Page 8 of The Daredevil
Asshole.
A name I’d been called by former girlfriends when I told them I didn’t want to commit. I wanted to explore. Why was I the asshole for telling the truth? I guess I could have delivered it with more finesse. If people wanted finesse, they should attend one of my volcano seminars, where I structured my speech to gain capital for the private firm I freelanced for. Being a part-time volcanologist wasn’t about money—my interest in volcanoes made it worthwhile. I was born in a country where most of the landmass was lava rock. To study volcanoes was to study me.
Once settled inside my apartment—a unit in a three-story building I owned—I prepared my speech for next week’s conference at the Volcano Museum, where wealthy companies were invited to donate to a charity that funded innovative studies on using lava as a new energy resource.
When I finished, something urged me to type in Michelle Yates on the internet. She wrote for several magazines and had a successful blog calledFinding Life’s Treasures. She was a fantastic writer and photographer, and I needed new images for several excursion sites. Would she be interested in writing some promotional pieces for my business? Did she have time?
Browsing through her entries, I noticed an interesting picture of her looking at the camera. Who had taken it? It was a simple picture, but when I looked into her eyes, my heart did something strange. There was so much emotion wrapped in that simple gesture that captivated me. She appeared to be searching for something.
Weren’t we all?
But Ifelta pull from her. I’d never looked at an image of a woman and felt a connection like this. Again, perhaps all of this was because I needed sleep, but I’d evaluate that later.
That image was for a blog post titled “Searching for Yourself.”
We’re all searching for our place in the world. Traveling allows us the opportunity to discover ourselves. Have you been to a place where you felt an undeniable connection? Or met a person who made you feel something? Or found a piece of art that you had to buy? Or ate something delicious that made you recall a happy memory? These are life’s little treasures. Small, but meaningful. Drop me a comment, I’d love to know.
I felt like she was talking to me. Perhaps that was the power of her blog. Her words and the images made her post personable, allowing people to relate easily.
By the time I finished reading several posts, I knew more about her.
What are you seeking, Michelle?
I glanced at the time on my computer and yawned. It was past midnight, and I should have been in bed already, but here I was, reading a travel blog and finding Michelle more fascinating than ever.
I went to bed, wondering how her long, curly brown hair would feel between my fingers. Would she look wild and untamed in bed like an undiscovered adventure? Would she let me discover her body? What treasures did she have?
Go to sleep. You have issues to deal with at work.
For once, my inner voice made sense.
CHAPTERFIVE
MICHELLE
On Monday,I sat across from Becca in the café on the first floor of NewYou Beauty Headquarters and sipped my delicious cappuccino, letting the steamy life force energize me. Caffeine was king today, and I needed the power.
The café had a modern appeal, like most of the interior décor I’d seen in Iceland. Geometric-inspired furniture with simple lighting and clean walls decorated with abstract art.
“It’s so good to have you join our team, even if it’s just for this one project.” Becca nibbled on a crepe.
She had blue eyes on an adorable face framed with chin-length dark hair. She stumbled on my blog last year and referred me to the CEO, who offered me a job to promote their new beauty product line on my blog.
“Thank you for this opportunity to work with NewYou Beauty. I haven’t done beauty products on my blog before, so this is fantastic. My followers would love this. I love this country. Most of all, I love your unique products. Thanks for the awesome samples, by the way.”
“You’re welcome. I love using our products too. I’m not just saying that because I work for the company. The products are truly effective.” Becca wiped her hand with a napkin before opening the portfolio. “This is the entire product line. We’re a boutique company with a focus on skincare. Can you help showcase our products so we can gain new investors? We have some now, but we’d love to expand.”
Flipping through the portfolio, I glanced at the white jars of lotion with moss-green designs and gold accents. “Can I visit the hot springs where you’re producing your products? I think people would love to see where everything comes from. A good visual always helps.”
“I agree. We have a day trip planned for you next week. Spend a day there, get pampered, and immerse yourself in the lagoon. You have full access to our spas, the gift shop, and the employee-only labs. Our spas are still new, but word of mouth has been helping us tremendously.”
I’d tried a sample of their lava mask, and my skin hadn’t felt this wonderful in a long time. I couldn’t wait to spend a day at their spa.
My phone buzzed, and I picked it up to see the reminder I’d set up to go off every two days.
Food:Fruits and salads are good for your hair and skin.Eat healthy.
Daily Exercise:1 hour of cardio. 30 minutes of weights. 30 minutes of yoga.