For him, life could not have gotten any better. He was so busy helping others to fulfill their wishes that he was overlooking his own personal desires: Having a lover and eventually, a wife by his side. He was now thirty-two, unattached, and lonely.
To help recruit more female members and manage the busy on-line site, Shaun asked Lisa to be his part-time assistant, because she had a great rapport with people. She would work every weekend and receive two hundred dollars. As more money came in, her salary would increase. This gave him more time to pursue other interests. His main goal now was to find a good woman to share in his triumphs.
Many of the shop's employees were starting to become resentful of Shaun's business success. After all, they were not getting a piece of that pie. Word was getting back to the owner, who lived in Hawaii that the shop was a meeting place for lonely men and women.
There were also rumors that funds were misappropriated to finance GMMS. These innuendos were of course false, but the talks continued and got uglier. He decided it was time to leave and asked Lisa to come with him.
Since his business was doing so well, Shaun could now afford to move from his small apartment into larger space. He found a nice 1600 square feet split-level loft in Long Island City. It was in a residential and commercial neighborhood; the area was ideal for operating his business, performing marriages and organizing wedding receptions. The rent was reasonable, and he signed a three-year lease.
It took about three months to get the place ready for walk-in business. The loft, which was located on the ground floor, had several work areas.
Lisa had her space, which included a desk, computer, printer, scanner, fax, and telephone, and Shaun had a private area for interviewing new members and counseling couples. In the back were an open kitchen and a spacious dining room that could change into a reception area. The floors were parquet. The ceiling stood twenty-three feet high, and beautiful paintings and wall hangings added a romantic ambiance to the environment. Behind a dividing wall was a replicated chapel.
On the upper level were three bedrooms and three baths. Two bedrooms were honeymoon suites, and the third bedroom belonged to Shaun.
Now that Lisa was a full-time employee, she had more responsibilities, including running the web site and was earning one thousand dollars per week.
Shaun and Lisa had a lot in common. Both were single, motivated, and looking for love. She was originally from Atlanta, came from a well-to-do family and was the youngest of three children. She never attended college but was communicative and perceptive when it came to business.