Can't Get Next to You

A few days had passed and neither Sutton nor Duane Lee had spoken about that night. Not that anything had really happened other than some light flirting and touching of the shoulder. Sutton chuckled to herself thinking that if this had been a hundred years ago they’d have to get married because he’d seen her bare shoulders.

“What are you smiling about over there?” he asks from across the office.

She looks up, about to speak but the door to the office opens interrupting their conversation. “Daddy’s home!” Leland says, dropping his bags in the entryway of the office.

Sutton jumped up and ran to him, “Daddy!! We missed you!” she exclaimed, playfully as she hugged him. Sensing Duane Lee’s eyes on her, she quickly let go of Leland and turned back to her desk.

“Bro?” Leland questions, arms open as he walks toward Duane.

“Pass.” he says flatly, picking up a file and jamming it into the file cabinet.

Leland huffs and plops down in his office chair saying, “Well at least Sutton missed me!”

“Always.” she say, winking at him from my desk. “So tell us all about your adventures. How many woman did you pick up this time?”

Spinning around in his chair, he comes to a stop facing her. “None.”

“None?” both she and Duane ask at the same time.

“Nope. I decided that I wouldn't do that anymore. I’m going to be a one woman man from now on.” Leland realized how incredibly shallow that sounded as soon as he said. He had never really intended to date so many women or be married more than once. But that was life and life always had it’s own plans.

Sutton pretended to work as the brothers discussed the merits of dating one woman verses dating several at one time. Clicking the pen she held in her hand open and closed, open and closed. She wanted to put her two cents in but decided against saying anything. Afterall, what did she really know about dating multiple men at one time; she barely dated one guy at a time!

She had never considered herself to be an unattractive woman but she wasn't smoking hot, as she’d heard Leland call other women. Sutton was smart, outgoing and hardworking. That should count for something she thought to herself, clicking the pen closed once more. “I’m going to lunch.” she says to the guys, grabbing her purse and walking out the door before they could ask her to bring them something back.

“Why am I letting this bother me? It’s not like I have feelings for Leland.” she says out loud as she slams her car door shut. “So ridiculous…” Driving aimlessly through the streets of Kona she finally came to a stop in a parking lot that overlooked the beach. The waves always seemed to calm her down. The beach and the small town feel of the city were what drove her to move to Hawaii so many years ago.

Shaking that thought out of her mind she swiped her finger across her phone, opening her email. I really should check these more often, she thought as she deleted email after email. Her finger hovered over one email in particular, “The Hawaiian Matchmaker.” she said outloud to the empty car. “Hmm…” biting her lip and debating on wether or not to open it, she clicked open on a whim and read over the simple email, it didn't give much description other than offering to find you the love of your life with science based technology. Sounds like bullshit to me, she mused but clicked the sign-up button anyway. Just as she clicked the ‘Complete sign-up’ button a knock on her car window startled her causing her to drop her phone. Clutching her chest, she looked into a pair of deep brown eyes. “Dakota!” she squealed, opening her car door and throwing her arms around the shirtless, sweaty young man.

He hugged her back tightly. “I thought that was your car!” he says as they hug once more. “I was out for a run, thought I’d scare the shit out of you!”

Sutton smiles and says, “It’s so good to see you! I haven't seen you in ages.”

The pair walk over to a nearby bench and sit down. “What the hell are you doing way out here sitting in the car alone?”

“I had to get away from your dad for a minute.”

“Been there.” he replies, no hint of emotion in his voice.

“Dakota… please come see your dad he misses you and it’s killing him not to see you.” she pleads, placing her small hand over his. “You know he doesn’t mean half the shit he says. And then Beth just blows everything out of proportion.”

He sighs a heavy sigh, “I know Sutton but he really hurt me this time. I don’t know if I can ever forgive him... So why are you avoiding him?” he asks, changing the subject.

“Ugh… he’s just being Leland.” she replies, not really wanting to go into detail about the one woman man his father was trying to become.

The two chatted for a while, trying to catch up on lost times before parting ways and promising to talk more often.