David smiled. “No, Mark. Last time was lower than it should have been. This is the real price to do it right, on time, and not cut corners.”

By 11 p.m., he’d have a number. But in the back of his mind, a knot of anxiety always lingered. Did I forget the waste factor on that figured walnut? Did I charge enough for the dovetail drawer boxes?

One Tuesday, a regular contractor named Mark brought in a last-minute job. “David, I need a bid by tomorrow morning. It’s a 300-square-foot kitchen with a butler’s pantry. Can you do it?”