October 10, 2023 – 6:04 PM
Lin looked at the three photographers' names.
Then she remembered someone else.
She reached for her phone and scrolled through an old contact list.
There.
Evan Brooks.
Lin smiled.
She hadn't spoken to him since leaving the city.
Evan had been one of those freelancers her former boss relied on whenever something needed to happen yesterday.
Marketing campaigns.
Emergency presentations.
Website problems.
Last-minute corporate events.
Rush projects.
Three to six times a year, Lin had been the person calling him.
Usually late at night.
Usually with the same opening sentence.
"Evan, don't kill me..."
She pressed call.
He answered on the fourth ring.
"If this is Lin Zhang, I'm available."
She laughed.
"You haven't even heard what I need."
"Doesn't matter."
His voice was warm and amused.
"You only call when somebody's life is on fire."
"I'm not calling about a fire."
"Disappointing."
Lin smiled.
"I need marketing."
His voice dropped dramatically.
"So you've finally admitted you need me."
"Don't make this weird."
"Too late."
She laughed again.
Evan had always been like this.
Charming.
Impossible to intimidate.
And apparently incapable of having a normal conversation.
"What are you building?"
Lin leaned back in her chair.
"A hotel."
Silence.
"A hotel?"
"With farmland."
Another pause.
"Lin..."
She smiled.
"Yes?"
"Did you secretly inherit a billionaire's estate?"
"No."
"Rob a bank?"
She glanced toward the window.
"Apparently I'm not the only person around here interested in banks."
"That's ominous."
"Long story."
"I like long stories."
"You're getting the short version."
"Cruel."
She explained her parents retirement.
The renovated hotel.
The glamping site.
The farm.
The barn.
The future event space.
The outdoor activities.
Evan listened without interrupting.
That alone told her he was taking it seriously.
When she finished, he whistled.
"You weren't kidding."
"No."
"This is actually a business."
"That's generally what I'm aiming for."
"And you want me to market it?"
"Yes."
"How much?"
Lin hesitated.
"I was hoping you'd do me a favor."
Evan laughed.
"There it is."
"You owe me."
"I do."
"You owe me several favors."
"Technically, I owe your former boss several favors."
Lin smiled.
"Who do you think saved your career every time he called you at seven in the morning?"
Evan laughed.
"You."
"Exactly."
"Fine."
He sighed theatrically.
"I'll rescue you again."
Lin explained what she wanted.
A clean website.
Professional photographs.
A simple booking system.
Social media accounts.
Basic branding.
A launch campaign.
Nothing flashy.
She wanted the property to feel welcoming.
Upscale without looking expensive.
Rural without looking primitive.
Professional without losing the small-town character.
Evan was quiet for several seconds.
Then he said,
"I can build the website for free."
Lin blinked.
"Free?"
"Consider it repayment."
"That's a lot of repayment."
"You once called me at three in the morning because your boss decided his presentation needed a complete redesign before breakfast."
Lin laughed.
"He was very particular."
"He was a lunatic."
She covered her mouth.
"Evan."
"What?"
He lowered his voice.
"We're both adults. I can say lunatic."
Lin laughed again.
Then Evan's voice softened.
"By the way..."
Lin immediately knew something had changed.
"What?"
"You know I still do work for William sometimes."
Her smile faded slightly.
"I know."
"So..."
He hesitated.
"...you probably heard about the divorce."
Lin leaned back.
"No."
"Really?"
"I left that company pretty thoroughly."
"Yeah."
There was a pause.
"You left in a way people still talk about."
Lin smiled faintly.
Evan sighed.
"William's divorce is ugly."
Lin raised an eyebrow.
"How ugly?"
"Lawyers."
"That's not a measurement."
"Three lawyers."
Lin laughed.
"Better."
"Two accountants."
Evan lowered his voice.
"Apparently the prenup isn't as airtight as everyone thought."
Lin didn't answer.
She knew exactly why.
Evan continued.
"There's also been a lot of fighting over assets."
"Business holdings."
"Property."
"Investment accounts."
He paused.
"And apparently Vivian has been spending money like she's trying to personally rescue the luxury industry."
Lin laughed.
"That sounds like her."
"I knew you'd say that."
Evan's laugh came through the phone.
"You haven't changed."
Lin smiled.
"Neither have you."
"That's debatable."
"You still avoid answering direct questions."
"Only the ones that get me into trouble."
Lin shook her head.
"Evan."
"Yes?"
"Business."
He laughed.
"Right. Right. You're the boss."
"Not anymore."
"You could've fooled me."
She ignored that.
"What would you actually recommend?"
His voice changed immediately.
The joking remained, but the professional side of him clicked into place.
"Three stages."
Lin picked up her notebook.
"Go."
"Stage one is the foundation."
"That's the website."
Lin wrote it down.
"What does that include?"
"Domain setup, hosting, mobile-friendly design, property pages, room descriptions, contact information, photo galleries, an inquiry form, and basic search optimization."
"Booking system?"
"Not initially."
Lin looked up.
"Why not?"
"Because you don't have enough inventory to justify paying for a complicated booking platform yet."
She paused.
That made sense.
"What do you suggest?"
"Start with inquiry and reservation requests."
"Then automate later."
Lin nodded.
"Good."
Evan continued.
"I'll build the basic site free."
"How long?"
"Seven days for the first working version."
Lin wrote:
Website — 7 days
"And final version?"
"Fourteen days if you get me everything I need on time."
"What do you need?"
"Photos."
"Property descriptions."
"Pricing."
"Room information."
"Your logo if you have one."
"And whatever ridiculous list you've already created."
Lin smiled.
"It's not ridiculous."
"You probably have a spreadsheet for your spreadsheets."
"I might."
"I knew it."
She turned to a fresh page.
"Stage two?"
"Marketing."
His voice became more animated.
"We create your social accounts properly."
"Facebook."
"Instagram."
"Google Business."
"And whatever else makes sense for your customers."
Lin wrote quickly.
"Content?"
"I'll build the first month's content calendar."
"How many posts?"
"Three a week."
"Stories?"
"Two or three a week to start."
"Video?"
"Short property videos."
"No dancing."
Lin laughed.
"Thank God."
"I have standards."
He continued.
"The first campaign shouldn't sell rooms."
Lin stopped writing.
"Why?"
"Because nobody knows you exist yet."
"We sell the place first."
"The hotel."
"The farm."
"The scenery."
"The animals."
"The experience."
"Then we sell the rooms."
Lin nodded slowly.
That was exactly what she wanted.
"How much?"
"First month of marketing?"
He paused.
"I'll do it for five hundred."
Lin frowned.
"That's low."
"Because I'm giving you the friend rate."
"Evan..."
"Don't argue."
"I can pay you properly."
"I know."
His voice softened.
"That's why I'm giving you the discount."
She smiled.
"Fine."
"Stage three," Evan said.
Lin waited.
"Launch."
"When?"
"Four weeks."
She immediately shook her head.
"Too fast."
"You asked for a plan."
"I asked for a realistic plan."
"It is realistic."
He laughed.
"You already have the property."
"You already have the inventory."
"You've already got construction photos."
"And you're getting professional photography this weekend."
Lin looked at her notebook.
He was right.
She had nearly everything.
"Here's the schedule," Evan said.
"Tomorrow, I come out."
"We walk the property."
"You show me every area you want marketed."
"I photograph what I can myself and make a shot list for the professional photographers."
Lin wrote rapidly.
"Friday, I start the website."
"Saturday, professional photography."
"Sunday, I build the initial property pages."
"Monday, social accounts and Google profile."
"Tuesday through Thursday, content and branding."
"End of next week, you get the first complete website draft."
"Week three, we revise."
"Week four, soft launch."
Lin looked at the schedule.
It was aggressive.
But organized.
She liked it.
"And the cost after the first month?"
Evan answered immediately.
"Website maintenance: one hundred fifty a month."
"Marketing management: six hundred."
"Advertising budget isn't included."
"How much should I expect?"
"Start with five hundred a month in actual ad spend."
Lin calculated quickly.
"So roughly twelve-fifty a month before advertising?"
"Correct."
"And if I don't need full marketing management?"
"Then I drop that to three hundred for maintenance and occasional campaigns."
She wrote both options down.
Evan paused.
"And before you ask..."
Lin smiled.
"I'm asking."
"Yes, I can build the booking system later."
"How much?"
"Depends on what you want."
"Give me a range."
"Five hundred for something simple."
"Two thousand plus if you want a serious integrated system."
Lin nodded.
"We'll start simple."
"Good."
She looked over the page.
For the first time, the idea felt real.
Not a contingency.
Not a survival project.
A legitimate business.
A place people might actually visit.
She stopped that thought.
Not yet.
Evan broke the silence.
"You still there?"
"Yes."
"Thinking?"
"Planning."
He laughed.
"Same thing with you."
Lin smiled.
"Send me the proposal tonight."
"I'll have it in your inbox before I go to bed."
"And tomorrow?"
"I'll be there at ten."
"Don't be late."
"Lin..."
His voice turned mock-offended.
"I once rebuilt an entire corporate campaign overnight because you called me at two in the morning."
"And?"
"You think I'm going to be late now?"
She laughed.
"Good."
"Wear something nice."
"Good night, Evan."
"Good night, boss."
The call ended.
Lin looked down at the pages of notes.
Website.
Marketing.
Photography.
Launch schedule.
Rates.
A real business plan.
She smiled.
For someone preparing for the possibility that the world might not end...
She was becoming remarkably good at planning for a future.