Liam stayed staring at the ceiling as his alarm rang. He had woken up before it began ringing.
"Good morning," he whispered to himself, "I wonder what the day has in store for me."
He slid down the bed and turned off the alarm, staring at his reflection in the mirror opposite him.
He sighed, then stood up and drifted toward the living room. "I'll eat first before having a bath."
He opened the fridge. He wasn't really much of a cook, so he relied on the foodstuffs in the fridge.
"I probably should have learned how to cook rather than relying on my mother," he muttered, grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge and a packet of biscuits from the cupboard above .
He drifted to the dining where he ate his breakfast, thinking of the day's events, even though he hadn't lived them.
He chewed his food slowly, savoring the flavor. "The milk seems expired a bit," he said, staring at the date on the carton.
He galloped to the bathroom to freshen up. It took a while before he was done.
"I should give her something to strengthen the trust between us," he said, fixing his cufflinks.
He opened the mirror drawer and brought out a checkbook. He signed a $4,000 check and inserted it into his right pocket.
"That should be enough to start up a business," he muttered, picking up his phone and dialing Mia's number.
After it rang three times, she picked up. "Morning, Liam."
"Morning. Are you at the bakery?" he asked, even though the time read 9:23 a.m.
"Yes, I am. Are you still coming?" She asked with a shrugged voice. It seemed like she was already baking something.
"Yeah, I'm on my way," he said, then hung up.
He walked out the door and made sure to shut it behind him.
A cab pulled over, and he stepped in.
The rattling of the cab kept his mind awake. He could only think of the necessary things during a renovation.
The neon lights of the city blurred past as the cab drove.
"Alright, thank you," he said, handing the driver his money.
He watched the cab rattle its way down the street before it vanished.
He walked toward the bakery, the bell jingling as he walked through the door.
Hungry customers were already there, waiting for her service. "Mom always said breakfast is the most important meal," he muttered.
He waved at Mia, who waved back at him before sitting down on one chair.
He opened his phone while he waited and scrolled through the internet for contractors.
"Wonder if I'll find a cheap one online," he said, sliding through profiles.
One caught his interest. "We get your work done for cheap, call....."
He stared at the ad for a while, skeptical about the prices. "Seems like a scam, but it's worth a try."
He dialled the number on the profile, hoping for a good bargain.
"Hello?" A gruff, male voice sounded over the other end of the phone.
"Umm, I saw your advert, and I'd like to hire a contractor for a renovation job," he stated.
"What's the building type?" the voice asked, now sounding interested.
"It's a small building, a..." He looked up, trying to remember what type of building he was in, "... a one-story," he said.
"Okay, that would be fifteen grand," the man said straightforwardly.
"No way, that's too expensive," he retorted.
"Okay, what's your price?" the man asked.
"$500 should do," he proposed, hoping for a suitable response.
"Are you trying to get a gaming console, or do you want your building renovated?" he muttered angrily.
"That's what I can afford, sir," he muttered.
"Fine, I'll do it for $800," he finally said.
"It's a deal, then," Liam responded. "When will you be coming to check it out?" he questioned.
"I'll be there tomorrow to see the place," the man said. "I'll call you when I want to come."
"Alright," he said, then ended the call. "That was tougher than I thought. Well, that's one down."
"When he arrives, we'll discuss the plumber and the rest," he said, then put his phone down on the table.
He looked at Mia, and she seemed to have settled most of the customers, so he walked up to her and assisted her with the rest.
"That was nice. Haven't actually worked at a bakery before. Didn't know you got to eat some snacks for free," he chuckled.
"You're paying for them, you know," she muttered, glancing at him as she rinsed her hands in the sink.
He laughed.
"So, you were actually serious about the investment," she said.
"Dead serious," he responded, putting his hands in his pockets.
"But why? There are many better, thriving businesses out there," she asked.
"I have my personal reasons. And I do like foods, and yours just piqued my interest," he answered.
"I see..."
He pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. "This should be enough for capital."
She took it, her face a bit confused. She opened the envelope and saw a check inside. Pulling it out, she saw the figures, and her expression was unreadable.
"This is a bit too much," she said, staring at it, her eyebrows up.
"Then use it wisely," he simply said.
"Now I've got to find workers for the renovation."
She turned to him, slipping the envelope into her apron. "My uncle is a plumber, but his charges are high... he should do it for a bit less because of me."
He stared at her. "If he's legit, then I don't see a reason not."
"Is he in town?" he asked.
"Yes, he came back for a contract he got with a big company," she answered.
"Alright. Tell him to branch here on his way so we can speak," he said before walking to the customer chair near the counter.
□□□□□□□□□□□□□
A grumpy-looking man with white beards and a cowboy-looking outfit wandered into the bakery.
He walked toward the counter and called out, "Mia!"
Mia turned, and her face brightened. "Uncle!" she said, rushing toward him.
They hugged each other.
"I was expecting someone.... different," Liam said, watching them from the corner.
They exchanged greetings, which took longer than expected.
After which, Mia introduced him, "Uncle, this is Liam. An investor who seems to pique in my bakery."
Liam stood up, fixing his suit. "Good day, sir," he extended his hand for a handshake.
"And Liam, meet my uncle, Gryphon. The well-known plumber who doesn't do his work for cheap," she continued.
The man shook Liam's hand with a tight grip. "Nice to meet you, son," he said, his gruff voice sounding deeper and nonchalant.
He stared at Liam as if he knew him from somewhere. "You look familiar, kiddo," he muttered, releasing his grip.
"No way, sir. I doubt anyone looks like me," he answered. "So, sir, do you mind checking the plumbing system of this building and telling us what you think?" he said, drifting back to business.
He shrugged a bit, then answered, "I'll take a look at it. Give me a minute."
He walked deeper into the building.
"I hope he doesn't say something that would make me bankrupt," Liam muttered to himself.
After a while, he walked out, fixing his sleeves.
"The plumbing system sure needs a lot of work," he muttered. "But since it's family, I'll do it for a discount price."
"And that would be?" he inquired.
"That would be 900 bucks," he said, washing his hands.
Liam wanted to pull out his hair when he heard that, but then he remembered a company that told him they'd do it for 2 grand ($2,000).
"Seems like a good deal, then," he said, shaking his hand firmly.
He stared at him again. "I'm pretty sure you look like someone famous. You have similar names as well."
Liam simply scoffed, "Must be a mistake."
"Oh well," he said, hugging his niece one more time before walking out of the building.
Mia stared at him. "What did he mean by You look like someone famous?" she asked.
"He was just kidding, don't sweat it," he muttered, then picked up his crutches. "I'll be heading home , keep safe."
■Gryphon POV■
Gryphon rode his SUV through the streets. "Ahh yes, I remember now. He reminded me of Kieran's cousin, Liam," he muttered as he stirred his way through traffic.
He reached a company parking lot and drove in.
"Oh, hey Mr. Gryphon," a security guard waved. He waved back as he drove into the lot.
He parked his car at his favorite spot, then handed the keys to the guard.
"Do not let a smudge touch my damsel," he said, referring to the SUV.
He walked up front of the company and stared at the sign.
MADDOX INDUSTRIES: POWERING THE FUTURE.
"Work, work, work," he said as he walked through the sensor doors.
He walked toward the elevator when a voice called out to him.
"Gryphon!"
He turned back and saw a man in his mid-twenties, his tie well-knotted, his suit ironed and well-designed, without a speck of dirt on it.
"Oh, Jerry," he said casually, extending a handshake.
Jerry didn't shake him back. "You know I don't shake people because of germs."
"You mean because of status," Gryphon said in his head.
"Why are you late? You were supposed to be here an hour ago," Jerry questioned.
"Don't mind me, I was looking at a small gig I pulled. Funny thing, I saw a young boy who resembled your boss's cousin. What was his name again?" he thought, "Ah, yes, Liam."
Jerry immediately turned, overlooking the clipboard in front of him.
"What did you say? You're not pulling my leg, right?"
"I wasn't drunk, but maybe I was seeing things, because I heard he died in an accident or something," he said, walking back to the elevator.
"I'll do well to finish half of the work today," he said as the elevator closed.
Jerry immediately stumbled out.
"I have to inform Master Kieran."