There are a lot of disadvantages to being a quieter person, like being picked on in middle school or losing credit for an idea at work that was actually yours when someone repeats it during a meeting. But one great advantage is that when you do make the perfect snarky comment, the wit combined with the surprise that you were the one who said it blows the roof off the place. That’s every class clown’s folly really; they throw out a hundred jokes a day, hoping for the one that knocks the room off its collective feet. But the only way to really do that is to also have the shock value.

Braden walks us through his presentation, and I take notes on all the promises he made that we now have to deliver on. I start to get nervous when I get to the tenth item, but I remind myself that there is no option for quitting when it comes to a million-dollar opportunity. Sleep be damned.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Braden says as he stands to leave. “We’re doing an interview with the Warren Daily tomorrow night. I have a dinner, but it should be over by—”

“What?” Sara says. “No, we are not.”

“Yeah, we are.” Braden takes his phone out of his pocket and pulls up his email. “They contacted me this morning.”

“And you didn’t think to check with us before you answered?”

Braden is taken aback. “I didn’t think I’d need to. Why wouldn’t we say yes?”

“Um, maybe because we’re trying to hide the fact that we don’t actually have an app yet? And inviting the freaking press in here doesn’t exactly help with that?”

“That’s a good point.” I point to Sara.

“Don’t you think hiding from them makes it more suspicious?” Braden challenges.

“No, I really don’t. You know why? Because they would never expect anyone to be stupid enough to pitch a product they haven’t actually made.”

I laugh despite the awful truth of it.

Braden snaps back, “Is this your first day in Silicon Valley then, or...?”

“Oh, shut up.” She gestures toward him. “Let me see this email.” She turns the phone so that I can read as well. “‘...would love to speak to you about your company,’” she quotes. “Great, now it’s a company.”

“Of course it is.” Braden rips his phone from her hand and stuffs it back in his pocket.

“There isn’t even a product yet, let alone a company to sell it.” She shakes her head. “No, we can’t do this. We’ll worry about selling it when we know what it is.”

Braden shakes his head. “You’re making a big mistake.” He turns and leaves, slamming the door behind him.

Chapter Eleven

Braden