Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1)

by Luciani, Kristen

  James reached his hand out. “Nice to see you, Paul.” He waved his hand at Jessica. “This is my girlfriend Jessica Latham.”

  Jessica cleared her throat and averted her eyes. She held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure. I’ve heard a lot of great things about your company.”

  Boyfriend? Callahan?

  “Very nice to meet you, Jessica.” Paul narrowed his eyes, back in control.

  “Hey, can we get you a drink? Would you like to join us for a few minutes?” Chris waved his hand towards the waitress.

  “Thanks for the offer, gentlemen, but I actually need to make a call and get back to my guests.” Paul shook their hands again. “Enjoy your meal.” He nodded toward them, flashing Jessica an ice-cold stare as he continued towards the exit.

  His blood boiled. What the fuck was that all about? What kind of game is she playing, using me like that? Oh sure, she said she wanted to keep things professional, as long as it didn’t hurt her chances to build a network. And how convenient, she just forgot to mention that she had a boyfriend and that said boyfriend was pitching my company for an investment?

  Paul pushed past the patrons gathered outside the restaurant. He punched Mia’s number into his iPhone.

  “Mia Bradshaw.”

  “Mia, it’s Paul. Listen, I’ve had second thoughts about the LazerShark deal. I don’t want to move forward with the offer.” Fuck them all. I don’t need this shit.

  “Paul, that’s really not a wise decision.” Mia’s voice was even. “I just completed all the analysis and the numbers project a very lucrative future. This investment is great for Blue Coat—it will give us some good diversification and without any major competitors, LazerShark is poised to grow exponentially in the next couple of years. You don’t want to be left behind on this one.”

  Paul clenched his teeth. “I’m not interested in the gaming industry anymore. We should look at some different prospects.”

  “I think you should reconsider. I’m not sure what changed your mind, but I’m telling you this is one of the companies that will go the distance with your expertise and guidance.”

  He faltered. She’s blowing smoke, but can I blame her?

  “How’s everything going with the dinner meeting? Did they agree to our terms?”

  Paul rolled his eyes. “They needed a few drinks to see the light. But I think they’re finally on board. You did a great job with the presentation. They were very impressed.” He hated to convince potential partners of his worth. If they didn’t recognize the benefits of working with Blue Coat, he’d be more inclined to tell them to screw off than to butter them up. I need more scotch. A lot more.

  “And…you were nice, right?”

  “Yes, everything is fine. You know, I actually do have reasons for why I act in certain ways, pretty good reasons, Mia.”

  “I’m well-aware, Paul. And I completely respect your expertise in this industry. But sometimes even promising investment partners need a little push. You have to give a little to get a little. I know that’s a tough pill for you to swallow, but it will make you a fortune.”

  Paul grunted. “I’ve made a fortune doing exactly as I want, in case you forgot.”

  “Understood. But there are a lot more players in the game now. And you hired me in part to manage our reputation. Trust me, this new look is good for you, good for Blue Coat. Now, are we still a go with LazerShark?” He heard the persistence in her voice and sighed. She knows exactly what buttons to press. Bad for me, great for Blue Coat.

  “You really feel like it’s a worthy investment?” He gritted his teeth, knowing the answer. Things always went awry when he let personal feelings interfere with his deals. Mia was his sanity check.

  “Yes. Plus, you just handed me the account. Don’t you think you owe it to me to give them a shot? I still need to prove my worth…”

  A half-smile. “Okay, fine. I trust you, which is why I pay you so much. Show me what you can do. By the way, call the restaurant and give them my credit card for dinner. Have the hostess tell them I’ve been called away and to send my regrets. I’m calling it a night.”

  He hung up the phone. Jessica turned him away for Callahan. Paul was used to women falling at his feet; it was a game to him. But he’d never encountered someone like Jessica. She seemed immune to his charms. She was so different than the rest of them, with an innocence that was so enticing and a body that just didn’t quit. He sighed. It was moot now. He loved a challenge, but he didn’t like to lose. Not at all.

  JAMES RECLINED IN the plush leather chair. He shuffled through the reports on the table. “Great work, guys. Interest in these new games is huge. Investors love to see this kind of activity.”

  “So Jay, speaking of investors, when do you think we’ll hear back from Blue Coat?” His project lead Ron voiced the question on everyone’s minds.

  James regarded the hopeful faces staring back at him. He smiled and mustered up as much confidence as he could. “I’m sure the call will come in soon, guys. Chris and I feel really positive about our meetings with Blue Coat. They’re probably just taking some extra time to finalize the details around the offer.” I hope that sounds more convincing to them than it does to me.

  “Do we have a Plan B?” Ron cleared his throat. “I mean, just in case they decide to pass?”

  Before James could answer, Chris barged into the room, a big smile plastered on his face. “Gentlemen, let’s take a break!”

  James furrowed his brow. “What’s going on, Chris? Everything okay?”

  “I have some big news to share. I just got a call from Blue Coat offering us two million dollars in funding. They’re in! We did it! Congratulations, everybody!” Chris punched his fists up in victory.

  James jumped. “Are you serious? Don’t screw with us, Chris. Is it true?”

  “Yes! It’s true! Two mil, baby!”

  “Holy shit!” James ran his hands through his hair and sank back into the chair. They were on their way now. Blue Coat wouldn’t have invested if they doubted the future success of LazerShark. It was almost a guarantee that there would be a profitable IPO in the future.

  Everyone in the room cheered, clapped, and hooted. The rest of the employees ventured in to join the festivities.

  “Guys, we are headed for a fat payday! Come on, let’s get out of here and celebrate! Go round up the troops and we’ll meet downstairs in five.” Chris clasped his hands together and grinned at James. “I told you not to worry.”

  “I just can’t believe it. It’s what we wanted, what we worked on for so long. We’re finally here.”

  “Things are going to happen, Jay! Do you know how much more growth we’ll see from this?” Chris shook his head. “It’s ridiculous to even think about. Jesus, this is unreal!”

  James laughed. “And here I was, fooled into thinking you were so confident about LazerShark’s future.”

  “Dude, I had complete faith. Always. Now let’s get the hell out of here! It’s been a long road. We really deserve a break before we crank it into high gear.”

  “Okay, okay. I just need a few minutes. Tell me where to meet you.”

  “No way, Jay. We are united from here on out. Call Jessica to give her the good news, then we’ll all go together. And move fast, I’m starving!”

  James chuckled. “Fine.” He headed back to his office as the rest of the team geared up for the impromptu lunchtime celebration. Collapsing into a chair, he dialed Jessica’s cell phone number. Voicemail. Maybe she’s in a meeting. He shrugged, a little disappointed he had to wait to share the news. Oh well, she’ll see I called and get back to me when she’s free.

  Chris appeared in the doorway and let out an impatient sigh. “Come on, man! Did you tell her yet?”

  “Nah, she’s probably with a client. I’ll call later.” James packed up his laptop bag. “Everyone’s ready to go?”

  “Oh yeah. Myself included. Let’s roll!” Chris clapped his hand on James’s shoulder. “This is our ticket, Jay. The friggin’ go
lden ticket! You really needed to have more confidence in us. Think of all the sleep you lost worrying. And we won’t talk about sleep you lost due to other factors.” He flashed a wicked smile. “Tonight you can rest easy. Or…maybe you won’t.”

  Chris pulled out his phone as the ringtone blared. “Blakely! Long time, how’s it going, man?”

  James shot Chris a questioning look. Blakely? Why do I know that name?

  “Get the hell outta here! Where are you now?” Chris turned to James with wide eyes. “Yeah, we’re heading out that way. Why don’t we meet up later? I’ve got some news, too.” He paused, waiting for a response. “Okay, yeah, see you then.”

  He turned to James. “Holy shit, Jay.”

  “What was that all about? Who’s Blakely?”

  “Guy I went to college with, remember? You’ve met him a couple of times. The one who built Secure Transact?”

  “Oh yeah!” James registered the name, remembering their last run-in with Rich Blakely. Arrogant prick. He never understood why Chris associated with that guy.

  “He just told me he got rid of his top two executives. Said Secure Transact is moving ahead under his name only. Something big happened there. I told him we’d meet him later. You okay with that?”

  James grinned. “Yeah, so long as Jess doesn’t get back to me first. Then you’re on your own with that asshole.”

  Chris chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a piece of work. Whatever. Never hurts to keep a network. I mean, look at Emerson. There’s a world class dickhead and being in his good graces just made us the hottest new company in the Valley!”

  “Easy, killer. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

  “Aw, come on Jay, be a little overzealous, would you?”

  “I’m just fine.” James laughed. “I’ll feel better once we have the check in hand.”

  “Well, we have some time to finalize everything with our lawyers and get back to them with an answer. Should be a no-brainer. They’re messengering over the contracts tomorrow.”

  James stopped before they reached Scotty’s Bar. He saw their rowdy group in the window, raising toasts to the future of LazerShark.

  “Chris.” His voice turned serious. “Thanks for being my partner. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “Don’t get all sappy on me, man. Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we keep kicking ass. Together.” Chris winked. “Think Avery Hunter is still in town? Think I have a shot with her now?”

  James laughed, holding the door open to the bar. “No, and most definitely no. But I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll find several others that’ll turn your head.”

  JESSICA LEAFED THROUGH some printouts on her desk, searching for potential companies to contact. Now that Paul probably blackballed her in the elitist venture capital circles, she needed to develop a new client list. Charlie would come looking for it sooner than later, although he was probably still stewing over her meeting with Justin in New York.

  She smirked, hoping he got chewed out for his little stunt. What a fool he was for thinking he could get away with his little game. Or maybe Benton finally made an offer. Oohhh, please make it good enough that he’ll take it and be out of my hair forever!

  Tapping away at the keyboard, she made some notes for another set of companies in the area. Thoughts of James crept in and a smile spread over her face.

  The phone rang, yanking her out of a delicious daydream. A Manhattan area code appeared on the display. Charlie? It was getting more than a little strange that she hadn’t heard from him, despite his probable anger.

  “Jessica Latham.”

  “Jessica, it’s Jake. I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you. Things have been pretty crazy here.”

  Jessica perked up. “Crazy, how?”

  “You won’t believe—”

  Her phone buzzed again. Call waiting. Manhattan again? “Jake, hold that thought. I need to take this call real quick.” She didn’t know who it was, but something told her to answer.

  “Jessica, this is Pam Ross, Justin Rosen’s assistant.”

  She winced at Pam’s clipped voice. Does she always need to be so unfriendly? What’d I ever do to her? “Oh, hi, how are you—”

  “I have Justin for you. Let me patch him through.”

  Jessica bit off a stray cuticle. What’s this all about?

  A moment later, Justin’s voice came on the line. “Hey Jessica, it’s Justin.”

  “Hi there. How are you?” Jessica was a little thrown off by the call. Charlie was the primary interface to Justin and the partners, so why would Justin be calling her? Unless…

  Justin sighed. “I have some news to share with you. I know you’re out in Palo Alto, but we have had a situation here that you should be aware of.”

  “Okay. What’s going on?”

  “Charlie is no longer with DMC. He resigned yesterday.”

  Jessica jumped out of her chair and danced around the office with glee. “He resigned? Yesterday?”

  “Yes, and he gave us no notice. He’s also taking Derek with him. Unfortunately, the next part is the more difficult news to deliver.” Justin cleared his throat. “He’s going to Benton McCauley as a partner. He’ll be running their newest practice…focusing on technology start-up companies that are working towards an IPO.”

  Jessica gasped. “He what? How is that possible? He didn’t have—”

  “Evidently, he brought the idea to them when you began working on it months ago. They promised him partnership if he could hand-deliver all our research and analysis to them. Benton McCauley saw the potential with this type of business, and they already have a solid team in place. From what I’ve heard, their practice has grown tremendously and they’re adding more consultants to their staff as we speak. It turned out to be a very lucrative proposition, Jessica. Charlie knew from the beginning that it was a winner and he passed along all of the documentation you put together, all of the client contracts, everything.”

  Jessica’s eyes filled with tears. All her work was finished, just like that? That’s why he was so dismissive of my efforts out here, why he kept derailing my meetings. That bastard! She worked so hard to launch this practice, to finally get the recognition she deserved and the opportunity to create a name for herself in the industry. Now everything she’d built was crumbling down around her.

  “What does that mean for us? Can’t we take action against him for transferring intellectual property?”

  “Regrettably, no. It’s too late anyway. They already have a practice that’s up and running, with a good number of clients who don’t really care how they did it. The clients only care about what they can get for their money, and with the quality of resources Benton McCauley brings to the table, they’re getting quite a bit.”

  Jessica slumped in her chair, unable to speak. What does this mean for my job? Do I even have one any more?

  “But Jessica, while I’m sure this is coming as a shock to you, understand that we’re all really impressed with everything you’ve accomplished. You went above and beyond in your efforts to launch this new business, and the partners value your talents. So, we want to try to offer you some restitution.”

  Jessica nibbled on her thumbnail. “I’m not sure what you mean…”

  “We’d like you to take over Charlie’s area, effective immediately. You’ll run the group as a senior manager and if things go well over the next months, we will officially promote you. I’m sorry that things worked out this way, but we hope this offer will make the situation a little more palatable. We want to provide you with a chance to join the partner track. You’ve got the type of work ethic that sets DMC apart from its competitors, a key reason why we’re the best in the industry.”

  Jessica sat in stunned silence trying to focus on Justin’s proposal. This was the end goal. The promotion she worked to achieve was now being handed to her. It was symbolic of her independence and self-reliance, but that didn’t really seem to matter very much any more.

  That s
on of a bitch Charlie took everything she created and made his own partnership opportunity. Those scumbags at Benton McCauley stole her ideas and had the good sense to put focus on an area that obviously showed promise. It was absolutely infuriating. Jessica wanted to kick and scream and throw things, and then numb her aching head with lots of wine. Yes, that’s exactly what I need.

  “So, what are the next steps?” Jessica twirled a pen around her fingers as her mind raced. She’d have to do quite a bit to get up to speed on Charlie’s areas.

  “Well, starting next week, you’ll meet with Charlie’s department heads to learn about their ongoing and upcoming projects, create a strategy for your new organization and begin executing on it. I know it’s difficult to walk away from something you’re so passionate about, but there are still opportunities for talented individuals like you. We hope that you’ll seriously consider our offer.”

  “Okay. Next week.” She nodded. “I can do that.”

  “Great, so plan to get back here on Monday morning. We can let one of the other consultants run the projects out in California since you’ll be occupied with your new role here in New York.”

  New York. Jessica did a double-take. Next week, in New York?

  Justin continued to comb through the logistics, but all she heard was “your new role here in New York.” But I can’t leave Palo Alto now. I can’t leave James.

  “I’LL MEET YOU inside in one second.” James pulled out his phone and checked the ringer. Still on vibrate. He would have felt it if a call or text came through. Strange that she hasn’t called back yet.

  “Don’t take too long. And don’t bail if she answers. At least come in for one drink.” Chris shot him an imploring look. “It never hurts to network.” Blakely loved to shoot pool and even though he knew James hated the place, Chris coerced him into coming for one game.

  James grinned. “I won’t take off, I promise. Even though I’m going to smell like an ashtray, and you know how much I love that.”

  “All right! I’ll order your favorite.” Chris snickered as he went into the pool hall.