AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I cover my face with my hands, attempting to wipe away the last fifteen minutes of my life. It doesn’t work.
“Talk to me.”
“He’s been on my case since last week. He keeps bugging me about visiting the plant.”
Enzo makes a face. “I was just there two weeks ago.”
“Apparently that’s not good enough for my father. He also has a problem with the marketing firm we hired, and this morning he considered it his duty to remind me of the terms of the agreement, again.”
As if I needed the reminder.
Eight million dollars to fund clinical trials on the pill and to build the manufacturing plant. Interest free, with one gigantic catch.
If we don’t begin to bring in money by the eighteen-month mark, it’s no longer a loan but an investment. Angel, Inc. will no longer be a partnership between Enzo and I but a corporation of which my father is a partial investor.
As Enzo has reminded me many, many times . . . it’s a good deal. The risk of funding us is huge—no product like it has ever been brought to market before.
The problem? My father barely liked me growing up, and cares even less for me now. He only agreed to fund our enterprise because, in his own words, “It’s my best chance to not be embarrassed by you.”
He believes in Enzo. Not me.
And already his grip is tightening.
“I can’t work with him, Enzo.”
“I know. You won’t have to. Even if we’re delayed for thirty days, we still have nearly two months, and everything else is on track. Want some good news?”
“Yes, please.”
“The wine formula is looking much better than anticipated. I’m heading to the lab tomorrow, but I think it’s possible we’ll be able to fast-track it. We’ve learned by blending with the beer what needs to be adjusted. You were right about manufacturing this ourselves, at least for now, until we can sell the exact protocol.”
Enzo’s smiling like a mad chemist with a new discovery, which is pretty spot on.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
That’s actually really good news. We agreed to start with beer, Angel Pale Ale and Angel Lager. According to Enzo, it’s easier to mask the taste of the additive with beer, for whatever reason. It’ll be trickier to find the right balance with wine and spirits, but our goal is to eventually make Angel everything. Beer. Wine. Vodka. Gin. All of it. And when we learn how to perfectly blend each, we will sell it to others too. It’s a product that deserves variety to serve as many people as possible. Our social responsibility with this product is something Enzo and I feel strongly about.
“Holy shit. Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?” I lean forward. “Let’s celebrate. I’ve been wanting to try this little Italian place my assistant’s been raving about. No work talk.”
“This weekend?”
“No, tonight. Why wait?”
Enzo makes a face. “Sure.”
He’s a hard worker, which maybe isn’t putting it strongly enough. The truth is, he never stops working. So I’m almost surprised he agreed to go out, even if just for dinner, on a Wednesday night.
“In the meantime, with your dad . . .” He looks down as his phone vibrates. “I need to take this.”
Enzo holds up his finger for me to wait.
“Hello?”
It’s most likely one of his siblings. Enzo might not go home as much as he used to, but he talks to his family nearly every day.
Lucky guy.
