I shake my head, “No, it is no coincidence that ten good-looking, single men live within one community. I know there is some social study they have all entered. The study seems a little off to me, hence my concern if you were to live among the villas too.”
He isn’t directly agreeing or disagreeing with occupying one of the villas. “Everyone has a reason for the decisions they make in life, right?”
“Of course, but that doesn’t equate to what I’ve been witnessing in the development.”
“Sure, but not everything is what it seems.”
“This is also true. Things could be much worse than it seems,” I counter. “Look, I understand if you don’t want to admit to living in one of the villas, but with all due respect, I’m a bit freaked out by my current situation, and I was hoping you weren’t a part of all that mess.”
“I’m not a part of any mess,” he says with assurance.
“That’s good to know,” I say with hesitation, raising a brow at his confident remark.
“We’re almost there.” He’s good at changing the subject and jumping from topic to topic.
“Tell me something else about you,” I command while shuffling through the loose sand.
Noah snatches a smooth rock from the sand and tosses it into the ocean before speaking. “Don’t judge me, okay?”
“I’m not one to judge,” I confirm.
Noah places his hands into his pockets and continues forward, holding his focus on the horizon, or past the horizon, it seems. “Well, I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth. My parents are worth a couple billion each, and they basically told me I had nothing to worry about for the rest of my life. So, I did what any idiot would do and ran away, joined the Marines, then served for eight years. I wanted nothing to do with their money, and I have been determined to find a way to be just as successful on my own. My entire life has felt like a competition full of proving my self-worth to myself. It’s a bit of an obsession, I guess.”
His parents have everything, and he wanted nothing.
“That’s commendable,” I tell him.
“The easy way isn’t always the right way, you know?”
In theory, what he’s saying makes sense. However, if someone offered me a billion dollars, I’d do what they asked without question. Maybe that’s why my drive in life isn’t all that great. “So, did you end up accomplishing this goal, or are you in a place where you feel accomplished? What made you leave the Marines to open up a bunch of restaurants?”
“Hell yeah, I feel accomplished,” he says with a soft laugh. “At twenty-six years old, I was starting to have some joint pain from some minor injuries I endured during my time in the service. The pains were getting worse by the day, so that’s when I knew it was my time to separate from the Marine Corps. I wasn’t ready to find a rocking chair or anything,” he says with laughter. “So, within the last four years, I have grown my business into an enterprise. Therefore, I believe I’m heading in the right direction. The Marines gave me structure, drive, and focus. I came out of the eight years thankful to still have all my limbs after three tours to the Middle East, and I decided there is no time like the present to dive in head first toward my life goal.”
He’s a brilliant hero ... working daily at a restaurant. “But you work all day and ... You must not have much time to enjoy your beautiful villa.”
“First off, I didn’t say I lived in the villas. You’re assuming. Where I live doesn’t bother me. Hell, I’d be happy sleeping in a hole on the beach.”
I feel like I’ve learned a lot about Noah in a very short period, and I’m not sure why he has chosen me to share his history. We hardly know each other, and I just accepted a job at his restaurant. It seems like … a lot. “Noah, why are you telling me all this?” It all seems so sudden. He has to be one of the men from the villas. The way he’s presenting himself feels forced.
He shakes his head and chuckles, dropping his gaze to the sand. “Sorry, I’ve spent a lot of time alone in recent years. I can be a talker and don’t always know when to shut it off. I’ve said too much, though, since I just hired you. So, I’m sorry about that. You’re probably wondering how I’ve managed to open so many restaurants while having a big mouth.”
“On the contrary, you probably need a big mouth to make big moves, but I was just curious as to why you were sharing this all with me.” Surely, there has to be a more significant reason. If talking is a sales technique, I’m not buying or selling anything, so I’m not sure what gives.
Even though I don’t think he has to walk around like an open book, I find his reason to be sincere and respectable. A little sad too.
“Well, I figured since you told me about you yesterday, I should be open and honest too. It’s healthy to have that,” he explains.
“Someone of your stature doesn’t need to explain himself. You’ve earned that right, haven’t you?” I counter.
He nods his head with what seems to be disagreement. “It’s just the opposite. I don’t want people to think I was handed what I have. I feel like it’s important for people to know it’s possible to achieve dreams.”
“I get it,” I tell him. I do. “You’re a good guy, Noah.”
“Well, Thank you, but I wonder what you’ll think of me after I tell you we’re going on the zip-coaster down there.”
“Zip-coaster?”
Noah takes my hand and pulls me a hundred yards or so into a clearing where a massive beach carnival unfolds before us. “See that thing going toward the clouds?” It looks like a half-parted zipper with carts flying between it.
