“Thank you all for making Lexi Brewer’s project a priority,” I said. “I know it’s a tight turnaround, but I’m confident we can do amazing things. We’re Vasquez Squared.”

Christian, ever the competitor, let out a roar and raised his fist in the air. This was greeted by laughs from the rest of the staff.

I was standing in front of the whiteboard in the meeting room at the office. I glanced around the big table and smiled at my coworkers. Their enthusiasm for Lexi’s project was off the charts, and I was genuinely excited to see what they all came up with.

Because there was so much to be done, we’d broken everyone into teams. So Christian, a graphic designer, and Shanna, a copywriter, would prioritize working on the materials for the gala, while Booker and Luz took on the overall branding of the housing development with their team of designers. Carson and I would oversee the execution of the deliverables in our capacities as art director and creative director. Sophie and Miguel as chief creative officers and owners of the studio would act in an advisory capacity as needed.

I handed out the creative brief as well as packets of information to the teams that explained what Lexi’s project was all about. As a net-zero housing development, the goal was to create a self-sustaining community that required little to no support from the utility companies for power or the city for waste management or water. Lexi was utilizing fascinating technologies in her structures like gray-water harvesting for irrigation and toilet flushing, and green roofs for insulation and temperature management. She even planned to use electrochromic glass, which tinted as needed like sunglasses. Composting both food waste and human waste were to be incorporated as well. I saw Luz make a face when she read about that, and I had to hide my laugh.

“If there are no more questions—” I began but Carson interrupted me, because of course he did.

“I have one,” he said.

I felt the entire room watching me. I pasted a smile on my face and said, “Sure, what is it?”

“How did you meet Lexi Brewer?” he asked. He was reclining in his seat in a casual pose, but I could see the tension in him as he fidgeted with his pen, twirling it between his fingers.

“I’m sorry, what?” I asked.

“I just find it interesting that you’re brand new to Phoenix, don’t know a soul, and yet here you are, bringing in a huge new client with quite the generous budget.” He paused to tap his pen on the proposed budget for our work for Lexi, the budget Nick had signed off on under her name, and then back up at me. He was smiling but it left me cold.