His cheeks go pale. “I—I didn’t mean it like that. I was just trying to get you out of a boring meeting. I thought I was doing you a favor.”
“Well, you weren’t.” Even if his intentions were noble—which I’m not certain they were given how shady he’s been acting since he got here—his words were completely thoughtless. I rub my temple before the hostess shows us to a round table in the back where a fiftysomething Black man is already seated, reading a menu. He stands when we approach.
“Councilman Truman, good to see you,” says Roger, shaking his hand.
“Likewise. How have you been, Roger?”
A brief round of introductions follows, and we take our seats. My gut hardens when I end up sitting with Frank on my left and Devin on my right. Devin tries to catch my eye, but I ignore him. I can’t let my annoyance put me off my game. I’m meeting with a prestigious client and a prominent local politician. Professionalism is a must… even though I’d like nothing better than to haul Devin out back and strangle some answers out of him. A few minutes of innocuous small talk follows before a server comes over and we place our orders.
“Are you sure you only want a salad, Councilman? Please, order whatever you like,” says Roger. “My treat.”
Councilman Truman folds his hands over the thick maroon menu and peers at Roger over his wire-framed reading glasses. “Now, Roger, even if I wasn’t watching my cholesterol, you know I can’t do that. I don’t accept gifts from constituents, and even if I could, I wouldn’t. Propriety and all.”
“You and your propriety.” Roger chuckles, but there’s an edge to the sound. Like glass mixed with gravel.
Once the server takes our menus and leaves, the councilman leans back in his cushioned chair. “Now, what’s this big idea you wanted to discuss?”
Roger gives him a wide smile that feels about as warm as a barracuda, reaches into his briefcase, and produces a thin stack of stapled papers. Beside me, Devin shifts his weight. He’s gripping his armrest so tightly his tendons strain. I furrow my eyebrows and return my focus to Roger, who slides the papers across the table.
“As you know, the city of Cleveland has already approved zoning for our new apartment complex going up on West Twenty-Eighth Street,” he says.
“I know. I voted to approve it,” says Councilman Truman.
Roger nods solemnly. “Yes, because you know the city is in dire need of revitalization. Every year for the past four decades, people have been moving out of Cleveland and into the suburbs. If we want a bright future for the city, we need to reverse that trend. We need to entice people to move back in order to build up the tax base.”
The councilman drums his long fingers against the arm of his chair. “What are you getting at?”
“We need more amenities. More businesses, more recreation, and more educational opportunities. If you build it, they will come.”
“Spoken like a true developer. What are you suggesting we build?”
“To start with? A new satellite campus for Cleveland’s community college right here in the heart of Ohio City. It would bring revenue to the neighborhood in the form of new residents, and by extension, the city of Cleveland, while offering a much-needed educational facility for college students.”
“We already have a community college branch downtown, located less than five miles away, so I wouldn’t say a new campus is strictly ‘needed.’？” The councilman rubs his chin. “Then again, it certainly wouldn’t hurt given the increasing demand for affordable college courses. But Ohio City is highly developed. Hell, it took you five years to secure the real estate necessary for your new apartments. Where do you think we could build a campus?”
Roger reaches across the table and flips several pages of the packet before stopping at a black-and-white street map. “West Twenty-Eighth and Providence,” he says, tapping the map twice. “There are three properties ripe for development. Two of them I already own. I purchased them when they went into foreclosure a few weeks ago, but I’d be happy to transfer ownership to the city of Cleveland for below market value. And the third building owes a significant amount of money to the state in back property taxes, which—as I understand from my attorney, Frank, here—you could use as a basis to acquire it through eminent domain. Combined, the three buildings’ footprint would offer enough land to build a multistory community college facility that would benefit the entire city.”