My Kind of Town
>>State Capitol Romantic
distractions"If you don't mind my saying so, Mr. President," Grace Ah Sun said, "I'm amazed that you remember me. I mean, just a secretary."
"I was very impressed with you on my last visit," the Leader of the Free World replied. "To be completely honest, Grace, I'd like to get to know you better. Get your opinion on a couple of things."
"I really am flattered, Mr. President," she said, her heart and voice doing a double flutter. "To answer your question, yes, of course, I'd be honored to have dinner with you."
"Wonderful! You've made my day, Grace. But do me one favor. Keep this to yourself, will you? Our little secret?"
"Of course."
"I can hardly wait."
Her heart raced, and she remembered when her husband Sheets made her feel this way. That was a long time ago, but for the same reason. She felt wanted, desired. Grace was 53, had three grown children, but she was still a woman, and liked feeling wanted. She couldn't remember the last time Sheets had really wanted her.
But she would always remember -- and love -- what Sheets had done when her honor had been stolen 28 years ago. Not that she could prove what he did. But she knew.
>> Queen's Medical Center
"This is the female from the senator's car," ambulance driver Rock Nagasawa said matter-of-factly as he and the other paramedic wheeled the unconscious young woman into the emergency room.
For the first time since her internship, that first time a battered baby came through the doors and steeled her forever because she knew that she would never see anything worse, Dr. Laurie Tang froze.
It was so rare for any information about the patient to make it's way into the ER. When they brought June Jones in, everyone was so intent on fighting to save a life, they didn't even realize it was the UH coach until much later. Over 37,000 cases come through the doors of the Queen's ER every year -- 1,700 of them involving serious trauma. Names don't matter, only lives.
"The senator's car?!" Dr. Laurie blurted.
But she couldn't allow herself to think about that right now. She had work to do, and fast. No painful romantic distractions allowed.
>>Eden Off Kuhio
In the end, Lance Ah Sun believed in love more than fear. Greg had asked him to stand with him at the demonstration in support of the hate crimes bill. And because he loved Greg so much, Lance was at long last willing risk everything, even if it killed him.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com