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These meetings usually manage themselves. My presence here is only ceremonial. As the company founder, being on-screen for the video makes the investors feel like they’re being taken seriously, but my team does the hard work. We hold these meetings weekly for people to pitch us new ideas, or revisit old ideas.
The west wall changes color from amber, to inky black, then a startling blue. A figure appears on the screen, enormous and partially in shadow with the brightness of a skyline behind him. I hear him clear his throat.
“Cal!” Veronica exclaims. “What a surprise! It is so good to see you!”
Everybody in the room waves hello so that the camera can broadcast the image of my brother. Saying that I am startled to see him is an understatement. I don’t usually read the event descriptions. As I said, my presence here is barely even necessary. But this feels like a bit of an ambush.
Cal’s hair is too long, and it ruffles in a breeze as he looks at his screen. It looks like he is looking at each of us directly, but that is a bit of an illusion. He is just looking at a screen with a webcam on top.
Jesus, the whole wall? Does he have to take up the whole wall?
“It’s, uh, great to see you too,” Cal answers Veronica politely. “And the rest of the team, of course. Thanks for fitting me in.”
I shoot Veronica a look, but she turns her shoulder away. So this is her doing. Nice.
She crosses her arms and flexes her left calf as she stands in front of the camera with the rest of the group behind her. She is staging it so that she looks like she’s in charge to both our team, and to Cal.
“Anything for family,” she gushes, “you know that. What can we help you with?”
So it is an ambush. Helping Cal with anything is not part of my company. After our father died, we split entirely. He went his way, and I continued with the Galloway Tech Holdings. It wasn’t a big fight. But it definitely happened. We went our separate ways. He’s a real estate developer or something. I have zero interest in that.
The whole team is on the edge of their seats. I can’t tell if they are curious about what is going on here, or if this is normal professional attention. Only a few of the people here have been around long enough to know who Cal is, but the fact that we are twins probably makes it all very obvious. We look just alike in our faces, but he keeps his hair longer, shaves only occasionally, and usually wears beach-bum attire.
Scanning the team’s faces, I see expressions ranging from surprise to confusion. My eyes settle on Opal, who is leaning forward, her mouth slightly open, her fingers tight on the arm of her chair.
“I’ll cut right to the chase,” Cal continues uncomfortably.
I can’t tell if he is looking at me or not, but with Veronica in the middle of the room I’m sure he is talking to her directly. He seems to be outside, perhaps on a beach.
“I have a project called Keywinds that I’d like to invite you to take a look at. I’ve sent over the relevant documentation, and I think that you will like what you see.”
“Ah-ha, yes,” Veronica answers, nodding and smiling.
A knife twists in my chest. She has also seendocumentation? How long have they been working together?
“It looks really great, honestly,” she calls out enthusiastically. “I’m sorry to hear about Branson. Do you have a feel for the roadblocks?”
This is code forWhy doesn’t anybody else want to give you the money you want?
I admit, I am curious to hear this answer.
“We are breaking new ground,” he shrugs, typically nonchalant. “Not everybody gets the vision. And as you know, the economy… People are pretty bound up right now.”
“As are we,” I interject.
The tension in the room notches upward noticeably. Veronica slowly turns toward me, her face rigid and concerned.
“It’s just the weekly call,” she reminds me through gritted teeth.
“I’m aware,” I answer. “But there’s no point in continuing if we’re not going to be investing. Is there anyone else on the agenda?”
A small sound from the back of the room catches my attention, and I see Opal biting her lip. Did my words come off that sharp?
“But fine, continue your pitch,” I add, backing off.
“It’s good to see you, Irving,” he smiles, his voice gentle and sincere.
I want to answer, but somehow waving hello to my brother, who is currently eight times life-size on the west wall of the room is just too weird.
