The sun was streaming through the bedroom windows, warming up the room. I had my normal morning hard-on, but I was not horny, just needed to piss. Which I did, then brushed my teeth. The taste in my mouth after my pizza last night was not pleasant. 

I put on a pair of gym shorts—I am not one to walk around naked all the time, even when there is no one else around—and walked barefoot to the kitchen. Wow! I had slept thirteen hours straight. I felt good. Hopefully I could get functioning on Hawaiian time quickly. 

I poured some cereal in a bowl I found in a cupboard and added some milk. I unwrapped my fresh fruit platter from Whole Foods and threw a few raspberries and blueberries into my granola. My bowl now matched the picture on the box. Small pleasures. 

Three slices of pineapple later, I was finished with breakfast and put my dishes in the sink, wrapped up the fruit and put it away in the fridge, and turned my thoughts to the day ahead. The thing about vacationing alone is you have no one but yourself to consult. No other agenda competes with yours. But my agenda was blank, so I was slow getting started. 

I did need to get a swimming suit. Going naked at the house was fine, but on days when the pool guy came by, it was not going to work—unless they were hot and wanted to join me. I think Madge said the pool guy would be coming tomorrow. So I had a day to get my act together. I also needed some regular walking around shorts and new T-Shirts. In Chicago, summer clothes were not out yet—the temps were still in the 40s when I left.

I checked the “book” and looked for shopping options. There were a few stores in downtown Kailua, but the really big mall was back in Honolulu. I checked the weather report on my iPad after figuring out how to connect to the house Wi-Fi service. The password was in the “book.” Everything was in the “book.” I wondered if there was a section in there about how to find a real man to love you forever. Probably not.

With temps in the low 80s and no rain in the forecast, I laid out the lightest weight pair of jeans and shirt I had. It was time to hit the shower. It was amazing. There were water jets on three walls, lots of them. It took me a few minutes to get them adjusted to my body, but once I did, the feeling was incredible. I didn’t want to get out, but my fingers started pruning, so I reluctantly shut it down and toweled off. I put on deodorant, shaved, brushed my teeth again—I had raspberry seeds stuck in my teeth—and got dressed. Some flip flops might be great, too. My tennis shoes were getting noticeably raggedy. They were three years old.

I went back out to the kitchen for a water bottle and realized my big mistake. The glass walls were open to the lanai, and I had not opened them in the morning—which meant I had left them open all night. Oops! I found the controller for the walls and shut everything up tight. The last thing I needed was for something to get stolen on my watch.

Traffic was much lighter on a Sunday morning at nine o’clock. I went back through the tunnels and down the mountain on the other side. I took the exit for H1 East and started looking for Piikoli Street. A couple minutes later I was headed toward the ocean on Piikoli, basking in the sunshine beating on my head. The street ended at Ala Moana Boulevard, across from the Ala Moana Beach Park. Since the mall didn’t open for another thirty minutes, I drove around the park to the ocean side and found a space to pull over. I thought about getting out and walking in the sand, but I didn’t want to have sand in my shoes all day. So I settled for enjoying the sun and ocean breezes, listening to the sea gulls crying out to each other.

Soon it was time to shop. I saw some signs indicating free valet parking, so I followed those and stopped in a line of idling cars. While I waited my turn, I put the top back on the car for safety sake. A handsome valet in a surprisingly tight pair of shorts took my keys and handed me a card with a number on it. I couldn’t help myself—he caught me staring at his cock and balls, which were clearly outlined in his shorts. 

He blushed and whispered, “I know, it’s embarrassing. My boyfriend shrunk my shorts in the wash. They were the only clean ones I had to put on today.” 

I just smiled at him and said, “It’s okay. I think they look great on you. You fill ‘em out nicely, that’s for sure.” His blush went several shades darker, but he smiled back. 

“Have a pleasant day shopping at Ala Moana, sir.” He hopped in my car and drove off. I wondered if those shorts really were a last resort, or if he wore them on purpose. Hmmm.

Here I was in a tropical paradise, and I did the unthinkable. I spent the entire morning and half the afternoon shopping. There were over 350 shops in the expansive mall, and I think I went into every one of them not selling just girl’s clothing. I bought several pairs of shorts, some great summer shirts, including three Hawaiian-flowered shirts, and a pair of top sider shoes I was supposed to wear with no socks, according to the sexy clerk who helped me try them on. He must have been into feet, because he held on to mine a lot while I was trying to decide which color to get. I decided on the traditional brown. He was smiling as I paid at the register. Ah, another satisfied sales clerk.

I also managed to find two new swim suits, mostly because I couldn’t decide which one I liked the most. One pair reminded me of red beach lifeguard shorts. The fit was snug and showed off my ass nicely, but they were a little short in the legs. Not too short, just definitely not boardshorts. Almost like a boxer brief. The other pair were traditional boardshorts, mostly royal blue with a gradation of stripes from blue to white down the legs. I liked the way they fit and how they looked on the mannequin in the store. I purchased several cool t-shirts to go with them as well.

For lunch I had a chicken pesto panini sandwich and a salad from one of the many food court restaurants. It was okay, but I absolutely loved my lemon sorbet from Aloha Gelato. Perfection.

The highlight of the afternoon had to be finding the Bvlgari store. I must have stayed in there for over an hour, smelling different colognes and looking at watches. I needed a new watch, but the only one I even came close to purchasing was $18,000, and I just couldn’t do it. It made no sense to me to spend so much money on a watch. I wasn’t interested in trying to impress anyone. I just needed a good watch. I did splurge and buy a new leather wallet. It was a little less than $400. I was thinking the whole cow probably cost less than my one wallet, but I guess I was partly buying the name. I did buy more of the Bvlgari shower gel and cologne I liked.

I was finally shopped out, so I took my bags and headed for the valet parking podium. The same cute valet from the morning was standing there, looking more relaxed. He had obviously changed his shorts to something a little less formfitting. He still looked good though. He smiled as I approached.

“Well, judging by the packages you’re carrying, you had a good day at Ala Moana.”

“Yeah, I found a few things. I see you found some new things as well,” I said, pointing to his shorts. He blushed again.

“Yeah, my boyfriend took mercy on me and brought these a couple of hours ago. He was apologizing all over himself when he saw me in the other pair.” The valet started laughing. “He told me I would have been less sexy if I stood here naked than in those shorts.” I laughed too. His boyfriend was probably right.

“Well, you still look great to me. And lucky for you, you have a guy who obviously cares a lot about you.”

“Yeah, he does. He’s my rock. We’ve been together for five years. Only guy I’ve ever been with. He’s amazing. I’ll get your car for you right away.” He had a wistful look in his eye, thinking about his man. I was beyond envious.

I watched him trot off to get my car and wondered if I would ever find my rock. He had to be out there somewhere, right? I was encouraged, too, by the valet’s comment he had only been with one guy. Maybe not every gay guy hopped from one bed to the next. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who would rather wait for a sense of permanence before slipping between the sheets.

He returned with my car and I gave him a $100 tip. He stood there with his mouth hanging open. “Tell your boyfriend to buy you some great shorts with that so you never have to be out here embarrassed again. And tell him I said he’s one lucky guy to have a hot stud like you.” I smiled and drove away with him staring at me, mouth still open. Seeing the look on his face felt better than any purchase I made all day.

Back at the house I changed into my new red swimming suit. I opened up the glass walls, started the hot tub, and then jumped in the pool. I love the water. I’m not a fast swimmer or anything, but I feel at home in the water. Like I am more graceful somehow. I spent an hour just moving around in the pool, diving under again and again and swimming from end to end. It was so relaxing.

Eventually I grew tired and hungry, so I dragged myself out of the pool and took another shower with those glorious jets spraying me all over. I dressed in a pair of my new shorts and a new shirt and decided to heat up the Peruvian chicken dish for dinner. It was delicious. A little spicy, but I liked it. I ate some salad alongside the main dish. For dessert I had two chocolate-covered strawberries. 

I spent the rest of the evening reading a Robert Ludlum spy novel on my iPad. I really lost myself in it, because before I knew it, it was nearly eleven and my head was drooping. I shut everything down, remembered to close up the lanai, and got ready for bed. I dreamed of valets who were actually spies chasing bad guys. They kept losing their shorts and running around naked. Not sure if they ever caught anybody but each other. But that part was hot. Or at least what I remembered of it the next morning.

I slept until ten Monday morning and woke up with a headache. I stumbled to the bathroom, did what you always do first thing in the morning, and then looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like crap. My skin was all blotchy with pink patches of sunburned skin here and there. No wonder I had the headache. Sunburn always did that to me. Thankfully none of it was too painful. Sunscreen went on my shopping list for the day.

Out in the kitchen, I opened up the lanai and the cool breeze flowing in felt wonderful—it cooled my hot skin and lifted my spirits. I decided on raisin bran for breakfast, with some more fresh fruit. Simple and satisfying. I picked up my iPad and started reading my spy novel again over my cereal bowl. 

An hour later I was feeling a little stiff sitting on the stool at the island counter, so I stretched and headed to the bathroom to clean up for the day. As I was picking out clothes to wear, I realized I had a lot of dirty laundry. I didn’t have time to wash most of my clothes from last week before I left, so I started making piles on the bed. I had three loads, what with all the new garments which should probably be washed as well.

I dressed in a pair of gym shorts and t-shirt, no socks, and took the first load down to the laundry room. Eureka! They had two washers and two dryers, just like my old apartment building. I had the first load going after finding some laundry detergent in a cabinet. Then I went back and grabbed a second load and had it churning in the other machine in short order.

I read my book out on the lanai until all the clothes were clean and dry and ready to be folded or hung up. I stayed out of the direct sun until I could get some sun screen. I was also struggling a bit with the glare coming off the pool. My eyes felt a little itchy and sore.

Once the clothes were done, I headed down into Kailua. I found a drug store which had plenty of sunscreens to choose from. I grabbed a tube of blue aloe vera gel to cool things off if I burned again. I also grabbed some Tylenol and Advil just in case.

I threw my purchases in the backseat and decided to explore a little. As I passed the Whole Foods market, I saw the cute guy who helped me load my groceries helping an elderly gentleman. I smiled. I stayed on Kailua Road, figuring it was like a Main Street for the town, and eventually it dead-ended at the ocean at Kailua Beach Park. It looked like the picture from the internet. 

I parked in a small lot nearby. I took off my shoes—I was wearing my new loafers—and carried them with me as I walked on the beach. The sun was already scorching hot, so I didn’t stay long—my feet were scorched. The water was so beautiful. There were kids running everywhere, screaming with joy and excitement, many of them building sand castles with little toy shovels and buckets. Out in the water I saw several kayakers, some paddling out to the big flat island rising a few feet out of the water approximately a thousand feet off shore.

When I had had enough sun, I walked over to the public bathrooms just off the beach and rinsed my feet in the outdoor shower installed against one wall. I sat on a bench and waited for my feet to dry, which they did in short order, and I put my shoes back on after carefully brushing every speck of sand off my toes. I was mentally adding some things to a new shopping list in my head. Needed some kind of beach shoes for sure.

I arrived back at the house shortly before two and immediately drank two cold water bottles. I was dehydrated from the sun and all the running around, and my headache was back. I took a couple of Advil and laid down on a couch out on the lanai. It was so peaceful and cool, laying there under the spinning ceiling fans. I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of my forever love, whose face never quite materialized.

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