Aloha, Mr. Steele 1/8
Date: Friday, May 16, 2008
From: "SusanRS" <myrtlelauragroggins@yahoo.com>
 
 
 
Here's my new story, "Aloha, Mr. Steele." Because it is
quite long, I have divided it into eight chapters and I will be posting
one chapter a day to give everyone a chance to read each one. For
anyone who doesn't like to read until it's all posted, I hope
you will reconsider and read along the way. If not, see you next week
when the last chapter is posted. :-)
 
I finished this a few weeks ago, but since "Sensitive Steele" is
the SOTW for IMDb and SW, I have waited to post this story until now,
because it is a follow-up to this episode. There's a little mystery
with this one, but not the kind you think. ;-) There's also a lot
of sappy romance, so consider yourself warned! (But if you don't
like sappy romance, can you truly call yourself a fan?) ;-) The entire
story is rated PG.
 
It took me five long months to write this. It was a labor of love.
Please, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know what you think. And you don't
even have to wait until the end. Feel free to comment along the way.
One of the reasons I'm posting it over several days (besides the
length) is to hopefully start some discussion of the story. I also want
to know if it leaves you "wanting more." I would LOVE to know if
you're enjoying the ride!
 
Thank you to my incredible beta-readers/cheerleaders (you know who you
are)! I REALLY appreciate all of the encouragement!
 
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own `em, but I love
`em. Permission to archive under the name SusanRS.
 
Susan
 
Synopsis: A surprise case takes Remington and Laura to a tropical
paradise
.
 
Aloha, Mr. Steele
Chapter one
 
As Mr. Steele parked the Auburn at his home on Rossmore, he reflected on the confusing events of the past week. He and Laura had returned from the Freidlich Sensitivity Spa just six days before. The case had been completed successfully and they had established a new hope for their relationship, or so he thought.
 
Before they left the spa, Remington and Laura had walked along the beach and he had given Laura the letter revealing her best qualities. She had seemed pleased with the things he had written about her. But, when Laura had returned to the office on Monday morning, something had changed. She seemed distant . . . Not angry, but she had avoided talking to him. She had spent a lot of time in her office with the door closed.
 
Mr. Steele had tried to break the ice, but to no avail. What could have possibly changed? Perhaps Laura had decided to reinstate her *not mixing business with pleasure* policy and she thought that the silent treatment was the best way to tell him. He had even tried to ask her to dinner this weekend but Laura had said she had *plans*. Confused and disappointed, Remington had gone home early on Friday.
 
As Mr. Steele exited the elevator, he could hear the phone ringing in his apartment. He fumbled for his keys and unlocked the door as quickly as possible. He answered the phone after it had already rung at least ten times.
 
"Steele, here . . . Yes . . . Okay . . . All right . . . See you then . . . Bye."
 
It was Laura. She said a client had just come into the office and hired them. They needed to be on a plane to Hawaii first thing in the morning. She would give him all of the details tomorrow. Fred would be there at 5:00 a.m. to pick him up.
 
*Hawaii*!! He thought. Even if it was for business, it sounded a lot better than sitting around the office *not* talking to Laura. Perhaps he could figure out the problem while they were there.
 
Mr. Steele quickly packed his bags. He opened his top dresser drawer and removed a small velvet box from underneath his T-shirts and placed it in the pocket of the jacket he would be wearing on the plane. He turned on the television to watch a movie before he crawled into bed and went to sleep.
 
******
 
Fred arrived at 5:00 a.m. sharp. Laura was already in the limo.
 
"Good morning, Miss Holt!" he said cheerfully, as he climbed into the back seat.
 
"Good morning, Mr. Steele," she said with little emotion.
 
"Will Mildred be joining us?" he asked.
 
"No," Laura answered. "I need her to stay here to take care of the office while we are gone."
 
Mr. Steele smiled and thought to himself, *Hawaii, Laura, and no Mildred. Things are getting better already*!
 
******
 
Remington followed Laura as they boarded the plane. He smiled.
 
"First-class seats, Miss Holt?"
 
"Yes, Mr. Steele," she replied.
 
Laura settled into her seat by the window while Remington put their carry-on bags in the overhead compartment. He sat down next to her and buckled his seatbelt.
 
"Now, Miss Holt," he said turning towards her. "What is this case we're working on?"
 
"I'll tell you all about it once we're in the air," she replied and turned to look out the window.
 
******
 
The plane took off and soon they were at cruising altitude.
 
"This case is similar to one we had last year," Laura began casually. "Do you remember the Fred Melneck case?"
 
Was she serious? He had *invented* the Melneck case as a ruse to get her to San Francisco for an amorous interlude. But, like all of their other attempts to be alone, this one had failed as well.
 
"Yes, Miss Holt, I remember it *all* too well."
 
"If you recall, Mr. Steele, you invented the Melneck case so we could be alone in the most romantic city in the country."
 
"Yes, I did," he answered.
 
"But there was a problem with your plan," she said. "Mr. Melneck, who was actually Seymour Glass, was going to San Francisco to complete some unfinished business for a former client. You didn't know that the unfinished business would lead us into a real case, distract us from each other and keep us from enjoying all of the romantic locations in the city."
 
"Laura, I don't see how reminding me of this painful experience is explaining our current case."
 
"Well," she said, "I took the information we learned from the Melneck case to perfect our strategy in this case."
 
"Sorry," Remington replied. "There is a nuance that escapes me . . . Who is our client?"
 
Laura looked right into his ocean blue eyes. "There isn't one," she simply stated. "No case to investigate, no leads to follow, no suspects to suspect." Laura smiled. "Just you and me on a plane to Hawaii."
 
Remington was speechless. Did she really just say that? SHE invented a phony client to get HIM alone? They were going to Hawaii . . . on vacation?! How could she go from not talking to him all week, to this?
 
"Laura, I don't know what to say."
 
"Say yes, and let me make up the question."
 
*Did she just say that*? He thought.
 
"Did I just say that?"
 
"Yes, you did," Remington replied.
 
Laura smiled. "I don't know what's come over me." She knew *exactly* what had come over her.
 
He smiled back. "I don't either, but I hope you don't find out. What happened to the Laura who barely said three words to me this week?"
 
"Oh, that," she replied.
 
*Oh, that*?! He thought. *Like it wasn't a big deal. We went from having a nice walk on the beach and having her read the letter, to no talking. She'd better have a good explanation.*
 
"I have a good explanation for that," Laura said. "After we returned from the Freidlich Spa last weekend, I spent all of Sunday thinking about the things that transpired there . . . All the words that were exchanged . . . The hurt feelings. I told you that I had read the book You Can Be Better Than Okay. But, I realized I didn't want to improve my attitude towards our relationship, I just wanted you to make all the changes and improve your attitude. I meant it when I told you that our relationship has been on hold for too long. I realized that if we're going to have any chance at making this work, any chance of us moving forward, we needed to get away from all the distractions and concentrate on us."
 
Mr. Steele wasn't sure if he should say anything. He couldn't believe all the honesty that was coming out of her mouth. But she still hadn't explained why she had been giving him the cold shoulder all week.
 
Laura continued. "There are two reasons I distanced myself from you this week. First, I spent a lot of the time planning this getaway. I wanted to make sure everything would be perfect and we wouldn't have any interruptions."
 
He liked the sound of that.
 
"Second," she said. "I needed time to focus on me . . . To try and figure out why I have so much emotional baggage."
 
". . . And did you?" he asked cautiously.
 
"Some," she replied. "I realized that I have made a lot of choices in my life out of fear . . . fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of not being loved . . . fear of being left . . . ." Laura's voice trailed off and she looked away.
 
Those last words stung his heart. Remington reached out and took her hand. Then he gently turned her head so she was facing him again. Her eyes were glistening.
 
"Laura, I've told you this before and I will tell you again. I'm not going to leave you. I will continue to tell you until you believe it."
 
Laura let his words sink in. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand.
 
"I know," she said, nodding her head. "It's not a good way to live. I have been pushing you away for almost four years while screaming at you to come closer. It doesn't make any sense." She smiled. "So . . . I've decided that I'm going to try to make decisions based on what I *feel* and not what I *fear.* You said at the spa that you were interested in the half of my brain that I use for feeling." Laura leaned over and gently kissed him on the cheek. "Well, good news Mr. Steele, I brought it with me."
 
******
 
They arrived in Honolulu in the early morning and caught their connecting flight to Maui. When they got off the plane, they received a traditional lei greeting. They grabbed a cab and headed towards the hotel.
 
"Laura?"
 
"Yes?" she replied.
 
"Why did you choose Hawaii?" he asked.
 
Laura smiled. "It was actually your idea," she answered. "You told me in the gazebo at the spa that the perfect place to explore our feelings would be on a moonlit beach in Maui. There's no moon right now, but we may have a few moonlit nights here. Besides, putting an ocean between us and the office sounded like a fabulous idea."
 
Remington smiled at the thought of her paying attention to what he said and following through with it. Instead of his words coming back to haunt him, it seemed they were actually going to make a fantasy come true.
 
"How long will we be staying here, Laura?"
 
"I'd like to say until we have our relationship worked out," she replied. "But that could mean we would never leave the island. Never go back to Los Angeles."
 
"That's not such a bad idea," he said with a grin.
 
Laura smiled at the thought. "I have us booked for a week."
 
A week! Seven days! Six nights! Alone with Laura! No phones! No cases! No Mildred! No distractions! And she actually wanted to be here with him.
 
They arrived at the beautiful beachfront resort hotel. The usually frugal Laura had spared no expense for this trip. They went to the front desk to check in.
 
"Aloha!" the desk clerk greeted enthusiastically. "Welcome to the Ka´anapali Resort and Spa. How may I help you?"
 
"We have a reservation," Laura said.
 
"Name please."
 
"Richard and Laura Blaine," she replied.
 
"Room 100, the Presidential Suite. One of our finest rooms," the desk clerk preened. "I see here that you have requested early check-in. That room is not quite ready yet, but it will be shortly. We will have your luggage waiting for you in your room."
 
Remington wasn't sure what surprised him most; the fact that they checked in under an alias, that she requested early check-in or that she only got one room.
 
Laura took the room keys from the desk clerk and handed one to Mr. Steele.
 
As they walked away from the counter he joked, "Separate rooms, Miss Holt?"
 
"Separate keys, Mr. Steele," she replied with a smile. "Separate, but equal."
 
******
 
Laura suggested they walk down to the beach while they waited for their room to be ready. There was something she needed to do. They took off their shoes to walk barefoot in the sand. The waves gently lapped on the sandy shore. They stopped near the water's edge and she turned to face him.
 
"I have to tell you, Mr. Steele," she began, "I was very touched by your letter. I read it over and over again all week. It must have been very hard for you to put your feelings into words and I *do* appreciate the effort."
 
Laura leaned into him and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
 
When she moved back, Remington pulled her back into him and said, "You're welcome."
 
He gave her a deep, long, loving kiss on the lips.
 
When Laura caught her breath she said, "I have something for you."
 
Laura reached into her purse, removed an envelope and handed it to him. Once he opened it and saw what it was, a huge smile crossed his lips.
Remington read it aloud.
 
"My mate's most wonderful and endearing qualities."
 
Laura quickly put her hand over his mouth. "You don't have to read it out loud," she said.
 
Remington removed her hand. "Oh, but I want to," he said with a smirk.
 
Laura smiled as he continued. It was written in her beautiful handwriting.
 
"My mate's most wonderful and endearing qualities. Qualities that brought us together."
 
Remington gave her another quick kiss on the lips and continued reading.
 
"When I invented Remington Steele, I gave him the qualities I look for in a man . . . honesty, integrity, loyalty, courage. . . But the man who stepped in and assumed Remington Steele's identity has far exceeded any expectation I could have ever imagined. Along with being everything I had ever hoped for, he is also loving, caring, good humored, sexy. . . ."
 
Remington paused and winked at her. She smiled and blushed. He continued reading slowly, savoring each word.
 
"Inventive . . . compassionate . . . fun . . . charming . . . witty. . . sensitive . . . handsome . . . intelligent . . . playful . . . tender . . . sensual . . . hard-working. . . ."
 
Remington stopped and then repeated, "Hard-working?"
 
"Yes, Mr. Steele. Hard-working."
 
He smiled and continued.
 
"Creative . . . kind . . . warm . . . generous . . . funny . . . thoughtful . . . trustworthy . . . gentle . . . ingenious . . . brave . . . adaptable . . . patient. . . ."
 
"Patient?" he asked.
 
"VERY patient," she answered with a grin, showing her full dimples.
 
Remington smiled at the thought of his patience being rewarded. He continued reading.
 
"He is sympathetic to the underdog. He is an excellent gourmet cook. He is lean, but strong. He is extremely eloquent. He is very romantic. He is a natural with children. He is more than I could have ever dreamed or imagined."
 
Remington read the last line.
 
"He is more than I ever thought I deserved."
 
Remington leaned in and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.
 
"Laura, I'm touched."
 
She smiled. "You know how I love to make lists."
 
"This *is* quite the list."
 
"I've spent a lot of time thinking about you this week," Laura said.
 
"It's very obvious," Remington replied. "I have spent a lot of time thinking about you as well . . . But, I must admit, at times the thoughts were not this nice."
 
"I *am* sorry for that," she said. "But I couldn't tell you about my plans. I didn't want anything to ruin it. Besides, I really wanted to surprise you."
 
"Believe me, Laura, you have." Remington leaned in and kissed her again.
 
"Our room is probably ready," she said.
 
". . . Are you?" he asked, delicately.
 
Laura knew she was ready. She had wanted them to be lovers from the moment they had met. But she also hadn't wanted to get hurt, to be left again by another man. Laura had been waiting for him to tell her how he felt about her, that he loved her. But it hadn't happened yet. And then at the spa, Mr. Steele had given her the letter he'd written, revealing her best qualities. He'd also told her that he read people by what they did, not by what they said. Laura finally understood that he wasn't withholding the words from her to keep her on a string, or because he didn't feel them, but rather because the words she wanted to hear from him didn't hold the same meaning.
 
Mr. Steele had shown his commitment to her by all the many deeds he had done over the course of three-plus years together. He had said and done many other wonderful things to show his devotion to her. Laura had spent all week thinking about all the times they had been so close to making
love, but it hadn't happened. At the spa, Mr. Steele had accused her of being afraid to do anything but talk. And as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. But that was about to change. This new Laura was making decisions based on how she felt. And how did she feel about
him? She wanted him. More than she had ever wanted anything in her life. She had always wondered where their relationship would go after they became intimate. She would never know unless they crossed that line. Laura decided to put her fears aside and just let it happen.
 
"Yes, Mr. Steele. I am."
 
To be continued . . .
To Part 2

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