Jo strolled up the sidewalk, designer sunglasses perched above the crown of her head. She had just went on a late-afternoon walk, enjoying her time in the new suburban neighborhood. Did she ever picture herself envying, appreciating, a smaller kind of life like this? She never even really thought about it. Naturally, she did not expect to love the quiet streets, the safe feeling, the clean and peaceful environment, the everything that comes with a neighborhood like this.

Like Borebury's.

As she approached a small downtown area, the little town was lit up with glowing street lanterns. She gazed as well at the businesses running, most still open as it was only 7 pm on the clock. Never would she had thought a small city was something she admired. Then again, she never really thought much of anything less than the extravagant she was used to.

Her heeled sandals were clicking down the sidewalk and she soon stopped in front of Ben & Jerry's. Her sweet tooth called out for a taste of some sort of creamy, sweet substance. Jo entered the establishment in a flash. She was greeted with a cool tempered room with a smiling boy behind the counter.

"Hi, welcome!" He beamed from across the glass counter.

Jo replied with a polite hello as she scanned below the counter at the multitude of flavored ice cream. She may like extravagant things but simply vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles were her forte.

She ordered her choice and waited diligently for her dessert, observing the environment of the ice cream shop. Some environmentally friendly posters, rainbows and tie dyed shirts were decorating the room as well as dimly lit, golden lanterns hung on strings across the ceiling.

Once her ice cream was given to her, she thanked the boy behind the counter. She did not realize it before, but for a split second she locked eyes with this same boy and lost her breath. Piercing blue eyes, tall figure, and light smile. She's seen models as handsome as this boy, but never scooping ice cream— and let alone for a living.

Perhaps this was just something about Borebury that was just new to her as well.

She paid for her treat, left a considerably grand tip, and left the store with her shades perched on the bridge of her nose.

Jo decided to call her father to check in. She hadn't seen him much that day and wondered how he was doing. Yes, they were on vacation, but Mr. Connor Dailey had to make sure his empire was still in tact even when he leaves.

The phone rang for a few seconds before she heard her father's voice.

"Hello?"

"Hi Father, how are you and the company?"

He heaved a grave sigh, "Well Josie, I'm actually really sorry."

"Uh for what exactly?" Jo asked.

"Ah, should I tell you?" He replied, slightly uneasy.

Jo rolled her eyes, "Tell me what?"

"It's a surprise, I'm totally ruining it for you though so I won't say," Mr. Dailey responded teasingly.

"Father just tell me! After saying that, now you have to," She laughs.

"Alright, well I was going to surprise you tomorrow by opening a branched, smaller version of Dailey Group for you to manage yourself as a gift. Earn some experience before you go to College. However this branched company is slightly short staffed and I don't even have an assistant for you by tomorrow! I ruined the surprise, but I cannot exactly vent to my own assistant as I'm quite upset that he did not even come to Borebury to check up on the renovations to the building, the new workers and managers, funds left for the company there etc."

Jo could hear her father pinching the bridge of his nose in anguish.

"Apparently, Mr. Park was tending to my other branched companies five hours away from HQ, so it is understandable that he was not able to comply to my wishes there but still, Jo. Anyway again, I'm sorry. I was so excited to see my little girl get started, settled into her first office, become a part of the family name officially to the business world. I am certainly disappointed the day is not coming as soon as I had originally hoped. This new branch will be amazing when it's done and I'm sorry it's not yet." Mr. Dailey sighed.

Jo just blinked. All she did was blink as she heard her father's "gift" to her, his whole rant about Mr. Park, being short staffed... where is this all coming from?

She knew this summer that perhaps she was going to learn a thing or two about the family business but... now? And as a "gift"? Jo never imagined this as a present but it was known sooner or later she would have to try and run something. Yet, already though? By herself? No assistant? A whole branch of the company and in her own office in her own building with her employees' offices and... her employees.

"Jo, love? You there? Hello?" Her dad intruded her thoughts as he said, "Are you not excited?"

"Nono Dad, I'm excited. That is so nice of you, really. I'm honored to have a new branch of the company for myself to work and practice Dailey Group things," She nervously chuckled at the end but she knew that this was the best way to do things to keep her most favorite human happy.

She does love her dad.

[ <3 ]

"Colby, hon. I'm afraid I might have to let you go..."

"Let me go? Well it is the end of my shift now so I'll be on my way, anyway!" Colby explained cheerfully as he took off his work fit and grabbed his bag in the employee break room.

"No, Colby. I'm sorry, I mean I need to let you go, I need to unemploy you," His manager replied with a frown. "We are losing money and we have too much staff that we need to make some budget cuts even if it means having to let some of our part timers go."

Colby listened well, lips tightening into a straight line as he processed the unfortunate news. His unfortunate news. He thinks of the possibilities of finding a new job around Borebury, but in reality this town is really not that big. Besides, he needed to stay in Borebury.

"I- is there really no way for me to stay? No other position here?" Colby asked. Perhaps his manager could see the hint of his subtle pleading for a job here at the ice cream shop, however nope. No hint was detected by the manager.

"I am so sorry you got the short end of the stick, we just can't afford more part timers and need full timers to save us money and run the shop. I'm sorry, I wish you luck to find another job. If the shop gets back on track, we'll call you."

Colby nodded in acknowledgement. "Sure, thanks. I will take my leave now then."

And just like that, he left with another burden.
More stress, more problems when it really should be that cocky rich person saying: mo money, mo problems. However, of course not for him.

So he went to the local park to just sit in the grass and play with the dirt. Something he always thought was just at his peak peasantry level of broke.

He has other side jobs such as being a photographer and one of those boys who mows lawns in the neighborhood and such—which actually does pay quite well for someone like him— that do help pay rent and basic necessities for living...however, losing this part time job that he thought was going to be a stable thing for him to bounce back on (since not all lawns need to be mowed and not all people needed their pictures taken) really now has made things tough. Besides, he needs to stay in Borebury.

So what job will he have to go find now?

Or will that job... just come to him?

Like he could tell the future.