Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1)

by Luciani, Kristen

  JESSICA WALKED INTO the office, bleary-eyed and cranky from a lack of sleep. She reviewed seemingly endless potential client lists for days, trying to pick out the best prospects. And today I’m going to land the big fish.

  Charlie appeared in the doorway of the office within two minutes of her arrival wearing a deep scowl. But Jessica was too excited about the upcoming meeting. Screw him, he’s not raining on my parade today.

  “Good morning!” She flashed him a bright smile, imagining her fist connecting with his jaw resulting in a satisfying crack. She’d kick him while he was down, too. Oh, such great imagery to propel her through the day.

  “How did everything go at Stanford? Since I got caught up at Barclay without a car, I didn’t get an opportunity to stop by as planned.”

  Ha, ha! A surprised look flitted across her face. “Wait, your car didn’t show up?”

  Charlie entered the office wearing a tight smile. “I don’t like games, Jessica. I’m your superior, you keep forgetting that.”

  Crossing her arms, she looked him right in the eye. “You know what, Charlie? You are my boss, and I should respect that. My bad. But don’t think for a second I’m going to cower every time you raise your voice. I work very hard for you and I don’t deserve this kind of treatment.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Don’t bully me. I’m not dealing with it anymore.”

  A look of utter shock settled over his face. She smiled to herself. He’s got nothing.

  Dr. Martin warned her about keeping stress levels to a minimum. Nobody at work knew about her condition and she intended to keep it that way. That promotion was hers. No way was she getting passed over because of her illness. She’d never give Charlie that kind of ammunition. No, she let him know she wasn’t afraid. Not anymore.

  “I’m going to Secure Transact this morning to sign them. Anything you need from me can wait until I get back. I’ll get everything finished for the partner meeting next week, but please let me do my job right now.” Her heart pounded, but her voice was unwavering.

  Composing himself, Charlie left without another word. Jessica let out a shaky breath and sank into her chair. Holy shit! Did I just say all that? Oh yeah, this is living for sure.

  Grabbing her phone, she shot off a text to Lisa. Need to talk ASAP!

  A minute later, her phone rang. “What is it? Are you okay? You have me completely freaked out!”

  Jessica giggled. “If only I had a picture to share. You should have seen the look on Charlie’s face when I told him off a few minutes ago.”

  Lisa gasped. “You didn’t!”

  “Oh, I did. He was about to attack me for the car stunt, which would have been expected.” She chewed off a stray cuticle. “I pretty much told him to stay out of my way. Maybe the message was a little more diplomatic, but that was the gist.”

  “Wow, Jess. That’s awesome. It’s about time you stood up to that prick. You’re gonna kick ass at that meeting today, and when you sign them and bring in millions, he’ll be kissing it.”

  “Easy, a lot happens before the millions come rolling in, but at least signing them will be a start. Anyway, thought you’d appreciate the share.”

  “Oh, yes! Hey, quick question, how do you feel about going to a concert tonight? Rochelle called and her PR firm just signed Dezzie. They’re hosting some event at the Oracle Arena and she got us VIP passes for the skybox. You interested?”

  “Not really a fan of Dezzie or Rochelle, but I’m in! Think we’ll see anyone famous?” Jessica’s voice rose in excitement.

  “You never know. Oakland is such a hot spot.” Lisa snickered.

  “Sounds great. I’ll catch up with you later. I’ve got to get to this meeting on time today.”

  Darn it. Where are those pitch presentations? She tore her desk apart, looking in all the drawers and overhead compartments. Could Charlie have taken them? She groaned, not putting it past him. The meeting wasn’t for another hour, but she wanted more prep time. She Googled the nearest Kinko’s since the office color printer was out of commission and bolted to the elevator.

  It was already eighty degrees outside and the adrenaline rush was making her sweat. Great, a brisk jog is all I need now. Fanning herself with her only copy of the presentation, she raced down the street. Two blocks later, Jessica paused to catch her breath in front of Kinko’s and cringed at her reflection in the storefront window. Argh! I’m such a mess! What are the odds I can get this mop into a halfway decent-looking ponytail before the meeting?

  A burst of cold air greeted her as she opened the door. She rushed to the counter, grateful to see only one customer ahead of her, but the copy girl was so entranced with the tall light brown-haired man standing at the counter that she didn’t even notice Jessica. Oh come on!

  Then, the incessant giggling started. Dammit, I don’t have time for this…

  The copy girl fluttered her eyelashes as she returned the man’s credit card. “So, what’s LazerShark anyway?

  Jessica’s ears perked up. LazerShark? But that’s—

  “Hey!”

  She spun around, startled. Her face broke into a surprised smile when she saw James. Her heart fluttered at the lopsided grin lighting up his face. “Hey yourself! Is this a little too coincidental or what?” She winked, feeling a little brazen. “You stalking me or something?”

  He laughed. “It would appear so. But in reality, our color copier broke down this morning. I wasn’t too happy about that five minutes ago, but right now, I’m feeling a lot better.”

  Jessica felt her face grow warm and butterflies took off from the pit of her belly. She smiled. “Me too.” She pointed to the young man at the counter. “So that must be…”

  James nodded. “My partner. Chris.”

  Hearing his name, Chris turned around with a curious look on his handsome face. Seeing Jessica, he grinned. “Ah, so you must be Jessica. Tell me, how much have your ears been ringing lately?” He nudged James. “Looks like the girl who got away didn’t get very far, huh? Lucky for you.”

  Jessica giggled, noting that James looked like he wanted to crawl under a desk.

  He glared at Chris, his face reddening. “Thanks, buddy, that was real smooth. Why don’t you just take care of the bill?” James sighed. “I’m really sorry about that, he’s about as subtle as a gunshot.”

  Chris let out a hearty laugh. “Aw come on, where’s your sense of humor, Jay? Just be honest and tell her that you can’t stop talking about her. What do you have to lose?”

  James shrugged, a sheepish grin spreading over his face.

  Ooh, he’s so adorable…a scary shade of purple but still delicious!

  “Fine.” He turned back to Jessica. “I did talk about you, a lot. I think you’re fantastic. I should have asked for your number the other night. I’ve been beating myself up about it ever since and I don’t want to waste another opportunity. If you’re not completely freaked out by this confession, I’d love to take you out.” He grinned, his color returning to normal. “What do you think?”

  Holy cow! I walked away from this guy twice but something keeps bringing us back together. I don’t know why but who the hell am I to tempt fate? It’ll be a little fling, exactly what I need. I won’t be here long enough for it to turn into anything serious. We’ll have our fun and then I’ll be out of here. Lisa and Haley will be thrilled.

  Chris winked at the copy girl as he took the package. He slipped past James, clapping him on the shoulder. “Good for you, man. I’ll wait for you in the car. Jessica, it’s been a pleasure. This guy’s the best.”

  Jessica felt the butterflies swarm once again. Jesus, I’ve never known a guy to be so completely open and honest. The whole thing is low risk. It’s a perfect situation. I have to give him a shot. “That would be great, James. I’d love to go out with you.”

  “OKAY, YOU CAN thank me now.”

  James groaned and pulled the car door closed. “You know, I’m perfectly capable of handling myself, Chris. Did you need to make me
look like such an ass in front of Jessica?”

  “Yes. You have displayed no evidence supporting that claim so I took matters into my own hands to save you from yourself. She’s hot as hell! How did you let her walk away twice?”

  James shrugged. “Do we really have to cover this again?”

  “Negative. Tell me something. Are you happy you ran into her?”

  “Yes.”

  “And she agreed to go out with you?”

  “Yep.”

  “Great. So nothing else matters right now. Put all your hang-ups behind you and enjoy the time with her. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but there’s a reason why you guys ran into each other today, for the third time. Stop hiding behind your excuses and live a little!” Chris gave James an affectionate punch. “Now let’s go crush this meeting and sign on some new partners.”

  James settled into the plush leather seat and let out a sigh of relief. I guess the universe thought I wasn’t moving fast enough on my own. Seeing her today confirms more than ever that this deserves a shot. There’s something special about you, Jessica. I can just feel it.

  JESSICA FLOATED TO her meeting at Secure Transact feeling like she was on top of the world. The office building on Page Mill Road was only about a ten-minute walk from Kinko’s. Just time enough to fantasize about her latest run-in with James and their impending date.

  So, kudos to me for finally getting out of my own way! Back to the land of the living at last!

  She took a minute to gather her thoughts in front of the entrance, wondering how it would feel to kiss James. Mmm, those eyes make me positively melt. She bit her fist. Okay Jess, enough daydreaming! Let’s get it together. You need this account to nail the promotion, so focus!

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the marble foyer. Secure Transact was on the third floor and the rickety elevator creaked and groaned for the entire trip. When the doors opened, she darted out, fearing for her life. Suite 301 was down the hall, and an attractive blonde receptionist greeted her upon entering.

  She approached the desk. “Hi there, I’m Jessica Latham, here to see Andy Sykes.”

  “Of course. He’s expecting you.” The receptionist flashed a dazzling smile. “Let me ring him.” A moment later, she hung up the phone. “Andy asked me to bring you into the conference room, Miss Latham. Please follow me. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, spring water, espresso?”

  “I’d actually love some water.” And maybe some eyeliner, since it’s probably running down my face by now.

  “Of course. Well, here we are.” The receptionist opened the door with a flourish. It was a standard-sized conference room, but the views were incredible. “I’ll be back shortly with your water. Please let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Thanks so much.” Jessica loved the energy at these start-ups; everyone was excited at the prospect of a giant IPO payday and she was there to convince the management team that DMC could help them attain that goal.

  The receptionist returned with the water and said Andy and the team were on their way. Jessica pulled out her presentation materials and gazed out the window. What am I going to wear for my big date?

  Her thoughts were interrupted as Andy Sykes stepped into the conference room. “Jessica, so glad to finally meet you in person!” Andy greeted her with a big smile and shook her hand.

  “Andy, it’s such a pleasure! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me.”

  “Well, I trust your trip has been productive so far? You have a pretty busy itinerary this week, right?”

  “Yes, on both counts.” Jessica smiled. “I’m really happy to be here at Secure Transact. It’s such an exhilarating environment. You must be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

  Andy nodded. “It most certainly is an exciting time. I’d also like to also bring in a couple of my other associates to meet with you and stay for the presentation, if that’s okay.”

  “Absolutely! I have plenty of materials and I look forward to meeting some of the others as well.”

  “Great, they should be here momentarily. How’s your stay been so far?”

  “Oh, it’s been really nice. It’s so beautiful here, and I was just admiring the views.” She gestured to the window. “Nice change from Manhattan.”

  “I’m sure. Well, I’m glad you made it out here. We’re really excited to discuss what DMC can offer.”

  There was another knock at the door. A young man, about thirty, walked in followed by a woman who looked to be in her early forties.

  Jessica stood up as Andy made the introductions. “Jessica Latham, I’d like to introduce you to Rich Blakely, our Chief Technology Officer, and Margaret Reynolds, Chief Financial Officer.”

  They exchanged greetings and took their seats.

  “Jessica, thank you so much for coming. Andy speaks highly of you and we’re really interested in hearing your pitch,” Margaret began.

  “Thank you for the warm welcome. I hope you’ll be just as impressed when I’m finished with my presentation!” Everyone except Rich laughed. He just stared at Jessica, stone-faced. What’s his problem? She hoped he didn’t carry the majority decision about whether or not Secure Transact should hire DMC.

  “Let me be frank, Jessica, the reason we wanted to meet with you was because we have some new cutting-edge software products that are about to go into market. Our investors think we’re well positioned for a profitable IPO and he suggested we meet with a consulting firm to help guide us through the process. It’s a very hectic time for us and we need to tap into your firm’s expertise in this area.”

  “Our software is unique and in high demand,” Margaret added. “It’s in use with all of the major banks and investment firms across the country, and now is the time to expand our reach globally. An IPO can help us raise the funds we need to become the largest security software developer in the world.”

  Andy laughed. “As you can see, we have lofty goals.” Rich shot a look at Andy, but remained silent.

  “I agree that you’re headed in the right direction with a public offering, and our consultants would be with you every step of the way.” Jessica was still baffled by Rich’s behavior. “Our practice boasts a team of experts who are very well-versed in the process. There are many components that need to be managed when a company looks to go public. As part of this project, we’ll manage all areas for you: legal, financial, and regulatory. With the knowledge and experience of our consulting team, you can feel assured that we’ll position Secure Transact for the best possible stock price.”

  “What exactly can we expect with the process?” Rich finally spoke up, eyes narrowed.

  Jessica was caught off-guard by his menacing look but proceeded to respond. “That’s a really good question. I’ve outlined all of the details in this document for your reference, but let’s just make this more of a conversation.” She leaned forward.

  “There are a lot of reasons why companies decide to go public. By planning early and hiring the right resources to manage the effort, you’ll give yourselves the best chance for success. DMC advises clients throughout the IPO lifecycle to ensure that you and your employees are prepared for the transition to life as a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange.”

  Rich flipped through the presentation and tossed it on the table, sitting back in his chair with his arms folded. “So, why exactly do we need to hire DMC? I mean, we have a very capable team here, plus we have our own investors and lawyers. Why should we pay more money for services that we should be able to handle ourselves?”

  “Uh, Rich,” Andy interjected. “I think Jessica is making some valid points here, and we want to be able to leverage as much professional experience as possible here, right?” He gave Rich a pointed look.

  Rich sighed and tapped his hands on the table. “Sure, Andy, great idea. Let’s keep talking about how we can burn through more cash that we should be spending on new product development. Shouldn’t we be focusing on incre
asing our revenues? Isn’t that going to tell a better story than the company that focused its funds on efforts other than profit?”

  Jessica bit her lower lip. Shit. This guy is clearly on some kind of power trip. I can’t let him derail the meeting. I need this contract signed before I leave!

  Rich pushed his chair back and stood up. “I’m done here. I don’t need to hear any more about how badly we need someone else help us execute our strategy. We’ve done just fine on our own, and we don’t need any of your so-called experts getting in our way.” He stalked out of the room, slamming the door.

  Andy and Margaret exchanged apprehensive glances.

  “I’m really sorry about that.” Andy sighed. “The three of us are the senior management team for the company and unfortunately, Margaret and I have a different viewpoint than Rich about the immediate needs of the company. Both of us understand that time is of the essence with our products and we need to strike while the iron is hot.”

  Jessica hesitated. “Andy, I think you have a great opportunity with an IPO, but your management team really needs to be in sync before you move forward with us. Part of the process is to market you as a cohesive team. Any dissention is going to reflect badly on the company.”

  Margaret nodded. “She’s right, Andy. Rich needs to come around before we can move forward. Jessica, we’d really like for you to come back—how long will you be in town?”

  Jessica glanced at her calendar. “I should be able to return tomorrow morning. Will that work?”

  “That would be great.” Andy nodded. “We’ll take care of Rich. I’m sorry we wasted your time today.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Jessica hoped she didn’t sound as deflated as she felt. “We’ll work everything out.” Without Secure Transact as a client, her projected profits for the consulting practice were going to be way too weak. There wasn’t time to bulk up the numbers before presenting her recommendation to the partners. They’re expecting strong results and they’ll never let me keep moving on this practice unless I can sign these guys. If Andy and Margaret don’t take care of Rich, my chances for that promotion will go up in smoke.