18. James

CHAPTER 18

JAMES

T he elevator doors slide open and I step inside, catch sight of my reflection, and stop.

I barely recognize the guy staring back at me. He's grinning from ear to ear, looking like he's on cloud nine.

I don't know when I've ever been this happy.

It's like something clicked into place the moment mine and Billie's lips met for the first time.

She doesn't care about the tech billionaire James Garris. That guy she made it abundantly clear she dislikes.

But then I took off that persona and showed her the man underneath. The former orphan who's had to fight for everything he has.

And that's when something changed between us.

She likes who I am. She just wants to be with me .

And I want her.

More than anything in the world, I want her.

I don't want to think about anything but her for the rest of my life.

My heart sings her name.

I can't wait to see her again.

I chuckle and shake my head as the elevator descends to the main floor. My phone pings with a text and I eagerly pull it out, hoping that it's Billie.

But it's Rose, a woman I've gone out with a couple times.

I hesitate for a moment, wondering if I should even read it, but curiosity gets the better of me.

Hey James, I'm back in town. I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner sometime this week?

I stare at the message, feeling a sense of disgust bubble up inside me. I don't want to think about anyone else but Billie. I don't want to be with anyone else but Billie.

I type out a quick response, Sorry, Rose, I'm not interested in seeing anyone right now.

Almost immediately, little dots appear. Rose is typing back.

The elevator doors open, and I step outside and into the busy lobby, waiting to see what Rose has to say.

But then the dots disappear. She hasn't responded.

Which is probably for the best. I'm ready to cut off all ties from the past and move forward.

I've never seen myself in a committed relationship, but after the time spent with Billie I'm feeling different.

I stride across the lobby and into the part of the hotel where the conference is happening. I hated leaving her in the hotel room, but soon enough all this schmoozing will be over and we'll have some time to ourselves once more.

"Hey, James!" Stephen Leigh, CEO of one of the biggest tech companies in the world, calls out to me from across the room.

I force a smile, not really in the mood for small talk. "Hey, Stephen. How's the conference treating you?" I ask, trying to sound interested.

Stephen launches into a ten-minute long speech about the conference and how important it is for the future of tech. I nod along, not really paying attention to what he's saying.

All I can think about is Billie's smile, her laugh, and the way she makes me feel.

Finally, Stephen finishes his speech and excuses himself to go mingle with some other tech giants.

There are more people waiting to talk to me, though. I see their eyes glistening with excitement and can nearly hear the pitches they're mentally running over.

"Mr. Garris." An eager young man approaches me. "It's such an honor, sir. I've been following your work for years and I just wanted to say—"

"That's very kind of you," I say, cutting him off. "But I'm afraid I'm pressed for time. Is there something specific you wanted to discuss with me?"

The young man's face falls, but he quickly recovers and launches into his pitch. I listen half-heartedly, nodding along without really hearing what he's saying.

Finally, the young man finishes. I'm about to step away when I'm approached by someone else.

Then someone else.

This is what conferences are about, and I expected it, but I've never disliked the whole matter this much.

I excuse myself from the fifth conversation and take a step back — and bump right into someone.

"Oh! Excuse me!" I turn around to face the person I've hit.

It's a man who looks oddly familiar, but I can't quite place him.

"James Garris." He smiles broadly at me.

I nod at him and smile back, but I still don't know if we've met before or if he merely recognizes me.

"Richard Sims," he says, offering his hand for a shake.

The light turns on in my brain. That's right — Richard Sims. I invested in his DNA app a few years back.

"Richard." I shake his hand. "How are things?"

His smile turns into a smirk. "Well, they're about to get a lot better now that I'm talking to the one and only James Garris."

I laugh. "What can I do for you, Richard?"

"I actually wanted to talk to you about my latest project." He gestures towards his smartwatch. "We've been working on integrating some new features into this, and I think you'd be interested in investing."

I raise an eyebrow. "Oh really? Tell me more."

As he launches into his pitch, I can't help but feel grateful for the break in the monotony of the conference. Unlike the other people I've talked to, Richard is genuinely passionate about his project. His excitement is contagious and I find myself getting pulled into the conversation.

"And how about the other app?" I ask. "How is that going?"

I should already be in the know on this, but I invest in so many businesses it's impossible to keep up with each individual one.

His face lights up. "Wonderful. We're making great strides with it. Hey, why don't I send you a link to the latest version, so you can check it out?"

I smile. "That would be great. Still got my email?"

"Of course," Richard says as he pulls out his phone. "I'll send that over to you right now."

As Richard types on his phone, I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. This is what it's all about — investing in people and ideas that have the potential to change the world. It's why I work so hard, why I come to conferences like this one. Not for the shallow conversations, but for the chance to find the next big thing.

"Done," Richard says as he puts his phone away. "All the info on the smartwatch project is in there too."

"Great." I nod at him. "Talk soon."

I turn to walk away just as a woman with a clipboard approaches me. "Mr. Garris, are you ready for you presentation?"

I nod. "Yep."

Thanks to Billie, I'm ready. If she hadn't stayed up all night to help me prepare, I would just be winging it up on the stage today.

I make my way to the stage, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. This is what I love — being able to share my vision with the world, to inspire others to take risks and make a difference.

As I begin my presentation, I can feel the energy in the room shift. People lean forward, their eyes intent on mine, as I outline GarrisTech's game-changing venture into the AI sphere. My words flow effortlessly as I draw on my passion and expertise, and when I finally finish, the applause is thunderous.

But amidst the cheers and whistles, I can't help but feel a sense of emptiness. I've accomplished so much, but at what cost? I've spent countless hours poring over spreadsheets and projections, meeting with investors and strategizing with my team. But what about the people in my life who matter?

I search the crowd, and then I see her. She's pressed against the wall in the very back of the room, looking like an angel among the mortals.

Billie.

Will she have me, another mere mortal?

Or will I be left in her dust, looking like a fool?

I clear my throat and gather my wits. People come across the stage to shake my hand, to kiss my ass, but none of it really matters right now.

I've taken a thousand risks in my career, but none of them felt as scary as what I'm about to do.

Crazy, right? All I'm doing is asking a woman to be my girlfriend — all my work policies about not dating be damned.

And yet… it feels like I'm on the edge of a cliff, preparing to jump without a parachute.

It's exhilarating. Terrifying.

And it feels one-hundred percent right.