On The Beach @ Waikiki

By Don March

On the Beach at Waikiki is a story about Mark Massman a software developer who visits Oahu for a software conference. His marriage is on its last legs, he is on the verge of industry changing software, but the allure of the island captures his heart and passion during the conference. Mark for a lack of a better word, goes wild; he is out of control, which spells his doom and downfall. His life deteriorates leaving him broke and homeless on the beach at Waikiki. On the Beach at Waikiki is a riveting story that contrasts the stark realities of living in paradise with the romance and beauty of the islands that the tourists see.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Don March
• Release date: Jul 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466187641

Don March

I have two passions Hawaii and writing. I visited Hawaii about five years ago and I became a Hawaiian nut, I read everything that I could find about these magnificent Islands. I even grow pineapples, I live in Illinois and I successfully grow pineapples. When my daughter and just about everyone else seemed to be consumed with vampires, something clicked. The mythologies of Hawaii and vampire's lore are a perfect blend. The question is why a vampire would go to a tropical paradise best known for its magnificent sunshine. Absolution is the answer, a complex troubled vampire seeking his own absolution. Vampires have long been intertwined with Christianity, absolution of sins is a tenant of Christianity and many of Hawaii's ancient sites are known for sanctuary and absolution, tying together vampires and Hawaii.

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ON THE BEACH

@

WAIKIKI

By

Don March

Copyright © 2011 Don March

Revised September 2013

All rights reserved.

Published at Smashwords

Smashwords

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CHAPTER 1

On the Beach @ Waikiki

Wow, I can’t believe how much Waikiki has built up since I was here last, Jenny said as we hit the main drag of Waikiki, I thought the highway was crowded as crowded as the I-5 at rush hour, but once the airport shuttle exited the highway and we pulled on to the main drag of Waikiki, Kuhio street, Kuhio street was bumper to bumper the whole length. We lived in San Diego, but I grew up in Chicago, both had their share of traffic, but Oahu had them both beat.

I wouldn’t want to drive this, it is like downtown Chicago in a snow storm during rush hour, it is grid lock, I said I was glad we were in a shuttle.

When I was here last, all the hotels had big expansive front lawns and long front drives, look, it is all shopping malls right up to the street, Jenny said, she seemed too busy comparing Hawaii to days gone by too enjoy this Hawaii, Hawaii today, this modern Hawaiian paradise.

Man, no way am I renting a car here, this traffic is nuts, I said as the shuttle pulled up to the bus drop off for the Waikiki Sheraton and the Halekulani, it wasn’t impressive more like a loading dock, hot, muggy, damp, dark and totally surrounded by tall buildings, getting off the bus in this back alley-way started to chip away at the euphoric feeling of paradise that I had felt stepping off the plane.

Where’s the hotel, I asked getting off the shuttle, but before the shuttle driver could answer and I could give him a tip, I saw the small sign pointing to the front of the hotel and the front desk, there was also a sign with all the shuttle information for the conference, pickup times and return times.

Mark, there’s a sign for the hotel’s front desk, it’s that way, Jenny said as I was tipping the driver.

There has to be an easier way, I thought as we dragged our over-stuffed luggage up one set of steps and down another and then I saw the other sign that directed people around the corner and bypassing the steps. We went around the circle drive that now seemed to be more of an atrium with the walls of tall buildings encircling the drive and the only light the sun above, a bit better that the alley that we were dropped off in and the euphoria of paradise, the island and the hotel slowly started to return.

This is starting to look familiar, Jenny said as we passed the giant aquarium, the island inspired mosaic of a sea turtle, then the view straight through the lobby, past the foyer, the front desk, the shops and the bar right out on to the ocean and the beauty of the south pacific, the ocean breeze coming through the lobby, the splashes of blue, the slashes of that oh so bright sun and I was in paradise.

Wow. I gasp, a feeling that I am sure is shared by every first time visitor to the Waikiki Sheraton and the euphoria of the island coursed through my veins.

***

The room was nice, it had a great view of Diamond Head, just enough balcony, not big enough to lay out on but a fine spot to sip a drink and to sip in the beauty of the ocean, gaze over the majestic iconic Diamond Head, Waikiki’s most noted natural land mark, perfectly blending yet framing in the Pacific, between the majestic hotels and the majestic green of Diamond head.

Okay, what first, I said as I dropped my bags and my gazed fixed on the beauty of the island beyond the balcony. I smiled, my first thought, a quickie to christen the room, christen the island, letting the serotonin rush of a majestic tropical orgasm usher us through the gates of this earth bound paradise. It had been awhile since we had any sex quickie or otherwise. I hoped the island might spark something.

Let’s go down to the beach and get something to eat, Jenny said, a snack was not my first choice to do in paradise.

Alright, but I will have to make it over to the conference center to get registered and we do have the social tonight, I said hoping she would get the hint that now would be a good time for a quickie, we have stuff to do and if we don’t get a quickie in now; we won’t have a chance to christen the island until after the social. with jet lag, I know Jen, she will be to tired after the social, and with the early conference start tomorrow, together it means tomorrow night will be the earliest chance to get some nooky in.

That’s fine and all, I know you have stuff to do, we can get a bite to eat later, but the beach has to come first, Jenny replied and damn I thought.

***

The beach, where is the beach, I said as we walked to the edge of the sundeck to find a break wall and no beach. This sucks. This is one of the most famous hotels on one of the most famous beaches. This is the hotel Steve McGarrett stands on during the introduction to the old Hawaii Five-O and it doesn’t have a fricken beach. Disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling, what a gyp, I pay this much for an ocean front hotel, I want, I expect a beach.

That’s weird I remember this hotel having a beach, this hotel must have a beach, no, no I remember this hotel had a beach, Jenny said, having stayed at this hotel on her previous trips, she insisted on staying at this hotel and she always raved about the beach.

Either side of the sundeck, An attractive older woman said, she had the most glorious color tan. She looked great, tight stomach, great legs, a sexy cover-up hung low around her waist and a tiny print bikini top held her still perky full breast. Jenny should have screwed me in the room I was way too horny, there are way too many hot women and I didn’t see any chance for any release for any time in the near future. And I even wondered; was this older attractive woman hitting on me.

Excuse me, I replied.

The beach is on either side of the sundeck, the women said with a wink and a smile.

Oh, that’s right, I remember now, Jenny said.

Thanks, I said with a smile to the older woman with the great legs and tan, the wink, the wink made me think and even worse, the wink triggered a sexy little fantasy.

Let’s try the right first, Jenny suggested, left was probably the way to go, but we would have to try right first.

Sure, I said as we made our way passed the adult pool, the seating for the one café and down a set of stairs. Still not much of a beach, small, heavy surf and it ran right into the hotel next door the Halekulani, the small beach squeezed in between the two hotels. Still a beach, still the Pacific Ocean and I was anxious to at least get my feet wet.

Looks kind of rough, Jenny said, for all the big rush to get down to the beach, now she had second thoughts about checking out the beach.

Com’on, I said as I walked in with my water shoes on. The surf had cut a step of about twenty inches, making it difficult to walk passed the breaking surf into the ocean. The steep step combined with the pounding surf almost knocked me off my feet, but once I passed the surf and the drop of the first steep step, the water was warm and the bottom was soft cushy sand.

Mark, Jenny protested, me I was enjoying the warm waters of Waikiki. She was done with this beach, so I was now done, like it or not. I tried to walk back out, which surprisingly was way harder than walking in, the water shoes curious enough are designed to walk in water and protect your feet from stones and sharp coral, but with the swirling sand of the surf, the shoes quickly filled with sand and the shoes were now heavy bags of sand. A twenty inch step made of sand, a step of constantly shifting sand and wearing sand filled shoes that weigh twenty more pounds than when I stepped in the water, walking out was about ten times harder than walking in. The shoes weighted down with sand made the twenty inches seem like three feet. With the surf, I wound up almost crawling out. Once I finally got out of the water, I stood there covered with sand to my waist. My water shoes filled and caked with sand and me with my pasty white complexion, with every one nearby knowing, just another dumb tourist who had just gotten off the plane. Shit, I thought, I felt foolish, I looked foolish and I was uncomfortably gritty.

Damn lot of sand, Is what I said, I felt like a buffoon. Worst of all, how to get all the fucking sand off of me, without going back into the ocean, I thought I was fucked until I saw the stream of people leaving the beach and heading straight to the showers and water spigot adjacent to the hotel.

Now what the fuck, are you going to do, you cannot go up to the room, like that, Jenny sarcastically said and I pointed to the shower.

I am going to wash off and then we can head on over and check out the beach on the other side of the hotel, I said as I headed to the shower.

On the far side of the sundeck a narrow walkway skirted between the kiddy pool and the seawall, it was beautiful but still wasn’t what I would call Waikiki. The crowd of adults laying tanning around the kiddy pool seemed odd, but the kiddy pool held full sun all day, it was the best spot at the hotel to tan. The sight of beautiful bodies lying around the pool didn’t begin to match the spectacular beach and the hundreds of people, the hundreds of beautiful people that was straight ahead, on an incredible ribbon of sand, fronting some of the most recognizable hotels in the world and the people, the skin, the waves, the surf, it all bound together rolled together with that feeling, that feeling that brings so many people to the islands, that magnificent Hawaiian spirit. We took in the beauty, but now there was two things I needed to do, take care of the thing that brought me to the island, the conference, so we had to go to the conference center and register, and the other thing I really needed to do was fuck my wife, and I would get to do this all under this amazing Hawaiian sun, in this amazing paradise, then this trip would be perfect and anything else we did or I did at this convention would be pure gravy.

So what do you think about heading to the room for a little humma, humma, I asked raising my eyebrows, flashing my eyes, giving my best sexy smile.

Mark after that long flight, I am icky, I need a shower and you, you still need to register. You need to register you, Petty and Carrie at the conference, and then we have to get back here and get ready for tonight. We don’t have time for any humma, humma, but don’t worry there will be plenty of time, maybe after the social, Jenny said, but she lacked the smile that said the wait will be worth it.

Okay, okay we should get going then, I said with a heavy sigh.

There is something I have been meaning to ask you, for all the years Petty has been working for you, I have always wondered about her name, Petty what the hell kind of name is that, Jenny asked.

Don’t start, I replied.

No, seriously I want to know what kind of name that is, Jenny asked.

It is short for Petulla; she hates the nickname Pet so she only uses the name Petty. She is a triplet and all the girls have ‘P’ names, Pamela, Petulla and Patricia, they all use nicknames Pammy, Petty and Patty, I explained.

She must have been popular in high school with that name, Jenny quipped.

Why don’t you ask her, I bet she has heard that one about a million times, I replied.

You are always defending her, why did you even bring me, Jenny said.

This is what I meant by don’t start. Going to Hawaii has been our dream since we got married. Don’t ruin it with some petty jealousy with a woman I have no possible interest in. Let’s go to the conference center get registered, tonight we will enjoy the social and then we can have some fun, I said.

Well. I guess, I have you in paradise, what else, could I want. Jenny said.

***

Wow, we just walked on the bus no wait, Jenny said as we walked down the aisle of the shuttle bus to the conference center.

That is one thing the conference planners do real well is the shuttle buses, but after today we will need conference badges to board the bus, I replied.

So where are Petty and Carrie staying, Jenny asked.

Petty insisted on booking the hotel herself instead of going through the association’s convention committee, so she wound up at one of the Hilton Towers, I said.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village that must be nice, Jenny asked.

Yeah not quite, she is in one of the towers near the back of the property, nowhere near the beach, their tower is pretty far from the beach and most of the pools, I replied as the bus pulled out and the bus started to make its way to the conference center.

Why are we stopping already, Jenny asked.

We are at the end of the shuttle run, so the buses actually park at our hotel, on the way to the convention center we have a bunch of stops at other hotels on the way there, I replied.

***

Okay, okay, so we are here at the conference, why do we have to make two trips, what is the deal, two round trips on that boring bus, where are we supposed to meet up with them, Jenny asked.

We are here to register, so I can check out the conference center and check out the layout, so I won’t have to get here really early on Monday to register and I made sure I got here early because I missed the social at the last conference, it is supposed to be this great party, lots to eat, lots to drink and lots of freebees and not knowing the conference layout we figured we will look for each other and try to meet up. Otherwise we will meet up at the conference tomorrow, I said.

You are so terrible at making plans, Jenny said.

I am going to register us all, it is just polite and it will help them out, I said.

Seems like a lot of extra trouble and a lot of extra unnecessary walking to me, Jenny said.

CHAPTER 2

The Social

The social should be a lot of fun, meeting, eating, drinking and blowing off a bit of steam before the conference gets started and the social helps re-establish old and new contacts that you have made in the industry and at other conferences. This was my second National Conference, at the first convention I met people from all over the country and in my mind that is the best part of these conferences, making those connections and finding how much you share with the people from other parts of the country and other parts of the business. This conference was especially important to me, my software had been doing very well and I was asked to be a speaker. Being asked to be a speaker, what a great opportunity, the prestige of course, but as a speaker I will be able to give the industry a glimpse of my new software. The new software I developed should be very well received even though it is several months before it will be ready for release. Some people think it will be industry changing software, but I really doubt it is that important. But first and foremost, this is supposed to be a fun vacation and a fun conference so I am wondering, why, has Jenny decided that this would a great time to pick apart every point of contention and every element of this conference and my planning of the vacation.

It is so crowded, Jenny complained as we waited behind the ropes of the badly setup clique, it was organized to break us down and feed us into a single line but the crowd was funneled quicker than the space allowed. On one side of the human log-jam everyone was confused and the frustration was reaching the breaking point, once you crossed to the far side of the human log-jam, you could see the obvious problem. They didn’t stretch out the clique enough, once I was finally on the far side of the human log-jam I immediately thought, Okay this is why it is so screwed up. But we still had a long wait before I would have that thought.

I am sure they are doing their best, it is just a lot of people to deal with, the turnout is always better at conferences like this one at a vacation hotspot, no one showed up for the one in Cleveland last year and that is why they are thinking about having the conference in Oahu every year from now on, I explained.

I still don’t know why they, Carrie and Petty have to come along, they aren’t software developers, Jenny nagged as we moved a few steps forward.

Bob wanted to reward some people for their hard work, Petty and Carrie both have been indispensible, they both earned a chance to come to this conference, I tried to explain, Bob was ahhh, not quite my partner and not quite my boss.

I still don’t see it, it is a software developer’s conference and you are the software developer and they are both glorified secretaries, Jenny said.

Com’on you know they are not secretaries, I replied as we finally were passed the human log-jam and on the final stretch of the clique. Lovely Hawaiian women walked along the now single file line placing lei’s on every one of party goers, we stopped for only a second and then the doors opened.

The doors opened and there was an organized rush through the single set of doors, but all the other doors opened quickly in almost a cascade effect and the organized rush quickly change to an all out rush through all the open doors. The rush seemed to be driven by two things, the grabbing up and saving of tables and the compulsive need to be first in line at the buffet lines, the dozen or so buffet stations spread from one end of the large cavernous hall to the other. I scanned the hall for Petty and Carrie.

If you planned it out better you wouldn’t have to find them in this sea of people, Jenny said.

There they are, I said seeing them coming through the doors.

Why does she dress like that, Jenny said.

What? I asked not sure what Jenny meant or who she was referring to.

She looks kind of trashy; she is just that kind of woman, the kind of women who dresses that trashy just to attract attention. She is dressing to get your attention and you don’t even see it, Jenny spouted.

Who, Carrie, I questioned.

No, Carrie is dressed nice, Petty she is dressed like an oversexed eighteen year old, Jenny said.

Be nice, I said.

"You don’t see it because