the third wall, and the fourth held a giant screen and some other tech I didn’t recognize, with two beanbag chairs and a bright yellow chaise lounge. One corner held the only nod to games—three pinball machines, the first in use by a short kid with jeans and a muscle tank. I took a few awkward steps into the room when a voice behind me made me jump.
“Coyote.”
I turned to find Max behind me in the hall.
I’d pictured him mostly right in my little daydream Saturday, but his hair was messier. His eyes warmer, his shoulders broader. He looked completely at home in Converse sneakers, jeans, and an olive t-shirt that set off his hair and dark eyes.
I tried to force down the hot flush taking over my face and neck.
“Where did you come from?”
“Stairs.” He leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. “At the risk of being predictable, what’re you doing here?”
“I wanted to thank you for being so cooperative this weekend. The emails and the text,” I added at his blank expression.
“You’re welcome. Why are you really here?”
Was I so transparent? “Well, I’ve also been thinking about your situation. And I want to help you. Here are my conditions. First, I will help with your pitch, your request, and prep for meetings. You do all the face-to-face and correspondence with prospective funders. Second, I do this outside my normal hours at Alliance. And for one month, tops. We don’t get the money you need to finish the game, or I have any concerns about your ability to execute this project, I’m reporting that you lied on your forms.”
“You want a bowl of orange M&Ms every day too? The thermostat set at seventy-five-point-five degrees?” he drawled.
“I’m not being difficult. I’m saving your ass.”
Max took a step toward me and I nearly took one back. “You’re saving your ass, Coyote.” He rubbed a thumb over his lip. “Tell you what, just land the money to finish my game, we’re good. All I care about is making Evolve—and Phoenix—blow anything in existence out of the water.”
So much for gratitude .
I should’ve known better than to expect any.
“Deal. When do we start?” I asked.
“Now.”
Chapter 9
I’ll take the beanbag chair
Max turned and I followed him into the non-living-room living room.
“Are you zoned for this?” I blurted, taking in the bodies in front of computers. Two men and a woman sat in the meeting room, huddled around giant sheets of paper.
“As of now, you’re on fundraising. You got legal issues, take it up with Riley McKay.”
One of the men sitting at the table had familiar red hair, and stood at the sound of his name. Riley looked the same as he had Friday, in a navy suit and purple tie that were a nod to good tailoring and personal flair at once. He would’ve rocked Alliance with his sheer togetherness.
But, as I remembered from the casual way he’d egged me on Friday and how laid back he’d been to find out Max fudged their forms…looks could be deceiving. I didn’t know any lawyers who would be willing to be left out of the loop. He was either careless, crazy, or supremely confident.
“Nice to see you again, Payton,” Riley offered, a grin stretching across his boyish face.
“Likewise. I think. Do you work here full time?” I asked.
“I take a few other clients but I own part of Titan.” He leaned in. “And we are, for the record, zoned for this.” Riley had the corners of my mouth twitching despite my discomfort with the whole situation. “So, do you want the grand tour? If you wait for that guy to give it to you, you’ll be waiting a long time.” He shot a look at Max, who’d already been called away by an older guy in front of a computer screen.
“Sure.”
I trailed Riley to the center of the room. “So this is the guts of Titan, aka the Pit. We have about twenty developers, plus or minus, working at once.”
My gaze scanned the room. “There aren’t that many
“Coyote.”
I turned to find Max behind me in the hall.
I’d pictured him mostly right in my little daydream Saturday, but his hair was messier. His eyes warmer, his shoulders broader. He looked completely at home in Converse sneakers, jeans, and an olive t-shirt that set off his hair and dark eyes.
I tried to force down the hot flush taking over my face and neck.
“Where did you come from?”
“Stairs.” He leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. “At the risk of being predictable, what’re you doing here?”
“I wanted to thank you for being so cooperative this weekend. The emails and the text,” I added at his blank expression.
“You’re welcome. Why are you really here?”
Was I so transparent? “Well, I’ve also been thinking about your situation. And I want to help you. Here are my conditions. First, I will help with your pitch, your request, and prep for meetings. You do all the face-to-face and correspondence with prospective funders. Second, I do this outside my normal hours at Alliance. And for one month, tops. We don’t get the money you need to finish the game, or I have any concerns about your ability to execute this project, I’m reporting that you lied on your forms.”
“You want a bowl of orange M&Ms every day too? The thermostat set at seventy-five-point-five degrees?” he drawled.
“I’m not being difficult. I’m saving your ass.”
Max took a step toward me and I nearly took one back. “You’re saving your ass, Coyote.” He rubbed a thumb over his lip. “Tell you what, just land the money to finish my game, we’re good. All I care about is making Evolve—and Phoenix—blow anything in existence out of the water.”
So much for gratitude .
I should’ve known better than to expect any.
“Deal. When do we start?” I asked.
“Now.”
Chapter 9
I’ll take the beanbag chair
Max turned and I followed him into the non-living-room living room.
“Are you zoned for this?” I blurted, taking in the bodies in front of computers. Two men and a woman sat in the meeting room, huddled around giant sheets of paper.
“As of now, you’re on fundraising. You got legal issues, take it up with Riley McKay.”
One of the men sitting at the table had familiar red hair, and stood at the sound of his name. Riley looked the same as he had Friday, in a navy suit and purple tie that were a nod to good tailoring and personal flair at once. He would’ve rocked Alliance with his sheer togetherness.
But, as I remembered from the casual way he’d egged me on Friday and how laid back he’d been to find out Max fudged their forms…looks could be deceiving. I didn’t know any lawyers who would be willing to be left out of the loop. He was either careless, crazy, or supremely confident.
“Nice to see you again, Payton,” Riley offered, a grin stretching across his boyish face.
“Likewise. I think. Do you work here full time?” I asked.
“I take a few other clients but I own part of Titan.” He leaned in. “And we are, for the record, zoned for this.” Riley had the corners of my mouth twitching despite my discomfort with the whole situation. “So, do you want the grand tour? If you wait for that guy to give it to you, you’ll be waiting a long time.” He shot a look at Max, who’d already been called away by an older guy in front of a computer screen.
“Sure.”
I trailed Riley to the center of the room. “So this is the guts of Titan, aka the Pit. We have about twenty developers, plus or minus, working at once.”
My gaze scanned the room. “There aren’t that many
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