Chapter 1
Because of its extreme heat and humidity, Havai was not a place for the faint of heart. When the beer in the cooler ran out at David’s pool party, I stepped up to offer to go grab another case from the garage fridge. I needed to be away from everyone for a while, so I did it.
For almost five years, since the summer before our junior year of high school, David Peterson and I had been together. Since then, we’ve been inseparable. Basically, anything that goes on at school. Trips with the family. It was our first year in university. In fact, we were named “Most Likely to Marry Their High School Sweetheart” by our fellow seniors.
He had been so special to me that I had handed up my virginity to him.
But . . . Indeed, David had evolved. I couldn’t pinpoint when he stopped being the kind, considerate man he used to be, or what changed him. We were starting to feel too familiar with one another. When he saw that I wasn’t “trying” or was behaving like a “bitch,” he wouldn’t hesitate to tell me.
Despite the fact that it was June and we had both returned from Havai Central University, I saw my lover less during the summer than I did during the academic year. The truth is that we all had jobs. To the contrary, he made it quite plain today that he would rather spend time with our old high school pals than with me.
God. We used to be the best of friends, but now we hardly speak at all. There were no meaningful exchanges or lighthearted ribbing. David would only contact me when he was in the mood to have some sexual fun. I had evolved into it in his eyes. As I made my way through the house and out to the garage at the other end, I listened to music on my phone, which I had tucked into the top of my swimsuit. Without turning on the overhead light, I pushed open the door and went down the two steps into the vast garage. The cement floor was chilly on my bare feet, but the music was great, and there was enough darkness that I could try to forget about my irritation with David. Perhaps all I needed was to snap out of my funk.
I ignored the dirty floor and the chill of my wet swimsuit as I danced blindly to the tune coming from between my breasts. I gave up trying to care and it helped... kind of. To the beat, I swung my hips. To hide the stupid grin that was spreading on my lips, I placed my hands in the air and waved them about.
It was liberating to let go and dance like a lunatic with the kitchen door wide open as the sole source of illumination. I sang along, having memorized every word, and really let go during the chorus. As I swayed and swung my hips, I sang the song’s lyrics:
My throat closed up in a shocked cry as I skidded to a halt.
Dr. Johnson was standing at the entrance, and by the look on his face, he had been there for some time.
David’s father was a surgeon at County Hospital, which was one of the many reasons his appearance caught me by surprise. He was on call much of the time and so seldom present. Even though he never missed a major life event like a birthday or a graduation, he and David seldom spent time together at home.
When his kid left for college, why had his father retained such a large house? It was quite unusual. The good doctor scarcely touched it. When David was a kid, his father’s looks made him seem much younger than he really was. Slight creases around his eyes gave away his age, but they also made him appear wise. Distinguished. Silver threads were interwoven in his dark brown hair and short beard, and the afternoon light streaming in from the adjoining window brought out the gray. A nice appearance overall.
Senior prom photographs included David and his father, and my friends couldn’t stop gushing about Dr. Jonson. Although I had mocked them, I did appreciate their position. The father of my current lover was not only good-looking but downright gorgeous.
On the other hand, I couldn’t muster my normal cheery disposition toward him and instead became rather wooden.
Can one really die from shame? My weak legs gave way to a straight back and a thousand-degree blush over my cheeks. I tried to seem as if he hadn’t just seen me dancing and singing like a crazy fool by averting my glance to the concrete floor and tucking a strand of my long, black hair behind my ear.
I stumbled over my words and said, “Uh. So, I reached inside my top and pulled out my phone to turn the music off. I was just running out to fetch more beer for the party when you interrupted me. To be honest, I don’t know what I was doing. Only Mike, David’s pal, was in his twenties. Correction: “I referred to Coke.”
