Applause erupted as Tyler came into view.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest. His eyes locked onto where I was sitting. I fidgeted anxiously, unsure if I was visible from where he stood. There was a moment of stillness, as if he had turned to stone, and I feared he would crumble before me. But then, a smile graced his face. It was a captivating smile, perfectly suited for the cameras, and sure enough, they began clicking away.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted the crowd, still gazing in my direction.
“Afternoon,” I muttered back to him.
“Thank you for joining us today in beautiful Palo Alto, or if you’re live-streaming, then thank you for making time for us.”
He dove right in and introduced the new and advanced cameras that would detect faces, license plates, and even vehicles without license plates. Through machine learning, reckless and dangerous behavior could be spotted then tracked down by following the driver and vehicle.
To showcase their tracking ability, Tyler switched to the live-action demo. A camera feed appeared on the large screens, revealing a driver sitting in a car, waiting to enact a crime. When Tyler gave him the cue, the driver revved the engine, hitting a staged bicyclist, then drove off. The smart camera that we had installed at the scene detected the accident and instantly alerted the other cameras set along the pathway. Our acting police officer, parked nearby, also received an alert and began heading towards the given location of the driver.
From the multiple camera feeds, shown in a grid display on one of the presentation screens, we could see the reckless driver speeding across one feed to the next. In each live footage, the camera zeroed in on the vehicle and license plate, effortlessly tracking its location despite the high volume of traffic. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen, following the vehicle when it suddenly stopped. The driver then darted out and proceeded to run on foot. The cameras caught the transition, capturing the suspect’s face.
As our acting culprit raced along a trail where we had more cameras installed, Tyler brought our attention to the neighboring screen, where our AI had now linked the driver’s face with his social media accounts along with any public databases. The AI bot then Tweeted its findings on the man, including the most recent picture of his face, a GIF of the crime he committed, and his current location. It even forecast where the suspect was most likely heading. Then, like the Amber Alert system reporting a missing person, the AI alerted authorities and the people around the vicinity — in this case, everyone in the room — that a criminal was on the run. The blogger next to me, along with other members of the audience, pulled out his phone and tapped on the link within the notification. It directed him to the Twitter post.
“As you can see, the chase has been made easy,” said Tyler, guiding our eyes back to the grid of live surveillance. The suspect, who had been running on foot, found himself running directly into a group of awaiting officers. “Once the suspect is caught…” He let his voice trail off and the demo speak for itself.
“Hit-and-run suspect detained,” the acting officer said on his radio and added his unique designated code as a way to sign off. The camera’s mic picked up on these spoken words, and the AI immediately sent out another Tweet, notifying that the culprit had been captured.
Thunderous applause tore across the room as people expressed their excitement.
“No more hit-and-runs,” Tyler declared, his voice cutting through the applause, his gaze sweeping the audience. “No more robberies, no more porch thieves, no more suspects on the loose. No more ‘What happened?’ We will always know the answer to who did it, where, and when. The technology is here. The future is here. We can have better security and protection for the people we love. Today.”
Before closing off the presentation, Tyler presented the business entities we had partnered with and how they were planning on putting the cameras to use, either at full functioning, or with various features suppressed to align with local laws and regulations. He then emphasized that his cameras were real and functioning, to be used in the immediate future, and not just a futuristic theorized prototype.
“That was really neat,” the blogger next to me said as Tyler delivered credits to the employees.
“That was,” I agreed, though not because of the demo, but because Tyler made it through without any mishap.
Sneaking a peek at the blogger’s screen, I found he had already incorporated snapshots of Tyler and the demo onto his page, accompanied by a few words of praise. I sighed with a smile, feeling profoundly relieved.
The blogger’s head swiveled around and he caught me reading his draft. “Don’t worry, I’m not writing anything negative. The CTO gave an impressive presentation.”
“Thank you,” I said in earnest, as if the compliment was meant for me.
The audience abruptly grew more boisterous, with people rising from their seats. I poked my head out to the center aisle, searching for the excitement. It was Tyler, making his way down the platform. My lips stretched into a wide smirk. An overwhelming sense of pride filled me as I watched journalists, tech enthusiasts, and investors reaching out, seeking a moment of his time.
“Here,” the man next to me said, handing me a business card. “That’s my website if you want to read my post.”
“Oh, thank you,” I said, accepting the card.
“It’s been a pleasure. Thanks for the invite.”
“Oh, sure,” I replied, even though I had nothing to do with media outreach. I shook his hand, and he left. When I looked back at Tyler, he was stealing glances at me while smiling at the people around him. I waited patiently for him to make his way over to me, finding joy in seeing him immersed in his success.
Lauren, who had been seated near the front with her fellow managers, slipped away once the crowd began to thin out. She shuffled past Tyler and weaved her way through the dispersing audience to the chair previously taken by the blogger.
“That was cool wasn’t it?” she said as soon as she sat down. “Seeing it all played out like that.”
“It was,” I agreed.
“Tyler did great. Jack didn’t seem too pleased about that, though.”
“I’m surprised he showed up.”
“Yeah, me too. I was afraid he might suddenly want to present. Fortunately, he was smart enough to know when to back down.”
I narrowed my eyes at Jack, who was conversing animatedly with Charles and a group of older men in sport coats. I greatly doubted that Jack knew when to back down and let Tyler take the spotlight. It seemed more like he was anticipating Tyler’s failure and wanted to witness the debacle firsthand. And then, in some false heroic move, he would come sweeping in to save the day, further proving that Tyler couldn’t have done it without him.
Feeling my glare burning into his profile, Jack paused his chatter and focused his blazing blue eyes on me. Charles, too, shifted his gaze in my direction, his brows furrowing into a questioning frown.
Ignoring their stare, I turned to Lauren. “What happens now? What do we do for the rest of the day?”
“Not much. Some will stay and work, but we’re free to take it easy. Usually, Jack would open up some champagne and make a cheesy speech about how great our team is. Since he’s all bitter at the moment, I’m not sure if he’s up for celebrating.”
“That’s too bad,” I said, my mouth scrunched to the side. “He should be proud of his business partner and be more supportive. Tyler was always supportive of Jack, right? Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come this far.”
“Uh…Lana…” Lauren said, her eyes twinkling with amusement at something behind me.
I flipped my head around and was startled to find Tyler right beside me. He reached down, cupping my face with both hands as he lifted me up from my seat. Despite the small number of journalists and investors still lingering around, he pressed his lips against mine, kissing me fervently. I let him have his moment, although part of me wanted to seek cover. As cameras clicked away, some people cheered while others groaned, telling us to find a room. Tyler paid them no attention and drank me until he had his fill.
“I missed you,” he murmured to my surprised face.
I flushed with embarrassment and glanced around at the spectators. “I missed you too,” I responded softly. Although my conscience pricked with shame for the inappropriate public display, I couldn’t contain my grin. No matter the timing, his outpour of affection always had me feeling delighted.
“Congratulations, Tyler. You did it. You presented in front of a room filled with people. How did you do it?”
“I nearly couldn’t, but then I saw your face,” he chuckled, his thumb lightly grazing my cheek. “I almost burst out laughing from seeing your strained expression. You were far more anxious than me!”
He continued laughing while my face remained flat and unamused, which only seemed to tickle him further. When he finally managed to compose himself, he gently twirled one of my loose curls around his finger, speaking in a more serious tone.
“In that moment, when I saw how deeply concerned you were for me, it reminded me once again that you are all that mattered. You were here to see me succeed, to support me. And so, I needed to. For you. For us. For our future.”
I felt my cheeks tightened and my lips curling into a smile. Tugging on his jacket’s lapel, I brought my mouth close to his ear. “You looked really good up there.”
He turned his face inward, smiling knowingly. His hand slipped into mine and he leaned in to kiss me again, but when he felt something obstructing his grasp, he broke away, peering down at my hand. “What’s this?” he asked, picking up the business card.
“Oh, I was sitting next to a blogger. He gave me the address to his website.”
His forehead creased as he read the card. “It also contains his personal cell number.”
“Yeah. So? That’s typical of a business card.”
His face hardened. “Can you go anywhere without getting people’s contact information?”
I shrugged. “I was reading his draft. He saw me being nosy, so maybe he thought this would make it easier.”
Tyler shook his head and pocketed the card. In doing so, his eyes skirted past me towards the remaining journalists who were now slowly pushing forward. As if just now noticing their probing eyes, he shot them an annoyed expression before tucking me into the crook of his arm.
“Come, I need to introduce you to a few people.”
“You do?” I asked, alarmed. I peeked over his arm that was wrapping me in a sort of gentle headlock. Near the stage was the cluster of men in sport coats, the same group that had been socializing with Jack and Charles just moments before. Though they were all dressed somewhat casually, their stiff collared polos, crisply lined slacks, and leather accessories suggested they were classy beyond suits.
Tyler dragged me over to them and lowered his hand to my waist. “Everyone, I would like for you to meet my girlfriend. This is Lana Nguyen.”
The men halted their conversations and turned their attention to me. Though their faces expressed indifference, I sensed some condescension. Their lack of interest made it clear that they were not friends of Tyler’s, and his brusque way of introducing me hinted that he did not hold them in high regard either.
Uncertain on how welcoming I should present myself, I humbly nodded. “Hi, nice to meet you.”
“Lana, these men are our VC investors,” Tyler explained.
“Oh,” I replied, trying my best to keep a straight face. So, these were the men behind the VC parties Tyler had attended in the past. Why was he introducing me to them?
“Nice to meet you, Lana.” A round man with white hair stuck out his thick hand. I politely took it, already feeling dirty. His eyes traveled down to my badge, and the lines on his forehead knitted in the middle. “You work here?”
The announcement seemed to spark some tension among the men as some began whispering, others downright scowling with dismay. A chill ran down my spine and I stammered out a response. “Uh–yes… Yes, I do.”
The old man whirled his head over to Tyler, his eyes wide with incredulity. “The press will be all over this!” he snarled in a loud whisper. “An executive dating his subordinate? We’ll have no choice but to demand your resignation next!”
I gazed fearfully up at Tyler, but he simply tightened his hold around my waist, appearing evermore calm.
“Our relationship started before I became an executive,” he responded with a tired tone. “I’ll be sure to provide a statement.”
The round man snorted, shaking his head. “I was going to speak highly of you at my event tomorrow. There will be people there, net worth in the billions! How do you expect me to connect you with potential partners when you’re dating an employee?” He jabbed a finger in my direction as if I wasn’t a person of comprehension.
Tyler sighed with mock disappointment. “I guess I can’t go. Best stick with Jack; no scandals.”
“Just you wait, Tyler. Within a few hours, the press won’t be talking about your company’s new product, but the kiss that you just shared with your subordinate. All your hard work will be swept under the rug. You might have just lost all of our investments!” he shouted, spraying spit all over us.
“Or,” Tyler started with a grin, “I’ve just placed us on entertainment news, and now everyone will know who we are and what we do. We won’t be featured on just TechCrunch anymore.”
The man was about to launch another retort when he abruptly halted, his mouth hanging open. Pausing to consider Tyler’s remark, he glanced at his peers, seeking their input. The VCs shared a brief moment of tense silence before shaking their heads with uncertainty. Seeing this, Tyler chuckled and placed a hand on the round man’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Bill. Your money is still safe in your pocket. But you’re right, it’s best for me to steer clear of any networking events and maintain a low profile. If you have any potential partners still interested in collaborating with us, they can schedule meetings at our office during regular business hours.”
“And there’s always Jack,” I suggested.
“No, no,” the VC said sullenly. “Jack already met her. I wanted someone more technical. Tyler could have brought something new to the table.”
I squinted at the old man. Her?
Tyler squeezed me into his side, signaling it was time to go. “Sorry I won’t be able to attend your event tomorrow, Bill. Let your friend know she is welcome to meet me at our office. I must go now. It was nice seeing you again.”
Spinning me around, Tyler led me away by the small of my back. I searched his face for any signs of distress. He merely smiled, however, seeming perfectly content.
“Are you sure this is okay?” I asked him.
He arched a brow, surprised by my question. “Of course. My feelings for you are sincere. I’m not playing around for the sake of pleasure. I’ll provide an official statement to the press. There’ll be talk at first, but it’ll eventually smooth over.”
“But what about what he said about the product no longer being the highlight? I’m sure Jack and everyone else here won’t appreciate that.”
“Our product may not be the highlight, but it’ll be mentioned in every article that captured our kiss. Everyone will be reading about it, not just tech nerds.”
“So…you just used me to boost publicity.”
“Yes, and to get out of that VC’s party. Unless, you still want me to go?”
“No!”
He chuckled, taking hold of my shoulders. “Didn’t think so. I made sure to cover your face. Your identity won’t be revealed.”
As he led me towards the gathering of upper management and executives, including Charles, Tyler was greeted with another round of applause.
“There’s the man!” exclaimed Joe.
“Congratulations, man,” said Jack, offering his hand. “I know that must’ve been tough.”
Tyler and I eyed him dubiously. I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere. Nevertheless, Tyler reached out and shook his hand.
“Thanks,” he replied coldly. “I had the right support to get me through.”
“I suppose so,” said Jack, flicking his gaze over to me. Though there was residual resentment in his eyes, it felt as if he was seeing me clearly for the first time.
“You did a wonderful job up there, Tyler,” chimed Prisha. “I think it’s time to celebrate!”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said Jack, beaming at his colleagues. “Off to the lunchroom everyone! Time to open up the champagne.”
The announcement was met with resounding enthusiasm. As we all migrated towards the door, a young man rushed past us in the opposite direction. Tyler called out to him, and they stepped off to the side. I remained rooted a few feet away, recognizing the young man as one of the interns from the tech crew. They spoke quietly for a brief moment before Tyler handed him the blogger’s business card. After receiving his instructions, the intern nodded and hurried off with the card in hand.
Tyler nonchalantly resumed his spot next to me as though a suspicious act had not just occurred. “What?” he asked, feigning ignorance when he clocked in my accusing stare.
“What was that?” I said, pointing to where the intern had rushed off to.
“Just told him to check the blog post,” he answered innocently with a dismissive shrug.
Obviously, there was more to it than that. Seeing how the fate of a blogger’s business card held little to no significance to me, I let the matter drop with a roll of my eyes.
“Tyler, can I have a moment?”
Tyler and I turned to the voice. It was then that I was aware Jack had been lingering a few yards behind us, waiting for an opportune moment to speak. Tense silence fell between the two men before they turned their gaze to me.
“Oh!” I chirped, belatedly realizing that they were waiting for me to retreat. I nodded and took a few steps back, gesturing for Tyler to proceed. “Please, go ahead.”
I pivoted to leave, but was spun back around by a sharp tug on my hand. “What did I say about leaving?” Tyler asked sternly.
I pursed my lips and glanced at Jack, whose sober expression transformed into one of curiosity. Using Tyler as a shield, I positioned myself until I was hidden from Jack’s view. Then, reaching up on my toes, I gave Tyler a small peck on the cheek. I made for a quick escape immediately after, but as if he was anticipating my move, Tyler gently cupped my chin, holding me in place.
“Good girl,” he whispered, then brushed his lips softly against mine.
Once he loosened his hold, I dropped back on my heels and scurried away, feeling two pairs of eyes stuck on my back until the door was shut behind me.
In the hallway, Charles stood leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets. Feeling somewhat surprised to see him there, I greeted him timidly. “Hi, Charles.”
“Hi,” he said with a forced smile.
I cocked my head to the side. His usual perky energy was strangely subdued. I suspected it had to do with the pricing of our proposal. “Did you talk to Jack about the proposal?” I asked.
“I did,” he answered, bobbing his head slowly. His gaze was fixed on his shoes before he focused it on me. Hurt and disappointment clouded his eyes and lined his face. “He told me it was you who made him change his mind.”
“Oh…” I uttered awkwardly.
“May I ask why?”
For a moment, guilt heavily weighed on me. He looked truly wounded, as though I had betrayed him. I had to remind myself that this was not my fault.
“It’s nothing personal, Charles. I just wanted to be sure we were not giving away our intellectual property. I believe Tyler had made the reasons clear. This decision was not made entirely by me. I’m only a PM, after all.”
“But they respect your decision. I’m sure if you had talked to Tyler and sided with me and Jack, he would’ve also sided with you.”
“I respect Tyler’s decision, and I won’t do anything that could potentially damage his company.”
“You think I could cause damage? I believed in you, trusted you in handling my projects for me, and now you think that I could cause damage?”
I sighed and turned my gaze down the hall, where the sounds of laughter and rowdy conversations emanated from the lunchroom. Now, I felt truly remorseful. After the faith Charles had displayed towards me, here I was, accusing him of possibly running down our company.
“Charles, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything against you. I just think we should be paid fairly, even if I were to believe your company would succeed.”
“If you were to believe? If?”
His voice, though lowered an octave, came out loud and clear, enhanced by the animosity in his tone. I was suddenly aware that we were alone. Swallowing nervously, I chose my next words carefully.
“I don’t know much about your company other than what you’ve told me. You mentioned you lost the investment. Tell me, from a business standpoint, that that is not cause for concern.”
His expression grew more incredulous. “Your doubt in me is going to cost me millions!”
“And my belief in you could cost us millions. I work for Talus, Charles. I have to look out for my company. If I was working for you, then it would be different.”
“Yes, it would be different, because you wouldn’t be fucking your executive, Tyler; you’d be fucking me and stabbing them in the back instead.”
I fell back a step. The offensive accusation nearly knocked me off my feet. “My relationship with Tyler has nothing to do with his title or role here.”
“Tell that to the people you work with.”
My heart sank into my stomach. This entire time, I thought my colleagues could care less about my relationship with Tyler — supportive, even. It was certainly the case before his new position. Perhaps the tides had changed and I hadn’t noticed.
“Are we done here?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“We’re done, Lana. I thought I’d made a friend in you, but it turns out I was wrong. I know now that had I gotten that money, you wouldn’t have betrayed me like this.”
I shook my head, frustrated for being so gravely misunderstood. “Charles, it’s not about you having money. It’s not about you! It’s about whether your company—”
“My company is me!” His shout rang down the hall. “You,” he pointed a finger at my face, “are a sly, calculative bitch. I nearly fell for your tricks. Fortunately, I’m not the one that’s naive. Tyler is. He’ll lose everything thanks to you.”
I knocked his hand out of my face. The need to be nice and professional escaped me. “If I’m as sly as you say, then why did I have to remind you on multiple occasions that we should remain professional? I’m starting to question whether you’re offended because I didn’t support you, or because I didn’t fuck you.”
The door to the presentation room swung open and Tyler appeared at the doorway with Jack.
“What’s going on?” asked Tyler, his eyes moving from my angry scowl to Charles’s reddening face.
“Nothing,” Charles spat. “Lana had just convinced me to pull out my RFP.”
My scowl disintegrated. Blood drained from my face. I just lost them a client worth potentially millions of dollars, after losing out on potentially billions from the VC just moments ago. Indeed, my relationship with Tyler was draining his business. I anxiously glanced up at Tyler and Jack, hoping they could offer Charles something that would encourage him to change his mind.
“Okay. Sorry to hear that,” said Tyler.
“Wait, pulling out? Why, what’s wrong?” Jack asked, his eyes wide with dismay before narrowing them at me. “If Lana did something to upset you, we can find you a new PM.”
Tyler’s neck retracted and he scowled at his partner in disbelief. “Perhaps Lana didn’t do anything and Charles just couldn’t get his way.”
“No,” Charles cut in, still glaring at me. “She has made it clear she doesn’t want my business here. I’ll be taking it elsewhere.”
Taking a step away from me, he turned to Jack. “I’ll see you tomorrow at Bill’s. Perhaps I’ll find myself an investor, and maybe then Lana will deem me worthy of her business.”
I snorted loudly, forgetting my earlier disservice already. “Well, yes. That’s how it works, right? We’ll work for you when you have the money to pay us.”
My belittling tone snapped something in him, and he reached his hand out towards my face. Before I could see what he intended to do, Tyler stepped in front of me.
“I think it’s time for you to go, Charles,” he said, his voice laced with warning.
Charles glowered at the two of us. It was hard to believe that this was the same man who made goofy faces and cracked silly jokes. I could no longer imagine such friendliness coming from those spiteful eyes.
“I’d be careful if I were you, Tyler. You’re burning bridges.”
Tyler tilted his head derisively. “I have no need for bridges made of straws.”
The corner of Charles’s mouth twitched. He opened his mouth, but then, as if he found it a waste of his effort, he shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. “You’ll just have to learn on your own.” With that, he spun on his heels and marched towards the exit.
“Just so you know,” I shouted, stepping around Tyler, “Even if I was working for you, I’d still fuck Tyler!”
Charles paused at the glass door, his jaws clenched tight. He shoved the door open with such force, I half expected the glass walls to come shattering down. I watched him leave the building before I had to turn around and face the repercussions of my action.
I cautiously lifted my gaze, checking Tyler’s expression first. He was gaping at me, a silly grin plastered on his face. Jack, on the other hand, looked mortified.