by Marie Astor
Claire took the flashlight and approached the gash. One look was enough to know that what was lurking behind the chipped brick wall warranted further attention.
“Like I said, it’s probably just an old partition or something,” Jim cut in. “We can’t stop construction for every little bit of fancy decoration we come across.”
“Mr. Foley, this building has a historical status. The Commission has been asked to approve the submitted renovation plans. Now, it seems that we may be in possession of additional facts that could very well change the entire picture. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the sooner you could resume construction,” said Evelyn.
Jim sucked his teeth, leaning against the wall. “This place housed printing presses for decades. Don’t you think that if this were some fancy building, the owners would have found a better purpose for it?”
“That’s exactly what we’re here to find out.”
Evelyn cast an encouraging glance at Claire. But Claire was too engrossed in what she saw to notice Jim’s sneering. Gingerly, she ran her fingers along the wall inside the gash. It was not flat, as one would expect a wall to be, but curving outward – a helicoid shape. The surface was patterned with what must have been a series of adornments, perhaps a mosaic. It was too faded to tell. Carefully, Claire felt the bricks around the opening. If she could just get a glimpse of what lay beyond the boundaries of the gash…
“Sorry – it just came off.” Claire held up two bricks in her hands. She might not have been following protocol, but it was beyond her to resist the pull of discovery. She peered through the widened opening. The curved wall continued. This was no partition. “This is too incredible to believe.” One look at Daniel’s and Evelyn’s faces was enough to tell Claire that they were of the same mind.
“Would you agree that it shows Gaudi’s influence?” Daniel burst out.
“Yes, but who was the architect? Gaudi never travelled, and while his works were greatly admired, they were found to be impossible to imitate by most architects. Frank Gehry is the only one I can think of, but this building was built in the late 1800s or early 1900s, so that excludes that possibility. Unless…” Claire halted. The possibility was too momentous, too vast to be voiced without double-checking her facts first.
“Unless what?”
“I wouldn’t want to speak without consulting my notes first. It would help greatly if I could see how far the wall goes...”
“The scan showed that the wall runs the entire perimeter,” Evelyn explained. “We’re going to start taking the exterior wall down next week.”
“And who’s going to pay for that?” Jim cut in.
“We’ve already spoken with the owner. He is most excited about the prospect of unearthing a piece of architectural history.”
“Well then, you should have said so from the get-go instead of all that high-handed talk. We’ll have this baby cleaned up in no time.”
On her way home, Claire marveled at the remarkable turn her life was taking. Not only had she just gotten engaged to a wonderful man, she was about to embark on a project that could make her name known in the most respected architectural circles. How lucky she had been to have had Daniel as her thesis advisor! Granted, there were plenty of architects who were more experienced than Claire who could have participated in this amazing discovery, but Daniel had chosen her, and she was not going to disappoint him. Despite her reticence at the site, she was dead-certain that the piece of the wall she had seen had clear evidence of Gaudi’s influence. The texture, the shape – the clues were unmistakable. There was only one person who could have built something like this. Claire was sure of this. Now she would have to prove to the most respected architectural experts that her theory was correct.
Chapter 15
“I got you a salad, just like you asked.” Jake placed Claire’s lunch on her desk.
“Thanks.” Claire flashed a distracted smile, peering at her computer monitor.
“How is the research going?”
“It’s going.” Claire frowned, making a mental effort not to sound annoyed. Normally, she welcomed diversion from Jake, but ever since she had been put on the “Gaudi project,” as Daniel had dubbed the mysterious building in Tribeca, she had no time for chitchat.
“Are we still on for tonight?”
“What’s tonight?” Claire blinked, looking up from her computer reluctantly.
“Only your engagement party, which has been cancelled three times in a row already, so I’m not taking no for an answer. It’s Thursday night, and we’re going out.”
“I remembered that,” Claire lied. It had been three weeks since Daniel had put her on the Gaudi project, and even Claire had to admit that she had become obsessed with her current assignment. During the day, she pored over every source of information she could find about Gaudi – the inspiration for his designs and the shapes he used in his structures. But then Claire already knew from all the research she had done for her thesis that Gaudi had looked to nature for inspiration, and that the shapes he used in his building were often derived from shapes or organic matter, such as trees, plants, and even human bones. She knew that Gaudi was passionate about architecture, and that he felt that architecture had to be both functional and beautiful, and she was convinced that the mysterious building shrouded within an old printing press building in Tribeca had been influenced by Gaudi’s vision.
Yet that was where the puzzle stopped. Gaudi had never been to New York. He had never travelled outside of his beloved Catalonia. How, then, could there be a building constructed with such clear influence of Gaudi’s principles? It had to have been designed by his disciple or an admirer of his style. Here again, Claire hit a snag. The time period of original construction was either late 1800s or early 1900s, and to date, there had been no documented attempts to imitate Gaudi’s architecture during this time period.
Then there was the question of the building’s mysterious origins. Why had such a beautiful construction been shrouded under an ugly façade for years? Who concealed the unusual design with plain, ugly bricks and falsified architectural drawings? And how come no one had noticed this until now?
At least the last question was easy to answer. From her brief meeting with the property owner, Claire could tell that architectural history was not among his interests. The building had housed printing presses, and later, warehouses. She doubted that the workers who walked the building’s hallways day in and day out would have bothered to notice the unusual curvature of the corridors or the uncanny shapes of the rooms that did not at all reconcile with the rectangular façade but bespoke of the building’s true curving shape, which had been hidden for decades.
The last time Claire had been so consumed by her work was when she was writing her thesis. Mundane, everyday projects had dampened her enthusiasm since. Sure, she enjoyed her work, but the big challenge, the breakthrough project she had been secretly hoping for had not come. Now her zeal was rekindled. For the first time, Claire could truly relate to David’s passion for his job and forgive all those long nights and weekends he had spent at the office. The two of them had barely seen each other in the past weeks, and Claire was ashamed to admit that she did not mind it at all.
The Gaudi project consumed her. If Claire had had it her way, she would have camped out on Leonard Street. For the past three weeks, Claire had been going to the site every day after work. Each day she waited impatiently for new details to be revealed. The work was slow-going, as each ugly brick was meticulously lifted in order to reveal the building within. The construction crew uncovered the top two floors, and there were two more floors to go – six more torturous weeks by Claire’s estimation. How she longed to see the trapped building liberated! Almost like a kid impatient to tear away wrappers from presents under the Christmas tree, she yearned for the brick façade to fall and reveal the shrouded building underneath. Then the process of reconstruction with meticulous study of the textures and materials used in the initial construction would begi
n, and the building would be restored to its original condition.
Yet, as much as she longed for reconstruction to be completed, Claire also feared it. Once the building would be released from its ugly trap, a diagnosis would have to be made. Already she sensed notes of impatience in Daniel’s voice when he questioned her about the progress. She had been his best student, and he saw her as one of the brightest associates in the firm. Daniel had given her this opportunity despite her youth, relying on her zeal for the subject, her ambition, and he expected her to deliver. On several occasions he had asked whether Claire had made any additional findings, whether she had a hypothesis regarding the origin of the building. The Landmarks Commission was getting antsy. The chair of the commission had retained Daniel as the lead architect on the project. While no one expected a final opinion yet, subtle hints for preliminary reports were being made. If a plausible explanation were not presented soon, additional experts would have to be brought in.
The worst part of it all was that Claire did have a theory, but she simply did not have enough evidence to substantiate it. She had spent the last three weeks unearthing her thesis notes, poring over research archives, and exhausting every imaginable online source, but all she had to go by so far were a handful of vague textbook references and a collection of letters. And while the deep-rooted sensation in her stomach told her that she was correct, she doubted that her gut feeling alone would be a strong enough argument for either her boss or for the Commission.
“Drink up.” Jake placed a shot of tequila in front of Claire.
“You know I get wasted on tequila.” Claire pushed the shot Jake’s way.
“I’m not telling you to get wasted, but one shot will loosen you up. Besides, we need something to do while we wait for your fiancé to show up.”
“David should be here any minute.” Claire reached for the shot. Jake did have a point. She could certainly use a break. If tequila was the only way to get work out of her mind, then she was willing to do what it took.
“Cheers.” Jake raised his shot.
Claire followed suit, feeling the burning liquid go down all the way to her stomach.
“As always, you are right.” Claire leaned her head back, biting on a slice of lime.
“How is my girl doing?”
Startled by the sound of David’s voice, Claire swung around on her bar stool. One look at David was enough to remind her how much she had missed him. She’d been so busy poring over the shapes of Gaudi’s design that she had forgotten the rippled texture of David’s abs, the sand-blond of his hair, and the dark blue of his eyes.
“Hi,” she said simply. For a few moments, she and David locked eyes and everything around her seemed to disappear. “But I’m being rude.” Claire finally became conscious of Jake shifting on his feet uneasily. “This is Jake Walker. We work together.”
“Great to finally meet you, David.” Jake struck out his hand.
“Likewise,” David nodded.
The two men shook hands with such intensity that their handshake resembled a rope pulling contest.
“And here are the girls!” Claire rose from her chair to greet Amber and Lindsay, who had just arrived.
“And boys!” Amber cut in. “Everyone, this is Adam.”
During her three weeks of social hibernation, Claire had forgotten all about Amber’s latest crush. She had fully expected to find a new man on her friend’s arm, but it was still Adam – a record by Amber’s standards.
“Very nice to meet you all.” Adam bowed slightly.
He is quiet, almost shy, Claire thought. Maybe that’s why Amber likes him so. At six three, with lean muscles rippling under his clothes, and his dark hair cropped in a crew cut that showed off his chiseled cheekbones and strong chin, Adam’s reticence seemed unwarranted, to say the least, which made it a welcome change from the undue overconfidence usually exhibited by men Amber dated.
Jake proceeded to introduce himself to everyone, and Claire could not help but notice the way his glance lingered on Lindsay. Careful, Jake, Claire cautioned him mentally. If you dare break her heart, I’ll break your neck.
As if reading her thoughts, Jake shot Claire a charming smile as he proceeded to order a drink for Lindsay.
“So, where is the ring?” Amber demanded. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen you since the engagement! David, I sure hope you’re not going to keep Claire cooped up like this for the rest of your married life.”
David shook his head. “Don’t blame me. Miss Workaholic here has been burning the midnight oil.”
“They work you too hard in that place. I don’t know how you stand it.” Amber flung her arm for emphasis, her bangles jingling like tiny bells.
“What do you do, Claire?” It was the first time Adam had spoken since he had arrived, and everyone turned to look at him, making him blush.
“I’m an architect.”
“That’s sounds fascinating.” Adam’s voice rang with inspiration. “I used to dream of designing buildings myself.”
“Thank God you chose modeling instead!” Amber threw her head back. “Adam just got his contract with Calvin Klein renewed for five years at the top rate. Let’s celebrate!”
“Amber, we’re here to celebrate Claire’s and David’s engagement. Let’s not encroach on their night.” Adam’s level tone made it clear that he could be the boss when he wanted to.
“Of course. I’m so sorry, Claire. I just got so excited.” Amber blushed. Apologizing was not her style.
“So, Claire, what are you working on now?” Adam asked.
“Well, it’s a restoration project,” Claire started carefully.
“What time period?”
“We think it’s late 1890s or early 20th century. The building used to be a warehouse in Tribeca, and it was going up for a condo conversion. It’s most remarkable really…”
Before heading out for the night, Claire had resolved not to think or talk about work, but it was too late now. Adam’s question blew a fuse, and Claire could not have stopped herself if she wanted to. Not that she wanted to. With a willing, if somewhat captive audience – it was getting awfully crowded in the bar and escape would require significant effort – she could go on for hours.
“Wow, babe, you seem really passionate about this project.” David put his arm around Claire’s shoulders. “I’m glad you found something to channel your energy into. And I’m even more glad to hear that the Leonard Street condo development won’t be coming up any time soon.”
“How did you guess what street it’s on?” Claire balked.
“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe among friends.” David flashed a reassuring smile. Come to think of it, it was a slightly patronizing smile. “You didn’t spill the beans. I simply guessed because I’m in the business. An old warehouse in Tribeca that was up for a condo conversion – there aren’t too many of these around now. The owner is a long-time competitor of my father’s, and I’m glad that he’s been sidelined.”
“But David, why would you think of it that way?”
David’s remark cut like a knife. Was this what David thought of her work – a nuisance that sidelined property owners?
“This discovery could be huge. The value of the building could easily rise ten-fold.”
“Yes, but factor in the costs of stalled construction and missed sales. I certainly would not want to be in that pickle.” David shook his head, taking a gulp of his drink. Then, noticing the pained look in Claire’s eyes, he relented. “I’m sorry, Claire. I don’t mean to sound callous, but I’m a businessman, and to me a building is nothing more than a piece of real estate. Unless I can rent it or sell it, I’m not really interested.”
Before Claire could respond, David’s cell phone rang.
“Excuse me.” David fumbled with his jacket pocket as he reached for his phone. “I’ll be right back,” he mouthed, placing his hand over the receiver.
“So, have you set a wedding date yet?” Amber sidled next to Claire, sipping her
drink.
“Not yet.” Claire shook her head. Right now, she was too annoyed with David to even think about setting the wedding date. If that was how he planned to treat her when they got married… Well, then, he’s got another think coming, Claire thought.
Claire took a sip of her drink, wondering what kind of a phone call was important enough to warrant David’s skipping out on his own engagement party. Granted, it was not a formal event, not at all like the formal gathering at the Lawsons’ abode where David had announced their engagement, but it was still a party with her friends, nonetheless, and it was important to her.
Well, at least everyone else seemed to be having a good time. Jake was happily chatting up Lindsay, so consumed by their conversation that he remained oblivious to all the other females in the room – something that Claire had never seen him do before. And, despite their mock bickering, Amber and Adam were clearly in love. One glimpse at the meaningful glances that flowed between the two like currents of electricity was proof enough.
“There you are.” David wrapped his arms around Claire, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
“I’m right here. Exactly where you left me.”
“Don’t say that. You know that I would never leave you, Claire.”
Something in her fiancé’s tone gave Claire a twinge.
“I was just kidding, David.”
“I know. Look, I’m sorry about the things I said earlier. I was being a real jerk.”
“It’s all right. I know you didn’t mean it.” One apology was all it took to quell Claire’s hurt – that, and three apple martinis, and a shot of tequila. She was completely relaxed now, and she wanted to erase David’s hurtful words from her mind. “What do you say we get out of here and go to my place?” Claire tugged at David’s tie.
David loosened her grip, taking her hand. “Baby, I can’t. That was the office calling. I’ve got to run.”
“What about tomorrow? I took the day off. I thought we were going to spend the day together.”