My Restless Billionaire

Quaint little village

After spending an hour in his home office, he gets antsy to see the cabin, so he slips into the dressing room without making a sound and quietly packs the necessary clothing and toiletries for his long-due holiday. I should have done that last night instead of doing that girl... What's her name? ... Ugh I have no clue.

So here he is now trying to pack without rousing the sleeping female in his bed. Just another warm body meant to fill the many sleepless hours of his nights. Sadly it never helps. So once he's done he grabs a travel mug and fills it with some Arabica coffee before grabbing his bags and heading out the front door. The guard is out there playing on his phone, so he startles when James opens the door and steps out with his bags. Informing him that he will be out of town for the week, he should let the housekeeper know to make breakfast for the lady inside, and then he should take her wherever she wants to go in the city. Once in the garage James throws the bags on the back seat, jumps in behind the wheel and he's out of there. As he joins the highway heading to the coast he sets the GPS, turns the music up, breaths deep, and drives. It's dark out so the roads are quiet, and he makes great time eating up the miles on his 10-hour long drive. Excitement grows as the tires eat the miles of road between him and freedom...funny how such a simple thing as going away for a week feels like breaking free from slavery...

Ping!Ping!

As the sun starts to rise over the horizon he gets a text, not sure who it could be at this hour he taps the screen on the dash and smiles at a text from Jessica,...

Jessica: Good morning James, the exact location for the cabin, now don't go wandering off and getting lost ;)

...my Landlord for the week..haha ...he laughs at the idea. It's been years since he's had a landlord. But still, the irony isn't lost on him. For normal people wanting to be free would mean changing living standards, and scaling down to the minimum to make ends meet with minimum effort. In that sense, his freedom is so much more easily attainable. In the city, it's easy to hide among the many mauling crowds but here it is easy to see how you can get lost. There's a gas station ahead so he pulls over, grabs water and a muffin from the fresh snacks in the store, and settles back in for the rest of his drive to freedom. A quick text to Jessica

Me: Thanks for the concern :)

Jessica: can't have my first customer in years go missing in the woods...

Me: Is that a possibility?

Jessica: Maybe

Me: Ha ha ok, I'll stick to the directions.

Me: I will be a bit earlier, got away earlier than expected. should be there around lunch

Jessica: Fantastic, I have a meeting with the lawyer at that time, but I will let Jim know to unlock and get things ready for your arrival.

Me: Great, thanks again

Jessica: Enjoy your stay. I'll swing by tomorrow morning to show you around.

Me: Perfect, thanks

He smiles as he pulls out of the filling station and heads to the coast. The scenery outside his window changes rapidly as he leaves the city behind. The landscape changes from city to urban to farm-style estates, civilization growing sparse as the miles slip away.

Miles passes in a flash and before he knows it he's slowing down to turn down the narrow road to the village. Just another 50 miles to freedom. An hour later he pulls into town. The village is quite quaint, and it has a homey feel, people smile as he drives by slowly taking in his surroundings. A vintage-style coffee shop sits on the corner, but he suspects the decor is not vintage chic, but actual era-correct styling. Further down the road stands a church, complete with a bell tower and castle-type architecture. It feels like he's stepped into some old-school movie set. The surrounding buildings keep to the old school feel of the town even when they bost with the more modern name brands from the current era. It feels so welcoming and laid back. First impressions? ...I love this little town...

He realizes that he's peckish and drives back to the coffee shop. Parking in the street he takes a moment to check his immediate surroundings. People are staring at his big black SUV, but he imagines it is understandable. Don't think they see a lot of flashy expensive things out here. Suddenly glad for his choice of jeans and converse he hops out and heads toward the door. A bell rings overhead as he enters and an elderly lady steps out from the kitchen and comes around the counter with a huge smile.

" Welcome lad, please take a seat anywhere, I'll be right over with the menu, can I get you something to drink so long?" she asks with warm inviting eyes, " Americano if you have" comes his reply, and James wonders if they know what it is...surely they are not that far removed from civilization. " Coming right up," she says and places the single-sided diner-style menu in front of him. With a smile, she informs him of the Apple crumble pie on the counter that is freshly baked, and convinces him to take a slice, then leaves to prepare his order. Staring after her wondering when the last time was that he saw a genuine smile on another person's face. He feels a real smile break on his face and it feels good. Not sure when last he smiled. I got to say this place seems to be good for me.

His wandering thoughts are interrupted when the old lady places a plate with a huge piece of pie in front of him, followed by a big mug of black coffee with golden foam. The aroma of the coffee and the scent of the freshly baked pie is enough to make him feel at home and he chuckles at the silliness of his emotions. " There you go young man, eat up, it's my momma's recipe and it's the best pie you will have this side of the city" she smiles and he thanks her for the dish. She starts up some small talk and he shares that he's from the city, book at the little cabin and she looks so excited. She in turn informs him that he is the first city visitor they have had in years, well since Jess's dad passed away. They had the lodge and the hunting cabin which tourists were attracted to since her dad was a famous writer, but since his passing, the town has fallen behind and it has only been the locals. "Nowadays, Jess is just doc, since there are no more book signings and such" She continues to add some of the local gossip and when the bell rings over the door indicating a new customer she scurries away to take their order, James left with his coffee and pie. A sip of coffee and a bite of the pie and he is in heaven, the best coffee, full of rich flavor hit his tongue. Amazing, the pie is equally good with rich flavors of cinnamon and apple, sweet with a perfect crumble. Quite possibly the best I've ever had. Definitely, worth the drive over here, he thinks as he finishes the last bite. When he places the spoon down she is right at the table removing the dishes and looks expectantly at me, "well that was the best pie I have ever had mam, thank you so much" she beams at him with a huge smile and a slight blush. "Thank you, young man, I hope we see you around town during your visit. Although the cabin is a special place to be". He assures her that he will be back for more of that pie in the week, and leave after paying his bill.

Getting back in the car he starts up the navigation and enters the details he received from Jessica earlier this morning. With the message open, he decides to let her know that he has arrived in town.

Me: Hey, I just got into town, heading to the cabin now.

a moment later

Jessica: That's great, glad you made it. Heading into a meeting, I'll see if I can swing by later.

Me: Great, talk later

He heads out of the little village and turns onto a farm-style gravel road heading into the forest. Driving through the dense canopy of trees it's hard to imagine that a little cottage is somewhere ahead nestled into this glorious forest. The air is fresh so he opens all the windows letting the sweet fresh forest smells wash over him. It feels good, oh so good. He drives the last 5 miles on the two-track lane through the forest the brush and scrubs almost overgrow the path, however, it is clear that it has been cut in the last day or two. The path is just wide enough to drive through and the bigger trees and scrubs created a cool shaded umbrella of fresh air. As the path dips down the hill the ocean suddenly stretches out in front of him. I didn't realize I was driving this close to the coast, it is quite obvious though because the cabin is located at the edge of the forest with a private beach at the front door. But still, Wow, this is a beautiful place. Right at the edge of the forest he finds the parking space and looks around, taking in the surroundings he spots the cute little cabin nestled between the trees. Amazing! If the spectacular magic of this cute little cabin is anything to go by, I can't wait to see what this week has in store for me.