By 7:30 sharp, I sent out the internal memo:
To all department heads and assistants—Johnson Proposal review begins at 9:00 a.m. sharp in the South Conference Room. Mr. Walton will be present. Be prepared to present your assigned sections clearly and concisely.
I double-checked everything. The digital presentation. The physical portfolios. The shared folders.
Coffee in hand, heels on, brain wired.
This wasn't just any meeting.
The Johnson Proposal was a big one. Johnson & Rowe wanted Vantage & Cole to take over the full design and construction of a brand-new shopping complex. We were talking everything from layout and structure to branding and interior design.
Which meant one thing: This had to be perfect.
Around 8:45am I was halfway to Adrien's office, ready to knock and give our usual pre-meeting nudge, when—
His door opened.
He stepped out looking like he'd walked off the cover of some luxury magazine with a calm expression and moving like a man with a mission.
