"Christopher, just keep the manuscript with you for now. Once you've finished reading it, go ahead and proof it for me too, then give it back. And don't forget to eat breakfast."
Christopher nodded, then looked up in surprise as Bruce got to his feet.
"Where are you going? Weren't we supposed to head to Rowling's together?"
Bruce slipped on his coat and smiled.
"I didn't forget. But you go ahead first. I've got something to take care of, so I won't be going with you. We'll meet at Rowling's place. And don't be late."
"Don't worry."
Bruce gave him a pat on the shoulder and left the dining room.
Christopher watched him go, shook his head, then looked back down at the manuscript in front of him. A moment later he snatched up his glass and drained the milk in one go, swallowed his eggs in a few quick bites, grabbed the toast off his plate, scooped up the manuscript, and hurried out as well.
Driving the black Mercedes he had rented, Bruce arrived at the corner where he and Molly had agreed to meet. Since he was early and there was no sign of her yet, he pulled out his phone and decided to deal with a few other matters.
"Good morning, Boss."
"Morning, Wendy. I already called George yesterday. Go see him now. The two of you are forming an acquisition team. I want you to buy every share of Google held by Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia."
Since he knew exactly what Google would become, Bruce naturally wanted to pick up as much of it as possible before the rest of the world fully understood what it was looking at. He also knew perfectly well that no one would ever truly control a giant like Google. Not even the Rockefellers or the Morgans. What he wanted was leverage. The more shares he held now, the more room he would have to maneuver later, and the more he could trade those shares for other advantages down the line.
"An equity acquisition?"
"That's right. And you'll be running it."
There was a brief silence on the line before Wendy answered.
"Thank you for trusting me, Boss, but I'm worried I don't have enough experience for something like this."
"You have a Harvard economics degree. Have a little faith in yourself. Besides, Merrill Lynch will be advising on the deal, and George Davis has more than enough commercial law experience to cover the legal side. You don't need to worry. And if something does come up, I'm still here."
He could hear her take a breath on the other end.
"Boss, I'll do everything I can to handle it."
"I know you will."
After going over a few more details, Bruce ended the call and rubbed at his brow.
His rise had been too fast, and the list of industries he was moving into had grown too quickly. The lack of high-level people he could actually trust was starting to show more and more clearly. Too many things couldn't be delayed, and after thinking it through, he really had no better option than to throw Wendy, still green as she was, into the deep end and let her learn.
Let's hope that Harvard degree means something.
His phone rang again.
He glanced at the screen and smiled.
"Katherine. This has to be about money again."
A week ago, that call might have given him a headache. Now it didn't.
He answered.
"Morning, Katherine..."
"Bruce, we're almost at the end of May. When exactly is that ten million you promised going to hit the company account? Old York is riding me every single day about the nine million for his farm. And because of this, people at the company have started giving me weird looks. Sometimes I seriously want to beat the hell out of them and tell them I am not the kind of woman who's into old men."
Before Bruce could even finish his greeting, her frustration came pouring through the phone like a waterfall. Her voice was so loud he had to pull the phone away from his ear for a moment.
"Katherine, listen to me. Two weeks at the latest. I'll wire the money. Actually, I'll send another ten million on top of it."
"Really?"
Her suspicion was obvious.
"Absolutely."
Just then, he caught sight of Molly Bevin turning the corner in a long white dress, her face so delicate and bright that for a second the whole street seemed to sharpen around her.
Bruce's mood lifted instantly.
"Katherine, I have to go. Twenty million dollars. No later than two weeks. I promise. Talk later."
"Bruce, wait..."
But he had already ended the call.
He slid the phone into his pocket, got out of the car, and waved.
"Hey, Molly. Over here."
She saw him, nodded once, and came toward him.
"Molly, you look incredible today."
And she did.
Her long hair was down, her makeup light, and the pale dress she wore brought out both the grace of her figure and the brightness of her skin. Her legs were bare, smooth and elegant, and the crystal-strap heels on her feet only made the whole effect more striking. There was something almost unreal about her, not just in how beautiful she was, but in the way that beauty sat on her. Pure, cool, and quietly untouchable.
He had seen beautiful women before.
But Molly was the kind that made comparison feel pointless.
"Thank you," she said.
"Come on. We're running a little late."
Bruce turned slightly and raised his left arm.
Molly looked at the space in the crook of it and understood immediately what he wanted.
She hesitated.
"Molly, you're supposed to be my girlfriend today. If we don't act like it, no one's going to believe it. That means at least some normal couple behavior. Don't worry, though. I won't go too far."
She studied him for a moment.
"I hope you remember that."
"Of course."
After another second of hesitation, she finally hooked her arm through his.
Bruce was quietly thrilled.
The only disappointing part was that the distance from where they were standing to the car was far too short. Still, there would be more chances later.
As he drove toward Rowling's house, he glanced at her.
"You've never had a boyfriend, have you?"
"Why would you ask that?"
"Because your hand was shaking when you took my arm. That's what it looks like when it's your first time doing something like that."
She turned her head and looked at him.
"So you're very experienced, then?"
Bruce nearly choked.
The truth was yes, but that was not a conversation he was about to lose control of.
"Not really. I did have a girlfriend in college, though. After she graduated and went back home, we broke up."
As soon as he said it, he thought of Alice, and a trace of melancholy crossed his face.
For a while after the breakup, part of him had still wondered if they might somehow find their way back to each other, even if it ended the same way in the end. But after sending several emails and getting nothing back, that chapter had slowly faded.
Molly noticed the change in his expression but said nothing.
Bruce didn't feel much like talking either after that, and the atmosphere in the car fell quiet. Fortunately, Exeter wasn't large, and Rowling's house was only a short drive away, so the awkward silence didn't last long.
"We're here."
Molly glanced out at the old stone house with its weathered charm, then stepped out with him.
Bruce went to the trunk and took out the gifts he had brought.
"Do you want me to carry some of that?" Molly asked, seeing how much he had in his hands.
"It's fine. It looks like a lot, but it's not that heavy. Actually, do me a favor and ring the bell."
She nodded and pressed the bell beside the door.
Not long after, they heard small, quick footsteps inside.
The door opened.
A little blonde girl stood there.
"Uncle Bruce, you're here."
"Hey, sweetheart. Look what I brought you."
"A big white teddy bear and Snoopy! Thank you, Uncle Bruce!"
"Go on, take them."
She nodded eagerly, grabbed the giant bear that was almost as big as she was, held the Snoopy doll in her other hand, and ran into the living room.
"Mom, Uncle Bruce brought me a giant teddy bear and Snoopy!"
"Was that Rowling's daughter?" Molly asked quietly.
"Yeah. She's adorable."
Then Bruce took Molly's hand.
"Come on. I'll introduce you to Rowling."
Molly looked at the way his fingers closed around hers and felt a flicker of discomfort at how unfamiliar it was.
But she didn't pull away.
Instead, as she followed him inside, a different feeling started rising in her chest, one much stronger than nerves.
Excitement.
She was about to meet the woman she had admired for years.