HUGO - Chapter 1


    Hugo


    I park my Mercedes in its designated spot outside my office, feeling a sense of satisfaction. I’m just back from the Megula site, where three of my construction crews broke ground this morning on two adjacent luxury hotels. The owners went all out with press coverage, so the project is sure to get some nice local media attention tomorrow. I’m not particularly fond of photo ops or interviews, but I know it’s valuable free publicity for my company, HercuStruct. I posed for photos with the Megula owners and the project managers, gave a few quick interviews to the journalists on-site, and still managed to have a word with my construction crews, thanking them for their hard work and wishing them luck on this project.


    A part of me wishes Cooper’s crew could have led the Megula job. It’s one of the largest projects we’ve taken on, and Cooper’s skill is exceptional. Not that I don’t trust my other foremen—they’re all highly skilled, or they wouldn’t be here—but Cooper is my brother, and I’ve taught him everything he knows since he was sixteen. He and his crew, however, prefer restoration over new builds and are known as the best restoration team in the county. So, for this job, I’ll be relying on some of my other crews to bring these hotels to life.


    As I walk through the larger of my two warehouses, I greet a few employees on my way up the stairs to my office.


    ‘Ah, you’re back!’ Barbara, my secretary, greets me cheerfully. ‘How was the kick-off this morning?’


    ‘It was good,’ I confirm. ‘Everything looks great, the owners are pleased that we started on schedule, and there was plenty of attention from local news outlets.’


    ‘Can we expect some positive media coverage?’


    ‘I would think so, yes.’


    ‘Anything in particular that I need to be on the lookout for?’ Barbara asks, glancing meaningfully at me over her glasses.


    ‘Not that I’m aware of,’ I say, frowning as I head to the coffee machine, unsure of what she’s hinting at.


    ‘Does that mean you kept your clothes on this time?’ Barbara teases me.


    I should’ve known she’d remember that. A few weeks ago, I kind of hulked out of my jacket, ripping a sleeve at the shoulder seam during a photo op on another job site. I ended up having to pose in just my dress shirt, despite it being the middle of winter. Barbara had a full-on laughing fit when I showed her the torn jacket after I got back.


    ‘I figured I would hold off on a striptease, until the final reveal of the building. There’s bound to be even more press coverage then,’ I deadpan.


    ‘Smart thinking, Hugo,’ Barbara smirks.


    ‘Coffee?’ I ask her, once my own coffee is done.


    ‘No, thanks. I’ve already had my fill,’ Barbara shakes her head as she pats her stomach. ‘Don’t want to get any heartburn.’


    She steps out from behind her desk and follows me to mine as I pass. We share the open office space. When we designed it, I figured putting up walls would be ridiculous—this way, Barbara doesn’t have to get up and come to me every time we need to discuss something. It’s just more efficient. In the back, we have a conference room with a coffee table and comfortable chairs for ten people where I can hold private meetings if needed. There are two other fully equipped desks in the open area that mostly sit empty, but project managers and engineers use them sometimes when they’re directly collaborating with me on something. It’s just easier for everyone to work here on those days than constantly running back and forth between offices. I sit down and glance up at Barbara, who’s carrying a stack of papers.


    ‘Alright, Barbara, what have you got for me?’ I sigh, bracing myself. Paperwork isn’t exactly my favorite part of the job, but lately, it’s been consuming more and more of my time as the company keeps growing.


    ‘I have a couple of things that need your approval. These are the adjusted budget estimations for the repairs of the nursing home,’ Barbara hands me a small file. ‘Then there are nine requests for the replacement of major equipment and specialized tools from different construction crews,’ she hands me another file. ‘And finally, there’s the insurance matter regarding Victor Madden. The insurance company needs you to sign off that his injury indeed occurred during working hours and on the actual worksite, otherwise they’re refusing to pay,’ Barbara adds, placing a third file on top of the first two.


    ‘I’ll get right on it,’ I nod, taking a quick sip of my coffee before grabbing the top file. I want to tackle this insurance stuff first so Victor won’t have to stress about his medical bills while he’s recovering. But Barbara doesn’t move, and when I look back up, she’s still standing there. ‘There’s more?’


    ‘I’ve also taken the liberty of confirming two seats for HercuStruct at the charity dinner to support the Veterans Assistance Program in a couple of weeks. As a partner to the VAP, HercuStruct should be represented there.’


    I nod in agreement. From the moment HercuStruct came into existence, I’ve made an effort to partner up with local businesses and services. The VAP is a great example of that. We have hired several army veterans through their program to help retrain them for civilian jobs, and we’ve donated time, as well as some of the equipment and materials, to build a local service facility for the VAP.


    ‘I also have it on good authority that both the mayor and the alderman will be in attendance,’ Barbara continues, giving me a meaningful look. ‘So, the VAP dinner will be the perfect opportunity for you to discuss the city hall remodel with them.’ She briefly glances at her notes. ‘Also, Mr. Montgomery called twice this afternoon. He’s concerned about a clause in the final contract for the church restoration. Apparently, the phrasing makes HercuStruct vulnerable to unfair lawsuits for any unrelated damages that might occur during or after our work.’


    I frown, concern settling in. Alexander Montgomery is my company’s lawyer—and my closest friend outside of my brothers. Alex is damn good at his job, and if he’s worried about a contract, there’s usually a solid reason for it.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ‘He urges you not to sign that contract before he’s gone over it with you,’ Barbara continues. ‘Shall I schedule an appointment for that?’


    ‘Yes, please. Tthank you,’ I nod. ‘Let’s try to make it happen this week, if possible. They wanted the restorations done quickly, if I remember right. If we don’t start before the end of the month, it’ll get too tight with the other projects coming up, and then we won’t be able to tackle it until July at the earliest. Also, could you print me a copy of that contract and highlight the specific clause, so I can review it?’


    ‘Will do.’


    Barbara turns around and sits behind her desk while I continue working on the files she handed me. The office is quiet, and we settle into our usual rhythm. When I’m finished, I stack the files neatly and place them on the corner of my desk for her to pick up. I glance at my watch—it''s already getting late, but I want to go over the contract Alex flagged before heading home. However, Barbara hasn’t brought it over yet. I glance around the office and realize she’s stepped out while I wasn’t paying attention.


    I get up and walk over to her desk to check if she left the printed copy of the contract there. I sift through her papers and find it quickly enough, but something else catches my eye. Beneath the contract is a document labeled, “A systematic review regarding the benefits and expected outcomes of various treatments for drug-induced psychosis.” My eyebrows raise in surprise as I pick it up. It looks like some sort of scientific article—nothing to do with our work at HercuStruct. I wonder why it’s on Barbara’s desk.


    Behind me, I hear the sound of a toilet flushing, followed by the soft padding of footsteps. Barbara steps out and walks toward me. I don’t look up from the article, still reading the summary on the first page.


    ‘What has gotten you so intrigued?’ Barbara asks, her tone curious.


    ‘You tell me?’ I reply, holding the article up so she can see it.


    ‘Oh, that’s for one of Tim’s classes,’ Barbara explains after a quick glance. Tim is Barbara’s youngest son, who is currently attending the University of Wisconsin here in Madison. ‘He’s taking a psychology class about psychosis. This is one of the papers on his required reading list. I think one of the authors is actually the professor of the course.’ She points to the last name on the list. ‘Dr. Chastain, I believe. Tim was really enthusiastic about the class when he told us about it at dinner last week. Sounds pretty interesting.’


    ‘A psychosis class, huh?’ I say absent-mindedly. ‘I thought Tim was studying English literature?’


    ‘Don’t get me started,’ Barbara sighs, rolling her eyes. ‘He’s thinking about changing his major again.’


    ‘For the second time?’ I lift my eyebrows at her.


    ‘Third,’ she groans, making an exasperated face. ‘Anyway, our printer at home ran out of toner, so I printed out the last three articles for him here. I didn’t think you would mind.’


    ‘It’s fine,’ I assure her. ‘Just a surprising find.’ I hand Barbara the scientific paper back and briefly hold up the contract. ‘I’m going to take a quick look at this, then I think we should call it a day. What do you think?’


    ‘I’ve never been one to argue with the boss,’ Barbara winks.


    Going over the contract takes me longer than expected as my mind keeps drifting back to that article Barbara had printed. Despite the distraction, I manage to finish after about twenty minutes and agree with Alex that some changes need to be made before I sign this. I quickly email him a few of my concerns and check my calendar. Barbara has already scheduled a meeting for us on Friday to discuss it, which is perfect. Then, I text Alex to ask if we’re still on for sparring this Sunday. We usually keep work and our personal friendship separate, so I email him for business matters and text him for everything else. Alex ignores my email, but replies to my text within two minutes: he’ll be there Sunday morning at eight.


    During dinner with my family, I’m quieter than usual. To be honest, I’m rarely the one to dominate the conversation anyway. My brother Cooper, my sister Lily, and my other brother Jake–whenever he’s home, anyway–usually take center stage, with Nate and me keeping to the background. But tonight, I barely even follow what’s being said. My mind keeps drifting back to the article I found on Barbara’s desk. It’s frustrating that I can’t shake it. I’m not superstitious, but there’s something about it that keeps nagging at me, and I find myself wondering if it means something.


    So later that night, when I walk into the kitchen and see Lily’s laptop open on the island, I can’t help myself. I sit down on the stool, quickly open a new browser window before Lily returns, but then I pause. What exactly am I looking for? The article? The class? My fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment, and then, with determination, I start typing into the search bar. I click on a link that looks promising and scroll through the page, but it’s not quite what I’m looking for. Sighing, I go back to the search page, scanning through the other results, hoping something will stand out.


    ‘You know that I’ve already sent in my application to UW Madison, right? Or do you plan to enroll yourself, so you can join me in college next year?’ I suddenly hear my sister’s voice behind me. I turn my head and see that Lily is staring curiously over my shoulder at her screen.


    ‘Sorry kiddo, I left my laptop at the office today and I saw yours sitting here open. I didn’t look at any of your things,’ I apologize. I make a move to stand up, but Lily waves at me to stay seated.


    ‘Don’t worry about it. You bought it, so it’s technically yours.’


    ‘Lily…’ I sigh. I hate it when she does that! I’m her guardian. It’s my job to provide for her. She shouldn’t make a big deal out of it.


    ‘I’m just joking, Herc,’ Lily says, rolling her eyes. She affectionately wraps her arm around me and rests her chin on my shoulder while glancing at the screen. ‘What are you looking for at the university?’


    ‘Nothing important,’ I hum.


    ‘Great, then there’s no reason not to tell me.’


    I glance at her sideways and shake my head incredulously, but I also can’t prevent the corners of my mouth from curling up. I pretend to grab her nose between my thumb and index finger.


    ‘You are being nosy, Lily Thompson.’


    ‘That’s nothing new, but you love me anyway.’


    ‘That I do,’ I confirm without hesitation. I gesture towards the screen. ‘Barbara had an article on her desk for her son, related to one of his college classes. It looked interesting and it made me curious. I was trying to look up the class to see what it was about, but I can’t seem to find any information on it.’


    ‘What information do you have?’ Lily asks, letting go of my shoulders. She sits down on the stool beside me and pulls the laptop towards herself. She looks at me expectantly, but I suddenly feel reluctant to tell her.


    ‘Something with psychosis. It’s a psychology course. The professor’s name is most likely Chastain,’ I reply eventually.


    Lily’s eyebrows briefly lift up in surprise, but she withholds her comments. She concentrates on her screen and lets her fingers fly across the keys. She’s a lot better at this stuff than I am, and it takes her less than two minutes to find the class.


    ‘I think this is it,’ she says, furrowing her eyebrows. ‘Let’s see… “An introduction into psychosis, by Dr.  J. Chastain. This undergraduate course covers the onset, symptomology and course of psychotic disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, as well as an overview and discussion of various treatment options”,’ Lily reads out loud. ‘The course started last week, apparently,’ she points to an information box on her screen. ‘It’s on Thursdays, from three to five, at the Brogden Psychology Building on campus. That’s all the information available on the university website.’


    ‘Okay, thanks. I guess that settles my curiosity,’ I shrug as I stand up. ‘Do you want to watch a movie or something?’


    ‘Rain check? I still have to finish my book report.’


    ‘Sure thing. Need a snack while you work? Something to drink?’


    ‘I’m good, Herc, thanks,’ Lily smiles up at me.


    ‘Good luck then.’


    I press a kiss to Lily’s temple before heading toward the living room. Cooper and Nate are in the middle of some weird board game, so I flop down into my favorite corner of the couch and turn on the TV. Before I hit play on the documentary about the Roman Empire that I started watching yesterday, I pull up my work calendar on my phone. There’s nothing urgent scheduled for Thursday afternoon. On a bit of a whim, I clear my schedule by postponing everything I had planned for then to Monday and block off the afternoon. Maybe I should check out that class.