Chapter 3
Jack was relishing his morning run on the beach. It had always been his regular routine when younger, but less so as he’d got older. The property renovation business, which he’d formed with Robin, had completely taken over, and it was ironic that they should be at their busiest when he’d had to take a break to recover from his injury.
Jack had been installing the windows on their latest project when he’d tripped and fallen, causing the glazing to smash and cut his hand. After a rush to A&E and several stitches later, the doctor had advised he keep his injury clean and rest for a few days. The trouble was, Jack didn’t really do resting. He was extremely active and perpetually on the go.
Having initially been the driving force behind the business, Jack had always pushed for the bigger, more ambitious developments. Sure, Robin was every bit as skilled a worker, but it was Jack who had had his sights set on the warehouse by the quay in Lancaster. As soon as the property went on the market, he’d seen its potential. It was huge, in an excellent location and could, with the vision he and Robin shared, be converted into apartments. After he’d managed to convince Robin, they had approached the bank with their proposition. They pitched a detailed plan of budgets, forecasts and profits, which had impressed the bank manager into giving them the loan they’d needed. Renovating the quayside warehouse was by far their biggest venture yet, and unfortunately, the worst timed.
As Robin would soon be needing paternity leave once his twins were born and Jack had to rest his injured hand, the two had decided to employ a small team of builders to help keep the renovation on track. Being in the trade for so long had meantthey had connections and were able to get a good, reliable group of workers together. So, to some extent, the pressure had eased, but it was still leaving Jack feeling somewhat restless.
In an attempt to keep occupied, he had started his mornings with a good jog on the beach. It was proving to be beneficial, running off all that energy, giving himself a real blast of fresh air. All the exercise had pumped up his endorphin levels, leaving him in an optimistic mindset for the rest of the day.
Slowing down by the water’s edge, he took in great gulps of air. He cast his eyes over his hand, which still throbbed slightly with pain. He assessed the neat row of stitches and admired the doctor’s handiwork. Not as much as he’d admired the doctor though, he smirked to himself. Yes, true to form, Jack hadalmostseized an opportunity there.
The very attractive red-haired, slim doctor wearing royal blue scrubs had immediately taken his mind off the searing pain from his cut. Jack, being Jack, would have had the brass neck to ask her out there and then, but had held back. She was concentrating on stitching him up after all, and then, just as he was about to chat her up, a pager bleeped, sending her scurrying off. Damn, thought Jack, but even he conceded that this very pretty doctor did have far more pressing matters. Still, he knew where to find her, didn’t he?
He took another lungful of the fresh sea air, then bent down to pick some samphire growing in the wet sand. Not only was he active, Jack also believed in eating well and looking after his body. Samphire, which grew in abundance here, hence its namesake, was an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. He often sautéed it with butter and added garlic or red pepper flakes. Besides being a very gifted building renovator, Jack was also an extremely good cook. He loved pottering in the kitchen, devising new recipes to try out and taste. He also loved cooking for other people, whether it be dinner parties for friends orcandle-lit meals for girlfriends. But those occasions, just like his previous morning runs, had ceased to exist too of late.
In his quieter moments he did worry about how his life was unfolding – all work and no play. This was a far cry from Jack’s former life, before he’d been committed to an ever-growing business. The old Jack had been full of bonhomie, raring to get out and socialise. He’d had a string (a long string) of doting girlfriends, but Jack had tended to use workload as an excuse to end his relationships. Now it was true; so true he wasn’t even forming any. This wasn’t due to lack of interest – far from it. His good looks had turned many a woman’s head. With his short blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, he looked like a young Ewan McGregor. No, he simply hadn’t found the time to plough into a relationship. Perhaps having some time off work lately had made him reassess his life, given him the space to consider what he was missing out on. Look at Robin, he managed his work-life balance well, didn’t he?
Jack made his way back home, only a short walk down the beach, turning into a cove on the hillside. His house was his absolute pride and joy – and rightly so. Aptly named ‘The Cove’, it had a chalet vibe, made of large glass windows and plenty of wood with steps leading to a wraparound sundeck to take in the sea views, and had an outdoor shower and hot tub. Artfully shaped to echo and enhance the hillside setting made it a real unique build. It had been designed by a crack team with experience in travel, construction and interior design; mainly himself, his architect dad and interior designer sister. Building the house had been a family affair, and as heartfelt appreciation for their contribution, Jack had declared that it belonged to them all. His sister and her family holidayed there often, and his parents regularly visited on weekends.
Pounding up the wooden steps, Jack opened the large glass door and made his way into the open-plan main living area,consisting of a kitchen-diner and lounge. He washed the samphire in the sink and put it in the fridge to cook later. His kitchen units reflected the colours of nature outside, all dark blue gloss. He went up the stairs to a luxurious master bedroom, with a bespoke chunky wooden bed, to the en-suite with a walk-in shower. He badly needed to freshen up from his run. His sweat-stained T-shirt told him how out of shape he’d become.
As the hot, steamy jet of water sprayed over him, Jack contemplated further. No, he definitelyhadto make some changes. Number one: get a life. Make time for himself. Socialise with friends. Number two: get a girlfriend. He craved that one-on-one relationship that he’d so poorly lacked of late. The first he could do, of course he could. It was just a matter of prioritising. The second, well… Once again, that red-haired beauty flashed into his mind. Nowthathe’d have to work on.
