3. Lex
“Miles, with me.”
My assistant stands immediately, following on my heels as I sweep into my office. He closes the door behind us and makes a beeline to the bar cart in the corner.
“How did my last appointment get scheduled?”
He glances at me curiously as he hands over a tumbler with a generous pour of scotch. “They emailed requesting a second meeting. They were in the system under a different company name, but I assumed they had an update to share. Why?”
He elegantly drops onto my midnight blue couch, looking up at me with innocent eyes as he strokes the lush velvet.
“You watched the interview I did with Cass Thompson and Preston Brooks?”
He rolls his eyes. “Of course. The entire office has seen it no less than fifty times at this point.”
“Lovely,” I mutter, taking a long swallow of scotch. After years of benefiting from press coverage as I built my business as a newcomer to the Bay, I don’t hate the spotlight, but I certainly don’t love it. “Well, the story I told in that interview?”
Miles’s brows crease. “Yes?”
“It was about Anne-Marie Townsend.”
He blinks as his brows rise. “The golden child of Greenstar Labs?”
“The very same.”
“You don’t say...” Tutting, he shakes his head. “I have to be honest, Lex, I have no idea why she’s the talk of the town. What does her big idea even do, exactly?”
I laugh. “She’s claimed she can revolutionize commercial construction. She’s developed a green building material that’s lighter, more cost effective, and carbon neutral to use. Plus, it’s produced without all the excess waste of typical milling and manufacturing processes–”
“Lex, honey. No. That’s all Greek to me.”
“Imagine you could build a school for 30% less, and it was more durable over time.”
“Oh. Well, sounds nice, I guess?”
I grin. “And imagine you could do it without hacking down forests, wasting millions of gallons of water, mining, or otherwise destroying the face of the planet bit by bit.”
“Wait, so you’re saying traditional construction isn’t green?” Miles smirks, cocking one perfectly sculpted brow. “I’m shocked.”
It’s my turn to roll my eyes. “You asked.”
“As much as I love a lesson in green tech, why are we talking about the wicked bitch of the past?”
I take a long swallow of scotch. “The three men you put on my calendar are her former business partners.”
He chokes, sitting forward abruptly. “Excuse me? The business partners from the story? The ones who just sat there while she made a complete fool of herself and them?”
I chuckle and swirl the amber liquid in the glass. “The very same.”
“Fuck. Lex, I’m sorry. That whole thing happened before my time, but if I’d known, they’d never have gotten on your calendar–”
I wave him off. “It’s fine, Miles. Not your fault; you followed protocol. I just wasn’t prepared to see those particular faces waiting for me.”
His grin turns salacious. “Those particularly delicious faces, you mean?”
My eyebrow rises as I glare at him over my glass. I had neither patience nor time for his suggestive shenanigans.
“Oh, come on, Lex,” he chides. “Tell me you noticed how gorgeous they are? I can’t decide who is hotter: the sexy, sullen one with all the muscles, or the tall one with the shaved head and the piercing blue eyes.”
I snort internally at his spot-on description of Declan Wilde. Sullen, indeed. “Honestly, Miles, I didn’t notice.”
I wasn’t lying. Much. Yes, the arresting blue-eyed gaze of Shane Kelly caught my attention. And Declan’s imposing, brooding bulk. But the attitude should be a huge fucking turn off. Lincoln Wilde’s messy curls and warm brown eyes, though...
None of those things matter because I’m a fucking professional.
“I believe you.” His expression suggests he, in fact, does not believe me. Stop reading me so well, Miles. “Do I need to put them on the block list? Are they a waste of time?”
I shake my head. “No. They’re sending over some materials, then I’ll need to decide how to proceed.”
His look is long and incredulous. “How to proceed? Lex, honey. You proceed by telling them to fuck right off. Your calendar is full, six in the morning to six at night, every day for the next three months. I should know; I scheduled most of it.”
I hum in response as I click open my email inbox.
“Lex.” The barest hint of a whine creeps into Miles’s voice. “You’re not honestly considering taking them on. Hand them to Parker or another associate. Or something.”
Glancing up at my meddling assistant, I smirk. “Perhaps you should grab Van for me. I could use his opinion.”
Miles purses his lips. “Rude. I’ll grab Mr. Grumpypants, but I’m not sticking around for the verbal beating he’s sure to give me for simply existing.”
I snort. “I’m sure you won’t say anything inflammatory to him, either.”
“Me!?” He throws a hand up to his throat in mock horror, his eyes glinting. “I’d never.”
“Go,” I wave a hand. “Incite your drama. Just make sure he ends up here before my next meeting.”
Miles grins. “I’ll try to only rile him a little.”
“Good of you,” I murmur, already distracted by the unread messages filling my screen.
He scoffs as he saunters out. “No promises, boss!”
Shaking my head with a quiet chuckle, I focus on answering the highest priority emails awaiting me. Miles was harmless, and with the exception of one incident when he’d pushed Van too far, their playful rivalry both entertained and steadied the office. There was comfort in the banal routine of their back-and-forth, particularly in an industry as tumultuous as ours.
My mind wanders back to the shock of seeing the three men of Procerus–now Solum–in my conference room. Our first encounter three years ago was memorable for all the wrong reasons, but I’d somehow forgotten how they drew me in despite their former partner’s blunder.
They’d been quiet that day, had simply watched as Anne-Marie sealed their fate with a flourish and a thin smile. Hearing from Lincoln directly, seeing the passion and desire in his eyes, was something else. He was so earnest, his eyes warm and inviting as he made their presumptuous ask. And Shane? I shift in my chair as the memory of his deep, calming voice rolls over me. Even Declan, though he’d been little more than a silent, brooding shape in the back of the room, was striking.
“Next time, IM me.” Van’s surly tone breaks through my thoughts.
I smile sweetly up at my business partner as he closes my office door before heading straight for the bar cart.
“Where’s the fun in that?” I tease.
“I fail to see the fun in your assistant’s antagonistic attitude.” He tosses me a glare as he finishes pouring his whiskey, but it lacks heat.
“You’re the only one, my friend.”
Van considers me as he sits on the couch like it’s his personal throne. “Miles said you had something to discuss?”
I walk over to join him, settling in the chair opposite. “I had an unexpected meeting earlier, with the founders of Procerus.”
“You’re joking,” he barks, expression darkening as he recalls the disastrous meeting.
“Not Ms. Townsend, just the other three. Miles put the meeting under Lincoln Wilde, and I didn’t remember why that name rang a bell until I saw them all.”
Some of the tension leaves his face. Like mine, most of his vitriol is reserved for Anne-Marie. “Why the fuck were they here?”
I explain our conversation, highlighting the concerns Lincoln and Shane shared about the faulty tech Anne-Marie stole.
“This sounds messy, Lex,” Van sighs after a few moments. “I understand your desire to protect reputations and do what’s right, but we have little reason to trust these three. Plus, Greenstar is a big player in the space.”
He isn’t wrong. “I hear you. Rumor also has it PL recently joined their board.”
I can feel Van’s eyes on me as I gaze down at the tumbler in my hands. Price Livingston Capital, better known as PL in the Bay, is the venture capital arm of my father’s investment firm. My younger brother moved from the East Coast to launch PL, and our few interactions since have been strained at best.
“Your gut is telling you something, isn’t it?” His question is quiet, knowing.
My lungs fill on a deep inhale, and I meet his gaze. “It is.”
“You’re rarely wrong, Lex.” He closes his eyes, steeling himself, then meets my gaze head on. “As much as I don’t want to entertain this situation given the complexities…What’s your gut telling you?”
“There’s a shit ton we don’t know, but I’d put good money on the three of them being genuine. They want to take their former partner down, yes, but they seem motivated by altruism more than revenge.” I gaze out the window at the redwoods beyond, considering. “And their tech was promising, Van. I remember that much from their initial pitch, and they’ve had three years to refine it.”
Van lets silence gather between us, waiting for me to continue. We both know I haven’t shared a compelling reason to say yes.
“If they’re right, and the tech she’s peddling as the next revolution is faulty, the fallout would affect far more than the green tech industry. That woman has unprecedented visibility in tech circles right now. She’s a media darling acting as the face of female startup founders in a competitive, male-dominated space.”
I meet his intense gaze. “If she’s full of shit and it all blows up, Van, it’s going to reinforce the glass ceiling with rebar. Every woman with a startup is going to be scrutinized to a greater degree, regardless of industry. I’ve spent my entire career paving the way for more women to succeed in a cutthroat industry, and one stupid girl with delusions of grandeur could undo it all and set it back another decade. In a moment.”
Van finishes his whiskey, setting the tumbler down on the coffee table as he leans forward, elbows on his knees. “It’s not your responsibility to stop that from happening.”
“I know.” Feels like it is, though.
“You don’t owe the startup world anything. You built Athena from the ground up, on your own, and have made it the most influential and successful VC firm in the country.”
I can’t stop my small smirk. “I know that, too.”
“As long as you’re doing this because it’s something you want to do, and not something you feel obligated to do, I’m in. I’ve got your back. We can navigate whatever fallout happens with Greenstar and PL, as long as you’re confident this is the right thing for Athena to do.”
Unspoken words sit between us. You’re not in this alone. Emotion wells in my chest, warm and comforting. “Thank you, Van.”
He nods sharply, settling back on the couch. “Of course. Put Parker on due diligence, he’s been building a sustainability portfolio.”
“Perfect. The guys at Solum owe me data; I’ll send it to Parker as soon as it comes in.”
“Solum?”
“Solum Technologies. They’ve started fresh with a new company name.”
“Here’s hoping they have better taste in business partners these days.”
“That’ll be one of my conditions.”
His eyes brighten. “You’re going to rake them over the coals with conditions, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” I smirk. “I deserve some fun.”
Van’s laugh is deep and loud, drawing an answering grin to my lips. “That you do. And they deserve a dose of humility after the shit they pulled.”
I finish my scotch and stand, taking Van’s empty glass back to the bar cart with mine.
“One thing, though, Lex.”
I turn back to him.
“You’re already burning the candle at both ends. How will you fit this in?” He cocks his head at me as he gets to his feet. “With how passionate you are about this, I take it you’ll handle it personally?”
“I haven’t decided to take it on. Yet.”
“But if we do,” he presses, knowing full well my mind is 95% made up.
“If we do…you’re right. I won’t hand it off.”
“Promise me I won’t find you sleeping in the fucking office again.”
I lean away in surprise, my lips pursing. “Of course not. I haven’t done that in years, Van. Not since I hired Miles to handle my calendar.”
“Right,” he drawls. “As long as you don’t forget to take care of yourself, this will all work out just fine.”
“I don’t forget to take care of myself,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
“You do. Even Cami noticed. She brings you lunch every day now, whether you order or not.”
I blink up at him. His wife owned a catering business and delivered lunch to the office daily. She also happens to be one of the sweetest people on the planet, so the suggestion isn’t out of character. That doesn’t stop me from denying his claim. “She does not.”
“She does.”
My lips purse. “Fine. If we do this, I’ll work with Miles to make sure I get everything on the calendar so I don’t forget.” I wave my hand at him. “Now get out of here. I assume we’re both late for something.”
He chuckles as he leaves. “I’m sure we are.”