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“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Might I remind you that we work together, Anderson.”
“Never said we didn’t.”
A throat clearing over by the lobby doors made us both glance over. Blood rushed to my cheeks. Rex watched us with raised brows, calculations happening behind his eyes.
“Huh,” he said.
“What’s next on the list?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“As I was about to mention,” Rex started, “the fire suppression system has been tested and maintained. We’ll have to go around and make sure the fire extinguishers are up to date and make note of the ones that need to be replaced. Smoke detectors are due to be replaced this year, so I’ll recommend you do it ahead of the gala, and I can see at least one emergency exit sign that isn’t lighting up properly. You guys ready to keep going?”
“Lead the way,” I said, painting a smile on my face, and pointedly ignoring the man beside me even though I could feel his gaze on my skin like a physical touch.
By the time we went through the building, there was a moderate list of non-compliant items that would need to be fixed ahead of the gala, but it all seemed manageable. With a few taps of his tablet, Rex sent the report to both of us and wished us a good day.
Halfway to the door, he turned around. “I expect you to grab a drink with me, Bastian. How’s your week looking?”
Anderson’s gaze slid over to me. “Difficult.”
Rex laughed. “Right. I’ll call you! I’ve got your number now, so there won’t be any more disappearing acts.” The lobby doors closed gently behind him, and I took a deep, calming breath before turning to the man at my left.
Lifting my eyes to meet his, I said, “We need to talk.”
“The four words every man most loves to hear.”
“I don’t think I need to remind you that a lot is riding on us getting this place ready for the Wine Festival Gala. And it’s not just about the vote. My town—and my job—is on the line, as is your ability to do anything with the properties you own. It’s in both our best interests to figure out how to build a decent working relationship.”
There. Nice and professional.
“What if I don’t want a decent working relationship? What if I like when you get all snippy with me? Did you know that when you get angry, the tips of your ears turn red?”
I resisted the urge to shift my hair to cover the traitorous body part, widening my stance instead. “You keep needling me like it’ll make me break. It won’t. I’m going to save this place, and there’s nothing you can do that will change my mind.”
His gaze flicked between my eyes until there was a slight softening of his features. “I guess you should know that I have no intention of changing my mind either. For every old building that poses a health or fire risk, I’ll fight to replace it with something new. And my pockets are deep, sweetheart.”
“What’s with the obsession with newness? Don’t you appreciate history at all?”
“Not when it puts people’s lives at risk.”
“Did you listen to anything Rex said? We only have minor updates to make to this place before the gala. Most of our work will be cosmetic. It is safe.”
“Safe enough to last the month, I guess, which will have to be good enough.”
Gritting my teeth, I pulled my notes out of my bag. Professional. I’d be professional, do my job, and everything would turn out fine. This place was worth saving. “I have some ideas I’d like to go over with you. We need to hit the ground running. We don’t have much time.”
“What if I want to drag my feet? If you get this place looking amazing, it’ll be that much easier for people to see the ‘potential.’” He put the last word in finger quotes, as if it were a ridiculous concept.
“But if you don’t help, there’s no way Mayor Greene will greenlight the rest of your projects. Ergo, you need this, and you need me.”
He huffed, then jerked his chin at my notes. “Show me what you got, Reeves.”
I gave him a smile full of teeth, then looked around for somewhere to sit. He followed me to the grand staircase on the left side of the room, and we took a seat near the bottom. I flipped open my portfolio and passed him the draft scope of works I’d started working on the night before.
“I think the marquee is an important feature. It’s the first thing people will see when they come in. We can even consider selling a line or two of it as advertising space for extra funds. I know at least half a dozen wineries in the area that will pay good money to have their name up there for the gala.”
Dark eyebrows twitched upward. “Maybe you’ve got an ounce of business sense, after all.”
