Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
I couldn’t help but laugh because I could picture it: him sitting in a swanky conference room in some Manhattan high-rise and trying to explain the layout of a vintage motor inn to a bunch of corporate types using words like thingy and whatsit.
Maybe I was naive, but the man didn’t seem like an asshole to me. As much as I wanted to hate him for being the messenger of this deal, I knew he wasn’t a complete snake. Or, if he was, he was a damned good one and deserved to win.
I set the stack of papers on the counter and slid them toward him. Our eyes met, and I could tell he was trying to decide if I was sure.
I nodded. “It’s fine,” I said softly. “Really. You may not be an architect, but you’re still a lawyer who’s worked on a lot of development deals. I’d kind of like some feedback if…” I bit my lip, trying to find the best way to articulate what I was trying to say.
“If I can pretend not to be the enemy for a few minutes?” His grin was adorable.
“Yeah.” I winked at him and stepped closer to his side, trying not to sniff the hotel soap scent on his skin. I shifted the papers around, unfolding a schematic drawing and smoothing a hand across it so it lay flat. “So there’s this motel in Utah called the Telfair,” I told him, pulling out a series of computer printouts and laying them out along the counter. “It was featured in magazines back in the sixties and had this super-cool vibe that would totally kill with the retro crowd these days. I think I can combine the vintage kitsch with a kind of mid-century mod feel to make the place fresh and new but also funky retro.”
I tried not to get too hyped up, but I could feel the excitement I always got when thinking about this. I’d researched it to death and had pages and pages of ideas and notes, but the design I’d finally settled on also felt right down to my very bones. It was one of the reasons I was trying so hard to make my dream a reality. If my family would just give me more time to get the money, I knew I could create the kind of place that would pay back the investment in spades.
James flipped through my sketches and printouts. I tried to gauge his reaction from his facial expressions, but the man was impossible to read. I couldn’t tell if the furrow between his eyebrows was concentration or consternation. Or if he held his lips so tightly pressed because he was trying to bite back criticism or because he could think of nothing good to say.
Finally he glanced up at me, his eyes intense but alight with interest. “This is amazing, Sawyer,” he said. It was the second time he’d said my name aloud that morning, and there was something about it that felt intimate. As if it somehow made the statement more real—more personal. His praise wasn’t generic, it was intentional, and it was meant specifically for me.
It was like my chest suddenly filled with helium, making me feel light enough to float away. “Thanks,” I murmured, suddenly feeling a little off-balance and hoping the heat in my cheeks wasn’t obvious.
His grin turned lopsided as he looked back down at the schematic drawing, moving closer so he could take in the detail. “This is really cool,” he said, pointing to a series of small rectangles off to the side of the main lodge. “What’s this part here?”
“Oh, that’s nothing. I just thought…” I stopped and chuckled. “It’s silly.”
His eyes met mine again. “Tell me.”
The way he said it tightened my gut. The subtle commanding tone he used, the undercurrent of power to the way he spoke—it was obvious this was a man who was used to dominating boardrooms, demanding attention and respect.
At the same time, there was something about James that was inherently calm and reassuring. I took a steady breath. “I thought we could have a small cluster of vintage caravans set back from the edge of the bluff but sort of positioned in a semicircle. Then, on the bluff itself have a campfire ring and gathering place. If we started with the caravan cluster, we could use them to keep some money coming in and stave off having to turn any of our regulars away while the major construction is underway.”
The edge of his mouth turned up. “That’s a really smart idea. I’ll bet people would love it.”
I lifted a shoulder, though inside I preened at his praise. “Yeah, and I thought after the motel itself reopens, those could be big upgraded experiences. They’re a bit like glamping, and I really think we could charge top dollar for them. Don’t you?”