Chapter 20
F rustrations stacked up as the days passed. The meeting about Peak Fusion was tense, with Emily’s decision to include Ian via video making it worse. Gregory could be surly and hard to read, but Ian acted like the heartless Scrooge Charlotte had first imagined Gregory would be. Even through a computer screen Charlotte could see how much Ian’s and Gregory’s features looked alike, but Ian’s eyes were a lighter green, his hair pale brown, short, and carefully spiked. He wore a suit so fancy Charlotte couldn’t tell the brand, and she could see how Gregory’s appearance was a shadow of Ian’s. Except for Gregory’s long hair. Ian was brusque and haughty and, like Gregory had mentioned, motivated by dollar signs. Charlotte could see why Emily went to him about Peak Fusion and why they got along so well. But Emily and Ian didn’t walk away from the meeting with a yes or a no from everyone else.
Peak Fusion waived licensing fees for five years following the opening of the land and agreed to pay for ninety percent of the construction fees associated with their area of Lands of Legend. However, their proposal stretched beyond a small corner off Under the Waves as Emily had mentioned. They wanted a few acres to build a whole Heroic Patrol Land and make it a hub for the franchise, stretching the lone, nebulous connection of the mermaid character to the Lands of Legend theming. The projections were robust, and to Charlotte’s eyes, only somewhat inflated. This would be the first presence for Heroic Patrol in a park, and people would come to see it. Charlotte had no doubt about that. Peak Fusion’s argument was that the bigger the land, the more irresistible it would be to fans.
Moving ahead with Peak Fusion would, Charlotte was loath to admit, mean a more secure future for Lands of Legend, a level above the boost from Ever Fund to get Under the Waves open. She could see that fact was tearing Frank and Marianne in two, even after Charlotte put together a small report that collected information about settled lawsuits for factory mishaps, articles about harassment on the Heroic Patrol sets, and reports about sexism in the story and art departments on recent tie-in video games. It painted an ugly, questionable picture, but Ian emphasized that it was all alleged .
Peak Fusion wanted an answer soon, and since they couldn’t come to an agreement this time, they decided to reconvene. And in the meantime, there was the usual list: Negotiating with every vendor about errors and shortages. Figuring out the merchandise delays. It was too much. And this latest email, one more goddamn permit quibble from the city, this one over a water quality report. The most mundane necessities went into making a theme park function, and those mundane items could impact their set opening date. And Under the Waves had to open on time; Ever Fund required it as part of their deal. Under the Waves opening as planned wouldn’t stop Peak Fusion, that would all be an added bonus according to Emily, but getting the new land finished would mean satisfying Ever Fund and making money.
Plus Charlotte needed Under the Waves to open so she could move on. The beginning of March was here, and she expected to hear back about her application for Dreamland Paris any day now.
Charlotte stood up, slammed her laptop shut, then closed her eyes and inhaled a breath the size of the ocean and forced it out with a prolonged whoosh. She knew every business in the history of always faced setbacks and that the businesses that lasted overcame them, but it was hard to see the other side when the setbacks piled into an avalanche.
Gregory walked around the conference room table where they’d been working together and put his hand on Charlotte’s arm. That small reassurance comforted her more than she imagined it would, which led to her imagining sinking against his tall frame for a hug. But that would cross a professional line and Charlotte wasn’t sure if their affectionate friendship was on an “offering long hugs in times of crisis” level yet.
“I know this is a lot, Charlotte, but it’s going to work out. Everything will come together; we’ll make sure of it,” Gregory said in a voice that walked the line between gentle and firm. “I’ll call in some help from Ever Fund and between that and Emily, we’ll cross every ‘t’ the city and the contractors give us. It only takes time.”
He was right. Separate, they were competent businesspeople who got things done; it’s how Lands of Legend had come so far with Under the Waves and other plans to boost attendance in such a short amount of time. Together? They were damn near an unstoppable force, her theme park knowledge and his finance and business expertise overwhelming each of the many obstacles in their path. Even when they argued or Charlotte overexplained some nuance of theme park operations, they presented a united front to others.
But Charlotte was tired. And cranky. And one hundred percent overworked. They both were.
An idea struck her. “We need a break, Gregory. It’s time for that full day off—kind of—and I have just the place.”
“Do not say Sir Cinna-Swirls,” he deadpanned.
“No, I have somewhere else in mind. It’s time for that research trip I’ve been threatening. You up for an adventure?”
“Why do I feel like this will not be a relaxing break?”
Charlotte imagined a mischievous glint to her eyes as she grinned and rubbed her hands together. This would either be incredible or backfire in spectacular fashion. “Sure it will. A relaxing break during which you will take over twenty thousand steps in a day. Let me see what I can arrange.”
Charlotte sent an email to Aparna, her former boss Jeni’s executive assistant. Aparna had always been kind to Charlotte—they’d vented to each other about Jeni a lot over the years—and Charlotte knew Aparna would help her pull off a last-minute Dreamland trip. An escape.