Chapter Two: From Afar
I couldn’t stop watching her from across the room.
Judy was talking animatedly to Gigi, her hands flying as she gestured wildly, and her face lit up with a smile. Her blue eyes shined even from this distance. As she threw her head back in laughter, my eyes travelled down the length of her graceful neck and naturally came to rest on the swell of her breasts. Heat shot through me as I remembered the weight of them in my hands.
“Dude, you’re being really creepy,” Hayden’s voice came from my left. I snapped my gaze back to him. I had completely forgotten he was there.
“What are you talking about?” I asked as casually as possible, as if I didn’t know I had been staring at my ex for the past five minutes.
Hayden wasn’t going to play along. As my twin, he had a knack for seeing right through me. It could be useful at work, we needed to be on the same page to run a company, but it was annoying when he tried to meddle in my personal life. He shot me a wry expression and turned to regard Judy as well. I grabbed a stuffed mushroom from a passing waiter’s tray and popped it into my mouth whole, hoping to somehow avoid the impending topic of conversation.
“She looks good tonight, huh?” Hayden asked, turning back to me with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged in response.
Good didn’t cover it. She looked stunning. Her bright orange top was loose, but low cut enough to show cleavage. Her blouse was tucked into high-waisted black and white patterned pants that showed off her long, lean legs. Her hair had grown longer since our time together and I could easily remember how soft it was.
“Well, I’m sure someone else around here is bound to notice how good she looks,” Hayden persisted.
“Do you want me to tell your very pregnant girlfriend about how attractive you think Judy is?” I asked, trying to ignore the way my gut clenched at his words. It wasn’t any of my business if someone else hit on Judy.
“Woah. That’s low, man,” he said, feigning hurt. I rolled my eyes.
“I was just mesmerized by that crazy outfit,” I said.
It was true that Judy’s shirt was the brightest thing in the room and the pattern of her pants reminded me faintly of an acid trip. That was just Judy, she loved to stand out with her clothing choices. Between that and her big personality, it seemed that she was the center of attention wherever she went.
“Yeah, whatever,” Hayden said, with a sigh. “We both know that you miss her.”
“No, we don’t both know that. She’s my friend, we pretty much work together since I invested in So Good. How could I miss her when she’s around so much?”
“That’s different. It’s not the same as being with someone intimately.”
“Speaking of, where is Sabine?” I asked, wondering about his girlfriend. I was happy to find a way to change the subject and embraced it with enthusiasm.
I didn’t want to talk about Judy with Hayden, or anyone for that matter. We had a good thing, but it ended and that was fine. We knew it was risky for SXz if the two of us were found to be dating. She was our employee at the time. Of course, I had known the risk going into the relationship, but Judy had a way about her that was hard to resist. That was another part of the reason for splitting up. I was starting to get too attached, for the first time in my life. That was not part of the plan.
“She’s performing. It was booked months ago, but she hated to miss this.”
I nodded. Sabine was a singer with an amazing voice and a new hit single. It wasn’t unusual for her Saturday evenings to be spent on stage.
I swept my gaze around the room. The spacious room we were in was brightly lit and there was a fireplace across the room with couple of easy chairs placed in front of it. It was a normal hotel lobby, complete with a reception desk near the entrance. Damian had had the crazy idea of doing this here. He had paid a small fortune for it.
People were scattered throughout the space; everyone from reporters being followed around by photographers to wealthy men in smart suits. Some of those men were new investors, investors with the potential of becoming stakeholders in the future. The venture capital money was starting to take notice of So Good. There were also invited guests. Judy had the idea of inviting some of the newly married couples that had met through So Good. They were a physical reminder of the app’s immense success. It was a great PR move.
“Hey guys,” Judy’s voice came from behind me and I turned with surprise. She and Gigi had made their way across the room and were now standing before us.
“Hey,” Hayden replied while I nodded. I didn’t want to admit it, but Hayden’s words had stirred up some complicated emotions that I refused to identify. I tried to push them down and act unaffected.
“This turned out so great! The Bakers, our first clients to get married, are here. Gigi and I took a picture with them for Business Insider,” Judy added, clearly thrilled. Her passion for this company was clear. I smiled at her enthusiasm.
“That’s great,” I told her.
“My, oh, my. Is that a sex god heading our way?” Judy asked, playfully bumping her hip against Gigi’s to get her attention. Gigi nearly spilled her champagne and shot her a glare. Judy grinned sheepishly before pointing to Damian making his way through the crowd. “Sorry, love. I was just trying to draw your attention to the gorgeous piece of man meat with his eyes locked on you.”
Gigi’s face melted into a smile as her eyes met Damian’s. He reached us and scooped her into his arms.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said to her without greeting anyone else.
“Oh, hi there, Damian. I’m doing great, thanks for asking,” Judy said with a sardonic little wave in his direction. He ignored her, as expected.
“Don’t take it personally, Juju. He ignored us too,” I said, realizing too late that I had used a nickname from when we were dating. There was a moment of tension when her eyes met mine in confusion. I had only ever called her that when we were alone.
The moment seemed to stretch on as I shifted my weight uncomfortably. Thankfully, Gigi and Damian were too wrapped up in one another to notice anything and Hayden had the decency to suddenly pretend to be very interested in flagging down a waiter with crab puffs.
“Uh, yeah. I try not to let it get to me. They really love each other,” Judy broke the silence and I was grateful.
Before another word was spoken, the lights in the room all dimmed, fog began to filter into the crowd and music started to play. I looked around curiously, along with nearly everyone else. The music was fast paced and upbeat. It sounded vaguely familiar.
“Is that circus music?” Judy asked loudly.
I realized that she was right. At that moment, multi-colored lights danced around the room and people started pouring into the lobby from all sides. They were all dressed in black sequined leotards and some were carrying props. Their pace matched the music perfectly and it was like watching a dance as they positioned themselves among the crowd. They immediately began performing acts and tricks to delight the gathered crowd.
There were jugglers and baton twirlers, acrobats and even a sword swallower. It was like standing in the middle of a circus ring or a carnival. Four large hoops were lowered from the ceiling until they hung directly above the audience. Some of the performers broke into pairs and climbed on each other’s shoulders to reach the hoops, showing off true acrobatic skill. Twisting their bodies and moving in a synchronized fashion, they carried out amazing feats of strength and agility.
“How is this happening?” Judy cried out, her face lit up with delight.
I had my suspicions, noticing that Damian didn’t seem surprised at all. He had surely planned all this and I had a feeling I knew why.
Chapter Three: Marry Me?
The circus performers were amazing! I felt my jaw drop as they displayed their talent. How could the acrobats move their bodies like that? I could barely handle the downward dog in yoga class.
The music changed slightly, and a new person appeared. She wore a red
leotard and carried a ball in her hands. Small and slender, she was beautiful. She approached our little group and began to enact a complicated gymnastics routine in a circle around us, using the ball as a prop. She threw it in the air, bounced it, and rolled it along her body with graceful balance. Her movements were so fluid, it was like a dance.
I was so absorbed in her performance that I didn’t even notice what was going on around me at first. Then, Gigi let out a gasp and I realized that Damian was down on one knee in front of her. The performer slid into the splits and, as her music stopped, she rolled the ball away from herself and froze. Damian scooped up the ball as it reached him and turned to look up at Gigi. I couldn’t believe how well coordinated this was.
“Gigi Stevens, you’ve changed my life so much. All for the better. I can’t imagine living without you.” Damian popped the ball open along a hidden seam and the inside was cushioned, with a ring nestled in the center. The large diamond sparkled in the light. “Will you marry me?”
The gathered crowd seemed to hold its breath. I felt my own heart skip a beat. Gigi stood frozen for a brief moment, before she flung herself forward and into Damian’s arms, nearly knocking him backwards onto the floor. He got his balance just in time and let out a startled laugh as he engulfed her in a hug.
“Is that a yes?” he asked joyously.
I felt a twinge in my heart. He looked so happy and Gigi was clearly ecstatic. I was amazed that he went to all this effort. It was so well planned, all for her.
I couldn’t stop the jealousy, no matter how much I tried. I wanted a love like this. I wanted a man that would go to these extremes to wow me.
“YES!” Gigi shouted the word out and suddenly the world exploded into white light.
Camera flashes were everywhere, making spots appear before my eyes. The photographers were going wild. I stepped backward to stay out of the way and stumbled, feeling myself collide with a warm body. I knew who it was without looking. There was a familiarity to this person, to the way the contours of our bodies fit together.
“Are you okay?” J.D. asked, spinning my body around to face him. With my back to the cameras, I was able to focus after a few seconds. My eyes took in J.D.’s face. His expression was guarded, unreadable.
“Yeah, thanks. The lights…” I wasn’t sure what to say, we were too close to one another. I took a step away, breaking all contact with him. Coming to my senses, I whipped back around to Gigi and Damian, who were now standing together, smiling for the cameras as he slipped the engagement ring on her finger. Her small hand made the diamond look even bigger.
I hurried forward and pulled Gigi into an embrace, my arms tight around her torso. I ignored the cameras and the reporters that were already firing off questions about when and where the wedding would take place.
They just got engaged five seconds ago, for fuck’s sake, I thought to myself.
“Oh my god, it’s huge!” I exclaimed, seizing Gigi’s hand and taking a closer look at the diamond on her finger.
“That’s what she said,” Damian quipped. I laughed loudly before pulling him into a quick hug as well.
“I can’t believe you planned this by yourself. It was fantastic,” I told him before turning to Gigi. “Congratulations, girl. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” she replied sincerely.
“Over here,” J.D. called out, gesturing to a waiter as he and Hayden stepped up to the three of us. Aaron, the fourth founder of SXz, had arrived and was urging the reporters away. He was being polite, but his large build was just intimidating enough to make them listen whether they wanted to or not. The guy was built like a football player, he had actually been one back in the day.
The waiter was carrying a large tray of champagne for all of us. I reached forward just as J.D. did and our fingers brushed as when we went for the same glass. We made eye contact and I felt that familiar surge of attraction once again.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I looked away and grabbed a different glass. I really needed to try to date more. I hadn’t been with anyone since J.D. and clearly my libido was getting out of control. But with the stress and the long hours that had come with starting So Good, there wasn’t much time to meet men. Not that I’d put in much effort.
Shaking my head slightly to dispel those thoughts, I joined my friends as we raised a toast to Gigi and Damian. Jealousy aside, I was thrilled for them. This night couldn’t have gone better.
* * *
The following Monday, I walked into work with large flat box in my hands. Elliott, our executive administrative assistant, grimaced when he saw me.
“Oh no, what do you have now?”
Smiling sweetly, I gestured for him to come to my desk. He followed behind diligently, as I greeted other employees that were starting their day. So Good’s office space was a renovated warehouse, all open space except for a single board room that we used for important meetings.
When we reached my desk, I carefully placed the box down on top. Elliott looked at it warily. Fresh out of college, Elliott had completely embraced the Cali hipster vibe. He was vegan and obsessed with the underground music scene. He also had brown hair that he carefully styled to look like it wasn’t styled at all. I didn’t get the point of that.
Today he was wearing a pair of dark chino pants with a casual white shirt tucked into them. It was open at the collar and he wore blue suspenders over the top. Round black-framed glasses completed his look. He was just adorable.
“Okay, what is it?” he asked again.
“I finally found what I want to hang on the wall above my desk,” I told him, using my scissors to cut the packing tape. “It will be the crown jewel of my collection.”
I had been playing interior decorator since we had moved into this warehouse. There was no theme, it was all about bringing some fun into the office. Whether it was the giant paper mache sunflower I had hung from the ceiling above Gigi’s desk or the painting of King Kong rocking a Donkey Kong tattoo on his shoulder that I had hung on the wall near the entrance, all that mattered was that it appealed to me in some way. I had found my newest acquisition on Etsy last week.
Carefully pulling the framed picture out of the box and holding it up, I showed it to Elliott. It was a novelty black and white picture of Mount Rushmore, but the faces had been replaced with The Three Stooges. It included Shemp, of course. I had made sure of that. One must represent that original lineup.
“Wow.”
“I know. Isn’t it great?”
“Who are they?”
“Who are they?” I repeated his question, horror-struck. “Who are they?”
“Oh god, this is going to be a whole thing, isn’t it?” Elliott asked exasperatedly.
“I am going to have to educate you, if that’s what you mean,” I told him, quite seriously. “How do you not know The Three Stooges?”
“Aren’t they pretty old? I think my grandma likes them. You know I’m only 21, right?”
“No excuses. Now, go get the ladder, please.”
He walked away, grumbling under his breath. He’d thank me after a couple of movie marathons. The guy needed a proper introduction to comedy.
Ten minutes later, Gigi found me standing at the base of a ladder behind my desk, while Elliott slowly climbed up. Too Slowly. Apparently, he was afraid of heights.
“What’s up?” she asked, handing over a coffee from the shop down the street.
“You’re my hero,” I said, taking a sip. I picked up the picture to show her. “Look what I got!”
“Another great find,” Gigi replied with a smile.
“Thank you. Finally, someone with good taste around here,” I said loudly so Elliott would hear.
“Are you holding that ladder?” He asked, clinging to the rungs with a frightened look.
“You’re less than five feet off the ground.”
“You said you’d hold it!”
“Okay, okay. Geeze.” I made a big show of putting my h
and on the ladder.
“What’s his problem?” Gigi asked.
“Oh, nothing. He just has a love/hate relationship with gravity. He’ll be fine.”
“Just keep your hand on that ladder,” he said, taking one more daring step up.
“You look happy today. Someone get lucky last night?” I asked Gigi while pumping my eyebrows suggestively.
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“That’s okay, I wanna hear about more interesting stuff than kissing.”
“I don’t think so. But I did start planning the wedding this weekend.”
“Yay! I’m so excited for this. Tell me it’s going to be amazing.”
“Of course. I’m thinking a destination wedding with just our closest friends and family. I’m not sure where, yet.”
“It could be anywhere in the world. You know Damian will make it happen. When will it be?”
“Soon. Maybe just a few months.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m ready. There’s no reason for a long engagement. We have the money to get it done quickly and still be fabulous.”
I had no doubt about that. Gigi had a skill for follow through once she made a decision. She was always a woman with a plan.
“That’s great.”
“Oh, another thing. I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“Yes, of course!”
“I knew you’d say that,” she smiled. “We’ll have to get started with planning right away.”
“I’m thinking Vegas for the Bachelorette party. We’ll send you into married life in style!”
“I meant planning the wedding.”
“That’ll come later. We have to start with the important stuff.”
Gigi opened her mouth to reply, but I didn’t get to hear it. An alert on my phone told me that we had something more important to do. Glancing at it to confirm, I looked up at Elliott.
“Get down here, El,” I said. He had just started hammering a nail into the wall.
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 22