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April nodded, trying to calm down her nerves. She knew that she had to keep her cool if she wanted to make any progress.
"Unfortunately, there's no available appointments for today. But I can see if anyone's available to talk to you."
April watched as the woman picked up the phone and dialed a number, her mind racing with all the things she needed to say to the council. She needed to make sure that her questions were answered.
After a few moments, the receptionist hung up the phone and turned to April. "Councilman Rodriguez will see you now. His office is down the hall, last door on the right."
"Thank you."
When she reached the door, she took a deep breath and knocked. "Come in," a gruff voice said from inside.
April opened the door and stepped inside, her eyes immediately drawn to the man sitting behind the desk. He was a middle-aged man with a thick mustache and a stern expression.
"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. April sat in the uncomfortable wooden seat opposite of him. "How can I help you today?"
She took a deep breath. There was so much to say, but she needed to be articulate. April knew she couldn't give them any reason to doubt her. Eventually, they would need to approve her paperwork.
"I'm not sure if you heard, but Trisha came by and told me that I needed some permits," she said, as sweetly as she possibly could. April knew that everyone at town hall knew about her and her situation.
But if she was going to get her information, she had to play dumb. She needed to act as though everything was fine.
"Oh, of course." Rodriguez got out every step of paperwork April would have to go through in order to make her two hundred acre property into a working horse ranch.
She listened intently, jotting down notes as he spoke. And asked clarifying questions when necessary, making sure she understood all the steps and fees involved.
"And is there any law against me cleaning up my property? Even with the current buildings, like the barn?"
She knew the answer. Her law degree might have been collecting dust for the moment, but she knew how to read the island's rules regarding property.
What she was looking for was for the councilman to admit that she wasn't breaking any law by continuing to clean up her property.
With the amount of hoops they seemed to want her to jump through, April was sure that she would have to deny any talk of her horse ranch. For now, at least. Once she had all of the plans, then she would apply for the permits.
It was a setback for sure, but at least she'd be able to continue her work without people questioning her every move.
Rodriguez looked nervous. "No, of course not. But if there are plans in place to"
"There aren't any current plans," April interrupted with a knowing smile. "But I do appreciate the information on the laws and regulations. I'll make sure to remember them as I consider what to do with my empty property."
Rising to leave, April collected her notebook and put it back in her purse.
As she walked towards the door, she turned back to the councilman. "Thank you for your time, Councilman Rodriguez. I'll be sure to follow the procedures outlined."
She flashed him a smile and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
As she walked back down the hallway, April couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. She had the information she needed to move forward with her plans for the horse ranch, and she knew exactly what steps she needed to take next.
Unfortunately for her, those steps involved convincing everyone that she wasn't planning to run a horse ranch on her property. Which meant that she had a lot of work ahead of her before she was even able to begin thinking about the necessary renovations for the barn and other outbuildings.
It was a setback, for sure. But one that April thought gave her a chance at making this a reality.
Just as April was about to walk out of the building, a man stepped inside. He wore a nice suit and carried a briefcase, his grey hair combed neatly back from his face.
The receptionist from before welcomed him into the building. "Good afternoon, Mister Greenfield."
April stopped in her tracks and looked at the man. He was wearing a dark grey suit and had an air of authority about him that made her heart skip a beat.
"Isaac Greenfield?" April said aloud, taking her hand off of the door to turn and face him.
