Painting Challenge
The Treasure Hunt
By Sarah2
Michelle had to hold the brush and stir stick in her mouth to reach for the doorknob. The handle of the paint can was digging into her hand after all those steps, and she was about to drop everything if she didn't get this door open soon!
Why, oh why wouldn't he just go with her to pick out the paint? An even better question, she thought, was why did they continue to live in the lighthouse, with all these damned steps!
"Honey! I'm home! Can you help me...?"
She saw the envelope on the table when she put the paint can down. It was red and had her name written in gold ink on the front. "Hmmmm. Danny, you can come out now! I've already carried everything up from the car. Danny? Are you here?"
Michelle reached for the envelope, wondering what her husband was up to this time. It wasn't like he hadn't been full of surprises the entire time they had known each other. She had to admit, most of those had turned out for the best. Well, why not? She tore it open.
Inside, was a postcard with a picture of a vase full of roses. She turned it over to look at the back. In her husband's handwriting, she saw.
If you don't hurry, you'll be late! Corner of 6th and Main. See the man in the red hat....I'll be waiting!
Michelle couldn't help but smile at this new game. It seemed Danny had something on his mind besides painting the lighthouse. Well, two can play, she thought. I'll just slip into something more appropriate before I go.
She saw him as soon as she turned the corner onto Main. She couldn't see his face with his back to her, but he was sitting at an easel in front of the art museum. His dark curls peeked out from under the ridiculous red beret, and she was laughing when she got out of the car.
"Danny, what in the world are you...Oh, my, I AM sorry. I thought you were someone else. My fault..."
This game wasn't working out quite like she thought it would. As Michelle looked at the stranger sitting in front of her, he was eyeing her up and down, taking in the curls, the red lipstick, the short red dress.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your, uh, work."
"Are you Mrs. Santos? If you are, I have something for you."
Michelle's shocked expression made the man smile. Before she could pick her jaw up from the ground, he handed her a red rose with a note tied to it. She just stared at the flower, then the man, then again at the flower.
"Well? Aren't you going to see what it says?"
Finally getting her fingers to work, she unfolded the note and read: Getting a little hungry, sweetheart? Get on the highway headed south. Go to the first grocery you see and buy a box of your favorite cereal. That's how you'll find your next clue. Laughing with excitement, Michelle jumped back in her car and sped off, leaving the amused stranger behind. Once on the highway, she watched for a store, any store on either side. There it was! A Kroger superstore just off the next exit.
"People must think I'm insane!" she cackled to herself as she pushed her car quickly into the parking lot and took the first space she saw. "Crazy woman, running in the red dress and heels."
She came skidding to a stop in the breakfast food aisle, looking for the box. "Banana Nut, Cheerios, Oreo O's, where ARE the Rice Krispies Treats?!? Here!" Michelle nearly knocked a mother and son to the floor, reaching for the box. "Sorry, I-I'm really, really hungry!"
Tearing open the box, she dumped cereal on the floor, causing the young boy to cry. The mother reached over to the spot where the box had been and handed the (obviously insane) young woman in the red dress the rose. "Looking for this, miss?"
Michelle and her dress were almost the same shade when she made it back to the safety of her car. She didn't dare look at the note before she got there, thinking that a little more control might improve her chances of not getting arrested.
This one read: I decided I'm not hungry after all. Not for cereal, anyway. I have this NEED. Need for SPEED. Find your next clue where the little red engines play. "What?!? How am I ever supposed to figure out where..." and there it was. Staring straight at her from a billboard across the street was a sign with a boy in a red go-kart. Meet me at The Park! 70211 South Anderson Street.
She had to give him credit. He was gooooddd! Michelle hadn't had this much fun in months. Maybe ever. "Marrying you was the smartest thing I ever did, Santos," she said to no one in particular.
She knew where she was going, this time. But once at The Park, she didn't see the red go-kart from the sign. She asked at the woman at the counter if they had one. The lady smiled and told her she was the second person that day to ask about it.
"Over there in the garage."
Sitting on the seat was another red rose, another note. Missed me again! All this running around has made me tired. I think we need a quieter pastime. Better hurry, though, tee time is in 20 minutes.
Michelle went back to the desk, where the lady she had just talked to was laughing. "Okay, lady," started Michelle, "I need to get to a golf course, maybe 20 minutes away?"
"He said you would ask! Honey, don't lose that man. He is something else!"
Michelle smiled back at her. "Don't I know it."
The golf course was less than 10 minutes away, and Michelle thought she might just catch up with Danny before he had a chance to plant the next clue. She was shocked, however, when she pulled into an empty parking lot. No one was there. The place seemed to be closed. She got out of the car and tried the door to the clubhouse. Surprisingly, it opened. Inside, on a lone table, was a vase with a single red rose, card attached. Ah, honey, I'm guessing right about now that you're wondering if you'll have to go through twelve roses to find me. But we've only been married six months, so you're in luck. A moonlight stroll on the beach would be nice, don't you think? Wondering just how he had pulled this off, she headed back to the place she began. "My husband's talents are wasted on the Mob, he should be in the CIA!"
It was nearly dark when she pulled up to the lighthouse. Down on the beach, she saw lights flickering. Removing her heels, she made her way toward them. That's when she saw Danny. He was dressed in a tuxedo, holding a red rose. The table next to him was covered in white linen and set for two. Champagne nested in a silver ice bucket, and he held a glass of it out to her.
"I see you got my message."
Laughing, Michelle said, "Yes, all of them. But I have to tell you, all you had to do was say you didn't want to help me paint. That would have been enough."
Danny smiled and took her into his arms. "No, my love. It wouldn't. It would never be enough."