Andrea Laurence - The Pregnancy Proposition

“Almost six.”

“I’d better get going then.” Mano made his way through the suite. He counted his steps, knowing his path through the rooms to the front door like the back of his hand. At the door, he whistled for Hōkū and waited for the sound of clicking toenails across the marble floor to come closer. He put on the dog’s service harness and gave him a good scratch behind the ears. “Thanks for the information, Chuck.”

“Sure thing. Have a nice dinner,” he added with a teasing tone that Mano ignored.

Chuck disappeared into the elevator as Mano rang the doorbell and waited for Paige to answer. It took her a moment, probably because she was wearing heels. He heard the slow, unsteady steps approaching the door. She must not be used to wearing dressy shoes.

The door swung open and he was greeted with the scent of the hotel’s coconut soap, a touch of Chanel No. 5 and the underlying hint of hand sanitizer he’d come to associate with Paige. His muscles tightened as he drew her into his lungs, making him more eager than he should’ve been to spend the evening with one of his hotel guests.

“I’m ready,” she said, almost breathless.

He took a step back, then offered his arm to escort her over to the elevator. Mano noticed she leaned a bit more on him than he expected. Definitely the heels. It couldn’t possibly be that she wanted to huddle close to a blind man, could it? The tightened muscles throughout his whole body hoped so.

“Does Hōkū get to join us for dinner?” she asked as they made their way to the restaurant.

“Yes. Hōkū goes everywhere. Even before I lost my eyesight, it was the policy of the hotel to welcome all service animals throughout the site. This close to the military base, we’ve hosted a lot of former military over the years with PTSD and injuries that require assistance. Everyone here knows Hōkū, anyway. The chef is known to make him his own treat to enjoy under the table while we dine.”

“I guess that’s not a bad job to have. He’s like the hotel mascot.”

Mano chuckled. “I suppose he kind of is.” The doors to the elevator opened and he led her down the path to The Pearl. The restaurant wasn’t original to the hotel, but Mano had added it not long after he took over the resort from his grandparents. The hotel was famous in its own right for being the oldest and most authentic resort on Waikiki, but he’d wanted to add something to put it over the top. It had taken him weeks to interview executive chefs and discuss menu plans to complete his vision, but within a few years, they’d earned a Michelin star. Even people who couldn’t stay at the hotel went out of their way for reservations at The Pearl for dinner, especially on Saturday nights.

Hōkū slowed ahead of him and Mano knew they were getting close to the restaurant.

“Good evening, Mr. Bishop,” the hostess said as the outer doors swung open and the cool blast of air-conditioning hit them. They stepped inside, waiting to be escorted to their table. “Right this way.”

“This restaurant is beautiful,” Paige said as they wandered back toward his reserved table. “That fish tank is amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a salt water tank that large outside of an aquarium.”

Mano had always enjoyed snorkeling as a teenager. When they opened this restaurant, he wanted the centerpiece of the dining area to be a saltwater tank that showcased the beauty under the surface of the ocean just beyond the hotel. “It’s a custom designed tank,” he said. “It had to be built inside the restaurant otherwise there was no way to get it through the doors. It has over twenty different species of tropical fish, anemones and sea urchins. There’s even a small nurse shark. None of which are on the menu,” he said with a smile. “That would be a little creepy.”

“Here’s your table. Your server will be right with you both. Enjoy.”

Mano gestured for Paige to take a seat to the left of the curved booth and he sat to the right. Hōkū found a spot beneath the table and curled up, resting his head on the top of Mano’s shoe.

“Do you like seafood?” he asked. “I guess I should’ve asked that this morning when we made plans.”

“I do. I’m trying to avoid the fish that’s higher in mercury and anything raw, but I’ve been known to eat my weight in shrimp when the opportunity arises.”

“That means the ahi tuna is out, sadly, but if you like coconut, we have an amazing coconut shrimp here. It’s served with a spicy pineapple marmalade.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Mano ran his fingers over the custom braille menu to see what tonight’s fresh catch was. The specials changed depending on what was available each morning at the Honolulu fish auction. He was pleased to find smoked Hawaiian swordfish poached in duck fat with roasted purple sweet potatoes. That was one of his favorites.

“Everything here sounds delicious,” Paige said.

“It is. But save room for dessert or you’ll regret it.”

The server came a moment later, taking their orders. Paige had taken his recommendation of the coconut shrimp with passion fruit rice pilaf. She turned down his suggestion of a mai tai, though, opting instead for a sparkling water. With that done, they handed away their menus and he was finally able to focus on figuring out his newest guest.

“So, Paige, tell me what it is that brought you to Oahu so unexpectedly, and alone?”

“I suppose that isn’t normal, especially considering I’m staying in a suite that could sleep a dozen people. I’m actually here for my grandfather. Next Friday, his ashes are being interred at the USS Arizona. He arranged this trip for me to bring him here.”

That was not the answer he was expecting at all. He hadn’t connected her grandfather’s recent passing to the trip. “I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather. Were you close?”

“Yes. I took care of him the last few weeks of his life. It was hard to watch the illness eat away at him, but I could tell he was ready to be done with it all. That’s when he let go.”

He noticed a sadness in her voice that he didn’t like. He wished their conversation hadn’t taken such a somber turn, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Few came to Hawaii for a funeral, but Paige was the exception to the rule.

“I knew he always wanted to return here when he died, but I never expected to be the one to do it. I thought for certain my parents would come out here for the service, but his instructions were very clear—I was the one to bring him. All the arrangements were made in advance and no one told me what to expect, so when I arrived it was quite a shock. I certainly didn’t need the penthouse or the first class airfare. I guess it was his way of taking care of me since I take care of everyone else all the time.”

Over the years, Mano had entertained scores of ridiculously wealthy couples vacationing from around the world, corporate bigwigs doing business and the rich and famous of Hollywood looking for a tropical escape. Chuck had mentioned that Paige’s family had money, so he’d assumed that she was just another guest like the rest.

But the more Paige spoke, the more he began to doubt his assumptions. She seemed to be very ill at ease in the luxury of his hotel. Rich heiresses were normally quite comfortable traveling well and rarely noted that they spent their time caring for others. It seemed there was another confusing layer to Paige. Was it possible that she’d been raised without the benefit of the family fortune?

“What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a registered nurse.”

He couldn’t suppress his groan at her response. That wasn’t what he’d thought she would say. Everything about her surprised him.