Chapter 1 What a hot summer Monday. With the Golden Gate Bridge in sight, my brother Zach calls. Change of plans. Since he’s home early from a business trip to Greece, I agree to meet him at one of our spots, The Waterfront Café. I turn my Volvo C70 Convertible around and head back to the city by the bay. Twenty minutes later, I join my brother in the outdoor section of the café that overlooks the bay. The sun has started its descent. The San Francisco Belle, with her stern paddlewheel and elaborate fretwork, floats by. Zach and I run a design, architecture and construction business together. He had travelled to Greece to check out a hotel site that our largest client, and my friend Jada Kole—formerly, McLean, is building. “Why are you back so soon?” I ask, after a warm embrace. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” he responds with a sweet smile. I know I’m not going to like this. “Good first.” “The hotel is ahead of schedule…” “I sense a but coming.”
