Page 80 of Totally Played
“Just like you.”
“Exactly.”
“Did she say why she’s coming?”
“No. Her people reached out and asked for a meeting.”
“Well, I’ll be around if you need me.”
“No, you have to stay.”
“Why?”
“They asked for a meeting with you.”
“They what now?”
“They asked to speak with you. Apparently, they heard you were the guy I sent out to talk up the tech, so they asked you to be there.”
“You know more than I do.”
“Sure, I know that.” He chuckles, and I flip him off. It’s only a little true. I have been with him from the start, and I have knowledge of every way this tech works, but he designed it. He knows how it works, not just what it does. “You’re better at the people part, so it would be handy if you stick around. Do you mind?” he asks, and I nod.
“I’ve got time before the game. Calvin has a part in the opening number. I promised I’d watch.”
“I still can’t get over how much you denied coming to any game with me, and now you’re streaming them from across the country. What has love done to you?”
“Made me better,” I say, shoving his legs to make room for me on the couch. He sits and closes the magazine. “Just remember, we got this far keeping the company under your control, we need to keep it that way.”
“Under our control, you mean.”
“It’s been a long road. My share in RED Tech is small, so I don’t mind if I end up further down the ladder of the decision makers, as long as you don’t.”
“The latest investors you and Jennifer signed have given us enough funds to get us to production, if we manufacture overseas. If I want to keep it in the country, I need major money backing us. What if it’s worth the risk?”
I can see he’s been really thinking this over. His eyes are drawn, tired.
“We will get the funds and your US manufacturing plant.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I believe you can make anything happen. Look at what you did with that first ten thousand we raised back in college. Youhad no idea how we could do what we did with that, and yet, you built the first prototype, paid for my economy flights to the AgTech firm in Sweden, to boast all about its possibilities. They were our first investors, and we only grew from there.”
“That was because of you. All of it was. You set up that fundraiser and found the Swedes.”
“Okay, it was us. Look at what we can do together?”
“Yes. Us. We can do anything we set our mind to. We can change the world.”
“And we will.”
The door opens, and Red’s secretary is there.
“Ms. Lynette Collins,” she announces, and then in walks the woman from the gallery.
“How lovely to see you again.” She beams as we stand. “So, I hear your tech is doing amazing things.”
“We are trying,” Red says, crossing the room to shake her hand.
