Page 4 of Bridesmaid for Hire
So has Daddy Reggie. And he’s not happy that the Canes have “encroached on his space.” It’s why he tasked us to come up with a new idea that will expand Hopper Industries into the commercial space. And with technology advancing, allowing employees to work from home,empty commercial spaces have been popping up all over the city. Daddy Reggie wants to cash in on the buildings with a grand idea.
Deanna and her ill-fitting pants have come up with the wedding industry expansion.
Me…well, I came up with the idea that I think is way more creative and has high merit. Something new and innovative. I’m proposing that we take some of the smaller, empty commercial spaces and turn them into pop-up shops for rent.
I know what you’re thinking…how is that going to compete with a billion-dollar wedding industry?
Well, it doesn’t.
But…what it does do is add a modern twist to the company.
Currently Hopper Industries is known for their Hopper Hotel chain, ranging from luxury vacation stays to affordable overnights, as well as being the largest almond producers in California. With over five hundred acres of farmland in central California, you can find Hopper Almonds in every grocery store, gas station, and airport. But that’s it.
Between farms and hotels, there is nothing modern about Hopper Industries.
That’s where I come in.
My proposal: take the empty storefronts in popular shopping districts, renovate them into clean, white spaces or give them a moodier twist, and offer them up for rent as pop-up boutiques or even meeting spaces for businesses that come in and out of town for short periods of time and might need a brick-and-mortar venue or meeting space.
Like I said, is it a billion-dollar industry? No.
But will it bring in a younger market, create buzz through social media, and be something we can expand throughout the country as a unique experience? Yes.
Do I think it’s going to beat the spectacle Deanna is drumming up? Well, let’s just say…I might be a little scared.
“Did you get some cake?” Jaleesa asks as she steps up to my desk, pulling me from my panicked thoughts.
Jaleesa is my direct manager, my best friend in the company, and the reason I have this opportunity to come up with a proposal for the Hopper family in the first place.
I turn to face her, more relaxed since I get along with her so well. It’s easy to work with someone who believes in you. “White cake and vanilla frosting really isn’t my thing,” I answer.
“It’s Marion’s, hence why it’s ordered every single time.”
“Not surprised.”
She looks over her shoulder and then pulls up one of the other desk chairs near my area. “I saw Deanna over here. Was she taunting you?”
“When is she not taunting me?” I shake my head. “She thinks she has a leg up with her whole wedding idea.”
From her immediate silence and the twist of her lips, I can deduce that Jaleesa knows something that I might not.
“What?” I ask.
She glances around again and when the coast is clear, she leans in. “I actually came over here because I heard Reginald is leaning toward the wedding idea.”
Of course he fucking is. It’s the easy choice.
“Fuck,” I growl as I rub my hand across my forehead.
“That’s not even the worst part.”
I pause my hand mid rub. “What’s the worst part?”
The sorrowful look on Jaleesa’s face nearly makes my scrotum crawl up inside of my stomach. Whatever she’s about to say, I know I’m going to hate it. “If Deanna wins, she’ll become manager, this branch will dissolve, and you’ll fall under her management.”
I feel all the life drain from my face.
And my scrotum that was teetering on a visit to my stomach? Yeah, it’s now in my goddamn throat.
