The Recycling System: From Scrap Collector to Billionaire

Chapter 10: Not a Bad Sister-in-Law

"The gated community across from your place?" Tyler asked, sounding uncertain.

"That's the one. Second house on the right once you're through the gate. Call me when you get there," Jake said.

"Got it, heading over now. A few of the guys are already with me too, we can help haul the big stuff." Tyler hung up feeling genuinely thrown off. Since when did Jake have friends living in that neighborhood?

Everyone on their side of the street knew about the community across the road, a newly developed area with prices that made people's jaws drop.

Their own block had been "getting demolished any day now" for years without it ever actually happening. For guys like Tyler and his crew, anyone who could afford a house over there existed on a whole different plane of existence.

Tyler hung up and rushed off to round up his crew and their cars.

"You've got quite the following, huh?" Nicole said with a small smile from the couch.

"Eh, it's fine. Old friends from the neighborhood, we go way back," Jake said, rubbing the back of his neck, silently thinking to himself: They weren't exactly friendly before. Relationship improved dramatically right after I put a few of them on the ground.

Most of her things were already boxed and ready to go, all that was left was the actual hauling, so Nicole settled onto the couch and struck up a longer conversation with Jake while they waited.

She ended up walking him through a surprising amount about store layout, decor, and day-to-day operations, and Jake found his whole perspective on running a shop expanding in real time.

Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, without ever drafting a formal lease, Jake just transferred the rent money straight to Nicole and the deal was done.

He could tell she genuinely didn't care about the money one way or another, it was pocket change to her.

"You know, if the shop does well, maybe I'll come by as a consultant or something," Nicole said suddenly, a little more animated than she meant to be.

"Nicole, come on, don't tease me. You're running a whole company, when would you ever have time to hang around my place?" Jake said it out loud, though something in his chest lit up with quiet hope anyway.

Isn't there a saying for this, when good fortune just shows up on your doorstep?

"I actually quit yesterday. I've got nothing but free time now," Nicole said, resting her chin in her hand, the picture of a delicate, faintly wronged young woman.

"That's not... because of what happened yesterday, is it? Did I get you fired?" Jake asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"God, no, that's nothing. Honestly I decided to quit a while ago. I've been wanting a break, and I'm about done resting, but I don't want to go back to my old company, it was way too demanding. I want something more relaxed. So, Boss Jake you hiring?"

Nicole leaned back against the couch cushions, and however Jake looked at it, the pose came off as unmistakably, if unintentionally, alluring, especially with that soft, delicate face carrying just a hint of something coy underneath its usual composure.

Jake felt his face heat up. "We're hiring! Definitely hiring, though the pay might not be much. You in?"

"Please, you think I care about your little paycheck? Just give me whatever seems fair. Honestly, if business picks up, I could probably throw a few million into the place as an investor." Nicole rolled her eyes at him playfully.

Jake felt something crack straight through his composure. I need to work harder. I need to actually make real money, enough to matter.

Someday, when Nicole needed cash, he wanted to be the one rolling his eyes and casually wiring over a few million without blinking.

Of course, that day was a long way off. Right now his entire net worth sat somewhere around twenty-seven grand, a rounding error compared to what she was talking about.

"Then come on in whenever. Once you're there, running the place is basically yours if you want it," Jake said easily, silently adding: And I wouldn't mind at all if "running the place" eventually meant something more permanent, either.

"Deal. Here's the key. Get it cleaned up today, I'll swing by tomorrow when I've got time," Nicole said with a laugh.

Jake nodded and let his eyes drift once more across the villa's interior.

Every wedding photo that had once decorated these walls was long gone, tossed out by his own hands. The walls stood completely bare now.

He'd heard somewhere that Nicole had never actually married, the engagement had fallen apart right before the wedding.

What could have possibly happened to leave her this shattered?

As for why she wanted to work at his shop, Jake figured it was mostly about killing time and decompressing for a while.

He still remembered exactly how wrecked she'd looked the first morning he met her, that wasn't nothing. Whoever that man was, he must have done something to hurt her badly.

The rumble of a van pulling up outside interrupted his thoughts, and Jake jogged out to wave Tyler and the crew in.

Stepping into the villa, Tyler and his guys all had the same reaction, mouths hanging open.

It wasn't that they'd never seen a place like this. They just usually only saw it on TV.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, sunlight pouring through, a chandelier that looked like it belonged in a hotel lobby, despite living just one street over, the whole crew instantly felt like tourists wandering into a five-star hotel.

"Yo, Jake, what's up!"

The group greeted him one by one, though every single one of them couldn't stop sneaking glances at Nicole.

Jake realized he'd forgotten to introduce her, and before he could get around to it, Tyler blurted out toward her: "Hi there, nice to meet you, ma'am!"

The rest of the group scrambled to follow suit, a chorus of "hi, ma'am, nice to meet you" ringing out one after another.

Jake had to bite back a laugh. At least they knew how to read a room.

"I'm not anyone's 'ma'am.'" Nicole didn't bother elaborating further. "Alright, let's get moving. Load everything into the truck, and then we're headed to the Golden Harbor complex over on Westfield Street."

"Got it, Jake, you two go ahead and chat, leave the heavy lifting to us!" Tyler said, already thinking to himself: Women from money really are built different.

There was something about Nicole's whole bearing that made people instinctively defer to her.

She wasn't cold, exactly, she spoke to everyone politely enough. But there was a quiet, untouchable quality about her that made people feel small just standing near her, without her ever having to try.

Jake felt a quiet swell of satisfaction watching it play out. He also knew better than to go easy on this crew, give them an inch and they'd start walking all over him, so he just went back to chatting with Nicole on the couch while they worked.

Once most of the load was packed up, Nicole and Jake trailed the group out last. She glanced at him sideways, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Friends of yours from the neighborhood, huh? A little rough around the edges."

Jake covered his face with one hand and laughed it off awkwardly.

"By the way, can you drive?" Nicole asked.

"No," Jake admitted, shaking his head. Between hauling scrap on a bicycle cart every single day, he'd never once had the time to learn.

"Guess I'm driving then. Fair warning, I don't get behind the wheel much. Let's lead the way for them." Nicole smiled and headed toward the underground garage with Jake trailing behind, while Tyler started up the van and waited out front.

Down in the garage, Nicole pulled a thick ring of car keys out of her bag.

Jake didn't know much about cars, but even he recognized a Mercedes badge and a BMW logo glinting among the set.

In the end, Nicole picked out an Audi key fob.

The engine roared to life, and Jake found himself reaching out, almost involuntarily, to touch the sleek body of what he was pretty sure was an actual Audi R8. Standing there, he couldn't shake the sudden, humbling realization of just how far he still had to go.