“Play this one carefully, Simon because, if you hurt her again, you’ll have me to deal with as well. You’re not the only one who misses her. We both lost a friend that day.”
“I know what I did was stupid.” It was the biggest mistake he’d ever made and he’d paid for it ever since.
“That was the worst idea we’ve ever had.” Tyler gave a delicate shudder. He drained his glass and handed it to a passing waiter.
Simon had to agree. “True and I’ve tried to fix it over the years and she’s refused to listen. Now I have a whole week where she can’t get away from me to plead my case.” He put his empty glass on the tray as the waiter paused in front of him. “Money well spent if you ask me.”
“And if it doesn’t work are you going to give up and find someone else?”
Simon shook his head. “Never. I wasn’t sure when we arrived but she’s always been the only woman for me and I refuse to give up now I’ve seen her again. No matter how much I hurt her, there has to be a way I can fix things.”
Tyler put his hand in his suit pants pocket and rocked back and forward on his feet. “Got to give you kudos for trying man, but honestly, I don’t think it’s going to end well. You, or we, hurt her too much, not trusting her after all she did while we struggled to make it big. My mom was pissed too although she understood our reasons. But she was still hurt she found out from the press. Took her ages to forgive me and I don’t blame her one bit. That was the kind of thing I should’ve told her face to face, same as you should’ve told Ruby. After all the support they gave us, the belief they had in us, they deserved better. Much better.”
“I know. All valid points that we’ve gone over numerous times but we were young and stupid. My mom and dad whipped my butt over it for weeks too. Some days they still bring it up and remind me not to be so stupid again. If I don’t manage to make things right with Ruby, they’ll never forgive me.” He sent a mental note to thank Wes when he caught up with him next. He’d been up to the challenge no matter how much he knew Ruby would be pissed at him. It took a lot to dissuade Wes when he could be in the spotlight. She stood there talking animatedly with her hands. He’d forgotten how she did that. A smile curved her lips and she laughed, put a hand on Wes’s shoulder before being pulled into a hug. He hoped she’d forgive him as quickly as she’d forgiven Wes.
Money had changed Simon and Tyler but he liked to think it was in good ways. They now moved in circles that once would’ve been closed to them. Made friends and got invited to places reserved for the rich and famous. In a way it was hard for two introverted computer nerds to fit in but they persevered and it paid off. Their products were now in every country, almost every business in the world. Anyone who used computer based programs had at least one of Seascapes products helping it run. Behind the scenes software that had changed the way the internet worked. And they managed to do good in the world while not losing the simple ideals they’d always had. Kindness mattered. If you had more than someone else, share.
Having money and prestige opened doors, there was no denying it. But under all the glamour and the trappings, Simon and Tyler were still the same home bodies they’d been before they started. Their friends list hadn’t changed as much as they’d thought it would. The only new people they’d let into their lives were ones, who like them, wanted to help change the world. Ones who made their money work for the good of others. These were the people they listened to and modeled themselves on. But what the best friends liked most of all was staying home and playing on their computers just like the old days.
Even with all their new found wealth, their lives weren’t that much different. Although they no longer worked out of Simon’s parent’s basement, as they had done for years. Simon had bought his folks a new house in a nicer suburb, no basement attached. He now owned his own home on the harbor and their business ran out of a building near the wharf with views over to Alcatraz.
Until tonight. She was going to kill him and he wasn’t the slightest bit ready for it.
He looked up at the stage. Ruby stood there, staring at him, a look in her eyes he couldn’t place. Wes held her under his arm, his hand flying around as he talked. No doubt trying to placate her and losing the battle. If he knew Ruby, she’d be silently cussing at how things had turned out.
But she wanted money for her animals and would tolerate dating him for them. He was in for an interesting week.
Eventually, she got away from Wes and walked over to where they stood.
Tyler went to walk away but her words stopped him.
“Don’t move, Tyler, or I will hunt you down and kill you.” She came to a halt in front of them. “Why?”
Simon shrugged, suddenly feeling inadequate. “Why not? I spend too much time at my desk and staring at a screen. I thought it’d be a nice way to enjoy more time out of the office.”
“With me?”
“I can’t think of anyone better. This is a fabulous non-profit and Tyler and I are both keen to help local causes.”
A photographer snapped a
