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“Excellent. I’ll have transport on standby from Honolulu and Hawai’i Island.”
“You’re the best, Seth. Can you order some food and notify the head chef at the Continental? We can fly in the wine, can’t we?”
“Yes, Mr. Alson. What’s my budget?”
I shrugged. “It’s my engagement party. But nothing too fancy.”
“Understood. Under five million. Eight o’clock all right?”
“Of course.”
I put the phone down and looked at my watch. Seth had just over eight hours to plan and execute a party costing five million dollars, to which a select, exclusive group of people of interest in Hawaii, and my entire company would be invited.
Child’s play for him.
I decided to go for a run to clear my head. The party would be a nice occasion for Lena to relax and enjoy herself. But there was more to it than that, of course.
Maybe she’d change her mind about this whole engagement thing, once we were together.
Charlie picked me up by helicopter from the helipad on top of the hotel. He flew me over to the other side of Kauai Island.
“Charlie!” I yelled, through my headset. “I need you to run a little errand for me, pal.”
“Whatcha need?” said Charlie, as we closed in on a coastal path a few miles from the hotel.
“I’ve got a dress arriving,” I said. “From LA. It’s being flown into Honolulu by private jet. Five o’clock this afternoon.”
“Right,” said Charlie. “I’ll pick it up.”
“When you get back,” I called, “can you deliver it to Miss Chambers’ room?”
He nodded and set me down. I hopped out of the helicopter and began my run, as Charlie took her up and out over the ocean, back to the hotel.
When I arrived after the 10-kilometer run, I was panting and sweaty. I hadn’t managed to work out for the last week, and while I hadn’t felt any decline in my fitness, running was something you had to do every day in order to keep your lungs at full capacity. I reminded myself to get back to it, once I returned to Honolulu.
When I got back, I saw Janine at the desk.
“Hey,” I said, and she turned around.
“Oh, Mr. Alson!” she squealed. “What can I do for you?”
“Janine,” I said, “could I persuade you to stay a couple of hours? Double your rate, of course. I’d like to treat Miss Chambers to a makeover for the party tonight.”
“Well, I have to get a flight back to LA tonight …” she said.
“As a matter of fact,” I said, “I’ve got a private jet coming in. I can have you back in the Hollywood Hills by 3 a.m. tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, that’s perfect!” she said. “Anything special?”
“I trust your judgment,” I said.
I went to my room, showered, and checked in with Seth via video chat. As far as I could tell, Seth never left his room, except for an occasional walk. He was a thin man in an old suit and a pair of Wayfarers. He looked like a journalist, or maybe a gambler.
“How’s the guestlist coming?”
“Not as good as I expected, but not bad. I have a jet leaving from LA in fifteen minutes with some of your friends from the film and television industry. And the governor of Honolulu and some of his guests have requested an extra helicopter for some friends who are visiting for the Summer.”
“Tell them I can’t refuse.”
