Where would you say is the best place to hide when you’re starting a new life? Some people say it’s in plain sight, right in front of the people who might look for you. Some others dream of a peaceful, quiet hideaway, that’s located a good distance from everything familiar.
Like a remote lumberjack camp up in the mountains, so far, far away.
“I can hardly believe that you were just a security guard back in your city, or how they let go of a guy that looks so menacing as you. Are you sure you were just that?” a smiling man with brown hair and blue eyes said.
He was walking and talking with another man, with a similar description as his, having the same height of six feet, broader shoulders though, and slightly more muscular body. Also, the second one happened to have brown-reddish hair, hazel eyes closer to green than brown, and a more obvious tan.
It had been less than an hour since the job interview, and the employer decided to make sure his newly hired employee would be ok with his first day at work, especially since this newcomer said he had never worked as a logger before “but he could manage”.
It was necessary to make sure that this newbie could really get by with his new job, right?
“Well yeah, I’m sure. I don’t know about the ‘menacing’ part though,” the second man said, while memories were suddenly triggered inside his head due to that particular adjective.
These same realizations also reflected in his light-coloured hazel eyes, but he kept mum about it…
His thoughts: "That’s a topic that should never be touched. Not ever again, if I could help it. So yeah, stop thinking about that, Eron. And you have to be a little more laid back… let The Charmer out instead of the dark one."
“Why the question, Mr. Schneider?”
“Told you already, Eron, just call me Jack. Mr. Schneider is still my father. I asked because I got curious, simple as that. You don’t look like the usual guy who would work out here in the boondocks.”
And it was true.
Jack had developed muscles by working hard up the mountain, but the new guy in the logging company just came from the city and was born in another city in a different country supposedly.
And those two facts were making Jack even more curious and made it hard for him to believe.
Mr. Schneider's thoughts: "Sorry bro, but you don’t look like a regular security guard… maybe a gym buff… a bouncer in a nightclub… even a stripper… but a security guard? The ones I know have a belly, not an eight pack… damn, I think I’m looking too much into it… I guess I’m used to different things. Those guys from the city care too much for the looks."
“A stripper, huh? Ok, Jack, then. I’m really thankful for the chance to work with you guys, especially since I have no experience in this,” Eron said, a small relieved smile marking his face. “But I really was a private security guard and no way am I any of those.”
Now, got to get into the groove… heh, tree grooves… pun intended…
Half an hour into working, his perfect tan shone with the small drops of sweat that ran wild over his skin as he regularly and strongly raised his axe. His naked torso showed how his toned muscles flexed and then contracted when he powerfully let the axe fall on the fallen massive tree trunk that Jack had directed him to chop.
This was the easiest job they could give him while he got used to the machinery. Although Jack was still unsure of his new worker’s inexperience since, after about an hour, the newcomer had already demolished a few logs.
The foreman/owner looked from his new hire to the bunch of fast increasing, well-cut pieces of wood that Eron had stacked up already, and felt his jaw suddenly dropping.
“Looks like you came here at the right time, too. We’re starting a new season of harvests, and the more help we can get, the better,” said Jack, after he had closed his mouth and had recovered from the shock.” There’s more to this lumberyard than just cutting down trees, you know.”
“Heh, as long as I can earn from it, I’m all good, Jack.”
"Damn, I wish I looked like that… the boss sadly thought as he continued to watch his new employee cut through more wood. “Maybe that way I’d easily get a girlfriend and not be friend zoned all the time…"
Even if he was well built, he didn’t have the confidence that the guy in front of him, who simply exuded charm. And somehow, he knew that well, just by looking at Eron. Besides, the city mouse just looked too good-looking to just be cutting up wood.
“Anyway, I just came to check how it was going for you. Call me if you need anything,” Jack finally said and was almost leaving when he heard a question from the sweaty, tanned newbie.
“Well, there is something I wanna ask, but it isn’t an urgent matter really… I’m looking for a room to rent. Do you know about any? I got here literally a couple of days ago, and I don’t mind camping. I actually like it, but if it rains, I’ll be in trouble. Well, at least my bike will be for sure.”
“You’re just CAMPING?! ALL ALONE?! Where?”