Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1) (5 page)

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.”

“Let me help you out.” James started to follow her but Jessica pointed out the group of guys that formed around Lisa.

“I think we’ve got all the hands we need right now, but thanks. It was really nice meeting you
again
. Good luck with everything.”

Jessica saw the disappointed look in his eyes before she turned away.
Why is he staring at me like that? He did hear me say I live three thousand miles away, right? And if that didn’t scare him off, there’s plenty more that will send him running.

She limped over to Lisa.

But the nagging voices kept plaguing her.

Twice in one day in California, Jess? What if the universe is trying to save you from yourself after all? Don’t let him walk away. Stop being so afraid. You can’t hide behind work forever.

With a backward glance, she let out a defeated sigh. James was nowhere in sight.

Oh well, I guess I’ve officially blown off the universe too.

“COME
ON
!” LISA pouted. “We’ll just go for one little drink, I
swear
!”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “So now you’re rearing to go? A few minutes ago, you were writhing in pain. That was certainly a miraculous recovery.”

“Look, I’ll just pop a couple of Advil and it’ll be fine!”

Jessica shook her head. “Listen, I know you don’t want to disappoint your fan club but I can’t go. I’m too backed up with work that I should have done while I was wasting my afternoon at Stanford and my ass is killing me from that fall. I’m going back to the hotel.”

“
Please
?” Lisa clasped her hands. “I shouldn’t go out with strange men, it would be irresponsible of you to let me go without a chaperone.”

Jessica snorted. If only these poor guys knew what they were getting themselves into. “Don’t try to guilt me. You’re a big girl and I’d be more concerned for them than for you.”

Lisa flashed a wicked smile. “I don’t know
what
you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t.” Jessica pulled the rubber band out of her hair and brushed the thick waves cascading over her shoulders.

“It would be a really great opportunity for us to spend some time together—”

“Li, I love you to death but it’s not happening. Come on, you
know
I have to meet with Charlie and he’s going to be all over me if I don’t get this crap done in time.”

“Fine.” Lisa zipped her gym bag. “Let’s go back to our
boring
hotel. But don’t forget the frozen yogurt. If I’m stuck dateless, I need some other kind of treat.”

Jessica grinned, slinging an arm over her friend’s shoulder. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Lisa threw a wistful glance to her new friends as they left the gym. “I hate you, Jessie.”

“Trust me, you’ll thank me when you’re not nursing a hangover tomorrow morning. You’ve got a big day too.” Jessica looked around one last time before they left. Still no sign of James.

“What’s wrong?” Lisa’s eyes lit up. “You were looking at those guys, weren’t you? Having second thoughts?”

Jessica giggled. “No, I was looking for someone else. You’re not going to believe who I saw tonight.”

“Oh Jesus, another ghost from your past?”

“Kind of.” Jessica twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “Remember the guy from earlier today? The coffee, Brooks Brothers…?”

Lisa gasped. “You’re kidding! And you didn’t tell me? I wanted to get a look! What happened?”

Jessica felt a pink blush color her cheeks. “He kind of…witnessed me flying off the treadmill.”

“No!” Lisa erupted into hysterics. “Could you be any more spastic around this guy today?”

“I know!” Jessica joined in the laughter. “But he was really sweet about it. We talked for a while in the cardio room. He bought me a water.”

“Must be love.” Lisa winked. “Then what? Did you give him your number?”

Jessica shook her head and flashed a sheepish look.

“Why not?” Lisa demanded. “You said he was hot and nice, what’s the issue?”

“Um, about three thousand miles, Li? Where the heck would this be going? Who knows when and if I’ll be back after this trip is over? You come out here all the time for your job but Charlie likes me where he can see me. And that’s Manhattan. You know that.”

“Technicality. I’m not saying it would be perfect but not trying is giving up an opportunity to get to know someone who might turn out to be great for you.” Lisa put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder. “You’re not using the long-distance thing as an excuse, Jessie. It’s the same thing you do with your job.”

Jessica looked at her sneakers. “I know.”

Lisa sighed. “Sweetie, don’t you see? This situation is perfect! You could get to know each other without rushing things. You could go as slow as you want!”

“It’s not like he asked for my number, Li.”

“If I know you, he was probably reading your ultra-clear signal to screw off. Am I right?”

Jessica laughed. “Not exactly. We were interrupted by your moaning and once I saw you were hurt, that kind of ended things.” She shrugged. “Anyway, he probably wasn’t interested. Like I said, he let me go and didn’t try to find me again. Maybe I didn’t make such a huge mistake by walking away.”

“Listen, I can’t make all of your fears magically disappear. Believe me, I wish I could. I know you’re afraid and that you’re hurting. But you’re my best friend and I want you to be happy. You deserve it. You can’t avoid relationships because you’re afraid of rejection. Drew is a scumbag, forget him!” She smiled. “So next time the universe drops a hot guy in your lap, promise me you’ll give him a shot, okay?”

“Fine, I’ll take it under consideration.” Jessica chuckled. “Believe it or not, I
want
to move on.”
But I’m still scared…and even though everyone wants me to be happy, nobody understands what I’m going through. Is it so horrible that I want to protect myself?

“SO
SHE’S
THE one you got the dress for? Nice work, man.” Chris panted as he spun around James and dribbled the basketball down the court. He jumped to take a three-point shot. “And…
swish
!” Chris grinned. “You didn’t ask for her number because…?”

Because I’m an idiot!
James ignored their undeniable chemistry, walked away without so much as a second glance. Yet something about her was so intriguing.
Jesus, I don’t even know her last name but I can’t stop thinking about her. What the hell is up with me?

James snapped into action and grabbed the ball. A rush of adrenaline propelled him down the court and he leapt into the air for a layup.
At least my focus isn’t completely shot.

“Show off,” Chris grumbled as he chased the loose ball.

James smirked. “She’s only out here on business. Lives in New York. What could happen?” He dove in front of Chris and slapped the ball out of his hands.

“Hey!” Chris yelled.

James chuckled as he made the three-pointer. “You’re so competitive, man. Give it a rest.”

Chris glared as James passed the ball back to him. “New York, huh?”

“Yep,” James rolled his eyes. “Figures, right?”

“I don’t know, man. Seems like a dream situation to me. Couple of hot nights, then she’s off to the East Coast. Can’t get too tied down if you live so far apart, right?” Chris snickered.

James groaned. “Of
course
you’d see it that way.”

“Okay, I’ll be serious now. You need to get out of your own head, Jay.” Chris stopped in his tracks and tucked the ball under his arm. “I know the past few months haven’t been easy, but it’s time to get back in the game. You need to stop feeling guilty about your dad and get on with your life. I’m sorry if I’m out of line, but it’s just really good to finally see you excited like this over a girl. You should
do
something about it.”

James sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I lost my chance.”

“No you didn’t.” Chris raised an eyebrow. “You know where she works, right? You can get in touch with her if you want. If she made that much of an impact on you, you should go for it. And do it soon because I need your head screwed on straight. Have you forgotten we’re supposed to be running a multi-million dollar gaming business here?” Chris nudged him with the ball.

How could I forget? I’ve been burying myself in LazerShark since Dad died. And I’ve done a really good job of keeping everyone out. Until now.

James stretched his arms overhead and let out a deep sigh. “So you think I’m starved for female companionship?”

Chris grinned. “I think it could drastically improve your coding capabilities. Way more effective than playing around with your light saber, pretending to be Luke Skywalker.”

With a snort, James grabbed the ball again and took off toward the net. “Come on, you know I haven’t done that in at least a year.” He leaped up and sank the ball in the net. “Did you forget that you used to play Darth Vader, with your
own
light saber?”