Page 58 of Second Chance with the Enemy CEO
“So, Mike,” the videographer starts, adjusting his camera, “what made you choose this place?”
Mike looks up from his drink and then over at the bar. “It is the vibe. It is calming but still fun. The beer’s always cold, the music’s always good, and the people? They are real. It is the kind of place where you can just be yourself. No pretenses. Plus, I have been coming here for years. It feels like home.”
I click away, the sound of my camera shutter blending with the ambient noise of the bar, the clinking of glasses, and the low hum of conversation. I take pictures of the low-lit booths, the vintage posters on the walls, and the patrons scattered around, sipping on drinks, and laughing in their own conversations.
After a while, I make my way to the bar. Ray, the big grizzly bear-looking owner and bartender, looks up, and his face brightens when he sees me.
“Well, well,” he says, his voice gruff but warm. “Been a while, my little daredevil. Heard you have been back in town for a while now. You didn’t even come to see your old man Ray.”
“Been busy,” I reply, shrugging. “I’m sorry, Ray.”
“It’s all good.” Ray raises an eyebrow. “Are you back for good?”
I shake my head, half-smiling. “Nah. Just visiting for now. Here for work, actually.”
He nods, his gaze flicking to Liam, who is sitting with the others at the table. He jerks his head in his direction. “You back with the lad, then?”
I almost choke on my drink. “No,” I say, my voice slightly too sharp. I catch myself and add, “It’s..., not like that anymore.”
He grins, nudging me playfully. “Shame, really.”
I just ask. “No shame there.”
Ray chuckles, “Are you seeing someone new?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
We fall into a comfortable silence; then he leaves when Liam suddenly appears beside me, standing quietly for a moment before speaking.
“Hey,” he says, breaking the quiet.
“Hey,” I replied.
I glance around the bar again. “This place has not changed much over the past five years. Same vibe, same furniture. Same music. Same jukebox we broke... I can still see the crack in the casing.”
Liam chuckles lightly, shaking his head. “Yeah, we were kind of menaces back then, bugging the heck out of Ray.”
I smirk, shaking my head. “He secretly loved it.”
I snap a photo of the jukebox, lingering on the familiar crack in its exterior casing. Some things stay the same. Some things cannot be fixed, no matter how hard you try. Then I take a picture of Ray, who catches my eye and grins back.
Not long after, Lucas calls from the table. “Ready to go?”
I sigh, putting my camera down and waving Ray goodbye. As I walk behind the group, I hear Mike ask Liam, “What were you two talking about? You both were smiling.”
Liam doesn’t say anything; he just shakes his head.
The next stop is Overlook Ridge, James’s pick. As the car winds up the narrow path, the breathtaking view begins to unfold. The ridge stretches out to reveal a panorama of rolling hills blanketed in vibrant green, with patches of gold where the sun breaks through the clouds. The horizon looks like it stretches forever, blending earth and sky in a perfect embrace.
James steps out of the car with a satisfied grin, spreading his arms wide as if he owns the view. “This,” he says, turning to the group, “is why I love this place. It is peaceful, open, and reminds me how small we are in the grand scheme of things.”
I cannot resist. My camera is up in a flash, capturing the vast expanse of the interplay of sunlight and shadows over the landscape. James stands near the edge, looking out, and I snap a shot, the perspective making him look like he is standing on the edge of the world.
“This place is amazing,” I admit, glancing at James. “Good pick. This just might be my favorite spot.”
He smirks. “Told you.”
The colors, the textures - they are all so vivid, and I can’t help but think that no photo will truly do it justice.
