The Ohana Cottage

2

MIA

The next morning, I wince as my feet hit the cold wood floors, and I make a mental note to find some fuzzy slippers when I venture into town. The air conditioning in this guest house is impressive. I stretch my arms above my head, let out a yawn, and shuffle down the hallway toward the kitchen. I flip my laptop open on the kitchen table and sit down. Logging into my work email, I find 56 emails needing my attention. I’m an editor for a local newspaper back home, which I absolutely love. I love everything about the writing process, and I love being able to take a decent piece or writing and hone it into something really impressive. And luckily, I can do my job from just about anywhere. My boss is very supportive, and I’ve reassured her that my work won’t suffer while I’m here. I’m responsible for editing the writers' pieces and signing off on them before the newspaper is published that week. Having lost most of yesterday as a travel day, I knew I would have extra work to do today to catch back up.

I respond to the first fifteen emails before heading to the kitchen. I need coffee ASAP, and I pray there will be some in here somewhere. I search the cupboards and come across a coffee machine, along with a jar of ground coffee. The sticky note that’s stuck to the top of the jar grabs my attention, indicating when it was opened.

Score! Still fresh.

I set the machine right next to the sink, plug it in, and turn it on. While I wait for the coffee, something catches my eye out the window above the sink. Just off the main house is a pool, and there’s a man walking the perimeter with a leaf skimmer. A very muscular, tan, shirtless man. And my guest house kitchen just so happens to have a window that looks directly into the backyard.

Huh. Is that John, the owner of the main house? I wonder if this is a daily occurrence. Is this something I can expect to find out my window every morning? If so, I don’t think I will be too upset about it. He lifts an arm to brush sweat away from his forehead, his biceps swelling with the movement. Nope, wouldn’t mind at all.

Now, I’m in no place to get wrapped up in another man, but I’m also not blind, so I lean my elbows on the edge of the sink to tilt forward and get a better view. He looks like he’s deep in thought as he pushes and pulls the skimmer back and forth on the surface of the water. He looks to be about my age, maybe a little older. His shoulder muscles flex as his arms move, and my eyes trail down to find an impressive set of abs on his stomach.

My phone rings suddenly and breaks me out of creeper mode. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I rush over to the table and snatch up my phone. It’s Paige.

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself, my Hawaiian princess. Have you had enough of a break yet? Ready to come home?” she asks.

“Paige, I just got here yesterday,” I say with a laugh. Paige has been my best friend for years. I actually stole her from Sean. Paige and Sean went to the same school, and I met her at a bonfire at Sean’s house in eighth grade. We hit it off right away and have been inseparable ever since. We’re both outgoing and friendly. She’s a little more on the sarcastic side, while I’m more practical, and we balance each other out nicely. At home, we see each other every day and tell each other everything, so my “break” will be an inadvertent break from her, as well.

She sighs. “I know, just wishful thinking, I guess. I miss you already.”

“I miss you too… but I think I'm going to really like it here.” I debate telling her about the eye candy that’s living just a few yards away from me, ultimately deciding against it for now. Besides, there isn’t much to tell. “It’s beautiful and so peaceful. You should have seen the sunset on the beach last night. It was absolutely beautiful.”

“That’s all lovely, and I am totally jealous… but how are you doing, really? You know, with the breakup and everything?”

“I’m fine. Really, I am. I just had enough of all the questions and everyone grilling me about it. I needed to clear my head and get some distance for a while, you know?”

“Hey, you don’t have to explain it to me. I get it,” she replies. Paige is just about the only person in our circle who is outwardly supportive of Sean and me going our separate ways. Not that she has anything against him—I think she just knows that I’m not my happiest self with him. She knows me well enough to know when I’m not completely happy.

“A break will be good for you. I just don’t understand why you had to go all the way to Hawaii. And not bring your best friend… do you know what the temp was today? Negative four! That was the high, for Pete’s sake! I’m beginning to wonder why I live here in the first place.”

“Ugh, I agree. I’m definitely going to soak up the warmth while I'm here.” I sneak a peek out the window and notice that the man is gone. Darn.

“All right, Paige, I have to get back to work. The time change here gives me a small work window. I’ll call you soon.”

“Okay, talk to you soon! Send some sunshine our way. ”

After hanging up, I pour some coffee into a mug, wishing I had my beloved vanilla creamer to go in it. But black coffee is still better than no coffee. I spend the rest of the day at the kitchen table, buried in my laptop, not able to break away to go pick up some food or even to look outside for another peek at my hot Airbnb host.

* * *

The next morning, after applying some powerful sunblock, I pull on a pair of black workout shorts and a matching sports bra. Lacing up my running shoes, I mentally map out a route to run on the beach. I pull my hair back into a high pony and make my way out the door, down the stairs, and past the main house. I make it to the beach access, and the moment my eyes find the sunrise, I have to remind myself to breathe. The sky is blaze orange with streaks of red and pink mixed in. I don't think I’ve ever seen a sunrise so strikingly beautiful. After allowing myself a moment of admiration for the sky, and taking a picture to send to Paige, I set out on my run.

I run down the stretch of beach, past several resorts, restaurants, and tiki bars. After two and a half miles, I turn around and head back so my run will end up coming to about five miles, just like I run back at home. Out of breath and sufficiently sweaty after the run, I slow down to a walk at the beach access entrance to cool down. Coming up to the main house, I am surprised when I see the shirtless pool guy rounding the side corner of the house with a garbage bag in his hand.

“Hey!” I call out to him, still breathing hard.

He jerks his head up, startled. His eyes narrow at me, and his forehead hardens.

“I’m Mia. I’m renting the cottage in the back. You must be John?”

He continues to stare at me for a few beats, an unreadable expression on his face, then finally nods. He seemed almost uncomfortable or irritated, which doesn’t make sense.

Is something wrong? Do I smell? Does he not like conversing with his tenants? Is that against the rules?

Okay then.

“Well, I’m gonna head back to the cottage. It was nice to meet you,” I say slowly, still waiting for a response.

His eyes follow mine as I start backing away, but he remains silent. I hold his gaze for a few seconds, wondering what’s happening behind those dark blue eyes, but the awkwardness finally gets to me and I turn around and make my way to the cottage.

That was weird.

As I shower, I try not to overanalyze the interaction with John. Maybe he was just in a bad mood? I did surprise him, so maybe he just wasn't expecting to talk to anybody while he took the garbage out. Either way, it seems clear he’s not going to be a vacation buddy, and that’s fine.

I pull on some jean shorts and a white T-shirt after I get out of the shower, leave my hair to air dry, put sunscreen on again, and call it good. I arranged for an Uber to pick me up once I got out of the shower. I want to explore the town a little bit, and I’m in desperate need of groceries. I’ve got a few minutes before the Uber arrives, and I fire off a few work emails while I wait.

Once I make it to town, I spend the next few hours roaming. It is a warm, sunny day, so I can't be in a bad mood, even if I tried. I pass a few touristy gift shops and a sunglasses kiosk. When I see Up in the Clouds, the bookstore I saw the day I arrived, I slip in and grab a couple new books to read while I’m here. I love romance novels, and there were several rom-coms available from my to-be-read list. Then I wander next door to Julie’s Coffee and Juice Bar. The bell makes a dinging sound above my head as I open the door.

“Aloha!” calls the woman behind the counter, a smile on her face. She has short blonde hair and looks to be in her mid-thirties. She’s wearing a gray T-shirt with a black barista apron that has the store logo embroidered on the front.

“Hi!” I say as I approach the counter. “You have such a cute place here! I love it. Can I have an Americano with one pump of vanilla, please?”

“Sure thing. I’m Julie, by the way.” We chitchat while she makes my drink. I’m a people person. I can get along with just about anybody. My mom has a running joke that I could make friends on a deserted hike. I guess it's partly due to where I grew up—“Minnesota Nice” isn’t just a stereotype; it’s a way of life for a lot of people back home.

“What brings you to Hawaii?” she asks me.

“I’m on a solo working vacation. Needed a break from real life after a breakup.”

“Oh, I know how that goes,” she says sympathetically.

“How long have you owned this coffee shop?”

“About three years now. It keeps me busy, but I love it. It’s one of my babies.” She turns her back to me so she can grab a lid for my drink.

“You’re pretty,” a small voice behind me says. I turn to see a little girl with long, brown hair coloring at a nearby table, watching me intently with her brown eyes.

I smile at her. “Well, not as pretty as you,” I tell her. Her face pulls up into a smile. I love kids. I’m an only child, so I didn’t grow up with siblings, but I babysat all the time in high school. I can make friends with kids just as easily as adults.

“I’m Hazel. That’s my mom over there, Julie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Hazel. I’m Mia. What are you coloring there?”

“It’s a picture of a shark. I love sharks. Do you love sharks?”

“Um, well, I definitely think they’re pretty cool… I don’t think I’d like to see one in person, though.”

“Well, duh.” She giggles, and it’s so darn cute I can’t help but smile.

“Here you are, Mia!” Julie calls, and I turn to grab my drink. “Have a great rest of your day, and I hope to see you again soon.”

“You definitely will! Thank you. Bye, Hazel!” I wave to Hazel and make my way out the door. This is the perfect place to bring my laptop to work, and I plan to do that soon. I wander across the street to the Farmers Market, slowly taking my time browsing each table. I grab some fruit, homemade bread, and a macadamia nut granola. On my way out, I pick up a bouquet of flowers to put in a vase on the kitchen table. Loaded down with my bags, I call an Uber and head back to the cottage. Once I’ve unloaded my groceries back home, I sit down to check in with work for an hour or two. I finished out my first full day by bringing one of my new books to the beach and reading a few chapters while watching the sunset. It is so incredibly peaceful, with the waves crashing into the shore, that I make it a goal to do this often while I’m here.