by Layla Hagen
Skye’s final slides were about what we planned to do if we partnered with Harrington & Co., focusing on the fact that we wanted to open a second brick-and-mortar location. We also wanted money for a more robust online shop. The one we were using now was barely keeping up.
“By doing this, we’d be able to reach more clients faster. Tess will go into more detail about the type of products we’d develop with additional funding as well as show you the products that contributed to most of our growth,” Skye concluded.
She sat next to me, and I squeezed her hand, whispering, “Good job, Sis,” before walking to the front. Midway there, my heel caught in the gap between two pieces of hardwood, and I stumbled a bit.
Please, God, no. One embarrassing incident a day is more than enough! I was already worrying that Liam Harrington wasn’t going to take me seriously. I didn’t want Rebecca and David to think I was a ditz.
Thankfully, I didn’t fall on my ass. I regained my balance and walked to the desk, standing next to it.
I rolled my shoulders, smiling as I spoke. “Soho Lingerie’s unique selling proposition is that we have something for everyone. Ever since we introduced our customization options, it’s become easier to deliver that. Customers can play with designs in our online shop. We also give them the opportunity to come to the physical store for fittings. Since we incorporated this program, the rate of returns dropped by 90 percent. We literally have something for everyone, from adult women knowing exactly what they want to young girls looking for guidance when they enter the store. They’re at a fragile age, first-time lingerie buyers, and it’s easy for them to question their sense of worth.”
I pressed my lips together, smiling. I’d spoken too much, as I usually did when I reached this topic. I hoped it wasn’t obvious to everyone how personal this was for me, but Liam’s gaze had turned soft. He saw right through me. Well, that was a good thing, right? They wanted passionate business owners, and it didn’t get more passionate than this. But I felt exposed, like I revealed a part of myself I’d rather have kept hidden. He was much more observant than I expected, and when I glanced from him to my sister, my protective instincts kicked in.
We both had curves early on, and that had attracted a lot of attention, but Skye had one of those crazy growth spurts, and kids made fun of her. Buying lingerie was a confidence builder for most women. When you felt good in what you were wearing, it gave you a self-assurance like nothing else could. We were determined to ease the step into womanhood for any girl who entered our shop.
I moved to the next slide, which showcased one of our hit products.
“This is an example of one product you can customize. Just as no two bodies are identical, sensory perception isn’t the same. For some, velvet straps are too soft, for some too cutting. So we give them a variety of options to mix and match when it comes to straps, cup decoration, and even the inside padding of the bras. For example, I prefer cups with silk on the inside. It feels soft against my skin. Cotton just scratches me.”
Unfortunately, I chose that exact moment to make eye contact with Liam, and the heat in his gaze made me blush.
Holy shit! Is it warm in here, or is it just me?
His pupils dilated a little. He was gripping his pen tight enough that I was certain the plastic would give way any second now.
Had I overshared? I thought referencing my personal experiences would help them relate and understand our business.
I carefully looked at the rest of the audience, and no one seemed as...affected as Liam. Damn. I hoped he was judging the business case, not just fantasizing about my involuntary strip show.
I chanced a glance at him again. Yeah, that heat in his gaze only intensified in the few seconds I looked away.
I willed myself not to blush even more as I moved on to the products we planned to design if we had more funding, describing them in painstaking detail.
The more I spoke, the more enthusiastic I became. I talked loudly and gesticulated a lot, and I even brought up more of my personal findings. This was just like me. I did everything at a grand scale. I was almost out of breath by the time I reached the last slide.
“Okay, well, that’s it from our side,” I said, glancing at the audience. Involuntarily, I lingered on Liam. “I mean, I hope what we’ve shown you here entices your investment interest in our business. However, if you need more information, please ask away. Any questions?”
Good Lord, his gaze was burning a hole through me, but I was determined not to look away, even though my whole body was buzzing with awareness.
***
Liam
I straightened myself in the auditorium’s comfortable leather chair, tapping the pen against the stack of papers. I’d rarely seen anyone speak with so much passion about their clients and their products.
Sure, everyone who came in to pitch to us had pride in their financial success and accomplishments, but these ladies were different. From the way they’d spoken, this was clearly personal to them, and I liked that. I just had to stop imagining Tess wearing every design she’d spoken about.
Hell, when she said how silk feels against her skin, I nearly lost my mind. Gone were any thoughts of business. Instead, I wondered what she was wearing under her skirt. Did it match the bra I’d seen in the bathroom? I could almost feel her soft skin beneath my fingers as I took off whatever she wore.
I was still thinking about that. Damn it, I had to get a grip on myself. What was I, fourteen? I forced my thoughts back on the straight and narrow and told another part of my body to slow its roll. All eyes were now on me, waiting for me to take the lead since I’d been the most skeptical about their business.
We rarely got involved in the fashion industry, but their lingerie business was solid—impressive even. My previous skepticism disappeared because I realized their growth coincided with the introduction of the customization options. Their sales would continue to increase. But they had to strike while the iron was hot and get as many customers as possible to establish themselves as the go-to store when it came to customizable lingerie before others started copying their business model.
They needed a much better online shopping experience and a second brick-and-mortar store to keep up with the demand, if nothing else then to house the inventory they were powering through.
“Thank you both for the presentation,” I said. “We’d known most of your numbers from the application you sent, but let me just reiterate that they are impressive. You have a very solid business. Today was just about hearing your pitch in person. We’re going to get back to you in a few days with our answers and all you need to know about the next step.”
“What would the next step be?” Tess asked.
“We invite you to a dinner where we all get to know each other in a more informal setting.”
David spoke up. “We like to get to know the owners personally. Everything has to click; otherwise, working together will be difficult.”
“Okay, well, thank you for your time today,” Skye said. “We look forward to hearing from you.”
While the two of them gathered their laptops and other belongings, I couldn’t help but stare at Tess’s ass. Damn, the woman was killing me with those curves.
When she turned around, she caught me looking and cocked a brow. Fuck. I didn’t want her to think I wasn’t taking this seriously because of the encounter in the bathroom...or that I was a perverted asshole.
Neither was true.
Usually, I was far better than this at separating business from personal interests. I didn’t get involved or even check out the applicants in a sexual way. Period. It was a strict rule, and I lived by it. I had no idea why it was so hard for me to control myself when it came to Tess.
Her shoulders were a little slumped as she and Skye left the auditorium.
I made a split-second decision.
“Let’s take a five-minute break.”
Becca nodded.
David shrugged. “Again?”
“
I’ll be right back” was all I said before I rose from my seat. I caught up with Tess at the building’s entrance hall, where everyone could store their personal items in a locker. She was just putting the laptop in her bag, and she was completely alone.
“Tess,” I said.
She looked up in surprise, slinging the bag over her shoulder. “Hey. Did we forget something inside?”
“No.” I walked closer until I was standing right in front of her. “I just wanted to talk to you for a second.”
“I’m listening.”
There was no other way to say this, so I just laid out all my cards. “You might have caught me checking you out.”
Tess gasped as color flooded her cheeks. Fuck, her reaction to me was cute.
“Might have?” she challenged in an amused tone.
“I did. Several times. I promise you I’m not an asshole. And none of it will impact the way we judge your application. I want you to be certain of that. I’m usually on my best behavior at work. It’s just...very difficult to keep my thoughts straight around you. I don’t know why.”
“Possibly because you saw me in my bra this morning?” She was smiling now. Damn, she was even more beautiful like this. She was far more relaxed than she’d been inside.
“And without it.”
She gasped again before starting to laugh. “I thought you said you didn’t see anything.”
“I was just putting you at ease. Or trying to.”
“You failed. I was on edge the entire time.”
“I could tell that by your body language,” I admitted.
Her eyes widened. She cleared her throat. I leaned in close enough that I could smell her perfume. It was fruity and sweet but also had a hint of something spicy. She licked her lower lip before exhaling sharply. Stepping back, I pointed toward the front door.
“I don’t want to keep you any longer. If all goes well, I hope to see you at the get-together.”
“And you’ll behave there?” she teased.
“I’ll try.”
“Just like you tried to pretend you didn’t see me half naked?”
“I’ll try a little harder. Forgive me if I fail. You make a...lasting impression.”
Her mouth opened in an O, and she shook her head before walking past me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she left the building. That swing in her hips was going to be the death of me.
Fantastic. I’d come out here to put her mind at ease, and I ended up flirting with her. Way to go, Harrington.
I’d tell myself that I’d do better during the get-together evening, but I didn’t like lying to myself.
Chapter Three
Liam
For the rest of the day, we listened to twenty more pitches while my mind kept wandering to a specific lingerie business. In the afternoon, we headed back to our offices, located in a brownstone we rented on the Upper West Side. We converted the original kitchen into a welcome area. The interns worked in an open office arrangement in what used to be the living room. David, Becca, and I each had a huge office on the upper floor. The meeting room was in the basement.
We all decided to head up to the rooftop, which was the best part of the building, to discuss which of the businesses we’d invest in. Everyone loved to come up here for the fresh air, and since we weren’t on a high floor, there was no wind. This September was chilly, but because of the taller buildings surrounding us, we were pretty protected from the elements up here. Every time I was inside one of New York’s high-rises, I felt like I was suffocating. I didn’t need a great view from fifty stories above. I needed to be able to step out whenever I wanted to clear my head.
Becca, David, and I each had two interns on our teams. One of my interns, Dexter, brought up some refreshments for everyone as well as my stress ball—it’s what kept me sane. When we all sat on the rattan armchairs scattered around, I asked the interns to give us their top three picks. All of them mentioned Soho Lingerie. We only had four other fashion companies in our portfolio, each tackling their market with an innovative angle.
After the interns finished giving us the rundown, they headed downstairs to their desks, but Becca, David, and I stayed upstairs.
They weren’t just my business partners but also my best friends. We all met fifteen years ago when we were interning on Wall Street after college. In our spare time, we worked on an app for personal finance called InvestMe. A huge bank bought it for a lot of money. We held consultant roles on the app’s management team for a while, before it became obvious that we weren’t needed. We created the fund because we had a lot of cash and a burning desire to work with business owners. This fund was our pride and joy, and the three of us worked nonstop to turn it into a success. We’d been doing this for ten years now, though at thirty-six, we were still as motivated and hungry for success as we’d been at twenty-six.
Back then, there had been four of us. We’d taken another of our best friends on board, Albert. He hadn’t had any money to invest, but he was brilliant, a true innovator. So brilliant in fact that it took us years to discover what he was doing behind our backs. Let’s just say we don’t talk about him anymore.
“So after listening to all of them, I still think we have way too many excellent applicants. A good problem to have, but still a problem,” Becca said. Though we were shaded by the taller buildings, the sun shone through the cracks. It was a beautiful day to be outside.
“I agree. If we had enough people, I’d vote we take on all the projects,” I said.
“Maybe we should hire that additional manpower like we talked about,” David said.
I grunted, shaking my head. “No. I like our team. Training new hires takes time and resources, and we have neither.” Although we’d be able to expand, training new members wasn’t easy, and we really lucked out with the group we had.
“Or you’re just a grumpy ass who doesn’t like new people,” Becca said with a devilish smile. I threw my stress ball at her. She caught it midair. “I’m not giving this back to you today. See how you fare without it.”
“Becca,” David practically begged. “Come on, don’t do this to us. We need him to focus.”
“I am focused,” I assured him.
“Okay, give me your top three picks. Instinctively,” David challenged.
“Soho Lingerie, Robotron, and DesignPen.” I didn’t even hesitate. All three pitches were stuck in my brain—Soho Lingerie’s more than the others, for reasons I didn’t understand.
David tilted his head. “You weren’t sold on Soho Lingerie when I first suggested them. What changed?”
“The pitch was convincing. I think they can become huge if they move fast.”
A smile was playing on Becca’s lips. “There’s something you’re not telling us. You were acting weird when they came in.”
They both looked at me expectantly. If I said nothing, they’d only become more suspicious.
“Fine, I accidentally walked in on Tess Winchester while she was changing her bra or whatever.”
“Oh shit, that must have been awkward. Poor woman,” Becca said.
“Is she hot?” David asked instantly.
I cocked a brow at him.
“Forget that. ’Course she’s hot. I could tell that even though she had her clothes on. How much of an eyeful did you get?” he continued.
“Enough to make it awkward.” And for me to lose control of my mind and body, apparently.
“And wait, that was enough to throw you off your game? How long has it been since you’ve been with a woman?” David asked with a shit-eating grin.
“I date enough,” I replied without going into more detail. I didn’t like discussing my private life. Not that there was much to it besides dates and no-strings-attached sex.
“Will you two stop?” Becca chastised.
“No,” David answered at the same time I said, “Yes.”
“Come on, man, give me a visual,” David pleaded. “Just something to make my day better. And—"
; I cut him off with a glare. “Let’s just get back to our topic. Anyway, that has nothing to do with the fact that they’re one of my top picks.”
“Those are my top three too,” Becca said. “But eventually we still have to narrow it down to one.”
“Well, we’re not choosing the finalists yet. We can invite at least twelve from the twenty teams to dinner and take it from there,” David said. I could tell he still wanted to talk about what I saw.
“Let’s think about this until tomorrow,” I said. “I don’t like spur-of-the-moment decisions.”
Becca smiled devilishly again. “Yes, we all know that.”
“You keep giving me shit, but you like all the processes I’ve set in place too.” It had been my idea to have standardized procedures for nearly everything.
“I know. I just like to make fun of you. Oh, and now I see frown lines. Time to get your stress ball back.” She tossed it back to me. “Well, since we’re not deciding today, I’m going back down to bust my interns’ balls some more.”
“I’m coming too,” David said.
The three of us were an unlikely group. At first glance, we didn’t have much in common.
David wasn’t much for following rules. He came to work wearing sneakers and jeans and would have been just as happy coaching a high school baseball team as he was running a million-dollar fund.
Becca shared his view on rules, but she liked to give him shit, not me...usually. She liked to indulge in the finer things in life and always showed up dressed to the nines.
“I’ll catch up with you guys later. I’ll think about the pitches today. In the meantime, I’m going to pay Gran a visit.” Standing up, I went down to the ground floor and ordered an Uber.
Gran and my grandfather had practically raised me, and I always enjoyed our conversations. As wildlife photographers, my parents were constantly traveling, so I lived with my grandparents until I turned eighteen. My parents were currently in Kilimanjaro, and my grandfather passed away five years ago, so Gran only had me.
After losing Grandpa, she went through a phase of deep sadness for more than a year. Mom and Dad took her with them on a trip to the Grand Canyon, and since she returned, she’d been different. The change of scenery had been good for her.
