Chapter 5
D ing. Ding. Ding . Charlotte groaned. Her hand shot out from under the covers to snooze her phone alarm. Madmartigan meowed his displeasure at being disturbed as Charlotte rolled over on her back, slowly blinking awake. She’d stayed up past three a.m., googling Ever Fund (their website was generic as could be but did highlight their preference to invest in small businesses) and frantically texting Melanie and then making list after list as she worked on practicable, lucrative ideas to get more people through the Lands of Legend gates: food stalls, limited merchandise ideas, ticket packages. Anything that could bring in additional revenue or trim expenses—not that Emily was transparent about operating costs. It was yet another weird way she kept vital information about the park from Charlotte.
While making lists to still her racing mind, Charlotte saw that Lands would still need an investor. She didn’t need access to a profit and loss statement that Emily wouldn’t share anyway to know they were beyond the option of stacking small revenue amounts over time to open Under the Waves. She saw the need for an influx of cash. So she focused on what she could control and that was revenue-making ideas; she could share those with her aunt and uncle so that if—more likely when—Emily and the investors brought in suggestions that didn’t hold true to the values of Lands of Legend, they would have appealing backups.
Her time as a Dream Mechanic had shown her the value of any idea, no matter the size. If it was innovative enough, guests would come to see it and pay money to do so. And while Charlotte knew it was an uphill battle with Emily, maybe it was time to bring her annual passholder idea to the table again. Emily had argued that the people who bought annual passes wouldn’t spend as much in the park when they visited because they were coming so often, and was in favor of getting as much cash from visitors as possible. But with the right plans, the passholder program would be a constant, predictable stream of repeatable revenue and who didn’t love that? Charlotte was sure Uncle Frank and Aunt Marianne had already had some of the ideas on her list, but she’d had the advantage and misfortune of seeing how DreamUs reached into the pockets of its visitors. She could employ some of the same tactics but in a more balanced way, which should be doable since Lands’s prices weren’t anywhere near as high as those in DreamUs parks.
Whatever happened, she would not let Emily and Ever Fund make Lands of Legend something it was not.
A calmer voice in Charlotte’s head told her she might be jumping to conclusions about the investor’s intentions and that maybe her parents were exaggerating, but she ignored it. She let a little anger roar through her at the thought of a bland, out-of-the-box drop ride marring the Lands of Legend landscape with some sort of Peak Fusion movie logo stuck on the side. Her brain could breathe life into a worst-case scenario with astonishing detail.
Charlotte texted Melanie.
Charlotte: Are you awake? I’m spiraling.
Melanie: You mean, am I awake after your texts kept me awake half the night? When you were also spiraling?
Melanie: (I say that with love.)
Charlotte: You could have put your phone on do not disturb.
Melanie: Please, you know I would never.
Melanie: What’s up?
Charlotte: I’m too all over the place to be rational. How do you think I should approach this? Let Emily take the lead and tell me what’s happening or???
Melanie: Uh, no. Emily is not the biggest Charlotte fan in the world and you know this.
Charlotte: You’re right.
Melanie: Talk to your aunt and uncle first, alone if you can. See how they’re feeling.
They’re probably relieved about being able to move on with the park?
Charlotte: Hmm. Maybe.
Charlotte: It’s hard to imagine.
Melanie: But you don’t know until you talk to them. So do that first.
Charlotte: Has anyone told you how wise you are?
Melanie: Not often enough.
Charlotte: Thank you, Melanie.
Melanie: You’re welcome. Keep me posted.
Charlotte put down her phone and got ready quickly. She wanted to get to Lands of Legend early enough to both soak in the park and talk to her aunt and uncle without her cousin present before the afternoon meeting. Charlotte went through her to-dos for the day as she showered:
· Check for any last-minute notes from Ride Report about my Cosmic Catastrophe Coaster article
· Feed Madmartigan
· Clean Madmartigan’s litter box
· Walk around Lands, definitely ride Fairytale Canal
· Talk to Marianne she had time.
“Well, enjoy these quiet minutes before the park opens. It’s the best.”
Charlotte couldn’t agree more. She waved goodbye and followed the path—now a sidewalk—past the small building with administrative offices. It was more like a house than an office building. Charlotte decided not to drop off her things since she didn’t want to encounter anyone else yet. She kept walking past the other operations areas dotted with various-sized buildings for employee breaks, a cafeteria, storage for costumes and seasonal decor, maintenance equipment, and more. It had been eye-opening for Charlotte back in the day to learn just how much went into making a theme park—even one of a modest size like Lands—operable.
She headed toward one of the secure pathways employees used to enter Lands from the behind-the-scenes areas and it dropped her into Fairytale Land, the park’s oldest area. Frank had purchased a total of fifty acres, but kept the park’s footprint small at first. Lands opened with Fairytale Land in 1985; back then it had a carousel (later renamed Emily’s Carousel), a miniatures ride called Fairytale Canal, and Bluewhistle Meadow. Fairytale Land soon expanded and the park grew with two additional themed areas: Forgotten Beasts and Adventurer’s Gate. Under the Waves, when it opened, would be the park’s fourth “land.”
Fairytale Land occupied a special place in Charlotte’s heart. Besides being home to Bluewhistle Meadow and the entrance to the imaginary World of Faery where she’d met Flossleaf as a kid, the park’s history sang loudly here among the smooth cobblestone passages and storybook-style exteriors. Everything here from the doors on the buildings to the rides to, yes, even the restrooms supported the land’s theme of looking beyond the surface. Magic and mystery awaited anyone who paused to take a closer look.
Blog posts and YouTube videos documented the many hidden layers and Easter eggs, but park-goers hadn’t found everything. Or if they had, they hadn’t put it on social media. Charlotte appreciated the details still tucked away from the internet: The small, hidden faery door near the gift shop that opened into a small, curved passage. The shadow of a wizard in a pointy hat and robes that flickered on the door of the hat shop a handful of times a day.
Charlotte soaked in the space, unable to resist taking photos of the sun filtering through the trees just so to wash the area in the morning’s warm yellow. Even after knowing Fairytale Land her entire life, she still got caught up in the magic, still felt transported elsewhere. And that was just from looking at open space without the hustle and bustle of employees, performers, and park guests.
She clutched her coffee mug close to her chest, closed her eyes, and leaned against the Sir Cinna-Swirls building, the delicate mix of cinnamon and pastry dough already wafting through the air. Charlotte inhaled. She still wanted to get back to DreamUs with its global footprint and ability to reach millions of guests every year, its massive workshops with Dream Mechanics imagining the most blue-sky possibilities and making them real from the simplest materials, like an actual Tony Stark in a cave with a box of scraps. No place she’d been thrummed with imagination quite like the Dream Mechanic office building. But she couldn’t deny how Lands of Legend made her feel.
“Ah, excuse me,” said a strange voice from behind. Charlotte turned around. She tried not to stare. First of all, this person’s suit and tie didn’t fit the surroundings; that happened at DreamUs because executives visited the park, but here at Lands, the executives were her uncle and aunt and they preferred flannel shirts and cardigans, respectively. Never mind that her cousin Emily did occasionally walk around the park in Louboutin boots. And also, he stood out. He was sort of beautiful. Tall, deep green eyes with light flecks of gray, blue-black wavy hair cascading to his shoulders—the hair’s messiness at odds with his neat-as-a-pin tailored suit. Those eyes. They were familiar. So was the way his hair curled around his forehead. It reminded her of someone.
Shit, how long had she been staring and not answering?
Charlotte cleared her throat. “Yes?”
“I’m looking for . . . uh”—he glanced at his phone—“Sir Cinna-Swirls.”
“You’re in luck because you’re here,” Charlotte said. “Take a deep breath and enjoy.” She mimed pulling the heavenly pastry scent into her nose and inwardly cringed. What was she doing and why was she doing it? This kind of awkwardness hadn’t shown its ugly head since she met Chad in the hallway of the Dream Mechanic offices.
That tickled something in her memory. She knew this man! Those intense eyes had flitted through her mind more than once since her trip to Orlando. “Wait, do you know Chad Sandusky?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, we went to school together. How did you know that?”
“You were with him at the opening of Cosmic Catastrophe two days ago. Gregory, right?”
Gregory appeared alarmed at her knowing his name and scanned his surroundings. “Yes?”
“I was there, too. We ran into each other before you left. Or I should say, I ran into Chad. I used to work with him and uh, date him and live with him.” That was too much information, but it was apparently a morning of Charlotte making choices.
Recognition sparked in Gregory’s green eyes. “Right? Right. So we did. I was, uh, not doing well in the heat so I was in a hurry to leave—I was there as a favor to Chad, I don’t usually choose to spend time in Florida. I thought January would be cooler. Anyway, uh, sorry I didn’t introduce myself.”
“That’s understandable, January usually is cooler,” Charlotte said. While she wondered what the favor was, she decided it didn’t matter at the moment. “Anyway, you’re here early, the park doesn’t open for five more minutes.” That gave her pause. “Actually, how are you here?”
She couldn’t believe she’d been so dazzled by this man’s emerald eyes and confused by his connection to her ex that she hadn’t realized park guests shouldn’t be past the gates yet.
“Oh, I’m here for a meeting today and I heard about these cinnamon rolls and, uh, I needed food,” he said. Why was he also being awkward? Charlotte had a hunch and, given that she’d been admiring his defined jawline while he talked, things had a high chance of continuing to be awkward.
“They are legendary cinnamon rolls; you won’t regret it. Holly, our head pastry chef for the park, does exceptional work.” Without changing the upbeat tone of her voice Charlotte said, “Are you meeting with Frank and Marianne Gates? You’re the venture capitalist, I presume?” She tried to sound casual, all the while tugging at her worn jeans and favorite oversized sweater—not exactly on the same level as his formal business attire. That business attire should have immediately clued her in to him being their investor, but in fairness, his eyes were quite distracting.
He lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “I am. Uh, yes. I’m here for Ever Fund. How do you know Frank and Marianne?”
She knew it! She stuck her hand out. “I’m their niece, Charlotte Gates.”
“The consultant. Of course, Emily mentioned you. Gregory Binns.”
Did Charlotte imagine the hint of unpleasant emphasis on the word consultant ? She wondered if Emily said less than flattering things about her, but she wouldn’t worry about it. Charlotte could make her own impression. They shook, his soft hand firmly gripping hers. No, she didn’t have a reason to think about this man’s skincare routine. Charlotte practically jerked her hand away. Real smooth, she thought.
“Yes, I’m technically the consultant.” She crossed her arms and stood taller. “I’ve been coming to this park since I was kid and worked just about everywhere in Lands in my teens before I went to college and grad school and worked in the Dream Mechanic division at DreamUs.”
Why did she feel the urge to read her entire résumé to him? She had nothing to prove to him, this man wearing a crisp suit in a theme park, just like her stupid ex. She’d just wanted a sugary pastry.
“Anyway,” Charlotte said with an edge to her voice, “I love Lands of Legend and know every inch of every land, and I feel very invested in its future—for my family’s sake,” she quickly added.
Gregory gave her an appraising look. “Is that so? Well, before meeting with them today I was planning to see as much of the park as possible—though that shouldn’t take too long.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened in protest. Shouldn’t take too long? No, Lands didn’t sprawl across a ton of space. But it wasn’t something you could see all of in less than half a day. Not if you were taking your time and appreciating it.
“Maybe you could be my guide? Give me the highlights reel. Show me what’s so special about this place,” Gregory asked.
“Umm.” Charlotte pretended to check the calendar on her phone to buy herself time to think.
This was not how Charlotte expected her morning to go. She’d wanted to stop her thoughts from darting around like bugs skating on the surface of water by taking a peaceful stroll around the park after she stuffed her face with a cinnamon roll. Then she would find Frank and Marianne and have a heart-to-heart before the meeting at one. Charlotte pushed down the desire to tell this walking suit to have a terrific time exploring on his own, but she suspected he’d take a quick circuit around the park without any rides, shows, or meandering. He wouldn’t get the real Lands of Legend experience. So why not use her powers for good? Maybe she could show him the magic of Lands, all the while reinforcing how special her aunt and uncle’s vision for the park was. She didn’t need to mention Emily’s lack of interest in that vision.
Yes, that was it! She would give the best damn tour of Lands of Legend anyone could imagine. She’d win him over before the meeting even started and they’d get off on the right foot with the venture capital firm, assuming Marianne, Frank, and Emily liked what they heard from him today. A list ran through her head:
· Show Gregory all the best parts of Lands
· Explain the park’s innovation and history
· Save the day
Easy.