Page 99 of Need You
Chapter Seventeen
“How soon can we get these?” With a gleam in his eye, TJ stared down at the samples Delaney had laid on his desk. A dozen different pieces in all.
“Not so fast. First I want you, Colt, Josh, and Win to wear them when you take groups out, see how they work on the job.”
“Delaney, it’s seventy degrees out.” He picked up the ski jacket. “We won’t get snow for another month or two.”
“You can at least try the rash guards, dry suits, board shorts, and the climbing pants.”
“I can already tell you that they’re fantastic. We’ll sell a bunch.”
She’d worked a week making the samples and had even hired a couple of local seamstresses who’d come highly recommended. “Don’t get carried away, TJ. I don’t have any experience designing adventure wear and I don’t want my name on something unless it’s perfect.”
“What about the fashion show? Hannah says you’re down with it being at Garner Adventure.” TJ’s ambition amused Delaney. He had zero interest in fashion or fashion shows but smelled publicity for his family’s company. Frankly, Garner Adventure was lucky to have him at the helm because he was one hell of a businessman.
“Let’s take one thing at a time. First I want to know how the pieces perform. I read somewhere that North Face employs professional athletes to take its products on more than two-dozen trips a year for testing.”
TJ nodded. “We know a few guys on their staff. Are you trying to be North Face?”
“No. But I want the clothes to be as functional as they are attractive otherwise what’s the point?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “We’ll start beta testing ASAP.”
“And, TJ, we want to keep this hush-hush. I’ll determine when and where we do the announcement. Understood?” It felt new to Delaney to be running her own show, but at the same time, good. Empowering.
TJ smiled. “Understood. I suppose you have a publicity team.”
Her publicity team had stayed with Delaney Scott and Robert. But the team’s expertise was couture and prêt-à-porter, not an outdoor lifestyle brand. She had tasked Karen with interviewing agencies in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Delaney wanted to make sure the world knew that she wasn’t deserting high fashion. The way she wanted to spin it was that in addition to the made-to-measure clothes, the ready-to-wear, the shoes, and the handbags, she was branching out into adventure wear. The right PR firm would know how to sell it. According to her research, outdoor apparel was a four-billion-dollar industry with 143 million Americans participating in adventure activities a year. She wasn’t the only high-fashion designer trying to break in to the lucrative market. In fact, she didn’t know why Robert hadn’t proposed it years ago. She already had her shoe and handbag designers focusing on après-ski boots and accessories.
“I’m working on it,” she told TJ. “Don’t worry, Garner Adventure will be a big part of the narrative. As soon as we choose a firm I’ll need background on GA. I really want to play up that it’s a family business and that every piece was designed to the specifications of professional adventure guides. I was even thinking we can name the clothes after each one of you.”
“What am I?” Colt stood in the doorway, his hands gripping the top of the frame, his muscles straining under his navy blue uniform shirt. His dark hair was tousled, like he’d run his fingers through it a few too many times.
Delaney hadn’t heard him come in. “Which one do you want to be?” she asked lamely, afraid that he would see what his mere presence did to her.
He shrugged.
“The Colten Cargo,” TJ offered. “The Win Windbreaker. The Josh Jams.”
“The TJ Gives Me a Rash ... Guard,” Colt finished, and TJ threw a Nerf ball at him. He had a collection of them and a dart gun on his desk.
“You guys are good,” she said, flustered by Colt’s sudden appearance. She hadn’t seen him since Sunday night, not since they’d had their so-called heart-to-heart and she’d delivered her conditions. He could’ve been busy—not a stretch given his intense work schedule—or he could’ve been avoiding her. With Colt she never knew. But she had missed him.
“I’ll get out of your hair now. I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more samples for you to test.” She gathered up her purse and portfolio.
“I’ll walk you out.” Colt took the large leather case from her. When they got outside he asked, “Did you come on foot or drive?”
She pointed to her car, which she’d parked on Main Street, a few doors down from Glorious Gifts, and rummaged through her handbag for the keys.
“You have lunch yet?”
“No. Why, you want to get something?”
“The diner or Old Glory?”
“Whichever you want.” She didn’t know how much time he got for lunch. He was in his uniform, so she assumed he was on duty.
“The diner’s good.”
