o the kitchen and next to Sabrina. “We can go get food somewhere. I'm certain there are restaurants nearby.”
“It's completely up to you,” she said. “But I'm happy to finish the meal you had started. Then we can take that walk you were talking about.”
Marco nodded in agreement. “As long as you don't mind.”
Sabrina put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “Marco, you're paying me to help you out. I certainly don't mind making us food.”
He smiled warmly. “Fair enough. Let's cook a meal tonight and we'll go out for a nice dinner tomorrow night. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a marvelous plan,” she said, spinning around to start the food.
It didn't take long to cook. She quickly boiled some noodles and then added fresh veggies to it, topped with some tomato sauce. It wasn't too fancy, but she didn't want to waste too much time. It was already dusk and if they wanted to take a walk then they needed to hurry.
While she had been hard at work in the kitchen, Marco had slipped away around the corner, where the only bedroom was located. He showed up a few minutes before the food was finished and he had a giant smile.
“Look what I found in the back of the closet,” he said, holding up a wicker picnic basket. “How would you feel about an evening picnic on the beach?”
“Now tell me, Marco, how could I possibly say 'no' to something like that?” she said, with a giggle. “I'll pack up the food and a bottle of wine. We can head out in less than five minutes.”
She pulled the noodles off of the stove and decided to change into something more comfortable while the food cooled. She made her way to the bedroom and heaved her suitcase up onto the bed. After digging through her clothes, she finally found something that she considered suitable for a dinner on the beach. It was a silky black dress with red flower petals on it. Her mother had found it at a second-hand store, but even though it hadn't cost very much, it still looked expensive. It was probably the nicest dress Sabrina owned and she decided that their first night in Hawaii would be the perfect opportunity to wear it.
So she stripped off her clothes and then stepped into the dress. She brought her hands down her sides, feeling the smooth material. Then she walked over to the mirror that hung above the wooden dresser. As she brushed her hair, she thought about her deepening feelings toward Marco.
Where is this really headed? She asked herself. And when do I just come clean to him about my feelings?
Her mind and heart felt separated. A battle waged between them. Her heart knew exactly what it wanted. It wished to open up and fall in love with Marco, carelessly throwing all she had at him. But her mind quarreled, unable to fully accept a relationship with him as a real possibility. Doubt crept just below the surface and she continued to question just how it could work out.
The door to the bedroom slowly creaked open and Sabrina glanced over to see Marco in the doorway. He was holding the picnic basket in one hand and an unopened bottle of red wine in the other. He leaned against the door jam and tilted his head, causing his hair to fall across his face.
“You've been in here a while,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Everything is fine,” she said, with a nod. “I guess I was caught up in my own mind for a minute. Are you ready to go? I still need to pack up the food.”
“One step ahead of you,” he said, holding the basket up in the air. “I'm ready when you are.”
Sabrina glanced out of the bedroom window, noticing that the sky had begun to turn a shade of orange.
“If we hurry, we can catch the sunset,” she said, as she slipped on a pair of sandals and followed Marco out the door.
The two of them walked quickly down the hill behind the cabin, making their way through the lush foliage that separated them from the beach. Sabrina hurried ahead, running straight to the edge of the water and pausing at the wet sand before dipping her toes. She held the hem of her dress up as a single wave washed over her feet.
The sun was sinking quickly, but the air was still so warm. Sabrina brought her gaze to the horizon and gasped when she saw the view. The sky had become an explosion of color, a combination of blue, purple and orange. Rays of light shot through the few clouds that hovered above the ocean, making the scene look more like a painting than reality.
“It's amazing,” she whispered. “Oh my gosh, so beautiful.”
Marco stepped side her and placed his hand onto her lower back. She looked over at him, admiring the way the colors of the sunset reflected on his dark eyes and gave his face an orange glow. By the time she looked at the horizon again, the sun had sunk a little further and the colors in the sky changed to a deeper purple.
“I have to say that I'm very glad I decided to bring us here,” Marco said as they walked back to dry land. He pulled a blanket out of the picnic basket and spread it out on the sand. “New York was great, but I prefer a view like this any day.”
Sabrina nodded in agreement. Marco had been right when he said that a city was just a city. There were buildings, cars and people. But the paradise they stood in now was so much more intriguing. She took a seat on the blanket and Marco sat across from her. A light breeze blew off of the ocean and caused Marco's hair to fall across his face. He looked up and smiled at her. Her heart swelled when she realized that the view of him trumped the view of the sunset.
He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out the bottle of red wine. Sabrina watched as he opened it and poured two glasses. As soon as the wine was poured, Marco crawled across the blanket and sat next to her. Together, they sipped their wine while watching the last few minutes of the sunset.
A realization occurred to Sabrina. She found herself happier in this moment than she could ever remember being in her entire life. There was a deep peace inside of her. Maybe it was the warmth of the air, or the fresh breeze. Or maybe it was that she was there with Marco.
I'm living a life right now that I only ever dreamed of, she thought.
Marco scooted a bit closer to her and wrapped his arm around her back. Sabrina closed her eyes and leaned toward him, placing her head against his shoulder.