Rory (Hope City #7) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,15

eight floors of offices was a dream come true.

The building exterior was complete as was much of each individual floor. The tile was laid, the outer walls and windows finished, plumbing and electricity installed. The designer for the condos was working to have them built to order for clients who had already bought and others built as models for future owners. Sandy was having to do the same with the floors for offices.

Looking at Todd and Barbara, she grinned. “Ready?”

“Absolutely,” Todd said. “I’d do a happy dance right here on the sidewalk if I didn’t think I might get arrested.”

Laughing, they pushed through the thick glass doors and entered the opulent lobby. The first floor was only partially finished at this time. When she’d interviewed for the office design account, she’d met with the elder Mr. Albert Partridge and his son, Anthony, at their headquarters. Now, the building was only open for those who needed to gain entrance, and the massive lobby was empty except for a receptionist.

Sandy’s heels clicked and echoed across the marble tile as they approached the polished wood and brass reception desk. An attractive brunette with a pin attached to her lapel declaring her name to be Heather smiled as she greeted the three.

“Good morning. Welcome to Partridge Tower. How may I help you?”

“Good morning. I’m Ms. Carmichael from Carmichael Designs, and these are my associates, Mr. Patterson and Ms. Scales. We have an appointment with Anthony Partridge.”

“Yes, Ms. Carmichael. He’s expecting you. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to his working conference room, and he’ll be along in just a few minutes. He was called up to one of the floors but directed me to make sure you have everything you need.”

They followed Heather into a large, well-appointed room, obviously a transitional office space. After accepting bottles of sparkling water from Heather, they pulled out drawings and sketches, placing them on the large table in the middle of the room. Barbara worked quickly, while Todd preferred to make sure each sketch was presented in the order he wanted. Sandy smiled, admiring the way the two of them had quickly acclimated to each other.

Just as they finished, Anthony Partridge walked into the room. Tall and fit, his light brown hair was neatly trimmed, swept to the side. Knowing the type of men’s salon he probably patronized, he would have paid more for his one haircut than most men do in an entire year—or several years. His nails were buffed, as shiny as his shoes. And his navy suit was expensive. She recognized the cut and style, and once again knew no expense was spared in his appearance.

Anthony walked directly to her, his arms extended as he bent as though to kiss her cheek. Not her preferred method for being greeted on a professional level, but Anthony’s parents had socialized with her father at one time, obviously giving him the idea that a friendly greeting was acceptable. Stepping back, she smiled politely and stuck her hand out, catching him in the stomach as he bent forward. Jumping slightly, he clasped her hand in both of his, holding it longer than was considered polite. Pulling it back, she swung her hand out to introduce Todd and Barbara. He turned and greeted the others with enthusiasm, never seeming to realize his faux pas.

After introductions and greetings were over, he moved to the table to look at their sketches. She had given Todd more responsibility and allowed him to make the presentation of their designs as she narrated.

“Let’s start with the first floor since you have three companies with signed contracts. Working with the parameters you have designated for the entire building, we have created functional yet modern lines and spaces. We will, of course, contact each of the three businesses to determine their needs and specific requirements such as the number of offices, workrooms, and conference rooms. Todd and I will be in charge, plus I have another designer that will assist with this project as well as the other projects we have. Barbara will be in charge of the decorating, coordinating directly with the occupants of the offices.

“For the second through eighth floors, you only have those partially pre-rented or finished, and again, we have preliminary drawings for those. We will follow the same regimen for each of them as we do on the first floor.”

Anthony walked around the room, his hands clasped behind his back, carefully perusing the drawings. After he made the full sweep, he