The following morning Danielle and her longtime friend Allyssa Caswell paddled Dani’s twin kayak out into the Auau Channel, which was the body of ocean between the islands of Maui and Lanai. The calm water was ideal for that type of boating, the name in fact translating to “take a bath”.

The two women had roomed together in college and Allyssa now worked as a marine biologist, studying the effects of land-based pollution on the islands’ coral reefs. Allyssa’s fair porcelain skin was a constant source of concern to her, given her daily exposure to the sun, but she was extremely diligent in her use of sunscreen and hideously wide-brimmed hats.

After an hour or so of paddling in the gentle waves, it became apparent to the usually forthright friends that their current conversation was strangely superficial and guarded. Allyssa decided to broach the subject.

“So how was that big reception last night, Dani? You haven’t said anything about it at all. I’m surprised. I thought you would have given me all the juicy details by now. You haven’t even mentioned your new boss.” Allyssa was seated behind her in the kayak, so as not to block her friend’s view with her oversized straw bonnet.

Danielle was keenly aware of her uncharacteristic silence but she just didn’t quite feel up to regurgitating all that she had been through in the past week. So she decided to avoid answering the question by deflecting it back onto her friend.

“The reception was okay. But what about you? You haven’t mentioned your work at all. Usually you’re bubbling over with the latest scientific studies and news of various environmental activism around Maui. I wish I had gone into your line of work Allyssa. You really have an awesome job; studying and protecting this amazing place. Look at it…..it’s so incredible.” Dani waved her oar pointedly at the panoramic beauty. A green sea turtle surfaced for a moment and blinked at the intruders before diving back under the water.

Allyssa realized it was time for both of them to stop beating around the bush and time for her to lay out the cold hard facts to her friend.

“Dani the truth is, I do have plenty of news. I’ve just been trying to think of the best way to break it to you.”

Danielle immediately spun around in the kayak to face Allyssa, resulting in her friend doing all the paddling. “What are you talking about? Tell me what it is. It sounds bad.”

“Here……let’s just paddle over to this little cove so we can sit and talk face to face,” Allyssa suggested. They stopped the kayak in a crystal clear lagoon shaded by mango trees and got as comfortable as they could in the small boat. They both dangled their legs over the side and dipped their feet into the turquoise water.

Allyssa began, “Okay here goes, I’ll just give it to you straight. Tanner International is one of the worst most horribly wasteful polluting hotel chains in the whole world. You should see the mess they made in New Delhi. Every conservation group in Hawaii is worried that they now have a presence here on Maui and have sworn to take an active stand against them, especially the Hawaii Conservation Alliance.”

Danielle’s eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. “But I’m a prominent member of the HCA. I’m one of their most dedicated volunteers. It’s practically like a second job for me.”

“I know that Dani. I don’t have any dates yet but there are some planned protests in the works. Any and all of Tanner’s proposed land acquisitions will be scrutinized and most likely fought hard by the native people. I wanted you to have a heads up about this.” Allyssa was speaking very seriously now.

Dani was really torn now. “Thanks for telling me but I can’t join in on anything like that. I’d lose my job. Oh my god this is terrible….. I had no idea. Tanner is really that bad? Why does it always have to be so difficult for people and nature to coexist?

“You know as well as I do Dani it’s just plain greed. They know the cost to the environment but they just don’t care. It’s simply written off as collateral damage. In the end it’s all about the almighty dollar and quarterly profits. But fortunately all the conservation groups are going to be watching Tanner’s every move very carefully. They have a dreadful environmental track record but their business practices will not be tolerated over here. I don’t need to tell you how vulnerable the coral reef that surrounds this island is. Sorry I had to drop this bomb and complicate your relationship with your new employer like this Danielle.” Allyssa began reapplying some more sunscreen on her bare arms and legs.

Dani decided it was time to reciprocate with her own explosive news, but her extreme embarrassment caused her to reveal it rather tentatively. “Well while we’re on the subject of employer relationships……remember when you first moved into our dorm at the start of our junior year and we became roommates?”

“Of course I do. How could I forget?” she laughed. “You were crying everyday over some jackass who had just dumped you and ran off. You were such a downer I thought of dumping you myself to look for another roommate. You were so depressed, good thing your waterworks stopped just in time.” Allyssa hopped out of the kayak and waded to the nearby shore. “I’m roasting. I think I better get into the shade.”

“Yeah well that jackass has recently come back into my life.” Danielle exclaimed.

“He has? After all this time? That’s so weird. Did he call you or just show up on your doorstep?” Allyssa was naturally astounded and continued to fire off more questions. “What was his name again? What did you say to him? Did you tell him to go fuck himself? That jerk-off has a lot of nerve!”

“He showed up at my job actually and no I didn’t tell him to go fuck himself because he’s my new boss whose name happens to be Shane Tanner.”

Allyssa stared at the woman she thought she knew, without blinking for what must have been one full minute before finally saying, “EXCUSE ME?! You had an affair with a gorgeous billionaire asshole in college and you’re just now telling me? You are deep that’s what you are.”

Danielle spent the remainder of the morning filling in all the details and clarifying her shocking revelation. Once Allyssa heard the whole story she wasn’t quite as taken aback as she was initially, but she was still quite floored by it.

“So what are you going to do? Quit working there?” asked Allyssa. “You can’t avoid your own boss but how can you possibly have a platonic work relationship with him? It sounds impossible.” She stopped just short of saying, “I don’t envy you” because she had to admit to herself that she secretly did.

“Why don’t we talk about my options over lunch Allyssa. How about the Rusty Harpoon? My treat.” Allyssa accepted the invitation and they spent the afternoon discussing Dani’s problem over Cobb salads and Mai Tais.

* * *

Upon arriving home Danielle showered and wrapped her warm naked body in her favorite robe. The Mai Tais had made her somewhat sleepy so she climbed into her bed with the thought of relaxing with a good book. Something told her that her impending work week was going to be tiresome. She still didn’t know exactly how she was going to handle Shane Tanner. Why did he have to be so damned irresistible? She thought about how his lips felt on hers the night before…. and how his strong hands felt clutching her ass. God she wanted him so badly last night……and now she wanted him again.

Danielle reclined back into her bed pillows, trying to remember exactly when it was that she had last had sex. She undid her robe and fingered her own wetness while thoughts of Shane Tanner danced in her head. She imagined him walking into her office with his dreamy bedroom eyes and Greek god physique and fucking her right there on her desk. She reached into her nightstand for her vibrator and switched it on. Gliding it between her legs she pictured Shane on top of her sliding his exquisite dick into her. The dildo became his cock as she worked it in and out and then around on her erect clit. She teased and pulled her tits with her free hand, pretending his lips were tugging on them. As she came she moaned, “Fuck me again Shane.” and imagined him coming hard inside of her.

Dani’s body went limp with the release of a week’s worth of sexual tension. She yawned and rolled over, shoving her “boss” under a pillow. As she dozed off part of her wondered if she would be able to resist Shane’s advances and the other part (the one south of the equator) wondered why in the world she would ever want to.