Page 25 of Try Easy

The View from the Top

Lou

Lou’s eyes fluttered open,and she gazed upon the magnificent view of the city of Honolulu. It looked smaller than she’d expected, more like a child’s drawing of a city than the actual thing. Lou had never seen a panoramic view of downtown Seattle before, but she suspected it would be much bigger, with more buildings, interstates, and of course the space needle, which looked like a giant flying saucer hovering over the buildings.

Honolulu was a single row of buildings that seemed no bigger than a line of toy blocks anchoring the horizon. Rising from both the left and right were the verdant slopes of the mountains. Above and beyond the mountains and the tiny skyscrapers were the navy sky and the turquoise sea.

The sight was charming. It touched something in Lou’s heart to see the clash of nature and humanity. She found herself at a loss for words, and tears burned her throat. She swiped her hand under her eye as the first tear fell.

“Heh,” Keoni said, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

The softness in his voice made Lou’s throat constrict even more. The only time Keoni had said more than a few words at once was when he’d been telling the ghost story. The rest of their time together, he had been curt almost to the point of being rude. She was surprised to hear the concern from him now as tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just so…” She trailed off, not knowing what to say about the view.

It was spectacular, but in a way, Lou hated it. She wished she could wipe out the buildings and look at the view before it had been spoiled.

Keoni touched her shoulder. Lou felt the warmth of his hand seep through her cotton blouse. His hand was solid. Lou took comfort in the pressure. They stood side by side in silence, gazing out at the view.

What had it looked like before the buildings?Lou wondered. It was a fascinating thought, and one she wished she could capture with her camera. Could she take a picture that would resonate with people, make them long for the days of old?

Lou took a step forward and raised her camera to her face. She focused her long lens on the distant shores and snapped a few pictures. It was beautiful, but it was also sad. Tears blurred Lou’s eyes as she lowered her camera and looked back at Keoni.

“I’ve seen a lot of people look at this view before,” Keoni said, his voice thick with emotion. “But I never saw no one cry. It’s sad, isn’t it?” he asked.

Lou looked up at him, her heart breaking for him. What must it be like to watch your world be taken over by tourists who turned your culture into dime-store trinkets?

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Why?” Keoni asked, stepping toward her. He reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers. “You didn’t do nothing.”

Lou nodded. Her heart began to race as Keoni reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. His fingers were calloused and rough as they brushed against her neck. He dropped his hand and turned to look out at the view.

Lou studied the chiseled line of his profile. She could have been looking at the face of a Hawaiian prince.

“Take off your glasses,” she said.

“Why?” Keoni pulled back, surprised by her command.

“Because I want to see your eyes.”

Keoni hesitated and then took off his glasses. Blood pooled in the corner of his left eye, and his cheek was swollen.

“Not as pretty as the view, eh?” he asked.

He started to put the glasses back on, but Lou reached out and stopped him. Even though it was hard to look at the damage to his face, Lou didn’t want Keoni to cover his eyes.

“It’s fine,” she lied.

The air was full of honeysuckle and mango, but she was near enough to smell the ocean in Keoni’s hair. The scent was heady and seductive.

Lou took a step back. She had nearly lost herself in Keoni’s eyes. Luckily, she came to her senses. She remembered Paul, who she had completely forgotten about. If she wasn’t careful, the romance and beauty of Hawaii would infect her blood.

Lou fiddled with her camera, trying to focus her thoughts on something other than Keoni.

“You ready to go back down?” he asked.

Lou nodded. Taking another step back, she raised her camera for one last shot of Honolulu. Hiding behind the safety of her camera, Lou was able to convince the butterflies in her stomach to land.

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