Jacqui had thought she could spend the whole flight looking at the scenery far below the plane, but somewhere in the middle of the flight, she fell asleep. When she woke up, she realized that Khizar had picked her up and moved her to the couch. There was a soft blanket draped over her and a pillow under her head.
She stretched and slowly sat up to see Khizar stepping out of the cockpit. He smiled and came to sit down on one of the chairs, where he could face her.
“There’s a bedroom in the back, but I wasn’t sure you’d stay asleep if I moved you that far.”
“I can’t believe I fell asleep.”
“It’s night in Milwaukee now, so I’m not surprised. If you’d like to freshen up, your things are in the washroom.” Khizar pointed through the door.
Jacqui changed clothes and washed her face, and when she returned to the main cabin, Khizar beckoned her to a chair.
“We’re about twenty minutes out. I thought you might like to watch our approach.”
“Yes, thank you.” Jacqui sat down and looked out.
The blue was closer, and she could definitely see boats now. After a few minutes, green appeared on the horizon, quickly forming lush, vegetation covered mountains. The plane looped part of the island, and then descended for landing. Jacqui watched skyscrapers mix with houses, punctuated by stunning beaches.
Khizar pointed out some things as they flew into Honolulu.
“That’s Diamond Head, there’s Waikiki Beach, and downtown Honolulu.”
As the plane landed, Jacqui tried not to bounce in her seat. This trip was far and away the most interesting thing to happen in her life in a long time, and Hawaii was a place she’d always wanted to visit.
Before they got off the plane, Khizar thanked the pilot and steward and made arrangements for their flight back on Sunday night. There was a car waiting for them, and Jacqui found herself whisked off once again, though this time, the scenery was far more exotic than Milwaukee.
The car pulled up in front of the hotel and Jacqui looked out to see a lobby with walls open to the air, where guests wandered in and out freely. A uniformed valet opened her door and helped her out, greeting her with “Aloha” and a vibrantly-colored flower lei which he placed around her neck.
Instead of a front desk, they were greeted by a gentleman in a cream-colored suit.
“Sheikh Jamshidi, Ms. Bauer, we’re delighted you’re staying with us this weekend. I’m Joe Lukela, one of the managers here at The Kalakaua, and I’ll be taking care of you during your stay. You’re all checked in, and our bellhops will take your luggage to your suite. If you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you there now.”
Khizar gestured Jacqui in front of him, placing a hand on her back. Jacqui hadn’t really thought yet about the room situation, but she realized a few minutes later she needn’t have worried.
The manager opened the door into a bright, airy room. There was a small entryway with a bench and cabinet. In front of her were two walls of sliding doors, leading out to a large covered lanai. The whole wall was open, and Jacqui could see Diamond Head in the distance, and just below their room, a stretch of sand and ocean.
On either side of the main room were doors. The manager gestured to the bellhop, who opened the door on the right.
“Sheikh Jamshidi, Adam will show you to your room.”
He then opened the door on the left and said, “Ms. Bauer, this is your room. I believe you’ll find anything you might need inside, but if you don’t, please let me know. If we don’t have something on site, I can have it delivered.”
Jacqui walked into the bedroom. She wanted to jump on the giant, fluffy-looking bed, it looked so inviting, but almost immediately her attention was pulled toward edge of the room. Another set of French doors were open to let the breeze in, and beyond them, she could see an inviting hot tub.
She almost missed the manager’s next words in her amazement.
“I’m happy to arrange any excursions for you, and we have a lovely spa and restaurant here in the hotel.”
Jacqui laughed and waved at the luxurious amenities.
“I may not leave this space right here for the whole weekend.”
Joe smiled. “Is this your first time in Hawaii?” When Jacqui nodded, he said, “Normally, I encourage our guests to spend as much time as they like in the hotel. But since it’s your first time here, I insist you see some of the island. I’ll prepare some options you might like and have them ready for you tomorrow morning.”