Chapter Two: Becoming A Businesswoman

Wilson

On the way back to the office, I kept trying to figure out how the hell a sixteen-year-old high school girl had managed to get the better of me, and Michael would occasionally tease me about it. When I got back to the office, I had my secretary, Claire, file my contract with Sophia O’Shea, but she quickly noticed the changes I made to the paperwork and hurried into my office asking, “Two-fifty a month retainer fee and fifty dollars an hour for legal work? How the hell did that happen?”

“I’m still trying to figure that out.” I replied as I plopped down in my desk chair, “She said she’s not keeping her grandparents’ businesses, stays out of trouble, and doesn’t plan to change that anytime soon. I told her my rates the same way I tell everyone, and she just smiled at me. Everything went downhill after that, and we had both signed the papers by the time I realized what happened.”

“After he reduced his rates to a thousand and a hundred, she mentions the only time she’ll probably call is for her Last Will and Testament. Then, he offers her two-fifty a month and fifty an hour. After they signed, he told her she had just schooled him, and she said he underestimated her.” Michael chuckled.

“So, did you get the contract with Sophia O’Shea?” Shayla asked as she walked into my office.

“He got it, but I think he might be scared of her now.” Michael chuckled

Shayla looked at him and back at me before asking, “Why would you be scared of a sixteen-year-old high school girl?”

When I didn’t answer, she looked at Claire, who gave her the contract, and after reading it, Shayla asked, “You lowered your rate for her?”

“I really wish I could’ve recorded that meeting.” Michael laughed, “He didn’t think he’d have to be on his guard with a teenage girl.”

“The Smith and Kelly family are our most prominent clients. Their accounts comprise half of our annual income, and because you underestimated a sixteen-year-old girl, this company could go bankrupt.” Shayla shouted as she slammed the contract on my desk.

“Then you can go renegotiate the contract with her.” I yelled, “That girl is smarter than any sixteen-year-old kid I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, I will renegotiate the contract with her first thing in the morning,” Shayla yelled before snatching the contract off my desk and storming out of my office.

Shayla

As I pulled up to the house Michael had described, I was surprised to see a small girl kneeling on the roof of a wrap-around porch, nailing down some shingles without batting an eyelash as four massive men were attaching railings to the steps or three-foot-tall walls to the porch posts. I climbed out of my car and asked the girl, “Are you Sophia O’Shea?”

The girl didn’t stop or look down at me as she replied, “That’s me.”

“I’m here about your contract with the Evanston law firm,” I said as I held up the paperwork.

“If you can get me a better deal, we’ll talk. Otherwise, you’ll have to speak with my lawyer, Mr. Donovan,” she replied.

“I talked to him last night after he returned to the office.” I said, “I’m actually his boss.”

“Nathan, can you pass me some more shingles?” Sophia asked one of the guys before she told me, “Well, I don’t know what the problem is. I’ve already received the money I inherited, I’m shutting down the opioid pharmaceutical company before I sell off the building, and I’m still waiting to hear from my grandfather’s assistant about switching to residential buildings, ma’am.”

I felt nauseous after hearing her words and asked, “Why are you shutting down the pharmaceutical company, Miss O’Shea?”

I didn’t see Sophia turn her head, but the next thing I knew, she glared at me from the porch roof as I saw the oldest of the men shaking his head, and she climbed down from the roof before storming up to me. When she was standing in front of me, her voice was dangerously low as she spoke through clenched teeth, “If you wanna know why I’m shutting down an opioid factory, I’ll tell you why. My parents are why.”

My heart dropped as I remembered that her parents had been addicted to opioids until they overdosed two months ago, and I breathed, “Your parents died from their opioid addictions.”

“Seems like Mr. Donovan forgot to tell me they were dead, but yeah. They were both more worried about their next fix than paying the bills and taking care of me. So, yeah, I’m shutting the damn factory down, and I don’t care what I must do to accomplish that.” Sophia muttered, “If you think I don’t know you’re here because that damn agreement will cause you to lose money, think again. I knew his boss was gonna show up the moment he made those changes yesterday, and the fact that I’ll be making a lot of changes was also going to have his boss running to my door, but let me make this crystal clear: I’m not gonna change my mind. The factory will be shut unless someone finds a much safer, guaranteed non-addictive, and legal alternative to opioids.”

“Okay, but what if, instead of switching the construction company to strictly residential, you just expand to include residential, interior design, remodeling, or even all of them?” I asked a little nervously. 

I watched as she turned to look at her home in thought before turning back to me and said, “Alright, and I’ll make you a new deal. Take your shoes off on the porch before you come inside, though.”

Before I could say anything else, she walked toward the porch, and I followed her. After I took off my shoes, I prepared to walk into a disaster when I entered the home. Still, despite the mismatched furniture, I was pleasantly surprised to see it looked more like a luxury home inside, and it was immaculate even though only a teenage girl was living there.

“I only have bottled water to drink right now, Miss,” Sophia said as she offered me a cold bottle of water.

“Oh, Shayla Williams, and thank you, Miss O’Shea,” I replied.

“Just call me Sophia or Sophie, Miss Williams.” Sophia replied, “Now, down to business. I’ll admit I feel bad for how things went with Mr. Donovan, but I was still a little upset with him for insulting my home after working hard to get it to this point over the past several weeks, and I was being petty. However, I’m willing to do one of two things: option one, we can increase the agreed-upon rate whenever he helps me find a way to increase profits and help struggling communities, or option two, you become my lawyer for Mr. Donovan’s usual rate. I don’t mean to step on toes or offend either of you, but just because a bunch of family members I’ve never met were loyal to Mr. Donovan doesn’t mean anyone from your firm has my loyalty yet.”

Impressed, I nodded before saying, “Okay, but even if I were to take your account from Wilson, it wouldn’t mean you’re loyal to me.”

Sophia smiled as she said, “You’re right, and if you decide not to become my lawyer, I would like you to tell Mr. Donovan my conditions regarding increasing his rates by fifty dollars a month with me. Right now, I have more money than I know what to do with, and he could help me put that money to good use.”

“Wilson does have a little too much extra time on his hands lately.” I smiled and offered her my hand.

“Before we make it official, I should mention that the rate will be reduced if he starts getting lazy. I also won’t go any higher than ten grand a month and five hundred an hour.” Sophia said in a tone that any businessman would be proud of, “If he only finds a community or person that needs help and he tells me about it, I’ll add fifty to his hourly, but if he tells me all the details, I need to know, I’ll add fifty to both. If he can’t find all the information I need, he’ll need to find two for the month. If he can’t agree to that…”

“Trust me, he’ll agree to it, but the advice I gave you while we were outside…” I trailed off.

“Oh, no. You can keep that point for yourself as my acquaintance or for the firm. I won’t make things easy for Mr. Donovan, Miss Williams.” Sophia chuckled as she offered her hand to me, and I shook her hand.

When I got back, I called Wilson into my office, and when he arrived, I handed him the contract, “You’re going to bust your ass to work up to your usual rate, Wilson.”

“So, now she’s playing games with me?” Wilson scoffed.

I scoffed at him before demanding, “What the hell did you expect after you insulted her home, Wilson? Did you really think you could just jump into everything without at least apologizing for being an ass? What the hell were you thinking when you decided to insult all her hard work, Wilson?”

“I didn’t know she was building the porch,” Wilson said defensively.

“If you were going to say anything about her home, you could’ve asked her if the roof was being replaced, and I’m sure she would’ve told you that she’s been remodeling the place,” I shouted.

“I complimented Sophia when I saw the inside and said she would be very successful if she started a remodeling business when she asked for my opinion.” Wilson snapped.

“Well, you just might be able to earn fifty or even a hundred dollars a month on your monthly rate if you can find a non-opioid option for the pharmaceutical company and get it to her before it’s shut down or find someone with the solution who needs the funding.” I said, “Despite how she comes across, Sophia has a big heart and wants to help people, but if you start getting lazy, your rate will begin decreasing again. Find her people and communities to help and the information she needs to help them.”

“I could suggest that she add residential construction, remodeling, and interior design to the construction company.” Wilson mused.

“She’s already decided to do that, but you can do what I told you to do to keep the pharmaceutical company from being shut down by the end of the year,” I said.

Wilson gave me an annoyed look before leaving my office in a hurry, and I hoped he could find something.

Sophia

With the guys’ help, I managed to finish the rest of the remodeling before the end of the fourth month, and since my lease would end the day after graduation, I loaded up everything I wanted to take with me in the back of my car before returning the keys to the landlord. I wanted to see the twelve houses I had inherited from my grandparents before I sold any of them off, and the first two were on the edge of town. When I pulled into the driveway, I dug through the mountain of keys until I found the metal with the correct address engraved on it and shut off my car before going to the door.

I had just unlocked the door when I heard Sandra calling my name, and I turned to see her running up the driveway, yelling, “Sophia, wait. I just need to talk to you.”

I waited on the top step, and when she reached the bottom step, I asked, “What do you need to talk to me about, Sandra?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for how I treated you at school and thank you for not letting the kids at school post any videos or anything about when I attacked you in school,” Sandra replied breathlessly.

“Sandra, I might’ve been angry at you for attacking me and furious that you tore the jacket Nathan’s Dad gave me, but I didn’t want to ruin your future. I didn’t even want to press charges against you, but it seemed that was the only way to get your attention then.” I said.

“You’re right, and thanks to you, I can still go to college for interior design.” Sandra smiled.

“Do you have your phone on you?” I asked as I got an idea.

“Yeah, why?” Sandra asked as she pulled out her phone.

“I want you to come to work for me as an intern during your college breaks and then as a full-on employee after you graduate. I inherited a construction company from one of my dead grandparents, whom I’ve never met, and I’ll be adding some departments to the company after I graduate from college. So, I’m gonna give you my number, and after you graduate, I want you to call or text me.” I replied as she handed her phone after unlocking it.

I saved my name and number in her contacts, then called my phone before handing it back to her as she said, “Thank you, Sophia.”

Sandra started walking away before I got another idea and said, “Come on, let’s check this place out together.”

“Okay, cool.” Sandra smiled as I opened the and we went inside.

Marble tile covered almost everything, and anything that wasn’t marble was covered in gold or mirrors.

“Okay…I seriously hope this went out of style and doesn’t make a comeback.” I said.

“Thank God I’m not the only one that feels that way.” Sandra chuckled nervously.

“If I keep this one, I might use my go-to of gray, white, and warm wood tones throughout.” I smiled as we ventured further into the house.

We found a yellow kitchen, a salmon pink half-bath, a dark evergreen living room, a maroon dining room, a dark mahogany office with checkerboard floor tiles, a rose-printed den, and what looked like a gold ballroom with strategically placed mirrors and white vinyl flooring. Upon closer inspection, I noticed embossed rose gold roses on the walls under scones resembling wall-mounted candelabras.

The rooms on the second floor were all pale pink carpet, rose-printed wallpaper, and gold fixtures. The furniture in the rooms was all white and gold, while the bedding was also rose-printed. The private bathrooms were pink, gold, and roses. The rooms on the third floor had a blue and gold beach theme, just like the private bathrooms. Finally, the fourth floor seemed to be a forest theme with all the green, brown, and, once again, gold.

“Your go-to would definitely look ten times better than all of this, and I haven’t even seen it,” Sandra said with a look of disgust at the black, red, and gold master bedroom and master bathroom.

I took out my phone and showed her the pictures of the finished trailer, saying, “None of the furniture matches since it’s all second-hand, but that’s the end result.”

“You lived in a pretty narrow house.” Sandra chuckled, “It looks amazing though, maybe even luxury.”

I chuckled and said, “Thank you, and it’s actually a single-wide trailer.”

“Oh, yeah. That would look amazing in this house, but you would have to use bigger lights instead of the ones you used in these pictures.” Sandra replied.

“Tell me about it, but small lights wouldn’t do much in these rooms, and they’d look out of place unless I used a lot of receded lights.” I shrugged as I put my phone back in my pocket before following Sandra downstairs and out of the house, “But all that gold is just so gaudy.”

“Oh my God, tell me about it. I don’t think I could ever put a gold light fixture in a place of my own without wanting to spray paint it silver or something.” Sandra laughed as a car pulled up the driveway.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” I said as I pulled out the envelope with the two hundred grand that I hadn’t wanted to leave town without giving it to her or her mom and gave it to her, saying, “You can put it towards college or give it to your mom. The two hundred grand went into my car and the single-wide.”

Suddenly, Sandra’s father grabbed her arm and started pulling her back to his car as he yelled, “What the hell are you doing with that bitch? Don’t you remember the last time you two were in a room together?”

Sandra snatched her arm free and yelled, “Stop it, Dad. Sophia’s not my enemy, and she’s not your enemy either. You’re just pissed because she didn’t back down with you and made me own up to the person I used to be.”

Sandra stormed down the driveway and said to me over her shoulder, “I’ll see you after I graduate, Sophia.”

“You’ll have the first interview appointment.” I smiled as I shouted back to her before I turned to her father with a callous expression and said, “I suggest you get off and stay off of my properties, James. All of the Kelly and Smith properties belong to me until I decide which ones I want to sell. Or I might use one to generate more income.”

He gave me a disgusted look as he got back in his car and spun his tires as he left. The second house was right next door, and the yard of the first house could fit perfectly on the left side of the property, but it annoyed me to see the house had been built on the right side of the property. The second house was still four stories, but the residence was still much larger. The house’s interior was all white with mirrors throughout, and it was enough to give me a headache.

Despite that, I decided to have the properties combined before having the multicolored house, the driveway, and the walkway demolished. Before installing a New Orleans-style wrought-iron fence and gates around the property, I hired some contractors to redo the house. I grabbed the samples I still had from the single-wide remodel before I called a local contractor, and he agreed to come out that same day.

“Hi, I’m Sophia O’Shea. Thank you for coming.” I said as I shook his hand when he arrived, “Come with me, and I’ll show you around while we talk.”

“I’m George, lead the way,” he replied skeptically.

When we got inside, I said, “First things first, I’m sure you’ll probably have to gut the place, and that’s fine because I want the excess white to be gone, and if you can add some faux beams on the ceilings, that would be great. However, if you find wooden beams behind the ceilings and can find a way to expose them without keeping the ceiling open, that’s even better.”

“You know, this is gonna be a very expensive job, and it’s gonna take a while,” George warned me.

“I know, that’s fine. I’ll be leaving for college soon anyway.” I replied as I led him into the kitchen and began laying out my samples, “If you need any help, I have some people I can call, and they’ll know what I want if you have any doubts.”

“If you say so.” George sighed.

“I did a small remodel while I was still in high school, and these are the samples I have from that project. The flooring, the baseboards, and the wall paint color. The only thing I want done differently is adding beadboard, trim above the beadboard, the crown molding, and the lights. I also want the front and back steps replaced with a screened-in wrap-around porch. I’ll send you the pictures showing what I want done in the bathrooms-”

“Okay, I’m not gonna let you continue wasting my time, kid,” George said before storming out of the house.

Since I had Wilson’s number programmed in my phone, I called him, and he answered on the first ring, “This is Wilson Donovan.”

“Mr. Donovan-”

“Look, I know I haven’t called you with anything for several weeks, but I’ve been trying to find you an alternative to opioids.” Wilson cut me off.

“Then let’s add fifty dollars to your hourly pay. I need someone to do a remodeling job on one of the houses in the same town you found me in before I leave for college at the end of the week. I want them to do what I like and will take my surrogate father’s recommendations very seriously if they can’t reach me.” I said, “If they’re the type to update me before they leave every day, I’ll add fifty to the monthly rate, too.”

“Miss O’Shea, I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking for someone like that,” Wilson replied.

“One of my junior high teachers had this motto that’s grown on me,” I said as I looked up at the tops of the walls.

“What’s that, Miss O’Shea?” Wilson asked.

“Ask three before me. Women like to know the people they talk to are listening. So, I suggest you ask the women you work with and not look online for help. Let the person know that I might be young, but I do have the money, and I won’t waste their time if they don’t waste mine.” I answered.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Wilson replied.

“Thank you, Mr. Donovan. I never thought anyone could go overboard with white, so I hope to hear from you soon.” I responded before hanging up.

Wilson

After Sophia hung up, I asked Claire, “Did you ever hire someone to decorate your house?”

“No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Shayla did,” Claire replied, and I rushed to Shayla’s office.

Shayla was on the phone when I walked in, and after she hung up, I asked, “Shayla, did you have someone remodel your house for you?”

“Yes, I did, and she did a perfect job,” Shayla replied.

“Awesome, who is it?” I asked.

“She doesn’t do remodeling anymore.” Shayla replied with a confused expression and then understanding before asking, “Sophia O’Shea?”

“Sophia O’Shea.” I confirmed before adding, “She wants a particular type of person to do the job, and she wants to meet with them this week before she leaves for college. She’s decided which house she wants to keep in that town, and I’m pretty sure she chose the white one.”

Shayla sighed before scribbling something on a sticky note and handed it to me, saying, “I recommend drawing up the paperwork to combine the property just in case. I believe Sophia might have a mild case of OCD, and that property is more than likely bugging her since the house sits on the far right. If I’m right, you might be lucky enough to add fifty to your monthly rate.”

“Frankly, I might be able to add a hundred to my hourly rate.” I corrected her before returning to my office to call the number Shayla gave me.

On the second ring, a woman answered, “If you don’t know exactly what you want me to do, hang up now.”

“Truthfully, I’m calling on my client’s behalf,” I replied.

“You must have the wrong number because I haven’t worked on any houses since that bitch, Smith, sued me for that white disaster after she told me to surprise her before going on vacation to her damn beach house. I left her voice-mails, pictures, and even videos before leaving every day.” the woman said.

“The Smith and Kelly family seniors died, but they left everything to their granddaughter, Sophia O’Shea,” I replied.

“No, I refuse to have anything to do with those families- Wait, O’Shea?” the woman asked.

“Yes, their granddaughter changed her name after she was emancipated, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has pictures of what she wants done in the white disaster.” I replied, “Shayla believes Sophia might be slightly OCD, but she wants to see you before she leaves for college at the end of this week. She has some people who know her well in the town if you can’t contact her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to replace the red brick steps with a screened-in wrap-around porch.”

“Call her and let her know I’m on my way right now.” the woman replied.

“Sophia’s seventeen, and she wanted me to warn you that she won’t waste your time if you don’t waste hers. I’ll also need to give her your name.” I said hurriedly.

“That’s fine, and my name’s Evelynn.” the woman replied before hanging up.

Sophia

Wilson called me back almost an hour later, saying, “I found someone for you. Her name is Evelynn, and she asked me to tell you she’s on her way there right now. Also, just in case, I’ve drawn up the paperwork to combine both properties.”

“Mr. Donovan, please increase the monthly rate by a hundred and fifty dollars.” I smiled, “If you need me to sign, we can meet for lunch tomorrow and file the paperwork to combine properties afterward.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch then, Miss O’Shea,” Wilson replied before I hung up.

“What are you planning to do with the other house?” Wilson asked as I began pacing in front of the house.

“I’m going to have it torn down the first chance I get.” I replied as an SUV pulled into the driveway, “It’s hideous inside that damn house.”

“I have to admit, I agree. These two houses are my biggest regrets. One requested too much, and the other only said to surprise her before going on vacation for two months.” a woman said as she approached me, “I’m Evelynn. Your attorney called me.”

“Thank you for coming. The last person I called told me I was wasting his time before leaving, but I guess that’s what I get for calling someone local.” I replied as I shook her hand, “I’m Sophia O’Shea. Come inside, and I’ll explain what I’m hoping for.”

“Lead the way, Miss O’Shea.” Evelynn smiled.

I led her into the kitchen, where she turned on a recorder before I said, “I remodeled a two-bedroom single-wide before I graduated from high school, but obviously, it would take me too long to finish this house to keep everything cohesive. I don’t know if Mr. Donovan has told you about the two people who know me the best and can answer your questions if you can’t reach me.”

“Yes, he told me about them.” Evelynn smiled, “He also said that you might have pictures of what you want, and you might be replacing those hideous steps with a screened-in wrap-around porch.”

“I’m relieved to know he’s actually learning, and yes to both statements.” I replied as I started explaining the samples to her, “The flooring, baseboards, and paint color for the walls. However, since the walls are so much taller, I want to add beadboard to the bottom half of the walls on each floor; going up along the stairs with trim above it, metal components will be brushed or satin silver-tone. If any wooden beams above the ceiling can remain exposed, perfect, but faux beams are acceptable if that’s not possible.”

“Okay, based on what I’ve heard so far, in the kitchen, rustic cabinets, an island, a dishwasher, stainless steel energy-efficient appliances, and a stainless steel sink, but I’m not certain about the countertops. You don’t strike me as the marble, granite, or cheap type.” Evelynn said.

“You’re spot on and poured concrete countertops, but I still need to look at lights. Also, if there’s a way to prevent any injuries while doing the project, please do it, even if that means cleaning the same places a thousand times or the project takes ten years. I’m sure some of them might have children or grandchildren they enjoy playing and spending time with.” I smiled before leading her to the random ballroom, saying, “I would love to have built-in bookcases and make all fireplaces usable. A reading area right here in front of the fireplace, an office area for when I’m working from home, and if you feel that some bookcases are needed to separate the reading area from the office area, too, that’s perfectly fine. Maybe some sconces that look like oil lamps, but if you can’t find any, I’d like some working wall-mounted hurricane lamps instead.”

“You, my dear, are turning into my favorite client more and more with every passing moment.” Evelynn beamed.

“If you ever decide to retire, I hope you find someone like you. Otherwise, it’s gonna be nearly impossible for me to find an artist that’s even remotely similar to you.” I smiled as we left the ballroom.

“Thank you, my dear.” Evelynn smiled before noticing the random alcove close to the front door and said, “This spot looks perfect for a modified or custom, locking secretary desk.”

“Hmm, I agree.” I replied before we entered the living room, “I’d love to remove the paint from all the stone fireplaces, add a raw wooden mantel, and build bookcases on either side of them, new double pane windows, and functional shutters for all the windows.”

I then pulled out my phone and showed her the pictures of the finished single-wide before she asked, “Other than the screened-in wrap-around porch, what were you planning for the exterior of the house?”

“I’m thinking of using stucco to cover the bright red brick, paint it light gray and dark gray, but I also want wrought-iron New Orleans-style fencing and gates. I would like to plant hedges along the fences once they’re installed.” I replied.

“New plumbing, wiring, insulation, and a security system,” Evelynn added.

“Yes, definitely. I’d also like a garage, gutters, and solar panels.” I smiled.

“Now, let’s talk furniture. I’m sure you’ll agree the color should be dark gray, and leather is out, but microfiber is a good possibility. Sectional in the living room, end tables, coffee table, TV mounted above the fireplace mantel, and at least one oversized recliner.” Evelynn said, “The furniture in the sitting area should be the same color but maybe with some wood details mixed in. A sofa or loveseat and an oversized chair or two instead of a recliner. A dining room set for six or eight, sideboard or two, and possibly a China cabinet.”

“Hmm, I think the China cabinet should be in the kitchen; otherwise, I believe all the dinnerware should be in the dining room, which doesn’t make sense to me, and instead of having only drawers on the bottom, have shelves for the cookbooks. Antiques are always an option whenever possible, and locking antique or antique-style door knobs with locks on the interior doors are greatly encouraged. If you can’t find them in brush or satin silver tones, oil-rubbed bronze is fine.” I smiled, “While I do know what I want, I know it’s not always possible to get it, and I’m willing to be flexible whenever I can’t have what I want.”

“Your vision has been the project I’ve been looking forward to my entire career. I’ve been looking forward to doing a neutral-rustic home for years, my dear, and you’ve just granted my greatest wish.” Evelynn beamed, “Now, just a heads-up, I will send updates on how everything is going here before I leave every day.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear, and just to give you a heads-up, the Smith property will be combined with the Kelly property, but you can’t have to worry about doing anything with the Kelly house. I’m having it torn down and the foundation removed.” I replied.

“I don’t blame you. The Kelly house is an eyesore, but I also wanted to talk to you about the master bedroom and master bathroom. Let’s start with the master bedroom furniture.” Evelynn smiled as we began climbing the stairs, “I think a combination of wood and wrought iron for the banisters would look amazing.”

“I agree, and if you think the flooring I showed you combined with the gray and white will be too bright, I’d like for you to find a darker flooring. If you can’t decide on the flooring, find a way to make a digital 3D model and send it to me. We’ll go over it and make a decision that way.” I said as we began climbing the second flight of stairs, “I want the place to be rustic, neutral, and relaxing, but it won’t be very relaxing if it’s too bright in here. Also, don’t be afraid of using a darker gray paint on the walls if it’s still too bright after changing the flooring, and I’ll look at some crown molding tomorrow before I have lunch with Mr. Donovan. Instead of putting lamps on the bedroom nightstands, I want to use sconces with respective switches instead because I can’t stand cluttered nightstands.”

“If you decide you want desks in the guest bedrooms, we can put sconces over the desks and, should you have children, lights for a reading corner if you decide to read them bedtime stories while you rock them to sleep,” Evelynn suggested.

“I’ll definitely be giving you a call whenever I need a nursery, Evelynn.” I chuckled as we began ascending the stairs to the fourth floor.

“That would be wonderful, and I’ll definitely have to find an apprentice to keep my friends happy for years to come. It’ll be difficult, but it’ll be worth it.” Evelynn smiled.

“Your apprentice will have some unique and important shoes to fill if they hope to turn your clients’ dreams into reality.” I said as we entered the master bedroom, “Here we are. Tell me what you envision in this room.”

Evelynn began pacing and scanning the room as she thought aloud, “An Alaskan king-size canopy bedroom set, or smaller, with gray drapes a shade or two darker than the walls, maybe some silver fringe and tie-backs, gray satin bedding. Two vertical dressers instead of the typical vertical and horizontal. A vanity table, a floor-length mirror, a sitting area, and a window seat. Silver blackout curtains that coordinate with the bed drapes, white sheer curtains to allow some privacy when the gray ones are open, and a large area rug or three smaller ones, machine washable.”

“I can’t quite see everything fitting in here with an Alaskan king-size bed, but I think a regular king-size would work, too. I feel like a full or queen-size wouldn’t look right in here, but queens might work in the guest bedrooms.” I smiled before entering the master bathroom, “Now, without changing the layout, tell me what you think about this bathroom.”

“Personally, I would use large rectangular gray marble-granite or concrete tiles, twelve by twenty-four inches. Concrete on the floor and marble granite on the walls. However, we could use staggering linear tiles with minimal marble, but it’ll have glass and stone.” Evelynn suggested.

“Or we can break away from the gray and white a little by adding turquoise or teal. Use concrete tiles on the floor, staggering linear tiles in the shower, and vinyl flooring outside the shower. Maybe keep the concrete tiles on the floor and switch the wall materials.” I replied as I started having trouble picturing it.

“How about we bring the beadboard into the bathrooms, keep the concrete flooring, and the staggering linear tiles.” Evelynn offered.

Still looking around the bathroom, I pointed at her, saying, “That’s even better, and the glass shower wall will allow sunlight throughout the bathroom. We always let the sun be the light source in the room during the day and never completely block it out. If a bathroom mirror is going to block a window, we flip the sink and toilet, which allows us to keep the layout as much as possible. The bathroom windows should also be frosted; if the windows with frosted glass aren’t available, we frost them ourselves using a spray paint made to do it for us.”

“My number one rule is that a luxury-looking home shouldn’t always come with a luxury price tag,” Evelynn replied.

“You’re officially my go-to designer, Evelynn. Should the results exceed my expectations, you’ll be my only designer, and anyone you recommend will be a last resort.” I beamed at her.

“I do have someone I’d recommend if you have a second location you want to have redone while my team and I work on this house.” Evelynn smiled, “My daughter, Elsie, is a lot like me as a designer, but we don’t talk anymore, and unfortunately, one of my granddaughters landed herself in juvie earlier this year for attacking another girl in school.”

“Your granddaughter’s name wouldn’t happen to be Sandra, would it?” I asked.

“Yes, she’ll be starting college this year and plans to become an interior designer as well,” Evelynn replied.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know she’s doing much better, and I would even go as far as to call her a friend, but that father of hers,” I said.

“Please tell me you’re not the young lady Sandra attacked.” Evelynn groaned.

“I am, and yes, I did sue after she tore the jacket my surrogate father gave me, but thanks to what happened that day, I found my love of interior design. That’s why I gave her the money I received to give back to her mother or use for college.” I smiled, “The fact that Nathan has his Dad back helped a lot.”

“Good, I’m glad you two are on good terms now.” Evelynn smiled warmly, handing me a sticky note, “I actually believe Sandra’s mother might be an even better designer than me.”

“Well, I own two houses near campus, and if I choose the Kelly house, I have a feeling I’ll desperately need her help.” I chuckled.

“I can guarantee you’ll be needing her help. Elsie did the Kelly house, which looks much better than the Smith house this time.” Evelynn warned as we began returning downstairs to the first floor.

“Somehow, I’m not all that surprised.” I chuckled before adding, “I’ll make a couple of spare keys and bring you one after lunch with Mr. Donovan. Mr. Tiernan will also have a key, and if the house is finished before I come back from college, you can just leave it with Mr. Donovan or Mr. Tiernan, but only with them. One last thing, the furniture in the bedrooms doesn’t all have to be the exact same, and give me a call if you’re not sure I’ll like it.”

“Alright, I’ll meet you here around two o’clock tomorrow afternoon,” Evelynn replied as we left through the front door, and I locked it.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.” I smiled.

After leaving the Smith house, I got a motel room for the night and ordered a medium supreme pizza for dinner, allowing me to have cold leftover pizza for breakfast. The following morning, I went to the supply store to look at crown molding, and while I was there, I received a text message from Evelynn with a list of the supplies her team would need to start with. At the checkout counter, I placed my order to be delivered to the house the following morning and paid for the supplies before going to the little diner in town to meet with Wilson. When I arrived, he was already seated at a table and had begun ordering.

“I’ll have my usual,” I told the waitress.

“The good day, usual?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” I smiled.

“A sweet ice tea, salad, spicy chicken burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheddar cheese, mayo, and spicy brown mustard. Since I have a feeling it’s a very good day, a slice of lemon pie.” she beamed.

“You’re amazing as always.” I chuckled before she left.

“Will you be able to finish all of that?” Wilson asked.

“I exercise every day, and I have a high metabolism, so I tend to eat more than most, but since everything is moving along better than I could’ve hoped, today is a great day, which means a little junk food.” I chuckled.

“What does a meal on a terrible day look like?” Wilson asked.

“If it’s a horrible day, no money in the bank, overdue bills, sharing a tiny, rundown studio apartment with rodents, no food, and being on the verge of heatstroke during the summer or living on the street.” I replied, “A bad day would mean no money in the bank, bills are caught up, living alone in a tiny, rundown studio apartment, and trying to keep the rodents out of the nearly expired food that has to last until I have more money. Before I was emancipated, I would walk all over the city looking for odd jobs; after I was emancipated at twelve years old, the judge gave me written permission to start working part-time, but I still continued doing odd jobs. Once I had the money to buy my car, get my driver’s license, and move into the single-wide after I turned sixteen, that’s what I did. Needless to say, I’m not scared of hard work, but of wanting to achieve my goals and being unable to do it.”

“I agree, Miss O’Shea, that would be a terrible day,” Wilson replied as he pulled the documents out of his inside blazer pocket.

“Mr. Donovan, you never told me that my biological parents died the last time we spoke.” I said as I signed the paperwork, “So, this time, I’m going to assume that the firm didn’t find out until Miss Williams was already on her way to see me that day, but if something like that happens again, I’m not going to be happy with you and I would prefer to have an attorney I can trust as opposed to one who is unreliable with something as simple as passing on some information.”

“It won’t happen again,” Wilson replied as I handed him the paperwork.

“I really hope not because if you can’t be reliable, I’ll have to put off getting my business degree and take law since I don’t know if I would want a new lawyer, Mr. Donovan. Loyalty and trust are both essential to me; I can’t be loyal to you if I can trust you, which means I couldn’t continue to have you as my lawyer anymore.” I explained, “I have a feeling Miss Williams wouldn’t be pleased if I took my business elsewhere, seeing as she came to see me personally the day after we originally met. So, tell me, can I count on you as my attorney, or should I ask Miss Williams to be my lawyer?”

“Miss O’Shea, I promise that you can trust me and count on me as your lawyer.” Wilson replied as our waitress brought out our orders, “It’s just taking me some time to learn the best way to work with you.”

“Alright, have you found any pain management alternatives for the Smith’s pharmaceutical company?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, no, I haven’t,” Wilson replied.

“Mr. Donovan, where have you been looking for possibilities?” I asked before taking a drink of my tea.

“Miss O’Shea, I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking,” Wilson replied.

“Opioids are made using chemicals like every medication out there. It would be better for the environment and possibly even people if there’s a way to grow the ingredients for a new, non-addictive pain medication instead of creating it with chemicals.” I explained, “If there’s anything like that out there, I’d love to hear about it.”

“I should’ve thought of that; I’m sorry,” Wilson replied.

“Let’s just eat our lunch and then file the paperwork. I need to have spare keys made and stop by the Smith house before I leave for college.” I sighed before starting on my salad.