Another beautiful day in Arcadia found Aja at work at the yards. She was supervising Stinky operating the crane, questioning herself for the hundredth time when she saw him almost put the crate in the wrong spot, if this was wise given Stinky's track record with it.
It wasn't that he didn't know how to work the crane, it was more that he couldn't read the side of the crates and often did very bad and very costly things like setting a crate of marble on top of a crate of glass. Good for the local artisans who used the broken glass for their art or wares, but it was bad for the clients.
While she kept an eye on Stinky, she went through the last of the back orders and set aside the ones where the goods would be coming from the storm ravaged ports. It was taking the other ports longer to get back up to speed after the storm had decimated the coast line. She'd offered help, but some port owners weren't all that fond of accepting help in the first place, much less from a woman. It made her crazy, but some old sailors still believed women were only good for serving them drinks and keeping their beds warm. They didn't believe they could captain a ship or run a business.
If it kept being a problem, she'd have to go and visit them again. Perhaps offer to buy them out just to get things moving again. Aja sighed at the thought, she didn't want to do that. One port was enough to keep track of and it took years to get all the kinks worked out when it came to staff and merchants.
But she had done it, Arcadia was a busy port. And profitable. Not that she needed the money. But she paid her boys well, and liked doing so. Aside from adding to Arcadia's wealth base, it made for loyal crew. They did honest hard work and were paid often times better than anything they could get out on the waves. They had families now, hobbies, lived inside the boundaries of "normal" society. She knew that for some of them, that alone took adjustment but they had done it and were now enjoying their lives on the right side of the law.
"Aja?" a voice to her right caught her attention and she gave a glance to Stinky who was still doing fine, before looking at who called her name.
Bob and Ed of the Arcadia Historical Society stood there. Now, there was no Historical Society per say, it was basically the two of them and what they could remember. Aja had just taken to calling them that in her head cause they did like to share the stories about how Arcadia was started and how it has changed.
They both were on the elderly side, Bob, who dressed in the latest of fashions and kept in shape, was a bit more debonair than Ed who reminded Aja of the stereotypical grandfathers in some of those movies Tru had her watch with him. Or, at the very least, what she thought one would look like. A little portly, kind and with a big smile on his face.
They stood side by side as always and they looked like they had an idea. She knew this look well, having seen it many times before when one or both of them wanted something done in town. The two of them always had ideas, and were not shy about sharing them.
"What can I do fer you fine gentleman today?" "We would like to start the Arcadia Improvement Committee." Bob said with a smile. "Oh?" Aja looked between the two curiously. "Were the repairs after the storm somehow not up to snuff?" "Oh, no. They are wonderful. But Bob and I see potential for Arcadia to grow. Perhaps even rival RhyDin City one day." Ed beamed. "And you want RhyDin City's problems too?" Aja questioned thinking briefly of the crime rate for RhyDin City. No way did she want that sort of problem here. Not after she made Arcadia such a safe haven for those escaping that Prop 37 nonsense.
"Not at all, My Dear. You're already doing a fine job thinking ahead with the court house and community center. I believe those things will help deter those that are only out to cause trouble." Bob motioned to the courthouse, which could be seen over the gates. Aja gave it a glance then back to the two men standing with her. "So, tell me what you would do?" she asked them smiling a little knowing there was more to come. "Someone would go to neighboring towns, locate businesses to try to lure to Arcadia." "Someone, huh?" Aja smiled knowing all too well they meant her. "Yes. You...or even that new mayor you keep talking about getting." Bob gave her a wide smile and Aja chuckled. So this was their ultimate goal, find out when they might expect to see the new mayor. "As soon as the builds are done, boys. You'll have a mayor. Then once we get that system running, we can hold elections." "Wonderful idea, Aja." Ed beamed and kissed her cheek. "We'll let you get back to work now." "Yes. Yes. Oh and tell that little girl that works in your office that she should come join us for lunch at the Dragon's Lair sometime." Bob interjected, Aja had to chuckle at that. "I will let Lene know that you wish to be nosy." she gave them both a wink and a cheeky smile which made them laugh. "Have a wonderful day, Aja." "I will boys. You too!" she laughed watching them walk away, talking between themselves. They were quite the pair. Nosy about everything going on like a couple old ladies but never wanting to run the show.
Aja was still smiling watching Bob and Ed walk towards the gate when she heard the crew starting to holler and turned back in time to see one of them stopping Stinky from putting a crate down in a bad spot. Aja rolled her eyes and rubbed at her head for a moment.
"I really need my head checked." she muttered as she headed over to break up the crew from yelling at Stinky. She glanced back at Bob and Ed leaving the yard and chuckled at what they had proposed. The Arcadia Improvement Committee. Aja shook her head amused as she got to the crew, those two old men had a lot of time on their hands.
(For Ehz-hope she liked meeting Bob & Ed)
It wasn't that he didn't know how to work the crane, it was more that he couldn't read the side of the crates and often did very bad and very costly things like setting a crate of marble on top of a crate of glass. Good for the local artisans who used the broken glass for their art or wares, but it was bad for the clients.
While she kept an eye on Stinky, she went through the last of the back orders and set aside the ones where the goods would be coming from the storm ravaged ports. It was taking the other ports longer to get back up to speed after the storm had decimated the coast line. She'd offered help, but some port owners weren't all that fond of accepting help in the first place, much less from a woman. It made her crazy, but some old sailors still believed women were only good for serving them drinks and keeping their beds warm. They didn't believe they could captain a ship or run a business.
If it kept being a problem, she'd have to go and visit them again. Perhaps offer to buy them out just to get things moving again. Aja sighed at the thought, she didn't want to do that. One port was enough to keep track of and it took years to get all the kinks worked out when it came to staff and merchants.
But she had done it, Arcadia was a busy port. And profitable. Not that she needed the money. But she paid her boys well, and liked doing so. Aside from adding to Arcadia's wealth base, it made for loyal crew. They did honest hard work and were paid often times better than anything they could get out on the waves. They had families now, hobbies, lived inside the boundaries of "normal" society. She knew that for some of them, that alone took adjustment but they had done it and were now enjoying their lives on the right side of the law.
"Aja?" a voice to her right caught her attention and she gave a glance to Stinky who was still doing fine, before looking at who called her name.
Bob and Ed of the Arcadia Historical Society stood there. Now, there was no Historical Society per say, it was basically the two of them and what they could remember. Aja had just taken to calling them that in her head cause they did like to share the stories about how Arcadia was started and how it has changed.
They both were on the elderly side, Bob, who dressed in the latest of fashions and kept in shape, was a bit more debonair than Ed who reminded Aja of the stereotypical grandfathers in some of those movies Tru had her watch with him. Or, at the very least, what she thought one would look like. A little portly, kind and with a big smile on his face.
They stood side by side as always and they looked like they had an idea. She knew this look well, having seen it many times before when one or both of them wanted something done in town. The two of them always had ideas, and were not shy about sharing them.
"What can I do fer you fine gentleman today?" "We would like to start the Arcadia Improvement Committee." Bob said with a smile. "Oh?" Aja looked between the two curiously. "Were the repairs after the storm somehow not up to snuff?" "Oh, no. They are wonderful. But Bob and I see potential for Arcadia to grow. Perhaps even rival RhyDin City one day." Ed beamed. "And you want RhyDin City's problems too?" Aja questioned thinking briefly of the crime rate for RhyDin City. No way did she want that sort of problem here. Not after she made Arcadia such a safe haven for those escaping that Prop 37 nonsense.
"Not at all, My Dear. You're already doing a fine job thinking ahead with the court house and community center. I believe those things will help deter those that are only out to cause trouble." Bob motioned to the courthouse, which could be seen over the gates. Aja gave it a glance then back to the two men standing with her. "So, tell me what you would do?" she asked them smiling a little knowing there was more to come. "Someone would go to neighboring towns, locate businesses to try to lure to Arcadia." "Someone, huh?" Aja smiled knowing all too well they meant her. "Yes. You...or even that new mayor you keep talking about getting." Bob gave her a wide smile and Aja chuckled. So this was their ultimate goal, find out when they might expect to see the new mayor. "As soon as the builds are done, boys. You'll have a mayor. Then once we get that system running, we can hold elections." "Wonderful idea, Aja." Ed beamed and kissed her cheek. "We'll let you get back to work now." "Yes. Yes. Oh and tell that little girl that works in your office that she should come join us for lunch at the Dragon's Lair sometime." Bob interjected, Aja had to chuckle at that. "I will let Lene know that you wish to be nosy." she gave them both a wink and a cheeky smile which made them laugh. "Have a wonderful day, Aja." "I will boys. You too!" she laughed watching them walk away, talking between themselves. They were quite the pair. Nosy about everything going on like a couple old ladies but never wanting to run the show.
Aja was still smiling watching Bob and Ed walk towards the gate when she heard the crew starting to holler and turned back in time to see one of them stopping Stinky from putting a crate down in a bad spot. Aja rolled her eyes and rubbed at her head for a moment.
"I really need my head checked." she muttered as she headed over to break up the crew from yelling at Stinky. She glanced back at Bob and Ed leaving the yard and chuckled at what they had proposed. The Arcadia Improvement Committee. Aja shook her head amused as she got to the crew, those two old men had a lot of time on their hands.
(For Ehz-hope she liked meeting Bob & Ed)