That much was true. My love for the woman I’d foolishly planned to marry had died the minute the tabloid article had come out.
It, of course, had been picked up by legitimate publications and every internet site from here to Timbuktu, not only ending our relationship but most likely my publishing career as well.
Mrs. Potts took a step closer and gave my shoulder a warm, maternal pat. “It isn’t gone, son. You’ve still got the gift. You just need something—or someone—to help you relocate it.”
Her voice took on a humorous note. “Believe me, we’llallbe glad when you do.”
She left the office without waiting for my response. I stared at the blank screen for another half hour before finally giving up and picking up the phone to call my brother.
We wouldn’t be discussing Claudia, but it had been a few days since we’d talked, and I wanted to find out how things were coming along with Hunter’s startup tech company.
He and several of his high school friends—the science Olympiad team basically—had built software that was streamlining the way online business transactions were conducted.
I was far from a technophile, but the way I understood it, businesses large and small could plug this software into their websites and apps to instantly connect with credit card and banking systems, allowing them to receive payments.
The product had been an instant sensation with Silicon Valley startups, on-demand transportation companies, on-demand food delivery services, even large social media sites. The global pandemic had only increased the demand for it.
Essentially any company that wanted to speed up online financial transactions and eliminate fee duplication wanted in on what Hunter had created.
His company, Chipp, now handled hundreds of millions in internet transactions daily, making money by charging a small fee on each one.
Those “geeky” high school coders? They were all multi-millionaires now and well on their way to becoming billionaires.
While gearing up for the launch, they’d all rented a mansion on Oceanview Avenue, living there together like Mark Zuckerberg had with his friends and team members in preparation for taking Facebook global.
I teased Hunter that hemighthave watched The Social Network one too many times.
He picked up on the second ring. “If it isn’t the Beast himself,” he said with a smile in his voice.
“The beast?”
“Yeah, don’t you read the papers? Besides, you’ve gifteduswith such acharmingnickname, I think it’s only right to return the favor.”
I jokingly referred to Hunter and his housemates as the Seven Dwarves, though most of them were at least six feet tall.
“Yeah, well, seven adult men moving in together deserves a nickname—or two,” I said. “I don’t see how that makes me the beast, though.”
“Dude—you don’t see it? Growly recluse barricades himself in his lonely tower by the sea, scribbling madness and waiting for a fair maiden to imprison—not the best strategy for meeting women, by the way.”
I laughed. “I’d settle for scribbled madness at this point—it’s more than I’ve been turning out. How are you? How are things coming along?”
“Great. We’re almost ready—and great news—I’m flying to Seattle Monday for a meeting with the big one. They’re thinking of partnering with us on a portion of their transactions.”
“Whoa. Landing the whale there, Captain Ahab.”
“Not landed yet—but hooked. I’m hopeful.”
“Well, be sure and let me know when they sign,” I said. “I’ll ask my chef to make a couple dry-aged steaks for us and pop a cork on something old and expensive from the wine cellar.”
“Or we could go out,” Hunter suggested.
“You know how I feel about that.”
“Yeah, I know. But I think it’s time you got back out there. I hate to see you wasting away all alone in that big old house while life passes you by. You’re young, rich, and notcompletelyrepulsive.”
I chuckled because people had always said my brother and I looked enough alike to be twins. Though Hunter was two years younger, we had similar builds and the same blue eyes and black hair, courtesy of our father.
“You need to get back on the horse—or maybe a few. You know, get the juices flowing again, have some fun for a change,” Hunter said.
