My Kind of Town
>> Portlock Just one kiss
"Where is Auntie Lily, Mama?" Elizabeth said, partly impatient, partly concerned.
Her mother, Rosalita Resurreccion, was getting a little concerned too. Miss Lily said she'd be home in 5 minutes, and that was almost 20 minutes ago. But today that was fine with Rosalita. With Elizabeth being home sick, Rosalita was running behind in her duties to her employer.
"I'm sure she'll be home any minute with your Popsicles. That's why I have to get those sheets off the line and onto her bed. Mama will be right back."
>> Reclining on the unmade bed, Mickey took another gulp from the bottle of red wine he'd found in the kitchen. Something called Opus 1 -- 1991. Whatever. It wasn't too bad. Unlike Mickey, who was. And another gulp.
He loved this anticipation, thinking about the look on the face of the woman he'd been trailing for two days when she came home and found him in her bedroom, and what would happen then. And when he said her name, Lily, that should get a response.
>> Maunalua Bay
Quinn Ah Sun turned the key and his big Dodge truck's engine rumbled down low in its throat. "I'm sorry, Lily. I really am."
"Oh, Quinn, don't be. It was wonderful, and I'm just as much to blame as you." And it was just one kiss. Well, one 30- or 40- or 50-second kiss when the whole world seemed to steam. OK, and there was some groping. But technically the first cousins had shared just one kiss. "And it was just one kiss."
"Yeah," he said, shifting the truck into reverse. Just one kiss.
"Quinn, stop!"
He hit the brakes. "What?" Did she want another kiss? Could Quinn say no twice? No.
"Remember those Popsicles?" They'd bought them back at Foodland in Aina Haina for Elizabeth, the 6-year-old daughter of Lily's maid who had a sore throat. Lily picked up the plastic bag that contained the Popsicles and it sloshed.
"There's another Foodland just up the road."
"Would you mind?"
"You must really like this little girl," he said. Foot off the brake, moving again.
"She's precious, Quinn. Plus, she's the only kid in my life, OK? I'm not close to being ready for a child, and Laird's been too busy with school, and Lance is gay. So Elizabeth is it."
And where was this sudden yearning to have Quinn's baby coming from?
>> Tomorrow: Independence Day
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com