“Or it looks amateur.”
“To whom? Corporate boards that want everything sterile and safe?” I’m on my feet now, moving around the desk before I can stop myself. “That’s not the audience. The audience is people who want their hotel to feel like a home, not a showroom.”
I’m standing beside him now, close enough to smell his cologne. I point to the screen, trying to focus on the work instead of his proximity.
“Look at this homepage. Without the illustrations, it’s beautiful but cold. With them, it tells a story. It invites people in.”
He’s silent, studying the design. Or maybe studying me. I can’t tell.
“You feel strongly about this.”
“I feel strongly about doing good work.”
He turns slightly, and suddenly we’re too close. His knee brushes my hip. I can see the faint stubble along his jaw, the thin scar near his temple I hadn’t noticed before.
The air between us thickens.
“Good work,” he says quietly, “means meeting client expectations. Not indulging personal creative vision.”
“Client expectations are why everything looks the same. Safe. Boring. Forgettable.”
“And your solution is to ignore the brief?”
“My solution is to exceed it.”
We’re staring at each other now, the argument shifting into something hot. I should stop challenging my boss, but I don’t move.
Neither does he.
“You’re stubborn,” he says, voice low.
“You’re controlling.”
“It’s my company.”
“It’s my design.”
His mouth twitches. It's almost a smile, but it isn't. “You do realize I could fire you for insubordination.”
“You could. But you won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m right. And you know it.”
The silence stretches. His gaze drops briefly to my mouth before snapping back up.
He stands abruptly, putting distance between us. The loss of proximity feels like cold water.
“Implement the changes I suggested,” he says, his back to me. “I want a revised version by the end of the day.”
“No.”
He turns, slowly. “Excuse me?”
“I’ll refine the execution and polish the details, but I’m not removing the elements that make this design work. If you want safe and boring, hire someone else.”
The muscle in his jaw ticks. “Don’t take criticism personally, Ms. Rodgers.”
