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The woman melted into a puddle in her seat and giggled her thanks. But her sparkling mood didn’t last long. Everything changed when Kai asked me to follow him. If eyes really could shoot daggers, I’d still be nursing my wounds in the ICU to this day.
Kai shoved an official-looking door open and gestured for me to step through.
“Are we allowed back here?” I said, peering down the hall.
“Relax. It’s just the way to the kitchen.”
“How do you know where the kitchen is?” I asked.
We entered the first room on the right. Sure enough, it was a kitchen, complete with a refrigerator, microwave, and seating area.
“Because I’ve eaten my lunch here at least a hundred times.”
I’ve always hated the saying “put a fork in me—I’m done” but if there was ever a time and a place to use that tired old phrase, it was right then. “Y-you what?”
“This is where everybody eats.”
Oh, really? Everybody ate there? I bet the building janitor didn’t eat there or the people who worked two floors down. Nope. I’m not even a betting person, but I’d be willing to lay down big money that said the only people who actually ate in that particular kitchen were employed by Blue Pacific Travel Agency.
Kai opened the fridge. He pulled out a couple bottles of water and tossed one to me.
“Do I have to put a buck in a cup somewhere?” I asked, looking around.
“It’s on the house.”
“What qualifies you to give out bottled water around here?”
“I’ve got connections.” His smile held a little too much mystery for my comfort as he leaned against the counter and popped the lid on his own bottle.
“I noticed. You’re on a first-name basis with security, and I’m pretty sure Rachel was just about to pop the question out there.”
Kai performed a world-class spit take. I tempered my smile, reminding myself not to have too much fun fraternizing with the competition. But I couldn’t deny that it felt good to make him laugh.
“Actually, I interned here during college. I’ve been a consultant on and off ever since.” He took a swig of water, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Oh.” Thank goodness I hadn't had the chance to eat my precious donut that morning. I might have lost it right there on the spot if I had. He so had an advantage over me—one I was going to have a hard time overcoming. “I didn't realize travel agencies even worked with consultants.
“Most of them don’t. That’s what I like about Blue Pacific. They listen to the locals when putting their travel packages together.”
“Locals?” It was all starting to come together. His gorgeous tan. That luscious head of hair. His sparkling dark eyes. No wonder he’d said “aloha”. With the way my morning was going, he was probably Hawaiian royalty, and I’d only been asked to come in today to fan him with palm fronds.
“I was born and raised on O’ahu. I hook Blue Pacific up with local guides and activities that are off the beaten path.”
“Oh.” I seemed to be saying that a lot. No wonder he was after my job. Getting the regional management position for the new branch in Hawaii would be like going home for him. “You’re a long way from O’ahu, aren’t you?”
He nodded and I saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes. “Yeah, too far. I grew up in the family business, and came to the mainland when I felt the need to spread my wings a little. But I’m ready to go home. I need this job so I can go back with something of my own.”
“I understand that.” In fact, there might not have been another person alive who understood that need more than I did.
“I’m going home no matter what happens with this interview. My dad has a job waiting for me if I need it. But I’d rather not need it, you know what I mean?”
For an enemy, he sure was speaking my language. In any other setting, I might have ventured to guess that we were soul mates—or at least I’d hope we were.
Those eyes!
A reminder on my phone sounded off inside my purse. My palms grew clammy. My interview would begin in exactly five minutes. This was my chance to earn a golden ticket to one of the most popular vacation spots on the planet. And if everything went according to plan, I could be taking hula lessons on the beach by the end of next week.
My stomach was in all kinds of knots. I’d never wanted anything more in my life than I wanted this job. As if on cue, my body worked up an instantaneous and un-ignorable urge to take a nervous tinkle.
