"So, we'd be expected to concentrate strictly on this project while it's in development? I'm not sure that is something we could or would want to do—it doesn't make much sense from a business-planning standpoint," said Bella. "And who would own the formula? Is it NASA's? Or would we have the chance to launch and sell the product to the general public later on?"
"I understand your concerns, Ms. Genovese. Bella Pelle would own the formula and, of course, be able to sell it under its own brand name after the formula is proven to perform as expected. We do have some specific requirements: packaging must be NASA-compliant and minimal—think like a tube of toothpaste. It would need to be quite concentrated and fragrance-free. There are other requirements, and we can provide all the parameters should you choose to collaborate with us. It goes without saying that you and your team would need to submit to background checks and sign an NDA. And we would need a final formula to test for eight months. Diana IV is scheduled for launch in April 2028, and everything we plan to equip the crew with has to undergo rigorous testing months beforehand to ensure there are no unexpected surprises in space."
"In space no one can hear you exfoliate, ha ha," said Carrie. "It's a joke—you know, in space no one can hear you scream. Get it?"
"We don't joke, Ms. Shaw. We're NASA."
Dr. Campbell stared at Carrie for several long moments before breaking into laughter.
"No, I'm just messing with you. We laugh all the time."
Bella let out the breath she hadn't even realized she was holding. Her mind was racing with a million thoughts, ranging from how exciting this could be for the company to how they could come up with something in the time NASA was giving them and be sure it worked. Then she had a lightbulb moment. They had been working on a new facial moisturizer that could probably be modified quickly with key ingredients to give NASA what they needed. She made a note to get with their lead chemist as soon as the meeting was over to begin the formulation process.
"Okay, Dr. Campbell, I think we can make this work. We are happy to submit to whatever checks NASA needs. Please send over any contracts we need to sign so I can get them to our legal team, and we can start moving forward. We'll need contact details for the people we will be working with, a calendar of benchmarks we need to hit, and, of course, the list of restrictions and requirements for the product and packaging. There is no one I trust more than Carrie to keep this project on track, so she will be leading the team on our end. I also want to make clear that Bella Pelle uses no animal-based ingredients, nor do we allow any animal testing on our products. Would any of the tests NASA does include animal testing? Because if so, then we can't do this."
"Excellent, Ms. Genovese. Everything you need will be with you in minutes. I've had my team in Houston on standby, waiting for the outcome of the meeting, so as soon as we finish here, I will give them a call, so they know to proceed. And of course, no animal testing is involved. I hope that puts your mind at ease. As far as benchmarks go, do you think you would beable to have an initial sample in one month? We would need a specified amount of the cream as well to run our own tests on."
"Of course, we can provide you with however much product you need. And if there is any special packaging needed for sampling, please make sure we have that information as well. One month should be fine to send you the samples."
"Oh no, Ms. Genovese, I apologize if I wasn't clearer—you would be required to bring the samples yourself when you do your product presentation to the team and the crew of the mission."
Bella's heart sank. In one month, she'd be seeing Taylor Swift in concert in Dallas. Bella had been as surprised as anyone when Taylor announced a new tour only a few years after the record-breaking Eras Tour, and Bella had been thrilled when she managed to snag a few premium seats for one of the Dallas shows for her and the girls.
"I'm sure I can manage a day to make it," she replied.
"Again, I'm sorry, but you would need to be in Houston for a week—it's more involved than just a quick meeting. Is this going to be a problem for you?"
"No, Dr. Campbell, it's fine. I can make it work."
"That's great news, great news. I can see you are a fan of Ms. Swift. Did you know that NASA keeps a suite at NRG Stadium, where she will be playing during the time you are in Houston? We'd love for you to attend if you'd like. Plenty of room in the suite for you."
"I like very much, thank you."
Bella's smile was wide and genuine. This had turned out to be a great day indeed. She just knew it was down to the red dress—it never failed.
Chapter 4
TThe rest of the day seemed to go by in a blur. Bella spent most of the day huddled with Carrie and Luis, their head chemist, going over ingredient suggestions to alter the moisturizer product they had in development, while Jerome looked at packaging that would satisfy NASA's strict requirements and his own exacting design standards. Because Bella Pelle manufactured all its products on-site rather than sending them out to be filled, they always had ingredients on hand. The required machinery in the lab also meant they could move quickly when needed. Satisfied they had the right combination of ingredients figured out, Luis was going to work on formulation and stability over the next few days and would hopefully have finished samples ready in one month for the presentation in Houston.
Bella was just about to leave the office and head home when her phone rang. Looking down, she saw an image of her smiling dad, indicating it was him on the line. Bella's dad was known by everyone as "Big G," and his nickname for Bella was "Little G"—G for Genovese, of course. John Genovese had recently sold his chain of mattress stores across the Southwest, called Big G's Mattress Town, and retired, spending his time playing golf, growing tomatoes in his garden, and enjoying lifewith his wife, Bella's mom, Mary. He was also an investor in Bella Pelle, saying he'd rather his money do some good while he was around to see it.
"Hey Dad, what's up?"
"Little G, how are you doing today?" her dad replied.
"Dad, we had the craziest thing happen today. I can't wait to tell you and Mom at Sunday dinner!"
"You mean the meeting with NASA?"
"Wait. How did you know about that? I thought it was top secret, and it only happened this morning."
"I know a guy."
"Dad, spill. Tell me what you know, and more importantly, how you know."
"You know that golf tournament I played in last year in Houston, at River Oaks Country Club? Well, I was paired with this doctor from NASA and we got to talking. I may have mentioned my amazing daughter's business, and he told me NASA was looking for some skincare for the astronauts. We've played golf several times since then, and he remembered your company and asked for your details, so I passed them along. He told me a few days ago you had a meeting set up. So how did it go? Is my baby going to space?"
"I don't think I'm going to space, but our new face cream might be. And I know I'm going to Houston next month. Can I fill you and Mom in on all the details on Sunday? I need to get home to Primrose."
