REESE
It was the highlight of my career thus far. I took a moment to admire the beautiful building standing tall before me in all its glory. It was a masterpiece, if I did say so myself.
I did that. I made that. Obviously, not with my own two hands, but it was my baby. I conceived it and worked with the architects and engineers every step of the way. Our baby was almost ready for her big reveal.
“Sir! Reese Bancroft!”
I turned when I heard my name being shrieked from just beyond the tape keeping the excited press on the other side. I smiled and waved and hoped it would be enough. I wasn’t ready for questions from the peanut gallery just yet. I had a selected group of press I was going to be meeting with for the ribbon cutting. They were handpicked by me because they tended to give me good press.
“Reese, did you do it? Are you the father of Jana’s child?”
I rolled my eyes and walked away. The rumors would not stop. Every morning I woke up, I was being accused of something else with a woman I took to dinner one time. One time and I couldn’t get away from the gossip that surrounded the A-list actress.
I wasn’t going to let that nonsense ruin this moment. “Have you seen my father?” I asked Josh. He was my pseudo-assistant. I told myself I didn’t need someone assisting me, but I did. I was not Superman. I had a full plate and I seemed to be adding more to it.
“Not yet,” he answered. “I’ve got the press in the lounge. I’m making sure they’re kept happy with free drinks, but we need to get started.”
“I’ll call him again,” I said. “And can’t we do anything about that mob out there? They are killing the vibe.”
“Sorry.” He shook his head. “The best I could do was keep them behind the line.”
I shook my head and waved my hand around the massive, grand lobby of the Sky North Tower. “This is the story. Not me. Not a girlfriend I had a couple months ago. This is why my dad needs to be here. This is his arena. They aren’t going to ask him about who he did or didn’t fuck.”
I walked away with my phone to my ear. After several rings, it went to voicemail. “Dad, it’s me again. I’m at the tower. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was supposed to start five minutes ago. I’ve got a lounge full of press getting drunk. Are you on the way? Call me ASAP!”
I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I couldn’t delay much longer. This project had been a long time in the making. There was a lot of hype surrounding it. This was my baby. Yes, I had my father’s backing, but this project was really the first one I could call my own.
It was also the first of four. If this one went as well as I hoped it would, we were going to break ground on another tower very soon. It was unfortunate my brief time with a beautiful woman was overshadowing this moment. This was exactly why my dad, Armand Bancroft, was supposed to be here. I couldn’t let the current rumors detract from the project.
I made my way to the lounge where the reporters we handpicked were enjoying some of the cocktails we would be serving. “Hello, everyone,” I greeted. “Are you enjoying our specialty cocktails?”
“Too much,” one of them said. Everyone laughed. “Are we ready to start the tour?”
“I’m ready if you are,” I said with my friendliest smile. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”
“Will Mr. Bancroft be here?”
“I am Mr. Bancroft,” I said with a wink. I knew what they were asking, but I was going to play it off. “Shall we get started?”
I led them into the lobby they had already been spending a lot of time in. Too much. This ribbon-cutting ceremony was already off on the wrong foot. “This area is for the residents to collaborate and create. They don’t have to be in the same business or work together. It’s a space for people to relax and be inspired. Our designer went with an open space concept.”
“Have you talked to Jana today?” a reporter asked.
I ignored the question. “The ballroom is this way,” I said. “The acoustics are amazing. The lighting is phenomenal. The ballroom leads into the gardens that were designed by one of the top landscape designers in the world. This will be a one-stop shop for weddings and luxurious parties.”
I led them around the grounds and stayed out of the way while the photographers snapped photos. I took them downstairs to the full gym, indoor pool, and dance studio. I felt their appreciation with the looks on their faces. I knew it was pretty fucking awesome. It was an entire community in one building. Our residents never had to leave the safety and security of the building.
“We’ll have a full concierge service around the clock,” I explained while we walked.
“Have you sold all of the residential units?”
I was pleased to have a question related to the tower. “Not yet, but next week when we officially open the doors for those that have already bought, there will be some marketing in place.”
“What will the price point be?”
I knew how to deflect from the steep price on each unit. “We’ll have a variety of options. We have one and two-bedroom units. Different floorplans and finishes will have different prices. Those that are interested will be given a list of options when they meet with our in-house team.”
“Luxury costs money,” someone said.