Jessica shook her head. “I can’t believe you knew and never called me out on it.”
Lisa shrugged. “If you wanted me to know, you would have told me. So, whatever.”
“Well, I ran into whatever at Stanford this afternoon.”
“He was a student? Younger than you?” Lisa’s voice filled with excitement. “He lied about his age to get you to sleep with him?”
“He definitely didn’t lie about his age. And no, he isn’t a student. He’s actually an alumnus, but that’s beside the point. I’m not really sure why he was there, to be honest.”
“Wow, Jessie, so your seedy past came back to haunt you.” Lisa pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “Did he recognize you?”
Jessica bent over to tie her sneakers. “I have to tell you who he is before I answer the rest of your questions because you’re going to flip.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense!” Lisa screeched.
Jessica allowed a tiny little smile. “Paul Emerson.”
Lisa stared at her for a minute. “Are you kidding me, Jessica?”
“No. I most certainly am not.”
“Whoa. You know he’s ridiculously successful, right? Owns the top venture capital firm in the country for technology start-ups? He’s also brilliant and graduated with honors from Stanford.”
“None of that stuff came up when we met. Neither did his last name, which is why I freaked out when he introduced himself.”
Lisa giggled. “So you spoke to him? And he recognized you? How did you even leave it that night?”
“Well, I slipped out of his penthouse the next morning before he got up. You know I was in a bad place back then and he was a fantastic diversion. But we never exchanged contact info or anything. We barely even talked. I figured I’d never see him again. And now I’ve got an offer for a business meeting that can really help me get that promotion.” Jessica shook her head. “Crazy, right?”
Lisa giggled. “Agreed. What happens now? Are you totally turned on by him? I can’t believe you! One of the most powerful business people in the country and you went home with him, leaving him all high and dry the next day. I bet that never happened to him before!”
Jessica laughed. “That was probably the biggest impression I left. It was the first thing he mentioned.”
“So what are you going to do now—call him and set up a meeting? You could play hard to get and wait for him to call you.”
“Having him as a connection would be great, but I don’t want it to go any further.”
“Jess, are you insane? You’re dismissing Paul Emerson? If he wants to see you again, I think you’d be cracked not to give it a shot. Do you even understand what kind of doors he could open for you and your new business venture?”
Jessica furrowed her brow, studying her reflection in the mirror. “Come on, you know I’m not an opportunist. And nothing happened anyway. It’s not like he asked me out or anything. He made an offer, but I feel like it has strings attached.”
Lisa smiled. “He’d be a fool if he didn’t want to see you again. He’s probably just playing it cool. After all, he does have quite a reputation as a ladies’ man.”
Jessica scrunched her nose. “Yeah, that’s not really me, Li. You know I don’t go for that kind of guy. That’s more Rochelle’s type.” Both of them laughed at the too-true reference to their old college roommate. “I don’t know, I mean, he’s hot as hell but not really genuine. There has to be more than just a physical attraction, Li. I mean, at least there does for me.”
“Touché, Jessie. I know you’re going to do what you want but just consider his offer. You’d have power with his connections, think about it. And who knows what it might blossom into?” She flashed a wicked smile.
Jessica shrugged. “I know it sounds tempting. But I’m not anxious to get involved with a guy on any level right now.”
“Jessie.” Lisa put a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re going through a lot and it’s scary. But closing yourself off isn’t the answer. Not every guy is going to be like Drew. And if it’s not Paul, then fine, but do you want to risk not finding the happiness you deserve because you were too afraid to give someone new a chance?”
Jessica groaned and collapsed on the mattress. “Don’t I have the right to be at least a little gun shy right now? The guy who told me he was going to love me forever took off when I needed him most. Do you know what that kind of rejection feels like? No! Because you’re smart and you don’t let anyone in! Li, I’m scared to death about my future. I have no idea what’s going to happen to me and I can’t deal with any more uncertainty.” She peered up at her friend and grinned. “I want to be like you.”
“Jessie, you could never be like me. It’s just not the way you’re built. And that’s a really good thing. You have so much to offer, stop being afraid. Drew was an ass. Don’t let his bad judgment hold you back.” Lisa grabbed her iPod from the nightstand. “Plus, we’ve already established the fact that you’re not the love ‘em and leave ‘em kinda girl. A pro would never have been as sloppy as you.”
Jessica snickered. “That was a nice pep talk, Li. I’m still not convinced, but good effort.”
Lisa swiped at her. “Gee thanks. Now move your ass off that bed. We need to get out of here before we lose any more motivation. I’ll treat you to some frozen yogurt afterward, though it pales in comparison to Paul Emerson. Come to think of it, adding him to the mix would be a much more delicious treat, don’t you think?”
Jessica sighed. “I really should have kept my big mouth shut.”
JESSICA STRETCHED HER hamstrings in the privacy of the cardio room, grateful for some peace and quiet. Lisa opted out of running when she spotted all the eye candy in the main weight room.
She set the belt speed on the treadmill to medium and popped in her ear buds. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead only a couple of minutes later. “Jeez, already?” The air was so thick with humidity and she gulped some water. “Why it is so freaking hot in here?”
She hopped off the belt without bothering to pause the machine and set one of the wall fans to the highest speed. “Mmm, so much better!” She stepped back onto the treadmill, closing her eyes as the strong breeze passed over her.
Jessica squealed as her body yanked backwards from the force of the belt, her feet struggling to keep up. Shit! Arms flailing, she grasped at the sides of the machine to regain her balance but the belt speed was too high. With a muffled scream, Jessica flew off the treadmill and landed on her backside with a thump. She sat still for a second, stunned and out of breath, but thankful that nobody else was around to witness her crash landing.
“Wow, that was some fall, are you okay?”
She didn’t turn around. Instead, she covered her eyes. Please tell me I just imagined that.
“Excuse me? Are you okay?”
That voice again. She wasn’t alone after all.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to acknowledge the worried bystander.
He was holding her iPhone for the second time that day. “Foo Fighters, good choice.”
Jessica did a double take as she locked on those brilliant blue eyes. “You again.”
He laughed. “I suppose that tone indicates that you are, in fact, okay.”
“The word okay is relative.” Jessica tried to stand. The young man rushed over and held out his hand.
“Thanks.” She grimaced as the pain shot down her leg. Her right knee must have twisted mid-flight. As if numb feet weren’t enough. “Dammit.”
“Come on, let’s get you to a chair.” He put an arm around her as she limped to the sitting area.
“I’m such a disaster.” Jessica surveyed her ripped running tights. “I loved these too…”
“Does your leg still hurt? Do you want some ice?” She looked up and smiled at the concern in his voice. It felt nice to have someone worry about her. Nicer still that it was a hot guy with a heart-melting smile.
“I think I’ll survive.” She cleared her
throat. “Listen, I’m so sorry for the way I treated you this morning.” She blurted out the apology, still embarrassed at her behavior. “Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t deserve it.”
“Um, because you’re hurt and I’m not a monster?” He winked. “I just want to help. I’m sure you’d do the same in my position.”
Jessica smiled. “You don’t even know me, and here you are giving me all this credit I may or may not deserve.”
“Yeah, sometimes, I just get a feeling about people.”
Sitting back in the chair, she regarded the handsome young man standing in front of her. How strange that they should meet twice in the same day, at a gym she didn’t even belong to, while she was on business in California. Maybe it’s fate…no, no, no, that’s just a ridiculous concept. She didn’t believe in that crap. Coincidence, yes, but fate? Way too strong a word. “Will you please tell me your name now?”
“It’s James. Thanks for finally asking.” His playful smile tugged at her heartstrings.
“James. That’s a nice name.” She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as the voice in her head erupted. Argh, I wish I didn’t care what your name was! But I’m still here. And judging from the pain shooting up my leg, it looks like I’m going nowhere fast. She smiled at him. But maybe that’s not such a horrible thing.
“So glad you like it, Jessica. How’s that leg of yours doing? Think you’ll run again?”
She flexed her leg to loosen the muscles. “Feels a little better. You know, I thought I was by myself when I flew through the air. I didn’t realize anyone else came in. I feel a little humbled right now.”
James laughed. “We all have our moments. Lucky for you I don’t hold a grudge.”
“Lucky, indeed.”
Her phone bleeped with a text from Lisa. So many hot guys out here! When are you going to be done?
She clicked off the phone and returned her attention to James. “Thanks so much again, for everything. I don’t want to hold you up at all, if you have to go…”
“It’s cool, I already finished my workout. I was just going to run until my friend gets back. Not that I wanted to. You saved me.”
“As long as I could return the favor.” Jessica’s heart skipped a beat. Did I really call this guy a total asshole before? Hmm, maybe I’m the asshole. He’s got no reason to be nice to me after how I behaved. Stressed or not, I was horrible. She swallowed a smile. He’s obviously a pretty patient guy. Well, that or a glutton for punishment.
James went to the vending machine and brought back two bottles of water. “Are you thirsty?”
“Yes, thanks. A fall like that takes a lot out of you. I don’t get this winded when I’m running!” Laughing, her phone beeped again, this time with a text from Jake in New York. She breathed a sigh of relief as she read the message. He came through for her after all. At least there was one person at work she could trust. That data was imperative for her meetings tomorrow. Just one less thing for Charlie to bitch about.
Jessica sent a reply and then shook the phone in the air with a triumphant smile. “Sorry, I was waiting for something from my home office.”
“Where’s that?” James asked.
“New York. I’m out here on business—we got in a few days ago.”
“Really…so what do you do?” There was a trace of disappointment evident in his voice. He couldn’t be…interested in her? Could he?
She launched into an explanation of her new venture. “Do you know much about the whole technology start-up industry?”
James nodded. “I run an interactive gaming website here in Palo Alto with my best friend. Started it up a few years ago in Cambridge when I graduated from MIT.”
Jessica let out a low whistle. “MIT, impressive. I graduated from Boston University a few years ago, too. Why are you out here now? I mean, why’d you relocate?” She straightened her leg again and massaged the hamstring.
“I needed a change of pace to work on some potential investment opportunities. Tech companies fare better out here, at least early on.” He averted his eyes with the quick response.
Jessica suspected something else was behind the move, but she let it go. Why so evasive, James? What happened in Cambridge?
“So, tell me more about this consulting practice.” James sipped water as he turned the focus back to Jessica’s work.
“It’s a brand new idea and I’m so excited about it! We build strategies for taking start-up companies public and get them in front of potential investors. We take care of all the paperwork, planning, accounting and legal matters. It’s a niche market right now and Silicon Valley really is the place to be. There’s a ton of moneymaking potential if we pick the right clients up front, and I’ve been doing a lot of research to figure out exactly which companies should be on our hit-list.” Jessica paused, a teasing smile on her lips. “Am I boring you with all this?”
He gulped the last of his water. “Trust me, I’m hanging on every word.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, why is that? Or is it just an act to see if I’ll hang out with you a little longer?” Jesus, why am I being so flirty? Her pulse picked up speed as a lopsided grin lifted the corners of his mouth. Um, because he’s ridiculously adorable, sweet and obviously interested. And much as I try to convince myself that I’m not in the market for a relationship, it’s really nice to have someone look at me this way again.
“Wow! You really don’t mince words, do you?” James smirked. “I happen to have a professional interest in your work and I’d like to educate myself further.”
She cocked her head. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Could you be any more vague? Or are you just that into playing games?” Jessica raised an eyebrow at James and crossed her arms.
“Maybe you’re just a very convincing salesperson. Maybe your excitement is contagious and it’s making me want to find out more.”
“Listen…” Jessica leaned forward. “I’m very dedicated to this effort and yes, I’m happy to talk about it, but let’s get real. It’s not the most entertaining topic of conversation. So why don’t you cut to the chase and tell me why you’re so riveted.”
James ran a hand through his thick dark waves.
Oh, they look so soft. I wonder how it would feel to… Argh, stay focused Jess!
“Well, my partner and I are working with some investors right now and if we get funding, a public offering is the next logical step.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? I want to hear all about it! Tell me more about your company! How many employees do you have? Are you working with a lot of investors? Is it—?”
“Whoa! Hang on there! I think I need a notebook or something. Anyone ever tell you that you’re kind of demanding?” James chuckled.
Jessica took another sip of her water. “As it happens, I hear that quite often. Now are you going to tell me what your company is all about or what?”
“When I was a senior at MIT, I built an interactive gaming website and it’s taken off. A monthly membership package lets users access a set of standard video games, form teams, compete virtually, and interact with the whole member community. We also offer a feature that lets members watch games – either through their computers or televisions, since people seem to love competition but not everyone likes to play. Our services work to satisfy all.” He grinned and stopped for a second. “Do you play video games at all?”
“I never really saw the point.” She grinned. “But it’s still interesting, so keep going.”
“Well, membership exploded when we introduced an option for exclusive access to games that haven’t been released yet. We established a lot of partnerships with gaming companies to do test marketing for them and we’ve also been working on some celebrity endorsements. You’ve heard of fantasy leagues, right?” Jessica nodded. “The celebrity athletes that endorse the sports games play each other in fantasy teams using our web services. It’s gotten huge buzz, and no other competitor comes
close to offering our scope of services.” He winked. “We’re pretty cutting edge.”
Jessica stared at James for a few seconds. “Holy cow. That’s an awesome concept. I mean, congratulations on all of it. Now I totally get why you are so interested in me, I mean, my work.” She corrected herself with a sly grin. Oh come on, Jess! Really? “So what’s the deal with the investors?”
“LazerShark is hot right now. A lot of investors approached us to discuss partnership opportunities and we’ve met with several, but my partner is holding out for one in particular. Things were kind of in upheaval when I first moved back but now everything’s coming together for us.”
“LazerShark…” Jessica wrinkled her forehead. “Is that some kind of gaming lingo?”
James snickered. “Yeah, it’s used a lot in role-playing games. Lasersharking is the action of adding extraordinary elements to an object or situation to make it more interesting. It's a reference from the movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Ever see it?"
"Not really my type of humor." She flashed a sheepish smile.
James winked. "Well, it's kind of fitting for our business model."
“Aha. I like cool names that have some relevance to what a company actually does. Sounds like that one will definitely stick with your audience. So your partner was cool with moving the company out here?”
James shook his head. “We only started working together when I got back to Palo Alto. We grew up together and he’s a pretty entrepreneurial guy with a good head for business. It was a great decision for us to sync up on this. We have a solid team, a lot of interns from Stanford since they come cheap. You just offer a bunch of stock options and they come running.”
“Wow. This is just so random! I mean, here I am, trying to build a business in Palo Alto and there you are, a potential client!”
A loud screech erupted into the air, interrupting Jessica’s next thought.
She stood up, wincing as she shifted her weight. “Shoot, that sounds like…” Jessica poked her head around the column. “Lisa.” She flashed a smile at James. “I’m really sorry, but I’ve got to run. That’s my friend.”
Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1) Page 3