Chapter 3

I didn't get flustered.

I said, "Mr. Carter, I have three questions I'd like to clarify."

Brian leaned back in his chair.

He said, "Go ahead."

I asked, "First, when you say 'high-end,' is there a specific project you're referencing?"

Brian thought for a moment.

He said, "You know Whitehall Plaza in Keystone, right?"

I replied, "Yes. The core of Whitehall Plaza's design is all about negative space and layering materials, not just piling on decorations.

"The last two proposals you rejected were all about heavy decor, which means the direction was off from the start."

Brian's brow twitched.

I went on, "Second, what's your budget cap? Whitehall Plaza costs over 240 dollars per square foot, but Brightstone's budget is 120. If you want a 240-dollar effect on a 120-dollar budget, the design logic has to be totally different."

Brian didn't say anything.

I continued, "Third, what's the annual income range of the target customers for the sales office?"

Brian glanced at his assistant, who checked the iPad.

He said, "150,000 to 300,000 dollars."

"Then that's not Whitehall Plaza's target demographic." I walked to the whiteboard and sketched a simple diagram. "This group doesn't want something flashy and overwhelming. They want something 'respectable and relaxed.'

"That's the direction I'm taking with my proposal. If you give me ten minutes, let me finish, and then you can decide."

Brian stared at me for five seconds.

He said, "Go ahead."

Ten minutes later, Brian reopened the file he'd closed.

His assistant wasn't laughing anymore.

Brian pointed to a page.

He asked, "This curved flow in the lobby. Do you have any real-world examples of that?"

I said, "Yes. I did a commercial showroom before. I used a curved flow with lighting guidance, and it increased dwell time by forty seconds compared to a straight path. For a sales office, dwell time is exactly what you want."

Brian handed the file to his assistant.

He said, "Refine this version. I want it by Friday."

He got up and left.

He paused at the door.

He asked, "What's your name?"

I replied, "Wendy Warren."

He didn't look back and just walked out.

Sam leaned over.

He said, "Wendy, you're the first person to get Brian to sit for an extra ten minutes."

Olivia was standing at the conference room door, coffee in hand.

She said, "Not bad."

Just two words, but I knew I'd passed the first test.

*****

On Friday, Brian spent forty minutes reviewing the revised proposal and gave twelve points of feedback, but didn't overturn the main direction.

That was unheard of in Brightstone's project history.

For the next two weeks, I worked until 2 a.m. every night.

Sophie couldn't take it anymore.

She said, "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

I said, "Sophie, I don't have a way out."

She didn't say anything else.

She just poured me a cup of milk and set it on the table.

*****

On the fifteenth day, it was time for the final review of the sales office proposal.

Six people from Brightstone Group showed up. Brian was just one of them.

Sitting dead center was a man in his fifties. He was in a gray suit, wearing no watch, but everybody who entered the room checked his face first.

Brian introduced, "This is Mr. Richard Evans."

Richard Evans, Chairman of Brightstone Group.

He didn't utter a single word during the meeting.

I talked through the proposal for twenty minutes.

When I finished, Richard flipped through the materials and asked a question, "What's the lighting standard for the curved path in the lobby?"

It was rare to meet a client who knew the technical details this well.

I said, "350 lux for the main display area, 200 lux for the transition zone, and 150 lux for the negotiation space."

He said, "Compared to Whitehall Plaza?"

"Whitehall Plaza's main area is 420 lux, but their ceiling height is 17 feet. Ours is 12 feet. If we copied their lighting, it'd feel suffocating."

Richard stared at me for three seconds.

Then he said, "Approved."

Brian visibly let out a sigh of relief.

After the meeting, while I was packing up, Richard's secretary came over.

She said, "Ms. Warren, Mr. Evans would like a word with you in private."

I followed the secretary to the lounge at the end of the hallway.

Richard stood by the window, holding a document.

"Wendy Warren, twenty-seven, gold medal at the state design competition, four years of experience." He turned to me. "You used to be at a small firm in Maplewood. Why'd you come to Riverdale?"

I said, "Needed a change."

"Did someone give you trouble?"

I kept quiet.

Richard put the document down.

He said, "I looked up your competition entries. You're way above this level. Harmony Design is a step down for you."

I said, "Harmony gave me a shot."

"Brightstone can do the same. We're planning to start our own design center, and we need a lead designer. The salary is triple what you're getting now. Sleep on it."

I didn't answer right away.

I said, "My Harmony project isn't finished yet."

He said, "I know. You can join us once it's done."

He pulled out a business card and handed it to me.

He said, "Reach out anytime if you decide."

I took the card.

When I got back to the office, Olivia was waiting for me.

"Richard tried to poach you, didn't he?" she asked.

News really traveled fast around here.

"Yeah," I replied.

Olivia took off her glasses and wiped them.

She said, "Whether you go or not is up to you, but Wendy, let me remind you. There's a lot of talk about Brightstone lately."

I asked, "What kind of talk?"

"Their last round of financing is rumored to be dirty money. Industry folks are whispering. You just got to Riverdale. Don't rush to pick sides."

I kept that in mind.

Still, I didn't expect things to escalate so quickly.