At a quiet little restaurant, in a somewhat little town, that bordered the bustling city of Seattle, sat a beautiful, reserved woman in her early thirties. The warm low light of the restaurant made her auburn hair glow like hot embers in a fire before fading into the summer night. Her smile beaming radiantly like the summer sun. She appeared to be at ease as she laughed and carried on with the older gentleman and his younger assistant as they were having dinner. Only superbly trained eyes could see what the low lighting of the restaurant covered. She was tired in a way she never imagined she could be. A deep blue storm raging behind weary brown eyes. A glassy front hiding a fragile veil of strength. A beautiful poker face that no one could decode, not even the seasoned businessman sitting across from her.
Old man Mr. Tony is what people usually referred to him as when they were talking to other people about him. However, when speaking directly to him it was just Mr. Tony. And you better be careful about what you say because Mr. Tony is not a man that you should offend. He had a known reputation for efficiently handling competitors and people that stood in his way.
However, in this moment no sign of the infamously hardened man was present. Instead, he was lighthearted, laughing and making jokes. In response Nicole let out a sincere laugh that was smooth and warm like honey rolling out over the table to the gentlemen across from her. The aura she emitted was potent and alluring. To describe her as magnetic would be an understatement. Anyone around her was instantly charmed never knowing the turmoil rolling beneath. The client sitting across the table was no exception. A usually no-nonsense tight lipped old man who couldn't help but joke and laugh with ease in the presence of the woman before him.
Amongst many endeavors, old man Mr. Tony owned a chain of luxury hotels across the nation, and he wanted to renovate the Seattle location. The hotel needed updating and he wanted to bring originality to the otherwise cookie cutter appeal the luxury hotel currently had.
When his assistant handed him a short list of suitable prospective designers a few weeks ago he carefully reviewed portfolios that showcased each designer's past work. Though all of them were good in their own right, one designer stood out to him. Nicole Vanzant. Not only was each design beautiful, but it was also immersive and unique. It gave energy to the atmosphere that was symbiotic to the experience, making each place unforgettable.
He knew before he met her at the restaurant that she would be the one he picked. He could have had his assistant call her and finalize the deal through phone and fax, but the truth was this project was important to him, and he was curious about this talented designer so he wanted to meet her in person. She most definitely didn't disappoint.
"Well Nicole, I've got to say, you have exceeded all of my expectations. You came highly recommended; your references are solid, your portfolio is... other worldly." old Mr. Tony said as he held his belly with one hand and wiped a tear away from his eye with the other hand recovering from a hearty laugh.
Nicole's whole body filled with warmth at the kind praise. For her this was the most validating sentence she could hear. She had been a personal decorator for ten years, straight out of college. She originally went to school for forensic science, but Richard told her that it was too dark for her sweet personality, so she began dabbling in decorating.
It was the outlet for a creative flow she didn't even know she had built up in her. It wasn't long after she began this new endeavor, she realized that she needed it, that it was a lifeline of sorts. No feeling could compare to the satisfaction she felt when she took something lost in time, tattered and tarnished and restored it to something beautiful. It brought her a sense of peace and accomplishment. It also gave her hope that things lost to time could be restored and loved.
Her career really took off when she was twenty-seven. She had won a bid to re-decorate a house that was going to be quickly flipped by a woman named Annie Gibson. Annie was a well-known commercial designer who often flipped houses as a side hustle. She was very passionate and successful in those fields. When she did the final walk through, she was so blown away by Nicole's design that she ended up keeping the house for herself and recruited Nicole to A.G Executive Commercial Design.
It wasn't long before Annie became the best friend Nicole ever had. Nicole admired how worldly and sophisticated Annie was. Annie had a keen eye for fashion. She was forward thinking and strong willed. Annie always admired Nicoles endless flow of creativity. Nicole had a knack for having a unique perspective that made you feel the warmth and comfort of something traditional while incorporating modern comfort. They were like ying and yang. So different but they fit together perfectly. Nicole kept Annie inspired and refreshed. Annie unknowingly kept Nicole afloat in her darkest times, and though she suspected something, she never really knew the hardships her friend went through.
Since that fateful meeting she had done countless restaurants, a million offices, a handful of clothing stores, and a few small hotels. She always put her best foot forward and added her creative twist to anything she touched but she still hated the fact that all of these places desired a trendy modern concept. It was her dream to curate a project that was timeless and classic.
So, when Annie gave her the portfolio of Mr. Tony's hotel so she could create a proposal and put in a bid the first thing she did was drive to the hotel. She stood in the lobby and took everything in. The traffic flow, the sounds, the smells. She then had the concierge show her one of every kind of room, she noted the view from every side including the roof and restaurant. As she took every detail in a vision began to form in her head. It formed so effortlessly it was as if an imaginary paintbrush was creating a lavish painting.
The second thing she did was research Mr. Tony. With Mr. Tony being well known she knew off the top that he was very savvy and aggressive in the business world, working hard over decades to amass the empire he had. To fill in the gaps of everything she didn't know, Nicole poured hours into internet research and pulled old newspaper articles. She was looking for any indications to his personal style and preferences so she could blend that with her design and add that layer of personalization that she feels immortalizes a design, making it stand out.
Instead, what she found was tragedy and age seemed to have softened the old man. His son Young Mr. Tony was a notorious gambler and alcoholic. Not only did he squander most of his trust by gambling it away when he was twenty-four, twenty years ago he drunkenly crossed the barrier of the highway and hit a car with a woman and her kids killing himself and them. The woman's husband sued old man Mr. Tony for wrongful death of his family and won. Between the amount the man won and the amount that old man Mr. Tony lost when he was grieving the loss of his only son, he almost went bankrupt.
During this hardship his daughter tried to come in and replace him in the company. Eventually Mr. Tony suppressed his daughter and retained his position but in retaliation she began working for his largest competitor and their relationship has been strained ever since. After reading everything online Nicole had a soft spot for Mr. Tony. Losing a child no matter the circumstances can be devastating.
Nicole began asking some of her connections about Mr. Tony and the rumor around is now that Mr. Tony is in his late 70's he's slowing down because of his health, and he wants to look for someone to pass his legacy onto since he has no heirs other than his daughter and a grandson he's never met.
"khaff-kuh-hmm- ahem" The hacking brought Nicole back from her wandering thoughts. Old man Mr. Tony's face had turned red, and he wheezed to catch his breath. His assistant kept patting his back and tried to dodge blows as old man Mr. Tony began to windmill his arm to call off the poor distressed assistant. "Get-kuff, off me" he wheezed at Mr. Miller as he patted his chest and caught his breath slowly.
"Damn emphysema!" he grumbled as he pulled a handkerchief from his pants pocket and coughed into it some more. " I should never have picked up smoking, but in the 70's it pulled in the babes!" he reminisced with a light chuckle. "Plus, back then there weren't all these rules about where you can smoke! You could smoke on the planes, Hell, when my kids were born, we smoked the celebratory cigar in the maternity ward!" Mr. Tony's eyes clouded over for a second but quickly he rebounded. Nicole wondered where his mind had gone to for a moment but when he came back he was all business and it didn't allow time for her to linger on it.
"What's the estimated timeline to complete the job?'' Mr. Tony asked as his hand reached out for his wine and took half of it down in one swig.
"Well Mr. Tony, I like to give my clients two options. Though I'm sure one is not as feasible given how large your hotel is, I'll still present it to you. With the hotel running at 66% capacity, on the short end we're looking at 14 months, the long end...18 months. The second option...." Nicole looked hesitantly at Mr. Tony, but his blue eyes looked gentle which gave her more confidence and plus she had already begun so she had no choice but to continue," If you're looking for a quicker turn around, we could attain a 6–8-month completion if we closed the hotel during the renovations."
"I see." Mr. Tony stroked his scraggly grey goatee in contemplation." What would it take to complete it in 4?"
"Well, I don't like to use the word impossible..." Nicole started with her eyebrows raised.
"Good, because I don't like to hear the word impossible."
Nicoles brows furrowed in deep contemplation. "4 months huh? Well, I suppose if we practically doubled our workforce, as long as our materials come in on time and there are no unforeseen delays it would be possible to have a grand reopening in 4 to 5 months. However, that significantly raises the cost of the renovations, which may be difficult since there won't be any incoming revenue."
"Yes, well from my experience you practically lose money if you keep a hotel open during large renovations because we are always comping for the inconvenience" Mr.Tony said confidently.
"True, but the temporary shutdown would also layoff over one hundred employees." she said with concern. Then an idea hit. "What if Mr. Tony, and hear me out, what if we used the employees you already have as the extra workers for the build? It would save money by tapping into a resource we already have at our disposal and it will help the part time employees keep their income and stops you from paying unemployment for the full-time employees while also hiring extra hands for the construction. "
"Did you just come up with that idea on the spot?" He asked her. She was afraid he didn't like her solution.
"Yes, however if you'd be willing to give me twenty-four hours I can rework a few things to see how we can save money while increasing production without sacrificing quality."
"No, I think your first idea is unique and smart. I'm not sure how many of them know much about construction or remodeling though."
"We can pair them up with our tradesmen as a support crew, give them a few days training. They would be doing mostly simple work, like carrying supplies and trade hand work so they shouldn't need much. For any employee who's less physically able we can find other places to fill them. Checking inventory in etc.'
"Well, if you make that happen, I'll make sure you a receive 20% bonus."
"Does that mean that you're offering me the job Mr. Tony?" Nicole's heart began pounding with anticipation. It would be a dream come true for her.
"Only if you would like it." Mr. Tony replied. He noticed Nicole's eyes light up when she asked him that and he was confident in his choice.
"I would love to accept this job. I'll have material samples sent to your office as soon as the contract is signed."
"Feel free to send over anything you'd like me to see, however the final decisions are all yours Mrs. Vanzant. I've seen your work and I can't wait to see what magic you work in that old hotel."
"Please call me Nicole, and I believe that it will be my best work yet." She responded with high hopes.
"Of that I have no doubt." Mr. Tony smiled softly.
Nicole was beaming from ear to ear. It was official, she would be the interior designer for the Grand Luxe Seattle Hotel. The huge payday aside, she had big, beautiful plans to transform the cold modern interior into something that would be elegant and warm, inviting and most of all unforgettable. After they worked out the details and Mr. Tony said he would send the contract over first thing Monday morning, they bid their farewells and left the restaurant.
Nicole was happily walking to her car, pleasant daydreams of the hotel renovations swirling around in her head. It was as if she could see it in 3D , holographic halls of gold trim and warm lighting mixed with the freshness and calmness of nature. But her excitement came crashing down quickly when she looked at her phone and realized it was 6:51pm. Her heart rate and pace began to quicken as she hurried to the car and got in. Her meeting had ran over and she was so excited about the new project she completely lost track of time. She would never make it home by 7:00pm. If traffic was clear 7:20pm was best case scenario. She put the car in gear and quickly took off, trying to shave seconds off in anyway she could. Her palms became sweaty as the knot in her stomach grew and her heart beat hard and fast. No matter what she did 7:00pm came too swiftly and she was still in traffic. 7:01pm a text message comes through. "Why aren't you home?"