With the time difference, Jacqui woke up well before sunrise. She found Khizar in the kitchen attached to the suite, waiting for coffee to finish brewing. When he saw her, he pulled another mug down from the cabinet.

“Good morning,” Jacqui said.

“Good morning,” he replied cheerfully, pouring two cups of coffee and handing her one. “Did you sleep well?”

She took a careful sip and nodded. “So well. I swear, that bed is like sleeping on a cloud.”

“Excellent. Since you’re up early, would you like to go watch the sun rise over the ocean? I can have the hotel pack a breakfast for us and suggest the best place to go.”

“I’d love that. Give me ten minutes to get ready.”

A short time later, they were in a car with more coffee and a large bag of breakfast pastries and fruit. The hotel had offered one of their town cars and drivers, so both Jacqui and Khizar were taking in the scenery from the back seat of the sedan.

The driver took them to a secluded little park where the palm trees formed a canopy and large rocks just right to perch on sat facing east. Jacqui clambered up on top of one of the rocks with her coffee and a pineapple muffin, while Khizar did the same on a rock a few feet away.

They were quiet, sipping coffee and eating. The sun slipped above the horizon, turning the sky bands of purple and pink and orange, the colors reflected in the glass-like water. Jacqui had never seen anything so beautiful.

After the sun was fully risen, Jacqui looked at Khizar.

“I know tradition is to applaud the sunset, but I feel like that sunrise deserves a standing ovation.”

Khizar nodded. “Truly gorgeous.”

He was watching her instead of the sky, and Jacqui wondered for a moment if they were talking about the same thing.

Back at the hotel, Khizar left to take care of his business meeting while Jacqui bought a book from the small store in the hotel and went to sit on the beach. The hotel had little cabanas set up for guests, so she grabbed one and curled up in what had to be the most comfortable beach chair ever.

She read a little, but mostly she sat and watched the people and the ocean. When Khizar found her there a couple of hours later, she was ready to go sightseeing. They walked around a large open-air market, and Jacqui bought souvenirs for her parents and Lyssa.

They had lunch at a small café in downtown Honolulu, trying some of the local specialties. Then, Khizar took her to a little cove a few miles out of the city, and Jacqui got to try snorkeling for the first time.

After figuring out how to get the mask fitted and the right way to breathe, Jacqui dived right in. She and Khizar spent the next hour pointing out brightly-colored fish and interesting-looking coral to each other.

Jacqui also spent some time covertly admiring her snorkeling companion. She usually spent as much time as she could doing yoga, a practice she’d picked up from a roommate at culinary school, so she was no slouch in the fitness department. Jacqui knew she looked good in her purple bikini.

Khizar, on the other hand, looked like he spent hours in the gym each day. The man’s abs alone must have taken a whole team of personal trainers to sculpt, but the effect was totally worth it.

After snorkeling, they headed back to the hotel to change. Jacqui took a quick shower, dressed for the evening, and then collapsed on the couch in the main room. Khizar didn’t let her stay motionless for long, though.

The two borrowed the hotel’s car and driver again. Khizar wouldn’t tell her where they were going, and Jacqui was surprised when they pulled up at a small airfield.

The driver dropped them off, and Khizar led her to a helicopter, where a pilot waved at them to get on board.

“Really?” Jacqui turned to Khizar and asked.

“Best way to see more of the island.” He shrugged. “And it’s our transportation to dinner tonight.”

Jacqui’s eyes got big. “Our transportation to…what?”

Khizar only smiled enigmatically. “You’ll see. You’ll love it, I promise.”

He helped her board the helicopter, and the pilot handed them both heavy headsets to wear. Jacqui could hear the pilot as he narrated their flight, and she asked him question after question about what they were seeing.

They flew over the island, over mountains and beaches. Their pilot pointed out the famous North Shore, where Jacqui could see surfers riding big waves. They flew over lush rain forests, an impossible green to Jacqui’s eyes.

When the helicopter landed, it was in a clearing on the edge of a group of buildings. On the other side of the buildings was a private beach, and in the courtyard, there was a large fire pit surrounded by long tables.

They stepped off the helicopter and Khizar led Jacqui through one of the buildings and out into the courtyard. There was already a large group of people there, some dressed in traditional Hawaiian garb and others in dressy beachwear. Khizar and Jacqui were both welcomed with leis made of tiny shells and flowers, and offered drinks with a little pineapple garnish.

The luau was loud and fun, and the food was fantastic. Jacqui had never had roast pig before—it was delicious—and their whole table had a great time watching the hula and fire dancers perform.

On the helicopter ride back, Khizar’s arm wrapped around her, Jacqui watched the lights twinkle below them and thought of how many new experiences she’d had just in the last two days. She couldn’t wait to see what the next day would bring.

* * *

After another leisurely morning, centered on a breakfast of fresh fruit, macadamia nut waffles, and coconut syrup eaten on their lanai, Jacqui and Khizar took a walk around some of the historic buildings in Honolulu.

They visited a couple of museums after lunch, and then it was time for their last dinner in Hawaii. Khizar had planned for them to fly back overnight, arriving in Milwaukee the next morning.

Jacqui wore a new dress, with a halter top and a long, flowing skirt in an understated Hawaiian print. She’d picked it out so that she would have something to remember her dream vacation by, especially during the next long Wisconsin winter.

Khizar took her to a small, four-star restaurant which sat on a pier out over the water, where they listened to the waves break as they ate seafood caught that day.

After dinner, Jacqui asked for one more walk on the beach. They strolled hand in hand along the water’s edge and watched the sunset.

Jacqui stopped to pick up a shell, which she carefully wiped off and put in her skirt pocket. Khizar tucked a stray strand of hair behind her hair, and then softly brushed his fingers across her cheek.

“Did you have a good weekend?” he asked.

“The best. I think any vacation in Hawaii would have been amazing, but this weekend with you has been really special. Thank you, Khizar.”

He shook his head.

“Thank you. I’d forgotten what it was like to have a life outside of work, and just enjoy being with someone else. You are special to me, Jacqui.”

Jacqui looked up at him and sucked in a breath at the emotion she saw in his eyes. He reached his hand out to cradle her face, and then slowly leaned down to kiss her.

Jacqui closed her eyes and let the sensations take over. The slightly rough feel of Khizar’s lips against hers, the breeze teasing at her hair, the sound of her heart beating faster in her ears. She laid one hand flat on his chest, and wrapped the other around his neck, pulling him closer into her.

When he pulled back, his breathing ragged, Khizar rested his forehead against hers.

“That was pretty special, too,” he whispered.

Jacqui smiled and leaned up to kiss him quickly one more time.

“Yes, it was. The perfect end to the perfect weekend.”

Khizar wrapped his arms around her and they watched the stars appear over the water until they had to leave. Jacqui felt like her world had moved into place, like something right had just clicked.

On the flight back, Jacqui couldn’t stop smiling. Even when Khizar insisted she take the bedroom to get some sleep, and was getting ready for bed, she knew she had a sappy grin pasted across her face.

Jacqui also knew that she had completely fallen for Khizar. As she fell asleep, she thought of how happy she was and how she couldn’t wait to get even closer to him.