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Alright. Here we are. Gate 6.
I stepped out of the taxi, my bag slung over my shoulder. Carry-on is all I need. It’s another blue-sky day, and a pretty hot one for September. Should make for a nice view after takeoff… heh. Been a long time since I’ve been on a plane.
Too long.
Hard to believe it’s been almost a year since Rock took off. Things haven't been the same without him around. But he wasn't a kid anymore. He made a choice to find answers with his uncle, Kain, and I've got faith he'll stay on the right path. I guess we all got our own journey like that.
As for mine? I've been doing what I've always done. Fight, eat, drink, sleep, repeat. Yeah, I know what you're thinkin’. But seriously. It's a good life.
Thing is, maybe it's time I tried branching out again. I haven't really left South Town since my friends and I finally took down Geese, just ‘bout… over a decade ago, by now. Man, I feel old just saying that.
To tell you the truth, spending the last ten years raising a kid’s gotten me a little rusty. And I've been achin’ to travel like I used to.
This trip isn’t all soul-searching, though. Speaking of branching out, Pao Pao Cafe's gone national. The place was our go-to hangout, and I’m curious to see the new joint for myself. Metro City's got one that’s opening in a week, and I've got the ticket with my name on it, courtesy of Richard Meyer.
We had a chat a few days ago, and that’s when he approached me with the offer. Pretty much right after I asked.
"Okay Rich, I hear you. So, what's the story with Pao Pao goin’ corporate?"
"For starters? It's a great opportunity for the place. We're expanding, reaching new customers." he said, full of hype.
"Hmm, I guess we’ll see about that.” I said, taking a sip of my coffee.
"That's exactly why we need your help, Terry. Everybody knows you're a legend in South Town, and your endorsement would mean the world to us.”
We’ve both known each other for a while. I think he could tell I was getting antsy, being stuck in one place for too long with nothing to do. That, and I was never the type of guy to say no.
“When our Metro City location opens up, you could be our VIP, promote the cafe to the fans, the whole shebang. Just saying. It'd be a great way to get the word out. And I’ll be paying you for your time." Richard replied.
I glanced at the dragon statues, considering the job. It's not every day you get asked to be the face of a franchise. So I thought, what the hell. Why not? Fast forward to today, and I’m here, checking in. And hey, who knows. Could be a chance to reconnect with some old friends, and meet new faces.
Time to see if they've still got the magic.