The Prescription Playboy. Grayson Reyes-Cole

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СКАЧАТЬ most assuredly would as long as Arthur was on her back.

      She walked up to the front desk nodding a greeting at the security guard.

      “Huntington Lewis?” the slim man with silver hair asked with a genial smile.

      Hunny nodded and smiled back.

      “This is your first time here, yes?”

      “Yes,” Hunny answered.

      “Why that’s fine. We don’t bite. I’ll just need to get some identification to get you a guest badge made up. Then I’ll call Miss Gina to come down for you.” As she rifled through her purse, he asked. “How long will you be staying?”

      Hunny swallowed. Her return flight was in a week. She knew when she was supposed to be going back, but she already knew that nothing was simple with this account. “A week.”

      “A week, eh?” the guard said. “Well, we ought to get you a contractor badge made up. The guest badges won’t get you into any badged areas, you have to have an escort, but if you’re going to be here for a few days, you need one.”

      Hunny nodded even though what she really wanted to do was tell him she wasn’t going to need any long-term badge access. But she knew better than to open her mouth on that subject. The sad fact of the matter was that Huntington knew in all probability she would need it. As she leaned over to sign for her pass, she felt a tap on the shoulder.

      “Hey, Huntington.”

      Hunny warmed immediately to the smooth and sugary sweet voice. She turned around to the pretty blonde and was tempted to hug the woman facing her. Gina Morrow, Public Relations Director for Med Solutions had been her saving grace since this terror of an account came along. Gina never met a stranger in her life, and Huntington was no exception. Gina made her feel comfortable. She was one of the few people Hunny knew who said exactly what was on her mind and in her heart, a rare trait.

      “Hey, Gina.” Hunny squeaked as the larger woman pulled her in for a strong embrace.

      “Is she done, Henry?”

      The guard slid the badge across the counter. The tiny picture of Hunny on the front didn’t do her justice. He also handed Gina a small key with a round marker on it. Gina took Huntington on a quick tour of the important spots—bathroom, cafeteria, the labs and boardroom—including the tiny temporary office that had been set aside for her. Ah… so that’s what the key was for. Upon seeing the tidy little spot, Hunny’s spirits dropped. It looked so cozy... She didn’t want to get cozy.

      Gina stayed and chatted as Huntington settled in. Excellent at her job, Gina Morrow still acted more like a social butterfly than a corporate exec which probably explained her success, that and her incredible connections. She had the luck of being born into a very influential, very old Southern family. She’d had the even better luck of marrying someone just as established right out of college.

      Twenty-two years later, Gina had made use of all the connections that came with her social status. She’d been in the field, it seemed, for her entire life, and she loved the job. She knew everybody in every industry, including the pharmaceutical business. Additionally, she knew everyone who was anyone within a thousand-mile radius. She could gain entry into just about any social event she desired, and she hoarded favors like Leprechauns hoard gold. If you needed something, Gina Morrow could get it so long as you were specific. Huntington had dubbed her the High Priestess of Networking.

      “So, Ms. Morrow,” Huntington crooned when there was a lull in the conversation.

      “Yes, Ms. Lewis,” Gina crooned back.

      “I have one or two things I’d like your insight on.”

      Gina chuckled as if she knew what Huntington was about to say. “Are you positive you want my insight?”

      “Positive,” Hunny replied with an arch look. “We need to talk about your boss.”

      Gina stood up and closed Huntington’s door.

      “That’s a defensive stance if I’ve ever seen one,” Hunny observed.

      “I already know I’ll need it.”

      “Where in the hell were you when your boss was traipsing around Europe committing heinous acts of conflicts of interest?”

      “Oh,” Gina stated with wide eyes. “You heard about Nicky, huh?”

      “Nicky?”

      “Yes. Nicky Davidson. Short for Nicole.”

      “Nicole, Nicky, Peaches, does it really matter?”

      “Hey, hey, before you get all bent out of shape, you need to know she started it.”

      “Oh, come on, Gina.” Huntington puffed out her cheeks in a dragged-out sigh. “This is not the Playboy Mansion. Can’t the man keep it in his pants and exhibit some professionalism?”

      “Huntington.” Gina coughed. “That’s just unfair. You don’t even know Kevin. If he had had any idea she was getting so attached, he wouldn’t have let it go so far. As it stands, he tried to let her down easy. She just didn’t take it well.”

      “It wouldn’t have been a problem at all if he had never gotten involved with her. Poor girl.”

      “Poor girl?” Gina scoffed. “Nicky Davidson? Are we even talking about the same woman? She’s the one who cheated on Devon McAteer. She’s the one who—” Uncharacteristically, she cut herself short. “Huntington, you’ve got it all wrong.”

      Hunny dismissed that statement with a wave of her hand. At this stage, it didn’t matter whether Nicky Davidson shared the blame or not. The woman had been played with, and she was taking her revenge in a big way. Pushing stray, curling locks behind her ears, Hunny said, “This is going to set us back months. Arthur called to tell me about the FDA investigation while I was in the airport last night. That was ahead of the papers today, and it’s in every business section. I was already floored when I saw the magazine article. How could he not know this whole situation was going to blow up in his face?”

      Gina argued, “How could he know? We are strict about adherence to federal guidelines. Our labs are tops in the country. I’ve seen the reports. Hell, we all did, in a special board meeting. We passed our inspections. They are calling this a random audit. Wonder how we got picked for a ‘random’ audit.” Gina patted her hair and sighed deeply. “We’ll pass the secondary inspection just fine. There will be an audit then a panel, and Nicky will be nowhere around. It’s just a pain in the butt.”

      “It’s more than a pain in the butt. What about the image I’m trying to help you build and maintain. I’m talking about the conservative, controlled, charitable perception the public needs to have of this company. Ads don’t mean anything if the public doesn’t trust you. I don’t want all of my hard work frittered away by some philandering ladies’ man who—”

      “Huntington.” Gina chirped in genuine surprise.

      “You never mix business with pleasure.” Huntington was instantly contrite for snapping. She hadn’t intended to be curt with Gina, but this sort of behavior was her pet peeve. She was one hundred percent against СКАЧАТЬ