*****
Chapter 7
Nothing made me as irritable as having to wait. I’d been born impatient and it only got worse over the years. Yet there I stood, outside the HRC, with nothing to do but wait. Apparently they were delayed and our hearing would be taking place later than scheduled.
Our hearing. Hell, even thinking that pissed me off. This wasn’t
my
hearing. I wasn’t the one behind this. I didn’t even agree with it. Morgan, however, felt I needed to be here. I was the voice of the project, he’d told me. It needed to be me.
So on top of waiting, I had to hope with all I had that Lexi wasn’t the rep for the Preservation Society while I knew damn well she would be. It was going to be a shitty day. I had to stand in front of the HRC and battle the last person on earth I wanted to fight. Knowing damn well she’d be insulted that I hadn’t bothered to even tell her it was coming.
I couldn’t. I could lose my job and as Morgan had pointed out when I tried to argue my appearance at the hearing, my design. I’d signed all the papers turning over the rights. If I fucked up with the company now, they owned them and I didn’t have to get credit.
Fuck. This was a bad spot to be in. Made worse only when I saw her enter, half-smiling and talking to the woman I only knew as Patty. At least until she saw me. Her face turned white and her body froze. She hadn’t been expecting it.
Not that I had.
“Evan,” she spoke my name with a hint of anger under her breath. I watched as the bible thumping friend walked away pretending to need the restroom. “What are you doing here?”
“They sent me,” I answered as best as I could. “How are you?”
“You might know if you called me back,” she snapped a quick reply before she turned to walk away.
“Lexi,” reaching up and grabbing her shoulder, I attempted to stop her. “Can we go to lunch after this?”
“Oh,” she turned, a fake smile on her face, “you have time for me now? Well sure then Evan. I’d be thrilled to be allotted an hour of your day.”
With those words she marched off, head held high. She was more angry that I’d never answered the phone than she was that I was here. Go figure.
“Please come in,” someone had opened the door and welcomed us all into the room.
I stood on the opposite side as Lexi, both of us staring at the panel from the HRC. Listening, I heard them go over the reasons for the hearing and the fact that the motion presented would either be accepted or denied before we left.
“Mr Monroe,” the older lady turned towards me, “You are here representing GHM Design and Building, is that correct?”
“Yes ma’am,” I answered, hearing Lexi huff even above the other sounds in the room.
“Would you like to explain why you are motioning for a rushed decision from the HRC on your petition for a condo development?”
“GHP feels that it is in our best interest to have the decision made with quickness in order to be fair and impartial.”
“You feel that we cannot be fair and impartial while adhering to our typical timeline Mr. Monroe?”
“It’s not the HRC that we are concerned with,” I answered. “GHM has already proposed another build in Biltmore Village prior to this. A retail center.”
“Yes sir,” she replied. “I’m aware of that. Are you saying our decision was unfair?”
“No ma’am,” I replied. “However, during that battle we learned of the Preservation Society and their goal to keep the land intact in historical districts regardless of cost or benefit to the local community.”
“Yes,” she replied. “They do fight for their historical areas according to their mission statement. Are you saying that is unfair?”
“No ma’am,” I again spoke. “However, the Preservation Society is made up of longstanding members of the community. Most own well established businesses and know a large number of people locally.
That automatically puts them at an advantage. Given enough time, they are able to petition locally and speak with friends and well known community members. GHM is not afforded that privilege. We are a company from out of state that has only come here with the intention of building. Because of this, we are already a threat to the community in their eyes. With the involvement of the Preservation Society, we are then made to be villains. I personally have relocated to the area and would like to consider it home for the long term. But that is not true of everyone with the company.”
“So are you asking the Society to be barred from participation, as that would violate…”
“No ma’am,” I interrupted without thinking. “Pardon me for the interruption. I would never ask that. Only that the amount of time they are allowed to use their tactics to manipulate the community be limited.”
“Manipulate?” I heard Lexi cry out. “Sharing information and gather support is NOT manipulation!”
“No, but constant warfare against a company that also includes information not relevant to the situation could be considered as such. Calling in favors from friends in the community, including HRC members could be considered as such.”
“Favors from friends?” she seemed shocked by the accusation. I only hoped that she didn’t press it. “What favors Mr. Monroe?”
I wasn’t going to be so lucky.
“Having meals with HRC members to discuss their families and mutual interests. Reminding them of bonds and past relationships. Hoping to sway their vote. As was seen in the Biltmore Village case.”
I watched her mouth drop. She knew the accusation was directed at her. I hadn’t planned it. Morgan insisted.
“What are you asking for Mr. Monroe?”
“GHM seeks a decision be made in two weeks,” I answered.
“That’s a short amount of time to consider the potential of a new development in a historical district,” she replied.
“The development isn’t residential ma’am,” I replied. “It is a resort, with the intent to draw tourists and visitors to the area. Research has shown that resorts and vacation property do not adhere to the exact same guidelines as residential. There is precedence in this type of development being permitted in non-building locations and being decided upon quickly and without delay.”
“Why were we not informed this was not residential?”
“It has only been decided recently,” I was honest. “The company realized that the design created was far more suited to a resort than a permanent home. We also have decided we like the city and would like to add to its appeal and not detract from it.”
“I see,” she replied, quieting to think.
“This is bullshit!” Lexi commented loudly. “This is a game to avoid the rules.”
“A point you can make at the hearing to decide on whether or not the building should be allowed Alexis,” the lady spoke to her. “We will reconvene in two weeks to make a final decision. We ask that all parties act fairly and according to the rules laid out.”
With that the meeting was over and I was the object the worst glare I’d ever seen from her beautiful face. She hated me and yet she walked toward me.
“Favors, huh?” she snapped. “Nice one.”
“Lunch still okay?”
“Oh you bet your ass Evan Monroe. I have a few things to say to you that can’t be discussed in this atmosphere.”
“It’s a job Lexi,” I reminded her.
“And I’m a person Evan,” she commented. “A person you say you want to be with. Yet this was how your
job
played out today.”
“I’m sorry,” I confessed.
“Me too,” she replied. “Meet me at the diner by the shop.”
She turned and walked away, letting me know that we were not on good terms. Yet I stood there, still hopeful that the feelings she had for me would outweigh the anger.
“Good job Monroe,” Brad stood behind me, smirk on his face.
“Why are you here?”
“To make sure things went smoothly. That’s all. I look forward to the actual hearing.”
“I don’t,” I mumbled. “I’m going to lunch and then home. Tell Morgan I’ll be back at the office tomorrow.”
I turned and walked away, not giving him a chance to stop me. I needed to fix the situation with Lexi and that the only thing on my mind as I left the building.
*****
Chapter 8
Lexi
I sat at the diner waiting for Evan to show up and trying like hell to mellow the anger. I hadn’t been prepared at all for what he’d thrown at me with the HRC. Hell, I’d barely been prepared to be there. I certainly didn’t expect him to be.
That wasn’t even the point that pissed me off the most. We were supposed to be a couple. Yet I found out because I stood there? What if someone else had gone in my place? Would I have heard of his words through them?
I’d tried to call him several times over the past few days. I was hoping that we could get together. Spend a little while enjoying each other’s company and away from the nonsense of this condo development. But he’d never answered and hadn’t called back.
I tried not to think about any of it. The accusations of unfairness I’d caused in the last battle. The fact they’d chosen a resort instead of a condo community so that they could bypass some of the regulations. Hell, the fact that he was standing on the opposite side looking and acting as though we barely knew each other. Then wanting to have lunch.
Unfortunately his delay left too much thinking time. I was facing the Society trying to push me out over him and he didn’t afford me the courtesy of answering a call. Needless to say, by the time he arrived I was already angry.
“Sorry I’m late,” he offered with a smile that appeared genuine and hesitant all at the same time.
“It’s the least of what you’ve done to me today.”
“Lexi I didn’t ask for this,” He tried to explain but I didn’t want to hear it. “They made me go to that hearing.”
“And they forced you to say those things? Did they also take your phone and prevent you from talking to me?”
“No,” he admitted. “I didn’t want this…for us to argue.”
“Maybe talking to me could have prevented that.”
“I just want us to be okay,” he reached across and grabbed my hand and I felt a twinge of remorse for my anger. “I care about you.”
“I am facing all kinds of hell because of you,” I snapped, “and you can’t even talk to me. It hurts Evan.”
“Hell? What kinds of hell?”
“It’s nothing major,” I lied.
“Hell sounds pretty major Lex,” he wasn’t going to let me bypass this.
“Grant is pushing the situation between us,” I confessed. “I think he wants me off the committee.”
“Really?”
“Or at least out of my position. He’s really using our relationship to discredit me,” I looked down. “Today won’t help me.”
“I’m so sorry,” he squeezed my hand and I knew he meant it. “I didn’t want this to happen this way.”
“I wish I could go back and change it,” I mumbled, regretting it the moment I’d said it.
“Go back?”
“Nevermind,” I tried to blow it off, smiling at him and squeezing his hand in return.
“No,” he pulled away. “Please finish.”
“I just wish we could go back to that night and you’d have never agreed,” I told him, wishing I had kept my mouth shut.
“So your solution to this would be for me to give up my dream? To do what Lexi? Be your puppy? Follow you to meetings and fight for the same things even if I don’t agree? You’d prefer I not have the option of doing what matters the most to me?”
“That’s not what I meant. I just mean there are other opportunities. They don’t have to be this. It doesn’t have to be like this.”
“This...” he waved his arm at an invisible problem, “shouldn’t come between us. What happened at the HRC shouldn’t come between us. Not if we know our true feelings. I shouldn’t have to give up my dreams for you to know I want to be with you.”
“But your dreams are my nightmares,” I was getting angry again. “They are things that shouldn’t happen. And then you use them to hurt me further. How is that right?”
“Shouldn’t happen because you say so? That land is just land. Why not put it to use?”
“Why not leave it be Evan? What’s wrong with history? Do you not cherish your home in the city or do you just demolish anything that might prevent a fucking dollar?”
“So close your shop and let them use that for a museum or some other fucking bullshit.”
“This isn’t about my shop.”
“Of course not Lexi. It’s never about you. Only those that go against you. It’d hurt your candy shop for a retail store to be there, so you fight it. It hurts a neighborhood full of old shit to have a new place there so you fight it. Grow the hell up and realize the world changes.”