Mr West

Chapter 2

Dylan

Reeling with thoughts of the girl my assistant, Caroline, had dragged me out of bed for, I was finding it hard to concentrate on work. I had a ton of things I need to deal with today. Larry had come to see me late last night and convinced me to expand my business. He had been out of town visiting family members two towns over and had seen properties that were just rotting away; unused, uninhabited and unappealing to anyone. Why he assumed I would show any interest was beyond me! But when he arrived with a stack of photos he had taken of the property I was roped in. Inspiration struck where I thought it would not and I was already picturing many things I could do to the place. With my head in the clouds I was finding it hard to focus solely on one thing. I had never before had trouble keeping preoccupied with a single thing. Now I was struggling and with no past experience of multi-tasking I was finding it difficult to cope.

Caroline had caught my attention when I heard the excitement and thrill in her voice, when giving me a brief on my newest employee. I never handled employees since day one. I was lucky enough to gather together a handful who had a backbone and were not afraid to fight me on what they felt was right or what needed to be done. Since then I had attempted with little success to find anyone worth hiring. Everyone I tried to hire would crack under the pressure and I had followed suit when one young woman had burst into a flood of tears when I challenged her on her past experience and explained, maybe in a little too much detail, the grit that was needed to handle such a demanding job. Had I been too hard on her? I did not think so. Larry disagreed. Since then he had handled searching for the best workers and Caroline, Jimmy and Nathan had dealt with interviews and handling their files.

I sat now atop what I considered my thrown, the large black leather chair which overshadowed any other chair in the building and flipped through a thick booklet I had been handed the minute I walked in. Caroline had thrust the thing into my hands the minute she saw me and flashed a devious grin in my direction. "Get to work," she had demanded. Now, Caroline was one of the only women I tolerated. Her and Chloe. Chloe was only tolerated for the sheer fact that she was an old friend. Any other woman was far beyond my expertise, never having had a long lasting relationship before. I steered clear of commitment. Was I a commitment phobe? According to Larry I was. In my own eyes I just saw every girl as needy, whiny and a bit of a pest.

I felt many women were too falsified, created as though they were a doll almost and many were carbon copies of the next. Hair extensions, fake nails and false eyelashes were three things I despised. I found a woman most beautiful when she was all natural. I loved seeing a woman with pink tinted cheeks from blushing rather than coated with rouge. I liked to see her thick lashes tickle her supple cheeks and nails painted a faint peachy or pink colour. Many would say I just had a type but in all honesty I did not. I just preferred to know what I was getting from the start. It was not cruel or despicable behaviour to want to see the girl in all her beauty and radiance, all her glorifying perfection. I guess when I really take the time to consider my feelings all I want right now is a woman who is different.

Everyone in this town are the same. The same claw like fingernails painted in what they call 'alluring red' or 'hot pink'. Same long, curled and unnatural looking hair extensions. Very similar choices in clothes, rocking the cowboy boots and denim skirts or shorts with the crop tops. I wanted someone who would stand out, who was not another sheep following the same crowds. Someone who was their own person and to be honest, someone who had their shit together!

And that's when she walked in. With hair down to her breasts and eyes a sparkling shade of green she walked slowly into my office. Caroline guided her in with a hand at the small of her back and gave her a warm smile before nodding to me and leaving. The girl, brunette with creamy pale skin, stood at the door almost with a look of bewilderment in her eyes. Her lashes fluttered, tickling her flushed cheeks and she chewed on her bottom lip. In her hands was a red folder which she clutched for dear life as if it were her safety line. I rose from my chair, my eyes focused on her. My lips were parted as I stared at her in wonderment.