Riley glanced up, tucking her pen behind her ear, she had to lick her lips too, they were getting a bit too dry.
"Yeah, no kidding. The layout is huge, and we have to be precise. If we mess this part up, it throws everything else off."
He looked around. "How long do you think it’ll take?"
She stood up, dusting her hands off on her jeans.
"Most of the marking should be done by this evening. We’ll double-check everything before we call it a day. Tomorrow, excavation starts."
Ethan exhaled slowly. "That’s the real start of everything."
"Pretty much," Riley agreed. She studied him for a moment before tilting her head. "You planning on coming by to watch?"
"I don’t know yet," he admitted. "Got some things to take care of."
She nodded. "Makes sense. You’re already more involved than most people."
Ethan smirked slightly. "That a compliment?"
"Maybe," she said with a small grin. "But don’t let it get to your head."
He chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "No danger of that."
They started walking, moving along the marked areas, the dirt crunching beneath their feet.
The site was still buzzing with activity — workers hauling materials, checking blueprints, calling out measurements.
But in this moment, it felt like their own quiet space within the chaos.
"So, what made you get into this line of work?" Ethan asked. "You said you started in engineering, but what made you switch?"
Riley let out a short breath, as if considering her answer. "I liked the technical side of things, but I hated being stuck in an office all day. I wanted to be out here, making sure things actually got built instead of just designing them on paper."
She gestured around them. "This? This feels real. You can see the progress, feel it. There’s something satisfying about watching an empty lot turn into something people will actually use."
Ethan could understand that.
"I get that," he said after a moment.
Riley gave him a sidelong glance. "Yeah? Didn’t peg you for the hands-on type."
Ethan shrugged. "I’ve dealt with real estate for a while now. Most of it was buying, renovating, and selling. But this…" He looked out across the land again. "This is bigger."
She studied him for a moment. "So, why a casino?"
He hesitated before answering. "It’s a good investment."
She raised an eyebrow. "That’s the corporate answer."
Ethan smirked slightly. "It’s the practical answer."
"Uh-huh." She didn’t seem convinced.
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He exhaled, watching as a worker jogged past, carrying a bundle of measuring tapes.
"It’s not just about the money," he admitted. "It’s about what comes with it. The reputation. The presence. A casino isn’t just a business — it’s a statement."
Riley nodded slowly, as if turning that over in her mind. "A statement, huh? Guess that makes sense."
They kept walking, passing by a group of workers who were setting up equipment near the lot’s edge.
The sun had risen higher now, casting long shadows across the site.
The day was moving forward, and so was the project.
After a brief silence, Riley spoke again. "So, what’s next for you? After this place is up and running?"
Ethan considered that. He hadn’t thought much beyond it.
"Not sure yet," he admitted. "One thing at a time."
She laughed lightly. "That’s the best way to do it."
They reached a section of the site where several orange markers formed the rough outline of what would eventually be the casino’s main entrance.
Ethan paused, looking down at the markings.
"Hard to imagine it now," he mused. "But in some months, this will be a grand entrance with marble floors and chandeliers."
Riley crossed her arms, tilting her head as she studied the space. "Yeah. But first, it’s just a bunch of dirt and lines."
Ethan chuckled. "Every big thing starts small."
She gave him a small smile. "Exactly."
#####
The construction site had quieted for a while as the workers took their lunch break.
The rhythmic sounds of measuring tapes snapping back, spray paint hissing, and boots crunching against the dirt had been replaced by quiet conversation and the occasional laughter of the crew.
Some workers sat in groups on overturned crates, while others leaned against stacks of materials, taking a moment to rest before the work resumed.
Riley sat on a simple foldable mat near the edge of the site, her lunchbox open on her lap.
She had packed a homemade meal — rice, grilled chicken, and vegetables — and she ate quickly, shoving bites into her mouth without much thought.
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She was starving after working all morning.
Ethan, on the other hand, hadn’t moved from where he stood.
He was still near the markers, hands tucked into his hoodie pockets, scanning the layout as if he were memorizing every line drawn on the ground.
Riley chewed her food slowly as she watched him.
Why was he here?
He had money. He had power.
He could be in an office somewhere, handling business deals, sitting in a high-end restaurant, or enjoying the luxuries that people like her didn’t even think about.
But instead, he was here, standing in the middle of a half-marked construction site, with dust on his sneakers and cold wind blowing through his hoodie.
He had no reason to be here.
Yet, he was.
Riley felt her cheeks warm slightly, though she wasn’t sure why.
Maybe it was the way the wind tousled his hair, or the quiet focus in his expression, or maybe just the fact that someone like him didn’t seem out of place here — like he belonged among the dirt, the plans, the effort.
She stuffed another bite of food into her mouth, trying to ignore the thoughts creeping into her head.
Instead of overthinking it, she called out to him.
"Hey."
Ethan turned slightly, his gaze shifting from the markers to her.
"You hungry?" she asked, holding up her lunchbox slightly. "Wanna eat with me?"
For a second, he just looked at her, as if processing the question.
Then, after a moment, he gave a small smirk and walked over.
"I didn’t bring anything," he admitted as he sat down beside her on the mat.
Riley shrugged. "I have enough."