Condo Conflict Ch. 02: Loving Arms

Story recap:

Chapter 01: Architect Barry Warrington struggles to produce a winning design for a very difficult client, at the same time pursuing his beguiling secretary.

A new chapter in this 4-part series will be posted regularly.

Loving Arms

"Hi Baby! So, what have you got for me today, Carole?" Emilio Santamundi barked, a big smile on his face.

It was plain to see that the curvaceous architect was offended as she gritted her teeth and forced a weak smile. Our boss, Frank Smythe intervened before she might say anything in anger.

"They've been reworking our design proposal for the past three weeks. Maybe this one will be more to your satisfaction, Emilio?".

"Yeah, Frank. With her on the job now, I'm sure I'll be more satisfied," Emilio leered as he stared at her ample chest.

Carole winced at the developer's continued sexual innuendo and wished that she could slap his face, or else knee him in the groin.

"They've got a computer slide show for you now. Barry's going to start."

My palms were sweaty, hoping that this attempt wouldn't turn out as badly as the last one. Maybe my shapely partner would distract Emilio enough to disarm his negativity? I was hopeful.

Santamundi had clawed his way to the success in local property development. Everything about him was intimidating, and he used it to full advantage. He was a big man with a deep voice that quickly rose in volume as he angered. Emilio was crude, rough-hewn by a life of scrambling past his competitors by outworking them. The man was shrewd too, leveraging his condominium projects by pre-selling units with big deposits before shovels went into the ground..

I took a deep breath, then launched into my presentation.

"You wanted a taller building with more large units than my first proposal. Carole and I worked with a ten-story concept to see if we could get everything that you were looking for. In this slide, you'll see that the footprint is a little different because the front of the building has a subtle curve to it."

"No parking again, I see. Expensive underground levels, right? Damn!"

"There are a few Visitors spots out front now, but no room at ground level for tenant parking. The lot just isn't big enough."

The developer grimaced but didn't say anything more. He was spending more time checking out my partner's body. "That broad," he had called her when he told my boss Frank to put her on the project. She went to the next slide and looked straight at Emilio so that he would stop staring like a distracted schoolboy.

"Here's a typical floorplan of one lower level, Mr. Santamundi. There is a mix of unit sizes, including a three-bedroom on each of the front corners."

"Nice," he smiled. "Any penthouse suites?"

"Yes. This slide shows the top floor. One on every corner, and for the two of them overlooking the park, with three bedrooms and a den, potentially a fourth bedroom. All of the penthouses have generous open roof area, big enough for landscaping."

"Perfect! Now this is what I wanted to see. I knew that this project needed your touch, Carole. So far I like everything except that underground parking. What's the building look like now?"

"Barry's going to take you through that," Carole said. "Go ahead with the next slide, partner."

"You didn't like a design that blended in so much with the hundred-year-old streetscape, so we tried something different that just might work. City Hall faces the corner of the park down the street from your property. It features a 20th century style, called Post-Modern. Your building could pick up a similar look."

"That's better. Yeah, it has a kind of Big City look, not old-fashioned like the buildings next door. How expensive would that be compared to what you showed me last time?"

"We haven't costed it out yet, but you can see it's a very straightforward design- lots of windows but not much fancy brick or stonework. We went with a curved front because the style can look like a cereal box without something special done to it. The stone facing will be the biggest cost."

"Yeah. I like that design. I'm not committing to it, but I think it might do the trick. What comes next, Frank?"

"I made prints of everything you saw today. Take them with you and go over them more carefully. We can modify the plans a bit if you decide to go ahead. But, Emilio, it has ten levels. You said that was the bare minimum, but I think it is way over anything city council will accept."

"Nah. I have some friends.... It'll go through council for my permit, Frank."

"Don't be so sure. The fee for detailed blueprints is a lot of money to waste if they deny your application. Besides, you still have two buildings on the site. You need demolition permits, and there are tenants in them. One of the old apartments has a heritage designation on it too."

"Don't sweat it, Frank. I know how to get these things done."

"OK.... Let's all go for lunch now. I've got reservations nearby. We can talk some more about what was agreed to here," Frank offered.

Carole and I looked at each other as we packed up our presentation gear. Had we been successful today? The developer seemed pleased with almost everything, a far cry from the ripping I took three weeks before.

We had simply redesigned his proposed condominium to suit his demands. Unfortunately, that was often the reality of architectural practice. Whether or not the city council and building department would approve of Santamundi's plans was a whole other matter.

But for the time being, it was out of our hands. We both felt that we could chalk up our presentation as a success. All Carole had to do to now was to make sure she didn't sit beside him at lunch. She wisely pulled Frank aside for a word about that as we headed for the restaurant.

****

My name is Barry Warrington and I'm a professional architect. I've been working for Frank Smythe's design firm since graduating fifteen years ago He's a good man, always trying to keep me and his other people motivated and happy.

When I divorced my run-around wife two years ago, he replaced our retiring secretary with a lovely young woman, Monica. During the past month and a half, we've been spending a great deal of quality time together, some of it in her bed. I'm a happy man.

Right now, Frank has me motivated too. He has a property development client, an awful bully named Emilio Santamundi, with land across from the city's popular downtown park. Initially I was working alone at the concept stage, trying to accommodate his demand for a hundred-unit development on a small parcel of land.

Then, Frank paired me up with Carole Langmere, a highly qualified architect Santamundi asked to have included. Not only is she smart, Emilio likes her pleasant shape.

It was fun working with Carole during the past three weeks because she has an amazing sense of humour. She's the one who figures Emilio has SHS- Small Hands Syndrome- his hands reflecting the size of his "thing", as she calls it. That's her explanation for the developer always insisting on the highest buildings possible on his properties.

So far, I've managed to avoid referring to her as a broad, or worse, like Santamundi does. But she is an eyeful, so it hasn't been easy.

Monica sees Carole every day at the office. I know that she recognizes the temptations which I face as the two of us work closely on new plans for the developer. No doubt, she sees us side-by-side, leaning onto the high drafting table, Carole's shapely rear straining against her tight skirt. I'm sure she watches us in office chairs facing each other, her stockinged legs demurely crossed, her always-short skirts riding way up her thighs. I know Monica doesn't like it.

"So, how do you like designing with Carole now, Barry?" she asked while we sat on her sofa one evening.

"I think that it's working out well. She's smart and experienced."

"That's not what I mean."

"Well, she's funny too. Great sense of humour."

"Last chance or you strike out for tonight. How do you like working with Carole?"

"You mean because she's got a great body?"

"Exactly. Can you concentrate on your work, or are you thinking about something else?"

"Sorry, Monica. It's hard to concentrate. I am thinking about something else. A lot, I confess.... "

Her pleasant face changed at once, and a look of either anger or disappointment appeared. She looked as though she was about to shout at me, so I immediately completed my sentence.

"What I'm thinking of are times you and I have been together. Nothing could replace those, Monica."

She brightened, then slapped my arm.

"You really had me going there. How would you like another one of those special times together? Right now, in fact." And she led me off to her bedroom.

It may sound as though my preoccupation with Monica is sexual, but that is only the sweet icing on an excellent cake. She is no office bimbo at all; rather, my new girlfriend is not only attractive, but also highly organized and efficient. Monica needs little direction and takes time to absorb everything to do her job well. She's a fine person too, and she keeps me hungry for more of that sweet icing.

As Carole and I developed a second take on a design for the developer, she was the one who noticed the striking Post-Modern design of our city hall. We took a little field trip to examine the structure more carefully, to see if an office building's exterior was adaptable for a condominium.

The City Hall features a bold, vertical profile with rows of look-alike square windows in bands across each floor level. They had no ornamentation of any kind- no sills at the bottom, no bold headers at the top. The building was faced with large slabs of a light grey-to-white stone veneer. Any doors were black for contrast. It is a striking building, though some think it too austere.

We debated whether or not this architectural style was suitable for an apartment building. However, we gambled that Post-Modernism would appeal to Santamundi, so it was a good place to start. Our design enlarged the window areas to a uniform size and aligned balconies across almost the entire width of the front. With stone facing, it would still be reminiscent of the City Hall design.

About a week after our successful new design presentation to the developer, Frank gave us a list of some floorplan and elevation changes Santamundi wanted. Nothing too significant really. He told us to incorporate them in our preliminary drawings, and then bring them to him for final approval and another meeting with the developer.

After that they could go into final form, ready for approval from the city. But we knew there would be much give-and-take because Frank was costing out how much such a structure might cost to build.

I swear that Carole wore her shortest skirt and highest heels to that final meeting with the developer. He could hardly take his eyes off her body as she swayed into the room, cross stepping like a model. He was mesmerized! Yes, everything was fine with the plans. Yes, he was ready to commit to a full set of blueprints, along with vertical elevation drawings, and detailed sections of certain areas.

He seemed more interested in another group lunch date than in much else. This time he slid in beside Carole, and the poor woman had to keep brushing his hands away.

Frank billed Emilio for the architectural work that had been completed to date. He knew that developers could be very slow to pay if their plans were held up at the approval stage. And we were all quite sure that they would be. Too high, not sufficiently compatible with the streetscape, and two occupied walk-up apartments already on the property- these were serious obstacles to which Santamundi seemed quite oblivious.

****

There was a point where the architectural work was tied up in-house with final computer drafting and costing estimates. Carole and I each went back to other duties for the time being. I had become very accustomed to her as a working partner and found myself wishing that we were back on the condominium job.

We continued to cross paths in the office or the cafeteria, and I always took the opportunity to engage her in conversation. I began to wonder if I had an interest in her that extended beyond our shared project.

One day I came down to the cafeteria a bit later that normal for lunch. She was sitting by herself, one of the few people still there. I slid in next to her and we easily picked up conversation.

"Have you heard anything new about the condominium project, Barry? Is it still moving along?"

"Nothing lately. I'm doing some fill-in work right now. Get this- an addition on an old house."

"Same with me. Somebody's summer cottage. Wish we were back on that other job."

"Agreed, and I miss working together with you on it."

That had slipped out without much thought and there was no taking it back now. I watched for her reaction and saw a little smile. She didn't say anything for several seconds, as if she was thinking first.

"Yes, sometimes I do too, Barry."

"You're great to work with. Smart and funny. I like it," I heard myself blurt out like some fool.

Carole smiled, "That's nice of you. I like working with a gentleman, somebody who doesn't look at me like I'm hanging in a butcher shop!"

I laughed out loud.

"Like I said, Carole, you are funny. Lots of laughs."

"Keep me posted if you hear any news about the condo project. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes back to us to do over again after city council spits it back at him, the dirty old bastard."

"Don't like Santamundi, do you."

"I'm a piece of raw meat as far as he's concerned. I hate men like that."

Just as she left, Monica came into the lunchroom and made a beeline in my direction. There was a scowl on her face.

"Having lunch with 'Carole the Body' these days, are you Barry? Why don't you ever invite me down to eat with you?"

"She was the only one here when I arrived. Am I going to ignore her? We work together."

"Frank wants to see you in his office after you come back upstairs. Uh.... Sorry, I got angry just now. It's just that she's so...."

"Monica, you have nothing to worry about, believe me," I gently interrupted.

Carole was a very appealing woman. Having worked closely with her for almost a month, I quite enjoyed her company. Now confusion was setting in because both women attracted me, even though they were very different. I left shortly, headed for Frank's big office.

"Monica said that you wanted to talk to me about something, Frank."

"Yes, to update you on Emilio Santamundi's project. I know some people in the building department at City Hall and we just happened to be playing golf on the weekend."

He winked to tell me that it hadn't just happened by coincidence- he had arranged it for some purpose. That was how the business worked sometimes, and Frank was a master at pulling strings to get information. He continued.

"We talked about the proposal based on some preliminary designs that my friends had seen on Emilio's website. He was already promoting it for presale. Quite an interesting conversation, to say the least."

"What did they think of the plans? Too high, I'll bet."

"You'd have won that bet, Barry. Four or five levels too high, depending on ceiling heights in the apartments! Six stories are as high as will ever be approved alongside the park."

"Damn! That was about what I originally designed."

"Yes, I remember. I told them about it, and they thought it would have stood a very good chance."

"Did you mention the frontal elevation, the general similarities to City Hall?"

"They'd seen it on his website and just laughed about it. The 'snowball's chance in Hell' sort of laugh. It's a non-starter."

"So, what are we going to do next, Frank?"

"Nothing. Let him go ahead with it, the stubborn bastard. He paid us for what he wanted to see, and he ignored our cautions along the way. We may be finished with him on this one, or he may be back to try again. No doubt he'll blame it all on us if he does, but he's already paid for our work. This time I might have to tell him to kiss my ass."

Now that was something that everybody who'd ever done work for Emilio Santamundi would pay to see!

Back at my office Monica was giving me that "I'm sorry" look. So, I invited her to come downstairs for coffee with me about 3:00. She brightened up immediately, flashing that beautiful smile that could melt ice.

I'd never considered it before, but it dawned on me that by being in the cafeteria together, she could confirm to people that there was something between us. It would almost be like holding hands in school. It would probably mean a lot to her, and I knew that this public display should keep me from thinking about Carole. We were sitting at a little table for coffee by 3:00.

"Can you tell me what Frank wanted to see you about? Or is it private?" she whispered to me, coming close to my ear like intimates might do.

"Just a bit of it. He got some inside news that City Hall isn't going to like the condo proposal."

"That doesn't really surprise me. I looked at the plans and nobody in the city will want something so high looming down over the park. No building should be above the church spires or the tallest trees in the park."

"You're absolutely right! When did you study urban planning, Monica?" I joked.

"It's just common sense. And I don't think some people have any."

"Right. Like Emilio Santamundi."

We both laughed, but I recognized her very sensible insight, one likely shared by many people in the community. I felt relaxed, enjoying her close company publicly in the office, and Monica seemed quite happy about the whole thing. Yes, we'd have to do this more often.

After we came back upstairs together- not holding hands of course, though I had the feeling that she might have liked to- I phoned Carole to tell her the latest about the project. She laughed and told me to reserve a front row seat when Emilio came to the office to kiss Frank's ass. Funny woman!

****

Suddenly, things became much darker.

I was at Monica's again, snuggling with her on the sofa one evening with the local news channel turned on. We were waiting to watch the game coming up next. There was on-the-scene coverage of a local apartment fire. People stood across the street on the side of the park, some of them in their pajamas, evidently rushed out of the building.

One of the developer's old walkup apartments was ablaze, flames shooting out some of the windows. A valiant firefighter charged out of the front entry with an armful of squirming cats, and a crying woman rushing to him to hug them against herself. He called loudly to the chief that there was no-one still inside.

"A fire- is it a coincidence, Barry? Or deliberate?"

"I'm sure there'll be an investigation, especially if anyone knows his plans."

Another big pumper truck arrived on the scene, blasting more and more water onto the flames. They were slowly winning the battle, but while it raged- fire versus water- the apartment building was being consumed. Another pumper directed its hoses against the facing end of the second building, also soaking down its roof. All its residents huddled across the street too.

All at once there was a loud crash as the centre section of the burning building's sodden roof caved in. Flames blasted up through the big hole. We could see that it would be a total loss by the time the fire was extinguished.

Both of us sat mesmerized watching the battle rage until the apartment building was a smoking ruin. While the adjacent apartment was saved, it was not without extensive water damage, perhaps more. By this time a news team was interviewing the fire chief and some displaced residents. I recognized Emilio Santamundi standing beside the television reporter, next in line.