14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Nova
T wo weeks after I was in Sentinel, the Larue Homes team came to Savannah Lace to hear our proposal and accept it. They had signed a contract of intent with us, but after this meeting, I was hoping that we'd sign a full contract that would take us through the next three years while Sentinel Heights was being developed.
This was going to be a big project for us, and I was grateful that Nina trusted me with it. Despite the fact that Anson asked for me, if Nina didn't think I could do the job, she wouldn't have given me the opportunity.
Why Anson wanted me on his project was no surprise. He wanted revenge. He wasn't going to get it. All he would get was a damn good luxury resort in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, period.
I spoke with our head of legal and finance about Larue Homes giving me access to their budgeting system. They found it unusual, and when I expressed my discomfort with that level of responsibility, they took my username and password, setting it up for someone from the finance team to manage the budget instead, ensuring I had no access to it.
"You good with this?" Luna asked as she, Stella, and Aurora walked into my office right before the meeting. My posse!
"Yeah," I assured her.
"Nova?" Aurora leaned her ass against my desk. "You sure?"
"Yeah," I repeated, rolling my eyes. "I'm a consummate professional."
Stella scoffed. "Hey, I know how it is to work with an ex who fucked you over. So, don't tell me about professional."
I folded my arms. "The ex you're now married to?"
She chuckled. "What can I say!" She wiggled her right hand, flashing her engagement ring and wedding band.
I looked at Luna. "You'll be at the meeting, and if you see anything untoward happen, you can jump in and kick Anson's fine ass."
"He does have a fine ass." Luna winked at me. "Not sayin' you're weak, honey, just want to make sure you're not havin' any concerns."
I pursed my lips and gave them honesty. "Anson and I were a long time ago. And, you know what Maya Angelou said? When a man shows you he's an asshole, you should believe him ."
Aurora and Stella cleared their throats but didn't say anything.
"These bitches both forgave their assholes and married them," Luna teased.
"Gabriel groveled," Aurora protested.
"So did Noah," Stella remarked.
"I can promise you that Anson wouldn't know a grovel if it came and bit him in the backside. And even if he did, I don't have enough feelings for him to do anything with it." I picked up my laptop. "Now, can we end the Ya-Ya-Sisterhood session so I can set up for my meeting?"
They all high-fived me before I went into the conference room.
While I went through the presentation for a last check, I heard Anson from the lobby, talking to Nina. His voice was still the sexiest in the world. It had only gotten better with age. Now, there was a hardness to him that hadn't been there. But then we'd all grown up and become tougher. I certainly had.
Rachel, Nina's new EA, who supported all the leaders and also manned the lobby as I used to, led Anson, Bailey, Zara, and a man I hadn't met before into the large conference room.
As it was mid-morning, we had coffee service along with snacks set up on one side of the room.
Zara Seaborn was the first Larue Home employee to walk up to me. She gave me a quick hug. She was Anson's head of planning, and we'd hit it off when I was in Sentinel. A tall, graceful woman, Zara seemed competent, friendly, and straightforward. I liked her.
"I'm so excited to see your proposal," she told me.
"We can't wait to share it," I replied.
Anson nodded at me. "Hello."
"Hi," I said cheerfully. "Welcome to Savannah Lace."
Bailey was dressed as she always was; in a pencil skirt, silk blouse, high-heel pumps, and she was flashing her engagement ring for everyone to see. She was an old-school Southern Missus with one goal, to find a man with money to marry, and live happily ever after.
Women like Bailey didn't get jobs. But Maureen had told me that her father had lost the family money, and I knew Anson wasn't big on entitlement. I'd bet my condo he'd insisted she work, and then gave her a job that probably paid her more than she was worth.
From Savannah Lace, I'd invited Nina, Luna, as well as Stella, who was our head of landscaping, who would have a major role to play in the development of Sentinel Heights.
Nina and I had discussed at length who would be best suited to take over as the lead architect, and we'd decided to bring in a new hire who'd be joining us in a few weeks. Our new hire had experience with luxury enclaves from Palm Springs in California, and was moving to Savannah with her fiancé. Nina and the rest of her leadership team had interviewed her over Zoom, and were very impressed.
Until she started, Luna would fill in as lead architect.
Since Sentinel Heights was my project, I had poured over everything a hundred times. I wanted to show my colleagues that I could do this well, and I wanted to show Anson that he could go fuck himself.
Introductions were made, and I learned that the man from Larue Homes who I hadn't met before was their Vice President of New Development. He had recently been hired.
Diego Perez was as tall as Anson, so give or take six feet two, but unlike Anson, who was stoney-faced, Diego was a charmer. He immediately put all of us at ease.
Bailey was sulking, trying to get Anson's attention, who was being solicitous to her, stabbing my heart with neon green knives.
I took a deep breath, straightened my notes, and began. "Good morning. I'm excited to present the proposal for Sentinel Heights, a development that, we believe, will redefine luxury living in this region."
I clicked through the slides detailing the innovative design elements, sustainable practices, and community-focused amenities we recommended. Each element was backed with meticulously gathered data and striking visualizations. Diego nodded in approval, and Zara's eyes lit up with interest.
"The design integrates seamlessly with Sentinel's natural landscape, enhancing the town's beauty, while providing upscale living spaces," I continued. "The use of green technologies and materials will not only minimize environmental impact, but also appeal to the growing market of eco-conscious buyers."
I glanced at Anson, trying to gauge his reaction, but he wore a mask of stoicism. Bailey sat beside him and was pleased with Anson's lack of response, her smirk growing wider.
"Additionally," I pressed on, "the amenities we've included in the proposal—such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, a community garden, and an infinity pool with breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains—are designed to attract a diverse range of residents from young professionals to retirees seeking luxury and tranquility."
It took me nearly forty-five minutes to go through my slides. We'd decided that everyone would hold their questions until after the presentation.
Finally, I wrapped up, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "In summary, we want to help brand Sentinel Heights as the new standard for luxury living, combining elegance, sustainability, and community spirit. And now, we're open to your questions."
The room was silent for a moment. Anson leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Thank you, Nova," he said, his tone neutral. "How do you plan to ensure these sustainable features remain cost-effective over time?"
I had anticipated this question. "We've conducted an extensive cost-benefit analysis," I replied smoothly, pulling up a backup slide. "The green technologies we recommend have higher upfront costs but offer significant savings in energy and maintenance over the long term. Moreover, they increase property value and consumer appeal."
Diego smiled broadly. "I have to say, this is impressive. The attention to detail and the forward-thinking approach are exactly what we need."
Zara nodded in agreement. "I concur. The integration with the natural landscape, and the focus on sustainability is particularly compelling. This proposal has great potential, Nova."
Bailey's smirk faded, and she shot a glance at Anson. He remained silent, his expression unreadable, but I could sense the wheels turning in his mind. Nina looked at him speculatively. "You seem to have concerns, Anson."
He nodded. "I think it's too ambitious. Maybe," he paused to look at me with cold eyes, "your project manager is too inexperienced to understand that what she wants to achieve may not be feasible within the timeline we have set."
My ears buzzed with the words "too inexperienced."
Luna was about to speak but I cut in, "Let's walk through the project plan again, Mr. Larue." I brought back the slide in question and painstakingly went through every detail, using projects we'd done before as examples to show why we believed the timeline would work.
Once I was done, I looked at him, not letting him see my irritation, my hurt. I knew this was a damn good proposal. But I kept my face blank, my demeanor patient. "Have I assuaged your concerns, Mr. Larue?"
"I don't think this is a viable project plan," Bailey quipped before Anson could speak.
"Why?" Diego asked her. His tone was pleasant enough, but there was an undertone of annoyance.
"Ah…." Bailey looked at Anson for help, but he was focused on the screen. "Ah…like Anson said. It's too ambitious."
"But which part of the project plan do you take issue with?" Diego pressed her.
She straightened, and her chin jutted out. "I think Anson is right about Nova being inexperienced. What I don't understand is, Diego, how you're so impressed with your vast experience?"
It wasn't entirely professional for the Larue Homes team to get into an argument in front of us. But maybe this was how poorly they conducted business, I thought smugly.
"That doesn't answer the question," Zara piped in, her irritation obvious. She turned to me and smiled. "Could we have the room so we can discuss the project plan and details?"
I nodded. "Yes, of course."
Nina looked at her watch. "Let's meet in thirty minutes."
Everyone from Savannah Lace filed out. I was at the door when I heard Diego say, "Please stay, Nova. I think it'll be good for you to hear our discussions as the project manager."
I only smiled at him, and took a seat to his right. Zara was on his left. Anson was across the table with Bailey, who was now across from me. She looked terrified—aware that she'd spoken up when she shouldn't have, said something she didn't understand.
Anson steepled his hands, and then turned to focus on his fiancée. "Well, Bailey, you said you have concerns. Explain."
I hadn't expected that. I wondered if he was screwing with her at my expense and me at hers. Asshole!
Bailey licked her lips. "I was only supporting you, Anson."
"I was specifically concerned about the landscaping timeline. How about you?"
"Same," she blurted out. No one believed her.
He nodded thoughtfully and turned to Diego and Zara. "Any concerns on your end?"
"Not at this initial stage," Diego replied.
Zara nodded in agreement. "But as we dig deeper, we'll need to have more discussions."
We talked for a while longer, and I answered all the questions Anson had to the best of my abilities.
When the Savannah Lace team came back, Bailey sat quietly. I felt sorry for her. This wasn't high school. You couldn't use your celebrity status to throw your weight around. A seat at the table came with responsibility. She'd lost that seat by baring her soft underbelly, and showing everyone how unsuited she was to run a project like Sentinel Heights.
"Thank you for giving us the time," Anson addressed the group. He stood up, and tucked his hands in his pockets. "Let me start by saying that I'm impressed with what Savannah Lace has achieved in such a short period."
Nina folded her arms. She didn't like that he didn't give the compliment directly to me. "Nova has put a tremendous amount of work into this proposal." She spoke pleasantly enough, but there was an undertone of badass that you had to know her to recognize. "I believe it's exactly what Sentinel Heights needs to stand out in the market."
Luna chimed in, "The architectural elements alone set this project apart. It's innovative yet respects the natural beauty of Sentinel. Nova scoured through scores of plans from around the world for enclaves such as Sentinel Heights, and has added innovative elements to—"
"The team worked on this proposal," I cut Luna off. I didn't do this alone. She helped me. Aurora helped me. Stella helped me. Ginny, our head of construction, helped me. "We're very glad that you think it's passable."
"Not passable. Impressive." Diego looked from Anson to me, wondering, I'm sure, what the heck was going on.
When the meeting finally concluded, Anson stood up, his gaze locking onto mine. "Thank you for your presentation. Please email everything to my team and me. We'll get back to you shortly."
Diego gave me a thumbs-up, and Zara gave me a warm hug before leaving the conference room. Even Bailey seemed less self-satisfied as she followed her colleagues.
Anson was impassive. I couldn't read his thoughts, but I knew I had made an impact. Whether he showed it or not, my proposal had knocked his socks off. I was confident of that.