Bitsy is seated at the bar as I walk in.
“Light day?” I ask. I hadn’t heard from her in a few days and I was not upset about it.
“Cassie called the contractors to try to get answers to our questions and to set up appointments with them to review their proposals,” Bitsy says. “She has them set up for meetings tomorrow, Steve Burton in the morning, and F J Winters in the afternoon.”
I opt to change the subject to a far more pressing matter – my hunger.
”What’s Cecil have going on today that I might like for lunch?” I ask.
Cassie steps over, essentially ignoring me.
“I know you are hungry,” she says to me. “But we need to give you a quick overview of where we are.“
The two tag-team me, and I can hear what each is saying – that both contractors are fully capable of doing the work and meeting the schedule, that the costs aren’t too terribly different, that each has a different work style … Burton being more aggressive and creative while Grossman (with F.J. Winters) had a cooler exterior, perhaps not as hungry as the other.
“Winters is very familiar to Bitsy’s family,” Cassie goes on, pointing toward Bitsy. “I know you were quite positive about their work at the Golden Pillar, but I didn’t find his proposal to be nearly as detailed.”
“Perhaps he feels like he has the inside track,” I reason, pulling a bowl of oyster crackers near me to nosh. I am actually starting to feel faint.
“I don’t know,” Cassie says. “We’ve reviewed both proposals and have scheduled detailed review meetings with them for tomorrow. You are, of course, welcome to attend, though you may have other things on your plate.”
“I do,” I tell her. And it’s true. Frankly, the idea of sitting with Bitsy in meetings all day is a little off-putting. Certainly, she was pivotal in my campaign, but the distance has been nice.
“So that will take care of itself tomorrow,” I say to her. “Now, I’d like a menu and a nice rose.”
I am growing more agitated by the second.
“You are correct. I would not have anything to contribute tomorrow and would probably interfere with your progress, so, if we could get on with lunch …”