Boardroom to Bedroom

Chapter 4

SLEEPLESS CONTRACTS

Andrea was so awake, she could practically see the dust motes dancing in the first light. Cars zoomed, whining below, and her ceiling had turned into a shadow puppet show. It was nearly three in the morning, and sleep was a distant dream. Her body was begging for it, but her brain was just stuck.

The contract had shown up two days after the showdown with Davies Gates, hand-delivered by a courier. Emma, ever the voice of reason, had made them dissect every single one of those eighteen pages of legal speak before Andrea even considered signing. Three hours they'd spent at the office, Emma's engineer brain spotting loopholes Andrea's creative one had completely missed.

“This 'access at any time' thing? Seriously, Andrea, he could show up whenever”.

“He won't”. Andrea muttered.

“You don't know that! All we know is he razes neighborhoods for money”.

But there was more to it, wasn't there? Andrea had been digging into Davies Gates' background like a woman obsessed, not those boring business profiles or Forbes puff pieces, but the real dirt. She'd found old news clips, bits from his grad school days, and a single interview from years ago where a younger Davies mentioned his mom before the interviewer quickly changed the subject.

My mother believed in creating nice stuff. She thought it was the closest we got to forever.

The talk had quickly shifted back to Gates Technologies' investment plans. Davies hadn't mentioned his mother's name since, not once.

Andrea flipped over, grabbing her phone. The screen glared, but she had to look at the contract one more time.

Article 3, Section 2: The Participant (Davies Gates) will follow the Project Manager (Andrea Lin) during all working hours, which means anytime the Project Manager is doing anything job-related...

All working hours. For Andrea, that was basically six in the morning till eleven at night, most days. Davies Gates was about to get a front-row seat to her chaotic life; her coffee that was basically jet fuel, the lunches she skipped, the evening meetings where she played referee.

He was going to see her screw up. She always did; budgets went sideways, materials arrived broken, contractors disappeared into thin air. The only thing was that she never stopped, fueled by sheer stubbornness and the faces of those depending on her.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Emma: Still up?

Andrea: How did you know?

Emma: Because I am, too, and I get you. Second thoughts?

Andrea hesitated. Totally freaking out as another text followed instantly.

Emma: You really messed with Davies. But maybe it's great.

Andrea: That's not helping me calm down.

Emma: I'm not trying, just being honest. You signed that thing, didn't you?

Andrea glanced at the envelope on her dresser, her signature drying on eighteen pages.

Andrea: Yes.

Emma: Then stop overthinking right now. You're in this fully. Try to sleep before your life becomes a reality show starring Mr. San Francisco Rich Guy.

Andrea: Please don't. Andrea typed, rolling her eyes.

Emma: What? I'm saying, if you're stuck with a billionaire for a month, at least he's cute. Those cheekbones, though...

Andrea: Emma! Andrea couldn't help but scream out loud.

Emma: Okay, okay. Seriously, Andrea? Don't forget why you're doing this. It's not for him, truly. It is for the people.

Andrea knew who Emma meant, Mrs. Cardenas and her bakery, Marcus Jr. and his shaky hopefulness, Grace and her quiet strength. The three hundred families who'd already been forced to move so many times.

Andrea: I know, she texted back and heaved a deep sigh.

Emma: Get some sleep.

Andrea: You too.

But Andrea didn't sleep. She stared into the darkness of her apartment; a tiny spot on the Westside that cost a fortune and contained very little; trying to picture what Monday would bring.

________________________________________

Across town, in a huge penthouse covering the top floor of a building his firm had built, Davies Gates stood by the glass and watched the city lights flicker.

He wasn't sleeping either.

The contract sat on his desk, Andrea's name kind of striking, her handwriting seeming to show the eye for detail he'd seen in her drawings. He'd read it three times since it arrived, lingering at certain lines.

The Project Manager agrees to give access to all project locations, community events, and other things...

He'd made sure that stayed in. His lawyers had said it was too much, but Davies had known info was the key. He needed to learn what motivated Andrea so strongly about this project.

His brain; the one that had built Gates Technologies; told him it was pointless. Spending a month with some architect wouldn't change much. Community centers didn't make money like condos did. Good feelings didn't pay anyone.

But...

Davies pressed his hand against the cold glass, feeling the city pulsing way below. Andrea was down there, probably awake, maybe scared of what she'd signed up for. That thought bothered him.

He'd seen her hands shake as she signed and watched her challenge him. He'd seen the doubt in her eyes before she lifted her chin and shook his hand. What she did was crazy and brave together.

Maybe he wanted to know what it feels like to be wrong.

He shouldn't have said that. He had let emotions get in the way. But Andrea Lin had come into his boardroom with fire blazing in every word, and it reminded him what it felt like to care about something more important than money.

His phone screen lit up on the desk. A text from Steve: Still time to escape this crazy thing.

Davies ignored it. Steve had been sending messages like that for two days, getting angrier by the minute. His half-brother didn't get why Davies would spend a month on community stuff. But Steve had never understood most of Davies's plays; too focused on quick returns, too eager to take the CFO spot to ever see the big picture.

Another text from Alexa: Got the contract. Andrea Lin signed it. Are you extremely sure about this?

Davies typed back: Nope. But I'm doing it.

Alexa: That's brave or just dumb.

Davies: Can't it be both?

His assistant had known him since college and had been by his side before he became the “The Iceman.”

Alexa: Just try to sleep, Dav. You’ll need it.

But sleep wasn't coming. Davies went to his cold steel desk; empty of all personal stuff; and pulled up the info on 847 Valencia Street. The original buy from Mark Wilson, struggling with his wife’s medical bills, and then the small talk, the community space making trouble. Davies had known about Andrea's plans and had even seen some drawings. But the building…the plan was over.

Except Andrea folded. She had challenged him.

Davies grabbed some security photos. Andrea meeting people. Andrea helping. Andrea smiling.

He closed everything because it wasn’t going well.

This was business. Thirty days to evaluate. Andrea thought he was brilliant, but looked at him terribly and wonderfully.

Her handshake left an impact he wasn't sure of.

Davies glanced at his watch: 4:17 a.m. He was soon to greet Andrea. The sun was starting to climb. He needed his plan because he realized he might lose something here.

Andrea watched the sunrise. She put on nice clothes. Her phone buzzed at 5:47.

Emma had texted: REMEMBER HIM!

She nodded and tossed it aside but her phone vibrated again. Andrea's heart was racing.

She looked at her home. She would soon be judged. How worse could it get? Andrea locked up and headed downstairs.

The morning air was crisp. The black car was waiting; portraying low-key luxury. The door opened and he stood there.

Andrea paused, catching her breath. Expensive pants; he wore no coat, no tie.

“Ms. Lin”. His voice was even and a bit tired.

So it was happening. He was going to learn Ms Lin, except he looked tired. He also didn't sleep.

Davies smiled for a second. This would be good or terrible but it all starts soon!

Andrea was resilient, she wanted to see how all of this truly works!