Lara looked over her resume. It was impressive. “You’ve worked in the real estate development field before.”
“Yes, ma’am. But I’ve never worked for anyone like you. To tell you the truth, I’d take this job for no salary!”
Lara smiled. “That won’t be necessary. These are good references. All right, we’ll give you a try.”
“Thank you so much.” She was almost blushing.
“You’ll have to sign a form agreeing not to give any interviews or ever to discuss anything that happens at this firm. Is that agreeable?”
“Of course.”
“Kathy will show you to your desk.”
There was an eleven o’clock publicity meeting with Jerry Townsend.
“How’s your father?” Lara asked.
“He’s in Switzerland. The doctor says he may have a chance.” His voice grew husky. “If he has, it’s because of you.”
“Everyone deserves a chance, Jerry. I hope he gets well.”
“Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “I…I don’t know how to tell you how grateful I…”
Lara stood up. “I’m late for a meeting.”
And she walked out, leaving him standing there, looking after her.
The meeting was with the architects on a New Jersey development. “You’ve done a good job,” Lara said, “but I’d like some changes. I want an elliptical arcade with lobbies on three sides and marble walls. Change the roof to the shape of a copper pyramid, with a beacon to light up at night. Any problem with that?”
“I don’t see any, Miss Cameron.”
When the meeting was over, the intercom buzzed.
“Miss Cameron, Raymond Duffy, one of the construction foremen, is on the line for you. He says it’s urgent.”
Lara picked up the telephone. “Hello, Raymond.”
“We have a problem, Miss Cameron.”
“Go on.”
“They just delivered a load of cement blocks. They won’t pass inspection. There are cracks in them. I’m going to send them back, but I wanted to tell you first.”
Lara was thoughtful for a moment. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough. The point is, they don’t meet our specifications, and…”
“Can they be fixed?”
“I guess they could, but it would be expensive.”
“Fix them,” Lara said.
There was a silence at the other end of the line.
“Right. You’re the boss.”
Lara replaced the receiver. There were only two cement suppliers in the city, and it would be suicide to antagonize them.
By five o’clock Philip still had not called. Lara dialed the number at his foundation. “Philip Adler, please.”
“Mr. Adler is out of town on tour. Can I help you?”
He hadn’t mentioned that he was leaving town. “No, thank you.”
That’s that, Lara thought. For now.
The day ended with a visit from Steve Murchison. He was a huge man, built like a stack of bricks. He stormed into Lara’s office.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Murchison?” Lara asked.
“You can keep your nose out of my fucking business,” Murchison said.
Lara looked at him calmly. “What’s your problem?”
“You. I don’t like people horning in on my deals.”
“If you’re talking about Mr. Guttman…”
“You’re damn right I am.”
“…he preferred my building to yours.”
“You suckered him into it, lady. You’ve been getting in my hair long enough. I warned you once. I’m not going to warn you again. There’s not room enough for both of us in this town. I don’t know where you keep your balls, but hide ’em, because if you ever do that to me again, I’m going to cut them off.”
And he stormed out.
The dinner at her apartment that evening with Paul was strained.
“You seem preoccupied, baby,” Paul said. “Any problems?”
Lara managed a smile. “No. Everything’s fine.” Why didn’t Philip tell me he was going away?
“When does the Reno project start?”
“Howard and I are going to fly there again next week. We should be able to open in about nine months.”
“You could have a baby in nine months.”
Lara looked at him in surprise. “What?”
Paul Martin took her hand in his. “You know I’m crazy about you, Lara. You’ve changed my whole life. I wish things could have turned out differently. I would have loved for us to have had kids together.”
There was nothing Lara could say to that.