Page 33 of Best Laid Plans

Zara nodded in agreement. "I concur. The integration with the natural landscape, and the focus on sustainability is particularly compelling. This proposal has great potential, Nova."

Bailey's smirk faded, and she shot a glance at Anson. He remained silent, his expression unreadable, but I could sense the wheels turning in his mind. Nina looked at him speculatively. "You seem to have concerns, Anson."

He nodded. "I think it's too ambitious. Maybe," he paused to look at me with cold eyes, "your project manager is too inexperienced to understand that what she wants to achieve may not be feasible within the timeline we have set."

My ears buzzed with the words "too inexperienced."

Luna was about to speak but I cut in, "Let's walk through the project plan again, Mr. Larue." I brought back the slide in question and painstakingly went through every detail, using projects we'd done before as examples to show why we believed the timeline would work.

Once I was done, I looked at him, not letting him see my irritation, my hurt. I knew this was a damn good proposal. But I kept my face blank, my demeanor patient. "Have I assuaged your concerns, Mr. Larue?"

"I don't think this is a viable project plan," Bailey quipped before Anson could speak.

"Why?" Diego asked her. His tone was pleasant enough, but there was an undertone of annoyance.

"Ah…." Bailey looked at Anson for help, but he was focused on the screen. "Ah…like Anson said. It's too ambitious."

"But which part of the project plan do you take issue with?" Diego pressed her.

She straightened, and her chin jutted out. "I think Anson is right about Nova being inexperienced. What I don't understand is, Diego, how you're so impressed with your vast experience?"

It wasn't entirely professional for the Larue Homes team to get into an argument in front of us. But maybe this was how poorly they conducted business, I thought smugly.

"That doesn't answer the question," Zara piped in, her irritation obvious. She turned to me and smiled. "Could we have the room so we can discuss the project plan and details?"

I nodded. "Yes, of course."

Nina looked at her watch. "Let's meet in thirty minutes."

Everyone from Savannah Lace filed out. I was at the door when I heard Diego say, "Please stay, Nova. I think it'll be good for you to hear our discussions as the project manager."

I only smiled at him, and took a seat to his right. Zara was on his left. Anson was across the table with Bailey, who was now across from me. She looked terrified—aware that she'd spoken up when she shouldn't have, said something she didn't understand.

Anson steepled his hands, and then turned to focus on his fiancée. "Well, Bailey, you said you have concerns. Explain."

I hadn't expected that. I wondered if he was screwing with her at my expense and me at hers. Asshole!

Bailey licked her lips. "I was only supporting you, Anson."

"I was specifically concerned about the landscaping timeline. How about you?"

"Same," she blurted out. No one believed her.

He nodded thoughtfully and turned to Diego and Zara. "Any concerns on your end?"

"Not at this initial stage," Diego replied.

Zara nodded in agreement. "But as we dig deeper, we'll need to have more discussions."

We talked for a while longer, and I answered all the questions Anson had to the best of my abilities.

When the Savannah Lace team came back, Bailey sat quietly. I felt sorry for her. This wasn't high school. You couldn't use your celebrity status to throw your weight around. A seat at the table came with responsibility. She'd lost that seat by baring her soft underbelly, and showing everyone how unsuited she was to run a project like Sentinel Heights.

"Thank you for giving us the time," Anson addressed the group. He stood up, and tucked his hands in his pockets. "Let me start by saying that I'm impressed with what Savannah Lace has achieved in such a short period."

Nina folded her arms. She didn't like that he didn't give the compliment directly to me. "Nova has put a tremendous amount of work into this proposal." She spoke pleasantly enough, but there was an undertone of badass that you had to know her to recognize. "I believe it's exactly what Sentinel Heights needs to stand out in the market."

Luna chimed in, "The architectural elements alone set this project apart. It's innovative yet respects the natural beauty of Sentinel. Nova scoured through scores of plans from around the world for enclaves such as Sentinel Heights, and has added innovative elements to—"

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