Ethan straightened instinctively, which was a reflex that he acknowledged was slightly absurd since Tom couldn't see him. Everything okay? Everything's great, Tom said. I was at the dedication Thursday. Didn't want to make a thing of it.
Just wanted to observe. A pause. That building is something special. It is, Ethan said. Your work on that project was exceptional.
The structural solutions, the collaboration with the design team, the whole thing. Tom paused again. I'm going to get to the point because I know you're a straight line kind of man. We're launching a new division, affordable community development exclusively. Three cities in the first phase, Denver, Tucson, Salt Lake.
I want you to lead the engineering operation. Ethan went very still. It's a significant step up, Tom continued. Different responsibilities. You'd be overseeing a team rather than working solo on individual projects.
More travel initially, though we'd work around your family situation. A pause. And I'd want to bring the design lead from East Side into the division as well. Bennett's work on that project was the best interior design I've seen in a long time, and this kind of development needs that perspective at the core. Ethan stared at the Colorado history timeline on the table in front of him.
Tom, he said, "I need a couple of days. Take a week," Tom said. "But I want you to know this is not a formality. You're who I want." After he hung up, he sat at the table for a moment.
Lily looked up from her section of the timeline. "Who was that?" "My boss's boss. Is that good or bad?" he thought about it.
"I genuinely don't know yet." Lily considered this with great seriousness. "Did he yell?" "No." then probably good, she said with the confidence of someone whose barometer for professional conversations was apparently volume-based and went back to her glue stick.
He called Clare. 20 minutes later after Lily was in bed. Tom Hartwell called me, he said when she picked up a pause. The Tom Hartwell. He was at the dedication Thursday.
I know. I saw him. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to make you nervous. You saw Tom Hartwell at the dedication and didn't tell me. You were already managing a lot of emotions.