The Next Big Thing

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Synopsis

When scientist Harry Richards shows up at the bank where Angela Easton works as a loan officer, she knows she can't give the guy a loan to market and manufacture the new nipple-stimulating bra he's invented with no business plan or collateral. She's about to show him the door, when Harry offers her a prototype and urges her to take it home and try it out. After giving it a "test-drive," Angela knows it could definitely be "the next big thing," so with the bank not willing to take a chance on Harry's enterprise, she invests some of her own money to help him get it off the ground. As they work together day and night to assemble an investor's portfolio to try to get her wealthy female relatives to sign on, too, Harry and Angela discover that they make a great team in both business and pleasure.

Review

The Next Big Thing is a stand-alone short story of about thirty pages. Harry is a scientist and inventor who created a revolutionary, nipple-stimulating bra. He thinks it might be the "next big thing" that will make him rich, but he needs cash to market and sell the device. He goes to a bank, where Angela works as a loan officer, seeking an advance to get his endeavor off the ground. At first, Angela thinks that either her co-workers are playing a trick on her, Harry is just a crackpot, or both... until he gives her a prototype and urges her to take it home for a "test drive." After giving it a whirl, she's so impressed, she just knows it will be a winner. However, since her bank will never go for it, she decides to back him with her own money and helps him create a presentation to get her wealthy female relatives to become investors, too. Angela has a strict no fraternization policy where business is involved, but after working together with Harry day and night for months leading up to the big investor's party, she realizes, when some of her relatives start hitting on him, that she's actually fallen for him. It's then that they figure out they're a match made in heaven in more ways than one.

Overall, The Next Big Thing was a pretty good story. However, it can be really difficult to develop characterizations in such a short format. I liked both Harry and Angela for as well as I got to know them. It was great that Angela recognized a good opportunity and believed in Harry enough to invest in his business. Theirs was a cute, fun story. That being the case, my biggest complaint would probably be that the relationship development is very minimal. They go from agreeing to be business partners to a realization that they're in love with no real romantic interactions in between. All of that takes place "off-screen" which wasn't entirely satisfying. On the up side, though, the technical aspects of the writing are stellar. I found few errors, which is often not the case with stories that were originally published by the now defunct Ellora's Cave (I acquired it before they went out of business). I also enjoyed the author's writing style, so I might be open to trying more of her work. This story is no longer available for purchase, but readers can get it for free in exchange for signing up for the author's newsletter at her website.

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Madelle Morgan

Themes

Geniuses, Scholars & Scientists aka Geeks - Heroes