Ruthless(16)

“So Tina,” he said smoothly. “Here we are again.”

“Um yeah,” I mumbled, looking at the ground. Girl, this isn’t going to work, I reprimanded myself. Forcing my head back up, I met his eyes mischievously. “So were you able to handle those women coming into the bathroom at the restaurant?”#p#分页标题#e#

Something indescribable flashed through his eyes. “Was that your idea of a joke?” he rumbled. “Leaving me half-naked, not to mention in a compromising position, in the ladies’ room?”

“I knew you could take care of yourself,” I said breezily. “A guy like you knows women inside out, I’m sure you could handle yourself around a bunch of dowagers.” The women I’d passed coming out of the bathroom had been at least seventy, exactly the type to faint at the sight of a naked man.

“In fact, those dowagers, as you call them, are most appreciative of the nude male form,” Jake replied with a lascivious grin. “They’ve seen a lot and you’d be surprised at how difficult it is to startle the elderly.”

Hmm, I guess he had a point. I hadn’t heard a kerfuffle of screams upon my departure, and Jake had shown up intact minutes later, perfectly dressed, with no sign that he’d been naked doing the dirty just minutes ago. But then again, he was a master with women, right? I’d forgotten my opponent and mentally shook myself.

“So what was it you were here to talk about?” he said silkily, not moving from his desk. His long legs were crossed, seemingly relaxed, but something about his tone put me on alert. He had a brain like a steel trap, and I had to remind myself that this man was danger … someone whose savvy and intellect had launched him to the forefront of the business world.

“Umm, well, I just wanted to see how things were …” I trailed off. “And to get a look at your company,” I fibbed. “I haven’t had time to research Sterling, and I thought I’d take a look for myself at the mighty pharma outfit that’s ruling the markets.”

I could tell he didn’t believe me at all, but instead of probing, Jake went along with it. With a wry smile he said, “Well, let me show you some of the awards we’ve received,” he murmured again, long strides taking him over to the wall unit. The thing was massive, reaching all the way up to the fifteen foot ceiling, running the entire length of the room, divided into multiple niches and cabinets.

“Here, we have our award for best new HIV drug of the decade,” he said smoothly, picking up a small, clear plastic toy with Sterling’s logo embedded inside. “And here’s an award from JAMA for a breakthrough in diabetes treatment that,” he continued. “I believe your mom mentioned that your grandmother uses it. Funny you haven’t heard of us before.”

But before I could get off a retort, the door opened and Mary Beth came in again.

“Your water,” she said, placing the glass on a coffee table. “And Mr. Sterling, there’s a package for you outside.”

“Can’t you sign for it?” he asked with an exasperated frown.

“Normally, yes,” said Mary Beth. “But,” she continued, “you know how that new delivery service is. If it’s your name on the label, they won’t let me sign even though they’ve been here fifteen times in the past.”

“Dammit,” Jake shook his head in disgust. “These new start-ups … still fine-tuning their customer service. I’ll be back,” he said with a glance at me, and strode out of the office.

The door closed, leaving me in the cavernous space. I sipped the water and decided to take a closer look at some of these awards. There were so many, like little plastic tombstones five inches high. Most were clear with the company logo and some words etched inside, an announcement of Sterling’s latest achievement.

One tombstone caught my eye in particular. I scrutinized it and saw that it was for Sterling’s savvy marketing of the drug Pernacular. Hmm, my forehead furrowed. Where had I heard that name before? I’d been so busy with my own personal turmoil that I hadn’t been following the news recently.#p#分页标题#e#

All of a sudden, it dawned on me where I’d heard the name. In my legal ethics class. A company had purchased the rights to a drug which patent had expired long ago. Their business strategy was to act as a monopolist and jack up the price overnight. As a result, Pernacular had risen in price by 5,500% -- from approximately $13.50 per pill to almost $700.

The effects had been devastating. The drug was intended for pregnant women suffering from a parasitic infection. A rare occurrence, yes, but the drug was the only treatment which could guarantee the safety of the mother and her unborn child. And no one else would produce a competing drug because the market was just too limited, only five hundred women were affected each year, a number too small to incentivize competitors into action.