Marcus leaned forward, interested despite his exhaustion. "Like what?"
James stood up and moved to his whiteboard, starting to sketch out ideas as they occurred to him. "Think about daily frustrations that people just accept as normal. Small inefficiencies that waste time or resources. Problems that seem too mundane for big technology companies to bother with."
"Okay," Marcus said slowly. "I'm following you."
"Water," James said, writing it on the board. "Not access to water, that's being tackled by bigger players. But water waste. The average person wastes gallons of water every day waiting for hot water to reach their shower or sink."
Marcus's eyes lit up. "A smart hot water circulation system?"
"More than that," James said, his excitement building as the idea took shape. "A comprehensive water efficiency system for homes and small buildings. Something that monitors usage, eliminates waste, and provides real-time feedback to users about their consumption patterns."
"That could save millions of gallons annually if widely adopted," Marcus said, starting to make notes.
"And it's achievable with existing technology," James continued. "We're not trying to invent something revolutionary, we're combining proven technologies in a new way to solve a real problem."
James continued sketching on the board, his mind racing with possibilities. "Smart sensors to monitor flow rates and temperature. Machine learning algorithms to predict usage patterns and optimize heating cycles. A user interface that gamifies water conservation."
"This is brilliant," Marcus said, scribbling furiously. "It addresses environmental concerns, saves people money on utility bills, and could be marketed to both individual homeowners and larger residential complexes."
"Plus," James added, warming to the theme, "it's scalable. Start with residential applications, then expand to commercial buildings, schools, hospitals. The data collected could inform broader water management strategies for municipalities."
Marcus was practically bouncing in his chair now. "And the timing is perfect. Environmental consciousness is at an all-time high, utility costs are rising, and smart home technology is becoming mainstream."
"Exactly," James said, feeling the satisfaction that came from finding an elegant solution to a complex problem. "It's innovative without being impossible, it addresses a real need, and it has clear commercial viability."
"James, you're a genius," Marcus said, standing up and gathering his notes. "I knew there was a reason I came to you. Listen, if Ms. Sharp approves this project tomorrow, we should celebrate. Drinks Friday night?"
"That sounds great," James said, genuinely pleased by the invitation. "I'd like that. Though you might want to start working on the technical specifications. Victoria will probably want to see detailed feasibility analysis."
"Already on it," Marcus said, heading for the door. Then he paused and turned back. "You know, for someone who's been avoiding me all week, you're remarkably helpful when cornered."
James felt heat rise in his cheeks. "I haven't been avoiding you."
"Right," Marcus said with a knowing smile. "And I haven't been pumping the office coffee machine full of espresso shots to stay conscious. Come on, James, we've been colleagues for years. I know when you're ducking my presence."
"I've been busy with external meetings," James said, which was technically true.
"Uh-huh," Marcus said. "And these external meetings wouldn't have anything to do with you wanting to avoid conversations about my recent romantic heart break, would they?"
James opened his mouth to deny it then closed it again.
"Maybe," James admitted reluctantly.
"I get it," Marcus said, his expression softening slightly. "Though you know I'm going to eventually wear you down and get what I want, right? It's what I do."
"I know," James said with a sigh. "Just... not today, okay?"
"Perfect," Marcus said, heading for the door. Then he paused and turned back. "You know, you've seemed pretty focused this week. More energized than usual, if that makes sense."
James felt a flush of warmth at the observation. "Just feeling good about the work, I guess. This whole push for innovation is exciting."
"It really is," Marcus agreed. "Ms. Sharp got something big planned, I think. All these new projects, the timeline pressure, it feels like we're building toward something significant."
"Yeah," James said thoughtfully. "I've been wondering about that too. The sudden focus on meaningful innovation rather than just profit optimization."
"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad to be part of it," Marcus said. "And I'm glad you'll be celebrating with me tomorrow night assuming Ms. Sharp doesn't crush my dreams, of course."
Before James could respond, Marcus was gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the lingering satisfaction of having solved Marcus's innovation challenge.
James spent the remaining thirty minutes before his investor meeting reviewing the water efficiency concept, refining details and considering implementation strategies. There was something deeply satisfying about taking Victoria's broad mandate and finding a concrete solution that could genuinely make a difference.
She will be impressed, James thought.
The investor meeting downtown went smoothly, a group of venture capitalists interested in partnering with Sharp Industries on emerging market opportunities. James presented their portfolio of international expansion options with his usual thorough competence, but part of his mind kept drifting back to the water efficiency project.
By the time he made it to drinks with the Henderson Industries team, James was mentally exhausted from managing professional focus while distracted by thoughts of both the innovation project and Victoria. The Henderson team was celebrating the successful completion of their latest collaboration, and James found himself going through the motions of networking and relationship maintenance while his mind was elsewhere.
"You seem distracted tonight, Mitchell," observed David Henderson, the company's lead negotiator. "Everything alright?"
"Just a long week," James replied, taking a sip of his wine and trying to refocus on the conversation. "But I appreciate you including me in the celebration. The partnership has been incredibly productive."
"That it has," David agreed. "Sharp Innovations consistently delivers exactly what they promise, exactly when they promise it. That kind of reliability is rare in our industry."
James felt a flush of pride at the compliment, both for his own work and for Victoria's company. Sharp Innovations had built its reputation on precisely that kind of consistent excellence, and being part of that success felt meaningful in a way that went beyond personal career advancement.
The evening wrapped up around eight-thirty, and James finally found himself driving back toward his apartment through the early evening traffic. The day had been professionally satisfying another successful external meeting, helping Marcus with his innovation challenge, and the promise of drinks with a friend tomorrow night if the project got approved.
Two more days, James thought as he navigated the familiar streets toward home. Two more days until Saturday, and hopefully Victoria won't be quite so swamped with whatever's got the whole company moving at this pace.
However, as he pulled into his parking garage, James found himself genuinely curious about Marcus's project presentation tomorrow. Victoria had set an interesting challenge, and the water efficiency solution felt like something that could genuinely make a difference. There was something appealing about the idea of Sharp Innovations moving beyond pure profit optimization to create technology that could help people in tangible ways.
Maybe that is part of what's drawn me to Victoria, James realized as he rode the elevator up to his apartment. She's not just brilliant and driven, she wants to build something meaningful. And whatever's driving this current push at the company, it feels significant.
The thought followed him through his evening routine of dinner preparation and wine selection, adding another layer to his growing understanding of Victoria Sharp and the vision she had for Sharp Innovations.
Tomorrow would bring Marcus's presentation and hopefully some insight into Victoria's plans for the company's future. And if the project got approved, he'd be celebrating with Marcus tomorrow night. Saturday would bring dinner, pasta-making lessons, and whatever came next in their increasingly intriguing relationship.
For the first time all week, James found himself genuinely looking forward to both.