Author’s note: Decided to write this up personally, not much to say but . . . enjoy this writing from me to you personally.
Disclaimer: This is only a work of fiction therefore there is no need to take it seriously as if this happens in real life.
I don’t own the images and credits of the images to the original photographers.
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| Credits to Cindy Luis for the image of Chaz Galloway. |
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| Note: This image is only a face claim for the story plus credits to the University of Hawaii for the image. |
Just when I am sleeping next to Chaz Galloway in my apartment in Waikiki: Oahu; Hawaii--I hear sounds outside. It is raining in the morning to be honest plus at first I thought Hawaii are mostly well known for their hot, tropical sunny climate however it turns out they do have the rain season in December; January and February.
As I woke up, I found out it is raining outside with the stunning view of the Waikiki Beach looking empty as people have decided to either stay in or going to the one of the museums as well as running errands on getting the essential item they needed.
"Wow," I said while trying to open the balcony door however it isn’t easy to open the door however I did managed to open it after the second time plus before I push the door: I grab a cardigan my dad bought it for me at Target plus at first I didn’t want any more clothes unless if they are essential however instead I need to understand how both Seattle in Washington State and Honolulu; Hawaii are two different places plus I can’t just pack a huge parka jacket for somewhere like Oahu and vice versa on a pair of tee shirt and a pair of denim shorts to Washington State except during the summer months however I'd think my dad wanted to make sure I kept myself warm especially during the cold nights in Honolulu and Waikiki, Oahu.
Plus just when the minute I push the door open; it turns out the balcony floor is really wet and I need to hang on to the balcony rail for balance.
In addition, it does feel windy as well with the cold wind blowing so strongly: the minute it hits my pair of legs then all of the sudden: I felt shivering and my long straight black hair are blown to the front by the wind yet I let out a yelp.
Just as when I yelped; Chaz woke up from his room and he is shocked to see me outside on the balcony yet I open the balcony door out of nowhere, and when I did; I felt so embarrassed and shocked to see him being awake yet at the same time he felt surprised to see how I open the balcony door out of nowhere because all I wanted to do is to feel the rain--my very first Hawaii rain!
Normally the raining season starts from either December or January to February; however I still wanted to feel my first rain in Hawaii.
Back in Seattle, Washington State: my home: it does feel easy because I get to feel so much rain at times however when it comes to Hawaii, I am enjoying the bright sunny weather a lot however sometimes all I want to do is to feel my first rain.
"Paula! Are you okay?!" Calls Chaz as he holds a white fluffy bathrobe in his hand while he goes to the balcony except the floor on the balcony area is wet, slippery and cold which does make it difficult for him to walk without a pair of orange slippers we got for the bathroom.
Plus the wind does feel really cold too! I was shivering so much until I couldn't tolerate it. 'Oh man, I wish I could have worn a pair of my flared track bottoms!' I thought with a huge wave of disappointment and frustration.
"Chaz!" I called, while he stepped on the wet balcony floor with the pair of bathroom slippers he is wearing on both feet.
"Paula, hang on! Just get my hand and close the door with the other hand: okay?!" He calls me, feeling shocked.
"Okay!" I called; feeling nervous and shocked.
As I let my left hand grab his wrist while my right hand is holding the balcony door; he calls to me: "On the count to three!"
"Okay, sure!"
"One . . ." He counts; sounding nervous while calling over the strong wind.
I made my first move, stepping my very first step with my cold feet: all I want to do is soak my feet in hot water personally.
"Two . . ."
I step my right leg after my left leg: I am getting a lot closer!
"Three!" He called as I took another step yet I pulled the balcony door behind me as quickly as possible; after that: all I remember is how I crushed on Chaz to the floor while closing the door yet letting go of the white handle of the white balcony door.
"Whoa!" I called as I crushed on Chaz.
"Ahhh!" He screamed while we both landed on the floor while balancing with his elbow on the smooth; cold surface of the marble floor.
We finally did, and oh boy; this is one of the most difficult moves we ever did personally.
As we heard the wind blowing outside, we both looked at each other.
"Are you okay? I am so worried about you."
"Yeah, I am okay; you?"
"Yeah: I am okay too; glad--we did manage to help each other out."
"I know that was tough."
"It's okay: I'll make coffee for you: okay? First let me run a tub of hot water just for you and for your feet to get warm yet I'll make breakfast for you."
"Sure." I answered with a smile to Chaz; the way he said this to me isn't by only words--but he did prove me wrong too by actions.
~
When Chaz runs me a tub of hot water in a blue tub where I sometimes hand wash my clothes as well his clothes which sometimes they couldn't handle the washing machine as they need to wash in cold water plus putting on my feet; I place both of my cold feet up and dip into the welcoming hot water on my feet.
He makes us both coffee; mine is on a Dolce Gusto on Latte Macchiato; he makes a drink on a cup of mocha as he takes out a box of salty crackers which I personally love to take every morning.
As he places it onto the living room coffee table: Chaz asks me "Can I have your hand?"
I nodded and gave his hand; he placed both of my hands into the hot water and massaged it very carefully with his pressure.
"Ow," I moaned; feeling shocked.
"Sorry," He apologized while focusing on the pressure.
Chaz's P.O.V
As I press her hand softly, I don't know why I do that however I remember one of my friends Kahea who is from the island of Kauai: he brought me into a spa where we learned about something called Lomi-Lomi.
The owner is really friendly yet she is willing to teach us on a one-on-one lesson on lomi-lomi and the benefits yet how lomi lomi helps out to release the knots of stress and tension we have personally.
"When you press the person's skin, don't press too hard: because if you press too hard: not only you hurt the person but also you might hurt their internal system too." She explains firmly to us while we both are massaging the clients.
"Oh,"
"Plus you must keep your nails short and trimmed at all times because long nails might hurt the skin but it might poke into the flesh of your client as well."
"Okay." I nodded and unfortunately I made my first mistake of pressing too hard on his skin and he yelps an 'Ouch!' out of nowhere.
"Opss, sorry." I apologize to the client while massaging him carefully.
"It's okay: we all made mistakes and just be more careful when you massage the person." She explains to me.
I nodded and I didn't make a mistake after that.
After that experience; I thanked her and promised to come back for more lessons on lomi lomi and now I got my first experience with my girlfriend.
"Wow, did you just do this because you wanted to help me out?"
"Yeah; definitely, but also I wanted to let you know something--about a story."
"Wow, what is it?"
"Did you know the word 'Lomi lomi'?"
"No, I heard about it but I don't know about the word meaning."
"Okay, so lomi lomi means 'To knead'; 'To rub': 'to soothe' and 'to work in and out' in Hawaiian or Samoan language."
"Wow."
"It's exciting; isn't it?"
"Yes, I'd think it is: thank you: Chaz and where you got your experience from?"
"Do you remember Kahea, my teammate and friend from the island of Kauai?"
"Uh-huh; Chaz."
"He is the one who asked me to experience the lomi lomi at a spa yet we also got a one-on-one lesson."
"Awesome." She said with a genuine smile; I smiled back at her.
Paula's P.O.V
"Awesome." I said with a genuine smile which Chaz returned me another real smile on his face.
When he told me about his experience with lomi lomi; it does feel really good yet he enjoys the experience plus the manager of the massage place whom he explained to me her name is Angelina who is now running the massage place with her mom just before her; Mary had learned the lesson about lomi lomi just when Mary is only at her [Angelina's] age.
Plus after finishing medical school, Mary decided to move back to Kauai and open her very own Lomi Lomi place which is now very popular and well-known with locals and tourists yet it wasn't just only a 'run on the mill' massage place; it also feels like visiting a friend's home yet many of the workers encourage their clients to do meditation, exercises and eating well based on their body part.
I thought at first; this year the men's volleyball team is all about the games and being a well-oiled machine, this year: Rado explained to me with a whole new different wave of freshmen players coming into the team: it is mostly based on friendship more so than being a machine.
It is also about having fun and staying focused as well as being on their A Game all at the same time.
In addition: this year I have been focusing on improving myself after having a deep pain from how Austin and I broke up since he had transferred to UCLA and on his senior year; he had changed so much: I thought I wasn't going to meet anybody polus this my chance to focus on giving myself more love.
As I am focusing on self-love; Rado had told me ever since Austin and Brett 'Rosey' Rosenmeier who are my two best friends yet Austin once used to be my boyfriend back then during his freshman year yet I am a senior in 2017 are gone since Rosey graduated in 2019 along with Joe Worsley, Dalton Solbrig and Stijn Van Tilburg then he told me I needed someone to look out for me and that's him: Rado.
Rado and James are the ones who are looking out for me this year ever since they reminded me of the older brothers I never had in my whole life as we are an *ohana (*Ohana means family in Hawaiian; you know the reference here personally.) plus Max Rosenfield too is also looking out for me as well.
During the first game of Hawaii versus Charleston's Golden Eagles; I asked Rado before the game if everybody did manage to turn up for the game.
He shaked his head while answering to me sympathetically: "No, unfortunately. I mean we do have a player who is not here unfortunately."
Even though we already got the freshmen players present; the player from the island of Kauai as an outside hitter Kahea Kamalani, a new middle blocker from Rio De Janeiro; Brazil: Guilherme Voss 'G-Voss': two local Asian players: Eleu' Choy who is from Honolulu yet a younger brother of Bailey Choy and Shea Suzumoto who is a graduate from Punahou along with Alakai' Todd who is a redshirt player.
And there is one player transferred from California as a junior sophomore, Garett Geiger.
At first I go like 'Oh okay, I guess everybody's here but one player that is.' as my first thought but Rado asked me if I want the absent player information but I told him no.
I didn't go the second on Charleston versus Hawaii since I go to Art on the Fence and I got to work at the UH Manoa Bookstore where I work while studying at an art school in Honolulu; Hawaii.
I did managed to go to the game of Harvard's Crimson versus Hawaii Rainbow Warriors; except I felt shy about seeing the guy who is absent from the first game yet I know Rado only shared with me about the information about he is from San Diego plus James wanted to reveal his name however he wanted to kept it as a secret on the other hand.
As I approached the players; I did feel really shy about meeting the new guy.
Eleu' and Shea who are two players I managed to meet yet they are genuinely friendly called to me: "Hey Paula: come meet this guy!"
I walked out neutrally while staying calm.
"Hey Paula, is this the guy you are talking about?" Asked Eleu' who sounds very excited yet curious at the same time.
"Yes, why?"
"Actually this is the guy who you are looking for." said a player with a wink: Cole Hogland.
"Oh!"
As I looked at him; he is the guy who I met at the beach back in San Diego yet his tightly curly sunshine platinum blonde hair and dark roots look oddly familiar to me yet his beautiful brown skin is the same light brown complexion.
Except this is the writing I did in the past.
"Paula, meet Chaz Galloway." Announced Shea proudly.
~
After the game; everybody wants to know each other plus while we all get drinks from Jamba Juice as Rado would suggest; I go down to the beach on Ala Moana Beach Park with my Summer Berries smoothie beverage holding in my left hand by sitting near the waves.
The guys get a spot on a table and benches to sit down, Chaz decides to walk down to the path on where I am sitting.
As I inhaled the salty air; I wasn't paying any attention to him who was sitting down next to me.
"Hi." He said, I ignored him: just drinking away my drink.
When I never said anything; he said "Aloha." Then that's when I turned to him.
He gives me a smile on his face which reminds me of the smile he normally gives it to me every now and then including the one whom he gives it to me now.
"Hi. How are you?" He asked me softly; feeling shy while placing his orange smoothie down on the sand as I held the beverage while his left hand ran through his kinky curly sunshine platinum blonde hair with the dark roots.
At first I thought he dyed his hair however I guess it grows back originally like that.
"Good, you?"
"Yeah, good. And my hair grows back naturally like that after I shaved off my curls on my dark brown curls just when I moved to another school and an area where volleyball is bigger."
I listened to him while he spoke the waves instead of looking at me and talking to me.
"Thus one year later, my curls grow back and it is a natural blonde instead of an original dark brown."
"Wow,"
"Plus I decided to only get an undercut ever since I am happy to get my blonde curls back."
"Wow," I just didn't know what to say.
"Yeah isn't it? Hair grows back sometimes."
I nodded.
"What's your name?" he asked when he was now looking at me with his pair of beautiful dark brown eyes which looked like black from the distance towards my beautiful dark chocolate brown eyes.
His pair of eyes makes me miss Austin's pair of colour changing eyes.
I didn't look at his face though I did say out loud: "My name is Paula Leah."
"Wow, what a beautiful name."
"Thank you." I replied softly just as when I was looking at him.
"You're welcome."
We look out towards the horizon of how beautiful the sea is.
"Paula, Paula: hello: are you there?" He asked me.
Then I snapped open my eyes while Chaz clicked his fingers three times.
"Paula, you seem to be in your head at times."
"Sorry, Chaz--I couldn't help it but thinking about the day we first met each other."
"Wow, really?"
"Uh-huh."
"Oh, okay."
"I have finished my lomi lomi and your feet are warm now thanks to the hot water you are soaked in."
I look down at both feet, the water is now at room temperature and my is no longer feeling cold.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes, definitely."
As I take my first sip of my coffee then I realize it's getting cold. "Oh no! My coffee!"
"What?"
"My coffee; it is getting cold!" I protested, feeling shocked.
"Oh man; I'm sorry, Paula." he apologized and realizing our coffee got cold while he is still doing the lomi lomi massage for a really long period of time on both of my hands and both of my feet which are still soaked in what used to be hot water and now the water temperature is dipping to room temperature.
"It's okay."
"But the good news is you are feeling warm and the weather is warming up." He continued speaking while we both looked outside our apartment which overlooks the Waikiki beach.
"Oh."
"How about we make a jog to Rainbow Drive in? We take our brunch there."
"Sounds like a good idea and maybe we can take it away while going on an easy hiking trail; I'd think."
"How about going to the Punchbowl Crater and to Diamond Head after taking our brunch there?"
"Sure, I am ready for whatever, Chaz."
Then we hugged each other yet I took a warm shower (*More like hot due to the cold feet I had this morning.); change into any comfortable clothing I would love to wear and same with Chaz before we both head off to Rainbow Drive in.
