The Beautiful People

29. Mr. Parsons

     Despite a few people showing a lacking of commitment and determination, we had been making some good time walking up to the first checkpoint of the hike. On average it would take the wife and I about forty five minutes to about an hour to get to a small picnic area where we would usually take a water break and rest our feet. We were almost there, and were only just passing the half hour mark. The fact that Jimbo was leading the charge and making sure everyone kept pace was by far the leading cause of this momentum. He didn't look it the day before but Rachel's fiance was in shape and barely breaking a sweat while marching up the hill. I could tell by his demeanor and even the grin on his face that this solider loved to wake up every morning and march the parade grounds, rain or shine.

     When they reached what I considered the first check point, it seemed like the best time to take a short break. There's a small open space that had some picnic tables and a fountain to get some water at this place. That made it the perfect spot to take our first break.

     "Alright, let's take a break." I called out to everyone. "We'll resume in twenty minutes. Take a load off and hydrate. There's a fountain if you want to refill your bottles."

     Nicholas' bottle had been dry for a while so he walked over to the fountain and drank water for a few moments. He then proceeded to fill up his water bottle, aware that he would need it for the next leg of the trip. He seemed to not ration his water out as well as he could have during the first leg of their hike. As I was watching everyone take a load off, Jimbo however walked up to speak with me.

     "We've only been hiking a short time," Jimbo started, "Are you sure we should be taking twenty off so soon?"

     "I am," I replied, "The next leg of the hike is a long one. They'll need a moment, trust me."

     "How long does this hike usually take?" Jimbo asked, "Not complaining, Sir. I'm just curious to know so I can mentally prepare for it."

     "About an hour and a half." I answered, thinking more about it. "We then stop for lunch and do another block like that right up to the lake."

     "We're walking towards a lake?" Jimbo said, thinking about it himself. "That's a long trek. We won't be able to stay long if we want to hike back before dark."

     "We're not hiking back." I whispered to him. "There's a camping site already set up. We'll be sleeping right beside the lake tonight."

     "Oh," Jimbo said, as a small smile crept over his face. "Oh, I like that idea. Please tell me you have some fishing gear up there."

     "We do," I confirmed for him. "There's a nice peer where we can cast off of. How do you think we're going to eat tonight?"

     "I like this idea," Jimbo repeated, "You can tell a lot about a person by how they respond to camping in the great outdoors. This will tell you quite a bit about their character, and their ability to adapt and problem solve."

     "Exactly," I said, glad that Jimbo understood. "But please keep this between us, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

     "And miss the chance to see the stunned look on everyone's face?" Jimbo said, "Oh, you can consider these lips sealed."

     "Good man," I said, padding him on the back.

     "A shame Josh wasn't here," Jimbo added, "That poor bloke is going to be on his own for the next day or so and miss all the fun."

     "I have the feeling he'll be alright." I replied, "He'll probably get a lot of work done. I also have a the feeling that room service is about as close to roughing it as he would want to get."

     "I did get that impression," Jimbo confirmed, "I like him, but he is a tad soft. Knowing our luck, he'll write another book while we're gone and that one will probably sell for millions too."

     "What is that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

     "One of his current books is so popular," Jimbo started, "That a few studios are bidding for the film rights as we speak. I read online that the all the bids are already into seven figures."

     "Whoa," I said, as I had no idea. "I knew he was a writer, but is he really that good?"

     "Oh, I can confirm," Jimbo replied, "I've read several of his novels, and they are quite the page turners. If I knew he was going to be here, I would have brought one for him to sign. His last novel, the one the film studios are going ga-ga over, sold over twenty million copies since it released six months ago."

     "Shit," I said, looking back at Angie. "And yet Angie is still fighting for this job as if Josh is a poor poet scraping by from month to month."

     "She doesn't need the job, or the money." Jimbo added, "But that kind of grit is admirable. She wants to make it, but it doesn't hurt to have backups. She can afford to take chances, because if you fired her tomorrow... her millionaire writer would be her safety net."

     "Certainly gives me more to think about," I said, "A lot more."

     "Don't think about too much," Jimbo said, patting be back on the shoulder. "Overthinking is just as bad as underthinking. Give it a good thought, and then listen to your gut."

     "Are you sure about that?" I asked.

     "Dead serious," Jimbo confirmed, "Our guts have good instincts, and they tell us the truth without pride or prejudice. You should listen to it more often rather than thinking about it too much."

     "Even if it means Rachel doesn't get it?" I asked, curious to see his reaction.

     "I can't answer that for obvious reasons," Jimbo responded, "But if you do what's in your best interest and what's in the company's best interest, she'll get over it. As long as the company does better, it means Rachel stays employed and well paid. We'll survive and she'll live to be promoted another day, maybe even to a better position."

     "I appreciate your honestly," I told him, "I really like having you out here. I have a feeling that this trip is going to be a lot more fun because of it."

     "Oh I agree," Jimbo said, "This is going to be a ton of fun."