While I baked a lot for my job, I added making a holiday recipe for fun, going to my favorite restaurant, seeing a shooting star, and finally visiting Milwaukee. Even though the city was only four hours away, I’d yet to make the drive.
My list was less…creativethan what Eliza and Jules had, but I was happy with what I came up with. By the end, I had ten things on my wish list, a strong buzz from the tequila, and a grin on my face.
The three of us were cozy on the couch under a pile of blankets as Jules browsed for a movie to end our night with.
“I have my list in my purse, and I’m going to send it to Santa tomorrow,” I joked. “Maybe he’ll bring mesomeonefor that kiss under the mistletoe.”
How wistful my voice sounded surprised even me. I blamed it on the tequila, because I wasn’t looking for love. I barely had time to sleep, let alone date.
If my friends noticed my tone, they didn’t say anything.
“Maybe more tequila while he’s at it,” Eliza added.
“And Christmas lights, apparently,” Jules chimed in, and we all burst into laughter.
1
GABRIEL
“Arewe really fucking doing this again?” My boss’s jaw clenched. His face was red, steam practically billowing out of his ears. I used to think that was an exaggeration when it happened in cartoons.
Nope, it was real.
I leaned back in my chair and took a slow sip of coffee. This wasn’t the first time I’d pissed him off, and I knew damn well it wouldn’t be the last.
From the minute I sent my email, I knew it was only a matter of time until he showed up at my office, zeroing in like a bull with a red flag.
I slowly set the mug on my desk and clasped my hands together before I gave him my attention. “What are you referring to?”
“You know exactly what I’m referring to,” Ron Nelson snapped, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.
“Oh, sure, come on in,” I muttered. “Make yourself comfortable.”
“What was that?” Each word was sharply enunciated and infused with venom.
My sarcastic comments wouldn’t get me anywhere, so I quickly pivoted. If I was going to get him to agree with me—which never happened, but I had to try—I needed him in a better mood thanthis.
“It’s a good proposal, and you know it,” I started. Nelson Group, the real estate and development firm I worked at, was submitting a proposal to the city of Milwaukee on how to redevelop a vacant warehouse along the river. The city purchased the land years ago, and the common council was now seeking ideas for the space.
Residents had shown up at recent council meetings to speak during public comment about how they wanted something different for the space. Something that was community-focused and would bring people together.
That was exactly the type of work I’d come to Nelson Group to do—only to get turned down again and again.
I went to school for real estate and got my master’s in regional and urban planning with a focus on sustainability. I joined Nelson Group four years ago right after graduation, ready to make a positive impact. The company was based in Milwaukee and had offices in nearly every major city and projects across the country.
I wanted to work on projects that made a difference in the community, namely Milwaukee, where I’d lived my whole life. I loved the city and all it had to offer—and I wanted to use development to help show that off while also ensuring everyone had access to housing, fresh food, and other basic necessities regardless of where they lived.
The years since I started working here had flown by, and I often found myself wondering if I’d wasted that time, because all I had to show for it was mounting frustration and unfulfillment. I was now twenty-eight and had barely scratched the surface of what I’d hoped to achieve. I’d never been one to give up, butthe light at the end of the tunnel of getting my career to where I wanted was growing dimmer and dimmer.
“It’s different from what we typically work on,” I continued, ignoring Ron’s displeased eyeroll. “It’ll capture the common council’s attention, and I think residents would be in favor of it, too.”
I wanted to submit a proposal that would turn the old warehouse into a modern food hall. It would bring people together while also allowing new businesses to set up without committing to a brick-and-mortar location. There could be space for multiple restaurants to set up and tables so people could sit and eat. The warehouse was in a prime location that would attract people visiting Milwaukee, as well as those who worked downtown and needed a spot for lunch.
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “It’s not a good proposal, because it won’t make money, Gabriel. That’s the whole reason we’re fucking here. It’s not what we talked about, and it’s not what the board of directors agreed on. I’m not looking for somefeel goodproject.”
“It’s so much more than that. And thiswouldmake money if you just?—”
“Damn it, Gabriel.” He slapped his palm hard against my desk, the sound reverberating in my office. “You’re never going to make it in this field or rise in the company if that’s the attitude you have.”
