They were meeting with Anthony Miller today.
The last time Grace Li had seen Anthony Miller was during her car accident. Aiden Thompson and Anthony happened to be passing by, and they only got a quick introduction—so quick, they didn't even get a chance to exchange contact info.
It wasn't until later that Grace realized the "loaded but kinda clueless" friend Aiden had mentioned before was actually him.
Now that their firm, Verve Capital, was up and running, they were in urgent need of bringing in limited partners (LPs). And Anthony Miller was at the top of their target list. So Aiden figured it was the perfect time to introduce Grace and get on Anthony's good side.
Aiden was behind the wheel of his sleek Tesla Model S, Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift playing in the background. Grace sat in the passenger seat, still mulling over Tom Wilson's project.
"Aiden, what's your take on Mr. Wilson's intelligent wheelchair project?" she asked.
"The project's got some real promise, but the guy... I don't know, something about him rubs me the wrong way."
Did Aiden pick up on something? Grace raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Wilson seems like a really stand-up guy. Why do you feel that way?"
"Because my girlfriend thinks he's awesome."
Grace burst out laughing. "Oh, come on! You're totally being a jealous boyfriend right now, aren't you?"
Aiden let out a dramatic sigh. "Yeah, I know. I'm the jealous boyfriend. Sue me."
The truth was, Aiden just didn't like the way Tom Wilson looked at Grace. There was a certain spark in his eyes—the kind that slipped out when someone had a thing for someone else. Even from a purely professional standpoint, Aiden couldn't help but be a little hostile toward the guy.
Grace, thinking he was just messing around, nodded seriously. "Well, no matter how great he is, he doesn't even come close to you, Aiden."
Aiden's lips curled into a satisfied smile, and he reached over, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Anthony Miller had arrived early. The moment he spotted Grace Li, he lit up like he was greeting an old friend. Spreading his arms wide, he strode toward her with a big grin.
"Ms. Li, hey! Long time no see! You remember me, right?"
Grace smiled. "Of course! Last time was so rushed—we didn't even get a chance to talk properly."
Anthony Miller grinned and clapped Aiden Thompson on the shoulder. "You know my last name's Miller, right? So, I bet Aiden's told you all about our wild high school days."
Grace Li smiled politely. "Yeah, Aiden said you're one of his closest friends. He always speaks about you with a lot of fondness."
Hearing that, Anthony puffed up like a proud peacock. "Damn right! Aiden and I go way back. We were practically brothers in high school. Man, those were the days."
Grace chuckled. "Oh? Sounds like there are some good stories."
Anthony's eyes lit up. "Oh, you have no idea! Back in high school, there was this rich kid—thought he owned the place. Always picking on the underclassmen, acting like he ran the school. We weren't about to let that slide."
"So what did you do?"
"Well, let's just say we put him in his place. But the guy had connections—he got a few of his jock buddies to try and rough us up. Can you believe that?"
"There were three of us, and six of them. It was like a scene from a movie. But Aiden—man, he was a total beast! Took on three guys by himself. I was just standing there like, 'Holy crap, this dude's a legend.'"
Aiden rolled his eyes. "Dude, seriously? Bringing this up in front of my girlfriend? You're really pushing it."
"Come on, these were our glory days! I tell this story to everyone I know."
Grace leaned in, clearly entertained. "So, what happened next? Did you guys win?"
"Of course! Aiden led the charge, and those guys ran off with their tails between their legs."
Grace was intrigued. She'd gone to a pretty strict, competitive high school where fights were rare. It was hard to imagine Aiden—who always seemed so refined—having this kind of rebellious past.
"Did the school punish you guys?" she asked.
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose. "Anthony, enough. You're making it sound worse than it was."
Grace gave Aiden her best puppy-dog eyes. "Please, I really wanna know the rest."
Aiden sighed. "I'll tell you later, okay?"
Grace huffed. "Ugh, fine. Guess I'll have to wait for the full scoop."
She watched the two friends banter and noticed how different they were. Anthony was loud and outgoing, while Aiden was more reserved. But picturing them in high school, she could see them being part of the cool crowd, full of reckless confidence.
Anthony smirked. "Oh, and did Aiden tell you? He was voted the hottest guy in school. On Valentine's Day, his desk would be covered in chocolates and love notes. It was like something straight out of a teen movie."
Grace took a sip of her drink. "Dating was that common in your high school?"
Anthony shrugged. "Are you kidding? High school's all about figuring things out—dating, hanging out, all that fun stuff. It's a rite of passage."
Grace thought back to her own strict high school, where dating was practically banned. "So… how many girlfriends did Aiden have?"
Anthony's grin widened. "Take a wild guess."
Grace squinted at him. "Three?"
Anthony burst out laughing. Aiden, who had been quietly listening, raised an eyebrow. "Why three?"
"Wait… were there more?"
Anthony leaned in. "Oh yeah. Off the top of my head? At least six."
Grace nodded thoughtfully. "Six? That's about one every six months. Pretty smooth, Mr. Thompson."
Anthony watched Grace closely. "You're not even a little jealous?"
Grace shrugged. "Why would I be? He's charming and good-looking. It makes sense he dated around. What matters is who he is now."
Aiden reached over and squeezed her hand. "See? She gets me."
Anthony groaned. "Ugh, you two are laying it on thick. I'm totally third-wheeling here."
Aiden smirked. "You're just salty because you're single."
"Am not! …Okay, maybe a little. Whatever. Enough with the mushy stuff. How about some tennis after dinner? I need to show off my skills."
Grace bit her lip. "I'm not great at tennis. I played a couple of times at work events, but I kinda sucked."
Anthony waved a hand. "No worries! Just come hang out and watch us crush it. It'll be fun."
Grace nodded, relieved she wouldn't have to play. But secretly, she was looking forward to watching Aiden and Anthony in action.