AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unfortunately, Qasim isn’t going anywhere. Instead, he comes inside and closes the door.
“Hurry up before you get us both in trouble,” I say.
The old me would have opened up. Told Qasim that an emergency all-day meeting means I won’t have to sit in a room, alone, with a sponsor that I’m intensely, and wrongly, attracted to. One I’ve been thinking about just about every night this week as I lie in bed, attempting to force my thoughts elsewhere.
But the new me, the one who doesn’t trust her own judgment after getting badly burned, is more tight-lipped.
Unfortunately, Qasim isn’t going to let this go. So I offer a partial truth.
“I have a meeting this afternoon that I’m not disappointed to cancel.”
He gives me ado go onlook.
“The sponsor is a real piece of work.”
That much is true.
“Angel, Inc.?”
I nod. “Yep.”
Qasim whistles. “I’m glad I’m not on that one. Talk about high stakes. I’ll leave the first-in-class to you.”
Some people want to work on the first-in-class drugs since they are, by definition, innovative. Other people would rather avoid the controversy that usually accompanies them.
I fall into that former group and was actually really excited about inheriting this account. Being RPM on such a high-profile drug could only help my chances at the promotion.
Or so I thought.
Maybe if Enzo DeLuca was still my point of contact. Since that phone call, I’ve been dreading this afternoon’s meeting.
Which is totally why I got up early to wash my hair and blow it out.
“Is he that bad? I mean, he must be,” Qasim says, answering his own question, “if you’re actually looking forward to a TS meeting.”
TS, otherwise known as a troubleshoot meeting. They’re only called when all hands are needed on deck. Eleanor needs help on a fast-track drug, hence the last-minute meeting notice.
“My original POC was fine, but the new one . . .” I shrug. “Do you know much about Hayden Tanner?”
“Do I . . . are you serious?”
We have a meeting to get to. And I really don’t want to know. But my stupid lips form the sentence anyway. “Not from the city, remember? So what do you know?”
“My poor little Maryland girl.” Qasim looks up as if he’s contemplating. “Let’s see. Mega hot. Mega rich. And a mega mess. Yep. I think that covers it.”
I’m already aware of the first two.
“What do you mean, mega mess?”
Qasim pushes himself away from the wall that he’s been lounging against.
“Parents are high society. Sent him away to boarding school. If you believe the gossip, which I do in this case, they like having a son about as much as they like paying taxes.”
My jaw drops.
“Who the hell doesn’t like their own child?”
Qasim shrugs. “Two self-absorbed billionaires? Or one self-absorbed billionaire and her investment banker husband who’s spent his entire life trying to fit into old money? They used to be in the papers all the time. But not so much in the last few years. I imagine that will change if the drug is approved. Kind of crazy, isn’t it? A pill that takes away the effects of alcohol? And all of my stats look good so far. This thing could seriously get approved.”
