Page 74 of Sharkbait
“All of them.”
“All of them?” she nearly shouts.
“Well, almost all of them. There are a few in Europe I still need to hit. And two in Africa.”
“Excuse my language, but what the fuck, dude! How is that even possible?”
I laugh. “You make it a priority. Save some money. Create a plan. Keep it frugal. It also helps to have a job you can do from your laptop.”
“Huh,” she says. “Owning bars doesn’t seem like the ideal job for a world traveler.”
“Oh yeah, no. I did most of my globetrotting before starting Adventure Bar. I pretty much spent eighteen through twenty-five traveling and writing about it. I had a travel blog that did really well for a while.”
“Wow, I’m impressed.”
“Don’t give me too much credit. I also had a small trust that opened up for me when I turned eighteen. That certainly helped. Plus, there’s a whole networkof travelers out there who are just waiting to lend a hand and help each other. It’s a way of life.”
“It’s your way of life?”
“It was.”
“But not anymore?” She urges me to go on.
“Yes and no.”
“Way to be cryptic, dude.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to be cryptic. I’ve just had some life changes over the past seven years or so, which have curbed my travels a bit. Not entirely, but a bit. Anyway, I am sorry about your dad.”
She shrugs. “Don’t be. He did me a favor.”
“How so?”
“Taught me all the lessons I need to learn about men while I was still young. No offense.”
I wince in a lighthearted way. “Aw, come on. ’No offense’ is just as bad as ‘don’t take this the wrong way.’”
“True. You’re right. Let me amend my statement. He taught me all the lessons I need to learn about most men. That better? It’s taken me way too long to absorb those lessons and live accordingly, but better late than never, right?”
“Which lessons are we talking about?”
“One: Don’t expect a man to take care of you.
“Okay.”
“Two: Do not base your self-worth on what a man thinks of you.”
“Fair enough.”
“And three: Never, ever date a single dad.”
Well, shit.
“Whoa. Really?” I say.
“I know. That last one feels judgy, but I stand by it. For me, at least.”
“Why?”
