I reach for something unidentifiable but delicious smelling, realizing I have no idea what I’m about to put in my mouth. My stomach clenches nervously. What if I don’t like it? I don’t want Kai to think I’m uncultured. But one look at his expectant face and my anxiety fades. I trust him.
Taking a bite, an explosion of flavors dance across my tongue. “Wow,” I breathe around my mouthful. “This is amazing!”
“I’m glad you like it,” Kai says.
“What do I say if I love something in your language?”
“Say, ‘Chur’!’” he teaches me. “It’s like saying ‘Oh sweet!’ but with more excitement.”
“Chur!” I repeat enthusiastically, the unfamiliar syllables tumbling awkwardly from my lips.
“You can also say, ‘Faaaaaa!’”
“Faaaaaaaa…?”
Kai throws back his head and laughs, the sound rich and vibrant. A blush steals across my cheeks, but I can’t help laughing along with him.
When his laughter fades, he fixes me with a heated look. “With the right inflection, that can also mean something else entirely.”
My blush deepens as I register the desire in his gaze. The food is momentarily forgotten. I clear my throat, fighting to regain my composure. “I guess I’m learning fast, huh?”
“Faster than you know,” he says softly.
A delicious shiver runs down my spine. This date is turning out to be more enlightening than I ever could have imagined.
Our food crawl continues down the street, Kai teaching me more phrases as we go. Some are humorous, others flirtatious, which we use playfully.
“Not even, ow!” he exclaims.
“Not even… ow?” I quirk a brow.
“That’s the one!”
“What does it mean, though?” I ask. “Like… it doesn’t hurt or something!”
“It’s more like ‘no way’. But…if you really want to impress,” Kai says, leaning close to whisper in my ear, “say ‘you’re hardout skux!’ It means ‘You’re handsome’... not that you need to use it on anyone but me tonight.”
Heat blossoms across my cheeks at his proximity, his breath warm against my skin. I swallow hard, meeting his gaze. “You’re… hardout skux, Kai,” I say softly. “Am I saying it right?”
The smile that curves his lips is slow and sinful. “Better than I could have hoped.”
We continue down the street, the banter and casual touches coming more easily. I find myself relaxing into the flow of conversation, no longer overthinking my responses. With Kai, I can just be. It’s freeing and intoxicating all at once.
I steal a glance at him as he speaks animatedly about the history of his tribe, noticing the passion that lights his eyes. He’s sharing parts of himself that most people never get to see. I feel impossibly lucky in this moment.
This date is turning into an education of the best possible kind. I’m learning not just about Polynesian culture, but about the complexity of the man beside me. And with every new discovery, I find myself falling deeper under his spell.
After dinner, we arrive at a sleek cocktail bar, dimly lit and filled with the murmur of conversation. Kai leads me inside, where he’s instantly approached by several people, and he comfortably greets patrons and staff alike by name. There’s an ease to his manner that speaks of familiarity and frequent patronage.
“Everyone knows you here. It’s like you’re a celebrity!”
He looks at me and laughs, and although the lighting is dim, I swear a blush passes over his cheeks.
As we settle onto bar stools, he admits, “I may have failed to mention that I co-own this place.”
I stare at him, stunned. “You what?”
He grins, clearly enjoying my reaction. “Surprised?”