Chapter 7

Nadia didn't know how the Warrens scored these fantastic luau tickets, let alone at the last minute, but she had long stopped asking questions when it came to connections and finances. No price is too high for anything they decide to do. If Nadia were a betting woman, she guessed that Henry and Eva had paid about three thousand dollars for this excursion, if only because Nadia knew how much these tickets usually cost without the rush.

Eva had sprung for a couple's-only view up on a balcony overlooking the stage and with personalized table-side food service. Henry, Monica, and Abigail were down on the main floor, right at the front table by the firebreathers and dancers. If Nadia squinted hard enough, she saw her niece clapping her hands while sitting between her mother and father. There were so many kids in the audience, though, that the luau went out of its way to cater to them.

Which meant that childless couples like Eva and Nadia appreciated their quiet spot one floor above the main action. Besides, Nadia had it on good authority that the focus wasn't on the entertainment for them… it was the food!

"All right, this is amazing." Nadia had long learned to stop feeling guilty about getting the big touristy drinks that cost almost as much as the entrée. Eva was content with a glass of wine, but Nadia wasn't turning down a giant coconut stuffed with vodka. "Do you think this coconut came straight from this island? Because I've never had such fresh coconut in my life."

While drums pounded and the audience cheered, Eva picked up the laminated placard that described the source of all the food served at that night's luau. "Fascinating," she sighed. "They grow some of these vegetables right on the premises. How novel." She put down the placard and looked over her shoulder. It wasn't the first time that night she was distracted by someone walking to another destination.

"Looking for someone?" Nadia sipped more of her drink. "I think the waitress will be back soon enough."

Eva whipped her head around. "No. I mean, I'm not looking for anyone."

"Uh-huh." If there was one thing Eva was terrible at, it was lying to her wife. "Do you have a friend somewhere? Last I checked, only two people can sit at this table. So, unless the throuple are also coming and pushing their table up against ours, we don't know anyone here."

Eva was already distracted again. "Huh?"

Nadia rolled her eyes. She knew for a fact that Rebecca and her partners weren't there that night. So who was it?

Perhaps Nadia shouldn't have wondered. She manifested the woman.

Of course that's her. No, Nadia didn't recognize the stylish femme stepping out of an elevator at the end of a long hallway. Nor did Nadia immediately assume that the person she saw was somehow related to Eva. She simply knew that this was the object of that night's drama and that everything about this luau was manufactured to create this exact moment.

How did Nadia know? She had been married to Eva long enough to simply know.

"Eva?" At first, Nadia didn't expect the hair on the woman's head to be real. Then she remembered that these were women who could afford the maintenance necessary to have cotton candy pink hair that fell in wavy ringlets down their chest and across their arms. The blouse and skirt are a nice touch. The frilly blouse boasted a sailor collar and a pussy bow that almost made the whole ensemble look a bit schoolgirlish. Except nobody thought real schoolgirls were wearing purple miniskirts with bright white tights alongside their Mary Janes.

She's beautiful. She's unique. She not only knows Eva on sight, but she looks at her like that. Nadia already knew where this was going.

"Belle! Is that you?" Eva feigned surprise like a boxer who had taken a fall. "Why, it's been so long! Are you still living in Hawaii? I had no idea!"

A sweet smile greeted Eva as the pink-haired woman bypassed the waitress in a Hawaiian shirt and came straight to the table. She barely glanced at Nadia, who held her giant drink to her chest like a shield. "Evangeline Warren. As I live and breathe." Delicate white knuckles tapped Eva on the shoulder. "Aren't you looking fresh? Kia!" She called to the waitress, who responded with surprising alacrity. That told Nadia something else that she guessed almost right away. So, this lady owns this place. Or at least this building, maybe. Usually, Nadia would assume this was the daughter of someone important in Honolulu, but if this person knew Eva before Nadia was around… no, she was too old to merely be an heiress. When Nadia looked closer, she did indeed see a few lines on the woman's forehead. Not enough to make her much older than Eva, but old enough to be the old fling Nadia immediately assumed she was.

The waitress brought an extra chair to the table. When asked if she wanted anything to drink, the pink-haired woman asked for Perrier with lime.

"My. Goodness." This woman still didn't have much attention to spare Nadia, who gritted her teeth that her fun night with Eva was so rudely interrupted. Yeah, right. More like Eva planned this all along. Why else would she always be looking out for this lady? You can't get shit by me, Eva. "What are you two doing in Hawaii? Oh…" Eyelids coated in baby blue turned in Nadia's direction. "Do tell me you remember me. Nadia, is it?"

Nadia let the irony go. "Yes. I'm afraid I don't recognize you."

"Nads." Eva deftly reclaimed her wife's attention, as if nothing at all was amiss. "You must remember Belle. She was at our wedding."

"I had purple hair back then," Belle said as if that were supposed to make her easier to remember. Lots of people have purple hair these days. Especially if they could afford it! "It was technically our first time meeting, so that's probably why you don't remember me: it was me in a long line of Eva's old friends congratulating you on landing a catch like her."

"You would know, right?" Nadia didn't take her eyes off Eva. "She's your ex, isn't she?"

Eva leaned back in her chair, legs long enough for her feet to graze her wife's ankles. Down below, two luau dancers blew fire at the same time, much to the delight of the audience. "I've got a lot of exes," was all Eva said in her defense – which wasn't a defense at all.

"Oh, but Eva and I dated long enough for us to remember each other." Belle patted Eva's leg with one hand and extended the other to Nadia. "Belle Cherise is my full name. I'm from the mainland, originally, but let's say I came into a couple of properties here near Waikiki and now call it my fulltime home. Isn't it the loveliest of all islands? It's true, isn't it, Eva? You've been to several around the world."

"There's a reason my family bought a condo here many years ago. That's why we're here. Beating the cold and snow back in New England."

"Isn't that wonderful? I haven't seen snow in years! I don't miss it, though."

"Belle Cherise…" Nadia mused, although the conversation had taken off without her. "No. Doesn't ring a bell." She couldn't help but giggle. I blame the vodka.

"Oh, that's all right." Belle's nails, which were bright pink with white rhinestones, came dangerously close to Nadia's half-eaten dinner. "In Eva's long, long line of exes, I doubt I'm the most exciting one."

Eva's response to that sweet pout was to quaff her glass of wine and stuff her mouth with the slice of the roast pig that had been saved for her.

"She hasn't changed, I see," Belle said. "Oh, but don't you two look so great at my humble luau! Honestly, I don't have much to do with it. I saw it as a decent investment as things recover from the pandemic. I have a whole hospitality company that manages it for me." The waitress returned with Belle's drink on a small serving platter. "And I get free drinks. Ah…" Those sharp rhinestone nails almost sliced open the waitress's arm. "Make sure their drinks are on the house."

"You really shouldn't have," Eva said when it was too late for Belle to change her mind.

"Nonsense. It's not like I'm refunding you the tickets. That would be absurd."

"Yes, quite," Nadia muttered onto her straw.

"When was that gorgeous wedding, again? Must have been right before the island shut down. I got back in time."

"September 2019," Eva said. "You're off a few months."

"Nonsense. I took the opportunity to do a bunch of traveling. I hit up Europe before coming back to Hawaii. Now that's a long flight. Did not think that far ahead."

"Wouldn't that have been around the time you and Yui…"

Belle interrupted Eva with a shrill first syllable. "Yes, well, not everyone's marriages last so long or so swimmingly. I'm sure you two will have a happy and long relationship, may your health last for all of eternity!"

Nadia raised her brows while sucking through her straw. All right, then. All she cared about was this story that nobody was telling her. Divorce? Smells dramatic! Tell me more!

"How long will you two be in town for?" Belle mostly asked Eva. "Through the weekend?"

"We leave Monday morning," Eva said. "So, you're in luck."

"Marvelous! I'm throwing a party this Saturday at my place. A small shindig with some other friends who live in Honolulu or are happy to be in town. Maybe you know some of them? I believe Jane Wong is actually from your neck of the woods these days."

"Oh, yes, I know her and the missus quite well."

"Again, marvelous! I can't wait to introduce you to some of the locals. You know how these islands are – the people who grow up here are very protective of their social spheres. I finally cracked one here, though, and I think it's my American duty to introduce them to the who's-who of worldly women. That includes you, Eva. I'm assuming you haven't lost your adventurous spirit?"

Eva's laugh was so fake that Nadia wondered how Belle didn't notice. Must not have been a serious girlfriend if you don't know her fake laugh, huh? Anything to keep Nadia smug through this conversation.

"Depends on the definition of ‘adventurous,'" Eva admitted. "I might not be the same mistress you remember me as."

This time, it was Belle's laugh that rang with aggrandizement. "I find that hard to believe! Though I guess we are older now, and you have… well, I'm sure you've done what you like. Even I'm not the same sweetheart you might remember me as."

"Yes, well…" Eva expertly avoided eye contact with her wife. "I'm sure Nadia and I would love to come, as long as the live entertainment is fully clothed."

"Live entertainment! Oh, you're still a hoot, Eva. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time." When Belle looked at Nadia, it was as if she were an afterthought. "I hope you enjoy the party too, Nadia. My view isn't as great as Eva's on the beach, but it's the same fresh breeze. Now, I better get going. I don't want to intrude upon your romantic date any longer." With her Perrier in hand, Belle stood up, careful to keep her pink hair out of everyone's food. "May I say, Nadia…" For the first time since Belle started talking, she turned her full attention to the woman in a T-shirt and shorts. "You are gorgeous. It's nice to know that seeing you all dressed up on your wedding day wasn't a fa?ade! Then again, this is Eva we're talking about. She would never marry someone who isn't as beautiful as me!"

Belle showed herself out. Eva almost choked on her dinner. Nadia simply said, "There it is. In the end, so many of your exes are the same."

"What's that mean?" Eva asked when she was out of danger.

Nadia shrugged. "The only things they have going on upstairs is superficial shit."

"Why do you think I married you? You're one of the least superficial people I know."

Nadia licked the tip of her fork. "Uh-huh. So what's the deal with her, anyway? How far back are we talking? How serious was it? I honestly can't imagine it lasting more than a week."

"It was a long time ago," Eva insisted. "I honestly think I've changed more than she has. Back then, all I cared about were pretty women interested in me… and if they knew how to obey in the bedroom, even better." When Nadia didn't flinch, Eva continued, "It wasn't serious with her. I was mostly interested in her style. If you haven't noticed, she likes to be ostentatious. The woman is in her thirties and still dressing like she's about to hit up Harajuku on a Sunday." Eva sighed. "There's a reference that makes me feel old."

Nadia didn't get it. "She definitely has… style…"

"And, apparently, several properties around Waikiki. Which she got from her big divorce, by the way."

Finally, something Nadia could enjoy! "Ooh, sounds juicy." Almost as juicy as the fresh pineapple on her plate – because the coconut drink hadn't been enough. "You know me. I love a good, messy lesbian divorce. That I'm not involved in."

"That's the caveat, isn't it? Let's say that Belle was a hot mess in her twenties. The only two things she loved more than fashion were falling in love and parties. If she could combine all three, even better. Now, I'm not claiming responsibility for her getting kinky back in the day, but I like to think I had an influence." When Eva realized she had run out of the honey mustard on her plate, she dipped into Nadia's. "The main reason we broke up is because she wanted to keep upping the ante when I knew she wasn't ready. Also, she loved threesomes way too much. A woman like me only had so much energy."

There's the other thing I was waiting for. Something that made that relationship sound more fantastic than it could possibly be. "Threesomes, huh?"

"Oh, don't be jealous. Most of them weren't that great. Belle's such a pillow princess, and she kept bringing back other pillow princesses. When I said I didn't have the energy, I meant it. I'm not that good, babe."

"Anyway, tell me about this messy divorce."

If Eva noted that Nadia glossed over that bit of information, she didn't say anything. "She married… wait."

"Hm?"

Eva slapped both of her hands on the table. "We've had this conversation before! I've already told you about Belle! Yeah! I remember mentioning we broke up over skydiving!"

Nadia was unfazed. "I wondered how long it would take you to remember that."

"What, so that was some sort of gotcha?"

"Not necessarily…" Nadia stacked their empty dishes on top of one another before admitting that she had run out of vodka. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to realize we've talked about your ex before."

"Why!"

"Sometimes I don't think you pay attention to what we talk about."

Eva was immediately taken aback. "I didn't know you felt that way. Because I do pay attention to what we talk about… most of the time."

"Except for when it comes to your exes."

"Look, I know how jealous you can get."

"Jealous? Please. Who's the one with a ring on her finger?"

"Exactly. It makes you more jealous."

"Yeah, right!"

They reached an infuriating impasse. Guess I get what I deserve. Nadia sat back in her seat with a huff. Both she and Eva were momentarily distracted by the finale reaching its peak on the stage below. Yet while fire spun, women danced, and the audience clapped, all Nadia could think was that Eva had also been with half of the women in Hawaii. Probably. Not that it should matter to me anymore. Like she had said, she got the ring in the end.

"I did learn one thing," Nadia said. "She likes threesomes."

"You know…" That was all Eva needed to resume their conversation as normal. "We've never had a threesome before."

Nadia was so unimpressed that one would have thought the luau was a dud.

"What?" Eva slightly whined. "It's always good to try new things."

"Why do I have a feeling this whole conversation was doomed to come back to something sexual?

"Doomed? Doomed!" Eva mocked offense by slapping her hand on her chest. "I'll have you know that one of life's greatest gifts is all the sexual stuff. Why do you think I'm always trying to get into your pants?"

I knew it. One of these days, she won't rope me right into these conversations. Probably not anytime soon. Nadia was terrible at dodging one of Eva's favorite topics. You'd think I walk into her web on purpose. Hardly. Nadia had better things to do with her time and brain cells.

Then again, this was the woman who fingered her in a cabana… and a bunch of other places Nadia shouldn't have ever known her wife's touch.

I'm as bad as her.

"So…" Eva picked up a piece of fresh pineapple with her toothpick. "How should I introduce you to all of Belle's friends? By the way, did you know that she was in a messy divorce that almost broke Honolulu in half?"

Nadia pretended she hadn't heard that. Instead, she watched the grand finale of the luau as if she had never seen such a spectacle before in her life.

"Bet you didn't know thaaaaat," Eva teased.

Sometimes, it was best to not encourage her.