“Jordyn.” Athena appears, filling the opening in a white sheath dress. Her long black hair, parted in the center, falls like pressed curtains on either side of a stunning face expertly made up to compliment her gleaming brown skin.
I admire the way she rocks diva-glam. I’m the opposite. My shaggy-banged pixie cut is wash-and-go, and my makeup consists of mascara and peach lip gloss. “Is this still a good time?” I ask.
“Of course,” she says, evidently impervious to her senior architect’s exit. “Talon will lick his wounds and come around…or not, that’s entirely up to him.”
She turns, and I follow her into the white monochrome office, all but skipping. She gestures to the guest chair and glides around her desk. I wait for her to sit first.
“I’m sure you can gather what this meeting is about.”
“I make no assumptions,” I say to avoid appearing cocky.
“There’s no shame in confidence, Jordyn. If that offends people, fuck them. You know you deserve this project. Own it.”
“I will. Thank you.” I let the pride show in my smile. “It’s an exceptional opportunity.”
“It is at that. But you don’t have to thank me. Brett Friar was impressed. You have vision, Jordyn—courage. You’re bold, and your ideas are unique. We caught Brett’s interest as a firm because of your work on Papa’s Kids. Landing a famous client like Mick Peters attracts other esteemed prospects. Mick sang our praises to Brett, and he wanted in on the action. So, thank you.”
“I’m glad it worked to our mutual benefit.”
“So am I.” She slides a file to me across her desk. “All the contacts on the Friar side are listed. The timelines are aggressive. Brett expects the work to start immediately.”
“Of course, I’ll assemble my team today.”
“About that…” Athena steeples her fingers. “This urban expansion plan is a major undertaking. You are my multi-residence guru, but the project also calls for significant experience in retail space design.”
I brace for it, aware of what’s about to get dumped in my lap like a load of shit.
“I’ve assigned Talon as your co-pilot.”
Yep, that’s it. No wonder he was pissed off. Not only didn’t he get the lead, he has to work for me.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Athena asks with a look that says it-better-not-be.
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m excited to put together a design that will blow Mr. Friar away.”
“That’s why I picked you.”
* * *
The rest of the day passes in a beehive of activity. Word traveled fast, thanks to Talon leaving the office in a snit. I have no respect for sore losers, but I’ll find a way to work with him for the sake of the account.
One of the things I like best is putting together a solid team of skilled individuals who have a strong work ethic and will be dedicated to carrying a project from concept to fruition. Dorian is my first pick. She’s intelligent and talented, even if her taste in men leaves a lot to be desired.
I scheduled the project kick-off meeting for tomorrow morning at nine o’clock and reached out to Talon to tell him. While waiting for his response, I text my family and friends to share the good news. Their reactions are as expected, congrats, confetti, and woot-woot emojis.
Dee adds to the running text stream in our Sisters 4 Evah group chat.
Dee: We should celebrate. Come to the condo after work. We’ll have dinner.
Me: Sounds great. 6:30 okay?
Dee: Perfect.
Me: What can I bring?
Dee: Just your project-leading self. ??
I heart the message.
