A small sigh slipped though the woman's lips as she looked out towards the sunrise. Everything about this place was tearing her up inside. She didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She bit her lip lightly as she pushed herself to her feet, and she moved towards the closet. She was making her way to Hawaii. She was kind of surprised with herself about the choice she had made. She didn't really think she was going to do this, but here she was packing her things and catching a plane to Hawaii.
 

The one place she's always wanted to visit. The one place she had dreamed about since she was a little girl. A small smile passed over her lips as she looked towards her dresser. She pushed herself to her feet and she walked over, and picked up the picture sitting there. It was the last good picture she had of her, and her ex-girlfriend. The one person she thought wouldn't hurt her. She bit the inside of her cheek, as she dropped the picture into the trash can by her feet. Her heart was breaking again.
 

She hated herself for even keeping that picture. She shook her head, and moved back to her duffle bag. She only had a couple more things to pack up, and then she was ready to go. She zipped up her bag, and picked it up. She slid the strap over her shoulder, and walked out of her room. She grabbed her phone and charger right when she walked by, and opened the door. She was kind of surprised to see her roommate right there. "Esme, sorry I didn't see you" she said with a sheepish smile.

"It's alright Willow, I just wanted to make sure you are doing okay. Are you sure you wanna do this? You won't be able to meet up with anyone you know, and we sure as hell can't get to you" she said lightly. Willow nodded a bit, and set her bag down. "I'm sure about it. I mean, I'm going to Hawaii for the first time in my life, and it's like a dream come true" she said with a small laugh. Esme shook her head lightly and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I have a feeling you are lying to me, but I'm not going to push the issue with it. But I just want you to be safe and have a nice trip" she said lightly. The two hugged and Willow felt tears sting her eyes. She hadn't had someone look out for her like this. "I'll be okay, I promise. I'll make sure to send pictures while I'm out there" she said with a small smile. "Bitch, you better because I wanna see the water, and the house you are staying at" Esme said grinning.

Willow was about to say something more when she heard a honk outside. "My cab's here" she said lightly. She then picked up her things, and she walked out of the small house. She then made her way to the taxi and she opened the back door, and slipped inside. She gave him the address for the airport, and then she leaned back and looked out the window, watching the trees and houses pass. In less than fifteen minutes the taxi was pulling up, and she was heading to check her things in, and she was on the plane.

Hours Later.
 

The moment that the plane touched down, her heart skipped a beat. She was finally here. It was a long flight, and she was finally here. When the fasten seat belt sign clicked off, she undid her seat belt and she stood. She let the other's go before her. It wasn't like she was on a time crunch or anything. She bit the inside of her cheek as she was finally walking off the plane. She didn't know if anyone was picking her up, until her eyes found a man holding a sign with her name on it.

She was glad she was able to have her bags with her, and she walked over to him. "You must be Willow Rose. Please come with me. You and the other's are needing to take a boat to the island" he said lightly. So there were other's coming here too? She hoped that they wouldn't be totally stuck up. She followed the male, and he led her to a limo. She was then tucked inside, and she watched as he closed the door behind her. She was alone in the limo, and she didn't mind that in the least.

She watched as the airport was behind her, and then she was being taken down to the docks. The man she had seen wasn't with her, and she wondered if she'd see him again. She sighed lightly, not getting too comfortable. When the car came to a stop, she opened the door and climbed out. There was a huge boat in front of her, and a small smile passed over her lips. "Welcome! You must be Willow Rose! You are the first one here, come on up and get comfy!"

"We have three other's that will be joining us, and then we will get underway for the long boat ride ahead" he called out. Willow nodded a bit as she climbed onto the boat. Everything was happening so quickly. She walked up to the deck, and stuck her bags under the tables. She then sat down, crossed her legs and waited for the other's to arrive. She was still nervous, but that was to be expected. She didn't know what this new journey held, but she hoped it was good.

That's when the other three arrived. Her eyes landed on three females, and four other male's. So she wondered if there was someone who was either bi-sexual, or full blown lesbian. She didn't care though, as long as she ended up getting laid while being out here, that would make her really happy. She broke out into a smile as the other's arrived. "Hi there. I'm Willow" she said lightly when the other's were on board.

Today was the day Callum was going to the airport and heading off onto a new adventure. At least that's how he felt it was like. He didn't know if there would be other homosexual men, or bi-sexual men for that matter. He was doing this to please himself in a way he never thought he would. He sighed lightly when he checked the time and heard the sound of the taxi outside honking it's horn. It was time to get going. He made sure he had everything and then made his way out of the apartment.
 

He made sure to lock up and had left a note as well for his roommate explaining that he was finally leaving, and that he would call as soon as he could. He was really excited for this. He hadn't done something like this before, and it was a whole new world for him. The tattooed male slipped into the back of the taxi with his bags and told the male the address of the airport. He was leaving the busy city life behind, and he couldn't be any happier than he was right then about it.
 

Everything seemed to be passing in a blur, but he didn't care at all. He wanted nothing more than to leave his everyday life behind and see what this new journey held for him. That's when the taxi driver was turning around in his seat. "Keep sitting there like that, and I'll make you pay for even more of my time" he snapped. Callum snapped out of his thoughts and glared at the bastard. "You aren't getting a good tip now" he said as he only paid his fair, without the tip. He then climbed out.
 

He slammed the door closed and made his way towards the airport and went to board his flight. He was finally leaving, and he couldn't be happier. The people here were total assholes, but yet he couldn't think about leaving New York for good. If this worked out, he could be coming home with a partner, and things would be even better. He had so much hope for this, that he didn't know if he was setting himself up for heartbreak or not. He hoped he wasn't, but there was still that small fear that he was.
 

Hours Later.

The plane had finally touched down, and he was grabbing his things and making his way out of the airport. When he walked out someone placed a Lea around his neck and kissed both of his cheeks. He smiled lightly and thanked them. He then saw a man with a sign and his name was on it. He walked up to him and nodded a bit. "I'm Callum Hawthorne" he told the driver. The driver broke out into a smile and opened the door for him.
 

He slid into the back and was glad the car was cool. He couldn't help but wonder if the other's were getting the same treatment as he was. Soon the car was in motion and he was heading to the docks. He kept his eyes trained out the window getting more and more excited with each passing moment. Soon the car stopped, and the back door was opened once more. The driver didn't really say anything as he climbed out. "Thanks" was all he said as he slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the boat.
 

When he boarded someone spoke. "Welcome! You must be Callum Hawthorne! You are the second person to arrive, come on up and make yourself comfortable!" he called out. Callum couldn't help but smile at the bubbly man. Now that's what he was talking about. When he was on board sure enough there were three other's. Two females and another male. He nodded his head towards them all as they spoke their names. "I'm Callum, it's a pleasure meeting all of you" he said with a warm smile. He took a seat beside one of the females.
 

As the other's started to arrive his eyes landed on a really handsome male. God he would have fun with this trip. If he didn't find love lie he was hoping, he would at least hopefully find someone to bed for sure. Now that would be even better in his opinion. No strings attached at all. He smirked lightly as he made himself comfortable. "I hope there's booze at this house we will be staying at, cause I could use a stiff one right about now" he said. Hopefully none of them were too stuck up for his humor.

Isla sighed as she looked at the empty suitcase in front of her.  She had barely been able to get out of bed, not sure if she should even go on this damn trip.  Everything and everyone she looked at reminded her of...him.  The man that ruined her and hasn’t spoken to her yet.  Her head broke out of her stare as the knock on her door was heard.   “Huh?  What’s up?” Isla looked toward the door, before her roommate and best friend, Jeremy, peeked his head in the door.  

 “You aren’t even packed yet?  You have to head to the airport in a few hours!” he spoke, bringing his whole body into her room.   “I know, I know.  I just...is this the right choice?” the woman looked up toward her friend, and he sat down on the bed next to her.   “I know this is hard to hear, but you need to let go of Drew.  You deserve happiness and I think this island getaway is exactly what you need.  And I know if you don’t get that bag packed soon, I’m putting on a wig and pretending I’m you!” Jeremy teased, and Isla pulled a small smile.   “Alright, help me.” she spoke, the two pushing themselves off the bed.

The two packed Isla’s bag more hastily than she would have liked, but it was her fault for procrastinating for as long as he did.  Isla did catch the male throwing in some of her more provocative outfits and bathing suits, to which he shrugged.  “Might as well try and get laid while you’re there. There’s gonna be hot singles and you’d be down to fuck any of them.  Why wouldn’t you, I?” Jeremy spoke, throwing in one more cute outfit.  He was right, maybe taking this time to let loose a little bit might be good for her.  Maybe she could actually find someone who loved her and wouldn’t leave her soon after because they were bored with her. It was all she had ever wanted.

After packing up, Jeremy had driven her to the airport.  He gave her a hug, before letting her go.   “Go find happiness.  And if they have a sibling too, bring them back for me.” he teased, patting her on her head before letting her go into the airport, giving her a small wave before she disappeared into the airport.  Soon after, she had made it through security and customs, and was ready to get on her plane rides.  She was on the other side of the world than Hawaii, and was ready for the long plane ride ahead from Australia. 

Hours Later

Isla exited the plane, and was able to quickly get her luggage from the claim.  She looked around, getting a lea placed around her neck at her surprise, and smiled at the nice woman.  Was she supposed to know where to go?  Would someone be picking her up? There was a man with a sign with two names written on it.  Isla noticed her name, and another man standing next to the man.   “Hello, I’m Isla.” she approached, the man holding the sign smiled. 

“Hello!  Welcome to Hawaii!  This is Dante, and you both are heading off to the boat.  Follow me please.” The man said, sliding the sign under his arm and led them into a limo.  It was cool in there, and Isla sighed as the cool air hit her skin.  The man, Dante, hadn’t spoken at all, he seemed to have quite a few walls up, as did she. She enjoyed the silence, so she just turned towards the window, enjoying the view of the island they were now on.

 As they approached the docks, they both exited the limo, taking their bags.  Isla approached the boat, seeing an uncomfortably chipper man standing there.  "Welcome! You must be Isla Wallace! You are the third to arrive, come on up and make yourself comfortable!  And you must be Dante Ricci, you are the  forth and final person to arrive, come on up and make yourself comfortable!” he spoke.  He was clearly given a script to follow, not much different between their greetings.  Isla smiled, and walked aboard the boat. There were already people on the boat, and she took the first empty seat she could find.

 “Hello, I’m Isla.  It’s nice to meet you all.” she spoke softly.  Everyone’s intros seemed a bit short and she immediately became a bit nervous.  She had a hard time opening up unless someone came up to her.  She looked around at the people around her. The woman was gorgeous, her soft features beautiful.  The men, so far, all had a similar look to them as well.  They both had tattoos with strong features, something very attractive to her as well. Jeremy had been right, this was exactly what she needed.  But she did hope someone would initiate some sort of conversation, or Isla was sure her anxiety would get the best of her soon.

The smoke left Dante’s lips softly, floating upwards before dissipating completely. He was standing on his balcony, staring out over the city  he was currently in.  He had been traveling away from Italy for a while, trying to get his mind off Aria.  The gorgeous, adventurous woman who stole his heart had crushed him, leaving him to rethink his last few months he spent around her.  He didn’t date, but he was willing to drop that to be with her, exclusively.  And she threw his motto right back into his face,  “I don’t think so, I just don’t date.”  He slammed his hands against the railing of his balcony.  Why did he let her get in so deep?  And why did he care so much?  His whole life had been meeting people and hooking up, but now, all he wanted was to settle down and find someone. Just one person, and he hoped his trip would help him find that.

Dante reentered the hotel room, closing the suitcase and zipping it up.  Usually, he’d have someone in his bed, coming over and giving him sweet kisses before handing him their number before he never called them back.  Now, he was alone in the cold bed.  He couldn’t find anyone who he felt lived up to what he felt with Aria, and now he felt broken.  He needed this trip, and hopefully get his groove back.  The usually extroverted male barely spoke unless he needed to.  His walls had been built up too high, he just needed someone, anyone, to break them down.  If nothing else, he could hook up with as many people as possible.  It had been a while.

Dante called a cab, getting to the airport quickly.  He made his way through language barriers before, and he was doing the same now.  He knew Italian from his years in Italy, and had learned English as well from school and his travels.  He was back in Europe now, but he wasn’t as versed in French.  He was able to get on the plane, and just put his headphones in, waiting to get through the long plane ride, and through his layover.  He made sure to get a drink, and let his body relax.

Hours Later

Getting off the plane, he noticed a man with his name and another name as well.  Isla, huh?  Maybe she’d be cute.  A woman tried to lay a lea around his neck, but his glare to her seemed to scare her away.  He walked up to the man, who smiled brightly at him.  “Welcome to Hawaii!  Dante, I suppose?” the man spoke, to which Dante nodded.  The man’s happiness didn’t falter, which surprised Dante.  “Well, we are waiting for one more lady to join you in your limo ride, her flight landed a moment ago, she should be here any minute.” the man smiled, and Dante nodded, standing off to the side.  He looked at his phone, a few messages from random hook ups, and one message he didn’t believe he saw.  Aria’s name with a short message,  Have a good time in Hawaii, Dante. Let me know when you get back. The message made his heart pound, did she want him back?  Was she ready to be with him, officially?  It was too late to turn back now, as the other woman Isla had just joined them.  She was pretty, but nothing compared to Aria.  

Dante looked to her, nodding his head at her and back to his phone.  He didn’t respond to Aria, but he was happy to know she was thinking of him.  Make her want him more, or that was his thought process.  He climbed into the limo, the cool air feeling nice after the humidity of the air outside. He didn’t speak to the other woman,  not yet. He’d wait until he met everyone else.  No need to get ahead of himself. He took some time to look out the window, taking in the sights.  He had never been to Hawaii, and it was amazing.  He was ready for this new adventure, and meeting some other people who maybe were just like him.  

The two arrive at the dock, Dante grabbing his own bag and following behind Isla.  He didn’t speak, but he let the happiness pour from the man who stood at the front of the boat.  Why was everyone here so damn happy, and sober too?  He entered the boat, barely listening to what the man had to say.  So far, the people on this boat were all gorgeous, men and women alike.  He wasn’t shy to say he was attracted to both genders, and he hoped he could get each one in bed, if they wanted to, of course.  As they all introduced themselves, he took notes of their names, before he was the second to last one.  He cleared his throat, knowing his Italian accent would come through his introduction.  “Dante.  The pleasure is all mine.” he spoke, his voice smooth and sultry, a normal tone for him.  He was already trying to decide who he'd want to be with first, Aria far back in his mind.  This was exactly what he needed.  Now, all he needed was a drink.  Or five.

Seemed like the man across from him agreed, and Dante smiled at him.  He was attractive, fit, and seemed outgoing, which he liked.  “I agree with you, I wonder if there is any liquor on this boat.” he spoke, leaning on his knees as he looked at the man, looking him up and down with just his eyes.  The girls seemed a bit quiet, so he was happy to have someone with spunk on this trip with them.  “Does anyone know anything about what is actually happening on this island?  I just signed up without really looking into it.  I’d been traveling anyway so it didn't seem too off to make this part of my traveling.” Dante smirked, looking around at the three of them, his eyes landing on Callum once more.

Kitty was still slightly fuming at what her parents had done for her. Yes she had been moping around the house for days on end, but that didn't mean she was going to off herself or anything. She was just tired of feeling like she wasn't good enough for any man. She wanted someone to sweep her off her feet, make her feel special and make her feel like she really did mean something to them. Was it really that hard to find someone like that? Or was it because she was just being picky about who she dated?

Whatever the reason was, her parents had signed her up to send her off to one of the islands nearby. She was leaving that morning, and she wouldn't be back for about a month to two months, depending on if she even wanted to come back to her home island. She sighed when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in" she called out. The door opened slowly and her mother walked into the room with a package in hand. "I know you are still upset with me, and I wanted to apologize to you"

"Your father and I went and got you a really nice gift for your trip. I know it's not much, but we just wanted you to know we are sorry for going behind your back my love" she said lightly setting the box on the bed in front of her. Kitty looked at the box, and then to her mother and cocked her head to the side. She reached out and touched the bow that was there, and she was kind of curious as to what they had gotten her to make up for it.

"It's alright, I suppose I somewhat understand where you guys are coming from, and I do apologize as well for being a horrible child" she said lightly. Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and took her daughter's hands into her own. "You aren't a horrible child. I know we should have asked you about it first, but we wanted what was best for you my love. We weren't doing it to hurt you" she said, her voice nearly begging her to forgive her. Kitty broke out into a small smile just then.

"You and daddy are the best parents in the world, and I love you both so much" she said as she leaned over and hugged her mother tightly. The two women held onto each other for awhile, before there was a knock on her door again. When she looked up she spotted her father standing there with another package in his hands. "I see you haven't opened the one from your mother yet. Looks like you will have two to open" he said stepping into the room handing the package over.

The red head took it, and smiled towards her parents. She opened her father's gift first and her breath caught in her throat. It was a brand new bikini in her favorite color's. Along with a beautiful white skirt to go with it. She then set it aside and opened her mother's. There was yet another swim suit, and some t-shirt's along with jeans for the trip. She looked towards both of her parents and smiled lightly. "Thank you both so much, you didn't have too" she said her voice catching a bit at the gesture from them both.

"I know we didn't, but we both felt horrible. Plus it's getting time for you to get to the docks as well" her father said. It was true too. Kitty packed up the rest of her things in her bag, and then zipped it up. She then hugged both of her parents tightly and kissed their cheeks. "Thank you both so much, I love them" she said to them each and meant it. They really were the best parents in the world. Her father then held out the keys and nodded over his shoulder at the door.

She gathered up her things and made her way out of the room. She walked behind her father and out to the car. "Make sure to send pictures if you can. I hope you enjoy yourself Kitty" her mother said and gave her one last hug and kissed her cheek. She smiled lightly at her mother and then slid into the passenger seat. Her father slid into the driver's seat after putting her things in the trunk. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the docks.

It took about thirty minutes to get there, and the drive was beautiful. She was lucky to live in Hawaii, and wouldn't trade it for the world. When her father pulled up to the docks and climbed out, she followed suit. She went and got her things and hugged her father one last time. He held her tightly and kissed her forehead, and was back in the car driving off. She stood there for a moment and looked towards the boats. She saw a couple people boarding one of them, and knew that's the one she needed.

When she walked to the boat a really chipper male welcomed her on board. She nodded her thanks towards him, and made her way over to the side of the boat. She saw a male so far and she nodded towards him slightly. "Name's Kitty" was all she said as she set her things down and waited for the other's to arrive as well. She was all of a sudden nervous, and wanted nothing more than to go back home.

"Dude I don't know how the fuck you got the good shit, but it's amazing" came the voice of Boomer. Caliber rolled his eyes a bit and smirked. "Of course I did. The joys of fucking around with the female. She ends up getting the good shit for me all the time" he bragged. He took the blunt and took a drag. The weed was kicking in, and he was feeling more alive, and he was kind of getting hungry too. Which wasn't a good thing. When he got too hungry, he lost his temper.

He passed the blunt to Boomer who took it and took a drag. "Are you really going to that island thing? Because I think Scarlett would love it if you stayed here and fucked her all the time" he said with a laugh. The other male shook his head and rolled his eyes a bit. "She's a good lay I won't lie, but I wanna settle down. I want to find the woman that was made for me." he admitted. It was wishful thinking, but that's all he ever wanted really.

He knew that it might not ever happen but going to Hawaii and seeing what that place had to offer, might be a good thing for him. He wouldn't be taking the weed though. There's no fucking way. He wouldn't be able to smoke it alone, and he was trying to impress people after all. He took the blunt, and took one last drag blowing the smoke out. "Seeing as I'll be gone for awhile, you get her" he said laughing. Boomer rolled his eyes, and finished off the blunt, tossing it aside when it was gone.

"As good as that sounds, she's got the hot's for you man. She won't even let anyone else get near her. So you better not settle down, cause then you'll lose out on this good ass shit" he said. Caliber sighed a bit. That's one thing he was kind of worried about. He didn't wanna lose out on the weed, but he wanted to find a wife more. "I don't care. I'm done fucking around. It's time I got serious, and I'm going to Hawaii" he said. He had made his mind up the moment he had gotten the letter.

His shit's been packed for ages, and he was just waiting for this day to arrive. Now that it was here, he was kind of nervous. What was he going to find there? Would he really find the woman of his dreams? Or would he just be seeing himself up for heartbreak again? He shoved those thoughts aside as Boomer was waving his hand in his face. "What time you gotta go?" he was asking. Caliber looked at the time and groaned. “I gotta head out now, the plane leaves soon”

The two cleaned up the rest of their junk, and then Caliber was grabbing his suitcase, and phone. He had everything inside, and he was finally on his way. Boomer drove him to the airport, he checked himself in, checked his bags in, and then went to find his seat. His new journey was about to start, and he couldn't wait for that to happen.

Hours Later.

"Ladies and Gentleman, you are now allowed to get off the plane. We have arrived safely. Enjoy your stay here in Honolulu Hawaii" came the sound of the red headed flight attendant. Caliber grinned as he unbuckled himself, and got off the plane. He went and got his bags, and then walked out into the air. It was slightly different than back home, but he didn't care. He was finally here, and he was ready to get his flirting game on. That's when he saw a male holding a sign with his name on it.

"I'm Caliber" he said walking up to the man. The male looked up and smiled. "Welcome, there's a car waiting for you to take you to your boat" he said. Caliber was slightly surprised at that thought. He wasn't going to say anything about it though. He followed the stranger and spotted the limo. They were going all out for this stupid trip. He didn't care though. He slid into the back, rolled the window up and made himself comfortable. He was almost there, just one more ride to go, and then he'll be able to shower.

When the limo came to a stop twenty minutes later, he looked out the window and spotted the boat. He climbed out and grabbed his things. He then walked to the boat, and the captain was right there. "Welcome! You must be Caliber Tuckerman! You are the second one here, come on up and get comfy!" Caliber cringed a bit at how chippy the other male was. That's something he hated more than anything in people. He nodded a bit and climbed aboard. That's when he spotted a woman.

She wasn't that much younger than he was, and she was pretty. That's when the other's slowly start to arrive. His eyes fell on one of them, and he licked his lips lightly. He knew he was going to at least bed one of the women this trip. When Kitty spoke her name, he made a mental note of it. He then spoke. "I'm Caliber, it's nice meeting all of you" he said with a smile. He then sat down, crossed his ankles under one of the tables, and waited for the other's to pretty much get comfortable.

He wanted to get to this island more than anything. He had a long flight, and now he had an even longer boat ride ahead. At least the company wasn't that bad looking. That's something he could handle. At least for the time being. When they got to the house, now that's going to be a whole new ball game, and he couldn't wait.

Harlow splashed some water on her face, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror again for the 4th time.  Gripping the sides of the sink as she centered herself.  Her anxiety was at an all time high right now.  Her friends had signed her up for this program without her knowledge and now her friend was back in her room packing her bag for her. She didn’t want to go.  She knew that she wasn’t going to find anyone who was right for her, and this stupid trip would be a waste of time.  Going to a remote island with 8 strangers; literally anything sounded better than that.  She heard Stella call her name in a sing-song voice.  A sigh escaped as she ran the water once more to make it seem like finishing up, before taking one more deep breath before heading back to her room.

Harlow’s best friend, Stella, kept throwing things into her suitcase, while Harlow was taking them out.  “Are you going to keep doing this, or are you going to let yourself actually have a chance at love?” Stella asked, picking up the pile of clothes Harlow had taken out and put them back in the suitcase. Harlow rolled her eyes, “I don’t think I am cut out for love.  No guy I have ever met has interested me, and has made me want to start a relationship with him.” Stella rolled her eyes, before sitting next to her friend on the bed.  “You’ve never left this town!  How would you know that there is no one out there for you?  This program promises the chance to meet your true love! People from all over the world, the world is not as small as this town.  C’mon Harls!  The worst that can happen is you sleep with some hot international men and then come home.  What do you have to lose?”

Stella was right, she had absolutely nothing to lose.  Sure, she had been burned before by one night stands and friends with benefits but maybe this time she could find someone for her.  Someone who was interesting and could keep her interested in them past one night together.  Stella couldn’t help herself and along with packing her friend’s stuff up, she also helped her get ready so she’d be extra prepared for their boat ride over.  Harlow tried to fight her on it, but decided to let it go. She knew she was doing it because she loved her friend.  

After being sufficiently ‘dolled up’, Stella drove Harlow to the airport.  It would be a decent flight, but Harlow just planned on sleeping so she could get through without any anxiety.  But the anxiety was building the closer they came to the airport, causing her breathing to quicken.  “Harlow, you are going to be fine.  This experience is going to be amazing for you! Those guys are going to be dying to get to know you.” Stella spoke, parking the car at her gate. The two girls hugged at the gate before Harlow entered the airport.  Maybe Stella was right, maybe this was the trip of a lifetime.  

Finding her seat on the airplane, Harlow could feel her heart start to speed up once more.  After a few deep breaths and asking the stewardess for the strongest drink she could, she knew she could do this.  She put on a movie and her headphones, before closing her eyes to let herself hopefully get some sleep on the ride.

Hours Later.

Once off the plane and Harlow had found her luggage, she looked around for her ride.  She was told there would be someone from a car company to pick her up, and was included in the program which she was grateful to not have to navigate Hawaii to find where the boat location was.  After some time, she saw a man who was holding a sign, her full name in thick block letters.  The man eventually locked eyes with her, and offered her a smile as he realized she was who he was looking for.  “Welcome to Hawaii, Harlow.  Let’s get you to the boat, shall we?” he spoke, motioning for her to follow him back to the car.

The entire ride to the boat Harlow barely listened to the man speaking as she was captivated by the sights.  Her small land-locked town in Colorado could never compare to the sights here.  The birds, the sky, the clearest water you’d only see in movies; it amazed her.  Maybe Stella had been right all along; she could already tell she was at least going to have a good time.  Even if her idea of a good time was sitting on a beach with her books.  

Once at the boat, she was greeted by a very cheerful man.  As Harlow approached the boat, his voice caused her to grab her chest, his voice even more chipper than his smile.  "Welcome! You must be Harlow Campbell! You are the third one here, come on up and find a seat! We are just waiting for one more before we will start our departure to the island." 

Harlow nodded before finding her way up onto the boat.  She found her own seat, looking at the two who were already on the boat.  “Harlow, it’s nice to meet you guys"  she responded to their words, taking another minute to look at both of them.  The man was rather attractive, which was a surprise even to herself.  He looked nothing like any of the guys in her town, and in her opinion, that was a good think. The red head seemed nice too, a friend or two wouldn’t be bad to find on this trip. 

Seeing the last person board the boat and introduce himself, she smiled at his introduction.  At that moment, the obnoxiously happy man boarded the boat as well. “We will be taking off now, please let us know if you need anything.  You will meet the other four when you get to the island in about two hours!  Enjoy your ride!”

“Do you all have any information on this trip at all?  I wasn’t the one who signed myself up for this.” Harlow asked, a small smile resting on her lips as she looked around at her company for the couple of hours to the island.

As Conrad pushed himself out of bed, he could still feel the burning feeling of the tequila he was drinking last night.  He knew he brought some brunette home last night, but she was nowhere to be seen at this point, which was in his best interest. He pushed himself out of bed, and on his way to the bathroom he tripped over the empty suitcase on the ground.  

Fuck.  Conrad’s  brother was going to be driving him to the airport in about 30 minutes and he wasn’t even packed yet.  He didn’t even want to go on this fucking vacation but his brother had practically begged him so he agreed.  All of these clothes were folded in his drawers anyway so he took out a bunch of shirts and shorts and threw them into the suitcase.  He put in a couple of nice shirts and pants, a hoodie or two, and some sunglasses.  He also always had a toiletries bag packed so threw that in along with some boxer briefs and socks.  A couple extra items and he was packed.  He took a quick shower and got dressed, his brother honking as soon as he exited the shower.  The banging on his apartment irritated his migraine. He was already sporting from his hangover, so once he was dressed he opened the door.  “Quit being a dick, I’m ready to go.”

“So…are you excited?” Asher, Conrad’s older brother asked, his hands tapping the steering wheel. Conrad had his head resting against the glass, his sunglasses trying to block as much light to lighten his headache.  He lifted his head slowly, before turning toward his brother.  “Not particularly.  I was doing just fine, this is really all your doing.” Conrad spoke, a scoff coming from his lips as he adjusted his body to look straight ahead.  “You don’t seriously believe you’ve been doing well since you and Hannah split?  You’ve been a wreck.  Maybe this will be exactly what you need to find your true love.” Asher had always been a romantic.  Picture perfect five year marriage and they acted like two teens in love even in their 30s.  Conrad thought it was gross.  

“Don’t even say her name.  Look, I thought I found love and it didn’t work.  All I’m gonna do if try and get laid and go the fuck home.  Don’t expect me to find love or whatever.” Conrad sighed.  He knew Asher was trying to help him, but he didn’t want help.  He wanted to continue living the way he was.  His marriage and divorce to Hannah had been the hardest thing he had ever done.  He didn’t want to ever have to do something like that again.  Honestly, love was now terrifying to him.  Conrad kept everyone at an arm's length, no one got close to him anymore.  And he hoped he could keep it that way.

They drove the rest of the way to the airport in silence.  When they got there, Conrad did give his brother a handshake.  “I’ll try…that’s all.” Conrad spoke, which brought a smile to Asher’s face.  “Thanks bro.” to which Asher pulled his brother in for a hug instead.  Conrad chuckled, before grabbing his bag and headed into the airport.  It wasn’t long before he was on the plane, the ride wouldn’t be too long because he lived on the coast nearby Hawaii.  He put some headphones on, letting the sounds drown out the commotion around him.

Hours Later.  

Conrad found his suitcase and as he turned around, he saw a man with a sign with his name on it.  “Aloha.  You must be Conrad, let’s get you to the boat!” the man smiled, leading him out to the car to get him to the boat.  Conrad was starting to get over his hangover, or he was a bit buzzed from his couple of airplane cocktails, he wasn’t sure.  But at least his headache had dissipated.  The boat seemed to have a couple of people on it, and he approached the man whose smile was a bit too much for him to deal with. 

Welcome! You must be Conrad Woods! You are the final one here, come on up and find a seat! Just settled and we will start our departure to the island!" Conrad just blinked at the man, his hard face not changing at all as he looked him up and down.  “Are you always like this?” he asked, and the man lifted an eyebrow.  “Like what, sir?”

 Conrad found an open seat, looking at each person.  There was a redhead who was gorgeous, and a brunette who was beautiful too.  At least he was going to get laid on this trip.  He wouldn’t mind hanging with the guys as well, he was bisexual but usually leaned more toward women.  “Conrad Woods.” he spoke, using his hand to push his hair back from his face.  

“We will be taking off now, please let us know if you need anything.  You will meet the other four when you get to the island in about two hours!  Enjoy your ride!”

“Do you all have any information on this trip at all?  I wasn’t the one who signed myself up for this.” Conrad heard Harlow ask.  “Don’t look at me.  My brother is the whole reason I’m here.  I didn’t even know we were going to be in Hawaii until I saw the plane ticket.” Conrad leaned back in his seat as the boat started up and started to move away from the dock.  

“Y’all know if we can get any liquor on this boat?  I feel like it would be the best ice-breaker so we can get to know each other a little bit.” Conrad spoke, the first smirk he’s shown appeared on his lips, letting his eyes rest on each member for a moment.