Chapter One

"Miss Takashi, your 10:30 appointment has arrived," Her assistant informed her over the intercom. She looked up from her tablet where she was signing off contracts and promotions with the last client and sighed. It never seemed like there were enough hours in the day. Still, she was much happier with things being too busy instead of not busy enough. Her empire was booming, the company had tripled in value, and the patents were solid. Though there were many imitators there was only one inventor and she had the biggest corner on the market that anyone could claim.

"Thank you, Keiko," She replied then pressed the button to end the interaction. She stood up and walked over to the mirror by her door. The office that she held sat at the top of a high rise in the heart of Tokyo, where everything had started. What had once been a medical technology company, based in surgical ointments, medication, machinery, and prosthetics had become the first in history to offer a brand new and healthy diet. One that was not only tasty but trendy. Something that people were throwing money at hand over fist and waiting with their names on a list that currently was over two years long. Taking a look at herself, a chance to breathe and smile, was always important. Even success could be stressful, which was something that almost no one told you before getting into the game of business. She pulled a comb from her pocket to straighten out her hair. A sleek braided bun with a few strands to frame her face. A sharp look that made her appear older and wiser but in a way she could appreciate. Far too many people already didn't take a female CEO seriously, especially not in a place like Japan. Regardless of how competent she actually was to do the job, people always swore she must have gotten it based on her looks, connections, or what she did behind closed bedroom doors.

After fixing her blazer and the blouse underneath, she walked to the door and opened it to see a half-full waiting room. It was around then that she tried to remember who her ten-thirty appointment actually was. Things had been going by so fast it could have been anyone sitting there and she hadn't bothered to actually look at the name on the computer screen before standing up. That had been a mistake. She opened her mouth to address the small crowd when a man stood up upon seeing her waiting there. He was incredibly tall, but almost everyone was when it came to her five-foot and very petite frame. She did recognize him, though, it would have been hard not to. With how hot of a celebrity he was, currently and the fact that he stood out like a sore thumb among the other Asians in the room was a dead giveaway.

“Mister Hellström, glad you could make it.” She said, holding her hand out towards him as he approached. He towered over her as he took her hand to give it a firm shake, looking powerful in his perfectly tailor business suit. His light brown hair pushed back and his green eyes almost aglow with excitement. It was definitely a change to her daily routine talking to someone like him. She welcomed it. “You did not have to come in person, you know. All of this could have been handled over video or-”

“Maybe I wanted to see things for myself. If I’m going to sign up for something like this I would also like to know how it works. Can you blame me?” He asked. She smiled and shook her head, motioning for him to go ahead of her into the office. He smiled back and showed himself in, she was kind of amazed that he didn’t have to duck down to get through the door.

“Not at all. As with all of my clients the laboratories are open to you completely anytime you want to visit. I have nothing to hide.” She replied. “The processing and formula may be a secret but you will be allowed to see and learn about anything that’s not completely patent protected, of course.”

“Sounds good. I guess I’m just a bit nervous jumping into this. I don’t believe that because everyone else has that it automatically makes it a good idea.” He said as he sat down on the couch a few feet from her desk. She was glad to hear what he was saying because he made a good point. Celebrities, especially, were very quick to sign up for her program without considering the ramifications of it. In some ways that was good, because it made making money easier. In others, it was concerning. Only in the way that she knew if she were going to sign up for her own program she’d want to know what it was all about first. In fact, part of her wasn’t sure she’d actually become a client with all she knew. The product was safe, sure, but that didn’t mean there weren’t moral and ethical ramifications for creating it.

“An independent thinker, I like that.” She told him, “Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

“Bottle of water?”

“Yes, coming right at you.” She said and headed to the mini bar area behind the couch. The office was set up almost like a lounge so when she entertained high profile clients like him they would feel relaxed and comfortable. Even if she was seeking to sign contracts and make a profit she didn’t want anyone to feel pressured. A lot of how she’d gotten business initially was word of mouth from the other big name celebrities that had signed with the company. Creating a stress free environment to discuss such a unique contract was key.

“How do we start this anyway? Is it painful?” He asked. She grabbed a bottle of water from the top shelf of her mini-fridge and headed back over to the couch as she held it out in his direction. He took it from her and she sat down in one of the chairs that matched the couch across from where he was. From the inner pocket of her jacket she removed a purple vaping pen.

“Do you mind?” She asked, motioning to the pen.

“Not at all.” He said, “In fact I should have brought mine, and would have if I’d known.”

“We can share if you’re not afraid of germs.” She shrugged, taking a drag from it before holding it out in his direction. He smiled and reached forward, taking it into his much larger hand making it look as though it were just a regular pen instead of an oversized fancy one that held nicotine liquid. “And to answer your question, no it’s not painful. Just an oral swab and that’s it.” He looked skeptical and took a drag from the vape pen before holding it back in her direction. She took it and tucked it back into her pocket. After a long moment he exhaled.

“Strawberry flavored?” He chuckled, meaning the taste of the pen. She nodded. “Well, in any case that’s interesting. That you can do so much with so little.”

“It’s not about doing a lot with a little. I could never replicate your tissue for this process or anyone else’s without having it first. You are the only source of that very specific DNA and unique flavor.” She told him. He nodded and opened his bottle of water, then he took a few sips before leaning forward and setting it down on the table between them.

“That’s right, flavor.” He chuckled, “Would I be able to have a sample of myself before it’s officially put on the market?”

“Of course. Your own samples will be free to you as well, as many as you want. You’ll just have to give us time for replication and creation. Depending on how in demand your flavor is, it could be a good waiting period.” She said, “In the meantime, I do have other samples ready and available to you now if you’d like to try some. Did you see any names on the list you were curious about?”

“Yes,” He said, “Though not as much as being curious as to why your name isn’t on it.”

“Mr. Hellström-”

“Please, Ryker is fine.” He interrupted. She smiled at him and took a deep breath. He was incredibly handsome in person. Far more than she could have imagined just from photographs so it was hard keeping her cool. There weren’t many celebrities out there that she was even a fan of because she had never seen the point but Ryker was on a whole other level. Maybe it was due to the fact that the vast majority of entertainment she consumed was the horror genre and he was one of the more popular stars within that form of media. Maybe it was just because he wasn’t Japanese, he was Swedish and almost exotic. Whatever it was, there was an energy about him that was almost addictive.

“Okay then, Ryker.” She said slowly, “The reason my name isn’t on it is because there’s no marketability for it. When people see names like Alice Copperhead or David Dufrain…they jump to open their wallets because those people are known to them. Watched on a screen or listened to via headphones. There’s almost a personal interaction between that and the fans. They feel they want to take the next step to ingest the greatness of who they admire. How many people out there do you think want to swallow down any given CEO, not just myself?”

“I guess I get it.” He said, “You aren’t famous to the general public more than you are to the world of business so there’s no point in putting yourself on the menu.”

“No, there isn’t. However, should there ever be a demand for it I’d be more than happy to take the plunge. Profit is profit.” She shrugged. That wasn’t entirely true but she knew if there ever came a day where there was enough pressure put on her she’d probably have no choice other than to put her money where her mouth was. She was lucky that wasn’t the case though.

“People really eat this stuff?” He asked.

“Like crazy. Depending on the celebrity some people are willing to wait years just to get their order filled. You are different because you are here, right now, at the heart of operations. With that I think we should begin the tour, starting in the Cafe and ending in the labs.” She said, standing up. He grabbed his bottle of water and took a few more gulps before capping it tightly and getting to his feet as well. “I certainly hope you are hungry because there is a lot to offer this morning.”

“I’ve only heard great things about the heart of operations here.” He said, “So…I’ve definitely brought my appetite and I’m glad you’ll be the one joining me.” She felt her face get hot as a blush rose on her cheeks. She wasn’t someone easily rattled, never had been, but boy was she falling for his charm and quickly. If any of this reflected what his own personal flavor was like, he’d be a top seller on the market instantly. Even more than their A and B list clients. All she knew was she couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into Ryker Hellström, that was if he agreed to be part of their meat market to begin with.