4. Sam #3
Palo Alto, CA—Despite all the talk about progress, Silicon Valley bucks still largely flow to men. But earlier today, Omni signed a deal to buy startup Ideal Life for $100 million, and guess whose brainchild it is? Talia Morgan, who grew up a stone’s throw away in San Bruno.
And they just threw a super-swanky shindig tonight to celebrate her.
Let me set the scene for you:
The restaurant: Sugiyama, the Michelin-starred bastion of marble, gold, and premium bluefin tuna flown overnight from Tokyo’s famed Toyosu Market. Servers in rose kimonos with gold obis or navy haori jackets over crisp black dress shirts and a modern version of hakama pants.
The investors: identifiable by their Peter Millar plaid blazers and non-Rolex watches from “if you know, you know” brands that cost more than my car. The chinos are neutral and tailored, the cashmere socks are understated but Loro Piana.
The Omni execs: They arrive in dark jeans, the men in plain button-downs and the women in monochrome silk blouses, probably put together by a subscription-box service in that upscale-but-not-particularly-inspired way of accessible luxury.
It still puts them head and shoulders above the way most of the Valley dresses, so B for fashion, but A- for effort.
Our star: Talia Morgan is too busy and impressive to dress up, and this is…
refreshing. While most young founders would flip their shit to be wined and dined by the Titans of Tech, Talia clearly went to work today like she did any other day, then threw on the heels and blazer she keeps in her office and came downstairs (because oh, did we forget to mention?
Ideal Life is headquartered just an elevator ride above Sugiyama).
Some might say her appearance is sloppy.
But here at Your Gossipy Tech BFF, we disagree.
Talia Morgan represents all the little girls who loved math and science and did the hard work but always worried about having to do extra to outshine the boys.
But Talia’s attitude is “Screw that. I’m brilliant and you’ll pay for my genius, and then you’ll pay for my dinner, too, and I’m going to be comfortable while doing it. ”
Hear, hear, Talia Morgan. We salute you.
“Wow,” Erin said. “What an amazing write-up.” She looked at Sam, whose expression must not have been as adoring. “Oh, Your Gossipy Tech BFF isn’t your speed, is it?”
Sam gave her a half shrug. “I’m more a Carlo Rovelli or Neal Stephenson reader.”
What he was really thinking, though, was how the article had painted today as just any other ordinary workday for Talia. Whoever the writer of Your Gossipy Tech BFF was, they may have gotten the scoop on the clothing of the night, but not the biggest secret. That was for Sam and Talia alone.
He stuck around the party as long as he could, but eventually, he had to leave to get to the airport.
He located Talia with her marketing director in the ivory leather armchairs near the windows.
There were groups of others hovering close by, all hoping for a minute of Talia’s attention, but the lamp above shone on her alone like a spotlight, leaving everyone else a little in shadow.
Sam allowed himself a few beats to appreciate her like this, the center of a visionary startup she’d created from scratch.
When a waiter tried to squeeze past him, though, the movement caught Talia’s eye, and she looked up and waved Sam over.
“Hey, I just wanted to say goodbye before I head out,” he said.
“Oh, already?” Talia got up and hugged him.
“Unless you want me to stay?” he said, his voice lowered. “To, um, you know, make sure things still turn out all right tonight, with the watch and all?”
“This is why you’re my favorite person,” she said, squeezing him extra tight.
He leaned in, holding her for as long as she would let it last.
Too soon, though, she pulled away. “I think it’s all going to be okay from here on out, though, so you should go. Don’t miss your flight.”
“You sure?”
Talia smiled, and the warmth of it wrapped itself around him like another hug. Sam couldn’t help but smile back.
“It meant everything that you were here tonight,” she said. “Not only the party, but listening to me earlier and being there for me. But I have one more favor to ask of you.”
“Anything,” Sam said, and he meant it.
“Kick ass tomorrow at the tournament, okay?”
He normally slept on red-eye flights, especially when he had to play poker first thing in the morning.
But Sam didn’t sleep. Instead, he made sure his phone was connected to Wi-Fi, and he stayed awake the entire way to Cleveland, just in case Talia did need him.
She’d always had more faith in technology than he did, and she was especially optimistic and excitable about new gadgets.
He wanted to be available if she was wrong that the evening would end well. If the watch didn’t work the way she hoped.
Sam would play badly this tournament, he already knew. Besides missing out on sleep, he wasn’t going through his usual mental immersion into probability and game theory.
But Talia didn’t message him at all. And for once, he was happy about that.
When the plane landed, Sam was utterly exhausted. But it was worth it.