“Well,” said McGinty, “that's the gist of it.”

“Mm-hmm…”

With the embarrassment finally out of the way, McGinty was energized.  “Anyway, that's past history.  I’ve demonstrated that it works.  The issue now is getting it into production.  How do we start?”

Sanborne shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I think maybe first I ought to tell you a little more about us.”

McGinty looked puzzled.

“Actually, it's not usually our own money that we invest.  We're more like investment brokers.  We put people together with opportunities.”
 
McGinty still looked blank.

“Say a group of dentists want to pool their money and shoot for something big.   We'll try to match them up with something with potential that they might find appealing.”

McGinty brightened.  “Well, having people be nice to you ought to be easy enough to sell.”

“Well...not necessarily.”

Now it was McGinty who wore the look of puzzlement.

“I'm afraid your product would tend to make people think of those bogus pheromones you see hawked online and in cheap magazine ads.  Maybe even old-fashioned Spanish Fly.  Not something with the right kinds of associations.”  Sanborne’s expression was sympathetic.  “Right now, bio-technology and bio-engineering are what's considered ‘hot.’”

He looked at his desk, then back up at McGinty.  “We' d also be bucking your lack of credentials.”

McGinty didn't know what to say.  He sat silently for a time.  Finally he rose from his chair.

Sanborne’s face was apologetic.  An afterthought seemed to come to him.  “I'm not saying this is likely, but have you thought about trying to interest somebody from the University?  Maybe to share credit?”