‘And you want E-Volve?’
‘You mistake me. It’s you I want.’
Chapter 9
BECKETT
Her response surprises me.
I’m not often surprised.
‘So you can stop me from getting finance?’ she asks carefully. Pushing off from the glass, she then seems to think better of it and presses her shoulders against it once more.
She heard yet she chooses not to respond. For now, at least. Curiosity will win out in the end.
‘As I’m sure you’ve already discovered, gaining finance is near impossible to begin with. I shouldn’t need to point out you’re here because of the introduction facilitated by your friend.’ Olivia glowers over at me. Quite cute, really. Red cheeks and eyes gimlet green. ‘Do I need to mention his name? I think not. We can just call him the bad penny, if you like.’
‘If he’s the bad penny, what does that make you?’
‘You can’t insult me, Olivia.’
‘You think?’
‘What most people don’t understand is that offence exists not within the insult but within any reaction to it.’ Her expression clouds. ‘Most people find difficulty with the concept, not because it’s terribly far-reaching or beyond the ken of most, but rather because they’re too emotional to see the beauty in this. To put it bluntly, your opinion is so irrelevant, I can’t be bothered to take offence.’
Emotional, see? As I said. She’s like a struck match and not just in her colouring.
‘If I’m soirrelevant, why would you want me?’ She throws out an arm, though I sense she’d rather be throwing it around my neck.To choke me.
‘Ah. So you did hear me. Good, because I have a business proposition for you.’
‘I... I’m not sure I understand.’ Of course, you don’t. And that’s the way I’d like to keep it for now. ‘You work here?’ She attempts to turn her question into an assertion by adding, ‘Obviously.’
‘Obviously.’ Some would object to the validity of her assumption.
Do I appear in this office regularly?Not really.
Am I employed by the company?Somewhat.
Are my investments sound?Absolutely. I’ve made the partners, my investors, and myself very rich in the process. In all fairness, I’ve made all parties wealthier, not necessarily wealthy. People in this business aren’t exactly the rags-to-riches sorts.
This isn’t the lottery.
‘So why weren’t you there for my pitch?’
‘Who says I wasn’t?’ I see in her eyes the moment the realisation hits her.
‘You!You were there—in the doorway!’
‘A happy accident following a not so happy one. I see your knees are healing nicely.’
‘Don’t you stare at my knees,’ she declares, pulling at her skirt as though the whole thing had suddenly become transparent. ‘How dare you call me in here to play with me?’
‘I never play games where money is concerned.’ That’s not strictly true. Venture capital can be a little like playing poker. Experience and a sound strategy will serve you well, skill will get you so far, but there’s always an element of luck involved. ‘I can assure you I’m not playing with you.’
‘So what was Friday night?’ So we’re getting to the heart of things.A fickle and a changeful thing is a woman ever. The Romans were right.But Friday evening was unexpected, tempting, and nothing I can afford to think about right now.
‘We’ll get to that soon enough.’
