Lurking on the High Wire

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Maneuvering his speedboat into a harbor on the western shore of the island of Oahu, Dr. Michael Blake switched off the motor and asked Pari Malik to take a cushioned seat near the stern. He pulled their dinner from the cooler, including pasta salad with chopped vegetables, sour dough bread, and flourless chocolate cake, and arranged it on a wooden tray they set across their laps and shared. He poured two glasses of Chardonnay and they watched the sun descend toward the Pacific Ocean as they leisurely finished their meal.

Pari leaned her head on Michael's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Gradually, and with grace, the colors of the clouds and sky transformed with each passing moment. When the sun fully submerged below the horizon, Michael put his lips on Pari's forehead, forming a kiss intended to last as long as she held still.

"I could do this everyday," Pari said.

"It's a mistake to miss a single sunset," Michael replied. "Should I reduce my long hours at my veterinary clinic and the animal sanctuary?"

"Not if it means any innocent souls are denied help. Otherwise, yes. Can we do this more often?"

"Anytime you want. I'll try."

"What if I ask you to bring me here every night?"

"In forty or fifty years, I can promise you every single sunset."

Pari set her glass of wine on the transom, pecked a kiss on Michael's chin, and tickled the back of his neck with her fingertips. "Forty or fifty years," she repeated. "Part of me thinks that is so far away, while another part of me feels that time will elapse in the blink of an eye. What do you think?"

Michael swigged his last sip and looked her in the eye. "What I want to know is whether you can see it happening."

"Retirement?"

"No, being with me. Watching sunsets with me in forty or fifty years."

Pari laughed, misreading the tone of his voice, then noticed the look of vulnerability on his face. "Michael?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I laughed. I was thinking of your promise and reacted to the impossibility of you promising me anything so many decades from now."

"It's not impossible." Michael wiped beads of sweat from his brow.

Pari studied his baby-faced features. He was a man in his late twenties whose appearance could change instantly. With his spiked hair, he could be boyish and seem far too young to already be a veterinary doctor. But when Michael was earnest, he was a handsome young man with a thoughtful countenance. During their weeks of dating, Pari observed that he was increasingly edging toward a more mature look, even keeping his hair shorter and styled with cleaner lines.

"Help me understand what is on your mind, Michael?"

"I like how I feel every time I am around you and I wonder if you could ever imagine yourself choosing someone like me for the long haul. Could I ever be what you dream of for your future?"

Pari released her hair from her pony tail, which was an instinctive action to better align her appearance with Michael's weighty inquiry. She kicked off her sandals and dipped her toes in the salty water. "I love being with you, Michael. I haven't held my feelings back. I have shared with you in the past that our dates are the best I have ever had. You remember my words?"

"I remember them." Michael smiled and shifted even closer to her. "I remember everything you say."

"Then you have your answer, don't you?"

"Yes, I think I do. But, I felt compelled to ask you for reassurance. I don't know why."

"It's not like you to be insecure," Pari said. "Is it the stress of me going on a retreat, basically with strangers? Or something else?"

"We haven't talked about being monogamous," Michael answered.

"I believe we should talk about that soon."

"How about now?"

"There are no rules, I guess, but it seems too sudden."

"I'm ready now, Pari. I will admit something to you. It is hard for me knowing you are going in the canyon with those actors, dancers, or performers. I don't like feeling envious. I am usually never jealous."

"Why do you feel that way this time? Are you tackling guilt about something else?"

"No, I have nothing to feel guilty about. I just imagine all of them trying to charm you and sweep you off your feet. It's a tale as old as time. A circus coming to town and tempting the locals. You know what I am trying to say."

Pari lifted her wine glass from the transom, finished the glass, and held Michael's hand. "Some of them might try to pick me up, or tempt me, as you put it. But the truth is, I am not interested in anyone else. You are the one sweeping me off my feet. My focus is on you."

"When do you think you will be ready to commit to being monogamous with me as we continue dating?"

"Soon."

"Why not now?"

"Commitments are something I take seriously," Pari answered. "I didn't realize you were ready to date me exclusively. I hoped that was the case, though. I want some time, a few days or so, to collect my thoughts."

They held each other, swaying in the waves lapping against the boat, remaining silent for half an hour. Then Michael gently squeezed her shoulder. "If I weren't so happy with you, I wouldn't feel the need to take our relationship to the next step, right?"

"I know."

"I shouldn't rush you and I regret it if you think I'm being pushy. I hope I didn't ruin this special night."

"To the contrary, your honesty is making the evening even more memorable. The communication is good. Let's always be able to speak together with candor, okay?"

Michael answered her with a tender kiss and nuzzled her neck. "Babe, here I am talking about forty or fifty years from now and scaring you half to death," he whispered, then chuckled. "So this is what falling in love really feels like."

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