Page 52 of The Revenge Game
I duck away from him, but instead of heading to the restrooms, I try to circle around to another exit. I can always call Justin to tell I got disoriented by the labyrinth of Wimbledon and went out the wrong exit.
Unfortunately, Catherine detaches from the person she was speaking to and wanders in my direction.
A display of tennis legends looms before me like a cardboard Stonehenge.
Perfect.
I duck behind a life-sized cardboard cutout of Rafael Nadal mid-serve, only to discover that whoever designed these displaysclearly didn’t account for panicked tech CEOs playing hide-and-seek.
The Nadal cutout wobbles precariously as I brush against it. I grab for it, but my elbow catches the corner of Serena Williams beside me, and suddenly, I’m conducting an orchestra of falling tennis legends. I lunge to catch Murray, overcorrect, and knock over Roger Federer.
I look up from the carnage to discover Catherine right in front of me.
“Andrew?” Her eyes widen with recognition. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Catherine! Hi!” My voice comes out an octave too high. I scramble to prop Federer up, nearly taking an ace serve to the face.
I send a quick glance around us, but thankfully, I don’t spot anyone from DTL Enterprises. “I’d love to catch up, but I’m actually?—”
“It’s so great to see you,” Catherine continues, her gaze focused on me like a laser. Which is so Catherine. You don’t get to be called “The Queen of Quantum” by letting people escape behind cardboard tennis players. “I was literally about to send you an email. There’s a position on the board of my new startup, and I was hoping you’d consider it.”
I finally manage to restore some dignity to the tennis legends, though Federer’s listing slightly to the left like he’s had one too many champagnes at the Champions’ dinner.
“Um…I’m flattered, but I’m working on a project at the moment, and it’s taking most of my energy.”
“I’ll send you the information anyway. Just have a look. We’re not just pushing boundaries. We’re rewriting the laws of physics. And our funding round just hit nine figures. We’d love to have you working with us.”
“I’ll definitely take a look,” I promise. “Anyway, I must run. Otherwise, I’ll miss my ride. Catch up soon!”
“Looking forward to it.”
I edge away from Catherine just as Justin rounds the corner with Dave and Pete.
When they reach me, Dave’s eyes are wide. “Holy shit. Was that Catherine Zhang you were talking to?”
Justin spins around so fast that I’m surprised he doesn’t give himself whiplash. “Was it? Really?”
“Um…yeah, she was lost and wanted directions to the restroom,” I say.
He blinks at me. “Catherine Zhang just asked you for directions to the restroom?”
Asking me to join the board of her company, asking for directions to the restroom… Same difference, right?
“Um…yeah.”
Justin rocks back on his heels, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline. His face does this adorable thing where he looks both impressed and skeptical.
“Oh my god, Drew, you’re so chill about it. I would have thought you’d be freaking out and fanboying all over her.”
The irony of Justin thinking I’d be star-struck by Catherine Zhang makes me want to laugh slightly hysterically.
“I am freaking out about it. I just keep my freaking out and fanboying internal,” I manage to say.
He grins at me. “I admire your restraint. Don’t worry. We’ll back you up when you tell Xander and Adam about it on Monday.”
“Yeah, well, wait until you hear about how I gave Bill Gates directions to Pret yesterday. I’m basically tech support to the stars now,” I say, and Justin laughs.
I actually have been on a tech panel with Bill Gates, but it’s not really the right time to share that story. In my Drew Smithidentity, I’m supposed to be star-struck by tech celebrities rather than on a first-name basis with them.
