by Ellie Danes
I checked the list and found Barbara's name—but I couldn't find Cory's.
“Um, excuse me Ms. Ameson, your name is here—but you're listed as the plus-one of a Mr. Everett J. Cooper IV.”
“Yes, that's correct. And I instructed him to contact you people and tell you that I would need to bring my business associate here in addition. I don't see why this is a problem.”
“I'm sorry Ms. Ameson, but Mr. Cooper definitely didn't inform us about anything like that.”
“Typical, just typical,” she muttered. “That man is utterly unreliable.”
Cory chuckled arrogantly and then said, “Look, there's obviously been a little bit of a miscommunication issue here. Let's just pretend that you did get the message, and that I was added to the list, and then you can let me and Ms. Ameson in. All right?”
His hand slid slowly along the surface of the table while he spoke, and he stared deliberately down at it, gesturing that I should look at it too. He pulled his hand away subtly.
There were now five hundred-dollar bills sitting on the table in front of me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing here—they were trying to bribe me. What was I going to do? Obviously, there was no way I was going to take a bribe. What kind of person did they think I was? But I wasn't exactly a bouncer, either.
“Come on,” said Cory with a sneer. “You know what to do. Let's make this a win-win situation for all three of us, huh?”
Just then, I heard a familiar shuffle coming up the path behind me. I turned around and saw Isaac hobbling over. He smiled as he and Ms. Ameson made eye contact—but it was a cold smile, a fake smile. I could tell right away that there was no love between these two.
“Well look who it is,” he said coolly. “Glad you could make it, Barbara.”
“Well, yes,” she said, turning her nose up. “And this waitress, or whoever this is you hired, is giving me and my guest a very unwanted dose of attitude.”
I was giving her attitude? After she had just tried to bribe me to break the rules?
“Mr. Wallace,” I began, speaking hastily and trying to contain the rising emotion in my voice, “I wasn't—”
“It’s quite all right,” he said. “Why don't you go inside and have a drink. I'll handle this and take over the table for the next couple of minutes.”
“I just—”
“Don't worry about it, Miss Benton,” he said. “Please, go inside for a while and just take a few moments to relax.”
I nodded and walked briskly inside, my temper at boiling point. I made a beeline for the closest waiter and got a glass of champagne from the tray he was carrying, then drank half of it in one gulp.
If this was the world of investing, maybe I was in the wrong career, or I guessed dealing with people like this was a lesson in itself. I was sure to encounter plenty of them in the world of investing. They weren’t all like this, though, I reminded myself. My dad wasn’t nasty, and neither as Mr. Wallace. And I wouldn’t be, either.
Chapter 12
Jace
I drove my Maserati into the parking area, got out, and walked over to the reception table. I was surprised to see Mr. Wallace himself manning the table. I didn't know him personally, but I did know his face, like most people in business circles did.
“Hi, Mr. Wallace,” I said, extending a hand to him as I reached the table. “Thank you for inviting me here this evening. It's a great honor.”
He smiled warmly—a pleasant, grandfatherly smile that instantly had me feeling at ease.
“Welcome, Mr. Cooper,” he said.
I was quite surprised at the fact that he knew my name. He could see the surprise on my face, and he chuckled warmly.
“You didn't imagine that I would know your name, did you?” he asked.
“I didn't, no. I mean, it's not as if I were a major figure in the world of investing and business.”
“You are, however, the CEO of a software development company that I believe is just going to skyrocket in value very soon, Mr. Cooper. I may be in my eighties, but investing and researching trends is my passion, and I do my best to stay on top of things. I think that you and your company have fantastic potential, and that's why I invited you here tonight. I make a point of meeting those whose companies I find interesting in person.”
“Thank you, Mr. Wallace,” I said. “I'm honored that you see such potential in my company.”
“Your plus-one is already here, by the way. There was a little bit of a misunderstanding, but everything has been smoothed over now.”
“My great-aunt Barbara, you mean? And what misunderstanding was this?”
He nodded. “Yes . . . Barbara Ameson. She and I go back many years, and not in a pleasant way. We've been rivals—sometimes bitter rivals—over the years. I was surprised to find out that you two are related, actually.”
“She's my mother's aunt, hence the name difference. And uh, she isn't close family, really. Just in recent times she's made herself visible in my life. She's helping me learn how to be a more effective CEO.”
It bothered me that she’d waited until I made my first billion dollars to do this, but I didn’t want to be so tactless as to say this to Mr. Wallace.
He nodded sagely, still wearing that warm, grandfatherly smile. “I see. Well if you'd ever like some extra advice in that area, you may want to come and speak to me.”
“Thank you. I might just do that one day,” I said. “Tell me though, what was this misunderstanding?”
“It doesn't really matter now.” He waved his hand dismissively. “It's been taken care of. Go on in and make your way to your table. Enjoy yourself!”
“Thank you, Mr. Wallace.”
He nodded as he ticked my name off the guest list and waved his hand in the direction of the path that led to the entrance of the hall. It was expertly lit up with beautifully colored lights, and it looked like a fairy tale. I strolled up the path and into the hall, which was also magnificently decorated. Smartly dressed waiters and waitresses carrying silver platters of drinks and hors d'oeuvres were gliding through the crowd of impeccably dressed guests, who all seemed to be over the age of sixty. I took a glass of champagne from one of the waitresses and looked around to see if I could find my aunt.
I couldn't pick her out in the crowd, but my eyes did alight upon someone who I had absolutely not expected to see here—Marie.
My heart immediately began to race and excitement buzzed through my body. Was it really her? I walked a little closer, staring intently at her. She looked beyond stunning. She was made up, her long hair done beautifully, and she was wearing a sleek, body-hugging dress that showed off her slim figure and her well-shaped curves. Seeing her like this took my breath away.
I knew that I had to go over and chat with her; it had been bothering me all week that I hadn’t had a chance to get in touch with her and arrange a rendezvous. After all, this had to be fate! How could it not be? I had been thinking about her nonstop since we had that second encounter at Plant Power.
She seemed distracted, lost in her thoughts, so it was easy to sneak up behind her. And I knew exactly what line I was going to use to open the conversation.
“Excuse me,” I said to her, “is this the takeout line for Plant Power?”
She turned around immediately, and I saw shock and utter surprise splayed across her face—but it was delighted surprise. I couldn't stop myself. I beamed at her, and we simply stared at each other for a few seconds, looking deeply into one another's eyes. Again, I felt that incredibly powerful sense of connection with her.
“Oh Jace, it's you! I, uh, what are you doing here?” she managed to stammer, breaking the silence.
“I should be asking you the same thing,” I said with a grin.
“Look around you,” she said, smiling with a glimmer of pride. “See all this, how good the place looks? I organized most of it.”
I nodded appreciatively. “It looks amazing,” I said, and I meant it. “So, you're an interior decorator? I thought you said
something about investments.”
Maybe, if I was lucky, the whole investment career had been a figment of my imagination and she was an interior decorator and I’d never have to be worried that she would turn out like Samantha.
She shook her head. “No, not at all. But I've been working, um, how do I put it, outside of my field recently.”
“Oh yeah? How so?”
“Well you know Mr. Wallace, I'm guessing?”
I nodded. “Yeah, of course. He invited me here.”
“I'm working as his assistant,” she said. “I'm hoping to be CEO of my own investment firm one day, so I'm doing an apprenticeship with him. Although to be honest, we haven't really done much in the way of learning about business and investing. Well, we have, but in a very roundabout way. It's, well, complicated.”
“Life can be,” I chuckled. “We often find ourselves in situations that we don't plan to be in. Sometimes they work out well, sometimes . . . I don't know what I'm trying to say.”
We both laughed. Suddenly, however, a strident voice interrupted our conversation.
“You're late!”
I turned to my right and saw my great-aunt glaring at me.
“Oh, I'm sorry Aunt Barbara, I just had a few things I had to take care of, but—”
“No buts! There's no excuse for tardiness, especially at an event like this. Now stop talking with this waitress, or whoever she is, and come with me! There are some people you need to meet, people who don't like to be kept waiting.”
I felt furious, being interrupted like this and ordered around, but I knew that Aunt Barbara was looking out for my best interests, and if there were people that she thought I had to meet, I needed to do that.
“Sorry, Marie, I have to go—but I'll come find you later, all right?”
She stared at my aunt with a hostile gaze, but then smiled at me. “Of course.”
“Hurry up!” snapped Barbara.
I shook my head as she led me away.
“Who are we going to meet?” I asked as we strode briskly toward a group of white-haired people in their seventies.
“Raymond Villiers,” she said. “He was a prime backer of the most popular search engine way back when they first started, and he invested heavily in MyFriends when it was in its infancy. This is the sort of man you want to get to invest in your company. Now I'm going to introduce you to him, and you're going to speak to him respectfully, and tell him exactly what you're doing at your company. And explain it in a way that will convince him that you're about to take off. Do you understand?”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
She sidled up to a large, portly man with a big, white beard and thick glasses, and gently tapped him on the forearm. Suddenly, her demeanor changed in an instant from dragon-like to meek and personable.
“Raymond,” she said sweetly, “how are you, my dear?”
“Barbara, it's lovely to see you,” he replied with a smile. “How are you doing this evening?”
“Just fine. Wonderful, actually! I know just how interested you are in all things software and social media, so I'd like to introduce you to my nephew, Everett J. Cooper IV.”
I shook his hand, and we spoke for a while about software and social media. I had an enjoyable conversation with him, but it was impossible to get my mind off Marie. All I wanted to do was go back and talk to her. Eventually, I managed to get away from Raymond—after getting his contact details, because he did want to talk more about my latest project—and began walking through the crowd, seeing if I could see Marie anywhere.
I walked around a group of old men in tuxedos who were all laughing about something, and then almost walked straight into another young woman I knew, although not one who I wanted to see. My ex.
“Samantha.”
“Hi, Jace. You look very good in that tuxedo . . .”
I had to admit that she looked good too. Her hair was done spectacularly, and she was wearing a very revealing, tight white dress cut on the side all the way up her hip to the bottom of her ribs—and it seemed, from that revealing opening, that she wasn't wearing any panties. Her round breasts were pressed tightly against the see-through fabric, her nipples clearly visible. She was wearing some very flashy diamond jewelry, and her high heels showed off the curves of her long, shapely legs.
Still, I didn't want to have anything to do with her. The only woman on my mind was Marie, and I wasn't about to let Samantha play games with me or try to manipulate me with her body.
“You look good too, Samantha. Now, if you'll excuse me—”
“Have you thought about my offer, Jace?” She reached down and brushed her fingertips across the top of my hand seductively, stepping closer to me, staring into my eyes all the while.
“I uh, I have, but I haven't made a decision yet, sorry.”
“Maybe you want a little more than just the money I'm offering? Because if you want . . . more . . . I can offer you other things. Things that will bring both of us . . . immense pleasure. We had some good times, Jace. I wouldn’t mind repeating them. Over, and over, and over.”
I stepped back, pulling my hand away from her. “I have to speak to someone, Samantha. I'll think about your offer—the money.”
“Speak soon, handsome,” she said with a lascivious smile on her full, glossy lips.
I hurried away from her, and immediately saw Marie, who seemed to have seen what just happened between Samantha and me.
“Hey,” she said with a smile. “Are you and that woman, uh . . .”
“No, no, no,” I hastily said. “We're not . . . no. She’s an ex. I have zero interest in getting back together with her.” Man, I was feeling like a teenage boy again, tripping over my tongue like this.
“She's gorgeous though. Wasn't she a swimsuit model?”
“Yeah, yeah, she was,” I said. “But she's nowhere near as stunning as you.”
She looked up at me, an intense look in her eyes. “It's not nice to make jokes like that,” she said softly.
“I'm not joking. You're far more beautiful than she is.”
She looked into my eyes, and I knew she could tell that I meant every word I was saying. “You . . . you really mean that, don't you?”
“Every word. I promise you.”
Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket as it started ringing. Yet another interruption! When was I going to get a chance to have a decent conversation with Marie? I longed to be back in Plant Power with her, chatting about everything and nothing at all. Frowning, I took out the phone to see who was calling me. The number was one I didn't recognize.
“Excuse me, Marie, I just need to see who this is,” I said.
She nodded. “Sure.”
I answered the call.
“Hi, is this Mr. Cooper?” asked an unfamiliar male voice. “This is the New York City police department.”
“This is Mr. Cooper. What can I help you with?” This was surprising. Why were the cops calling me? I hadn't done anything wrong.
“You are good friends with a Mr. Matthew White, is this correct?”
“That's correct.”
“I'm sorry to inform you that he's been involved in a serious car accident. He's in the ER at NYC Central Hospital.”
“Oh, my God . . .”
Shock rushed through my system.
“I'm sorry, Mr. Cooper.”
“I'll go there right now. Right away. Thank you for informing me.”
“I hope he's all right, Mr. Cooper.”
Marie could tell right away that something was wrong.
“What's happened, Jace?”
“My . . . my best friend has just been in a car wreck. He's in the ER right now.”
“Oh my God. I'm so sorry to hear that.”
“I have to go, I gotta go see him,” I murmured, feeling shock rushing through me and numbing me.
She nodded “. “Hurry, your friend needs you!”
I nodded, turned around, and sprinted out of the hall.
Chapter 13
Marie
I still couldn't believe that Jace had been here. It had to have been . . . well, fate, right? I had never believed in anything like that before, but this was uncanny. I mean, how else could I explain just randomly bumping into the guy I was crushing on—the guy who had been on my mind non-stop since our first chance encounter.
It was too bad that he’d had to leave so quickly. I hoped his friend would be all right.
I was still feeling worried about Jace’s friend when Isaac came waddling my way. The warm smile on his face put me in a better mood immediately.
“Do you need me to go back out to the welcome table, Mr. Wallace?” I asked.
“No, no, that won't be necessary. Everyone on the guest list is here now.”
“I'm sorry I almost lost my cool out there,” I said to him, blushing slightly. “It really wasn't very professional of me.”
“I don't blame you,” he said. “I almost lost my cool myself.”
That was quite a surprising and unexpected thing to hear. Isaac was always so calm and collected, and while he could be a little thorny at times, I couldn't picture him losing his temper.
“Really?”
He nodded. “That Barbara Ameson is a horrid woman,” he muttered. “She and I, we go way back. Old rivalries, you see. But I won't go into detail about all of that. I unfortunately had to let her young associate—an equally unpleasant fellow, it seems—into our ball. They would have caused too much of a scene if I hadn't. She has agreed, though, that she owes me a favor now. A big one. So, it's good to have that on her.
“Anyway, Miss Benton, let's not think too much about her and her unpleasant friend right now. Let's enjoy the evening. I have some friends you may like to meet—investors who are interested in current trends among America's tech-addicted youth markets. You could learn a thing or two. They're busy now, but I'll call you over when it seems that they have a free moment for conversation.”
“All right,” I said to him. “I'll talk to you later, Mr. Wallace. And remember, if there's anything that needs taking care of—”