Misunderstood

Misunderstood
Friday morning began with a problem no one had anticipated. Catherine was halfway through her first coffee when Thomas entered her office without knocking, a folder in one hand and his phone in the other.

"We have a problem."

"Good morning to you too."

"The warehouse site in New Jersey."

Catherine put down her coffee.

"What about it?"

"The owner accepted another offer."

She stared at him.

"Yesterday?"

"Last night."

"We had an agreement."

"We had a letter of intent. Apparently someone offered enough to make that irrelevant."

Catherine leaned back in her chair. The site had been one of the strongest pieces of the Vandervoort expansion plan. Close enough to the port, accessible from the interstate and large enough to accommodate the automated systems Vandervoort intended to install. More importantly, they had spent two weeks building their implementation schedule around it.

"When did Willem hear?"

"Twenty minutes ago."

"Does Juliano know?"

"I don't think so."

Catherine stood.

"Get everyone into the conference room."

By nine thirty, the final meeting had turned into damage control. Willem was visibly irritated. His operations director had already opened the list of alternative locations they had rejected during the initial search.

"We can delay the first implementation phase," Thomas said. "Six weeks would give us enough time to find another site."

"Six weeks becomes eight very easily," Willem replied.

"And rushing into the wrong property could cost us considerably more."

Catherine agreed with Thomas, although she disliked what the delay would do to the rest of the schedule. Juliano had remained quiet throughout most of the discussion. He finally looked at Willem.

"How committed are you to New Jersey?"

Willem frowned.

"The location works."

"That wasn't my question."

Catherine looked at Juliano.

"What are you thinking?"

"Moretti owns an interest in an industrial property company with several sites along the East Coast."

Thomas sat forward.

"Warehouses?"

"Among other things."

"Suitable for automation?"

"I don't know."

Catherine immediately understood the distinction. He wasn't offering them a solution. He was offering them another place to look.

"How quickly can you find out?" she asked.

Juliano reached for his phone.

"Give me an hour."

He left the conference room. Willem looked at Catherine.

"Did you know about that?"

"No."

"Could be useful."

"Could be."

She refused to build another schedule around a property she hadn't seen. Forty-three minutes later, Juliano returned.

"There's a site in Elizabeth."

Thomas turned his laptop toward him.

"How large?"

"Two hundred and eighty thousand square feet. Previously used by a pharmaceutical distributor. Vacant for four months."

"Loading access?"

"Twelve docks. Separate freight entrance. The electrical infrastructure was upgraded three years ago."

Thomas's expression changed. Catherine knew that look. He was interested.

"Why is it vacant?" she asked.

"The previous tenant consolidated operations in Pennsylvania."

"And Moretti's position?"

"We own thirty-two percent of the holding company."

There it was. The complication. Catherine folded her arms.

"So if Vandervoort leases it, Moretti benefits."

"Yes."

Willem glanced between them. Juliano continued before Catherine could ask.

"Which is why I won't be involved in evaluating whether it's suitable. Thomas should inspect it with Vandervoort's operations team. If they want it, the lease negotiations go through the property company without me."

Catherine studied him. He had anticipated exactly what would concern her.

"Can we see it today?" Thomas asked.

"I arranged access for this afternoon."

Thomas looked at Catherine.

"You asked him less than an hour ago."

"I make efficient phone calls."

Catherine almost smiled.

"Go see it."

The final meetings continued without Thomas. By lunchtime, most of the outstanding decisions were settled. Willem left with his CFO for meetings across Manhattan, while his operations director joined Thomas in Elizabeth.

Catherine finally returned to her office shortly after two. She had barely sat down when Juliano appeared at the open door.

"Do you have five minutes?"

"Depends. Are you bringing another problem?"

"Quite the opposite."

He held up his phone. Thomas had sent photographs. Catherine moved around her desk as Juliano opened them. The building was hardly impressive from the outside, but the interior was another matter. High ceilings. Wide loading areas. Existing office space that appeared considerably newer than expected.

Thomas's message beneath the photographs was brief.

Don't get excited yet, but this could actually be better.

Catherine laughed.

"That's practically a declaration of love from Thomas."

"I assumed as much."

She looked through the remaining photographs.

"If this works, you've saved us at least six weeks."

"I made a phone call."

"You made several phone calls and found us a viable property in forty-three minutes."

"You timed me?"

"I was waiting."

Juliano smiled. Catherine handed his phone back.

"Thank you."

Something in his expression shifted. It was small enough that she might have imagined it.

"You don't need to thank me."

"Of course I do."

"It's an investment I already have an interest in."

"And you could have let us spend six weeks finding it ourselves."

He slipped the phone into his pocket.

"That would have been inefficient."

"Still. Thank you."

This time he simply nodded.

By four, Thomas had confirmed the Elizabeth site met nearly every operational requirement. Catherine should have been relieved. Instead, she found herself thinking about how easily Juliano had stepped in that morning. He had seen a problem he could help solve and used the resources available to him. It made working with him remarkably easy.

Her phone rang.

Erik.

"Please tell me you're calling to say you're leaving work at a reasonable hour."

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder."

She smiled.

"How's Singapore?"

"Still Singapore."

"That sounds promising."

"It isn't."

She heard someone speaking in the background.

Erik sighed.

"I have to go."

"Tonight?"

"I'll be home."

"Good."

They ended the call.

A knock sounded against her doorframe. Juliano again.

"I thought you might want this."

He placed a printed property report on her desk. Catherine looked from the report to him.

"You could have emailed it."

"I was walking past."

She glanced toward the corridor. Moretti's temporary meeting room was in the opposite direction. When she looked back, his expression was perfectly neutral.

"Convenient."

"Very."

Catherine shook her head and opened the report. Juliano stayed.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You're doing that observing thing again."

"I was wondering whether Thomas had started celebrating yet."

"He refuses until the lease is signed."

"A sensible man."

"You said yesterday you understood why I hired him."

"I'm reconsidering."

Catherine laughed. There it was again. The sound Juliano had thought about on the drive back to his hotel the night before. He had told himself this morning that finding the property was business. It protected Moretti's investment in Vandervoort and kept the expansion on schedule. All of that was true.

What he couldn't explain quite as easily was why he had crossed the office to deliver a report he could have emailed. Or why, when Catherine laughed, he was already thinking of another reason to stay.