I sat on the patio of the outdoor bar, watching the fish and sea creatures swim underneath the plexiglass flooring. The night was warm with a light breeze fluttering across the bar. I sipped my Mai Tai and wondered if the fish were intently watching us like I was watching them.
This has been a very long week, and not for the first time, I was questioning if I should have come to Hawaii or not. The views were gorgeous, the sites were interesting and the activities were fun. However, this was supposed to have been my honeymoon, and I was alone.
Well, technically, not alone. My best friend had come with me. Just seven days before my wedding, I'd found the man of my dreams with the best man, doing the things that we were supposed to be doing on our wedding night. He'd begged and pleaded with me not to cancel the wedding, but I had no other choice. My best friend, Chrissie, who was also the maid of honor had graciously taken his place on an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii for the week.
While she'd made the most of the nightlife here, I hadn't felt up to hitting the singles scene again already. So I hung out at the hotels, drinking fruity concoctions and feeling sorry for myself. Chrissie kept saying that I needed to get back on the horse again, by which she meant I needed to get laid.
I just wasn't in the mood for it. Most of my day was spent walking around town, seeing the sites amongst the hundreds of married couples who swarmed around me. For some reason, the newlyweds had loved Pearl Harbor, which seemed about as unromantic as you could get, but I had bumped elbows with them looking at the Arizona.
The bartender brought over another drink, this time a Bombay Sling. I wasn't sure what was in it, but it had a kick. Since tomorrow would be spent flying home to face the questions and the pitying glances I had decided to get trashed tonight. I might as well have some fun before going home.
My plan involved ordering any drink that sounded like it belonged in the tropics. It was working. I was on my third drink so far, but frankly, I was nursing them. I'd been here nearly two and a half hours, and not finding the release I was looking for.
The bartender looked at me again and gave me a smile. He was an okay sort, but not my type. He was older than me, probably 35 or so, and had that too many hours at the gym build that I didn't like. If anything was going to happen tonight, I wanted someone who met my criteria. I wasn't going to label myself desperate now or ever.
I went back to my drink and watched as the sun began to dip across the horizon. It turned a brilliant orange that suited my mood. I felt better in this place, watching the gorgeous passing of time here.
Chrissie wasn't here to enjoy nature. She'd gone out to a club. A taxi had picked her up a couple of hours ago, so she could get something to eat and go dancing one last night. I'd ordered room service and eaten alone. My meal had been delivered by a gorgeous man, a Hawaiian who had been dressed in traditional attire. That meant that he only wore a lawa-lawa, which was the equivalent of a Speedo, and a kihei, which was a type of cloak that covered up part of his torso. I'd been surprised to see him in this outfit, given that most of the men here merely wore loud print shirts and board shorts.
My thoughts went back to him again, but I figured he'd probably already gotten off his shift and gone home. I wasn't sure that I'd be good company anyway. I was a bit shocked when a few minutes later, he came out to the bar. He sat down on a barstool and started talking to the bartender. He caught my eye at one point, and I smiled at him.
A group of about ten revelers came in. Of course, it was an even number of guests, and I was sure that they were all honeymooners. The bartender was swamped, and I waited patiently for whatever my next drink was going to be.
The man in the traditional Hawaii dress came over carrying a large fruity drink. "Did you order the blackberry vodka sangria?"
I nodded. "I guess so. The bartender is just supplying me with fruity drinks for the evening."
He shrugged. "It's nice to have a theme for the night." He sat down without being asked. "Long day, and I'd rather not be at the bar with all of the party crowd. Otherwise, I'll be running errands for them all night for no tips."
I looked at him. "Should I be tipping you for the drink?"
"Nah, let me hide out here for a bit, and we'll call it even, okay?"
I nodded. The sun had begun to dip beyond the horizon now, and the sky had dimmed to a deeper shade of purple. The effect was amazing. I felt almost mellow here.
He followed my gaze to the sunset and smiled. "Not too bad, eh?"