“Hmm,” Casey took a sip of coffee and started on a cookie. There was so much she needed to discover about Jake’s world. She wondered if other shifters had the same intensity about them or if she only felt it with Jake because they were mates.
Still figuring that out, to be honest.
“So,” Jake said. “I want to know about being a philosophy major. It must make for some very interesting study.”
“You’d think so,” Casey laughed. “The thing is, though, all of them are pretty much saying the same thing. Ram Dass, Lao Tzu, Watts, it doesn’t matter what section of the world you look in. All the major philosophers are saying the same thing in different ways. It’s almost like that is the point of studying the subject…to come to the conclusion that philosophy never comes up with anything new.”
Jake laughed softly. “But what about social philosophy, relating to human interaction? As opposed to being related to higher powers.”
“Same,” Casey said, shrugging. “Every human interaction is a pecking order dispute. Next.”
They both laughed.
“It’s also pretty depressing because philosophers throughout time have experienced the same suffering, the same mind-bending, soul-shredding events, and turned to philosophy in an attempt to understand it. The bottom line is we all just die. Their great ideas may or may not mean something. It may or may not have comforted them in their pain. In the end, they could have just been making up stories to rationalize what they went through.”
“Whoa,” Jake said softly.
Casey shrugged. “That’s the essence of philosophy. It may be this … it may be that … interpret as you will, everyone is either completely right or totally wrong, so you might as well take your own perception and run with it.”
“That’s a bit dark.”
“Or a beacon of hope, depending on how you choose to look at it. I still hope I’ll find happiness and peace just like all those guys did, even if I have to make it up myself.”
Jake smiled at her, and Casey could tell he was really listening to her and understanding the conversation. Most men couldn’t follow the deeper themes of philosophy and just tuned her out not long after she started speaking. Jake was clearly interested in the topic and in her.
“So …” Jake began, thoughtfully, “that begs the question, is working in a simple job part of your personal philosophy?”
“What?” Casey asked, momentarily stumped.
“Well, I’ll be honest. I don’t know what sort of career path is available for a philosophy major. Maybe, working in a dry cleaners is the perfect thing to do. Let your hands work a menial labor job so your mind can truly transcend reality and reach a higher plane of consciousness.”
“You should come and meet my professor.” Casey laughed. She was surprised and impressed by his take.
He smiled, shaking his head as his eyes met hers through the gloomy shadows. “I mean it,” he said softly. “What do you want to do with your life?”
Even though she should have seen this question coming, Casey was still surprised. She tried not to think about it, but her future always stood before her in a hazy path. She didn’t look much farther than tomorrow.
“I really don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe you’re right, and I’ve taken such a simple job so I can focus on immediacy. It truly is the main point of all philosophers, that it doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you align your mind and heart with peace.”
Casey sighed, thinking about her days working in the dry cleaners. It was boring, but sometimes, she liked that. It gave her time to think. That was essentially what philosophy was all about, and it was why most of the great philosophers spoke highly of simple tasks.
“That sounds almost religious.”
“Well, no,” Casey said. “Philosophy hits spiritualism a lot, but not religion so much. Once you get past a certain point, religions are all essentially the same, and the doctrine is just cultural preference.”
“You’ve got me there,” Jake laughed. “I’m out. Too much big-brain.”
Casey laughed too. “There is no ‘career’ as such that a philosophy major can shoot for unless it’s becoming a professor. It’s usually in conjunction with something else. But really, I don’t know.”
Jake looked away, and Casey felt a cold hint of doubt fall across her heart. “I understand if you … aren’t interested in me anymore. I know I don’t have any ambition. That must be difficult to understand.”
Jake turned his big, blue eyes to her, his expression openly shocked. “Why the hell would you think that?” he asked. He scooted closer to her on the couch, and she had to put her coffee down in a hurry so she didn’t spill it.
Jake took her hands, shaking his head. “I will always be interested in you, Casey. Don’t ever think that. I adore you and would never ask you to be anything other than what you are.”
Casey felt a twinge of warmth in her chest. It stung her eyes, making her want to cry. “Oh, Jake,” she murmured. Gently, she stroked his cheek. He leaned forward, and Casey turned her lips up, waiting for his kiss.
The moment their lips touched, Casey trembled right down to her core. Electric chills ran down her spine and made her shiver violently. She had never been so excited in her entire life.