Chilton’s aggressive attitude faded. “Based on what?”
“Based on the CEO. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life. MIT grad. Harvard MBA. World-class gamer. There’s nothing she can’t do with a computer. And she lives and breathes Hummingbird. Her subscription base is soaring, she’s got positive cash flow, her business strategy is sound, and all she needs is the capital to be the preeminent platform out there. And it’s a big market and only getting bigger.”
“You sound like her CMO,” said Chilton, referring to a chief marketing officer. “You got skin in the game?”
“About one-millionth of one percent. But I believe in her. I’ve been around a lot of business types. Some good, some terrible. She’s really in a league of her own.”
Chilton looked away for a moment. When he glanced back at Devine, his entire demeanor had changed. “Everything you just said comports with what we’ve found in our preliminary due diligence.”
“So can you really do the deal that fast? She’s got other suitors, but nobody who can pull the trigger as quick as you guys.”
Chilton smiled. “We’ve heard that before. Fact is, we’ve got a ton of capital to deploy, and I’ve been looking at the online dating space for a while now. Tapshaw’s coming at it from a whole other angle. Not just dating, but a whole other array of services and benefits. It shows in the sophistication and thoroughness of the business product she’s put together. I think she really wants to bring people together. Most of the other platforms are clearly in it just for the bucks, at least that’s my opinion.”
“So, where did you hear about her?”
“We have spies everywhere. She talked to a Taiwanese VC firm recently. The Taiwanese don’t screw around. If they’re interested, we need to be interested.”
“So you haven’t met Tapshaw yet?”
“No, but we have officially reached out to her. We hope to have a face-to-face with her very soon.”
This was all sounding legit to Devine. Maybe Chilton wasn’t targeting Tapshaw because she was Devine’s roommate. Maybe he didn’t even know they were roommates.
“So where does all your money come from? Just professional curiosity,” he added.
Chilton looked for a moment like he might lash out again. He shrugged. “I can’t give out names. But from all over. Family offices to institutional investors. My grandfather started Mayflower. I’m no wunderkind who built something from scratch. I’m just this generation’s rep. Been groomed for it from first grade. We have ties to everybody.”
“Brad Cowl?”
Chilton looked up at the house. “You must know him, since you’re here.”
“He’s my boss. He invited me here to meet.”
Chilton looked at Devine in a different light. “How’d your meeting go with him?”
“Too soon to tell. So, you’re friends with Cowl, then?”
“We do business together. He did the same with my father before he died.”
“Good luck with Hummingbird. Treat her right, and you won’t regret it. But you’re not the only game in town, so be prepared to pay a premium valuation. Oh, I met Michelle Montgomery, too. Very nice. You know her?”
“Yeah, she’s actually a family friend. I was over here the other night visiting her.”
I know. “Funny that you know her, and she knows Cowl, and you work with Cowl, too. Another coincidence.”
“No coincidence about it. I was the one who introduced Michelle to Brad. This was over in Italy.”
“Really? You had no interest yourself?”
“We grew up together. And I thought it would be good for Michelle.”
Rich boy and a girl who stays in student hostels grew up together? Curious.
“Well, have a fun time in there.”
Devine watched him walk inside and then he left, got on his bike, and sped off.
He couldn’t believe that he’d threatened the head of one of the biggest investment firms in the world. If Cowl got the cops involved? If he said Devine had tried to blackmail him? The guy could probably make it stick, and Devine didn’t have enough money to hire the legal firepower to fight back, just like Cowl had intimated.
So basically I’m SOL. And what else is new?
And if he got swept out to sea there was no way in hell Emerson Campbell was throwing him a rope. Unlike being in the Army, now it was sink or swim all by his lonesome.
CHAPTER
35
“DUDE?”