Page 58 of Love Under the Microscope
Patience.
She wets her lips.
Almost there.
She swallows hard and opens her mouth.
Wait for it. I force myself not to lean forward.
Zelda blows out a breath. “Because it was my notebook. I’m the one who came up with the formula.”
I hear the words, but they don’t compute. “I thought you said Mr. Z came up with the formula.”
She nods.
“But then how—” And then it hits me. A good thing I’m sitting, or my ass would be on the kitchen floor. I think my jaw is down there somewhere. “You’re Mr. Z.”
It isn’t a question, but she nods anyway.
Holy.
Fuck!
This story is even bigger than I imagined. Not only is the executive assistant at Zentello one of the co-CEOs but she also came up with a product they say is revolutionary. Where do I even start with the feature now? But one thing is clear, this story will be my ticket to a much better career path. “I’m not sure what to say, to be honest.”
“In case you haven’t realized yet, this is off the record. I don’t want anyone to find out either of these things.”
I signed that NDA, but she can’t be serious. “You could be an example to other women of how you rose to the top echelon of a large, successful pharmaceutical company.”
“I wouldn’t recommend my career path to anyone, not even my worst enemy.”
I’ll have to dig deeper to find the story behind those words, but I get the feeling that time isn’t now. “Okay, but why keep your scientific achievements a secret? A product for women created by a woman—”
“If I’m being honest, I don’t want to be associated with it at all.” She looks at the table and exhales slowly. “I set out to create something groundbreaking.”
“Isn’t that what you got? Something groundbreaking and life-changing?”
Her gaze meets mine and darkens. “I thought so. Initially, the Happy Pill was supposed to help everyone’s mental health, naturally, with the increase of endorphins. Give that same buzz exercise provides.”
“It didn’t work out that way?”
“Nope.” She sighs heavily. “During the first clinical phase, we discovered the pill reacted differently depending on a person’s gender.”
My heart races. Zelda’s opening up to me, which is amazing, but I’m disappointed that what she’s telling me is off the record. I only hope she’ll agree to let me include some details in my article. “How so?”
“Men wanted to exercise more, but women…” She rubs the back of her neck. “It helped them…gain sexual gratification.”
My mouth falls open once again. Only this time, my arms feel heavy and drop to my side. This is truly groundbreaking. I mean, I’d heard some rumors about what Orchid could be and what it isn’t, but hearing the words from her leaves no doubt where there’d been some before. “Zelda, that’s an epic result. You’ll make Zentello a lot of money.”
“That’s what I’ve been told.”
She doesn’t sound that happy about it. I would expect her to be dancing around naked. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing that happen.
Better stop that train of thought. I need to stay on track. “So, the Happy Pill became Orchid?”
“Yes, but you have to understand, it’s not about the money. Granted, I work for a pharmaceutical company, but I had this idea back in grad school. It was supposed to be…” She shakes her head. “It’s about making a difference, and while I see the obvious benefits Orchid holds for many women, it’s not what I planned. And some of the board wants to sensationalize the product, marketing it like something that should be sold in sex shops or on the checkout counters of convenience stores or bodegas, not a pharmacy.”
“Don’t you have a say in that, as Mr. Z?”
