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“I could have some too,” I said.
“Really?” Alex’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you wanted to head back. Seeing as we’re the only ones in here tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. Typical of him to make it awkward like that. “A glass is fine for me too.”
Eventually,Ibegantorelax, and all of a sudden, I started to remember everything I liked about Alex. He was a good listener, kind and inquisitive, and interested to hear about the work it took to pull off the photo shoot. I got the feeling he was good at his business because, despite his tough exterior, he understood people. I warmed to him more and more as our food arrived.
“This looks beautiful,” I said, eyeing the delicate piece of fish that was topped with a spoonful of caviar. I’d been keeping a close eye on my weight over the course of the photo shoot, but the truth is that I love food too much to ever starve myself. And as I bit into my tuna, I saw the man sitting opposite me take a sip of his wine.
“It’s a nice place here, isn’t it? I’ve never been before?”
“Really? I thought you knew Hawaii like the back of your hand.”
“I used to. But lately, I’ve gotten so busy. I know there’s a beautiful beach here though. It’s kind of a secret place.”
“Wow. We should go.” I checked myself. “I mean, you should go.”
Try as I might, I couldn’t picture anything unpleasant about walking barefoot on a moonlit beach with Alex Alson.
After we’d finished our meal, we stepped out onto the porch. Alex paid the check (and tipped almost double the cost of our meal), thanking them for accommodating us so nicely even though we’d been expecting more.
“Wow. Someone’s feeling generous tonight,” I said, and gently poked him in the ribs. I felt comfortable and relaxed around him at the moment. Was it the wine, or was it his gentle way with me, so unlike the brash, unpredictable whirlwind of a man I’d met over a month ago in Honolulu?
“Well, I had a nice time. And I feel kind of bad for them. This was supposed to be a night for the whole team.”
“It’s not like you intended this happening and it’s not your fault. You can’t be in control of everything.”
“When you have more money than you know how to spend,” said Alex wistfully, “you start thinking about how to spend it for others, rather than yourself.”
“You know,” I said, “I heard about the huge donation you gave to the hospital on Hawai’i Island.”
“Oh,” he said. “Yeah. Well, it wasn’t much.”
“And about the other one you donated to. And just last week didn’t you set up some charity thing here on Kauai?”
“I’m going to be making a lot of money here,” he said bashfully. “Using a lot of this place’s resources. It’s important to always give something back.”
“We should probably call a cab,” I said. “Shame we didn’t get a chance to stop by that beach.”
“The beach is just a short walk down that trail,” said Alex, pointing. “Want to see?”
“I guess,” I said, as I stepped into the lion’s den.
Afterwe’dwalkedthroughthe trees for a few minutes, I stopped in awe and stared at the scenery. It was like every film you’ve ever seen; white, sandy beaches, tropical trees at irregular intervals. And the broad, pale white moon hung over the whole picture-perfect scene, illuminating the beach as though it was midnight. The night air was growing a little chilly, but right now it was the perfect temperature.
We walked along the beach for a while before we settled on a beautiful sand dune. It led up to the mouth of a big cave.
“This is incredible,” I said.
“I used to come here sometimes when I wasn’t out with navy pals or working,” said Alex. “To think.”
“Wow. You’re a real philosopher, you know that?”
“Come off it,” he said. “I don’t have a clever thought in my head.”
“And yet, you’ve owned this company for ten years, and it’s made you a billionaire.”
“I know how to listen, I guess,” said Alex, as we passed by a sandy cove. “Except, I’m not all that good at listening to you.”
