Chapter 45: Fundraiser II
"Marissa, somehow everything will be resolved," I comforted her.
She nodded. "For some reason, I believe you."
"Don't forget, you're not alone. You have me and Summer - we're always here to help," I told her gently. I could see she was feeling quite lonely.
"Thank you, Jake, it means a lot to me," Marissa finally gave a genuine smile.
"Speaking of the little troublemaker, Summer texted - she's already here," I said, glancing at my phone.
-----------------------------
"Hey, Coop!" the two girls greeted each other with a hug.
"Wow," I said appreciatively as I looked at Summer. She was radiant.
I took her hand and raised it so she could spin around.
Leaning close, I whispered, "But I still prefer your birth suit from this morning," earning a playful slap on the arm.
"Jess, you and Gloria are dangerously prone to violence," I joked.
Marissa threw us a look and walked ahead.
Summer smirked. "If you keep looking this sharp, we might have to sneak out later - back to my place. Because you look way too sexy in this suit."
Then she darted toward Marissa, linking arms with her before I could make a move.
-----------------------------
Before long, guests began to fill the place.
Then my dad, Uncle Alan, and Grandmother arrived. Charlie was already exchanging smiles and glances with a couple of women.
"Control yourself, Charles," Evelyn warned. "And please, Alan, try not to embarrass us."
She gave her son a disapproving look as he grabbed a handful of food from the waiter's tray.
"Hey, son," Charlie greeted me, pulling me into a hug.
"Looks like you're already scouting the terrain," I laughed
"Not bad, I'd say," he replied with his usual nonchalance.
"Just don't try anything with my friends' mothers," I warned.
"Relax, I wouldn't," he dismissed
"Really?" Alan interjected. "Because last time, you hooked up with one of Jake's friends' moms after a soccer game."
"At least this time he was not wearing a suit and discovering a long-lost son," I added dryly, making all of us chuckle.
"So, Francis, where's your girlfriend?" Evelyn asked with curiosity.
I gestured toward Summer, who was nearby, and she walked over.
"Grandma, this is Summer," I introduced. "And this is my grandmother, who happens to be Coop's neighbor."
"I think I know you," Evelyn remarked, studying her face.
"I'm Summer Roberts. My father's Dr. Neil Roberts - he's a surgeon," she explained, shaking Evelyn's hand.
"Of course, dear! Where was my head?" Evelyn smiled warmly, placing a hand on her arm.
"Is my grandson treating you well?" I heard her ask as they walked together.
Charlie frowned. "You're really letting Mom wander off with your girlfriend?"
"Don't worry - Summer can handle herself," I replied. "Let's head inside."
As we made our way through the crowd, women occasionally stopped us to chat or flirt (mostly with me and Charlie).
We reached a table where Summer and Evelyn were standing nearby, talking with the guests. Seth's parents sat there, along with another couple and two women.
When Dad spotted the last women, his eyes widened. "I'll take the other side," he muttered, and Uncle Alan followed him.
I understood why but approached anyway.
"Oh, isn't this Charlie's bastard?" the last woman remarked venomously, probably remembering some unresolved issue with my father. Her friend laughed beside her.
Evelyn and Summer both frowned, ready to react, but I gestured for them to stay calm.
I stepped closer, voice steady. "Isn't that your husband?" I nodded toward a man at a nearby table. "Given how he's staring at every other woman - and the rumors I've heard - you might want to worry about your own bastards."
Then I turned to the other one. "And what are you laughing at? Isn't that your son?" I pointed again toward another boy. "Clear signs of drug addiction. Shouldn't you at least be concerned?" I said in a condescending tone, making the entire table fall completely silent.
"Jake," someone called me, making me turn around and completely change my expression
"Gordon, glad you came," I exclaimed smiling, shaking his hand.
I gestured with my hand. "This is Summer Roberts, my girlfriend, and Evelyn Harper, my grandmother," I introduced.
I continued, "Summer, Grandma, this is Mr. Gordon Moore, founder of Intel. He made a six-hundred-million-dollar donation to Caltech in 2001," making everyone's eyes widen.
"I think there are very few people in the world who know how to donate like he does, which is why I invited him to this event," I joked.
I walked back to the table. "Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, if you'll excuse me, I need to secure a donation", I tossed a ten-dollar bill toward the woman who had called me a bastard.
"Sorry, looks like my father forgot to pay for your services last time," I quipped before following Gordon.
-----------------------------
Gordon and I sat at a table by ourselves - I had asked Marissa to arrange one for us.
"Are you sure this is all correct, Jake?" Gordon asked, stunned and a little skeptical
"Yep. As hard as it sounds, it was actually possible to isolate graphene using nothing but adhesive tape and graphite from a common pencil," I affirmed.
I had sent him the paper, complete with confirmation from UCLA's electron microscope.
"Obviously, we can repeat the tests at Caltech and other facilities," I added.
"I can recommend someone who could assist you with this research - Leonard Hofstadter, a promising 23-year-old with advanced knowledge in experimental physics," Gordon proposed.
I nodded. "We could conduct it at the new center you're building - the Pritchett-Moore Center for Mathematical Structures, near UCLA."
Gordon is the main investor in this project, with affiliations to UCLA, Caltech, Stanford, and Berkeley, along with several visiting professors.
"With this," Gordon said, holding the paper in his hand, "you're essentially sealing a Nobel Prize in Physics. And as for the Fields Medal, it's just a matter of reaching 2006." He looked at me as if he were witnessing history being made.
"Just take care of yourself," he added, concern evident in his tone.
"If it's because of the fight, don't worry - it was nothing. And it's unlikely anything else will happen. I know there are undercover agents at my school," I revealed.
"I'm basically considered a Scientific National Asset - Level 1, especially after helping both the NSA and a DARPA project."
-----------------------------
Author's Note: I will write about the involvement in DARPA and the NSA in the future.
Happy New Year! 🎉
If you enjoy it, please leave a Review and Power Stones
You can also support me on patreon and read up to 30 chapters ahead: https://[email protected]/Japa_Madrid