Chapter Three
Danny watched as Steve entered the office. He looked a little distracted as he checked his phone and walked toward the main room.
"Good Morning Steven" he wished him.
Steve looked up and frowned, "Hey. What's the agenda for today?"
"Oh I'm having a great morning too, Steven" Danny got up from where he was sitting and moved toward his partner. "We gotta head down to Ehukai Beach. Kono's surfing mentor just got shot".
"Is she there? Is she alright?" Steve immediately was on attention, concern marring his stern face.
"Yeah she's fine. She's the one who called me a minute ago. It is probably a sniper shot. He was shot while he was in the surf".
"Okay let's head down there. Chin already there?"
"Yeah".
As usual it was McGarrett who drove his car. Seriously one of these days he was going to get back control. But first he needed to question his partner about the lovely lady he was dancing with last night. He couldn't help it, he was just a sucker for gossip.
"So Steven, who was the gorgeous lady you were dancing with last night at the Governor's Ball?" he asked and couldn't hide his smile.
He was treated to another glare from Steve, "And why do you want to know?"
"No reason. I just liked that you remotely resembled a normal man last night and not some freaky ninja dude".
Steve smiled slightly as he shook his head, "She's someone I met a long time ago" was all he said.
Danny motioned with his hand to elaborate, "And?"
Again Steve looked at him, "And, nothing".
"Oh come on!"
"Why do you want to know so bad? Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?"
"Yeah but satisfaction brought it back. And I am not gonna be satisfied till I know what it was. It isn't like it could have been anything classified". Steve gave him a look that said don't push it. "So it was classified" Danny mused to himself.
"It's nothing Danny. I met her a few years back. And then we met again last night".
"Fine keep your secrets Steven. Keep your secrets". Danny was just dying of curiosity about the lovely Naomi Morales. There was a certain vulnerability about her and he had watched as Steve had responded to that; making him look completely different to how he was used to seeing him.
But his partner was a stubborn man.
-X-
God! Danny was like a dog with a bone. He would just not let it go. He hadn't worked with him long enough, but he had noticed the man was inquisitive to the point of annoying. It was probably why he was such a good detective.
He could have just told Danny about Naomi and how they had met, but he didn't like the idea of anyone knowing the hell she had been through. He knew he was being un-objective, but he couldn't help it. It wouldn't have hurt to tell him, since the mission had been over for a long time, but he was just not in the habit of talking about his past missions unless it was related to a case.
He thought back to last night. He had danced with Naomi most of the night. In fact they had spent most of the evening together, either talking or just staying on the balcony if they were not dancing. She was hesitant at first, but she had slowly relaxed, especially when they had danced and he had held her in his arms. He sensed she was not as comfortable with bodily contact, so he kept it to a minimum. He also noticed that she had not had a drop of alcohol. All signs that she was still suffering from her time when she had been kidnapped.
He had heard that she had not been raped, but who knew what had really happened. But he knew that whatever she had been through had impacted on her life in a big way. She had talked to him throughout the evening, but it was impersonal social chitchat, something that was probably learnt at some finishing school. She was very proper and polite, but he could not get a real sense of her as a person; a true personality from her.
It was not something that should bother him. After all he was only being friendly. She would leave in a few weeks time and he would probably never see her again. But every time that thought raced through his head, an image of her huddled against the wall shivering in the cold night, and then a clear picture of the fear in her eyes would enter his mind.
It was those eyes. He had never thought he was a romantic, poetic sort of guy. He was always straightforward. But from the moment he had seen her, those green eyes of hers had refused to leave his mind. It was as if in the short time he had held her in his arms and talked to her in Paris during her rescue, she had made an impact on his life. And he could say this with absolute certainty, because he had never once forgotten her.
He had gone on with his life, worked on many missions, some far more dangerous than her rescue, but he would always come back to the night he had carried her out of that hell hole.
Last night he had told her that he would take her sightseeing and she had politely tried to brush him off. He got the feeling she was used to dodging guys asking her out, although he was still not sure whether he had been asking her out on a date. Maybe if the situation had been different, if they had been meeting for the first time last night and he knew nothing about what she had been through, he would have asked her out. But he only wanted to show her around because he sensed that if he didn't, then she would never leave the villa she was staying at.
Why her wellbeing should concern him still gave him something to think about.
-X-
Naomi cracked open one eye and saw the time in the bedside clock was ten thirty A.M. She rolled over and groaned. She had slept so late last night and it was all Lt. Commander Steven J. McGarrett's fault. Why could she not get rid of him from her thoughts? It was pathetic the way she felt as if she hero-worshipped him. She never reacted to a man the way she reacted to him, and she had even been engaged once.
She groaned again remembering that fiasco. Jason had been a great guy; he was funny, adventurous, polite and considerate, but she hated leading him on for as long as she had. When she had asked him if they could wait to sleep together till after the wedding, he had looked disappointed but had agreed. He knew about her kidnapping, although he hardly mentioned it.
Somehow she just could not get herself to think about sex, even with her fiancé. So, much to her father's disappointment, she had broken up with him. She had been honest with him, telling him that in the state that she was she would not make a good wife. How could she, when even the thought of sleeping with her husband to be brought out the cold sweats?
An image of Steve flashed in her head accompanied by a small voice, "You wouldn't mind sleeping with him though".
"Oh shut up" she sat up in bed. It was a ridiculous thought. Yes he was HOT! And even if she did want to go out with him, sleep with him, it was something that she just did not have the courage to do.
She had not been raped all those years ago, but the violation of them seeing her without her clothes, the horrible touching had left her scarred for life. She realistically knew that she had nothing to be ashamed of, but she just could not help feeling that way. And no amount of therapy had helped her. And she had seen some of the best therapists, all of them making her feel like a freak. Maybe she was a freak.
Her phone buzzed on silent on the bedside table, she looked at the screen it was her father, "Hello father".
"Good morning darling, how are you doing this morning?"
"Great. Where are you?"
"I just finished a meeting. How would you like me to meet me for lunch? Say around one?"
"Sure, why not? I'll see you at one".
"Alright darling I'll send the car".
She finished her shower and went to stand in front of her closet. Knowing her father, lunch would be at a fine dining restaurant and she would be expected to dress appropriately. So she pulled out a pair loose cream linen trousers to be worn with a short sleeved white t – shirt. She dried her hair, tied it into a casual ponytail and didn't fuss with any make up except for lip-gloss. Her father always preferred her to dress up and be the perfect doll, but she always dressed down knowing she would not pass his approval.
She jammed her feet into her favourite tan leather wedges and picked up her big tan leather tote. She made sure she had on her beaten silver cuffs on her wrists. They were not only jewelry, but also hid the scars she had gotten from the rope and handcuffs. She quickly added her silver hoop earrings and her Rayban Aviator sunglasses and left the house.
The driver took her to the Hawaii Hilton, where she met her father in the lobby. Next to her father stood a tall man; very distinguished probably mid thirties and handsome, but in a perfect, almost creepy kind of way.
"Hello darling" her father came forward and kissed her cheek, "I'd like you to meet James Remington, a business associate of mine".
"Nice to meet you Mr. Remington" she shook his offered hand.
He smiled at her, "It's lovely to meet you. Your father has been telling me about you".
She remained quiet and just smiled politely. Why would her father call her for lunch with another man present when he knew how uncomfortable that would make her?
"Let's have some lunch, shall we?" her father led the way to one of the restaurants.
After they were seated, the conversation was mostly between her father and James Remington, while Naomi watched. Something was not right. James was constantly watching her even while conversing with her father. The way he looked at her gave her the shivers, and not in a good way.
"So Naomi, your father tells me you are quite the conservationist. You are very active with the environmental and animal charities" James tried to make conversation with her.
"Yes I am" was all she said. She had never had a problem with social conversation, but it was something about James Remington that just did not sit well with her.
Lunch went by rather slowly and Naomi was glad for it to be over. She waited in the car for her father who was finishing his chat with James Remington. As soon as he got into the car next to her he grunted.
"Why the hell couldn't you be more civil to the man?" he asked her.
"I was civil. I was talking throughout lunch" she tried her best to ignore his anger.
He grunted again, "I didn't pay for all those finishing schools for you to not use your training".
"My training? What exactly was I supposed to be training for, father?"
"You are to be the perfect wife and mother to a man who will be a somebody. I tolerated your break up with Jason. But I want you to be presentable the next time you are with James. He is a very important man".
"Jason and I broke up mutually. I cannot believe you would push me toward a man after what I have been through" she had never said this to him, but now she could not keep quiet.
"I saw the reports and spoke to your doctor. You were not raped and therapy should have been enough for you to get over your experience. I have reached the point where I do not know what to do with you" he sighed, "Why don't you start seeing that therapist again. She is one of the best in the country and she specializes in trauma such as you have faced".
She stayed quiet, after all she knew how her father hated to hear of explanations behind any weakness she may display. "I do not feel comfortable with men and even therapy has not helped me".
"I saw you get plenty comfortable with that SEAL fellow you were dancing with. I will not tolerate you wasting your time with a man who will be nothing".
"He happens to be the same man who rescued me" she defended Steve. She hated having her father belittle a man who was a much better example of one compared to all the other so called men she had ever known.
"If you have any feelings for this man it is only hero-worshiping. Nothing more and I will not tolerate anything more".
"I don't have any feelings for him, I just feel comfortable around him", she had a niggling doubt that she did have feelings for Steve. After all why else would she have remembered him after all these years.
As they got home, her phone rang and it showed up as Steve's number. Speak of the devil! "Hello?"
"Hi Naomi, its Steven McGarrett".
"How are you?"
"I'm doing great. How are you?"
"I'm fine" she didn't elaborate and there was an awkward silence.
"You remember I offered to take you sightseeing?"
"Yes you did and you don't have to take time out. I'm sure you're really busy" she felt obliged to make sure he was not going out of his way out of politeness. She would like nothing more than to spend some time with him, getting to know him better.
"Hey, its no trouble. How would you like coming for a Hawaiian beach party? Well its only a party at my house, which has a small beach", he almost sounded nervous, thought Naomi with a smile.
Without hesitating she replied, "I would love that. Just tell me when and where and I'll be there".
"It's this Saturday and I can pick you up. You don't need to drive or take a cab".
"Alright. Thanks again for inviting me Steve".
He said goodbye and hung up the phone. Naomi couldn't help but smile. It was not a date since it was a party with a lot of people. Her brain stopped.
Damnit! There would be strangers everywhere, and she was not good with strangers. She took a deep breath. She would take this opportunity to start her new life.
A life without fear and anxiety. A life where she would be able to hope for a normal life ahead of her.