Page 57 of Making It Burn
Two and a half days.I just had to keep it professional for two and a half days.
How hard could that be?
ChapterEleven
Mason
The MediCorp offices were in a sleek glass building in the Central Business District, all modern lines and expansive views of the city.Beau and I arrived early, just like I'd planned—both of us operating on coffee and nervous energy.
We hadn't talked about yesterday.Not the flight, not Derek's phone number, not the moment I'd admitted I wanted him so badly I was losing my mind.We'd simply met in the lobby, nodded at each other like the professionals we were pretending to be, and taken a cab to the meeting.
"Ready?"Beau asked as we stood outside the conference room.
"Ready."
He straightened his tie—sky blue today, against a crisp white shirt—and I forced myself to look away before I did something stupid like tell him how sexy he looked.
We were being professional.
The conference room was impressive: floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, a massive table that could seat twenty, and a presentation screen that took up most of one wall.Four people were already seated, and they stood as we entered.
"Gentlemen!Welcome!"A man in his sixties with silver hair and an expensive suit came forward, hand extended."Richard Huang, CEO.We're so glad you could make it down."
"Mason Price, and this is Beau Thatcher."I shook his hand."Thank you for having us."
"Of course, of course.Let me introduce the team."He gestured to the others."This is Marcus Webb, our CFO.Janet Kim, head of operations.And Beverly Castillo, VP of Business Development."
Beverly Castillo was probably in her late thirties, with dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, sharp cheekbones, and a smile that suggested she knew exactly how attractive she was.She wore a burgundy dress that was professional but definitely made a statement, and when she shook my hand, she gazed directly into my eyes.
"Mason.What a pleasure."Her voice had a slight rasp to it, like she'd spent the previous night smoking too much in a jazz club while sipping bourbon."I've heard wonderful things about your work on the regulatory compliance side."
"Thank you.I'm looking forward to working with your team."
She turned to Beau, and I watched her assess him in about two seconds flat."And you must be the medical technology specialist.Beau, was it?"
"That's right."Beau shook her hand, his professional smile in place.
"Excellent.Well, shall we get started?We have a lot to cover."Beverly gestured to the seats at the table."Mason, why don't you sit here next to me?I have some specific questions about the FDA approval timelines."
I took the seat she indicated, and Beau sat across from me, his expression carefully neutral.But I saw the way his jaw tightened, just slightly, when Beverly pulled her chair closer to mine.
The meeting started, and within ten minutes, I remembered why I loved this job.
The MediCorp team was sharp, asking intelligent questions and actually listening to the answers.Beau and I fell into an easy rhythm—he'd explain the medical technology provisions, I'd follow up with the regulatory framework, and together we painted a comprehensive picture of how the merger would work.
It was like a dance we'd been practicing without realizing it.
"So if I'm understanding correctly," Marcus said, leaning forward, "the patent consolidation would actually accelerate our FDA approval process for the cardiac device?"
"Exactly," Beau said, pulling up a slide on his laptop."By combining the existing approvals with your development pipeline, we're looking at potentially shaving eighteen months off your timeline.Mason, you want to walk through the regulatory side?"
"Sure."I stood, moving to the presentation screen."The key is the 510(k) pathway.Since PharmaTech and MediCorp already has clearance for similar devices, we can leverage that to streamline your application."
Beverly was watching me intently, and when I glanced her way, she smiled."That's brilliant.You've really thought this through."
"It's what we do."I returned her smile.
The meeting continued for three hours, breaking only for coffee and pastries around ten-thirty.During the break, Beverly cornered me by the coffee station.
