Page 4 of The Story of Us
Sawyer O’Dell stood at thehead of the conference room in Ridley Property Development’s modern downtown high-rise in Portland, Oregon, and advanced his PowerPoint presentation to the final slide. An animated rendering of his design spun across twin flat-screen televisions, showing every detail of his plans for the Waterford business district.
Correction—hiscurrentplans. This elaborate architectural plan was technically a re-design, his second attempt to please the higher-ups at Ridley. Which was probably why he was sweating beneath his pressed button-down shirt and tailored dress slacks, although from the pleased expression of the woman sitting at the head of the table, he didn’t have much to worry about. All the late nights bent over his graphics tablet, sketching until his hand ached, had been worth it.
He was nailing this!
“So, as you can see, we will turn the Waterford business district into a mixed-use space, which will drive revenue for the entire town.” Sawyer paused, giving his client a chance to take everything in as the animated slide slowed to a stop.
He glanced down at the architectural model in the center of the conference table while he waited. The miniature building had taken him weeks to get just right. All the effort had been worthwhile, though. It was a perfect replica of his design, from the multiple floors of industrial-style loft apartments that topped the structure all the way down to the retail space at the street level. He’d even managed to find tiny trees that looked almost exactly like the hemlocks and Douglas firs that lined the streets in Waterford.
That particular detail had been important to Sawyer. Over a decade had passed since he’d set foot in his hometown, but he remembered it as clearly as if it had been yesterday—soft, damp earth beneath his feet, the cool, and fresh scent of pine needles and trees so lush and green that he’d never seen anything like them, before or since.
He remembered more, too. He remembered how quaint and cozy the old houses in Waterford felt, tucked beneath the shadow of one of the most ancient cedar forests in the Pacific Northwest. He remembered learning to toss pizza dough high in the air at his first summer job. He remembered Sundae Madness at his favorite ice cream stand by the lake.
He remembered sharing those sundaes with Jamie Vaughn. She’d been his high school sweetheart, his very first love.
Since his underwhelming breakup with Sarah a few months ago, he’d even wondered if Jamie might have been hisonlylove. But he’d chalked that thought up to the simple fact that he’d been neck-deep in Waterford nostalgia lately. It was normal to feel a bit sentimental while working on a project for his hometown, right?
“I like the adjustment,” Dana Sutton, Vice President of Ridley Property Development, said with a nod, dragging Sawyer’s thoughts back to the present—back where he was supposed to be. Where hewantedto be. “I think the Waterford Council will, too.”
He breathed a triumphant sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Dana angled her head toward him, the blunt edge of her smooth blond bob skimming the collar of her white power suit. “Sawyer, how many projects have you done for Ridley? Five?”
He gestured toward his PowerPoint presentation. “If you pick this one, seven.”
She nodded. “Seven. Impressive. I’m going to let you in on a little secret.” Dana stood, striding past the conference room windows and their sweeping views of Portland down below. Sawyer followed her, because he supposed it was the right thing to do.
“The Waterford Project isn’t secured yet,” she said without bothering to turn around, as she clearly knew he’d be right on her heels. “It will be. Which is where you come in.”
Dana slowed down enough for him to fully catch up.
“Me?” He started to feel uncomfortably warm again. He’d done his part—morethan his part, technically. This was the second full set of designs he’d come up with.
“You’re from Waterford,” Dana said. “A point you made in your initial presentation.”
Behind her, the Willamette River glittered jade green as it snaked its way through downtown Portland. Sawyer could see the snow-capped peak of Mount Hood in the distance, looming over the city he hoped would soon become his permanent home.
He wasn’t a kid anymore—he’d just turned thirty-five. He’d had enough of crisscrossing his way all over the country. He wanted a home. Alife. If he could just get a permanent position at Ridley rather than continuing on as a freelance architect, he might be able to make that happen.
“I am…” He nodded, wondering where this conversation could possibly be headed. So far, it didn’t yet sound like the permanent job offer he wanted.
“That’s going to help us when it comes to persuading the community.” She beamed at him as if he was the answer to all of her problems.
She wasn’t actually suggesting that hegoto Waterford, was she?
Sawyer shook his head. “Hold on, Dana. I haven’t been back in a very long time. And besides, I’m just the architect.”
“But you could be more,” Dana said. Yep, she was definitely suggesting a trip back home. Her enthusiasm almost made Sawyer wonder if she had a suitcase already packed for him, ready to go. “Here’s your opportunity. The Waterford Council wants us to present our designs in a couple days before they take an initial vote next week.”
If the vote was scheduled for next week, he’d only have to spend a few days in Waterford. But it had been ages since he’d set foot there. No way could he effectively sway the vote.
Dana seemed to think otherwise, though. “We’ve secured several properties already, but their sales are contingent on this project going to the next step. Help Ridley take that next step, and we can talk about bringing you in-house.”
Sawyer opened his mouth to protest, then promptly closed it when he fully absorbed what she was saying. A permanent job at Ridley—exactly what he’d been hoping for.
Finally.
“So, no more per-project bids?” he asked, just to clarify. After years of freelancing, it almost seemed too good to be true.
