All It Takes Is This

Wow! What a day! Well, at least I have the boxes in the right rooms. I forgot how hard moving into a new place is. It is beautiful here. The condo I am renting is right on the ocean, which is sweet. I think I will take a break and rest for a minute in my lounge chair.

What is that over by the door? It looks like an envelope. That's odd, I don't remember seeing that there before. This is going to seem weird, it certainly does to me, but I am moving cautiously toward the envelope. What is the envelope going to do, jump up and bite me. Well then again, I am in Hawaii and one can't be too cautious here. Hey, my name is on the envelope. Should I open it? No wait, this is strange, nobody knows I am here, except my brother Nick, my parents and my friend Jessica and her husband. The writing on the envelope is not a writing style I recognize. What should I do...what should I do?

Okay, I'm going to open it. Here it goes. The note says, 'Mia, please be at The Juice Bar on the Beach at 11:15 in the morning.' Signed Q.

Where is the Juice Bar on the Beach and who on earth is Q?

I think I need to sit back down in the chair. Okay, Mia, think. This is your first night here. You didn't talk to any strangers except the ones at the airport that you had to talk too. Your brother Nick picked you up at the airport and helped you move your boxes into the right rooms. I haven't even talked to my neighbors yet. So, who is this Q and why is he asking me to be at the Juice Bar on the Beach at 11:15 tomorrow morning?

This is my first night in this condo in Hawaii. I have moved here to help my brother Nick. After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a masters degree in business, Nick started designing and selling surf boards he custom makes. He also started to get more serious about surfing. He recently leased a building he wants to turn into a shop for surfers. The reason I am here is to be Nick's personal trainer to help him step up his game as a surfer and to be his business partner.

I have a degree in public relations with a minor in advertising. When I lived in California, I worked for a large advertising company. It became way to stressful for me. I was also a personal trainer for several surfers. I thought this would help minimize my stress, but it just added to it. Needless to say, I'm happy to be living in Hawaii and working with my brother.

My alarm clock startled me this morning. Are you kidding me? It's 5:30 in the morning. And now there's someone knocking on my door. Nick.

I am quickly getting dressed for our morning training session.

"I'm coming, Nick."

I wanted to impress my instructor by showing up early," said Nick.

"Well, I'm surprised and impressed. And it looks like you brought smoothies too."

"Orange-Pineapple"

This morning after we stretched, we swam a mile in the ocean and then ran back to the beach area in front of the condo I live in. Now we are getting ready to do five sets of fifty yard sprints.

"Your new nickname is Drill Sergeant," said Nick as he panted.

"Hey, little brother, this is just the first day of training."

"That's what has me worried."

"Come on, I'll fix us some coffee and breakfast."

"Sounds great."

"I'll race you there. Ready, set, go!"

"Mia, you're killing me."

I think Nick is feeling much better since I made omelets and coffee. He is on his second cup of coffee and second piece of toast.

"Thanks for getting me groceries yesterday."

"Thank you for the delicious omelet and coffee."

"You're welcome. Nick, can you take me to the car rental place this morning?"

"Sure. I'll show you where our surf shop is on the way to the car rental."

"Sounds good."

"I was hoping we could start cleaning up the shop today and hopefully start repainting this week too."

"How about we start this afternoon. I need to take care of a couple things this morning."

"1:00 o'clock?"

"I'll see you then. Thanks for bringing me to the car rental."

"You're welcome, Mia. Thanks for moving to Hawaii and being my trainer and business partner."

"You're welcome. I'm excited to be here. I needed a change in my life. Besides, I have been missing you."

"I've been missing you too."

I'm renting a Jeep Wrangler. Hopefully, I can find a used vehicle for sale soon. But for now this Jeep will work just fine. I love Jeep Wranglers.

I have decided I am going to be at The Juice Stand on the Beach at 11:15. What could go wrong? It's in a public place.

I didn't want to say anything to Nick about this, because he would just worry and probably insist on coming to the juice stand with me. I don't think that's a good idea. I asked one of the staff members at the car rental place for directions to The Juice Bar on the Beach. It really isn't that far from where our surf shop is.

I'm here. I don't see anybody here, but the only juice stand employee. He waves so I sit down on a stool. I ordered a coconut water and wait on this Q to show up. The guy behind the juice bar counter is Bo. He attends the Hawaii Community College and is enrolled in the college's ecosystem program. I am so intrigued with what he is saying I am not paying attention to anything else that is going on around me. That is until I felt something licking my leg.

"What on earth?"

I looked down and there is a cute Boxer puppy wearing a black bow tie sitting beside my stool licking my leg. I bend down and rub his ears. He falls over so I can rub his belly. There is a basket with a white rose and another envelope with my name on it in the basket. The dog had to have carried the basket here. I don't know any other way the basket could have gotten here. It wasn't here when I sat down on this stool. I would have noticed if a person had set the basket there. But then again maybe I wouldn't.

As soon as I take the rose and the envelope out of the basket the puppy takes off down the beach.

Well, this is the strangest...I open the envelope. It is an invitation to tomorrow night's luau. The invitation is signed Q and Little Surf. Beside Little Surf's name is a paw print.

I am smiling and thinking. Do I have anything to wear to the luau or am I going to have to go shopping?

It may be easier to go shopping tonight or tomorrow. I left most of my fancy clothes as I like to call them at my parents' home in California. I didn't think I would need a lot of them here. I was wrong.

There are two things I really don't like to do. Wear fancy clothes and go shopping for fancy clothes.

Oh, I need to get to the surf shop. I have a feeling Nick is already there working.

I'm right. Nick is sweeping out the backroom of the shop now. I grab the other broom and start sweeping too.

"Hey, Mia. Did you get a rental that you like?"

"Yes, I am driving a Jeep Wrangler."

"Do you remember Dad's old Wrangler?"

"Of course, I do. Dad taught me how to drive a stick shift in that old Jeep Wrangler."

"Oh, that's right. That's how you got the nickname Hiccup."

"I haven't been called that in a long time. Dad and mom gave me that nickname because it took me a long time to learn how to shift gears smoothly."

We have finished cleaning the backroom and are now working on the main part of the shop.

I look up from my mopping when I hear the front door open. It is a young woman around Nick's age. This must be Nick's girlfriend Chloe.

"Hi, are you Mia?"

"Yes. Are you Chloe?"

Yes, it's nice to finally meet you."

"You too. Is Nick around?"

"Yes, he was right here. Nick?"

"I'm in the backroom getting some more rags."

"I'll go back there to talk to him. Talk to you later, Mia."

"I'd like that."

"Oh, did Nick tell you about tomorrow night's luau?"

"No, he didn't, but I did hear about it this morning."

"Are you going?"

"Yes."

"Good. You can go with Nick and I if you would like too."

"I don't want to intrude. I'll see you there though."

"Okay, see you then."

I'm still not comfortable talking to Nick about Quest yet. The talks I have with Nick about guys I am dating never goes well. Wait, did I just call tomorrow night a date with Quest. Oh, blind dates never go well for me. Now I'm starting to get nervous.

"Mia, Chloe and I are going to catch some waves, do you want to come?"

"No, you two go ahead. I need to go clothes shopping."

"What?"

"I know, but I don't have anything to wear to the luau tomorrow night."

"Whatever, sis."

"I'll see you on the beach at 5:30 in the morning."

"Drill Sergeant."

"I heard that."

"Love you, Mia."

"Love you too, brat."

Here I go shopping. Yah!

I woke up before the alarm clock rang this morning. I had bought a blue sundress with white lace around the neck and the bottom of the dress. I bought white sandals to where with the dress too. I thought I woke up early this morning because I am eager to train with Nick. I just realized that's not it at all, since the first thing on my mind is the sun dress and sandals. What is going on with me? This mysterious Quest and his cute puppy Little Surf is getting to me already. Is a little romantic mystery and a cute puppy all it takes? Maybe.

This morning, after we did our stretching, Nick and I lifted weights. We did twenty repetitions using both the arm and leg machine. Then we swam a mile and a half in the ocean and ran back to my condo. This morning Nick is taking me out to breakfast. When I said something to him about tonight's luau he had a weird smile on his face. I'm not even going to ask why.

We are finished cleaning the shop. Now Nick and I are headed to the paint store. We have decided to call our surf shop Shred.

"Mia, I can take the paint stuff back to our shop if you want to go get ready for the luau. We can start painting tomorrow."

"Thanks, Nick."

"You're welcome. See you at the luau."

"See you there."

There's Nick and Chloe. Wait a minute. Isn't that Little Surf? And who is that gorgeous man talking to Nick. It has to be Quest. Nick is waving at me.

"Hi Mia. This is Quest and his sidekick Little Surf."

"You know Quest and Little Surf?"

"Yes, you do too."

"I do?"

"Well, you know Quest. He didn't have Little Surf when he was my college roommate my freshman year."

"No way! You're the surfer nerd?"

"That's me. All grown up and a chemical engineer."

"Wow! Nick did you know Quest was going to invite me to the luau?"

"Maybe."

"Nick!"

Quest touched my arm and I felt my knees start to buckle. I gained my strength that is until Quest smiled at me.