Connected by the tide, p.15
Connected by the Tide, page 15
part #3 of Hawaiian Crush Series
She smiled. “I’m glad we are almost there.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to go after Dane, too?” she asked with a laugh.
“He’s on my list.”
“I didn’t realize I was dating a psycho.”
“I’m only psycho when it comes to you.”
She scooted closer to him then pressed her face in the crook of his neck, feeling the warmth from his skin. He ran his hand down her back as they sat together on the couch, her dog sitting in his bed in the corner. Nothing was said for a long time.
“So, am I really your girlfriend?”
His hand stopped. “I assumed that you were.”
“Really?”
“We are exclusive and we like each other a lot, right? I don’t want to see anyone else. And I definitely don’t want you to.”
“That’s perfectly okay with me,” she said as she placed her hand on his chest. “My boyfriend is equally hot and sweet.”
“And my girlfriend is out of my league.”
“I am not,” she said as she hit his chest lightly.
“Yes, you are. You are the most amazing person I know. And don’t get me started on your smoking body. Do you work out every day?”
“I do Pilates in the morning.”
“It shows.”
“Thanks.”
“So can I take you out to dinner?”
She hugged him tighter. “No.”
He chuckled. “You like just lying with me?”
“There’s nothing I enjoy more.”
“Me, too. I don’t like to cuddle, but with you I do.”
“That’s because you feel my breasts against your chest.”
He laughed. “Damn, you caught me.”
“You can feel them whenever you want.”
“Can I get that notarized?”
“Sure. What should we use for ink?” She looked at him with a playful smile on her face.
He recognized the hidden meaning of her words. “I’m sure we’ll find something.”
She rose from the couch and pulled him to stand. “Let’s go get it signed.”
He unbuttoned his pants as he followed her down the hallway. “Let’s.”
24
Henry clocked in then started his nightshift. He hated leaving Ren. It was getting harder as time passed. He wanted to spend all his time with her. When he wasn’t with her, he thought about her. When he couldn’t sleep at night, he would text her and ask what she was doing. She always said she was doing the same thing he was—thinking about him.
Sometimes he thought about Sydney, but it wasn’t in the same way as it was before. Her beautiful smile always left him feeling weak, and the memory of the curves of her body always made him feel hard, but now he didn’t think about that anymore. Whenever he was in the mood, he always thought about Ren. Her body was perfect; every curve left him feeling so horny he thought he would explode. Even her feet made him aroused. And her smile and her laugh always made him feel happy. She was definitely a catch.
Henry knew Sydney was in the building because her Jeep was in the parking lot, but he didn’t run into her. They had been short on help since she was promoted to researcher. He was happy for her, but he missed goofing off with her and Nancy. He and Nancy worked together sometimes, but it wasn’t the same without Sydney.
“Where do I clock in?”
Henry looked up. He was tying the laces of his water resistant boots. “You just slide your card through the machine. Do it in the same way as you would use a credit card.”
The guy nodded then slid it through. When the green light went off, he nodded. “Thanks, man.”
Henry extended his hand. “I’m Henry.”
“Andre,” he said as he shook it.
“So you are the new custodian?”
“Yep. I needed a job bad, so I took it.”
“It’s not very glamorous, but it’s a job.”
“It’s cool to see the animals anyway.”
“Yeah. Chicks dig that.”
Andre said nothing as he tightened his shoelaces. “So you wanna show me around?”
“Sure.”
They left the break room, and Henry showed Andre all the tanks and the cleaning supplies. There was a specific protocol of how to clean the tanks so the water concentrations weren’t changed. If the level of chemicals was altered even in the slightest way, it could be disastrous for the sea life inside. Andre was bright and memorized everything instantly. He seemed to be most intrigued by the jellyfish. He stared at them for a long time as he watched them float in the water. Henry was also fascinated by the creatures. How could something so small with no frame have enough intellectual ability to even think? And how did they evolve to be so dangerous? They had a box jellyfish in a special tank, and it was known that one shock could paralyze your heart and kill you. Sometimes people said jellyfish were lame, but Henry though they were bad-ass.
“They are cool, huh?” Henry asked as they stood in front of the tank. Particles were floating in the water and the jellyfish moved their legs to propel themselves forward, but it didn’t seem like they were moving. The light shone on their surface, showing the pale cartilage.
Andre nodded. “They are cool.”
“Their tanks are the easiest to clean.”
“Really? Aren’t we risking our lives every time we do it?”
“To limit that possibility, we just filter the water out through the pipes then add freshwater. There’s no reason why we should touch them.”
“That’s a relief,” Andre said with a smile.
“You should be more scared of the penguins. Everyone thinks they are the cutest things in the world, but those birds are assholes.”
“Seriously?”
“Every time I go in there, they gang up on me. Their beaks are sharp.”
“Maybe they are hungry.”
“I don’t know. I just know they don’t like it when I touch their poop.”
Henry showed Andre a few more exhibits until the shift was over. It was late at night, and Henry was tired. He didn’t mind working when the aquarium was closed, but now that he had a girlfriend, he preferred to spend his nights with her.
“So, do you go to Hawaii U?” Henry asked as they walked through the parking lot.
“Yep.”
“What’s your major?”
“Sociology. What’s yours?”
“English.”
“So you enjoy the classics?”
“Yep. I actually read Shakespeare for pleasure.”
“So you are one of those people?”
“One of what people?”
“You are cultured and refined, right?”
“Nah. I just prefer the company of books over real people.”
Andrew nodded, looking straight ahead. “I can understand that.”
“So, why sociology?”
“I like to study people, understand why they do the things they do. How people become who they are. How people realize what they believe in.”
“Sounds deep.”
Andre smiled. “Not really. It’s just a fancy way to say I people-watch for a living.”
“That’s still cool.”
Andrew stopped when he reached his car. “It was nice meeting you, Henry. Hopefully I’ll run into you at school.”
Henry nodded. “I’ll look for you on the benches. You’ll probably be staring at people as they walk by.”
Andrew laughed. “Bye.”
“Bye.” Henry got inside his car, then started the engine. When he reached his house, he parked in front of it. But he realized he didn’t want to stay there. He grabbed his clothes then drove to Ren’s house, wanting to sleep with her instead. Their relationship was changing very quickly. They got together when they were both broken and sad. They both had changed so much. Henry felt him change from the person he used to be, someone who was in pain all the time. He held her close while they slept, staring at her strands of hair as they stretched across the pillow. Her lips opened slightly while she slept and Henry kissed them when she was asleep. They shined in the light from the clock. After he stared at her for a long time, he finally fell asleep, dreaming of her in a field of flowers.
The next morning they had an exam in their composition class. Henry didn’t study for it at all but he felt confident in his abilities. The test wasn’t difficult and he felt like he knew most of the answers. In zoology, he didn’t even understand what the question was asking. He was grateful he changed his major. This is where he belonged. When they turned in their exams, Ren smiled at him. He assumed she felt good about the exam too.
After class, they headed to the cafeteria. “I have some wonderful news,” she said as she wrapped her arm around his. He enjoyed it when she was affectionate with him in this way. He was usually the one touching her, but now she couldn’t keep her hands off him. When she smiled as he looked at her, his heart melted. He loved knowing he made her happy.
“What is it?” he asked as they walked down the path.
“So, I applied to be the main editor of Penumbra, and I finally got it!”
“Penumbra?”
“It’s small magazine that has short stories and poems from students across campus.”
“Cool,” he said with a smile. “When do you start?”
“As soon as possible. The other girl left suddenly.”
“Let me know if you need any help.”
“I would love it if you helped. I’m nervous that I’ll mess everything up.”
“Renee, you’ll be fine. You are too smart for your own good.”
“Renee?”
“Sorry, that’s your real name, right?”
“Yeah, but why are you calling me that?”
He shrugged. “I like it. It’s a beautiful name. Why don’t you use it?”
She averted her gaze and looked straight ahead. “I’m named after my mother.”
He nodded. “I see.”
“So, I’ve never liked it.”
“I still think it’s beautiful. Do you mind if I call you that?”
“You can call me anything.”
“Now I have to get creative.”
She rolled her eyes.
“How about ‘sexy lady’?”
She scrunched her nose. “No.”
“Hmm. ‘Sugar’?”
“That’s cliché.”
“Well, all nicknames are cliché. How about ‘baby’?”
“No one’s ever called me that before,” she said quietly.
“‘Baby’ it is.”
She smiled up at him then continued to the cafeteria.
They walked inside then headed to the table where their friends were already sitting. Coen smiled at Ren then looked away. Sydney gave her a warm welcome and so did Nancy. Henry could tell they both liked her.
“What would you like for lunch?” Henry asked as he pulled out her chair for her.
“I can get it, Henry.”
“My girlfriend doesn’t get her own lunch. I’ll pick something out for you.” He turned away before she could say any more. When he got in line, he saw a familiar face.
“Hey, Andre.”
“Hey. You work today?”
“Nope. I’m off.”
“Dang. I’m working with this girl named Nancy.”
“Nancy is cool. You’ll like her.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Girls can be catty and annoying.”
“You won’t have that problem with her. She’s really nice. But she already has a boyfriend.”
Andre raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “They got me working forty hours this week. Is that normal? I need a job, but I need to study, too.”
“No, don’t stress about it. They just make you work a lot so you can learn everything quickly then start working on your own.”
“Phew.”
Henry laughed. “You’ll still have time for school and to party.”
“Well, partying is on my top list of priorities. That comes first.”
“You sound like an upstanding student,” he said with a smile.
“I still have a 4.0 GPA.”
“Seriously?”
Andre nodded.
“So you are one of those people,” Henry teased. “I hate smart people like you. I was ecstatic when I rose above a 3.0.”
“Well, I have an easy major.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
Andre looked down at Henry’s tray, which had enough food for two people. “Hungry?”
“It’s for my girlfriend.”
“She eats a lot.”
Henry laughed. “Sorry. It’s for me and my girlfriend.”
“I was judging you for a second.”
“Yeah, I could tell.”
Andre paid for his food then walked away. “See you later.”
“’Bye.” Henry paid for the meal then joined his friends at the table. There wasn’t an extra seat, so he searched for a vacant one around the room. Everything was taken. Ren looked at him, unsure of what to do. Henry picked her up from the seat then sat down, putting her in his lap. “There we go.”
Ren giggled as she adjusted herself on his lap. When she shifted her ass on his crotch, he felt his boner spring to life. When she smiled at him, he knew she’d felt it. He wasn’t ashamed. Whenever he felt her, he was immediately electrified, shocked by the chemistry between them. His veins circulated with electric forces, moving to his brain and then to his heart. He was always hot for her. It didn’t matter if they were in public or at home. Ren continued to stare at him, her nose pressed against his. He slipped a few kisses in, forgetting about the people sitting at the table. The noise in the cafeteria disappeared. The sound of chatting, chairs moving, people eating vanished.
“Did you hear me?” Sydney asked.
“Just ignore them,” Coen said. “They’re in their own little world.”
“Henry?”
“Huh? What?” he said as he looked at her.
“I wanted to have everyone over for dinner. It’ll be a triple date.”
“Cool,” he said. He looked at Ren. “You wanna come?”
“I always want to come.”
He smiled, understanding her meaning.
“Maybe you guys should go in the bathroom or something,” Derek said as he placed his arm over Nancy’s chair. She smiled widely when he showed his affection.
Henry cleared his throat then looked at Ren. “Thank you for inviting us. Of course we’ll come.”
“Good,” Sydney said. “I’m making spaghetti.”
“We should play games,” Coen suggested.
“Did you get Death Channel for the console?” Derek asked as he leaned forward.
“Yep,” Coen said as he clapped his hands. “The graphics are unbelievable.”
Sydney rolled her eyes. “No video games.”
“Come on,” Coen said. “You and the girls can gossip while we hang.”
“We are playing board games, something all of us can enjoy,” she said firmly.
Coen shook his head. “She hates video games.”
“Girls are so annoying,” Derek said.
“I don’t hate video games. It’s when you play them for hours that I start hating them,” Sydney said.
“It’s not like I do it all the time,” Coen argued.
“The only way I can stop you is when I stand in front of the television naked. Otherwise, it’s like I don’t exist.”
Coen smiled. “Well, it works.”
Derek looked at Nancy. “Maybe I should try that. Ignore you until you offer sex.”
Nancy sighed. “I miss being single.”
“Come on, babe. I was just joking,” Derek said.
“Fine,” Coen said. “We won’t play them.”
“Good. Board games it is,” Sydney said.
“I’m glad you don’t play video games,” Ren said.
“I do, but I can’t afford them anymore.”
“Well, that’s good for me.”
Their lunch break went by with small conversations. Henry was glad that Ren had agreed to come to dinner. Since Sydney was the host, he wondered if that would make Ren uncomfortable. He was lucky that she was willing to put in so much effort to make this work. It would kill him if Ren had feelings for someone else for the entire start of their relationship. He wanted to be the only person in her heart.
Henry finished his afternoon classes then met Ren in the library. She had a stack of papers on the desk and she was going through each one, trying to determine what should be submitted to the magazine.
“I don’t know what to choose. They are all wonderful.”
Henry grabbed a random stack from the pile. “‘An Ode to a Pickle’?” he said with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, it’s funny.”
“I think ‘wonderful’ is a bit of a stretch.”
“It can’t be serious the whole time. Most of the stack is sad poems about being dumped. We need to have some laughs.”
He tossed it back. “I guess you’re right.”
“So help me.”
Henry went through them, then started editing a few he liked. There were three piles. One was for the rejections, stories or poems that just weren’t well-written, another pile for the maybes, and a small pile for the winners. “I wasn’t impressed by the number of quality submissions.”
“It’s still very brave of them to make the attempt.”
He smiled at her. “You’ll be a great teacher.”
“You think so?”
“I really do.”
“If I ever find a job.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, there are only three universities in Hawaii. That’s pretty slim odds that I’ll find a full-time job.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’ll happen.”
“I just hope I don’t have to move back to the mainland for work.”
“That wouldn’t be so bad. We could live in Southern California — that way we won’t freeze to death.”
“You would move with me?”
“Where you go, I go.”
Her eyes softened when she looked at him. She wasn’t expected him to say something so heartfelt. “That’s so sweet.”
“Well, I really like you, Renee. It’s going to take a lot for you to get rid of me.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I’m practically a stalker.”
