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His encouragement gives me motivation to fight for myself, too. I sit up straighter. “You already know Liam and I work well together; every project you’ve paired us up for has been completed on time and under budget. No one else wants to take it on, but you clearly don’t want to lose it. Let me take this job.”

I can practically see the wheels turning in Thomas’s head. Yes, this is a big project, but there’s really no way I can mess it up. He would get everything he wants. Dalton Enterprises would be associated with a couple of Olympians, and he’d have me out of his hair for several months. It’s shocking for him to take so long to say yes.

“All right, the job is yours, Katrina.” He finally relents, but he lifts his chin until he can stare down his nose at me. “However, I expect weekly updates. Also, the clients have been extremely strict about staying on budget. It’s a nonnegotiable to them.”

I hold my head a little taller. “I’ll get it done on time and under budget.” It’s a tall promise to make, especially since I haven’t seen a single thing on the project, but I’m committed to see this chance through. No one will be disappointed. “Whatever updates you want, I’ll provide them.”

Thomas doesn’t look impressed, but he also doesn’t change his mind. “Nadine, please get both Liam and Katrina the full file. Liam will need to meet with them to go over plans and be sure to secure an appropriate rental for Katrina to stay in during the project.”

Unable to hide her own grin, Nadine nods, and takes notes. I’m suddenly more anxious for this meeting to end than I was before it started. I want to get my hands on the file. I want to talk to Liam about any preliminary plans he has. I’m itching to get started on a project for the first time in literal years. My desire to dive headfirst into a project is back, and it’s exhilarating. I’m ready to work on building something that will matter to someone.

More than that, I’m ready to finally prove my worth to every person in this goddamn room. Prove to them I deserve to be here and not only because of who my stepfather is.

He has never given me much of anything, despite what so many people think. I was twelve when he came into my life and never really left, but never became a part of it either. He remained on the sidelines as my life continued. When he married my mother a year later, he gave me his name. I didn’t have much of a say in that matter. She wanted us to appear like a united front, a perfect little ready-made family. So that’s what we became.

The well-respected developer and doctor, with the well-behaved daughter that never caused them any issues. It was the role we all needed to play, and we did it well. The only reason I have this job now is because of the way my mother wants society to view us. All Thomas had to do was hire me. He didn’t need to give me any real authority or duties. The sexist asshole made sure a woman’s name wasn’t on anything important.

Until now. I’m not naïve enough to think he won’t be taking credit for most of my work, reminding me of where my last name came from, but it’s a start. I’m not sure I need the credit and the glory; I want enough space to be able to do my job. If I screw this up, I’ll never have this chance again. Hell, it’d probably end up being the one thing he could use to get rid of me, like he’s always wanted.

So, I better not screw this up.

BythetimeIget back to my desk, I’m feeling confident in my ability to make this project a success. The quick pep talk from Nadine and Liam has me floating on cloud nine, my confidence at an all-time high. It’s a feeling I don’t have all that often, so I want to keep riding it as long as I can.

As per my usual routine of things, I scan through the brief on the request for a proposal, taking note of the contact information of the two owners. Their emails are personal ones, not tied to business accounts, which makes me relax even more. They have as much to lose if this doesn’t work out as I do.

Well, maybe not just as much. After all, they’re Olympians, and I’m only a contractor from South Carolina, who desperately wants to get out from underneath her family’s overbearing thumb. Still, we’re practically one and the same.

Next on my to-do list is an introductory email. The three of us won’t meet until it’s time to break ground, but I always prefer to let clients know who’s on their team right up front. That way, there are no surprises. I move my mouse until my computer comes to life and click into my email, starting a new draft:

Dear Mr. Abrams and Mr. Clark,

My name is Katrina Dalton and I’m a contractor with Dalton Enterprises. I am reaching out to introduce myself as the second half of your design team. Once you approve the design elements with Liam, I’ll take over the construction process.

To oversee the project to the best of my ability, I’ll be temporarily relocating to Columbia and will be available to assist in any way I can. I’m looking forward to getting to work with you both to bring your vision to life. I’ll be working closely with Liam to ensure all your expectations are met.

Our current timeline has us scheduled to break ground on January 2, 2024, following the holiday. This will allow us to keep up with your proposed timeline and give us extra time should the need arise, though I don’t anticipate it will. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Liam. We will be more than happy to assist you. All my contact information is listed below.

I look forward to working with you!

Best,

Katrina Dalton

Contractor

Dalton Enterprises

As soon as I send the email, I switch my focus to the project folder Liam has already set up and sent through to me. There’s not much in there, though—just some preliminary photos of the property, a document of notes, and some research he’s done on other natatoriums around the country. I open the folders first.

The moment I do, my stomach drops. This place is a mess. It’s not the worst I’ve seen, but it’s not the easy turnover I was expecting to see based on what I was told in the meeting. Just looking at the first picture, a sinking feeling has me doubting my ability to keep this under budget and on schedule, which is another one of the mottos of Dalton Enterprises. Honestly, for a company who doesn’t give a shit about people, we have a lot of those.

I’m still on the first picture when I reach for a legal pad and pen to jot down my own notes. There is only so much I can tell about this place from the photos, but there are areas I’ll want to focus on. With each picture I click through, my notes get more extensive.

Over the hour, I become fully engrossed. I can start to see this project coming together. Liam’s designs will heighten the appeal that’s already there and we’ll be able to pull together a really great place—lots of natural light and comfortable seating for those enjoying the pools. It can be a great place; I can see why the owners wanted it.

An incoming email pulls me from my daydreaming. It’s from Mr. Abrams.

Hello Katrina,