Chapter 4 Birthday Song Scheme

The invitation arrived on heavy cardstock, Meridian Development's logo embossed in silver at the top: "Join us to celebrate the unveiling of our newest Cambridge project." Emily might have tossed it immediately if not for the handwritten note at the bottom: "Please come. We should talk. —Lucas"

"You have to go," Sofia insisted, examining Emily's limited wardrobe with disapproval. "It's reconnaissance."

"It's torture," Emily countered. "Watching developers celebrate the destruction of historic buildings while drinking overpriced champagne."

"It's also your birthday," Sofia reminded her. "And Lucas specifically invited you."

Emily sighed, fingering the invitation. "He's still working for them, Sofia. Whatever connection we have doesn't change that."

Nevertheless, Friday evening found Emily entering the Meridian corporate headquarters in a vintage black dress that had belonged to their mother—the only formal attire she owned. The lobby had been transformed into a showcase, with architectural models displayed on illuminated pedestals and champagne-bearing waiters circulating among Cambridge's elite.

Emily accepted a glass of wine, scanning the room for Lucas. Instead, she spotted Daniel—her ex, Meridian's legal counsel, and the man who'd broken her heart two years earlier. He caught her eye and approached with practiced charm.

"Emily," he greeted, kissing her cheek. "What a surprise. I didn't think this was your scene."

"It's not," she replied coolly. "I'm here to understand what's happening to my bookstore."

Daniel's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Still fighting progress, I see. Some things never change."

"Like your inability to recognize the value of history," Emily countered.

Before Daniel could respond, the crowd shifted, revealing Lucas across the room—in a tailored suit that transformed him from rugged instructor to sophisticated architect. The pearl earring remained, an incongruous touch that somehow completed the look.

Their eyes met briefly before a company executive pulled Lucas toward the main display: a detailed model of a city block—Emily's block—reimagined as a modern retail complex. Where Bookmark currently stood, a glass-fronted structure rose, bearing no resemblance to the historic building she'd fought to preserve.

Emily felt physically ill. She drained her wine glass and grabbed another from a passing waiter.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the executive announced, "we're delighted to unveil Meridian's vision for the Cambridge Literary District revitalization project."

Applause rippled through the crowd as spotlights illuminated the model. Emily pushed forward for a closer look, heart sinking as she confirmed her fears—the bookstore was gone, replaced by something sleek and soulless.

"As you can see," the executive continued, "we've reimagined this underutilized area as a vibrant shopping destination while honoring the literary heritage of the neighborhood."

"By demolishing its oldest bookstore?" Emily called out, unable to contain herself.

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to her.

The executive recovered quickly. "Ah, you must be Ms. Carter. I understand your concerns, but I assure you, progress and preservation can coexist."

"This isn't coexistence," Emily replied, gesturing to the model. "This is erasure."

She searched the crowd for Lucas, finding him standing rigidly beside Daniel. As she watched, Daniel extended his hand, and Lucas shook it—a clear sign of partnership, of betrayal.

Something snapped inside Emily. The wine, the stress of the past weeks, the sight of Lucas aligned with her ex—it all culminated in a moment of reckless impulse. She stepped forward and upended her wine glass over the architectural model, red liquid seeping through the miniature streets like blood.

Gasps echoed through the room. Security moved toward her, but Lucas reached her first, placing himself between Emily and the approaching guards.

"I've got this," he told them, before turning to Emily. "Time to go."

Before she could protest, he'd guided her firmly toward a side exit, his hand at the small of her back. In the elevator, Emily's anger found its voice.

"You're working with Daniel? After everything I told you about him? About the bookstore?"

"It's complicated," Lucas replied, jaw tight.

"It's really not," Emily shot back. "You pretended to care about preservation while planning to destroy everything that matters to me."

The elevator doors opened to the parking garage. Lucas steered her toward his car, but Emily pulled away.

"I can get myself home," she insisted.

"Not like this," Lucas countered. "You just declared war on my employer in a room full of investors."

"Your employer is trying to erase history!"

"And throwing wine on their model helps how, exactly?"

They glared at each other, tension crackling between them. Then, unexpectedly, Lucas's expression softened.

"Happy birthday, by the way," he said quietly.

Emily blinked. "How did you know?"

"Sofia mentioned it. I was going to tell you tonight that I'd been working on an alternative proposal." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "One that preserved the bookstore's original structure while modernizing the infrastructure."

"Then why were you shaking hands with Daniel?" Emily demanded.

"Because he just agreed to present my alternative to the board," Lucas explained. "Right before you baptized the model in Cabernet."

Emily's anger deflated, replaced by mortification. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

A security guard appeared at the elevator. "Mr. Young? Mr. Harrington wants to speak with you. Immediately."

Lucas sighed. "Tell him I'll be right up." To Emily, he added, "Wait here. Please."

When he was gone, Emily leaned against his car, the full impact of her actions sinking in. She'd potentially sabotaged not only Lucas's career but perhaps the last chance to save her bookstore.

"Quite a statement, dear."

Emily turned to find Maggie emerging from between parked cars, knitting needles clicking steadily as she approached.

"Maggie? What are you doing here?"

"Observing," the older woman replied cryptically. "These corporate events are so revealing of character."

"I've just revealed myself to be impulsive and unprofessional," Emily said miserably.

Maggie's needles paused. "Perhaps. Or perhaps you've revealed yourself as someone willing to fight for what matters." She gestured toward a security camera with one needle. "Interesting how these modern buildings record everything. Even conversations in supposedly private offices."

Emily frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Maggie continued, resuming her knitting, "that if someone wanted to know whether certain building assessment reports had been altered to justify demolition rather than restoration, the answers might be found in digital archives."

Before Emily could process this, the elevator opened again. Lucas emerged, his expression unreadable as he approached.

"How bad is it?" Emily asked.

"I've been assigned to damage control," he replied. "Which apparently means taking you home and ensuring you don't speak to the press."

Maggie smiled serenely. "How convenient. I was just leaving myself." To Emily's surprise, she handed Lucas a small package wrapped in yarn. "For your birthday, dear. Something to remember what's worth fighting for."

As Maggie walked away, Emily turned to Lucas. "I'm sorry I ruined your proposal."

"You didn't," he replied, unlocking his car. "In fact, you might have helped. The board is suddenly very interested in alternatives that might appease the 'militant preservationists' before this becomes a PR nightmare."

As they drove through Cambridge's historic streets, Emily unwrapped Maggie's gift—a vintage key on an antique chain, with a small tag reading "Archives, Room 302."

"What's that?" Lucas asked, glancing over.

Emily thought of Maggie's words about security cameras and altered reports. "I think," she said slowly, "it's the key to saving the bookstore."

Lucas's hand found hers in the darkness of the car. "When I pulled you away from security tonight, Daniel asked whose side I was on."

"And what did you say?" Emily asked, heart pounding.

Lucas's fingers tightened around hers. "I told him I'm standing with the Shakespeare section this time."

Emily looked at him questioningly.

"The night we met," Lucas explained, "you were shelving Austen, but your heart has always been with Shakespeare. 'Though she be but little, she is fierce.'"

Emily felt something shift between them—a recognition that whatever stood between them now was more complicated than developer versus preservationist. It was history and future, wound together like Maggie's yarn.

"Where are we going?" she asked, realizing they'd passed her street.

"To get evidence," Lucas replied, holding up the key Maggie had given her. "Room 302 is the Meridian digital archives. And I happen to have after-hours access."

As streetlights illuminated his determined profile, Emily realized she was seeing yet another side of Lucas—not just the architect or the boxing instructor or the boy she'd once helped, but a man willing to risk his career to stand with her.

"Why?" she asked simply.

Lucas glanced at her, the pearl earring catching the light. "Because some things are worth preserving. Buildings. History." He paused. "Connections."

As they drove toward Meridian headquarters, Emily felt the weight of the vintage key in her palm—a symbol of the past unlocking a possible future, one where preservation and progress might coexist after all.