Vacay? Oh yay!
After the year you've had, you can't wait for this vacation. You never imagined that you'd actually win the contest for a two week getaway at a tropical beach resort.
Brilliant blue waves dancing between the smaller volcanic islands raise your excitement as you approach the mainland. It's a shame that your plus one wasn't able to fly down with you, but the man in the aisle seat was pleasant enough to talk to.
A flight attendant walks down the aisle performing their final safety check: tray tables secured, seats upright, aisles clear, small digital devices only, please.
You wonder if the safety routine ever becomes monotonous for the attendants. After all, if the plane lands in the water below instead of the runway, would it make a significant difference if your tray table is upright?
There's a sudden shudder of your airplane. The attendant braces themself against the headrest of the man next to you. He smiles at you when the attendant moves on, reassuring you with the warmth in his eyes.
"Don't worry," he says in the familiar manner of strangers who've spent hours together in a flying tin can. "That little bump always happens as we pass over the mountains." He had mentioned being an island local. "They're quite a sight to see. Take a look."
This part of the island is not the beach you imagined. Steep black mountains coated in dense vegetation rise from the ocean. You've never seen colours this vibrant before. A collection of crumbling stone buildings nestle in a valley between peaks. You just make out a path heading inland from them. The plane clears the short range and begins its short descent over a patchwork of colourful houses. Flaps up and full brakes bring the plane to a rolling stop on the tarmac.
"There are many places on the island that tourists don't know about." A mysterious gold glint appears in the man's brown eyes. "Some offer beautiful vistas and others..." He pauses. In that moment the tone of his dark skin deepens, making him appear younger than you first took him to be. A strange hum hugs the back of your head. "Well, let's just say that not everything here makes it onto Instagram. If you are interested in the secrets that aren't in the tourist brochures, I am at your service."
He offers you his business card, flat red with silver lettering with the words: Keyone Investments.