Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55627 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
A soft smile on his caring face, Gray leaned forward and kissed Jack’s forehead. “I know there is.”
Chapter 2
When Gray returned to the table after taking a quick break to use the bathroom, Jack looked up from his phone and said, “I ordered you the cod with a side of broccoli. If you want something else, it’s not too late to catch the server and change it.”
“The cod’s perfect.” After sharing countless meals over the years, Jack knew his food preferences as well as he knew his own. Tipping his chin toward Jack’s phone, Gray asked, “Kevin bugging you about the date?”
“I’m sure he will, but I was responding to a work email.” He set the phone down. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” Gray shook the napkin onto his lap. “You have a demanding career. I get it.” Owning and running a successful video game production and distribution company wasn’t a nine-to-five job. He reached across the table and nudged the phone toward Jack. “Go ahead.”
“I’m done.” Jack smiled at him. Gray adored that smile. It was soft and gentle, like the rest of Jack.
When slender, timid Jack Storm had walked into his office all those years earlier wanting help securing trademarks for his fledgling company, Gray had worried about someone that unassuming succeeding in a cutthroat industry. But there was something special about Jack. He was brilliant, sure. But that alone wouldn’t have been enough to rise to his level of success. Jack was also thoughtful, well-spoken, intensely hardworking, and a skilled problem solver.
“Have I told you how impressed I am with what you’ve done with Snow Storm? I read an article about you on TechCrunch the other day and they were gushing.”
“Thanks. They interviewed Jaime and he’s amazing at PR.”
Jaime Snow. Jack’s ex-boyfriend and business partner who Gray hated to admit was almost as responsible for Snow Storm’s success as Jack. Gray’s feelings about Jaime were complicated. The man was charming as hell, gorgeous, smart, and generous. From what Gray knew, he hadn’t done anything intentionally cruel to Jack and to hear their friends tell it, he had sacrificed his own personal life in order to support Jack after their breakup.
Despite all of that, Gray didn’t like him. It wasn’t jealousy, although he had spent nearly ten years being envious that Jaime had and didn’t appreciate someone Gray adored beyond measure. The reason Gray couldn’t stand Jaime Snow was because whether it was intentional or negligent, he had wounded Jack so deeply that it had taken a decade for the scars to scab over.
“It’s easy to promote such a well-run company,” Gray pointed out. Jack was responsible for all the internal operations at Snow Storm.
“I try. It’s definitely gotten harder as we’ve grown bigger. I learned that when Oliver came on board.” He sighed and took a drink of water. “In a few months, he figured out things I should have noticed years ago.”
Oliver was a sweet young guy who moved to Seattle to work for Snow Storm and, apparently by coincidence, ended up dating Jaime. They were now married and, by all accounts, blissfully happy. Jack’s support of their relationship and genuine joy for them demonstrated his selfless nature. Gray thought Oliver could do better than Jaime, but he kept his mouth shut because doing otherwise would have been rude, and also because he didn’t trust himself to have fair judgment when it came to Jaime.
“It’s easier to hear some types of complaints when you’re at the bottom of the food chain like Oliver. That doesn’t mean you aren’t a great boss.”
“Thanks, Gray. I rectified the gaps once I learned what I wasn’t noticing. I have good committees set up to help crowdsource input from all levels in the company and we’re meeting weekly. It’s been fairly effective but I’m working on more solutions too.”
“While you’re doing that, maybe you can outsource some of your responsibilities. You have good people working for you and you need to make time for sleep.” Jack was a notorious night owl and yet also an early bird.
“Sleep is the enemy. I barely have enough hours in the day as it is!”
“I hear you.” Gray wasn’t a big sleeper either. That worked out well because he could chat with Jack during his free time, which was late into the night. It was yet another area where their lifestyles meshed perfectly, which reminded Gray about Jack’s New Year’s resolution.
“So. About the date.” Gray picked up his water glass and took a drink. “You dodged a bullet like Neo.”
“Disaster, I know.” Jack sighed and shook his head.
“Not a good match, but probably not quite at the level of disaster.” Gray grinned at Jack.
“You’re right.” Jack returned his smile. “I was being dramatic.”
Jack wasn’t dramatic in the usual sense. He was never loud, never demanding, never selfish. But his brilliant mind gave him a tendency to react to what he thought would happen well before it had a chance to occur. Jack’s brain operated like a chess game, with him always five moves ahead. When it came to his professional life, the ability to predict outcomes helped Jack steer his company in an optimal direction. He made smart choices in who he hired, what he produced, and how he took it to market. Unfortunately, in his personal life, Jack almost always perceived huge failures when there were only small speed bumps, sometimes even before the bumps were reached. He was brilliant, driven, and highly successful at work, but when it came to men, Jack struggled with a fair amount of anxiety and a heaping dose of insecurity.