Chocolate Chocolate Moons by Jackie Kingon

Author:Jackie Kingon [Kingon, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Chocolate Press
Published: 2013-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

24

SANDY ANDREAS WEARS A TIE the color of dried blood. It fits his mood. Every day he gets reports that off-planet unregulated labs, like Titan Drugs are planning to make generic versions of his products that will undercut him. Titan Labs and Rocket Packarod’s name appear in the same sentence so many times that he doesn’t have to draw lines to connect the dots.

Sandy pounds a table and shouts at Drew. “I thought you said that all the tests on our products were successful! I’m still getting cancellations! Sales are flat!”

Drew sweats and swallows. “But Congress Drugs did hundreds of blind tests.”

“Blind is the right word. I want answers. And I want answers NOW!”

Drew drags himself home and plops into his favorite chair, his back aching. He stays there a long time. Then he moves to his bed and stays there an even longer time. Eventually he gets up and goes back to the chair. If it weren’t for his daily dose of nutritional supplements and reliance on Freedom Plan foods that reduce his caloric cravings, he would binge-drink eggnog.

Kandy peers into a mirror; one hair is out of place. Another day ruined. “You know, Drew,” she pouts, “you’re always in a bad mood. You work so hard with pills that you’re becoming one. Why don’t we invite Craig Cashew and CC here to see that Jackie O sculpture? Craig said he’d love to see it.”

“Giacometti. There’s a big difference.”

“Whatever. Just stop being so grouchy! It’s bad for my complexion.”

A month later the market rallies. Drew’s bad mood lifts.

“Hey, Kandy, I have an idea. Let’s invite Craig and CC here for dinner.”

“That was my idea!”

“Well it’s mine now.”

“Phone call for you on line three, Mr. Cashew,” secretary Vanilla Extract says. “Name’s Rocket Packarod. He’s not on any list. Do you want to take the call?”

Craig’s stomach, which never rumbles, rumbles. “Now that Gramercy Gardens has opened, everyone wants a membership.” He sighs. “Put him through, visual off.”

Craig takes a deep breath. “Hello, Rocket. What can I do for you?”

“Well, that was direct. No ‘How are you?’? No ‘Great to see you at Nirgal Palace’? No ‘Thanks for the drinks and their best hors d’oeuvres’?”

“So what can I do for you?’ Craig repeats in a monotone.

“I thought since I’m your old friend, you would personally invite me to join Gramercy Gardens.”

“We were the briefest of college acquaintances,” Craig corrects. “Hardly ‘old friends.’ Besides, it’s not just up to me, Rocket. There’s a committee.”

“Yeah, yeah, there’s always a committee. Everyone knows that. But you’re the Culinary’s CEO.”

Craig says nothing.

“By the way, if you’re still sore that Drew owns that Giacometti sculpture, I can get one wholesale.”

“I’m no longer interested in the Giacometti, Rocket. It’s probably a fake, anyway.”

“It may be a fake, but it’s a real fake. Scheherazade makes such good copies that some trade at higher prices than the original. She told me that she got high-priced lawyers who specialize in art tampering to lobby governments to expand the definition of

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