Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87601 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
She’s still at the top of her game, a fact proven by the gourmet Italian sub from my favorite Manhattan deli waiting for me on the leather seat inside.
The traffic out of LaGuardia Airport in Queens is typically awful, so I raise the privacy screen in the town car between Smith and myself and tap Betsy’s contact button.
“Welcome to New York, Mr. Gabaldon,” she answers in her hint of a Southern drawl. “Hope you had a smooth flight.”
“It was perfect, and this sandwich is even better. Thank you so much. And won’t you please think about calling me Gideon?”
“I’d rather not, sir,” she says cheerfully. “My mama and daddy would whip my backside if they knew I was disrespecting my boss like that. Just wasn’t raised to first name the people I work for.”
“All right. But if you ever decide you’re ready to ease up on the formality, know that I’m on board.”
“Thank you so much, sir, I’ll keep that in mind. Would you like your briefing on company matters now or tomorrow morning, before your breakfast meeting with Mr. McMillan?”
“Now would be great,” I say, glancing out the window at the veritable parking lot on the freeway. “Traffic is bad. I have plenty of time.”
“Perfect, sir,” she says, before proceeding to fill me in on a couple permitting issues that could use some massaging with my contacts at city hall and minor HR issues that seem to be well in hand.
“I’ll reach out to my city hall contacts on Monday, before my flight in the afternoon,” I say. “Anything else?”
“Yes, actually,” she says. “Mr. McMillan plans to give you a comprehensive overview of the situation tomorrow, but I know you don’t like surprises. Especially bad ones, so I thought I should give you a heads-up. It’s about the Coney Island project.”
I sigh. This project has been one headache after another—from permit issues to zoning confusion to doing battle with the district over an additional parking structure for the office building we’re transforming into full-time living spaces—but I keep reminding myself that it will be worth it in the end.
New York has had an affordable housing crisis for years. These units will help with that, while creating an eco-friendly building that won’t add to pollution or the city’s carbon footprint. The grocery store on the ground floor will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to an area that’s on the verge of becoming a food desert and a childcare center will make things easy for commuting parents.
It’s going to be a great win for this community…if we can ever get it finished.
“The contractor is still pushing back on leaving the two lowest levels empty,” Betsy says. “He thinks at least part of the parking could be shifted there, freeing up the money he needs to update the windows in all the units.”
“I’m assuming Mitch and the team managing the project reminded him that storm surges happen all the time down there these days?”
“Yes, Mr. McMillan did,” Betsy says, “but the contractor says it’s the only way for him to stay on budget. He mentioned that any resident cars parked down there would be insured, so he didn’t think it would be a big deal if there were a surge and people had to file a claim or two.”
“A claim or two?” I echo with a humorless laugh. “Last time the building flooded, there was water up to the ceiling on the first floor. That’s why we’re using polished concrete in the retail spaces, to make cleaning up after another event quick and painless. If there were cars parked in the subterranean areas, every one of them would have been totaled.”
“I know,” Betsy says. “And insurance companies never pay what a car is really worth. It’s a bad idea, but he’s threatening to quit over it and we’re already over budget and behind on this project without needing to find another contractor. Mr. McMillan thinks he can make him see reason when he visits the site on Wednesday, but this might need the Gabaldon touch.”
I smile. “Are you calling Mitch a hard-ass?”
“Of course not, sir,” she says. “I have the greatest respect for Mr. McMillan’s talents, but he’s loud and looks angry, even when he’s not. You, on the other hand, look calm, even when you’re not.”
“Are you calling me boring, Betsy?” I tease, surprised when she says, “A little bit, sir. I mean, you do live in Vermont. But you’re boring in a good way, in a way that could help smooth this situation over without changes to the plans or the contractor.”
I hum beneath my breath, mentally flipping through my calendar. “All right. Pencil me in for the meeting on Wednesday, and I’ll look into changing my return flight. I don’t think there’s anything going on at the Burlington office that can’t wait until the following week.”