Chapter 3

Madison

It is late afternoon when my flight touches down in Denver. The no phone light turns off and we all hurry to grab our phones to switch them back on.

I’m no better so I turn off the airplane mode and wait for my messages to come. It takes a few moments but there it is.

A message from Dylan - He accepts the offer!

OMG, OMG we did it. We secured the funding we need to take the company to the next level.

Everything just became so real, like the past year was me working on a pet project of mine, and now I am again emerging in the “real” business world. I invested a nice sum of money but you never know. Most startups fail. I never dared to hope we will be a success. Not that raising venture capital is an assurance of our success. The hard work is just starting. But it is a validation of our idea. We are out of the garage!

Aircraft doors open and I stuff the phone back in my bag so that I’m able to contort over the seat and get to the overhead compartment where my small bag is squished. I really want to pull it out before the lady in the opposite row starts fishing out all of her baggage. I think that the whole section gave her the stink eye when she boarded carrying not only humongous looking carry-on, bursting at the seams, a handbag the size of fucking New York and at least half of dozen bags merrily marked with airport signs.

And of course, she was among the last to board so that all of her baggage had to be stuffed all around us.

And of course, that she couldn’t do it herself but she requested help from the first pity man with whom she made eye contact with.

And of course, she kept having conversations throughout the entire flight.

Does she ever shut up?

I just want to get in front of her.

My mood lightens when I’m successful.

After what feels like a long time, I’m out in the parking lot trying to remember where I parked my car. I find it, place my baggage in the trunk and start the car. The traffic is not so bad and I pull onto the road, heading home.

The meeting with the VC keeps replaying in my head.

He wasn’t too interested in our business plan. He wanted to meet the team. To know more about the idea, how it is special. What have we already done and what do we plan to achieve? How big is our dream?

But that is not why the meeting is on my mind. All of those questions are something we went through with all of the previous potential investors. This one was keen on discussing the market segmentation, and when he asked me to explain the zero percent segment. I almost burst into laughter.

Almost being the key word.

I didn’t, I explained the segment, I explained how we did the market analysis and he looked satisfied. That made me remember Liam and the hell “zero percentage meeting”. Not my best moment by far but definitely a turning point which launched me in a completely different trajectory.

I still think of him sometimes.

Sound of the incoming phone call blasts over the speakers and scares me so much that I almost lose control.

It’s Piper.

I love her but I just don’t have the energy right now.

Sighing, I answer the call.

Coward.

“Honey …” she croons over the line.

“Hi Piper, “I answer hoping she will pick up on my tiredness from the angst in my voice.

But obviously, she doesn’t.

“When are you arriving at Willow Creek?” she asks.

There is a lot of background noise, mellow music, clanging of dishes, people indistinguishably talking.

“Look Piper, “I start trying to avoid what’s coming next, “I just got off a three-hour flight and I’m going to stay in town for tonight.”

“Oh, no, no, no…” Piper immediately stops me.

“You have to come!” She insists.

Let’s see if the direct approach will work.

“Piper, I’m really tired.”

“He is terrifyingly hot!” Piper whispers.

She has been threatening to hook me up with one of Drake’s friends. I still play innocent although I know what is going on.

“Who is hot?” I mimic her hushed tone.

“I’m not going to tell you, just come and meet him. Trust me you want to meet him”.

I’m so pathetic. Building my startup takes up all of my time and I really don’t have time to go out and date. Men… They expect time, devotion, cooking…

I’m really concentrating on my work at this moment so I don’t have time for that.

They all say they understand, but they all have zero understanding when I tell them that I can’t talk (again) now because I’m in a meeting (again), or that no I will not be cooking a romantic dinner this Friday. Or my favorite; taking a weekend “off”.

All that said, I still have needs. Physical needs.

“You are at the cottage I presume” I say.

“Yes! We are having a barbeque, remember? Just come and I will introduce you. It’s a small, intimate dinner.”

I know her definition of small or intimate. It means at least twenty people.

For the life of me I do not understand why did those two build such a small house when they clearly insist on big dinner parties.

At least the outside terrace and the exterior is definitely made to accommodate so many people. Especially on a warm summer night like this.

Perhaps that is the point. Come hang out and then go home.

I like that approach. Best of both worlds.

“I’ll be there in about an hour,” I reply.

“Save me some chicken!”

Piper's booming laughter fills the car.

“We will bake you some fresh one when you get here,” she tells me with an obvious ring of satisfaction.

Piper and Drake Halden are my closest neighbors. Hell, they're the only neighbors.

Their cottage and my house sit on a solace part of the road leading to Willow Creek. Just the road, nature and rolling hills around us.

When I bought the old house, it was completely isolated. No living soul for miles. The only sign of civilization is the power line and the road.

It was just as I wanted it. My own desert island in the middle of land.

Construction on my house started and soon I noticed activity on the lot nearby.

Small, delectable little wooden cottage popped up right about as I was finishing my house.

As there is a good half a mile between the houses, their presence here wasn’t a nuisance. I actually welcomed the occasional sign that other people are around.

The idea of being isolated is great, until you are left alone in the complete darkness of the night. This is why I always have some music or TV on.

Many times, I sat on the terrace railing looking in their direction watching them laugh and eat.

My good fortune is that Piper is a natural connector. If it was left to me, I would have never made the first move to meet them. But for Piper it was the common place to waltz to my house and introduce herself.

We became instant friends.