“I’m betting on you,” she told him sincerely.
“Gawd, this better work,” he said, just as sincere.
They both had jobs in different parts of the valley so they took turns using public transportation and trading off on the Datsun. It was a real eyesore among the up and coming rich of the valley. Those that didn’t live in San Francisco and commute, or even the ones who lived in the expensive houses being built in the valley, all drove expensive cars. The Datsun, parked in the same parking lot as these expensive cars stuck out like a sore thumb. Someone even had the audacity to suggest to Ryan that he park it down the street so that no one would know that he worked there. Ryan gave him hell for the mere suggestion.
Ryan noticed something about Ellen though from living with her constantly. She wouldn’t allow the apartment to get cluttered. Dishes had to be washed right away. He later found out through a slip she made that her father would start throwing them if he found them lying about, so she compulsively kept washing them as soon as they were done eating. He tried easing the strain on her and helping, but his own cluttered mind and habits were at constant war with the impulse, still he tried to make things easier for his friend.
* * * * *
Occasional forays into the Bay Area which in its entirety encompassed San Francisco and included the counties around it called Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma, netted both of them a wide scope of friends. Some even became lovers.
“You’re busy, you’re an important woman, I understand,” Sarah said understandingly.
“Stop it!” Ellen said forcefully shrugging off the kind hand on her shoulder. “You shouldn’t take this crap, you shouldn’t put up with my behavior!” she raged.
“But, when you love someone…” she began to beseech her.
“Love? I don’t think so,” she sneered. She ignored the crushed look on her girlfriend’s face and turned away.
“I think you have some sort of phobia, you are pushing me away. But I know you, I know you love me,” Sarah tried.
Ellen didn’t dare look at her or she wouldn’t be able to keep her resolve. It was time. She shrugged dismissively and started to walk away.
“Ellen! What about us, what about me…?” she asked in a sad voice.
“Do what you want,” she dismissed and shut the door behind her.
This had become a familiar refrain as Ellen tried to navigate the dating field of San Francisco and the surrounding areas of Santa Clara, Oakland, and even Napa. It wasn’t fun, it wasn’t always nice, but the rising executive in Silicon Valley was attractive, had matured, and turned quite a few heads, both male and female.
“Wait, wait,” Allen called to Ryan as he closed the door in his face.
“Didn’t work out?” Ellen asked Ryan sarcastically as she looked at him from her doorway, she’d heard the raised voices and come to see what was going on.
“Did you see the size of…?” Ryan began but Ellen held up her hand to stop his description and failed. “His feet?” he finished with a grin.
“Uh huh,” she answered as she dipped into the bowl of cereal she was munching on.
“Gawd,” he said ruefully, his hand coming up to rub his forehead. “Why do I let my eye for beauty blind me to their flaws?”
“That sounds almost poetic,” she returned as she chewed around a Rice Chex.
“Or cryptic,” he returned with a grin and a sigh. Losing that hunk of beef was too bad; he’d been a beautiful specimen of a man.
“Just be safe,” she warned him, she had noticed how big Allen was and he could have beaten the shit out of Ryan without even trying.
“I’m careful,” he returned her sally and headed for his faithful computers.
* * * * *
Ellen found the weather in the area to be lovely. The only thing she didn’t like were the strong breezes that frequently kicked up every afternoon. When it flowed through San Francisco it would bring the coolness of fog with it, a natural air condition. Inland would be baking under the summer sun. She was grateful that the South Bay didn’t get as much rain or harsh weather in winter that the North Bay including Santa Rosa and Napa got. She was told by those who would know that Silicon Valley had similar weather patterns to those you would find in parts of Italy, Spain, and even France. That even some of the terrain was similar to Mediterranean climates including many of the same trees, plants, and bushes. She loved how much citrus she was able to obtain, other fruit trees grew here prolifically, even Olives.
But when the wind would blow, it caused Ellen distress. Particularly hard blasts that caused whistling around windows that weren’t completely closed or doors that were ajar, could cause her a panic attack. She knew why, but she didn’t tell anyone. But when the sweats came on from the noise, she frequently found herself angry and upset.
Overall though, she loved living there. They were close enough to the city of San Francisco for entertainment, within driving distance of the mountains if they wanted snow or to get away from work, or even to take a hike. She was satisfied with how their plans were coming along, even if her partner was a bit impatient.
* * * * *
“I can’t wait another year,” Ryan whined as they began to put together their budget in anticipation of the co-op checks.
“Patience my darling, patience,” she told him. She too was disappointed, but if they wanted to do this right, to do it well, they had to wait until they had enough money in the bank to launch things. Meanwhile, they had to work and save. Although they were both embarrassed to be seen in the Datsun, they knew it was temporary.
“If you need a car loan, I’m certain the company can automatically take the payments out of your paycheck,” Ellen’s boss told her confidentially one day.
“No sir, I won’t go in debt for a car,” she drawled, playing up her Oklahoman accent at times like these. It was completely gone after living in California for over six years, but she knew it would make him think she was a dumb hick or something. Her work though showed she was good at what she did and the experience was invaluable. She was learning a lot of what it took to run one of these companies and as this one was so far removed from what Ryan and she wanted to do she didn’t feel guilty that she was using them to launch her own company. Not so with Ryan.
“They almost caught my design before I realized what I had done,” he told her as he repeatedly struck his own forehead.
“What were you thinking of?” she gasped as she realized what he had almost given away to his employer. Their future was riding on Ryan’s brilliant designs.
“I know, but they haven’t got a clue of how to do it and it came so easy to me that I almost spilled the beans on that to point them in another direction.”
“So, you give them your design and you set them up to be competitors of us before we even get started?” she asked giving him hell.
“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” he whined.
“Just do the job they hired you for and no more,” she emphasized.
“I know,” he sighed wearily. “It’s so hard not to share what I know they are doing wrong,” he lamented.
She chuckled at his anxiety. It was hard to do the job they were each hired for and no more than that. They knew a lot of startups failed in this highly competitive valley, the stories about them were legion. They didn’t want to start out just to fail. Both firms were good firms. Great actually. They had given them a chance right out of college, in fact they were better educated than some at these firms with their master’s degrees, but that didn’t matter in technology. Ambition, know how, and not necessarily with book-learning got you a lot further than anything else. It was hard not to show off what you knew, what you learned, what you desired for these people. They had to be patient though.
CHAPTER NINE
THE STARTUP
“Can a Lesbian run a tech company?” he shouted out louder than the others.
“I don’t know, can a jackass ask inappropriate question
s?” she responded and the room got deathly quiet for a moment. She raised an eyebrow and skewered him with a look. “Apparently so,” she answered her own question with perfect timing and the room erupted with laughter at the reporter’s expense before Ellen moved on to the next one.
Upon quitting their respective jobs, Ellen and Ryan had promptly moved into the small building they had rented with the monies they had faithfully saved from work and the co-op to pay for rent for the next six months. They had enough to cover rent and operating expenses for a year. Ellen had wanted to save up enough for two, but had been unable to rein in Ryan’s enthusiasm that long. Already they had hired some of the best tech people to work with them. They were hoping to be ready in time for the Tech World’s Fair in Las Vegas right before Thanksgiving. It would reveal the technology available from their new company which they had already patented and copyrighted before they even opened their doors. The plans had enabled Ellen to send in for these crucial documents to fight for their rights if anyone challenged them and their ideas. They both knew from the companies they had worked for who was the best lawyers to help them win this fight if it got dirty.
Today, the week before Tech World Fair they were giving their first press conference. Ellen had felt she was too shy, but she found her voice and she found it well as she explained what they would be showcasing at the Fair. They didn’t, of course, show it all. They left the consumers wanting to know more. She knew that other tech companies would be watching and clamoring not only for what they had, but to try and discredit them before they even began. She and Ryan had visited the lawyers in the weeks previously to show them what they had, to put them on retainer, and to get ready for a fight for their lives. The months and years of development were about to pay off and they wanted to be ready for it…
* * * * *
“Oh my GOD, did you see how their heads nearly exploded?” Ryan said as he fell on the hotel bed in excitement.
“I think, since we are talking about nerds upon nerds you mean imploded,” she answered wryly from her own seat at the desk and they both started giggling. If the first day of the tech conference was any indication, they were a success. There had already been a couple of annoyances, a cease and desist, but having filed for the copyrights, patents, and having some of the best lawyers on retainer, they had covered most of their bases. They still had to produce results, but so far, everyone was excited at what they had presented. Amazed at what Ryan had developed. The redheaded C.E.O. a one, Ellen Christenson, while young, was one hell of a saleswoman. They had immediately faxed all the orders to their offices in case their briefcases were stolen or something equally as dire.
Animated Studios as they had decided to call their start up Tech Company was off to a running start. They needed capital and fast if they were going to keep up with the flurry of orders that were coming in, not only from the United States, but from all over the world.
Ellen tried first locally but the banks didn’t trust a startup, she’d been prepared for that. She immediately took the idea to Wall-Street and the finance nerds that she and Ryan had befriended back in college; in no time at all they had interest and financing to expand. Within a year they had to move to larger headquarters to allow for the expansion of their firm. This also meant hiring more staff and the added headaches, which included security.
Over the next couple of years it was a race to see if they could stay ahead of the competition who were blatantly trying to copy or at least emulate them. Both Ellen and Ryan as well as their team of loyal employees were relishing the competition and with it, the challenge to come out with bigger, better, and bolder.
“You know, it’s amazing the technology that goes into our security,” Ellen said as she ripped apart a little box she had found under her desk.
“We should have staff that do nothing but security,” Ryan said as he put his feet up, he was amused at Ellen and her disrespect to technology, considering that was how they made their money.
“Um, you didn’t notice?” she asked with a cocked eyebrow in his direction. She took out a gadget, one that had been made by Ryan and ran it over her desk once more, up the sides, and even got down on her hands and knees to run it under the desk.
“Notice what?” he asked as he admired the fine view of her ass in the tight fitting skirt she was wearing. One of her girlfriends had introduced her to some of the finer stores in San Francisco.
She looked up, hit her head on the edge of her desk as she noticed his ogling, and swore.
“Now, now,” he said waggling a finger at her. “Didn’t your Mama teach you to be a lady?” he asked as he tried in vain to not laugh.
“I’ll mother you,” she threatened with a dire look as she rubbed the sore spot on her head.
“Promise?” he asked with a smirk.
She just shook her head. That hurt too and she winced. She continued to scan the room for bugs. She had to wonder how the latest got into her private office.
As Ellen drove to their run-down apartment she realized that they couldn’t live there anymore. First of all, it was a horrible place to live. They both made a lot of money at their company and could afford homes of their own, but they came up with the best ideas and brain-stormed at the oddest hours and living together like this made sense.
“Why don’t we just buy two houses, side by side, and have close-circuit TV’s so we can talk anytime?” Ryan asked to solve the problem. He too had wanted to move for a while, especially because his dates tended to stay over. Ellen tended to go to her dates apartments or homes and left before the sun came up. They never saw where she lived. They never saw how she lived.
So that is what they did, they bought two of the newer houses that had sprung up in Santa Clara, near enough to their offices in Silicon Valley that they could drive to work in a short period of time, and far enough from ‘The City’ that they didn’t have to deal with the traffic.
“Are you going to order your stuff from your storage locker?” Ryan asked as he watched, and supervised, Ellen decorating ‘her’ new home. It was identical to his, the houses cookie-cutter buildings to each other.
“I only have…” she started and then remembered what he was referring to. She’d arranged to pay them yearly from the checks she got from the co-op which fluctuated in certain seasons due to the economy and whoever was negotiating rents on the properties. The stuff had been in storage for nearly a decade, she looked around at the modern home she now owned and realized it didn’t belong here. The few pieces she had hauled around with her since college looked out of place. She shook her head as she remembered the antiques her mother and grandparents had cherished. Now was not the time or the place for the rest of the pieces.
“Why are you looking at real estate ads again?” she asked a few weeks later, coming into his house without knocking.
“It’s good to know the market,” he hedged and then grinned. You couldn’t pull one over on Ellen Christenson. She was too astute, too knowing, and she was really a good front for their business. Her ideas, which she shared with him, refined with him, were brilliant. He really was enjoying their partnership; she understood him despite his quirks and had since the day they met back in college.
She looked around the house. Most people in their position would have nice paintings on the wall, instead Ryan had framed posters of comic books or the comic books themselves. Some of them were quite valuable, collector’s items really.
“Besides, I was thinking we should get an apartment in the City,” he told her as he turned the newspaper backwards so he could show her the ads he had been looking at.
“Why do we need an apartment in the City?” she asked, if he thought they needed an apartment in the city she was on board but to justify the expense she wanted a reason.
“Well, when we party too hearty wouldn’t it be nice to go back to our own place instead of a hotel?” he asked.
Smiling at him she laughed. They both enjoyed the social life in The City. San Francisco was a mecca f
or the gay life. There were a few seedy places and they had weeded those out pretty quick, instead they headed to higher end places and now with the firm doing so well they could afford them. “So, where are you looking?” she asked, already on board with the idea. Real estate was a good investment.
He showed her and then added, “We can also put up high-end clients instead of putting them up at The Ritz. They’ll have privacy and we can use that as a tax write-off.”
“Hey, that’s my job,” she protested but agreed as the idea began to really take hold. “When are we going?”
The realtor showed them several places but one or both of them rejected them for whatever reason. If one didn’t like the place, neither of them would take it. It had to be perfect for both of them and their bickering was amusing to the realtor. “How long have you two been married?” Judy, the realtor asked laughingly at their squabbling. She hadn’t recognized their names, not yet, in a couple of years their names would be very well known not only in this area but the world.
The two of them stopped mid-argument and looked at the realtor and then back at each other and started to laugh. They didn’t correct her assumption and went with her to look at several other available apartments.
The one they finally chose had a beautiful view of San Francisco. High on one of the many hills it looked out over the bay, had a view of the Golden Gate, and was near enough to the trolley’s that their guests could enjoy playing tourist. The apartment itself was clean in its lines, with black marble throughout. Two of the bedrooms were easily furnished with Japanese beds. The third was turned into an office with all the latest technology, suitable for whoever would make use of the apartment. The building was built on a type of industrial spring sort of technology that was supposed to help in case of an earthquake, it was a big plus with their insurance agency. Strict instructions were left with the management as to whom would use the apartment. Only Ellen or Ryan could give permission to allow a passkey to be given out to a specific guest. The passkeys could not be duplicated. The building itself was not as modern as the apartment itself but was in an area that the inside did meet the historic outside and both liked that, it would please and surprise anyone they brought home with them or lent the space out to.
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