I smiled. He was like a child on Christmas morning, and it warmed my heart. We retrieved the air mattress that had floated off to the shallow end of the pool and used the stairs to get out of the water. We dried off quickly, turned our wet pool towels in for fresh towel cards, and walked hand-in-hand back to our room.

Saul had said dinner would be casual, so I dressed in a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a tight-fitting v-neck t-shirt in plain white. The ride in the convertible was again a thrill. We headed toward a little town called Lahaina, where Saul swore the best restaurant was a noisy hole-in-the-wall called ‘Bubba Gumps,’ dedicated to the movie Forrest Gump.

He pulled into a small parking lot across from the restaurant, where a valet took the keys and car from him. Instead of crossing the street, he took hold of my hand and pulled me eagerly to the right, where we entered a small street-front store. When I realized it was a fine jewelry store, my breath caught in my chest.

“Saul, you don’t have to…” I began.

“No way, Hattie. You’re not taking away my right to buy you something nice.”

We continued into the store. It was small, and the glass cases that lined three walls and the sparkling things that surrounded us made me feel underdressed.

“Good evening,” said a tall man with gray hair. “How can I help you?”

“We’d like to look at engagement rings, please,” said Saul.

The tall man smiled and clapped his hands together once. “Excellent! Congratulations! If you step over here to your left, I’ll show you some of what we have in stock. You can also order from our supply of loose stones and have them set in the band of your choice. It only takes about two days, if
you’re just visiting the island?”

I clung to Saul’s arm as we approached the case the man had indicated. I was oddly nervous.

“Do you know what shape and size of stone you might like?” asked the older gentleman.

I bit my lower lip and shook my head side-to-side slowly. “Honestly I have no idea. Nothing too big though.”

Saul leaned over and whispered to me. “I want you to pick what you like, babe. Don’t worry about the cost.”

I looked up at him and forced a smile. I wasn’t used to being spoiled.

“May I look at your hands?” asked the clerk.

I held my hands up in front of him.

“You have nice slender fingers, and small hands. I would recommend not going too large on the stone size, or it may look awkward. I think any shape would look beautiful.”

I smiled and moved my hands back to my sides. Saul found my right hand with his left and held it lovingly. My eyes were focused on the dozens of rings below the glass.

“Can I see that one there?” I asked, pointing at a yellow band that appeared to have texture near the center stone, which sparkled wildly.

“Ah, good taste,” said the man behind the counter as he opened the glass door on his side and removed the ring from its display. He handed me the ring. It felt cool in my palm, and made me smile. It was simple, yet beautiful. The stone was marquis shaped and not too small, yet not too large.

“May I try it on?” I asked.

The salesman grinned. “Of course you may.”

I slid the ring onto my left ring finger. Oddly, it was a perfect fit. I held my hand out in front of me and smiled. I knew instantly that it was the ring I wanted. I didn’t need to see any others.

“It looks beautiful on you,” said Saul quietly.

“Indeed it does,” agreed the salesman. “Can I show you a few more?”

“No,” I uttered quickly. “This is it. This is the one.”

“Hattie, there’s at least fifty here to choose from,” chuckled Saul.

I looked at him very seriously. “No. This is the right one.”

“You sure?” he asked with a worried look.

“Positive. It’s the first one that caught my eye and it just feels…right.”

“Let me just make sure it doesn’t need adjusting?” asked the clerk.

I held my hand out and he wiggled at the ring.

“I don’t think it could be a better fit,” he said with a kind smile.”

“Okay then,” said Saul followed by a deep breath. “We’ll take it.”

“Excellent. I think you’ll be very happy with it. It comes with a lifetime warranty, provided you bring it in every twelve months for a check. It’s a 0.72 carat diamond, yellow gold with a brushed accent, and of course the wedding band.”

“We live on the mainland. Is there anywhere closer to home we can have it checked?” asked Saul.

“Absolutely. Where about do you live?”

“Near Seattle.”

“We have two shops we contract with. One in Seattle itself and one in Bellevue. I’ll get you their information.”

“Thanks,” said Saul with a satisfied smile.

I looked at Saul suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I don’t have money to buy you one,” I pouted.

“Yes you do,” he said.

I just stayed quiet as the salesman walked to another glass cabinet, where he took out several different men’s bands.

“I’d recommend one of the comfort fit bands. They’re rounded on the edges and really are more comfortable. All of these ones here fit the bill, and I have several others if you’d like me to bring them out?”

Saul looked over the choices in front of him. He tried several on and chose one that complemented my set almost perfectly. We left the shop wearing our new gifts to each other, even though he paid for both.

“You’re beaming,” he said as we walked the short distance to the restaurant.

“Thank you,” I said sweetly as I glanced at my ring again.

“You’re sure it’s the one you want?”

“Positive.”

“You’re sure I’m the one you want?” he pressed.

“Absolutely positive.”

The sun was well toward setting and the evening was cooling off a bit. Saul put our names in at the podium outside of Bubba Gump’s and we waited to be called, standing on the sidewalk looking at the huge tree that the building had been built around; a plaque told the story of the massive tree. Eventually we were seated at a small table overlooking the ocean. The surf crashed
on the rocks below and the evening breeze blew in gently through the open windows. We didn’t say much to each other over dinner, but enjoyed good food and gazing at one another.

***

The short drive back to the resort was made in the dark. We stopped at a public beach along the way to enjoy the effects of a full moon highlighting the waves offshore. We sat for a while in the dry sand, talking about our hopes and dreams. We still had so much to learn about each other, and now a lifetime in which to study each other. Saul told me that his grandfather had been a very wealthy man who had lived a very simple life. He had left his fortune to be split between Saul and Carolina. He wasn’t sure exactly how much there was because most of it was invested, but he assured me it was enough for us to live comfortably for a long time. Not a lavish lifestyle, but a comfortable one. He had worked odd jobs, like his fishing gig in Alaska, for years, but his dream was to open a summer camp for special needs kids. As a teenager, his best friend had been from a family who had adopted a little girl with an undiagnosed seizure disorder. She had been badly abused in her first two years of life, and his family had changed her life when they welcomed her into their hearts and home. She had been a glowing star and had loved Saul fiercely. She died when she was eight, and it had devastated him. I talked about what it was like to grow up without a mother, being a twin, and about my hope to own a bakery one day.

The night was turning chilly, so I leaned against Saul for warmth.

“Saul?” I asked as a wave crashed against the shore not far away.

“Yeah babe?”

“I want to get married here.”

“This beach?” he asked, sounding perplexed.

“No, just here. Maui. Before we go home.”

“Ah, babe, you want your family and friends with you don’t you?”

“No, I just need you. We could get married here, now, and have a second wedding back home later. Maybe at the end of summer?”

He looked at me very seriously. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “I want to leave this place as your wife. I’m a hundred percent sure. Two hundred.”

He kissed the top of my head. “You’re freezing,” he whispered. “We’ll head back and talk about it in bed.”

“Just don’t say no, okay?”

He chuckled as he stood and helped me up.