Lucas Hollins stuffed a file folder filled with change orders into the cabinet. He swiveled his chair one hundred eighty degrees, reached for a glass and the crystal decanter on the credenza behind his desk, and poured himself a scotch. It was almost nine o'clock on a Friday evening, and he was the last person to leave the jobsite.
Another week in the books. Five more months, and then this project will be finished. By that time, everything should be in place to begin construction on the university hospital expansion. That job will take two years, minimum. When that one is complete, I'll be in position to bid on contracts throughout the Southeast United States.
Lucas took a sip of his scotch, checked his phone for messages, and then reached for the pile of documents needing signatures that his secretary had left on the corner of his desk. His reverie was interrupted by the door to the trailer that served as his office unexpectedly bursting open. An attractive woman in her late thirties carrying a purse and a brief case walked through the entrance. She wore a tailored skirted suit that stopped at the knees, a white blouse with a thin black ribbon under the collar, and a black silk jacket--all balanced on four-inch heels.
Before Lucas could say anything, the black -haired woman glided across the floor, set her bags on his desk, and extended her hand.
"Mr. Hollins," she said. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm with First Commercial Bank. My name is Leidy Ballesteros, but you probably know me better as ..."
"Lady Balls," Lucas gulped as the color drained from his face.
"Yes, that is the name by which some people often refer to me."
"But...why?" Lucas stammered. "John Cassel is the officer servicing our loan."
"I think you know why I'm here, Mr. Hollis. This loan has been reassigned to my portfolio. This project is months overdue and the bank is concerned about whether you can bring it in on time and within budget. Very concerned. So concerned, in fact, that I was forced to cancel my plans for the weekend and fly in from New York to see what we can do to get you back on schedule."
"With all due respect, Miss Ballesteros..."
"Mrs.," she interrupted.
"I'm sorry," Lucas continued. "Mrs. Ballesteros, I assure you that everything is under control and this project will be completed on time. You have my word."
"I appreciate that, Mr. Hollis, but your word is no longer sufficient. The first three floors were scheduled to open three weeks ago. Have they opened?"
"No,"
"Of course not. I checked to see if any certificates of occupancy were issued, and as of four o'clock this afternoon none were. In fact, I suspect that no applications were even filed. Am I correct, Mr. Hollis?"
"As of today, no ma'am."
"Am I also correct in stating that floors 1-3 are not yet inhabitable?"
"That would be correct, ma'am."
"Mr. Hollis, those three floors are for retail establishments. The tenants do not begin paying rent until they move in. Interest on the construction loan accrues daily, whether rent is being paid or not. Do you see why the owner is getting nervous? And why the bank is getting nervous as well? Your delays are costing the owner millions. And that situation exposes the bank to a greater risk of default."
"I assure you, Mrs. Ballesteros, we are very close to getting back on schedule. This project will be completed on time. I promise."
"Well, Mr. Hollis, that's just what I'm here to find out."
"I see. I was just getting ready to leave for the night. It's been a long week. But I will be in by nine tomorrow morning. Would you like to meet for breakfast, around 8 maybe? There's a new diner a few blocks from here."
"Mr. Hollis, I don't think you appreciate the gravity of the situation. One word from me and your company will be replaced. You will not receive a final payment or any further payments whatsoever. We are working tonight. You will not be leaving until our business is concluded. Take a minute to call home and let your family know not to expect you until tomorrow morning."
"How long do you think...?"
"As long as it takes, Mr. Hollis.
"I see. One minute, please."
* * *
Lucas and Leidy walked the short distance from the construction trailer to the worksite. They stopped at the front door while Lucas fumbled with the building's keys. He entered a code on the keypad and then unlocked the front door. Leidy entered first and headed directly toward the elevator bank.
"Are any elevators operational?" she asked.
"We can take the service elevator around the corner. Where would you like to start?"
"The roof, of course. We'll begin there and work our way downward."
Lucas called the service elevator. He instinctively held the door open while Leidy entered, and then typed in a code before pressing the button for the top floor. The doors closed and the car ascended.
"What is the status of the customer elevators?"
"They are all operational, but we are waiting for the inspector to issue certificates of operation."
"When are the inspections scheduled?"
"The applications are on my desk. They will go in on Monday morning."
"According to my chart, that should have been done six weeks ago."
"Uh, correct. My secretary was out for two weeks due to Covid restrictions. She is catching up on all the paperwork I generated while she was out."
"I see," Leidy frowned. "No one else in your organization is capable of sending in the applications?"
"I... didn't...think..."
"Precisely, Mr. Hollis."
The elevator door opened and the two stepped out. Lucas led the pair down a hallway to the stairway designated for roof access. He opened the outer door, and the pair walked into the crisp night air.
"As you can see, all safety rails are in place." Lucas turned and pointed. "All thirty-two cooling units are installed."
"Show me the cooling tower, please," Leidy commanded.
"Yes, ma'am. Over here."
Lucas led her to a block and metal structure designed to disguise the mechanical and electrical components inside.
"The systems are installed and functioning, pending inspection and certification." Lucas smiled. "We are not so far behind schedule as you may believe."
"When is the inspection scheduled?"
"Let me see." Lucas consulted his tablet. "Looks like they will be back on the twenty-fourth."
"Back?" Leidy turned and glared at Lucas.
"There was a mix-up the first time they came out. We had not submitted the updated system diagrams before the inspection. The inspector refused to look at it until our paperwork was updated at Building and Zoning."
"I'm not surprised."
"The system is fully operational. I'm sure we will pass inspection."
"Six weeks behind schedule," Leidy interjected.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"I've seen enough here. Let's go to the penthouse."
"Yes, ma'am. This way please."
Lucas closed the cooling tower and led Leidy to the access stairway. They descended the stairs to the penthouse level. Lucas switched on a battery-powered bank of construction lights.
"As you can see, the floor is entirely framed out. The plumbing is fully installed."
"Electric hasn't even started."
"Well, yes, they are scheduled to begin this week."
"They should have finished, let me see..." Leidy consulted her tablet. "Today. Electric should have finished today."
"That's not so bad, actually. We can catch up."
"The drywall finishers can't even start until electric is done. That puts the painters and flooring installers behind. If one team is two weeks behind schedule, that can cause the other teams to be three or four weeks behind. Delays cascade throughout the entire project. You know this, Lucas. I've seen enough. Let's go to the next floor."
Lucas and Leidy proceeded to the sixty-seventh floor.
"All I see here is a giant mess. Waste materials everywhere. Incomplete framing. Electric boxes missing."
