Chapter 15 #2
I sense weakness and a dark part of me wants to attack it with all I’ve got. I grit my teeth and shift in my seat, turning to him.
“So, the blockchain,” I say, pressing him.
“What’s your approach to regulatory compliance?
Because the Ontario Securities Commission has been increasingly aggressive about classifying crypto betting platforms as unregistered securities.
You could be looking at significant legal exposure. You must have a plan for that?”
Tristan opens his mouth.
“And predictive betting specifically sits in a very uncomfortable gray area between gambling legislation and securities law depending on the jurisdiction. Which markets are you operating in?”
He clears his throat. “We’re still figuring that out.”
“You’re live and you haven’t figured out your regulatory framework? Sounds like a major legal liability.”
“It’s a… we got it under control.”
“Doesn’t sound like it,” Edward mutters. “I know who’s going to be stuck with the bill when you get sued.”
“How much have you raised from seed investors?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on him.
He swallows hard. “We’re bootstrapping it right now.”
“I see,” I say, rubbing my chin.
“What’s the name of the company?” Faye asks.
“Alpha Crypto Gains,” he says, pulling out his phone. “Check out this sweet logo I had made.”
“Cool,” Faye says as she leans in to look.
Tristan looks pretty pleased with himself as he looks at the logo and puts his phone away.
I grit my teeth and go in for the kill.
“So, no regulatory framework, no institutional capital, no revenue from what I can tell, and a vague idea of something that sounds like a business. But the logo is cool, I guess. Sounds like you know what you’re doing.”
Tristan glances at his father guiltily and then looks at the fire.
Faye squeezes my knee hard enough that I think she might be trying to break it.
“More marshmallows?” she asks.
An awkward silence descends on the campfire until Edward tosses another log on the fire. Sparks dance into the air.
Maybe I didn’t have to go so hard at Tristan, but I don’t regret it. It bothers me the way he keeps looking at Faye.
“You two are so fascinating to me,” Cassandra says, changing the subject. “Married after a month. Infatuated beyond belief. I’m curious about how you two work.”
Faye gets a stern look on her face as she glares at Cassandra. “We work very well,” she says, getting up from her seat. I stiffen in shock as she sits on my lap like she’s done it a hundred times.
I go completely still, gripping the armrests so hard my knuckles burn.
She says something to Cassandra, but I don’t hear it.
My brain seems to be recalibrating, trying to compute why this feels so…
good. I’ve never had a woman sit on my lap before.
Shockingly, it’s not the worst feeling in the world.
“We work like a well-oiled machine,” she says, grabbing my arm and yanking it around her waist.
My heart pounds as I hold her, too afraid to move. Her hoodie is so soft, her body so warm, and her hair smells delightful. She’s like a weighted blanket in the form of a female, strangely calming despite the havoc she’s currently wreaking on my nervous system.
I’d like to pull her a little closer, but I remain frozen. I don’t know how she’d react, and I don’t particularly like having all of these people watching us.
“Well, I’m excited to get to know you intimately well over the weekend,” Cassandra says as she looks at me. “You two are one of a kind.”
Faye turns in my lap and runs her hand through my hair. She grabs a fistful of it and pulls my head back as she leans down, pressing her lips to mine.
My heart thunders through my chest when I feel her soft, warm lips. Her hair tickles my face and she makes a little moaning sound that sends a jolt of something alarmingly primal shooting straight to my core.
I grip the armrests again, my head spinning when she pulls away. She licks her lips as she glares at Cassandra. “One of a kind is right,” she says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “The unbreakable kind.”
“You two certainly are something special,” Edward says, opening another beer. “I’d hate to break you two up, but I’d really like to talk to Owen alone.”
“Always work, work, work with you boys,” Cassandra says with a sigh as she stands up. “Scarlett, let’s leave the boys to their business. I’m heading off to bed. I have a vigorous training session planned for tomorrow morning.”
I hear a little growling sound coming from Faye as she stands up. Her right hand is clenched into a fist.
I’m still so in shock from that kiss that I can’t think straight. I just stare at the fire, a little dazed and stupefied as people move all around me.
Now that she’s standing, I’m acutely aware of the empty space she’s left behind. That pleasing warmth and weight are gone. I wish she’d stayed a little bit longer. It was over so fast.
“I’ll walk you back,” Tristan says, leaving with Faye.
That snaps me right back to reality. I yank my head around, about to jump up and follow them when Edward hands me another beer.
“Sit,” he says, insisting as he opens the bottle. I reluctantly take it, keeping my eyes on Faye and Tristan as they walk to the house with Cassandra. “Let’s get down to business.”
I take a long sip and turn back to the fire when they’re finally out of sight.
Faye wouldn’t… No…
What does it matter anyway? This is all just pretend.
“I saw the plans for the new Temporary Ink shop opening next month,” Edward says. “Very ambitious. That’s what I like about you Lavoie boys. Smart and calculated with relentless ambition.”
I glance over my shoulder, wondering if I should go after Faye. I don’t like the thought of her alone with that guy.
“What are you thinking in terms of expansion?” he goes on as I look at the closed door. “North America first or an international push?”
I can’t even think about work right now.
I barely hear him. My focus is elsewhere.
The taste of her lips is still on mine. The feeling of her weight lingering on my legs, her hand in my hair, the feeling of holding her. It was all over too soon.
“The exclusivity is key,” he goes on. “If we pull our product from the marketplace, the demand will be huge. We could open one hundred stores and have them all profitable by the end of the year.”
I know I should be trying to convince Edward. I should be trying to get this contract signed and the financing secured. It’s why I’m here in the first place. But I can’t stay here another minute. Not as long as Faye is out there alone with… him.
“I’m sorry,” I say, standing up with my stomach churning. “I’m going to bed.”
“Are you alright?” Edward asks. “You feeling okay?”
I don’t hear what else he says. It all gets drowned out by the thrashing in my ears as I hurry to the house.
I barely take a breath as I head straight to our room, hoping to see Faye lying on the bed.
But that’s not what I see at all.
My stomach drops when I open the door and see the bed made, her suitcase as messy as ever, and the room completely empty.