Poseidon

seven

It was a beautiful day outside with not a cloud in sight amidst the cerulean sky. And she could see herself enjoying the cool breeze through her hair. So with that, she began the short trek to meet Michael at a former favorite deli of hers. She'd often visit the place during her college years and it would no doubt feel like home to her. And for a meeting with one of the most mysterious men she'd ever known she needed al the extra comfort she could get.

To her surprise, it didn't take long to reach the shop but she wasn't the only patron there at the time. So it was left to her to deduct which of the few visitors was her target. Out of what she counted to be ten, luckily only two were men who appeared to be alone.

It was either the avid reader who had his head neck into the latest fantasy novel and the anxious man who took a glance at the door just about every other second. And once his eyes found hers, he all but knocked aside his table by standing up to his advantaged height to greet her. At a second glance, she noticed the stray beads of sweat that clung to the pitch-black waves that messily fell just above his shoulders.

His evident eagerness was cute but peculiar from someone with such a profound reputation before him.

"You must be Theo. It's me, Theo. I mean Mike-Michael-Michael Rourke. Whatever you wanna call me is fine." He stammered.

After pushing up the horn-rimmed glasses that slid down his nose a bit, he politely pulled up an extra chair for her and with a subtle wave towards the register, gathered the waiter's attention.

"Michael sounds great. A pleasure to meet you. I'm terribly sorry I couldn't do this sooner as I'm sure you probably just want to get the assignment over with."

"It's fine. If anything I'm glad you took the time out to do this rather than sending out some poor associate to do your bidding. It's refreshing to not have to look at yet another suit."

"You ever thought of settling at a company or founding your own?" Theo asked.

Before he could get the opportunity to answer, a server arrived at the table with a pen and pad in hand.

"What can I get you two today?"

"I'll have a small fruit bowl with a glass of water," Theo ordered.

"Another cup of coffee, black."

"I'll have that out for you shortly."

"Now back to your question, I like the change in pace and environment. No day is ever like the one before when I work independently."

"As opposed to a boring desk job like mine?"

"I'm sure you have your good days, but I prefer to set my own hours and work at my own schedule."

"Were you a hyperactive kid growing up?"

"Quite the opposite actually. I was the kid who was always neck-deep into a book and I spent the majority of my childhood trapped in my own little shell, which is why I go out of my way to shake it up a bit. What about you?"

"I was the exact same, yet I decided I was happiest that way and never felt the need to change too much. My shell is very comfortable and it takes a lot for me to leave my comfort zone."

Finally, the server returned with their order and Theo didn't hesitate to pick and chew as she rambled on.

"Has that ever affected your career or certain choices you've made in the field? How does one so introverted delve into a career of talking to a vast amount of personalities without becoming overwhelmed?" Michael then asked.

"Well, I kinda don't see them as people, if that makes sense. They're simply stories to me and it can be fun to see the world from their point of view and their experiences for even just a moment. And after the first few major assignments, I've grown confident in my voice and my skill."