Page 17 of Besties
“You don’t have to tell me, but how much is your company worth?”
He grinned. “Well, two years ago I turned down an offer of almost 100 million to buy me out.”
“A hundred…. Are you fucking serious?”
I ducked my head when I remembered where we were. Fortunately, no one seemed to have heard my outburst.
He winked at me, then cackled. Loudly. “Yeah, I’m fucking serious. Believe me, I would be doubtful too, but the software we made was damn good. I took everything I learned when I tutored you and put it into this direction in my life. Then I found people who could add to what I’d started. Yeah, it’s been tweaked and continues to be developed so that kids today can better understand it, but the core is and always will be strong.”
“But it hasn’t been that long.”
“No, it hasn’t. Our growth rate has been astounding, but that’s because there is a need for this kind of program to help kids.”
“And you turned down 100 million dollars? That’s crazy.”
He snickered. “Today I could probably get a whole lot more, because we are that much in demand. Our total sales last year were just shy of 800 million worldwide, and we expect to explode over the coming decade. Everyone wants their children to learn, and we have the best tools to make that happen. And the best people.”
I swallowed hard. Richie was trusting me to help him promote his business, to market it around the world. He was holding out his hand, offering me a chance to be someone. I’d be an idiot if I said no.
“Only if you’re certain.”
He grinned. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. This job is meant for you. Or you’re meant for this job. All you have to do is say the word.”
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. “Yes. The word is yes.”
And I knew that thanks to my best friend, my life was about to change drastically.
Chapter5
“Where do you want this, sir?”
Another box containing equipment for my home office arrived and joined the stack already sitting against the wall. I’d made the spare bedroom into something I could use for work, utilizing ergonomically designed desks and chairs, as well as a computer workstation. As I would be spending a lot of time there, the area needed to be comfortable.
I’d told Richie we could check out of the hotel and stay in the apartment, but he said he wanted to enjoy the experience while he could. Plus, it would take time to set up the beds, and he really didn’t want to be doing that. He said if I needed help, he’d hire people to have it all taken care of. I said no. I mean, I didn’t want to do it, but I was already so deep in debt with Richie, I doubted I would ever be able to afford to pay him off.
Tomorrow Richie and I would be flying to Boston to take part in my six-week training and orientation, and although nervous, I was excited for this opportunity. When I told my mom, she was over the moon, asking all kinds of questions about the job, how I felt about traveling, where I’d be going, and what kind of gifts I’d be bringing her back.
When I told her how nervous I was, she chuckled. “Sweetheart, you’re going to be great at this. You were always meant for more than pushing a pencil.”
“Uh, Mom? They don’t really use that term much anymore.”
She huffed. “Fine. Filling a spreadsheet or whatever. And I think, deep down, you know it.”
Jesse had always asked why I wasn’t doing more with my life. He thought I could be making better pay if only I applied myself. He often accused me of not having ambition, or not being willing to apply myself.
Fuck him.
“Yeah, I know.” And I did. Having Richie around for just the last few days had bolstered my confidence. I went to work for my final paycheck and to drop off everything I had. I told them my computer wasn’t available, and they said they would wipe it remotely. Afterward, I called Mrs. Balmor and told her to sell whatever was left in the apartment, and I apologized to her again for what had happened. She told me she wished it could have gone down differently. For a while, so had I, but now? Not so much.
To celebrate, Richie had taken me out, bought me some new clothes, a new laptop, paid for the security deposit and six months’ rent on the apartment. Then, afterward, he contacted his company and they overnighted me all kinds of gear that I’d use working from home. Finally, we’d had Skype calls with some of the people who would be on my team.
My team. God, it sounded so weird saying it.
“Max? Where are you?”
I smiled at the excitement in his voice. “In the office.”
Richie came strutting in, box in hand. He stopped in front of me and held it out.
