I burst out laughing, shaking my head.
Tess: I’m trying them on myself.
Liam: ...
Tess: Liam!!!!
He didn’t reply, so I sent another message as I sat down on the round red velvet ottoman, crossing my legs.
Tess: I meant that in a fierce tone. Does it translate into writing?
Liam: Not really. I’m picturing you trying on merchandise.
Heat spread through me like wildfire, from the top of my head all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes.
Liam: I know it’s risky territory, but I like you, Tess. You’re driven and determined and the most interesting person I’ve met in years. Kind, warm. And you’re sexy as fuck.
Oh wow. I read his message a few times until every word sank in. I had no idea what to reply, so I decided to tease him.
Tess: You’re still not getting pictures.
Liam: I didn’t think you’d change your mind on that. I was just being honest.
And precisely because he was honest, I was completely on fire. I swear my panties just combusted. I rose to my feet, too jittery to sit.
Tess: Thank you :)
Instead of replying, he called me. I hesitated for a few seconds, because I wasn’t sure how hearing his voice was going to tame the heat, but he was our investor. I had to find a way to work with him.
“Hey,” I said.
“Believe it or not, I actually meant to text you about business.”
I could hear the smile in his voice, and I couldn’t help but grin. “You don’t say.”
“So now I’m calling.”
“Think that will improve the situation?”
“I don’t know, Tess. We’ll see.” After a beat, he added, “I want us to get to know each other better. I know it’s best not to mix business and pleasure, but I can’t help myself. I’m crazy attracted to you, and I think it’s mutual. Am I wrong?”
“No,” I admitted. Butterflies were roaming in my belly. “But I’m not sure we should...do anything.”
“Think about it, okay?” His voice was relaxed, and I was thankful he was letting me off the hook, because I needed time to process this.
“Okay. I’ll email any questions we have about the contract.”
After hanging up, I looked at the bottle and hugged it to my chest.
I was in an excellent mood. We had a reputable investor wanting to work with us. I had a bottle of our favorite champagne. What was there not to be happy about?
Celebrating milestones was a religion in my family. I’d always insisted on that. We all had hurdles to overcome, so good things needed to be enjoyed and celebrated.
I headed to Ryker’s place. Skye was meeting us there. Since my brother worked on Wall Street, we wanted his input on the contract. He’d know if the terms were fair.
On the way, I received a message, and I scowled at the phone when I read it.
Kevin: Think I’ve got a shot at this?
Attached was a picture of a gorgeous blonde.
Kevin was the owner of a food truck not far from our store. We met a few months ago when I bought lunch from him. I thought we clicked, so in a typically overoptimistic Tess fashion, I asked him out. He turned me down gently, saying I wasn’t his type and that we were better off as friends.
Ever since, he kept in touch—more often than not asking for advice with women. I toyed with the idea of just ignoring him, but really, I didn’t want to be rude. He’d been honest. But looking at the picture, I couldn’t help but ask myself, What does she have that I don’t? It stung.
Tess: I don’t see why not :)
There, that was a good reply, and it didn’t invite more conversation.
He didn’t send anything back, thank goodness.
My brother lived in a gorgeous apartment not too far from Soho, on the fifty-fourth floor of a skyscraper. I was excited to see my niece Avery again and to give her the gift I purchased for her in Nolita. I took it out as I stepped off the elevator, smoothing the pretty pink wrapping paper and the bow.
Ryker opened the door. My brother was a mountain of a man with permanently rebellious hair and dark-blue eyes that broke their fair share of hearts before he settled down with Heather.
He pointed at the package. “Hey, Sis. What’s that?”
“A present for Avery.”
“She’s not here. Heather took her out for dinner. You can leave her present, though. I’m sure she’ll be happy.”
I pouted, holding the package to my chest along with the bottle as I stepped inside. “But I like watching her when she gets her presents.”
That was one thing I loved about kids. They didn’t hold back anything. It didn’t matter if they were overjoyed or throwing a temper tantrum.
I gave him the package, though.
“Send me a pic when you give it to her, okay?”
“Sure.” Ryker laughed, guiding me inside the living room.
I toed off my shoes in the foyer before zeroing in on the couch, where Skye was sitting all alone. “And you didn’t bring my nephew?”
“No, I thought we’d need all brain cells to focus on the contract.”
I sighed, resigning myself to getting no cuddle time with Jonas or Avery today. I placed the champagne bottle on the table and sat next to my sister. That was when I realized she was running her hand all over her face and through her hair. She only did that when she was worried or annoyed.
“I haven’t had time to read it. Something wrong with it?”
I’d been elbow-deep in all sorts of duties at the store. Skye didn’t answer. I looked between her and Ryker, who was sitting in the armchair opposite the couch.
“Nothing wrong. I just don’t think you’ll like it,” he said.
My stomach bottomed out.
“Okay, should we go through it, or you want to sum up what I’ll dislike first?” I asked.
“I’ll start with the good points. They don’t ask for a percentage of your company, just a percentage of profits. I don’t think you’ll get a better deal from any investor.”
I frowned. “We knew that already. It’s why we chose them as our potential investor. So what’s the problem?”
“They want a lot of decision power. More than I usually see in this type of alliance. It’s understandable, but it’s unusual. I for one wouldn’t have a problem with it, but I know you two like to be in control.”
That was an understatement. Skye and I both worked full time when we opened the online shop, and we only quit our previous jobs once we opened the brick-and-mortar store. We’d done everything from prototyping to online marketing ourselves.
I looked over Skye’s shoulder at the laptop. Over the next two hours, we dissected every section of the contract. My mood just kept plummeting.
“Liam did say they’re open to negotiation,” Skye said, chewing on her lower lip.
I gripped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
I’d been the one who convinced Skye years ago to go into business with me. There was a reason my family nicknamed me “the hurricane”: when I put my mind to something, there was no stopping me. I talked Skye into it, and now I felt responsible for making this work. I didn’t know what to say though, because our dream of expanding was slipping through our fingers. No way could we agree to these terms.