Finding Paradise

by Laura Westbrook

  “Good morning. This is the front desk.” The voice was professional and pleasant, but all the same, she jerked herself upright. Why would the front desk be calling her? Was there a problem with payment? Did their booking run out? Her stomach did a flip-flop.

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Oh, yes. Everything is fine. May I speak to Hanna, please?”

  Worry turned into curiosity. “This is she.”

  “There’s a letter here addressed to you. I just wanted to inform you that you’re welcome to pick it up whenever you’re available.”

  “Oh, of course. No problem. Thank you.” She was surprised. Who would send her letters while she was on vacation?

  She checked the time. Cassie was probably still asleep. Hanna didn’t want to disturb her, so she jotted down a note and left it somewhere that Cassie was sure to see—she didn’t think she’d be heading back to her room to read the letter, no matter who had sent it. Then she headed over to her closet and got out something to wear.

  Unlike the past two days, she wasn’t planning on doing any swimming, so she chose a more fitted dress and some classic, low-heeled shoes that were good for walking while still adding a bit of sparkle.

  She wasn’t sure what the day was going to bring, but she wanted to be prepared. Besides, she didn’t usually get much of a chance to dress up in Coopersville. There, it was all work and hanging out with friends afterward—if she felt like it. More often than not, it just meant nights at Cassie’s place, watching a predictable romcom. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to use this holiday as an excuse to dress up, at least a little.

  * * *

  “How can I help you?” the man at the front desk asked.

  “Yes, I’m here to pick up a letter. You called me about it a little while ago. Or someone else here did. My name is Hanna.”

  “Of course.” He rummaged behind the desk for a moment before handing it over to her. “Just a first name on it—but you’re the only Hanna staying here currently. We thought it must be for you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Have a great day.”

  She held the letter in her hand for a moment. It felt light, like it only held a sheet or so of paper inside. Then she pulled open the envelope. It seemed to be hand-written, so she wasn’t sure what to expect. There was no stationary heading on the plain, white sheet. She pulled the paper from the envelope and froze for a moment as she read the first few lines.

  It was from Josh. It was just a note, nothing more than that, but as she read it, she realized it was more than she’d hoped for. He asked her to meet him at the coffee house across the street.

  She read, “I hope to see you there…” It was sweet, and it sent butterflies fluttering around her stomach, twisting in the most delightful way. She smiled to herself, feeling a skip in her step.

  She hadn’t expected to see him again so soon, but she was more than happy to go with the flow. Suddenly conscious of what she was wearing, she was glad she’d dressed up a little bit more than the last few times he’d seen her. So far, he’d seen her drenched, in scuba gear, and in the most casual of outfits on a late-evening run to buy ice cream. None of these moments had been her at her best, and she was glad for the chance to look a little better.

  As she turned to make her way to the coffee house, she wondered why she was so concerned about his opinion in the first place. It wasn’t like this was a date exactly. And she was on vacation. She had a perfect excuse for dressing casually. And he might not have asked her to the coffee house because he liked her. Maybe he’d decided that she needed to pay him for yesterday. That’s probably it. Reality hit him, and he realizes he doesn’t want to miss out on the service rate.

  But something told her that this was different, that this wasn’t a business meeting and that she was right to feel nervous, right to feel that rush of excitement.

  Checking for cars, she made her way across the street. There was only one coffee house in sight, so she assumed that was the one he meant. As she entered, she was greeted by the smell of coffee, dark roasts and sugar and something sweet and rich that was almost like vanilla. It was a sharp contrast to the salty, fresh air that filled the world outside. It was darker in here, too, more secluded and out-of-the-way.

  There was something intimate about the atmosphere, how cozy the seating felt with snug booths and nooks in the corners. Hopefully he was still there. He could’ve written the note hours ago for all she knew. Her eyes scanned along the walls and the seats, searching for his face. When she finally found him, he smiled and waved her over.

  She quickly threaded her way over. He looked different today. His hair wasn’t slicked back with water and he obviously had more clothes on. He wore a beige Hawaiian shirt and shorts with pockets and pouches all along the side.

  “Hey there,” she said, sitting down in front of him. The table had a rough, yet smoothed over, look to it, as if it was all salvaged wood. She brushed her fingertips along it, feeling the subtle ridges.

  “Hey, yourself.” There was a sparkle in his eyes but something hesitant there, too. “I see you got my note.”

  “Yes, I did. I hope they called me right when you handed it to them. I hate to think you waited here a long time.”

  “It wasn’t too bad. I didn’t ask for your room number to ask you in person. I figured that wouldn’t be appropriate, so the note was the next best thing.”

  “I didn’t think anything bad about it.” Should I tell him? In truth, she found it a cute gesture, like something out of a movie. The hero swoops in and writes her a hand-written note and slips it somewhere he knew she’d find. Then she clutches her chest as she reads it. Something like that.

  “Oh, that’s right. You like vanilla. Everything predictable and expected.”

  Before she could defend herself, a waiter approached their table. “Here you are,” the waiter said. “Two coffees.” He set them down on the table between the two of them. Josh thanked him, and the waiter left.

  “I picked the breakfast blend.”

  “Nice choice. And thank you. So, were you planning on sitting here the entire day before I came around to reading your note.”

  “I asked if the front desk guy could give you a call with it. I figured it was still early enough that you probably didn’t leave yet. I’d wait for a while, and if you didn’t come down, I’d leave eventually, sure, but I’m glad you came.”

  “I still think you got lucky on the timing.”

  He spread his hands. “Hey, I’ll take it.”

  “And how long have you been awake? Something tells me your diving shift doesn’t start at dawn. After all, you cater to us tourists.”

  “But that doesn’t mean we keep your hours. I’ve been up for a while. This is my third cup.”

  “And you knock my health habits.” At last, she had him.

  He laughed and sipped his own coffee. “All right, fine, you win. And I didn’t ask you here to tease you.” His voice became more serious. “Actually, I wanted to ask you…to go somewhere else with me.”

  She just sat there, waiting to hear more. She knew he was a bit impulsive, but she didn’t think he was crazy enough to ask her to run away with him or something completely wild like that. He seemed like a normal enough guy. Even if he liked her, there were some things he couldn’t do.

  “Up for an adventure?”

  “Adventure, huh?” She felt like she’d been on a handful just in the past few days.

  “Sure, why not? Call it a date.”

  “A date?” She didn’t want to admit that her voice squeaked. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked her out. “Right now?”

  “No time like the present.”

  She felt like he was trying to sweep her off her feet, leaving her no time to argue, not that she had the urge to. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she decided to take the plunge. “Sure, let’s do it.”

  “Great. After coffee, we’ll go for a walk. I have something I want to show you.”
>
  “Is it above water?”

  “Very funny. All on dry land.” There was a crowd in the coffee shop now, but his voice was clear above the hum of the crowd.

  “I’ll have to text Cassie so she doesn’t call the cops on me,” she said, remembering her one responsibility. She hoped Cassie wouldn’t mind having the morning to herself, but it wasn’t as though they’d made any plans, and her friend would probably be sleeping for another few hours, anyway. “But other than that, I’m all yours.”

  She looked up quickly, realizing what she’d just said, but he smiled at her. “I hoped you’d say that.” Suddenly, the coffee tasted a little bit sweeter.

  Finishing the coffee didn’t take long. He’d already paid for the coffees earlier, which was a nice gesture. A bike whizzed past as soon as they opened the door and stepped out. Families with children in-hand lined either side of the road, stopping and looking at knick knacks in front of shops. The sun was overhead, but not bearing down too strongly.

  “I thought we’d start with shave ice,” Josh said.

  “Shaved ice?” She was more than happy to walk alongside him as they headed down the street, but she was curious.

  “It’s called shave ice here. Don’t ask me why, because I have no idea. Probably goes back generations. It’s the best. You have to try it.”

  She wracked her brain, trying to remember if she’d heard about it before. She seemed to remember its being mentioned in one of the tourist brochures she and Cassie had read before the trip. The article definitely raved about it. “Isn’t that just some special name for a snow cone or something?”

  Josh clutched his chest. “Snow cone? Oh, you hurt me. Seriously, I thought mainland people at least respected our customs.”

  She tried not to laugh. “Your customs revolve around flavored ice?”

  “Close enough.” He laughed at her expression. “Okay, but it’s a really great dessert. I have it at least once a week. It doesn’t compare to a snow cone at all. It’s far better—the taste, the texture, everything.” He shrugged. “I might be biased here, but I hope to convert you to the cause.”

  “Well, I’m happy to be converted, if it’s really as good as you say it is. Is it really a morning thing, though?”

  He checked his watch. “It’s late enough. Besides, people have sweet stuff in the morning all the time. Donuts and muffins and all that. Not far off from that.”

  She didn’t think it’d be hard for her to agree with him. There was something light and easy about being there, walking alongside him in the busy street. Things just seemed to flow. The flirting and banter never crossed the line, the smile on his face was always genuine, and the way he looked at her caused her feet to hover above the ground every so often.

  When they finally reached the shave ice shop, there was quite a line-up. Still, customers moved through pretty fast. When Hanna made her way to the front of the line, she was overwhelmed by all the flavor choices.

  I recommend tiger’s blood, mango, or lychee,” Josh said.

  “Uh, I’ll go with the mango.” She had no idea what the other two were, so she went with the only one she recognized. None of them sounded “safe,” but she was with someone who didn’t always go the safe route, either.

  “You see, they put the block of ice at the top of the machine, gripped by those metal spikes, then the arm with the blade spins and shaves off a tiny bit of the block each rotation. That’s why the ice is fine and not cubed like a snow cone. That’s the difference.”

  “I see. You sure know a lot about this.”

  “I have a friend who makes shave ice every summer for a side job. He showed me how it works.”

  He ordered a lychee one, and they were made within minutes. Holding the small, wooden spoon in hand, he stared at her until she took her first bite. “Go on, tell me what you think.” He leaned forward.

  She looked at the dessert curiously. The ice was powdery, resembling the texture of snow, finer than any kind of snow cone she’d tasted before. Hesitantly, she took her first bite. Her eyes widened.

  He watched her, still waiting. Finally, he couldn’t seem to handle the suspense any longer. “Well?”

  “Well, I have to admit that…maybe, just maybe, you were right. It’s not much like a snow cone.”

  “Aha. So you admit it’s better?”

  “Now wait a moment. I didn’t say that. I said it was different.”

  “Yeah, but you know it’s true. You know I’m right.” His confidence was returning, and for a moment, she was tempted to let the fun continue and make sure he really had to fight for his win.

  But she couldn’t do it. He was right. “Okay, okay…you got it. Much better than a snow cone. It’s delicious. So, this is a Hawaiian specialty or something?”

  “You know, I’ve actually done some research on it, and I can’t find anyone who makes the stuff outside of Hawaii. It might exist, but I couldn’t find it. That means you’ll be in trouble if you have a craving for it after you leave.”

  “Maybe that should tell you something if it doesn’t take anywhere else.”

  “That’s blasphemy. You’ve already said it’s good, so you can’t say otherwise now. It’s too late.”

  She laughed. “That’s true. Everyone else is missing out then.”

  “Weird to think it’s such an open market for it. I mean, only one place on earth you can find it. That I know of, anyway. Just think if it could be exposed to more people.”

  Her eyebrows went up. “You’re really spreading the good news there.”

  “It’s something I’ve thought about.”

  She didn’t really want to think about what would happen after she left Hawaii, so she went with, “I’ll just have to enjoy all I can while I’m here.”

  “Want a bite of mine? I promise, this flavor is just as good.” He offered his spoon.

  She normally wasn’t much for sharing utensils, but with him, for some reason, she didn’t mind. Lychee was just as good. She nodded in appreciation. “You have good taste.”

  He looked at her for a moment. “I certainly like to think I do.”

  She felt flustered for a moment, though his comment was subtle enough to where it might not have a double meaning. The blush stuck regardless.

  “So, where to next?” she asked. “You’re so good at planning stuff that I just know you have something else up your sleeve.”

  “Well, I thought I’d show you more of the local scenery. There’s a beach near here that’s nice and quiet. It has the best views. All the major beaches…” He shook his head. “Nothing on this one, absolutely nothing.”

  She laughed. “Apparently, you have a knack for finding gems and secret spots. But if it’s so beautiful, why isn’t it more popular?”

  He shrugged. “It’s all about who you know. And thankfully you know me.”

  She gave a dry cough. “Honored.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “So, it’s the tourists’ fault? We only like fancy hotels and don’t appreciate the more natural things?”

  “You’re not just any tourist to me. You’re more special than that.”

  “How special is that, exactly?”

  “Special enough for me to ignore everything else that’s going on to focus on you.”

  “Even your shift the other day?”

  He blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “When you talked your coworker into picking up a shift for you. I couldn’t help but overhear. You two were talking pretty loudly, you know.”

  He glanced down. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

  “I thought it was sweet. You clearly wanted to go on our little trip.”

  “A little trip that triggered a big favor.”

  “Awe, you’ll live. Besides, I’m worth it.”

  He smiled. “You sure are.” He moved closer and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face, his touch so gentle that she barely breathed. There was nobody around them at that moment, and he could do i
t. Is he really going to do it?

  Then he pulled away. “Shall we?” He smiled and held out his hand, and she took it. She shook her head when he wasn’t looking. It was silly of her to think he’d kiss her, right there and then. Maybe they weren’t ready, or because they were in public. Any number of reasons. It still didn’t mean that she didn’t think it would happen, though.

  He led her through the streets, and she could feel the proximity to the water with every step. But he seemed to be taking her through the curves of the island, showing off the side roads and the weaving, dipping motion of the land. He seemed to know the island like the back of his hand, and now he shared it with her. She couldn’t have paid for a better tour guide experience.

  They finally reached the slope that led down to the beach, and just like he’d promised, it was completely empty. The water stretched out forever in front of them, sparkling and blue. It was everything she could want from a view, and her breath caught in her chest. It was Hawaii without all the tourists. She hadn’t thought it possible.

  “More beaches used to be like this,” he said softly. “There seem to be more tourists every year.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing? You work in the tourism industry.”

  He nodded. “I guess so. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing, you know?”

  “But you like getting away from them, too. I guess that’s something I’ve always taken for granted. In Coopersville—back home—we have people, and business, and plenty going on, but if we want to get away from it, we can. Here, everything is busy. Even under the waves can be crowded, so you have to find treasures like this and hope the tourists stay away so you can…I don’t know, hear yourself think.”

  Her eyes met his, and for a moment, she watched him. Even though what she’d said was hardly romantic, she felt just that little bit closer to him. It was like she knew a piece of what he thought and why.