There was a short silence. “It’s too late,” Patrick said finally.
“Shit.”
“I’d just been through it three times earlier this morning and it worked fine,” Patrick burst out defensively. “I didn’t have anything else to tell them about and they seemed to be expecting something.” He hesitated a moment as if searching for words. “I gave them the URL and started to walk them through a tour.”
Cade stared at the ceiling and searched for patience. “And it blew up.”
“Worse. The server crashed. We’re dead in the water. Ravi and the guys are working on it. The problem is that it went down when I was demoing it to the VCs.”
“Who were not impressed.”
“Well.” Tension vibrated in Patrick’s voice. “They actually got pretty agitated. I mean, our original schedule for the live rollout of phase one is in two weeks. They’re freaked out that we might not be able to meet schedule. Frank Briamante, especially, was acting really pissed. They want to talk with you, pronto.”
“We’re doing a taping here.”
“They said now, Cade. I don’t know if they can pull funding at this point, but I don’t want to give them a chance.”
“All right,” he said wearily. “I’ll call them.”
Five minutes later he was on the phone to New York, soothing Briamante, the head of the venture cap group. “What you saw today was an anomaly, Frank. The rollout isn’t for two weeks. We’ll be fine.”
“That’s not good enough.” There was an edge to Briamante’s words. “We’ve put seven million dollars into you guys, in the expectation of getting it back in the IPO. I need more than just your assurances.”
“The content is solid, and that’s what’s going to sell this whole thing.”
“Prove it to me.” Briamante was brusque. “I’m taking the shuttle up tonight. I want to meet with your content people and I want to see a demo tomorrow that works. In this market, a dot-com IPO isn’t a guaranteed success. I need to know this is going to fly.”
Cade sighed. There went his hopes for a quiet evening with Ryan. “No problem. When you get your flight set up, let my secretary know. I’ll pick you up at the airport and we can go to dinner.”
Cade ended the call and stood a minute. Then he stepped out into the deserted courtyard and released a quiet and heartfelt string of profanity as he dialed Patrick back up on the cell phone.
CADE STOOD IN THE classroom doorway watching Ryan flip through viewgraphs, her mouth firm in concentration. As much as she turned him on when she was naked and avid against him, there was something he downright adored about her precise, serious business persona. Maybe because he knew how just a touch from him could affect her. Maybe because, much to his surprise, she was becoming something of a fixture in his life. The lovemaking was incredible, the intensity never seemed to dim. But he’d never really known the quiet pleasure of sharing the events of his day with a lover, and in turn sharing her triumphs and challenges. Ryan had brought that to him. She had brought his days to life.
She sensed him before he was even through the doorway. When she looked up to find his eyes on her, the truth of her newfound self-knowledge pulsed through her. Love. Whether or not it was right, it simply was. Her heart hammered. “Exciting phone call?”“You don’t know the half of it. What’s your schedule look like tomorrow? Do you have time for a meeting?”
“I’ve got the second half of this class all day.” Just as well. She needed time away from him to recover her equilibrium.
“That’s right. I forgot.” He paused a moment. “Got plans for dinner tonight?”
Her decision to duck out was born of self-preservation. “Um, sort of, why?”
“Some eTrain investors are coming up from New York. They want to have a meeting with our content providers. I called Barry, but he’s booked. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I don’t think Barry can do what I need done in this meeting.” His eyes were on hers, sharp and direct. “I need you to represent Beckman Markham. Will you do it?”
Ryan blinked and instantly changed her mind. “Sure, I’ll do anything you need, you know that. But what could they possibly want from me?”
“Mostly reassurance. We tried to demo the streaming video for them today and it crashed and burned pretty spectacularly.” He paced restlessly. “We’re scheduled to go live in two weeks. All the marketing is built around that launch date. Now they’re feeling nervous about their investment.”
“How much of an investment?”
“Seven million.”
Ryan gave a low whistle. “I’d be a little nervous too.”
“They’ll get it back during the IPO next year,” Cade said dismissively. “They’ve got nothing to worry about. We do, though, if they pull out and leave us without funding.” He hesitated. “I need your help. I need to send these guys away confident and happy. Between the two of us, we should be able to do it. We probably won’t even get much into the business aspect of things. They’ll just want to see that you’ve got a strong content list and a clear idea of where you’re going with it.”
“Do I need to do a presentation?”
He shook his head. “Like I said, it’ll just be dinner. Can you change your plans?”
“Of course,” she said, without hesitation. “What time?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll leave a message on your voicemail.” He brushed a quick kiss over her lips. “I have to get back to the eTrain offices and do some damage control, then get them at the airport. You’re in good hands with Pete, though. Meet us at Radius?”
“I’ll be there.”
RYAN SAT AT THE TABLE IN the quietly elegant restaurant at the heart of the financial district, toying with an earring and watching her dinner companions. Graying and powerfully built, Frank Briamante was the picture of the successful financier. Energy buzzed around him; he seemed a man ill at ease with inaction.
Royce Littleton, his lawyer, was younger, with a sharp-toothed smile that reminded her of a snapping dog. Where Briamante sat with an easy authority, Littleton bridled at his side with nervous energy, like a schnauzer on a leash.Briamante looked at Ryan. “So you’re head of the content side?”
She nodded. “I’m the content manager for Beckman Markham. We’re contracted to provide a two-level curriculum for eTrain.”
“You seem awfully young to have held that position for long,” Littleton said patronizingly. “Have you had any experience building these courses or are you just parroting what’s there?”
Ryan gave him a look of faint surprise mingled with distaste. “Age doesn’t define capabilities, as I’m sure you’re aware. In answer to your question, over the last five years I’ve developed course concepts and materials for nine of eTrain’s courses.”
“What’s your background?” Briamante asked.
“A master’s from Brown in English, psychology minor. Teaching certificate. I had plans to teach at a prep school.”
“Just exactly how does an English degree qualify you for—” Littleton began.
“Put a lid on it, Royce,” Briamante said easily and smiled at Ryan in genuine pleasure. “So you went to Brown, hmm? That’s my alma mater. There used to be a little greasy spoon right off campus…”
“Lila’s Diner?”
His eyes lit up. “Yeah. Is it still there?”
Ryan grinned and nodded. “I think there would be a riot if they tried to close Lila’s down.”
“Best greasy breakfasts in town,” Briamante said nostalgically, and took a pull on his drink. “So why Beckman Markham instead of a straight teaching job?”
She shrugged. “The right opportunity at the right time.”
He seemed to accept this. “Are you sorry you didn’t go into the prep school track?”
“No. I think dealing with adults is more challenging,” she answered, realizing as she said it that it was true. “I like reaching people, and knowing the courses I’m building can change their professional lives.”
“Once yo
u build a course, your role is done, though.” He stated it as though it were a fact.
“Oh no, I’m in the classroom regularly. It’s the only way to see what works and what doesn’t. The dynamic is different every time. The students drive the personality of a class.”
“Looks to me like it’s driven by your personality,” he said with a smile.
Cade watched her parry Briamante while charming him, and felt an upwelling of pride, salted by the frustration of having to share her. At being unable to touch her. She excited him in a way that no other woman ever had, not just his body but his mind.
“So you’re providing summaries of courses for the eTrain site?” Briamante asked.
Cade cleared his throat. “Actually, Ryan is the one we’re taping for the streaming video applications. She’s dynamic in the classroom. You’ll get to see some of it in the demo tomorrow.” Which he devoutly hoped would work.
The waitress approached to take their order, cutting off the conversation until they’d each selected their dinners. After she left, Briamante turned back to Ryan.
“I had some great times at Brown,” Briamante said reminiscently. “Used to play on the soccer team. After the games sometimes, we’d go down and have a clambake on the beach.” He gave a surprised chuckle. “You know, I haven’t thought about that in years. Come to think of it, I’ve got a reunion coming up. I think I lost the announcement, though,” he muttered.
“Try looking on the Brown Web site,” Ryan put in. “I checked it out a couple months back to track down an old classmate.” Her eyes brightened. “You know they’re giving thought to putting some courses online.”
“No kidding.”
“Yup.” She racked her brains for a moment. “I remember reading a study that said that in five years, more than fifteen percent of all education was going to be delivered through the Internet.”
Cade stirred. “Twenty percent.”
“Really.” She looked at him in surprise and tried to ignore the now-familiar rush of emotion as their eyes locked. “You guys were so smart to get in on the ground floor.” Unconsciously, she’d became more animated, talking with her hands and eyes. “I wish we’d thought of it at Beckman Markham, but then we don’t have the software infrastructure to carry it off. I get calls all the time from people who want to take our courses but just can’t find a day or location that works, or they can’t sacrifice a whole day, even though they need the training.”
Cade watched her across the table, her green eyes snapping with excitement. He felt a surge of amazement that she was here for him, that she’d be there for him after the meeting was over.
Briamante countered, “There’s still no substitute for a classroom.”
“From an experiential point of view, no,” she conceded. “But when you’re a professional with a job to get done and deadlines to meet, you have to take your educational opportunities where and when you can. I mean, don’t get me wrong. Every so often I try to get back to Brown just to soak up the atmosphere, walk around the campus.”
“I loved those ivy-covered walls,” Briamante said fondly, taking a sip of wine. “Something about going to a school like that makes you take it all more seriously, I think. Royce here went to UCLA. A little too new for my tastes.”
Ryan jumped in before the slight could sink home. “UCLA is a good school. One of my brothers went there.”
Littleton stirred. “For law?”
“No, medicine. He just finished his residency at Mass Eye and Ear and is going to start a position at Cedars-Sinai in a couple of weeks.”
“Can’t stay away from L.A., huh?” Littleton asked.
“I think he got a little too wimpy for New England winters when he was out there,” she said with a private, fond grin. “He told me he even learned how to surf.”
Watching the affection on her face, Cade felt a sudden wash of emotion. He shook his head, forcing his mind back onto business. This was no place for personal feelings, and he sure as hell couldn’t risk screwing things up because he hadn’t paid attention. Ryan had them eating out of her hand. She’d dealt with the Internet discussion subtly and deftly, lingering over it just long enough to make them relax. With luck, the demonstration the next day would go as flawlessly as it had today, and he could send them on their way reassured.
As for Ryan, he’d deal with his feelings for her later.
RYAN STOOD IN HER candlelit bathroom, tipping bath oil into the water that steamed in the claw-footed tub. She loved this bathroom, with its marble-topped counter and delicate Victorian sconces on walls covered to the picture rail with wainscoting. She set down the glass of wine she’d poured and slid off her silk robe to step into the tub. She knew she’d had too much to drink already that night, but the cappuccino she’d had with dessert had her wired. The fluid heat of the steaming water rose nearly to her shoulders as she sank down to lean against the slanted porcelain and sip her wine in a sybaritic paradise.
The evening had gone well, she thought, though it was hard to say for sure since she didn’t know the investors. But she knew people. When they’d arrived, they’d been tense and brusque. By the end of the evening, they’d been relaxed and expansive. Much to her surprise, she’d enjoyed Briamante’s company, though Littleton was pompous and self-absorbed to the end. Still, she could make nice with the best of them.It had been the oddest feeling, though. She and Cade had been working on the same project from the time they’d reconnected at Beckman Markham, but this night, for the first time, they’d seemed like a team. Somehow, she’d felt closer to him than before, perhaps because he’d brought her into a different part of his life, perhaps because he’d admitted he’d needed her help.
Perhaps because she knew that she was in love with him.
And yet, she had no idea what he was thinking. She’d hoped he would come by but hadn’t wanted to expect anything, hadn’t wanted to ask in case she seemed like she was pressuring him. How could she feel what she felt for him when she didn’t know whether their affair would even last another week?
Over the past ten days they’d spent nearly every waking minute together, trading off nights at her home, then at his. She was shocked at how quickly the habit had formed, and how empty her apartment had suddenly seemed when she’d returned after the business dinner. Maybe it didn’t feel like a habit to Cade, though. Maybe it felt like being confined. The thought was unbearable, but how did she know she wasn’t right? An evening to herself would give her perspective, she thought, feeling the warm water loosen her tense muscles.
She was still soaking an hour later when the doorbell sounded, making her jump. Hastily, she stepped out of the tub and wiped off most of the water before slipping into her robe and trotting down stairs. She couldn’t help the surge of excitement she felt at seeing Cade on the front stoop.
Pressing her mouth to his, she breathed in his scent. “I didn’t think you were coming tonight. I figured you’d just drop off the VCs and head home.”
He’d thought so also, but somehow when he wasn’t paying attention he’d made the turn to her house. He stepped inside and pulled her to him for a hard, quick kiss. “Mmm. This is nice,” he murmured, running his fingers over the soft skin exposed by the red silk, then raised an eyebrow. “You’re wet.”
“I was in the bath.”
He ran his lips over her jaw. “No wonder you took so long to come to the door. Is there room for two?”
It felt so good, so right to have him there. “Why don’t you come up and we’ll find out.”
On the table in her entryway, a bowl of tulips that he’d sent earlier in the week blazed scarlet. She stopped to admire them, then turned to wrap her arms around his neck. “Thank you again for sending the flowers. They’re lovely.”
“Don’t be so surprised. It’s little enough, especially now, considering the stellar job you did charming the VCs.”
She blushed and turned the pot to show off the flowers to their best advantage. “I just didn’t expect this kind of thing f
rom…our kind of arrangement. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten flowers from a man.”
“You’re kidding.”
Embarrassment flooded over her. “I told you, I haven’t dated much.”
“The men you’ve been around have been idiots,” he muttered, then swept her up in his arms.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“Just getting you to the bathroom the best way I know how,” he answered, heading down the hall.
In the bathroom, he set her down and hastily stripped off his clothes. Then he kissed his way along her throat and down her quivering stomach, ending on his knees in front of her. For a moment, he clasped her to him, resting his face against her. A wave of tenderness came over him. She’d known so little affection from men, then they’d started this blatantly physical affair. He hadn’t shown her romance and sweetness, just sex and fire. Yet she’d been there for him unhesitatingly that evening, pitching in to help him succeed. She deserved more than he had been giving her, and tonight he’d see that she got it.
He kissed her lightly, softly, stepping into the tub and drawing her in after him.
The silky, smooth water enveloped both of their bodies. Ryan leaned back against his chest and sighed with pleasure at the slippery stroke of his hands. She could feel the emotion swirling inside her, the words bubbling on her lips. Because she knew it was the wrong time to say what she felt, she tried to change the conversation. “So are you happy with the way the evening went?”
He kissed her hair. “Shh. Let’s talk about it later. For now, let’s just be with each other.” Slowly, gently, his hands moved over her body, teasing the nerve endings awake in the warm oil-infused water with a soft caress. “When I walked into that restaurant tonight and saw you, I couldn’t believe how beautiful you were. I couldn’t believe you were waiting there for me.” His lips were warm on her shoulder. “I didn’t want to share you.”
My Sexiest Mistake Page 20
