Part 3 (1/2)
T J felt his jaw clench He tried to sound cool ”We'll get through it I'ain for the bartender, purposefully keeping his gaze averted froood news about RemoteX How'd you miss that there was a coive in to his father's provocations He focused on the bartender Why was this guy not co more about what they've developed It's hard to tell how many parallels there really are,” T J answered
Finally, the bartender approached and took his order ”Jack and coke and one of those pink cocktails, please”
”Still,” Ted continued, ”I guess with Ay Poor kid, growing up alone, no ”
This was tooto push T J's buttons about the business, but Ted had no right to pull Amelia into it He turned to face his father, his brow furrowed and his blue eyes intense Ted was casually leaning back, both elbows propped on the bar, looking out at the crowd and sipping a beer He was totally at ease as he taunted his son
”You knohat I think?” T J said decisively, a er and total confidence in his voice ”I think Amelia was lucky It's better to have no father at all than aone”
Ted raised his eyebrows and shi+fted his gaze to his son ”I' at Gibly-is wrong and you know it It could threaten national security-our very safety You're pleading ignorance for profits, as though thatfor that data is a terrorist and, because of it, we're attacked? That's on you And that's fucking i about,” Ted hissed, standing up straight T J was focused
”Let ht to tell the press about Gibly She was right to expose what shady shi+t you've been up to You were once respected and adirl took it all away fro to have to go through me”
”You've always been so full of yourself, son But what have you ever done without my help? Even this little job that you're so cocky about Who got you that job? Me”
”You're a shi+tty father You tried to co Lisa and me with opportunities But it's a poor trade You always put yourself first, always prioritized your business deals and ego over everything that mattered to me I'd rather have a poor father with no connections-I'd rather have no father at all-than one I disrespect as much as I disrespect you”
T J handed a five-dollar tip to the bartender and walked away, leaving Ted looking for the first time in his life like he wasn't sure what to do
”Did you get irls she'd been chatting with and grabbed T J's ar his hands in his pockets and heading for the door
CHAPTER 9:
Prove Yourself
Amelia and Adam were back in their hotel room, huddled over her laptop After the de he was still awake and could gather a few folks froone wrong George had readily obliged
”I just don't understand what could have happened The devices have never , and Luke, another engineer as part of the Wednesday night crew
”Do you think it was a network issue? Maybe there was too e offered
”More interference than I've had at Gates? If there's no probleraine there would be a problein with,” T-Bag offered
”Wouldn't that be aa little panicked ”I ht?”
”Yeah, Adae said in an irritated voice, as though he were talking to a child
”Or maybe there was just another type of product that interfered What were the devices around you at the demo?” Luke asked
”There was the electric car, like, three booths down That y,” Aday, Adae was clearly annoyed ”Listen, Adam, maybe you should leave this one to us”
Adae think he had the right to tell hi off? He looked at Amelia to stand up for him
Ae is right Why don't you go find Lisa? This'll probably take a while and be boring for you anyway”
Ada she was, he picked up his wallet and notebook ”Yeah, okay”
He'd love to see Lisa, but he had texted her twice and she still hadn't responded
Adas crushed
”I'll have a beer, please,” Adaroups were gathered around low tables with cushi+oned seats, deep in conversation over the chill house rabbed a handful of nuts fro out the here he watched a party happening on the terrace
He sipped his beer and tried to think about how he could help with this Ree was right: he didn't understand the technology, but how could he learn? And what else was he supposed to do to prove that he ought to be part of the company? It had been his idea to start the co
”Mind if I join you?” A man in his late fifties took the stool next to Adam's and motioned to the bartender
”Not at all,” Adahter in his chair The uely familiar, but Adam couldn't place him
”Macallan 15,” the s you to the hotel bar alone on a Friday night?”
Ada strangers in hotel bars, but this h And it felt rather adult to have a conversation like this-two ed ”Just feeling like a total failure lately”
The ainst Adah ”That makes two of us,” he said
They sat in silence for asips of their drinks
”You know,” theabout failure is that you never see it coht course and then, out of nowhere, it hits you that you've been fucking things up all along”
Ada, but he nodded anyway
”My problem,” Adam said, ”is that I's that I want to accoreat vision of what it should look like when it's done, but I haven't got a clue what I', you know? What I'et to where I want to be”
The man turned to him and smiled ”Do you drink Scotch?”