Read Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1) for Free Online Page B

here on business. Lives in New York. What could happen?” He dove in front of Chris and slapped the ball out of his hands.
    “Hey!” Chris yelled.
    James chuckled as he made the three-pointer. “You’re so competitive, man. Give it a rest.”
    Chris glared as James passed the ball back to him. “New York, huh?”
    “Yep,” James rolled his eyes. “Figures, right?”
    “I don’t know, man. Seems like a dream situation to me. Couple of hot nights, then she’s off to the East Coast. Can’t get too tied down if you live so far apart, right?” Chris snickered.
    James groaned. “Of course you’d see it that way.”
    “Okay, I’ll be serious now. You need to get out of your own head, Jay.” Chris stopped in his tracks and tucked the ball under his arm. “I know the past few months haven’t been easy, but it’s time to get back in the game. You need to stop feeling guilty about your dad and get on with your life. I’m sorry if I’m out of line, but it’s just really good to finally see you excited like this over a girl. You should do something about it.”
    James sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I lost my chance.”
    “No you didn’t.” Chris raised an eyebrow. “You know where she works, right? You can get in touch with her if you want. If she made that much of an impact on you, you should go for it. And do it soon because I need your head screwed on straight. Have you forgotten we’re supposed to be running a multi-million dollar gaming business here?” Chris nudged him with the ball.
    How could I forget? I’ve been burying myself in LazerShark since Dad died. And I’ve done a really good job of keeping everyone out. Until now.
    James stretched his arms overhead and let out a deep sigh. “So you think I’m starved for female companionship?”
    Chris grinned. “I think it could drastically improve your coding capabilities. Way more effective than playing around with your light saber, pretending to be Luke Skywalker.”
    With a snort, James grabbed the ball again and took off toward the net. “Come on, you know I haven’t done that in at least a year.” He leaped up and sank the ball in the net. “Did you forget that you used to play Darth Vader, with your own light saber?”
    Chris folded his arms. “Touché. You know what I’m saying. Going out on a date would be good for you. Anything else that happens would be icing on the cake.” He flashed a wicked smile. “ Find her, Jay. You need more than an Xbox One to keep you warm at night.”
    James took a swig of water. “You’re a real ass, you know that?”
    “Yes. But I keep things interesting.” Chris trotted toward him and smacked the ball away. “Think about it, man.”
    Finding her wouldn’t be too difficult. But do I even want to start anything? I don’t know when she’s heading back to New York, if she has a boyfriend or whether she’s even interested in seeing me again. It’s not like she gave me her number or anything. Hell, I’ll look like a stalker. Is it really worth the risk?
    He drained the last of his water, lost in thought. She’s gorgeous, no question about that. But her looks aren’t what drew me in. It’s her passion, her intensity, her drive. She’s so strong and secure, that aura is sexy as hell. That’s what I want, she’s what I want. So yeah, I think it’s definitely worth the risk.
     
     
    JESSICA FINISHED BLOW-DRYING her hair just as the phone rang.
    “Hey!” A smile spread over her face. “How are you? Enjoying jolly old London?”
    Haley giggled over the phone line. “This city is insane ! I’m in love with it! I’m thinking of relocating.”
    Jessica groaned. “Noo, what would I do without you? That whole “just across the pond” thing really isn’t super-convenient.”
    “I know. Don’t worry, I’m not packing my bags just yet. But I can’t promise I won’t entertain a move in the future. It’s too outrageous. You have access to everything !”
    “Of course I’d want you to go