Tech Crunch Disrupt, Berlin
December 5th
We fist bump while the announcer is warming up the crowd, introducing us as the dynamic duo behind the multimillion-dollar tech startup firm Pacifica, which just landed huge contracts with the US Defense Department to provide satellite tech and software coverage for the modern battlefield.
India's excited to be here and give the presentation. I'm excited as well, because this time, we're doing it together. She looks amazing in her black dress and heels, her hair down, her face fresh and smiling. I'm dressed in matching black, shirt and slacks.
We're a pair.
Our tag-team presentation, we call it, is perfect – just like our relationship. We've rehearsed this for a couple of weeks and have it down pat. When the announcer finally calls out our names, we walk on the stage together to a roar of applause. India starts the video while I begin delivering the presentation. We each have our own sections, and the presentation goes seamlessly, cutting from the image of our satellite in the production facility and then on the top of a Falcon 9 rocket, being delivered into orbit. India talks about the modern battlefield and the importance of communication for the soldiers and decision-makers. She tells the story of her brother and how he lost his life in an ambush that our technology could have seen beforehand, and possibly prevented.
The crowd is riveted as she tells the story of Steven's death and of the founding of our company, Pacifica, and how it went from my parent's garage in Pacifica, CA to a multimillion-dollar tech company in Palo Alto – and now, the Dulles Technology Corridor just outside of Langley, Virginia.
When the presentation is over and the lights come up in the auditorium, there's a loud and appreciative round of applause and even some cheers as we bow to the crowd and then walk off the stage, shaking the hand of the announcer in the process.
When we're finally behind the curtain, I grab India and kiss her. I'm overwhelmed with how successful we've been these past few months since we decided to come out to our staff and friends.
We shocked none of them in the process.
We were the last to know, it seems. But that's all in the past. Since then, we bought a place in Virginia. Now, we divide our time between Palo Alto and D.C., so we can be closer to Washington and our primary contractor – the US Government. We have a place on the coast very much like India's bungalow. We wanted it to reflect both our tastes and provide us with access to the beach.
Now that our presentatio
n is finished, we have a week off and are taking a cruise in the Mediterranean as soon as we can get to the airport and catch our flight to Rome. After a night in a local hotel, we'll take a Viking cruise from Rome to Barcelona and then fly back to Virginia.
Life is good.
In the car back to our hotel in Berlin, we discuss the convention and how our presentation was received.
"It went well," India says and smiles, taking a drink from her bottle of water.
"It went fantastically well," I reply, needing at least one superlative to describe it. "Our timing was perfect."
She nods and smiles at me, her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright.
At that moment, I realize once again just how much I love her. I lean over, taking her hand and kissing her.
"I love you, India," I say, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.
"You’ve told me that more than a dozen times today already," she says, smiling up at me, her eyes narrow. "What is it you want? There must be something you’re shooting for to say it so many times."
"Can't a man just tell the woman he loves that he loves her?"
"Yes, but a dozen? That's high even for you. What's up? We already had sex twice today."
"Only twice?" I grin at her, because I'm thinking we'll probably fuck one more time before we crash tonight. Both of us are exhausted, but I'm hyped. "I want to run you a nice bath and pamper you. We have that outlandish hotel room with the jet tub. We should take advantage."
"Sounds perfect."
I kiss her one more time and then we drive through the streets of Berlin in silence, watching the pedestrians on the sidewalks with interest. Once back at the hotel, I do exactly what I've planned – running her a nice warm bubble bath while she pours us a couple of glasses of wine. I pour in some bubble bath, then turn on the jets. I go out to the main room, and India and I toast each other.
"To us," I say, holding up my glass of red wine.
"To us and Pacifica," India replies.
I nod, correcting myself. "To us and Pacifica. May our partnership and relationship be successful."
We both drink and I wrap my arm around her shoulder. Together we stand at the window and watch the fading sunlight and the city lights blinking on in the city below our hotel room. We stand like that for a few moments and then I pull her into my arms and kiss her. The kiss is intense and my body warms to her, my dick thickening, my mind going to thoughts of us fucking after the bath is finished.