SITTING ON THE couch in her office, I watch Perry work Sturner on speakerphone.
“I know it, Bobby, but what can I tell you? The buyer backed out because apparently you’re about to enter some serious litigation over a certain portion of a landmarked lobby you decided to do some renovations on. Can you blame them?”
“We weren’t aware of the landmark designation, Perry. I have no doubt we’ll be able to prove that should the issue make it as far as actual litigation.”
“Then why didn’t you disclose this little situation to us at the outset?”
“Because we’ve only been speaking preliminarily, and I’m sure the issue will be handled in short order.”
“Actually, Bobby, after speaking with our attorneys on the matter, I’m not so sure. I think you have a real problem on your hands, which is why you were so willing—whether you want to own up to it or not—to unload the property. In fact, knowing what I now know, I think the value of the building has dropped considerably. But I’ll tell you what. I had a conversation with Jonah. And if you really are looking to unload the property, so you can unload all the legal headaches coming down the pike, Resurrection may just be willing to absorb said headaches. So long as the building comes at a steeply discounted price.”
“I can’t believe what you did to that pretty face,” Perry mouths to me.
Just as she does, my iPhone gets a call. I hold it up so Perry can see. Minnie. I step out into the hallway and walk toward my office.
“Thanks for getting back to me, Minnie,” I answer.
“Fuck you, Jonah. I got your damn message. What do you mean the buyer isn’t interested anymore?”
“You know this industry as well as anyone, Minnie. Things can turn on a dime. You understand that. The buyer decided to go in another direction.”
Before reaching my office, about thirty feet down the hall, I can see Jake inside his office. His door is open, and he’s standing behind his desk on the phone explaining to Gary Albert our buyer for Eight Twelve Seventh Avenue has unexpectedly decided to move on. I keep walking.
“And you, of all people, couldn’t sway them back?”
“I couldn’t. But I’ll tell you what. If you truly are ready to sell, Resurrection will step up and buy it from you. But—and I mean, but—in no way do I want you to think this was ever some backdoor kind of strategy to insert myself as the buyer at the last second when I was the real buyer all along. Seriously. I’m willing to take the building, but only if you feel like you are really ready to part with it because of all the things we discussed. If the buyer bailing means you want to hold on, then by all means, you should 100 percent, absolutely do so. And you won’t hear another word about it from me.”
I close my eyes, and force myself to push the words out.
“Other than, I promise you a night out for dinner for putting you through this.”
“Jesus, Jonah. This is a boatload to process.”
“I get it, Minnie. I do. But the building—”
“Fuck the building, Jonah. I need to figure out where we can go for dinner that’s dark enough I can trick you into a little game of Grab Ass. Will Perry be coming?”
* * *
Standing in my office, behind my desk chair, I look out over the Manhattan skyline toward downtown. I close my eyes, turn my head right about ten degrees, and open them again. My eyes settle far south on the recently completed Four World Trade Center.
Four World Trade Center. Owned by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The site of the original nine-story Four World Trade Center destroyed in 9/11, the new and improved version was completed in 2013. Seventy-two stories. Designed by award-winning architect Fumihiko Maki. The building is primarily occupied by the Port Authority itself, but also includes tenants such as . . .
I turn back to my desk, reach down, and bring Google up on my computer. “Sun Tzu,” I type into the search box, “The Art of War.”
A few minutes later I pick my iPhone up off my desk, walk over to the couch, and sit down. I look through my contacts. When I find who I’m looking for, I place the call.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Liz. It’s Jonah.”
“Hey Jonah. Look, I’ve told you this before. I can’t discuss Perry with you.”
“Actually—I’m not calling about Perry. I never imagined having to do this. But I’m calling about me.”