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We’re surrounded by technology that does so much for us that we no longer have to think about anything. A good working mind keeps us motivated and happy. I can’t imagine retiring. Sure, I love days of fun in the sun, but the more I work the happier I am. I don’t like everything to be simple for me either. The more complicated something is, the harder I try, and the more I thrive.
I already had my breakfast and morning run as I got up at four this morning. I’m eager to see this town. I like how it feels here, and the more I like a place, the more I want to build. I don’t have just one model for a resort. I want what I build to be a good fit and complement the town. I’ve studied architecture a lot. It speaks volume about how a society feels about its citizens.
Yes, these seems strange. But I know I work well in light and beauty. I need beauty around me in order to do well. If you want to subjugate a population, put them in steel and cement in a basement with no natural light, and let them know they are simply cogs in a machine. They aren’t individuals. They are owned by the company they work for.
The US government used to build breathtaking buildings. The capital is stunning, many State Capital buildings are stunning marble and exceptional architecture. But then you look at state offices that are made of brick and cement with little windows. The people working in those buildings speak of depression and no motivation. It’s wrong in my opinion. I want to create stunning buildings that lift employees up, that help them rise in their lives. They can start as a maid and end up as a manager. The possibilities are endless.
Yes, my pride also makes me want each structure to be spectacular as well. From the comments I heard yesterday from some of the locals, this will be another uphill battle, though. Not everyone sees my vision.
This is a very tight-knit community who don’t like outsiders. It amuses me that there are places that act as if they are their own country. We’re one big united nation, aren’t we? I understand not everyone feels this way. Small towns certainly run differently than large cities. Our worlds can unite though; we can bring the best of both worlds to each place without sacrificing individuality. I will continue to fight for beauty in every place I come to.
A great quality of America is that no two places are the same. If a person gets sick of one environment they can go to another. Sometimes I want the beaches, and sometimes I want the woods. I rarely want the desert, it’s so bleak being surrounded by nothing but sand, cacti, and unbearable heat. You can count me out of that. No matter where I go, I want to be surrounded by water, whether it’s oceans, lakes, or rivers.
I continue my work until my eyes burn from the harsh glare of my monitor. I check out the clock on my nightstand. Crap! It’s almost ten o’clock and now I’m running late. I never run late. I take pride in always being on time. I close my laptop, gather my keys, wallet, and phone and make a beeline for the door.
As I reach for the knob my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pick it up with a frustrated sigh. This is the fourth call from her in twenty-four hours. It seems I can’t keep ignoring her. Lily, a woman I stopped seeing weeks ago, isn’t giving up. It was a very short fling, but apparently she read more into it than was there. I rarely have this problem, but when I do, it’s best to deal with it with finality.
“What do you want, Lily?” My tone is clipped, showing my impatience.
“I miss you, darling,” she says in a pleading voice that scrapes along my nerves.
Frustration builds within me. This annoys me too. I shouldn’t feel a damn thing where this woman’s concerned. We were only together a few nights before I discovered that was too much. She annoyed me from the beginning, but she had a great body, and the things she could do with her mouth were quite appealing.
“You know this is over, Lily. I made myself clear a few weeks ago. You need to stop calling me,” I tell her, leaving no room for interpretation.
There’s a brief pause before she speaks again. I’m sure she’s going into acting mode. She’s quite the actress and good at adding a tremble to her voice. It’s as fake as she is. This is what I get when I choose to sleep with shallow women. They’re usually the ones who aren’t clingy, but every once in a while, the pattern fails me.
“I love you, Callan. I miss you,” she whimpers.
I don’t have time for this. “We slept together, Lily, three times. That doesn’t equate with love. You know nothing about me, and I don’t want to know anything about you. Move on. Don’t call me again,” I demand. I don’t give her a chance to argue. I end the call then block her number.
It might sound harsh, but I don’t have time to mess with women who love my wallet, not me. I also can’t stand people throwing around the word love like it means something. They ruin the definition of it. The only people I’ve ever loved are my parents, my grandparents, and my brothers.
I’m starting to think I wouldn’t mind having a wife, maybe even kids, though the thought of that sends a shudder through me. Everyone has to grow up at some point; it’s inevitable. But when I do marry, it will be a marriage of convenience. I don’t think it’s possible to have real love, at least in my case.
I’m pretty sure the love between Blaze and Cori is real. The question is, will it last? Even couples who seem over-the-top in love seem to fall apart after a while. Why? Does the passion fade? Does life get in the way? I’m not sure what it is, but something happens that turns love into hate, then bitter divorce, splitting assets, and custody battles. I don’t want to go through all of that, so if I marry, I’m going to make sure it’s not because of messy emotions, but because we can tolerate each other for the rest of our lives. To me, that’s better than love.
I leave my room and make my way down to the lobby before stepping outside. It’s going to be another warm day, but it’s a perfect temperature right now with a nice breeze blowing sea air over me. A few people walk along the streets. This town is sparsely populated. It’s a fifteen-minute walk from the hotel to the café, and even though I’m late, I need the walk. After hours on my computer, I need some exercise so my muscles don’t seize up.
The walk goes by quickly, and I’m only ten minutes late when I enter the Mermaid Café and look around. It doesn’t appear anyone’s waiting for me. It seems my guide is running later than I am, not a great sign. I’ll have to tell her I expect her to take this job seriously since she’s going to be paid very well. I’m the one hiring her, I can be late. I guess I’ll make an exception this time since she isn’t officially hired yet. Still, I’m not used to waiting for anyone; people stand in line to do business with me. It’s nice being the boss.
I take a seat at a table and am quickly served coffee. I’ve already eaten breakfast so I skip the food. The bell on the door rings and Eileen walks inside, glances around, spots me, then makes a beeline straight to my table and takes a seat. The woman is always smiling, and there’s a twinkle in her eyes that worries me. I saw this same twinkle in Gramps’s eyes many times in my life, and it always led to trouble for me and my siblings.
“Good morning, Callan,” she says in her cheerful voice. I can’t help but smile at her. I can see why she and Gramps were good friends. The question I want to ask is if they were more. I’m too polite to voice this though. It really isn’t my business.
“It appears my niece is running late this morning,” she says with another wide smile. This irritates me.
“Why is she late?” I ask. “It’s not a good sign if she wants me to employ her.”
She doesn’t seem at all affected by my tone. I don’t think there’s much that can upset this woman. It would be nice to live life so carefree, but I can’t imagine trying it. She gives me a shrug.
“Oh, who knows. Living in a beach town, we all learn to not be in too much of a hurry. That’s what cities are for. We’re a lot more casual here. I’m sure there’s a good reason,” she tells me.
“That’s not a good omen for having a business here. I can’t have employees not showing up for work.”
She waves her fingers in the air. “Oh, working people take their jobs seriously. Sasha isn’t actually hired yet, but she agreed to come speak with you.”
This shocks me. “Why wouldn’t she want the job? I’m paying four times as much as anyone else would pay for easy work.”
