Speaking of… Samir scanned the main road past the habitat, looking for a familiar car. He hadn’t said anything to Pinky, just in case it didn’t pan out, but he hoped it would.
He really, really hoped it would.
Pinky
“Oh, great,” Pinky muttered, seeing the shiny Range Rover with the DR Developments logo on the side come screaming up the road and into the gravel parking lot. Even with Dolly on her left and Samir on her right, she felt a surge of nerves at the thought of the oncoming unpleasantness.
Di Ria got out of her car and stamped over the gravel and the grass, past the excavator, to where the line of protesters began. “Just what do you people think you’re doing?” she said, in what Pinky knew she hoped was an imperious voice. Really, it just came across angry and petulant.
The protesters all looked at Gloria, so she spoke. “We don’t want you to raze the butterfly habitat.” As if it were supporting her, a monarch alighted on her shoulder and sat there, spreading its wings. “All these people with me are Ellingsworth residents, and they don’t want this either.”
“Save our habitat! Our town, our say!” the townspeople shouted in response.
Di Ria narrowed her eyes. “This is ridiculous,” she spat. “I already have a contract.” She looked back at the guy in the excavator. “I’m calling the police. You’re all trespassing,” she said, loud enough for all the protesters to hear. “Don’t worry, Rick. We’ll get this mess taken care of immediately.” Sniffing, she pulled her cell out of her pocket.
There was a murmur through the crowd.
“Don’t worry.” Gloria spoke again, calmly. “We’re peacefully protesting. Just don’t escalate it when the police arrive.”
Another car crunched onto the gravel as she spoke. Pinky narrowed her eyes. It was a silver BMW. “Is that…?”
Dolly gasped softly. “Is that your…?”
“Mom,” Samir said, smiling at her. “That’s your mom. And a special guest.”
Pinky couldn’t quite believe it as her mom got out of the car in an Armani pantsuit with creases sharp enough to draw blood: full-on Shark attire. Then the passenger door opened and out stepped Mayor Thomas.
“The mayor?” she said, looking at Samir in utter shock. “What’s my mom doing with him?” Holy crap. Pinky’s palms began to sweat. Were they here to stop the protest? Was her mom going to drag Pinky away? To slap everyone with a restraining order, telling them not to get close to her minor daughter?
“I think we—and Gloria—should be a part of that conversation.” Samir inclined his head toward them as her mom and Mayor Thomas walked over to Di Ria, who was lowering her cell phone.
Pinky turned to Dolly, shaking her head. Her entire body trembled, and she stiffened her back in an effort to look marginally braver. “I’m going to go do this, I guess.”
“Go.” Dolly nodded seriously. “Good luck.”
Heart hammering, Pinky grabbed Gloria, and she, Gloria, and Samir walked through the field, past the excavator, and joined the small group of adults.
“But I have a contract,” Di Ria was saying. “This is completely ludicrous.”
“Look at the support of the townspeople, Diana.” Mayor Thomas waved a hand toward the group. “I mean, just look at that. I never thought we’d see support of this magnitude.”
Wait, what? What was he saying? Pinky looked from him to Di Ria to her mom, hoping for some clarity.
“Be that as it may,” Diana said, glaring around at them all. “As I said, we have a contract. A legal right to continue with this.”
“Actually, Ms. Kumar and I read the contract together this morning.” Samir stepped forward. From his pocket, he pulled out his phone and consulted the screen. “And according to page eight, there was a feasibility clause built in. Here’s what it says: ‘Seller shall have a period to determine the feasibility of proceeding with this transaction. In the event that Seller is not satisfied, in its sole and unreviewable judgment and discretion, with the feasibility of Purchaser’s acquisition, financing, and ownership of the Property, this Agreement shall automatically terminate.’ Which, in non-legalese, means that if the city residents are angry about this development, the project isn’t feasible and can be terminated before closing. And as I understand it, the feasibility period doesn’t end until you break ground.” Pinky stared at him, her mouth open. Ho-ly crap. Who even was her boyfriend??
Samir paused and looked at Pinky’s mom, who was smiling. “Am I correct in the way I read that?”
“Absolutely,” she said, nodding. “Well done.” She turned to Diana. “So, in essence, you could get nothing and be forced to abandon this plan altogether.” Diana’s face got very, very pale. Pinky wanted to leap into the air and click her heels together, but she refrained. Just. “However, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Samir and I had an emergency meeting with the mayor this morning, and it does seem like your condos could bring in more revenue to the town, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. It’s the location that the residents object to.”
“Exactly,” Gloria said, her eyes dancing with the excitement Pinky was feeling.
Pinky’s mom continued. “So, we have a proposal based on some excellent research Pinky and Samir did. There’s a patch of land, just past the highway, that’s currently unoccupied. It’s hard to build on, but you have the resources. You can have it for a fraction of the price that this would cost you. And we think it would be much more beneficial to you and your target buyer. It’s right off the interstate, for one, which is incredibly convenient. And it would have a view of the ocean from the very top floors.”
Diana Rea appeared to consider this. “I’ll have to have my lawyers look this over, of course,” she said, tapping one long fingernail on her phone screen. “But I don’t think I have any objections at this time. Although this is very unorthodox.”
Pinky’s mother nodded and extended her hand for a firm handshake. Diana Ria shook, then walked off to speak with the excavator driver. The mayor cleared his throat. “Excuse me,” he said to them. “I should go speak with the residents.”
Gloria nodded. “Actually, I’ll come with you. I’d like to break the news to them, if that’s okay.”
“But of course,” the mayor replied, smiling.
They trudged back toward the protesters just as the excavator began to back out. Everyone looked at Gloria with expectant faces. A few scowled at the mayor.
“Good news!” Gloria said. “Thanks to some excellent legwork by Pinky Kumar and Samir Jha”—she pointed at them and Pinky flushed, while Samir put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed—“and this esteemed attorney from San Francisco”—here, Gloria pointed at Pinky’s mom—“and of course your powerful enthusiasm”—gesturing at the crowd—“the butterfly habitat will not be razed!”
The crowd cheered so loudly, Pinky’s ears rang. Gloria continued. “And the mayor was so blown away by your support in this matter, he was more than willing to offer Diana Ria a different spot for her condos. One far away from your neighborhoods.” Not strictly true, but it was nice of Gloria to toss him a bone. He’d come around.