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“Money can be the difference between a shelter over your head or sleeping on the street,” I point out.
“Yes, I agree, but I’m not talking regular money; I’m talking hordes of money. Why do we let it get so inflated? Money doesn’t actually have value anyway. It used to be backed by gold. Now it’s just paper. This country is so in debt, all it will take is for the powers-that-be to say this money no longer means anything and it’s all gone. We’re the ones who put value on it. So why do we make things cost so much? Why can’t we be happy with where we are? I like a good steak dinner, and I like great shoes, but billions? Who in the heck needs billions? I think that kind of money is what devalues it all. What ever happened to good old millions?”
This makes me laugh again. Damn, this woman not only makes me think, but she entertains me as well. There’s also no chance I’m letting her know how much money I’m worth. Nope. I don’t think that will go well. I need to find more worthy organizations to donate to, not those places where the money goes to executive’s raises, but the places that really help people, especially the ones that help children, seniors, and veterans. I’m going to make some calls today or tomorrow.
“You have a valid point. One thing that bugs me in a land of so much abundance, is how many poor there are. I’m a firm believer that if you don’t want to work, you aren’t owed anything, but I also believe no child should ever go hungry, not for a single minute, and no senior should ever be scared about a roof over their head. Far too often our country lets down those who can’t take care of themselves.Those who are capable of caring for themselves are catered to and kids are forgotten. I hate that schools are unequal too. School funding should not rely on the neighborhood it is in, allowing the ultra-wealthy to stay wealthy because they had a great education and mentors, while the poor stay poor because they aren’t taught and don’t have the same opportunities before them. Each school should get the same funding no matter where it is in the country.”
She looks at me in shock. “I’m surprised you feel this way, but I fully agree. I know a town like this doesn’t need a huge school, but it should still have all of the same resources, like good gym equipment, expert teachers, and state-of-the-art science equipment... the same as a Washington, DC wealthy neighborhood school. Even in our capital, the wealthy have their kids in top-of-the-line schools while the majority of the town that’s poor have crap equipment and crap buildings. That right there should show the world how our national government feels about us. They don’t take care of the citizens in their own town, let alone the rest of the US.”
“You’re making me think,” I tell her. She’s making me question everything I believe in.
“Speaking of government, see that group over there?” I look and nod. “That’s our mayor who’s a pretty good guy. His wife, on the other hand, is quite the flirt, always turning on the charm and cuddling up with cute men. You better be careful. She’s a cougar,” she says with a wink.
I laugh as a shudder goes through me. “You’ll have to protect me,” I tell her, remembering what her aunt was saying the other day about the mayor’s wife and the dentist. Dang it, I’ve caved into gossip-mongering and wondering if the woman is having an affair. I shouldn’t give two seconds of thought about this.
“Oh no, that’s beyond my job duties. You’re on your own,” she tells me.
I chuckle. “I was going to get you a sword to be my knight in shining armor,” I say. I’m enjoying the gossip on the town. Holy crap! Does a person start liking gossip the second they set foot in Seaville? I’m going to need to detox when I get home.
Hole after hole the score changes, putting her in the lead. I wonder if she’s distracting me on purpose. All of this talk doesn’t seem to be affecting her game at all. The odd thing is I don’t care all that much. I really want to have an opportunity to plan a real date with her, and I have no doubt if she’s in charge, it’s going to be painful for me, but I’m having so much fun, I don’t care if she wins.
“That guy over there is Tommy. He’s going to propose to his girlfriend soon. They’ve been together for five years now, and she’s growing very impatient with him. He’s panicked about getting the proposal all planned out.”
“If he has a proposal to work on what’s he doing out here playing golf?”
“He’s hoping to play professionally. He’s pretty good and has made some money playing, and he knows how much a wedding will cost,” she tells me with another laugh.
“Poor man doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.”
“Are you against marriage?” she asks, lining up her putt. I think about my answer as she expertly sinks it, taking her another point ahead of me.
“I’m not against marriage. But the second those papers are signed a man’s life changes forever.”
She turns and gives me a glare. “A woman’s life changes too.”
I hold up my hands in surrender. “Yes, both lives change,” I concede. She seems satisfied with this.
We finish the first nine holes. The weather’s starting to turn, but we keep playing. I’m enjoying it far too much to stop. And she seems a little more open to a nice resort now.
“You know, Sasha, a resort isn’t all that much different than this golf course. It creates jobs, and brings in tourists—”
She cuts me off. “I understand what you’re saying. I know about the jobs, and we do get occasional tourists, but the ones we get want the peace of a small town. They don’t want hordes of people from all over trashing the place.”
I frown. Maybe she’s not budging at all. “But the economic impact can really help the small businesses here. This truly is a great place with incredible residents.”
“There are lots of ways we can improve our economy without having an obnoxious resort,” she says, not budging an inch. I was wrong about her agreeing, but I still have time.
I try a few more tactics, but she shuts me down without losing her sunny personality. Her smile takes away some of the sting of her rejection. This woman is good. I should hire her to work on my public relations team. I almost laugh at this thought. There’s nothing I could offer her to get her to take the position. She loves being right where she’s at.
I’m shocked, realizing I admire this woman. It’s not only her intelligence, which she has far more of than I assumed yesterday, or her amazing golf skills, but it’s her unwavering dedication to the things she loves. She’s passionate in a real way, not a fabricated worldly way. She’s that total package people talk about. How is she not taken?
We reach the fifteenth hole and a quickly approaching golf cart catches my attention. Eileen, Vivian, and Martha are driving up, weaving a little as they make their way across the course. All three women are grinning madly, making me think they might be enjoying a few afternoon drinks. The ladies stop a couple of feet away from us and Sasha beams at her aunt.
“Sasha, my dear. What are you doing out here?” Eileen asks with a giggle.
“I’m currently kicking this man’s butt,” Sasha says with a wicked smile and a wink my way.
“Oh, that’s my girl. I’m proud of you,” Eileen says with a hearty laugh and twinkling eyes. “Like auntie, like niece.”
