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“Red it is, then. I know just the bottle.” He proceeded to order a $200 bottle of wine. Jun almost choked on her water.
“That’s too much!”
“It isn’t.” The waiter quickly brought the bottle and poured two glasses. Jun took a sip and thought she’d died and gone to wine heaven. No wonder the bottle cost $200. Every sip brought her taste buds alive.
After they’d devoured delicate appetizers, the waiter delivered her mahimahi and Kai’s swordfish. Jun thought she’d never tasted anything so good in her life.
“You’re spoiling me. Why?”
“You might be eating for two,” Kai joked, and Jun nearly spit out her wine.
“That’s not even funny.”
“Why are you smiling, then?” Kai reached over and took her hand. She let him. Being with Kai made her feel lighter, happier. Made her think of herself in some way other than as Po’s mom, a label she’d buried herself under for the past four years. Yet in her heart, she knew it could be only temporary. For all she knew, Kai declared love to every woman he ever slept with, and besides, Jun wouldn’t ask him to take on Po as a responsibility. They owed him enough as it was. If things got serious and they moved in, then what? She couldn’t stand having that kind of debt.
Kai let go of Jun’s hand.
“Bret,” he breathed. Jun turned and saw a tall but stout man headed their way, his face all storm clouds and disapproval.
Bret stalked right up to their table. He was a looming wall of a man, his bleached-blond curls doing nothing to soften the anger in his stark blue eyes. He wore a cheerfully bright Hawaiian-print shirt that seemed to clash directly with his stormy mood.
“How’d you find me?” Kai asked.
“Just followed the stink on Twitter,” Bret said, jaw twitching. “Get up,” he told Kai, his hands balled into fists. Jun felt her heartbeat tick up. This man wanted to harm Kai—that much was evident in the stiffness of his jaw. This man was not a well-wisher.
“Bret, man, let’s talk, okay?”
Jun thought for a split second he might be the husband or boyfriend of one of Kai’s conquests and then immediately felt terrible for assuming that. Still, why was the man so angry?
Bret shook his head once, slowly.
“I warned you not to surf Jaws. I’m here to show you that I was serious. Come on. Get up.”
Bret’s determination to cause trouble had quickly been noticed by everyone in the restaurant, including their anxious waiter.
“Is everything all right, sir?” The waiter hurried to their table, eyes worriedly on Bret.
“Not here,” Kai said. Bret glanced around them, and his blue eyes lingered on Jun for just a second. Then he seemed to reconsider.
“The beach. Five minutes.” And with that, Bret turned around and stalked out of the restaurant. Jun watched him go, a little stunned.
“What was that about?”
“That’s Bret, my old tow partner.” Kai’s gaze followed him, dark eyes narrowing.
“What does he want?” Jun asked, balling up her linen napkin in her lap and twisting it between her fingers.
Kai let out a defeated-sounding sigh. “Wasn’t it obvious?” he said, shaking his head as he stood, dropping his napkin near his empty plate. “Bret wants to kick my ass.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
KAI WALKED OUT of the restaurant, Jun on his heels peppering him with anxious questions, but his focus lay elsewhere. He could think only of Bret’s angry face. He was partly relieved that at least they’d be working on what had happened between them, even if Bret would be doing most of the working with his fists on Kai’s face. Bret wouldn’t talk with him, wouldn’t accept his apology, but maybe after he got out some of his frustration, maybe then, the man would listen to reason. Outside the restaurant’s main doors, Jun threw herself in front of Kai, desperate for his attention.
“Are you even listening to me? You can’t go fight that guy! Call the police!”
“Can’t do it,” Kai said, and tried to duck around Jun, but she stood her ground.
“I mean it, Kai. This isn’t the school playground. You just got your head beaten in by Jaws, and now you’re going to let some musclehead—”
