Nate's walk back to the hotel took him through a neighborhood of four-story hotels and small shops with wide open doors. Nate, having lived in big cities since childhood, was used to tall buildings - the concrete jungle. Cities bigger than Honolulu. So this city with its wide open doors and grass decorations made Nate feel like he was walking through an old place steeped of tradition. In his neighborhood at home, it felt like the oldest building was50 years old, tops. Everything was modern and designed to be functional. But this city felt like it still had tradition in it's design. Of course, Nate mused as he turned a corner to see his hotel only a block away, it's entirely possible that the city was designed to look that way for a tourist.
His thoughts were broken by the laughter of four young women who were climbing out of a Hawaiian Airlines shuttle across the street. They were too far away to see or hear well, but their laughter broke the spell. Nate walked towards his hotel, eager to just relax in his room and maybe even get a nap and read. Tomorrow was the day before the wedding and, while he had no real responsibilities as a guest, he thought he should walk to the venue and familiarize himself. As the doors for the hotel opened before him, he was hit with a blast of air to the face and met with an empty lobby. He sighed; he had a pretty busy day. It was well over 12 hours ago that he left this lobby for the airport. He strode by the counter, pausing. There, in a little plastic countertop display, was the pamphlets for "H.H. Island Experience Tours." Nate picked one up. It read that it was a new company, with years of familiarity with the island, and a personalized experience, then listed stops along the Hana Highway. Nate smiled and took a pen, writing on the back of the pamphlet and speaking as he wrote. "Great experience. 10 out of 10, would tour again. Very friendly and very fun!" and he slid the paper across the desk to make sure the front desk worker saw it. Maybe a good review would help Natalie and Hermione. He turned to walk from the desk. "It's up to you now, Natalie."
"Who's Natalie?" said a woman's voice behind him. He turned and saw one of the women that had been in the shuttle across the street. She was early 20s, wearing a burnt orange crop top and faded high-waisted blue jeans, her very pale skin was accented by straight ebony hair that draped down to her stomach. A purple flower was tucked behind her ear. She was carrying a rolling case, a garment bag, and definitely did not look like she just got off a flight from anywhere.
"Oh, she runs this island tour. Sorry, I didn't think anyone was here, I talk to myself sometimes." Nate responded and smiled politely, turning to walk away towards the stairs up to his room. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him a bit more intensely.
"Nate?" She asked, as her eyes widened with recognition. Nate paused for a moment and stared at her again, his eyes exploring her face until he saw. This was Alicia. Another girl he went to highschool with.
"Oh my gosh, Alicia!" he said and he smiled, moving closer to give her the socially agreed upon polite hug of recognition to someone you haven't seen for a long time. But it was very quick, just a one-armed hug. Nate did not have particularly good memories with this woman. He suspected she was the same. "What are you doing in Honolulu?"
"I'm here for Kyle and Shelby's wedding, same as you right?" She broke away from the half-hug very quickly and looked back at him. She was remembering what a loser he was in highschool at that moment. Associating with a chubby nerd was not in her nature.
"Yea, I just got here yesterday. Here, let me help you -" Nate reached for her garment bag and took it from the short woman.
"Well - thank you," she responded as she handed it to him, giving a nervous smile with half-hearted enthusiasm. She turned back to the front desk to see a woman behind the counter, reading the pamphlet that Nate had left on the counter. She had overheard the conversation and came up in case she was needed, setting the paper down as Alicia approached.
"Hi, checking in?" she asked. Alicia didn't verbally respond, just slid her cell phone across the counter to show a confirmation email. The worker moved quickly and efficiently, printing her room keys, sliding her phone back across the counter, and pointing at the stairs, informing her that the room was upstairs, to the right. Coincidentally in the same area as Nate's room. Alicia took the keys and spun around, putting her phone in her back pocket and reaching for the garment bag.
"It's ok, I got it. You lead the way," Nate responded. "I'm on the second floor as well."
Alicia made a sound like she was politely laughing at an unfunny joke. "Alright, whatever you say." She was already walking towards the stairs. Halfway up she asked, "So when did you get here?"
"Oh, I took a flight yesterday morning, got in before lunch. I already saw Ashley actually. Ashley Harrison? She said she was a bridesmaid too." He followed behind her, eye level with her small, but perky, ass and her phone sticking out of the back pocket. He was always nervous when he saw a woman with a phone in her back pocket. They could so easily be grabbed or fall out and break. Why didn't women just get pants with bigger pockets, he wondered.
"Yep, then me and a couple other girls." Alicia responded, turning the corner down towards her room. "We are doing the rehearsal tomorrow; are you one of Kyle's groomsmen?"
Nate frowned a moment as he walked behind her. Ashley and Kyle had a truly toxic relationship that cost Kyle a lot of friends. He didn't even know who was going to be a groomsman for his old friend. "No, I'm not sure who they are. I haven't heard anything about it. I just got the invitation and showed up - have barely spoken to Kyle since high school."
Alicia nodded as she stood in front of her door. She was fumbling for her key hurriedly. "You and he were tight in highschool. Wasn't he your only friend?"
"No, he wasn't my only friend." Nate responded with a bit more bite. Clearly Alicia had not forgotten that Nate was a loser in high school. She opened the door and they stepped through.
"Well. You sure do look different now. College is treating you right, I'm sure you have more friends now," she responded. Nate bit his tongue and smiled, choosing to be polite rather than bitchy. He hung her garment bag, presumably carrying a bridesmaid's dress, in the small closet by the door.
"I'm doing ok, thank you for noticing," he said, smiling as he thought to himself.
My dick is practically still wet from earlier today with a super model and I've had sex twice in 24 hours.
"I'm just down the hall in 216 if you need something, ok? I imagine the rest of the girls are staying with you too?" Nate moved to leave, asking the question at the doorknob.
"No, they are in another hotel. But that hotel has guests with dogs and I don't want to listen to dogs barking all night, so I picked this one." Alicia threw her bag onto her bed and opened it. Nate got a glimpse of a tattoo on her hip, but didn't get a great look at it. He looked back up at her face, nodded, and stepped backwards through the door.
