“The party’s all coworkers and their plus-ones,” I say, though he has a point. We are celebrating a merger, after all: surely someone here’s worth a little personal merging. With that in mind, I return to the main gathering area around the lake, feeling out the vibe the way I would at the show. While it doesn’t buzz like Meryton, the crowd has a good, light energy. My performers are happy, the guests are enjoying themselves, and my boss is in a state of near-drooling adulation. I am officially off duty.

I beeline for the nearest waiter, accepting a pair of bacon-wrapped dates with a smile. His not-so-subtle appraisal of me and my dress takes some of the sting out of Wickham’s no-show. Chewing contentedly, I stroll to the railing bordering the lake with an eye on the drink server on the island across from me.

When I came to finalize the layout before the event, I had to sit down to absorb it all. It’s been years since anything I had a hand in designing has been realized, and while I can hardly take responsibility for the grandeur of the space itself, seeing the little touches I suggested was oddly affecting. The tea lights dotting the surface of the lake had been idle doodling; I didn’t realize I’d submitted them with the Work It plans. Marley, Pemberley’s manager, confided that when the owner saw them in my sketches, he insisted on tracking down floating votives to make them a regular feature.

Pride blossoms in my chest as I dwell on the votives drifting below. The lotus styling is a nice contrast to the industrial vibe of the rest of the space. The exposed steel beams and iron railing around the lake needed softening, which is why I suggested the ivory bunting. I didn’t anticipate it would serve as padding, too.

I lean a hip into the railing, drumming my fingernails against the metal. This place is being wasted as a venue for some generic event like this—even if said event has been meticulously coordinated. A proper show here would be incredible.

The bar for Red, White, and Boobs spurred a series of design concepts on the subway ride home that night. When Meryton’s limited scale couldn’t accommodate my idea for a custom chandelier for the Twins to work from, I upgraded to Pemberley. I already had the digital renderings of the current space, so it was easy enough to play with some ideas when I got home.

And on my ride into work the next morning. And during yesterday’s lunch break.