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After a trip to the grocery store, where I purchased fruit, some yogurt, and a couple of frozen dinners, I returned to my apartment and put my purchases away.
Things were definitely looking up.
I took out one of the frozen dinners and had one for supper. The building had cable, and so I went to bed that first night in my tiny room, using every one of the four plugs: one to run the air conditioner, one to watch the television, one to power my laptop, and one to keep my food cold.
Life was good.
Chapter Six
Joshua
The next morning, I met Michael and together, we walked through the renovations that were ongoing at the new site.
They were amazing.
Earlier that year, I'd leased several floors in an old building on Fifth Avenue, wanting something of my own instead of working in my father's building. I had initially thought about Hoboken, but there was something about midtown Manhattan that I loved, so when the opportunity came to get a large chunk of an old building in a great area of the city, I jumped.
Michael and I went in together as partners. The offices of Macintyre Publishing would be located on the top floors, but the rest would be high end office space. The building was mostly office space but there was some retail space on the main floor. There was even an art gallery on the main floor. I'd snagged the penthouse space as my temporary living quarters, enjoying the roof-top patio and view of Central Park.
I spent the first couple of hours with Michael, checking out the renovations, going over the numbers, and watching him troubleshoot. He was good at this. Covington was right – Michael had a successful construction business and was a good-looking guy. Theoretically, he'd have no problem finding a wife.
But he didn't sound like he wanted one, either.
"So, you sounded about as enthusiastic as David about getting married to get access to the trust fund money," I said as we took the elevator to the main level.
He laughed. "I'm too busy building my empire to get married," he confessed. We stood in silence for a moment and I was sure we were both thinking of our father on his deathbed, telling each of us how much he loved us and admonishing us to stop being playboys and settle down.
"We didn't always see eye to eye on things, but I miss him," I said, a tightness in my throat.
"Me too."
Around us, workers busied themselves, hauling drywall and gallons of paint from the trucks into the building.
"Well, I guess I better get back up to the office," I said. "Got some important work to do."
"New reporters to hire for the relaunch of the paper?"
I shook my head. "I'm meeting a headhunter today to find some new blood for the paper."
"Oh, yeah?" Michael said, his face breaking into a huge grin. "That's exciting. What are you looking for? Reporters?"
"Every position," I said, and pointed to the construction site. "I've got big plans for the Chronicle. I want to find new blood and really ambitious people who won't worry too much about the hours they'll be putting in to make the paper work."
"Staffing is always an issue in the construction business, as you can imagine. "
"I'll bet it is but that's why I use headhunters. I've had real success with the firm I've contracted with. I only wish it was as easy to find a wife."
"Hey, you could always sign up for a season of The Bachelor," Michael quipped, slapping me on the back.
"Right," I said and laughed. "Maybe one of those online dating sites?"
"Bro, those are for losers," he replied, shaking his head.
"I figure there are people who do this for a living. They have fancy algorithms and psychological tests. I hire contractors when I want a building renovated. I hire electricians when I need it wired. Why not use an algorithm to find a wife?"
"Oh, man, you're taking all the romance out of it."
I exhaled. "I'm not big on romance at the moment."
