Page 37 of Keeping Kama

Chapter10

As Derek faced the ocean from his back lanai, he stretched out his legs and propped them on the outdoor coffee table. With his phone to his ear, he said, “Tyson, I’m sorry to interrupt you on your family thing, but I was wondering if you had a chance to review the PowerPoint information I presented to Kai.” He rubbed the back of his neck then cranked it both ways to release the tension in between his shoulder blades.

“I saw it,” replied Tyson.

Radio silence followed. Derek double checked his connection, bringing his phone back to his ear. “And?” asked Derek.

Clearly annoyed, Tyson scoffed, “You already know what I’m going to say.”

A groan escaped him. Derek shifted forward, placing his feet back on the ground. “You don’t want to invest in the farm,” stated Derek.

“You saw the numbers. We’d be lucky to come out of this thing making one or two percent of our investment. I won’t risk the capital. It’s too tight a margin,” said Tyson.

“I disagree,” said Derek, though the pit forming in his stomach, begged to differ.

With his voice full of irritation, Tyson said, “I don’t have time to go the rounds with you on this. I’ll call you tomorrow morning. We have a lot of things to discuss besides this particular investment.”

Sweat formed on his brow, Derek swiped it away with his free hand. “Okay, until tomorrow.”

Derek ended the call, placing the phone down on the loveseat cushion next to him. Anxiety bubbled through his veins. Only an hour earlier, he promised Leia they’d invest, and he’d take care of the farm. Now he was nothing but a liar. Tyson was right. The margins were too tight, the risk too great. He couldn’t gamble away what they had worked years to build. It wasn’t worth it, no matter how captivating he found Leia.

The picturesque scene before him, Derek welcomed the gentle ocean breeze that cooled him off. Derek breathed in the salty air. Geez, it was beautiful here. He saw why people paid the exorbitant prices to stay here. How was he ever going to leave this view? How was he going to leave Leia? Derek couldn’t stay, and Leia couldn’t leave. Nothing would come of their little rendezvous, and the thought fully depressed him. Loneliness washed over him as he thought of returning to his empty place in Los Angeles.

Shaking off the impending doom, Derek forced himself to gather up his laptop off his coffee table and work on some other assignments until dinner time. In the middle of his work, Leia shot him a text instructing him to wear good walking shoes and comfortable hiking clothes. He wondered where she planned on taking him.

Eventually, the time to leave approached.

After he changed, Derek walked over to Leia’s apartment. Knocking on the door, Derek stepped back, waiting for Leia to answer.

Leia yelled, “Come on in. The door is unlocked.”

Obeying, Derek opened the door and announced, “It’s Derek. Where are you?” Clasping and unclasping his hands, Derek peered around the small tidy living room waiting for further instructions. It had a brown leather sofa facing a TV.

Leia poked her head out doorway behind the wall with the sofa pushed up against it. “I’m in here.” Waving him in, Leia disappeared again. “I have something on the stove, and I don’t want it to burn,” she called out to him.

He walked the rest of the way to the kitchen and lingered in the door frame. Leia flipped the sizzling meat on her skillet.

“Smells good,” commented Derek.

At ease, Derek rested his shoulder against the doorway. He watched as Leia puttered around the kitchen, opening and closing various drawers. Derek admired Leia at home in her own space. She looked relaxed and comfortable. And dang, she was gorgeous. His throat grew tight when he thought of leaving her. He yanked at the collar of his shirt.

Then Leia caught him staring. Heat splashed her cheeks. Leia paused then said, “I hope you like spam.” Picking up her spatula, Leia flashed Derek a smile before returning her attention to her skillet.

A whiff of the meat aroma made his stomach growl. Derek said, “I can’t say I’ve ever eaten spam.”

Leia flipped the meat again with her spatula. “Like ever?” asked Leia.

A single head shake, Derek said, “Nope.”

Leia tsked, “It’s a staple here.” Turning off the burner, Leia reached over and opened the top of her rice cooker. “I hope you like it. I’ve eaten it all my life, so I’m used to the taste.” Next, she opened a pack of what looked like seaweed.

Straightening himself, Derek stepped into the intimate space of the kitchen. “Can I help you with something?” He moved up close to her.

“Umm …” Leia selected two white plates out of her cupboard to the right of her stove. She placed them on the counter. “Nah, I’m almost done. This is the easiest dish to cook.” Picking back up her spatula, Leia said, “I never said I was a good cook, but I thought you needed to try another Hawaiian staple before you return home.” Leia stalled in place.

Boom. Her words splattered right between them, dangling in the air. Words which perfectly punctured whatever may or may not be growing between them.

Derek bypassed the awkward pause. Casually, he twisted, leaning his back against the counter to face her. “You say it’s easy to cook. How do you make it? Or is this another one of those family recipes I have no chance of getting?” A sudden urge to run a hand down the length of her arm overtook him. Derek forced himself to plunge his hand into his pocket.

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