Chapter 9
Mike arrived at his office before eight.
If he was going to keep his promise to his mother and spend uninterrupted time with his family when he went home for Christmas, he’d need to work fourteen-hour days until he boarded the plane Sunday morning.
He brewed himself a cup of coffee and settled behind his desk, determined to clear his inbox before the rest of the city woke up.
The first email was from the non-profit organization he’d been volunteering with to rebuild houses of worship ravaged by the Eaton fire.
They were coordinating efforts to restore a church, a synagogue, and a mosque in the hard-hit Altadena area.
Each had been central to its community for decades.
All were underinsured, and the insurance companies were slow to process the modest claims the congregations were entitled to.
Mike had never designed a house of worship before, and the work intrigued him.
Preserving the historical character of the buildings while incorporating salvaged artifacts that had survived the fire was deeply gratifying.
He enjoyed all his projects, but these, in particular, reminded him why he’d chosen this profession.
The email confirmed that renovations to the synagogue were progressing well.
With any luck, they expected to receive their certificate of occupancy by the end of January.
Mike pumped his fist in the air. This was a wonderful note to start the week. He took another sip of coffee and continued scrolling. The email from Susan Hunter had arrived after he’d left the office on Friday.
He clicked it open and drew in a sharp breath. Their designer had suggested last-minute changes to his plans. The contractor planned to begin construction on January second.
Mike’s lips pressed into a thin line. Why, he wondered yet again, do designers want to meddle with architectural drawings? Then he kept reading. Susan was pregnant.
Mike straightened in his chair. He was genuinely fond of the Hunters and knew they’d given up hope of having a child of their own.
The proposed changes suddenly made sense.
He read on. The designer recommended converting the office into a nursery and moving bathrooms to better accommodate the new use of the space.
Mike opened the plans on his laptop and studied the drawings. He paused. Then nodded. This designer was right. He clicked back to Susan’s email and reread the designer’s name: Lauren Simpson.
His initial irritation softened into respect tinged with curiosity. This wasn’t change for the sake of preference. It was thoughtful, purposeful design. The kind he admired.
Mike checked his watch. It was after eight. With any luck, Lauren Simpson would already be at her desk. He wanted to talk through the changes before revising the plans. He’d only have time to do this once, so they needed to be right the first time. He placed the call.
He wasn’t the only one who had arrived early to get ahead of a looming vacation. Lauren answered on the first ring.
“Good morning, Lauren,” Mike said. “This is Mike Miller—the architect on the Hunter remodel. I’m glad I caught you. Do you have time to go over the changes you’re requesting?”
“Mike,” she said warmly. “I’m so glad you called. Yes.” She paused. “And before we start, I want to say I know last-minute changes like these are not welcome news, and I recognize that we’re asking you to move this to the top of your list.”
Mike felt his mouth curve into a smile. She’d anticipated his reaction and addressed it head-on. He liked that. “Thank you for saying that. I’ll get this done as quickly as possible so construction isn’t delayed.”
“Thank you so much,” Lauren said, unmistakable relief in her voice.
“For what it’s worth,” Mike added, “I agree with your recommendation. Revising the plans as you suggest will make the home function far better for a new baby.”
“Thank you,” Lauren replied. “What’s involved on your end?”
“In addition to revising the floor plans, I’ll need to update fixture locations, vents, chases, and soffits, and prepare coordination notes for the plumbers.
We’ll handle it all with a plan revision.
No MEP engineer will be required. The drawings will include a note stating that plumbing routing is to be coordinated with the licensed contractor.
The plumber will design the routing, pull the permits, and work directly with the inspector. ”
“That sounds like a lot of work,” Lauren said. “I really appreciate how gracious you’re being about this.”
“Our goal is the same,” Mike replied. “We want the Hunters to have a home that works beautifully for their family.”
“Susan said you’d be great about this,” Lauren said.
“They’re wonderful clients,” Mike replied, his smile widening. “And they speak very highly of you. Susan is absolutely over the moon about your nursery plans.”
“I love hearing that,” Lauren said. After a beat, she added, “Designing that nursery has been one of my favorite projects.”
Mike found himself picturing her at her desk, surrounded by samples, thinking not just about aesthetics but about how a space would be lived in.
“As soon as I finalize the revisions, I’ll email them to you,” Mike said. “I’m leaving town for the holidays on Sunday. I know I mentioned that I wouldn’t have time for changes, but, if you can review them immediately and get back to me right away, I’ll do my best to incorporate any adjustments.”
“I’ll be working from six in the morning until midnight through Saturday,” Lauren said. “I’ll jump out of whatever I’m working on and review them right away.”
“Great,” Mike said. “Sounds like we’d both better get back to work.”
When the call ended, Mike stared at the plans on his screen for a moment longer. Somewhere between irritation and efficiency, something unexpected had shifted. He was looking forward to working with Lauren Simpson.