Page 85 of I'm Looking for a Man in Finance
“I’m sorry?” I blinked, caught off guard.
Theo smirked, clearly amused by my confusion. “The girl. The one that’s got you reconsidering your priorities.”
“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.” I kept my tone even, careful. Just because I was consideringgoing into business with him didn’t mean I trusted him completely, especially not with something as personal as Hallie.
He waved me off. “Don’t worry. I get it. If there’s an incredible woman in your life, it makes sense that you’d want more balance. For what it’s worth, I agree with you. That’s the kind of future I want for Rooster, too. Not built on greed, not like what my brother turned it into. My grandfather didn’t build this company to become a cautionary tale about ambition.”
He leaned forward slightly, his tone softening. “Money warps people. If building something more human matters to you, then you have my full support. I never expected a decision today anyway. Go home. Think about it. Maybe talk it over with your partner.”
Theo glanced at his phone. “Now I’m sorry to cut this short, but it looks like I’m needed back at the office. We will talk soon?”
I stood up with him. “Yeah, we’ll talk soon.”
As I left Bluebird, I found myself turning his words over in my head.
This morning, I’d woken up with every intention of staying in bed and wasting the day away with Hallie. Would I have regretted that choice if I had missed out on this meeting with Theo? Was this even something I wanted to consider?
There were a few things I knew—I loved what I did, and this opportunity would be incredible.
But I also wanted Hallie Woods. I just needed to figure out if there was a world where I could have both.
30
Hallie
“My grandparents have lived in the same rent-controlled brownstone for nearly forty years,” James said as we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge.
I didn’t make it to Brooklyn often, and seeing it with James’s eyes felt like experiencing it all for the first time.
“My aunt and uncle live around the corner from them,” he continued.
“So you and your parents are the odd ones out?” I teased, glancing at him.
From the moment that he picked me up, James had been keeping a steady stream of conversation going, and honestly, it was doing wonders for my nerves.
He’d asked me for my review of his breakfast casserole that morning. It was probably one of the best things I’d ever eaten: layers of fluffy eggs, crispy hashbrowns, spicy sausage, and it was topped with gooey cheese. I’d snapped a picture for my social media account before I even took a bite, and I hadn’t been able to stop raving about it since.
Then I’d asked him about his business lunch, expecting a vague answer. Instead, I got a ten minute debrief of his meeting with Theo Drake, the famous heir to the Rooster empire. I might not know much about finance, but anyone who was vaguely plugged into current affairs had heard ofthe infamous Drake family. Theo was in the middle of taking over the company from his brother after the board had voted in favor of removing him as CEO. Following a few weeks of deliberation and interviews, the board had officially placed Theo as the new CEO of Rooster. His sweeping reforms had been all over the news, everything from massive changes within the executive suite and the salaries afforded to them, to cancellations of previous projects his brother had announced.
“So, he wanted consulting advice from you?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that James was casually meeting with one of the most powerful men in business.
James tossed his head from side to side. “Yes, but not exactly. He knows of my ambitions to open my own investment firm. But he threw me for a loop with his request. He wanted to know if I would head Rooster’s venture capital firm that he was looking at pursuing. I would get to decide on where the company invests.”
“Wait, seriously?” I leaned in, excitement bubbling. “You’d be the one deciding where they invest?”
He nodded, eyes flickering with something between pride and hesitation.
“That’s huge, James.”
“It is,” he said, but his tone had shifted. Gone was the lightness from earlier. “I asked for some time to think about it.”
I frowned, unsure why he didn’t sound more thrilled. “What’s there to think about?”
He hesitated. “My dream is to open my own firm. I know it can be a huge risk. Especially to go from one ofthe largest firms on Wall Street to basically a start-up. The bigwigs would call me a cowboy. But I feel like I could make it work.”
“This could be like the best of both worlds,” I told him. “You’d be starting a brand-new investment company, like your own start-up. But with the backing of a large company behind you. Less risk.”
He hesitated again.
