James shook his head. "Are you saying McMillen wants to acquire LazerShark? What about all the work we've done to build our strategy and business model — we're just supposed to sell out? I'm not on board with that."
What the hell was going on? She'd said Blue Coat wouldn't push for an acquisition if they weren't comfortable selling. They'd been on the same page the other day in Mill Valley. What had changed? "Selling LazerShark isn't the best move for us right now. We're not opposed to revisiting the possibility in the future, but we want to continue building our platform, just like we discussed the other day." His stomach clenched as he stressed those last words, the realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. Her career came first, and she wasn't about to jeopardize her future for him. She'd always march alongside Paul.
Mia narrowed her eyes, and he felt warmth spread through his lower half. What he wouldn't do to lay her across that table right now… No! He had to focus. His loyalty was to James, not Mia.
"I think we're all aware of the risks, that if too much time elapses a competitor will take your model, throw resources at it, and command all your market share. I really don't think it's wise to wait around for that to happen."
"Is this how things are going to work? Blue Coat says jump, we say how high?" Chris sat back in his chair and folded his arms, ignoring Mia's stricken look. "How exactly is this arrangement going to be effective if we don't have a voice at the table? Sounds more like a dictatorship to me."
James kicked him under the table, but it was too late. No way were they pulling the strings.
Mia's anger was quickly glazed over by a mask of false patience. "Well, Chris, I'm sure someone with your knowledge of the industry knows how venture capitalists operate. Our goal is to invest and make a profitable exit within three to five years. That's the only way our fund makes money. We see a great deal of potential for LazerShark to grow, and we trust you'll acknowledge our expertise in this area."
"I'm aware of the process, but it doesn't mean we intend to give up on our aspirations and goals for LazerShark. What's the end game here? Let's just cut to the chase because we're obviously not on the same page."
"Just so we're clear, our primary objective is—"
"To recoup our investment and projected returns as quickly as possible. We accomplish that goal by a public offering or a buyout." Paul walked into the room and took a seat at the head of the table. "If that wasn't made clear to you when we first agreed to this relationship, Mr. Camden, I deeply apologize. If you'd like to renege on the terms of our contract, please feel free. Just write Blue Coat a check for two million dollars plus interest, and we can part ways amicably." A nasty smirk appeared on his face. "And best of luck trying to recapture that funding from another investor."
James looked like he was going to have a stroke. Mia's mouth fell open, but she quickly shut it and rustled the papers in front of her, cheeks flushing a deep crimson. Paul's caustic words hung in the air, daring anyone to challenge him.
No fucking way was Paul taking control. They'd worked too long and too hard for every shred of success they'd achieved to let a prick like him negotiate their future. "I don't appreciate scare tactics. Both sides of this equation stand to reap tremendous rewards if we proceed with this arrangement in such a way where both parties bring a vision and strategy to the table. And we have a lot to lose if we can't find some common ground. You're a smart businessman, and I know you wield a heavy hand in your investments. But Jay and I want our ideas to be heard and considered, so I'd prefer to table the talk of a pending acquisition. Wouldn't it make more sense to sell LazerShark when we have more to offer? We could command a higher price. That would benefit everyone."
Paul reclined in the chair, a genuine smile on his face, and probably the first Chris had seen since they met. "I admire your loyalty and perseverance. You've placed a great deal of focus on your brand over the past few years, and it's paid off. But make no mistake. Blue Coat isn't in the business of losing money. If an acquisition becomes a reality, then yes, we expect you to consider the offer."
James's face was a scary shade of gray, and if his eyes widened any more, those baby blues would pop out of his head. "Why would we want to sell to The McMillen Group?"
"Because you stand to make a shit-load of money from a well-crafted deal. You need to think longer-term. You guys are proven, successful entrepreneurs. Why not consider an offer that would enable you to begin a brand-new company with even more profit potential?"
James stared daggers at Paul. "I don't think this game is over, not by a long shot."
"Let me explain something to you. Unless you have a brilliant, beyond-this-century idea, the markets will quickly reach their limit with you. Why wait for that to happen? If someone wanted to buy LazerShark, it would free you up to create the next big thing."
"There's something to be said for loyalty."
"That's very touching. But I suspect it was your desire to achieve financial success, not your loyalty, that drove you to seek funding and strategic guidance from Blue Coat." Paul paused and looked at Chris. "Am I right?"
Sonofabitch.
"Let's reset here. I don't think we're at the point where our company is ready to be acquired, but working with a company like The McMillen Group would give us the chance to seriously expand our global reach. Are they open to a partnership?" Chris raised an eyebrow. "Even you have to admit that would drastically improve our short- and long-term profit potential."
"Correct. Just understand things move very quickly in this industry, and if you expand into an area that garners a lot of interest, you will become prey to a larger company with substantial resources."
"We're obviously here because we respect the knowledge Blue Coat brings to the table. Everyone has a vested interest in making LazerShark a success." Chris sneaked a look at Mia, who quickly averted her gaze. "We're going to evaluate your options, but James and I are the ones who will ultimately make the decisions for LazerShark."
Paul nodded at Mia. When she looked up, her eyes were guarded… cold. She began her presentation under his watchful eye. The color finally returned to James's face by the time she'd wrapped up. "What are the next steps?"
"We'll find opportunities to raise interest about what LazerShark can offer. McMillen only represents one potential party. We won't force you to accept any deals, but we expect you to entertain our recommendations."
"We're on the path now, and I guarantee you're going to make a windfall. Gentlemen, good seeing you again. Mia, let's debrief later." Paul stood and left the meeting without a backward glance.
Mia gathered the papers together, ignoring every one of his attempts to make eye contact. She turned to Dan. "Can you please get me the rest of the documents on the firms we discussed?"
Dan grimaced but nodded curtly before stalking out of the conference room. "Of course, Mia. If there's anything else I can do, please let me know." Sarcasm laced his words, and Chris silently clenched his fists under the table. Fucking asshole.
She'd betrayed his trust and aligned herself against him. Rage should be coursing through his veins at the colossal act of deceit. But her deflated expression made his stomach lurch. Everything he'd felt… it had all been bullshit. He was a total idiot for even hoping there might be a chance… No, she'd made her priorities all too clear, and they didn't include him.
Mia flashed a warm smile at James. "Thanks for coming in. I think we're past the storming phase of the whole teambuilding process."
"Hope so. We'll catch up with you next week."
"Sounds great." She turned to Chris, disappointment evident in her eyes. "Chris." The way she spoke his name pierced his heart. Then she disappeared out of the conference room.
MIA'S HEART THUMPED AGAINST her ribcage as she stomped down the hallway. What the hell had that been about? He'd thrown her under the bus without hesitation, in front of her boss, no less. She clenched her teeth and slammed the door to her office.
It didn't make her feel better. She'd comp
letely misjudged Chris. Every look, every word… it had all been a fucking sham. He'd waited for the opportunity to pull the rug out from under her. He never cared about her at all. Here she'd been fantasizing about him, comparing him to Alex and causing ridiculous feelings to bubble up, when the reality had stared her in the face. The guy couldn't maintain any feelings for a woman, and his attitude toward dating obviously carried into his business dealings. Maybe Alex hadn't spoken out of jealousy the other night after all.
Did she really think he'd fall at her feet because he'd made some silly innuendoes? God, what a fool she'd been, almost jeopardizing a future with Alex over that selfish asshole. Heart-racing excitement was overrated anyway. Safety and security were what she needed. Chris may have awakened a lot of latent feelings, but it was obvious they'd only end up causing her pain in the long run. Time to bottle them up again and walk away for good.
"ARE YOU INSANE?" JAMES glared at Chris. "You really needed to go there with Emerson?"
"Look, I know you're pissed off, but don't you see how important it is to set the rules early? Do you really want Emerson to think he can pull the strings?"
"No, but you were a real prick, especially to Mia. You need to fix it, otherwise this partnership will never work."
The Audi screeched to a halt at a red light. "You'd better decide which version of me you prefer. You didn't want to sell, so I backed you up, and you're still not happy? I don't think we should walk away from an offer, but I stood with you in that meeting. What the hell do you want from me? I'm trying to do the right thing, to make good business decisions for LazerShark, to make you comfortable, and all you seem to do lately is criticize. If you've got a problem, spit it out. I'm tired of this bullshit." Chris slammed his hands on the steering wheel and sighed. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."
"Dude, what the hell is up? I don't know what to expect from you these days. Is it all about Blue Coat? Or is something else going on?"
"Look, you're my best friend, and I appreciate your concern. But I — I have to work this out on my own."
"Work what out? Is it something with Rachel or the girls? Or your dad? Talk to me. If it's about LazerShark, I told you we could revisit a potential sale. I just want to make sure it's the right offer for us. I'm not ready to walk away from what we've built. I'm sorry if that's an issue."
Chris rubbed his hands over his face. "I shouldn't have blown up at you, and I apologize. Can we just leave it at that?"
"Yeah. It's fine. I get it. Are you still in the mood to come out tonight?"
"I'm a man of my word. I'll see you guys later, and I promise to be my normal charming self."
James gave him a playful punch. "I'm gonna hold you to that. Meet you at seven?"
"Yep." He had exactly two hours to get Mia out of his system, once and for all.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT A COMPLETE ass he was at that meeting. He made me look like such a jerk in front of Paul." Mia let out a sigh and smoothed her hair back in front of the mirror. "The other day in Mill Valley, I really thought… I don't know. It doesn't matter now. We obviously weren't on the same page." That was the jagged little pill. He'd opened up to her, shown her a different side of himself, the one she'd fallen for. But none of it was real. How could she have been so stupid as to think there was more on his side?
Jana pulled out a tube of lip-gloss. "On the same page with work or with something else?"
"He doesn't care about anything but himself. It was stupid to think there could be more between us." She grabbed the tube from Jana and applied the gloss to her puckered lips. "Talk about yet another major lapse in judgment." If only her heart believed those words. Instead, anger had been replaced by a dull ache in her chest, amplified by the pained expression in his eyes after that disastrous meeting.
"Well, Alex certainly seems happy with the way things are going between you. He's a really nice guy. No wonder Susan was all over that. Do you think tonight may be the night?"
Mia felt her cheeks redden. "Well, Chloe is with my parents, so… maybe."
"You waxed, right?"
"Of course." God, she hated herself for wishing it would be for Chris instead of Alex. To feel his fingertips skimming her bare skin would be nothing short of blissful. A chill shimmied down her spine. Hopeless. She was positively hopeless.
THE AUDI SQUEALED TO a halt outside Joya. Chris surveyed the crowd. There was a time not too long ago when he would be excited to commence with what normally turned out to be a very fulfilling evening of meaningless sex with beautiful women who would very eagerly accommodate his every whim.
Now, as he observed the bar scene, he felt no desire to so much as talk to another girl. Mia had his mind wrapped around her little finger, whether or not she knew it. But he'd managed to fuck everything up and steamroll her in the process. She was pissed as hell at him; the meaning behind those icy glares had come across loud and clear. Little pangs in his chest were an agonizing reminder — he'd never win her heart. He'd destroyed his chance.
James greeted him with a big smile. "Hey! You're on time."
"I'm trying to mend my ways." He leaned over and kissed Jessica on the cheek. She grinned and hugged him tight.
"I'm so glad you're here." She and James exchanged glances. "Where did Lisa go?"
James nodded toward the bar. "She ran into someone from her office."
"Listen, I'm sure your friend Lisa is nice, but I'm really not—"
"Don't worry. It's not what you think."
"Okay." Chris picked up the beer James set in front of him. It would take no fewer than ten to blunt the pain in his heart.
James squeezed Jessica's hand, and a pink blush covered her beautiful face. Her green eyes sparkled as she gazed at James.
"Jeez, why did you guys even want to come out? It seems like you'd be happier somewhere else, alone. You know what I'm saying?"
A tall voluptuous blonde bounded to the table. "I hope I didn't miss anything good." She smiled at Chris and stuck out her hand. "Hi, you must be Chris. I'm Lisa."
"It's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot of great things." No stirrings at all, despite the view of her ample cleavage and long, toned legs. Was he doomed to compare every woman he met to Mia? Would they always fall short?
Jessica pulled James down and whispered something in his ear. They laughed, and James squeezed her shoulder. "Listen guys, we're really glad you could make it tonight. It's really important that our best friends finally meet, you know, well in advance of the wedding."
"What? Oh my God, you're engaged! Congratulations!" Lisa shrieked and ran to envelop the happy couple in a bear hug. "Let me see the ring!"
Jessica's eyes shone as brightly as the large diamond on her left hand. She held it out for Lisa to examine.
Lisa clutched her chest. "It is absolutely gorgeous. I'm so excited for you!"
Chris hugged James. "Congratulations, man. I'm really happy for you guys." He slung an arm around Jessica's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "You're a lucky guy, Jay." He nodded his head toward James and said to Jessica in a loud whisper, "He's not too bad either."
"I wanted to tell you before, but Jess made me promise not to."
"I'm really sorry about this afternoon."
"Stop. Tonight, we're celebrating. I love you, man." He gave Chris an affectionate punch. "Let's get some champagne."
"Yes, sir. I'm on it."
"I'll help." Jessica linked her arm through Chris's, and he led her to the bar.
"You know you're getting the best guy in the world, right?"
"Believe me, I know it. He's been so excited to tell you."
"You've made him the happiest I've ever seen. I know things got a little crazy, but I'm glad you two worked through it."
"Please, let's not go there."
"No problem. We won't ever mention it again. I promise." He eyed the bar crowd. "We should have ordered it from the waitress. This place is a madhouse tonight. It's gonna take forever."
"Not everyone can have the fairy tale. It's not for me."
"Oh, come on. It's for everyone. But you have to be open to it, otherwise it'll never happen. You're too good a guy not to have a fabulous girl by your side."
"You sound a lot like my sister."
"She must be a pretty smart cookie. Are we ever going to get served?"
"If I can just—" A few steps backward sent him colliding into a passerby. Shit. What were the odds it wasn't some beefcake ready to flex his beer muscles? He spun around, coming face to face with Mia. Her body was swathed in a red dress so tight, even the briefest cursory glance temporarily paralyzed his ability to form words.
The perfumed scent of her dark hair wafted into the air around him. He drank it in, longing to reach out and… and what? She was with Gardner, and any shot he might have had disintegrated hours ago. "I'm, um, so sorry. Are you—"
She glared at him, her eyes glassy and unfocused. His pulse raced at her nearness, despite her obvious displeasure. "It's fine." Her gaze slid to Jessica, and her lips formed a tight smile.
"Um, this is—"
"It's nice to meet you." Mia's voice was slightly slurred. "I was-s just trying to push my way to the ladies-s' room. Enjoy your evening." She gave Jessica a final once-over, shaking her head as she meandered through the crowd.
"What was that all about? Oh wait, was she one of your scorned women?"
Chris watched Mia stumble toward the lounge, his heart sinking further with each step. "That's Mia Bradshaw, our investment manager."
"That's Mia? Why was she so mad at you?"
"Because I was a total ass at our meeting today. Things got out of hand when Paul showed up and…" He sighed. "…it got pretty contentious. I was trying to show loyalty to James, and I just…" Raking a hand through his hair, he glanced in the direction of the restrooms.
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