“Well, good morning, sunshine.” Christina held a cup of coffee as she glared me down in the odd combination of yoga pants over her wetsuit.

“Hardly,” I retorted. “I thought we were meeting at your shop? And what’s with the wetsuit?”

“I thought so, too, but then you stood me up.” She tilted her head. “I even grabbed you coffee. It’s nasty when it’s hot, so I bet it’s extra special tasty when chilled by an hour of waiting.”

I looked from the coffee to her and back again. “Wait, we’re supposed to meet at nine, right?” It couldn’t possibly be that late.

“Yep, and it’s now ten.” She shook her phone.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry, Christina. I lost track of time.” I’d been standing here for an hour and a half? I wasn’t sure if I was more upset by the time loss or my ultimate inability to open the door.

“It’s okay. We can make the eleven o’clock class.” She walked over to the construction dumpster and tossed the coffee over the metal edge. “Now get your wetsuit and let’s go.”

“For yoga?”

She grinned. “Do you trust me?”

“No.” I shook my head.

“Smart woman. What if I ask you really nicely and promise not to ask you to surf?” She batted her lashes at me.

I sighed. “Give me five?” I was supposed to be exercising my body and making new friends, and if that included putting on my wetsuit, then fine. At least I wouldn’t fail that section of my homework.

“Take ten,” she answered with a shrug.

I raced up my steps and didn’t stop until I reached my bedroom, where I went to war with the neoprene piece of hell known as my wetsuit. Good Lord, this thing exhausted every muscle I had just getting it on, but I did. Thank God I didn’t go with the full-body model or I wouldn’t have made it.

With already aching arms, I gathered my hair at the top of my head and looped it into a bun, then pulled on my yoga pants, grabbed my sunglasses, and headed back outside, where Christina patiently waited for me.

“Good girl. For your speed, I shall offer you a new cup of non-cold coffee on the way,” she said with a smirk.

We took her coupe twenty minutes north to Avon, stopping along the way for the promised caffeine hit.

“You going to pry?” I asked when I caught her glancing my way.

“Nope. I figure if you want to tell me why you were staring at a pickup truck like it was your mortal enemy, you will.” Her eyes cut my way. “Doesn’t mean I’m not dying of curiosity.”

I took a sip of the caramel macchiato as we sped along the narrow parts of the island.