The Start-Up Part 10

"I ordered your business cards, too. They're in the desk." Just then he heard someone at the door and shouted, "T. J.? We're in here." T. J.? Adam glanced nervously at Tom. It couldn't be. But before he had time to absorb what was happening, T. J. Bristol was at Tom's side, tilting his head in confusion at the sight of Adam.

Tom didn't notice. "T. J., meet Adam and Amelia Dory, co-founders of our first company. Adam and Amelia, T. J. is going to be your supervisor and right-hand man."

T. J. almost choked. Did he say Amelia Dory? Was that a joke? T. J. thought quickly. No, Tom didn't know. Obviously he knew about Gibly- it had been headline news for the past week-but Amelia's name had never been released outside the Bristol household.

"Oh my f.u.c.king G.o.d," thought. T.J. "I'm their boss." Despite how much he'd used her name in the past three weeks, he'd never actually seen Amelia. But he knew this girl. Yes! She was that dweeb from University Cafe that Tom couldn't get enough of. That girl was Amelia Dory the girl who was bringing down Gibly? No f.u.c.king way.

"Hey, Adam." T. J. composed himself and gave Adam a half high-five, half handshake. "Long time," he said. T. J. hadn't talked to Adam since the night of the graduation party. Adam took his hand, trying to compose himself. T. J. Bristol was his supervisor? Did Tom not know?

T. J. then moved to Amelia. "Amelia Dory," he said slowly. "It is lovely to meet you. I've heard you are quite the computer mastermind." Tom hadn't mentioned T. J.'s last name, and Amelia hadn't yet pieced together the connection between this guy and Ted. All she knew was he looked like exactly the kind of business jerk she'd been afraid of when this whole thing started and she sighed disappointingly.

"T. J.," Tom said, "I've got a few other things I want to walk through with you. Why don't you come to my office and leave these two to get acquainted with the new s.p.a.ce."

"Sure thing," T. J. said, and the two left the room. T. J. had already adjusted to the situation and was strategizing how he could use this new connection to his advantage.

Adam watched anxiously and, as soon as they were gone, shut the office door. "Amelia, that's T. J.! That's T. J. Bristol! Ted's son!"

"What? No!"

"Yes! Jesus, Amelia, Ted Bristol's son is our new boss."

"What are we going to do?"

Before Adam could answer, the phone rang. Impatiently, he s.n.a.t.c.hed up the receiver. "Listen, whatever you're selling, we're not interested. Just take our name off your list and-"

Amelia watched as Adam's face went pale. He had stopped speaking.

After a moment, he placed the receiver back in the cradle.

"Adam, what's wrong? You look sick."

"I can't believe this is happening," Adam said. "I never thought I'd hear that voice again."

"Don't me tell me-"

Adam stared at the phone as his mouth went dry.

"Amelia, we've got much bigger problems than T.J. and Ted Bristol."

Author Biography.

Sadie Hayes holds several degrees from Stanford University. She has spent years working in the tech industry, both as an entrepreneur and as an investor. The Start-Up is her first book. If you work in Silicon Valley, you might not know Sadie Hayes. But she knows you.

Follow Sadie: www.twitter.com/DigitalSadie www.Doreye.com.

The Start-Up.

Episode 2: The Anti-Social Network.

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