And with that thought in mind, I take a shower and unpack my limited belongings before settling in for the night. Getting the apartment furnished was a very good idea.
TheFort Myers Postis actually located in the town square. It’s something out of a Hallmark movie—the main street literally makes a square, all of the offices and shops lining the outer edge. And at its center is a large patch of grass scattered with various trees and benches.
The street parking is available due to how early it is, but there are still a few pedestrians lounging on the grass or going in and out of the diner that’s across the square from my new workplace.
Driving all the way around the square spits you right back out onto the connecting road, and you can either loop back in or goon your merry way. In the winter, I feel like this town will look straight out of a picture book.
Right now, with all of the trees turning orange and the fall breeze chilling the air, I am quite content to take in the scenery and appreciate the quaint town’s energy.
“Elijah?” an old, gruff voice calls out.
I turn my attention from the lounging pedestrians and find a man standing outside the office entrance, eyeing me. He’s roughly my height, with a white beard and white hair, with a bit of a belly. He’s dressed in regular blue jeans but has a white collared shirt tucked in, accompanied by a pair of suspenders.
“Uh, yes, sir. That’s me, but Eli is fine. Are you Mr. Andrews?”
The man waves a dismissive hand at me, turning to unlock the door.
“Call me John. Come on in, now. I’ll get ya settled in.” He has a slight twang to his accent, although I can’t tell what it is. It’s not southern, but not quite Canadian either.
I follow John inside, finding a decently sized office space. There are two desks in the main room, both facing each other but far enough apart to have their own illusion of space. In the back right is a glass door, with the wordsExecutive Editorlabelling the front.
There’s a coffee bar to the immediate right, angled behind one of the desks, and John approaches it to start an old coffee pot.
“You can take your pick of one of these desks here, Elijah,” he says, not bothering to look up from his packing of coffee grounds.
“Is one not already taken?” I ask him, looking around for any signs of other employees.
“No, sir. It’s just you and me.”
“What?” I don’t mean for it to come out so shocked, so concerned, but it does. John turns to look at me, raising a thick, white brow.
“Son, this town doesn’t have much to cover. I’ve been runnin’ this paper by myself for quite a while now.”
Well, I guess that makes sense. And if it’s just us two, I won’t have to deal with social climbing. Honestly—this is kind of nice.
I give John the sincerest smile I can muster and say, “I’ll take this one here.” I place my bag on the desk furthest from the coffee bar. John nods.
“Let me know when you’re settled, then I’ll give you your first task.” He takes his coffee and goes into the office markedExecutive Editor, and I take a moment to appreciate the quiet, the peace.
I think I really will like it here. The contrast from my life in California, the bustling office and ten other employees we had, is so drastic I can practically taste it.
After setting my laptop up, I grab my notepad and a pen and head to John’s office. I knock once on the open door before walking in.
“I’ve settled.”
John looks up from his stack of papers, and I notice that he does not have a laptop in here.
“Good. I have a small task for you today, but after that, you’ll have an article to take care of on your own,” he says, and my eyebrows practically meet my hairline.
“Really? Already?” When he gives me an assessing look, I try again. “I’m happy for it, don’t misunderstand. I’m just shocked you’d put so much trust in me so quickly.”
Slowly, a grin spreads across John’s time-worn face. He shakes his head slightly.
“I’ve seen your resume; I’ve checked your references. I trust you. Plus, this job requires a handsome man.”
“S-sorry?” I stutter, dropping into the chair opposite him on the other side of his desk. He laughs, a loud, hearty sound.
“Surely this isn’t news to you. Tall, blond, soft features. I’m sure all the girls hit on a young man like yourself.”
