Boardroom to Bedroom

Chapter 1

THE DEMOLITION

The plain, creamy envelope arrived on Tuesday, but inside, it held the potential to destroy Andrea Lin's dreams of the last two years working so hard. She had been glued to her drafting table since 5 a.m, her hair thrown up in a messy bun kept in place by a pencil. Her coffee was stone cold. The community center plans were due. It had to be green-friendly, accessible for everyone. Every last detail was especially for the neighborhood she poured her heart into.

Morning light poured through the windows of the office. The light showed dust dancing, like her daydreams: beautiful, fragile, and gone as soon as you noticed them.

“Andrea”, Emma Wu said, her voice tight. “You need to look at this”.

Andrea looked up. Her best friend and business partner stood there, usually calm, since she was a structural engineer, but was now as stiff as a board. Emma held up an envelope to her like it was a bomb about to explode.

“What's up”? Andrea asked, stretching her back to pop a few places. Twenty-five felt too young to feel so tired, but passion projects didn't pay much.

Emma walked over, her soft flats making barely any noise on the wood floor Andrea had installed her first year. Andrea had built everything in this space with her own hands and cared for the neighborhood, with hope that design could guide people.

But reality was about to say hello.

“Law firm”, Emma said. “Morrison, Lin & Associates”. Emma's eyes showed just how worried she was. “Big-time corporate law”.

Andrea's stomach dropped. She took the envelope, her hands trembling. Pricey paper meant trouble; Joseph taught her that lesson when he stole her designs and tried to drown her in legal garbage.

She inhaled and slowly opened it.

The words blurred, but then showed themself sharply;...property at 847 Valencia St. sold to Gates Technologies... deal closed... any changes to the building now belong to the new owner... thirty days to move out...

The pencil fell from her bun.

“No way”, this can't be real. “Mark owns that building. He’d never sell without telling me”.

Mark Wilson, the owner of the hardware store, was like a father to her. He let her rent the place for next to nothing since he thought the neighborhood needed her designs.

“There's even more”, Emma said.

Andrea looked at page two. She felt frozen; she couldn't speak.

“Gates Technologies”. She murmured, her voice laced with disgust.

Everyone in San Francisco knew that name. Davies Gates, the thirty-year-old CEO was worth billions. He made his money by ripping down old neighborhoods and building luxury apartments.

And now he owns her community center.

“I need to call Mark”. Andrea reached for her phone, her hands shivered so bad she almost dropped it. Seven missed calls from numbers she didn't recognize. How could she miss them?

Emma took the phone. “I already tried but no one answered. His wife, Grace, says he's been in his study all day and she felt worried”.

Andrea shut her eyes, trying to pull herself together. Two years, 16-hour days, begging for donations, learning every single resident's name and history. Andrea thought of the single moms needing help to find jobs. She thought of the teens who came for tutoring and stayed for food and a safe place. She thought of the old people who'd lived here for years and seen the city push them out of their homes.

It all now belonged to a guy who only saw dollar signs when he saw neighbors and relationships.

“He can't do this”. Andrea opened her eyes, and Emma took a step back. “We have contracts, permits, city approval…”

“Yeah, signed under Mark Wilson's name”, Emma said. “The sale transfers everything. Unless you can prove that what you're doing with this space makes more sense than whatever luxury crap Gates wants to build”.

“Then I'll show him”. Andrea grabbed her bag.

“Andrea, hold on…” Emma grabbed her arm. “You can't just walk in there”

“Watch me”.

“You need a plan. Emma said with a matching tone. “This is Davies Gates for crying out loud”. He won't just meet with….”

“Meet with whom”? Andrea said, “Architects whose projects he bought? Looks like I’m just the person he should meet”.

Emma's face softened. “Andrea, I know this means so much to you. But Gates doesn't care about that. He only cares about money. You can't just ask him to be nice; he has never been nice”.

“Then I'll talk about money”. Andrea grabbed her jacket, jeans, and boots.

“That’s a drive downtown”, Emma said.

“I've been working on this for two years”, Andrea said. “I know this project. I know that it’s worth it; not just to the people here, but his business too”.

“He doesn't care about passion, Andrea. He cares about how high his tower is”. Emma pressed on.

“Then I'll show him my tower”. Andrea stopped at the door. “I'm not giving up because some rich fool sees a sale. These people need this place. Mark believed in me. I have to fight”.

Emma sighed and nodded abruptly. “Give me a second and I'll help you get ready. We've got numbers…”

“Send it to my tablet. I'll review it on the way”.

“Andrea…”, Emma called.

But Andrea was already gone, running down the stairs, her heart feeling like someone was pounding a drum against it. The sun hit her face as she hit the street, Valencia Street already awake. The bakery where Mrs. Cardenas made the best bread. The corner store where the kids always meet to hang out. The garden where the old folks grew food from their home countries.

It was all in the shadow of new buildings, with glass and steel, that felt like they had no life.

Andrea called for a car, her mind racing. She had no appointment, no special invite, and no reason to think Davies Gates would see her.

Five years ago, when Joseph scammed her, she learned sometimes you had to walk through the burning building.

She hoped she wouldn't get too bad this time.

The car sped downtown, toward the guy who'd gained his fortune tearing buildings down.

Andrea stared at her reflection, barely seeing the fury in her eyes.

By the time they pulled up at the Financial District, she had a plan. Even as she got out and looked up at Gates Technologies; a glass tower; doubt hit her.

Why exactly did she think she could change the mind of a guy they thought was only motivated by money?

Andrea straightened up, grabbed her stuff, and walked through the doors.

She was about to find out.