part-time.

In an impulse, Billy took Julie and brought her with him to San Jose. They took a last-minute express flight, leaving without notifying anyone except Raimon, who shook his head, incredulous at the beautiful blonde who was now following Billy on a journey across the United States. They were both about to leave, and Raimon didn't have much to say.

-Here, you can stay at my apartment. Just make sure to return the key or leave it with Anne when you don't need it, - said Billy.

-I suppose you'll go talk to Anne, - said Raimon, taking the key. Billy had grown; he was now 15 centimeters taller, almost a head taller.

-I have many details to take care of. Will you continue with Armand Millester? - asked Billy.

-I have to; my boss wants to expand the distribution network across the United States. We have some experience now, and the company can expand. VHS and DVDs don't sell themselves; the movies have been selling well, especially the Toy Story ones, - said Raimon.

-We have a wedding to attend, and shortly after, you'll go on vacation. So, I just wish you good luck. You might be surprised, but I'm confident that this year, the company will boom again, - said Billy.

With the written request from the Hotmail email, plus the winnings of $2,890,000, subtracting the 25% occasional profit leaves a sum of $2,312,000 from the first bet. The second bet won $5,503,999, minus 25%, leaving a clean sum of $4,127,999, which will be invested in his new online courier company and the purchase of more properties. In Raimon's eyes, real estate was a way to invest in American mortgages, and the tax benefits were great. The mere desire to buy another building was a fact, this time in Florida, a city with great prospects.

-Another short bet, - said Raimon.

-On the contrary. With our television channel, we'll break records. Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network will most likely tremble at the quality of our programs. Plus, I've decided to play a bit more with some companies, - said Billy, with a desire. His most stable step is to create a dependency on the San Jose circuit, economically dependent on it, as Seattle's circuit does with Microsoft.

The air of confidence was so great, so sure of itself, that Raimon could only lower his head. Not even his brother would have such confidence, such strength to admit such grandiose delusions and bet on them, as Billy did, investing his money without paying attention.

-Will you continue betting? - asked Raimon.

-I will. Turns out, I have a lot of faith in my bets. We'll keep buying; now I want to buy shares in established websites. We have some money in American Online; I'll look for sites with significant growth, - said Billy.

-They have grown, I can't deny that. But some companies have had much more stable growth. But I won't get into that. You still have financial returns; the companies have provided good dividends, not as much as I expected, but enough to make more purchases. I'll add AOL, Word com, Apple, and of course, Marvel, to the purchase, - said Raimon.

-I won some bets; I have almost seven million dollars in my account. Do business, and buy as many shares as possible. I'll use 2 million to create Hotmail and buy some properties, - said Billy.

Raimon sighed. He only gave a weary nod. The risks are too great, unbearable to such a degree that rejecting ambition was great in Billy, very great, something that didn't bother him, but it needed to be tempered. The furrowed brows already elevated his fleshy features more than they should.

-I'll check as best I can, - said Raimon.

***********************************Principio del formulario

Julie sat waiting in a chair, the two men talking incessantly. It seemed to be a male prerequisite, being masters of their words; they loved to hear themselves talk, like a pleasant sound, perhaps as sweet as a woman's moan. They didn't stop until they exchanged a hearty hug, bidding farewell. Bill was tall, with a budding beard that he intended to let grow as much as possible, enough to cover his mustache, chin, and part of his cheeks.

-Sorry for the delay; we were talking business, - said Billy.

-I figured it was something like that. You guys were going on and on; my ears were itching, you know, - said Julie.

Billy ran his hand through his hair, which was almost long enough to reach below his nose. It had black tips, while the roots and other parts were blonde, giving it a distinct color, almost as if it were dyed.

-Business. He's helping me with my new house. The worst thing about leaving home is not having a place to rest your head. For now, a hotel would work for both of us, don't you think? - said Billy.

It doesn't matter, as long as you accompany me to buy dresses. I need three dresses for Fashion Week; I can't go in jeans; it'd be my death, - said Julie, from her seat.

-Of course, it would be your death. I'll take you to a good area. I could even call a friend; she's a clothing designer, and she knows much more about this than I do. Do you want a coffee? - said Billy.

-A little! I didn't sleep much last night; someone kept me entertained with a powerful discourse on being, which was very interesting, but I regret traveling so early after such a long wine celebration, -said Julie.

The dinner consisted of a simple meal accompanied by plenty of wine. Raimon, after his embarrassment, talked with Richard about science fiction cinema and prospects. He ended up leaving them aside, taking wine, until another powerful conversation about being, something Richard was again an expert in. He swiftly led a conversation into the late hours of the night.

-I have to attend to something pending; we'll fly to New York in three days. Time is my most valuable asset, - said Billy.

-Again, you speak like a proletarian. You're very young; take a moment to breathe, look at the stars, feel the sea breeze or the air touching your body, the cold, the warmth, your family's smiles... anything could be better than having a schedule, - said Julie.

-I understand, but I have my responsibilities. Have you ever been caught up in responsibilities, losing focus and only concentrating on one thing? It happens to me often. Now, your advice is very good, but I can't free myself from the responsibilities I already have, - said Billy.

Julie simply stretched, depending.

*********************************************************

San Jose was there. Home, familiar buildings, known roads; everything was as familiar as Billy loved. It was magnificent; he preferred it over the other cities he had been to. In San Jose, he felt safe. They arrived at the hotel. The first thing he thought about was the graduation van he received and how it would be downstairs at the Lux Animation lounges. Raimon gave him a ride from time to time and made sure everything was alright.

-This is the hotel we'll be staying at, - said Billy, introducing her to an old acquaintance, the Saint Clair Hotel. It was undoubtedly one of his favorites in all of San Jose.

-It's quite beautiful, - said Julie, observing the surroundings. She liked the hotel; as Billy said, it had a luxurious touch but felt homely in the middle, as ostentation took on a more traditional tour and was lost like an old mansion. Billy handed her a cell phone, which Julie picked up with a question.

-For you to call me. Incredibly, you don't have a cell phone, - said Billy.

-Well, it's not that I don't want one; it's just not necessary, - said Julie, shrugging.

-I'll leave you alone for a while; I need to attend to some tasks, - said Billy.

-You're treating me like a wife. How unfair life is! You expect me to iron your shirts, dear. I'll be waiting for you naked in bed, - said Julie, imitating the voice of an empty-headed woman.

-I'd love to have you naked in my bed when I get there, dear, - said Billy, much to Julie's surprise, who just laughed. They had been together for two days, but now they were speaking more boldly than before.

-You're very provocative. I'll go for a walk; don't wait for me, - said Julie, walking towards the hotel's recreational facilities, eager to make the most of her stay.

Billy shook his head; unlike many women, this one was independent. She hated being invited to pay; if she didn't pay next, She was ill-tempered when that principle was broken, and beyond that, she valued her decisions, she didn't like to do anything under orders, very difficult to like being engaged or married.

Billy took the first cab, without rest, he had a meeting to attend, tomorrow they would prepare again for another meeting with George Lucas, and of course, the entrance of a new entertainment director, who would be in charge of carrying out the procedures of the animated channel, the hiring conditions were clear, 3 years of experience in media, an academic degree and availability to travel. If he did not have an academic degree, he needed 10 years of experience.

...