I wasn't going to lose to him.
The contract she slid toward me was for a large public space, nothing like the intimate residential work she had been posting online. I could feel her nerves under the calm surface.
I sat down, crossed my legs, and started moving through the clauses.
"This template is too aggressive on their end," I said, tapping the page. "First, IP transfer is overreaching. They want to buy out every concept you generate, including unused drafts. Second, the site survey responsibilities aren't defined. This is a large public venue. Fire load, structural capacity, code compliance. If the building itself is flawed, you don't get to carry the blame."
I lifted my eyes to hers. "Payment schedule. Deposit is too low, final payment is too back loaded. You're absorbing all the
