Chapter 5: Creating a Ryan-esque Paradise - Part I

When Ryan returned from Europe, he initially found himself busy with setting up his new household, which meant meeting with realtors, interior decorators and remodeling contractors. He also had to give some attention to a variety of attorneys and financial planners who had been desperately awaiting his presence to act upon a number of plans that required his signature and input. Ryan knew he would be involved in managing his father’s real estate and investment empire to some degree, but his lack of experience ... and lack of interest in working full-time ... made it necessary to leave most of the firm’s operations in the hands of the executives who had helped David Sheaffer build the company. However, he had a controlling interest in the firm, as well as his business and finance education ... and now that he had reached the age his parents had deemed necessary for him to have control of his own portfolios and accounts, there were at least some roles he could and should be playing. He didn’t really know what he wanted to “do” with his life at this point, and of course, he really didn’t HAVE to do anything ... but he knew there was more to do in life than just being a spoiled, self-indulgent playboy 24/7/365. Deep inside of him, there was still the bright and ambitious young man eager to become an integral part of society in some way ... at least at some point. For the time being, however, he was going to be more of a “figurehead” executive, working part-time, coming in for meetings and planning sessions when needed, while continuing to enjoy his indulgent playboy lifestyle. He would also work from home sometimes. He had worked out an arrangement with his lawyers and veeps where he could learn and participate and have a hand in things while still leaving most of the business to the others who had been in charge thus far.

Ryan leased a stunning, high-rise downtown penthouse as a secondary residence in the city. He would live here for a few months while modifications were made to his new beachfront property which would be his primary residence, but even when it was complete, he wanted to have a place in the city too. The “house” he had bought from a young and popular Hollywood actor was a lavish new complex, located on a long inlet from the sea that was surrounded by wealthy, exclusive homes. His 9700 sq. ft. house was in a sprawling row of multi-million dollar dream homes that were perched on a low bluff about 30 feet up from the beach. His backyard ended at the edge of the bluff, where there were stairs built into the rocky slope that took you right down to the beach. The beach itself was long, sun-drenched, and semi-private. Only the 33 homes adjacent to it had unlimited access to it, though it was not subdivided between the residences.

Ryan was establishing a dream home for himself, customized for his every desire, and he went all out. Even his financial advisers couldn’t argue; he had more than enough holdings that if he wanted to spend a few million extra on this or that, he was in a good position to do it. He had spent his whole life around wealth and the kinds of luxurious homes and things it could provide you, and he knew what he liked and didn’t like. He brought in a team of modern designers, and every room was ideally designed for aesthetic excellence and youthful fashion; all décor was bold, masculine and trendy. There was a small movie theater, a huge rec room, 10 bedrooms including 6 complete mini-suites, a state of the art kitchen, a second kitchen, a small adjacent wing with residences in it for his house staff, and a large home gym complete with a full array of weight lifting equipment, machines, treadmills and every other kind of exercise apparatus. There was a basketball net with a half-court on the side of the house, and a mini-spa with showers, a grand sauna, and a top-of-the-line steam room. The main backyard pool was a long, ornate, I-shaped masterpiece with a gorgeous wooden deck surrounding it, a bar, a couple of cabanas, another hot tub, and a variety of fountains and jets.