Sneak Peak
Brielle
My scalp tingles with an uncomfortable sensation, causing me to shift uneasily in my seat. It's not just the fact that I'm sitting in the same room as Ryan Carter's ex-wife that's making me feel this way.
No.
It’s because the last time those piercing blue eyes bored into mine, our bodies had been pressed against each other, our hearts beating as one. I can still feel the flames from his arm wrapping around my waist as he hauled me closer.
I’d placed my hand on his chest and pressed on my feet to kiss him, he paused for two seconds and let me in, deepening our kiss. I’d melted against him, relishing in the flame of our passionate kiss.
But when the kiss ended and I confessed my feelings to him, expecting him to do the same, he told me the cruelest words I’d ever heard.
I can’t, Brie. You’re Cade’s sister, and you’re fucking drunk.
Seven years later, those same eyes are staring at me from across the conference room, and they belong to Ryan Carter. He is not just my brother’s best friend, but also my first love and the man who turned me down after taking my first kiss away seven years ago.
Well, first one-sided love if I must add.
My body is keenly aware of his presence, my stomach fluttering as I take in how good he looks. He’s thirty-three now, but he doesn’t seem to have aged a day since the last time I saw him.
His tan skin, raven-black hair, and piercing blue eyes still captivate me. He’s wearing an expensive Tom Ford suit that does nothing to hide his broad shoulders and the muscles on his arms and chest. He’s absurdly handsome.
His ex-wife, Scarlet Carter, smiles several seats away from me, but her expression only makes my stomach churn. “Mr. Carter, I believe you’ve met Ms. Sullivan before now.”
Ryan doesn’t take his eyes off me, and I suddenly want to shrink in my seat.
It’s our first time meeting since the night we kissed—the night I poured out all my feelings and practically begged him not to get married.
I cringe as my mind drifts back to that night, flames heating my cheeks.
It was the most embarrassing thing I’ve done, but in my defense and just like he said, I was drunk.
So drunk that I flew to Los Angeles the next morning and spent four years of my life there until I returned to New York three years ago.
I hoped to avoid any encounter with Ryan, but at the same time, a small part of me yearned for closure and resolution.
As much as I wanted to forget about him and move on, there was still a lingering curiosity within me.
The thought of potentially seeing him again filled me with both dread and hope.
In seven years, I got a degree and Ryan got a divorce.
Ryan founded DreamWave, now the biggest AR and VR company in North America and Europe.
I returned to Manhattan after getting my degree to become a virtual reality developer.
Now I work as a contractor at VirtualTech, an associate company of DreamWave.
Ryan's ex-wife bought shares in VirtualTech with assets from their divorce and became a managing director two months before this conference.
Talk about bad luck.
Her gaze keeps swinging between me and Ryan, and she has a smug smile on her face. I swear she hates me, and I really have no idea why.
“No, it’s not. It’s been a while, Ms. Sullivan,” Ryan says to me. His voice is deep and gruff, but his tone makes it sound like he’d rather watch a true crime documentary than be in the same conference room as me.
And he hates true crime documentaries.
I force a smile at him, despite my heart threatening to explode in my chest. “Yes, it has. It’s so good to see you again.” I consider telling him he hasn’t changed so much but decide against it, since he doesn’t seem interested in making small talk with me.
“The divorced couple of the year in the same room together?” my best friend, Hailey, whispers into my ear. She recommended me for the job here after I returned to New York three years ago. “I live for this kind of drama.”
“Well, I don’t,” I whisper while everyone’s attention is back to Scarlet. “Because I have a feeling I’m right in the middle of the drama.”
She tsks. “You’ve always been that way, all work and no time for office gossip. It’s like not eating carbs, you need the gossip to survive.”
I wonder if Hailey recalls the age-old embarrassment that plagued my youth.
Tears did not flow during my journey to Los Angeles or in my conversation with Hailey that day, yet the pain still burns deep within me.
I do my best to keep this tender wound concealed, for the thought of revisiting it brings a wave of agony crashing over me once again.
“Seeing as I’ve survived for three years without it, I think I’m doing just fine.”
I have been doing just fine up until now. I’ve been promoted twice already since I started working at VirtualTech, my last promotion being only a few months ago.
After my last promotion, I came up with an AR model idea I thought would be beneficial for the company.
As the result, my idea led to this meeting, as VirtualTech does not have enough resources to fund a project that big.
We needed a bigger VR company to invest in, that is, only if we were able to sell our idea to them.
What I didn’t expect, however, was that Ryan would be in this meeting and that I would have to sell my idea to him as well.
He’s peering at me from across the table with such intensity that I’m shifting in my seat. I can’t wait for this to be over.
“So, what is this new model all about?” he asks. His eyes are still fixated on me, but I get a feeling the question is not directed at me.
“Augmented reality for educational purposes,” Scarlet answers. She leans forward and laces her fingers together on the conference table. “One of our staff came up with this idea a month ago, and we think it’ll be a groundbreaking project for us.”
“I believe this member of staff is Ms. Sullivan, am I wrong?”
Heat zaps down my spine. It’s weird hearing him address me so formally, and it’s even weirder that I have to address him that way too, as if we’re strangers. But come to think of it, I’ve done a good job at avoiding him for seven years so we’re close to being strangers now.
The only reason we’re not there yet is because we have known each other since we were kids, let alone the last thing we did together was kissing each other passionately. I still hate the way he made me feel stupid when I told him how I felt.
“You’re not wrong, Mr. Carter.” Scarlet smiles at him, but the tension between them is palpable. They’re both good at keeping things professional. I have a feeling they would’ve been aiming for each other’s throats right now if they weren’t. “The idea is Ms. Sullivan’s.”
“Do you mind sharing what this idea is about?” Ryan’s question is directed to me this time, and my stomach growls with nervousness.
“Of course, I can.” I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath. It doesn’t matter that I’m nervous around Ryan and I hate him; I worked really hard to come up with this idea and I’m not going to let my personal feelings jeopardize it.
Tearing my eyes open, I push up from my seat and walk to the podium, standing beside the whiteboard.
“Just as Ms. Carter said, my idea is to create a model where AR can be used for educational purposes.
Imagine a world where education isn't confined to textbooks and classrooms. What if we could bring history, science, and art to life right in front of students' eyes?”
Ryan leans back in his seat, pinning me with his undivided attention. “There are AI bots that can help with that. How is an AR model any better than them in terms of education?”
“Good question, Mr. Carter.” A smile plays on my lips as I nod for the next page on the slide I prepared for this presentation.
“Imagine studying the ancient pyramids and seeing them materialize in your classroom, or exploring the human body in 3D.
It's immersive, and interactive, and it could revolutionize how kids learn. Furthermore, it could be quite helpful to people with dyslexia and other forms of learning disabilities.”
Ryan contemplates for a moment. “So, the whole point of your idea is changing traditional educational methods?”
I don’t like the skepticism in his tone, but I don’t let it deter me since I’m here to win his approval.
“Exactly. We make learning an experience, not just a lesson.
It's not about replacing teachers; it's about enhancing their methods. Think about the impact it could have, especially for students who struggle with traditional teaching methods like I mentioned earlier.”
“I see.” He taps his fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
“The educational sector is a huge market.
If we could create something groundbreaking, it would be a game-changer.
But, Ms. Sullivan, it's not just about the technology. We need a curriculum, partnerships with schools, and convincing educators that this is more than just a gimmick.”
I grin. I knew that would be his concern, and it’s a good thing I prepared beforehand.
“That's where the real innovation comes in.
We collaborate with educators, design a curriculum that aligns with educational standards, and ensure that it's a tool teachers can seamlessly integrate into their lessons.”
His CFO, Miles Brandy, smiles. He’s a slender man in his mid-thirties with blond hair and brown eyes.
I take his smile as a very good sign. Ryan started the company alongside him.
I’ve heard the two have a good relationship and Miles is the only person Ryan ever listens to when it comes to business advice.
Ryan nods. “Your proposal sounds really interesting, Ms. Sullivan, but I’m afraid it is not very practical.”
My heart sinks to my stomach. Not very practical is the last thing I expected to hear from him. “But…”
“Your idea is original and impressive, but traditional teaching methods have existed since the beginning of education.” He pauses, his jaw clenching.
“The problem with original ideas is that they are untested and are bound to fail, in which case I would not only be losing money, but also my company’s stocks could suffer. It’s a risk I’m unwilling to take.”
I look at Scarlet and I swear she glares at me before she drags her gaze to Ryan. “We understand your concerns, Mr. Carter. But there’s no idea in our line of business that doesn’t come with risks.”
“You’re very correct,” he agrees, rubbing a hand over his maroon tie. “But as a businessman, I choose my risks carefully. If that is all, then I’d like to excuse myself. I have other business to attend to.”
Ryan stands up and his team, including Miles, his secretary and a few others, follow. Just before he walks out of the double black doors that lead to the hallway, he spins around. “It was really a pleasure meeting you all again.”
My legs threaten to give out when he leaves. I know I’m wrong, but I can’t shake off the feeling that he turned the project proposal down because it’s mine.
Scarlet sighs, folding her arms and glaring at me from where she’s seated. “Everyone out. You, stay.”
The other staff hurriedly pack their folders and leave. I’m alone with Scarlet now, and the conference room feels like it’s on fire. If there’s anything Scarlet Carter hates, it’s incompetence.
She may dislike me for whatever reason, but she’s always acknowledged my competence and contribution to the company. Now I feel like that’s about to change, unless I’m somehow able to get Ryan to approve my project idea.
“Was that really the best you could do?” she asks angrily, her brows furrow and eyes narrow in a piercing stare.
A lump forms in my throat, but I’m able to push it down as I swallow. “I’m sorry, Ms. Carter. Maybe I can still—”
“Get him to approve the project?” The sound of her humorless laugh makes my pulse skyrocket. “Ryan is not the kind of man to go back on his word. You should know that already, considering you’re his best friend’s sister.”
I clamp my clammy hands together. “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry that grumpy monkey can’t recognize a good proposal when he sees one.
“Sorry doesn’t cut it,” she states sternly. “We haven’t lost a project in so long.”
And that is mostly thanks to me, Ms. Bully.
But I don’t tell her that. Instead, I look her back in the eyes. I don’t like the feeling of being challenged or looked down on. I returned to New York for one reason only, and that is to become one of the best VR developers in America.
Ryan Carter be damned, I’m not letting this get to me.
“Allow me to meet with Mr. Carter.”
Her brows shoot up to her hairline. “And what will you do? Convince him to approve your proposal?”
“Yes.” Her eyes widen and I smile. “I plan to do exactly that.”