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On the subway downtown,I read everything Jewel gave me as fast as I can. Aside from the developer’s actual violations, the rest of the materials are boring city and county regulations, and the penalties for not following them. Just as my eyes are about to give out from all the fine print, a picture comes into view, beautiful and clear, that this is just another greedy developer ready to cut corners when it serves their purposes. I don’t mean to gloat, but Jewel is a genius, and I, at the moment, am on top of the world. The path before me, while not perfectly clear and spelled out, is at least not as blurry as it has been for the past few days, and that’s a massive load off my shoulders. Fingers crossed, things will turn around and even start going my way again.
It's funny, you don’t realize how heavily some things weigh on you until they’re finally shrugged off.
I go through the metal detectors at City Hall and ask someone to point me toward Bartlett’s office. I could take the elevator to the third floor but instead choose the stairs. I have some nervous energy to settle and besides, want to experience the grandeur that is City Hall’s fancy staircase. I approach his office, room thirty-one, but just before I do, see him walking some men out into the hallway. They are talking and laughing, and he’s patting them on the back like they’re old buddies.
“Don’t worry, guys. I’ll take care of both places. I’m on good terms with them, and I’m sure they’ll listen to me.”
A tall man in a dark suit says something I can’t catch, but Bartlett clearly does. He drops his head back and laughs like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard, and as the men turn down the hall, one hollers back. “You’re gonna love the private plane, Bart. Just wait and see.”
He claps his hands together like a happy little kid, and ducks back into his office.
Are those men… who I think they are?
I think quickly.
I walk into Bart’s office and stop before the receptionist’s desk. “Oh, hello. I’m supposed to be in the meeting with Bart and the developers. I haven’t missed it, have I?”
The receptionist looks at me with a kind smile. “You did. The meeting just broke. But I think Bart’s in his office if you want to talk to him—”
I raise my hands like astopsign. “No, no. Please don’t bother him. Let me catch up with the guys. They’re probably gonna kill me for being late, but the traffic was so bad—”
I bolt out the door and to a bench at the far end of the hallway. My heart’s pounding so hard I can’t hear.
Think, Livvy, think.
Did I just see what I thought I saw? Was that Bartlett sucking up to the very developers looking to ruin my life?
Has he been in their pocket all along? Is that why he’s seemed so strange lately?
Fuck all. I need to listen to my instincts better.
One moment I’m on top of the world and the next, I’m put back in my place so fast I’ve got whiplash. It’s like the universe is a cruel bully, teasing me with possibilities only to slam the door in my face when I finally think I’m making progress. I can’t take these developer violations to Bartlett—if he’s in bed with them, he won’t do a damn thing and further, I’ll be letting on that I’m preparing to fight. Might as well let him think this is a slam dunk for him and his cronies until the last possible moment.
I run down the stairs to catch up to the developers. They’re so busy patting each other on the back, they don’t care who overhears them. And boy, do I listen carefully.
“Don’t worry, that old blowhard is so easy to snow over. As soon as we’ve broken ground, we can blow him off.”
“Exactly. And he’s never stepping foot in our private plane. He and that wife of his are so annoying I’d have to bail out with a parachute. And I’m afraid of heights!”
The men laugh and laugh, fist bumping and slapping each other on the back. I keep my head down as they pass by me to catch a cab, but I see how on top of the world they all are. They’ve got nothing to worry about, that’s how confident they are they’ll get their way.
That’s because they don’t know who they’re messing with. Yet.
27
LIVVY
Emergency meeting. Now.
Are you OK?
Not sure. Be there in 10
I givethe guys a heads up that we need to meet, then hop in a cab back to the Upper East Side, something I rarely do because I’m thrifty, but time is of the essence.
While my driver races uptown, I watch New York City whip by like a movie on fast forward. When I’m too dizzy from watching, I turn back to the stack of papers in my lap. It’s funny how quickly things change.
Earlier, after I’d spotted the developer guys, I was defeated and out of my mind with despair. There was nothing left to do but get back to the shop and put together my exit plan. I was done for, and so was Pawsh Pets. But on the way out, I spotted the city planning and development office. The door was wide open, so I ducked in to see what they were all about.
