REBELLIOUS

Chapter 10: Expanding Valley

Sunday was one of those extra days of the week. If you weren't religious, then it was mostly a homework or shopping day, where you sit around and wait for something to do. If you were, however, part of the day was devoted to going to church. Then there was the mansion in Northeast Oregon. No one in the town where the house sat was religious. Just people trying to find something to do with the day. For the household members of the mansion, it was a day to get ahead of everyone else.

Bentley looked around at the finalized space that she had decorated. Her office was a soft-white color, reflected under the morning sun. The yellow and silver paintings shimmered under the sun's light, sending the light reflections across the room. Bentley took in her office as she swiveled around in the large chair. She looked out the low-risen window, seeing the road that everyone was using to get around. Then there was the main office space. There were two desks. One was for Amelia, who would be starting Monday, and someone that Bentley had never met who would be starting in a couple weeks. Then the grand reception desk was for Kylie. The entrance to their business. The large space for Kylie to work the numbers for the business.
In a short week, the office had come together to make the perfect working environment. Soon, people who wanted to develop yards and have their homes remodeled would be coming to their business. There was no doubt. Sure, they didn't go to a professional college to learn about the history of art in homes, but Bentley knew enough about design from her art classes. Amelia knew enough about horticulture to design yard spaces. Kylie took enough math credits in high school that she might as well have stayed and taught the subject as a teacher rather than come to Willow Creek.
Bentley signed off on a few papers that she had left. Legal obligations. Licensing. Eligible responsibility. The forms and worksheets were laid out for her to sign off on. Everything would be official and business would start.
Until the moment where her small business idea could launch onto something more.
JJ walked into the office, knocking at the glass door. "Hi Bentley." JJ said. Bentley looked up to see JJ standing at the entrance. "Hey." Bentley replied. JJ took a seat. "So I heard you're starting a business with home design." JJ said. "Yah. It's been about a week." Bentley said. "Why just design?" JJ asked. Bentley looked at JJ. "Because I'm good at it?" She questioned. JJ adjusted himself in the chair facing her from across the desk.
"What about something else."
"I don't want something else."
"I mean me."
Bentley looked at JJ confused. "What do you want?" Bentley asked, covering her forehead.
"What about architecture?" JJ asked, throwing his hands in the air to show off the surprise. Bentley continued to show her confused face. "I'm saying I'm good at architecture. What if we became partners? One business that completely controlled all of the pieces of home design." JJ asked. "Why? Just go start your own business." Bentley said. "There's benefits of us doing this together. Less taxes together. Partnership. More control over the market." JJ said. Bentley nodded her head. "Think about it. We buy property. I design houses. We hire people to build it. You design the inside and Amelia designs the yards. Kylie's our numbers girl who controls all the financing concepts. Us four together." JJ said. "I'm kinda set in stone now with the business name, and the business." Bentley said.
"Keep your business name. Just color in those details with me and my part of the job in it."
"That involves me going back to the first step of all of this work I have to do and adding you in it."
"But think of what us four could accomplish for the city."
"What about the robot project with Bradon? Weren't you helping his team out?"
"Of course. I could build houses and business parks that operate under the HAIT's conditions. Yesterday he was complaining about the crosswalks. What if the houses had tunnels beneath them for the HAITs to get across the neighborhoods?"
"You're thinking big. All that customized home stuff. Neighborhoods. Business parks."
"Just shows that I'm committed to being a team member. Please add me on."
Bentley reached across the desk, and the two shook hands. "Agreed." Bentley said. "Great. I'll email you some designs for houses that I've already sketched out in case things get moving quickly." JJ said, leaving the office.
"Hey. What's the business called?" JJ called back. "Parrodise Marketing." She said. "Paradise?" JJ asked. "No. Parrodise. Like my last name? Parrott?" She replied. "God. I hope you aren't committed to the name." JJ said.