Page 184 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
I turn from Frankie to Piper, and her mouth pulls into a sad side-smile. “I think I agree with Frankie, Arch. You need to fight him. If I convince Mom she should take a cash settlement, your chances will be better.”
My nickname on her lips makes me want to kiss her almost as much as I did a few minutes ago. Then I realize what she’s saying.
“No way.” Only a few hours ago, I would’ve been relieved to hear those words. Not anymore. Not when Piper’s dreams are imploding even faster than mine. “Dad won’t back down easily. It would be a long, drawn-out fight.”
Piper lifts her shoulders. “I don’t have a reason to stay in LA anymore. I can’t go back to Valente. I had job offers in New York. Maybe it’s not too late. I still have friends there, and I made good connections in school.”
“You have friends here!” Stella exclaims.
“What happened with Valente?” Frankie asks.
“They stole the designs from my portfolio to use in their Fall line,” Piper answers.
“That’s the problem we should really be trying to solve,” I say. “How do we stop Valente from stealing Piper’s work?” I look at my friends for answers, grateful to deflect the attention from me.
“Archie, they’ve already stolen my work,” Piper says, firmly. “There’s literally nothing I can do to get my designs back except move on and prove I don’t need Valente. Any plans for revenge will have to be long term, but we can do something about you and Malcolm right now.”
She glares at me, but not in her usual way. There’s no dislike in her gaze, only a warning to back off.
I don’t listen. I can’t when every time our knees touch or her fingers brush my arm, I want to turn back time to an hour ago, both of us in the gym with the only problem to solve is how quickly we can erase every millimeter of space between us.
“You can’t leave. We’ll figure out what to do. I have lawyers. You can sue.”
“Malcolmhas lawyers,” Piper pushes back.
“So do I…”
“Ifyou go back to Brisbane.”
We go back and forth like this for a few minutes before Stella breaks in.
“Expose them online,” she says casually. “Valente, I mean.”
Piper and I both pivot to Stella. “What?”
“If you have proof that they stole your designs, we make a video and get everyone we know to share it across social media. The star power in this room alone improves your potential to go viral, but if we get Rhys and Georgia Rose on board, there’s no way you won’t. They both have millions of followers.” Stellaspeaks with the confidence of a social media manager who consistently has viral reels and Tik Toks. Because that’s exactly who she is.
“You know Georgia Rose Beck? FromAt Home with Georgia Rose?” Piper’s wide-eyed expression gives away how impressed she is.
“All my life,” Stella answers.
“She’s my sister-in-law,” Britta adds.
“Did I forget to mention that?” I say.
Piper rolls her eyes. “Yes, you forgot to mention that your best friend’s wife is related to the biggest home design influencer on social media.”
Then she turns back to Stella. “Even if we went viral, that wouldn’t stop Valente from using my designs. They’ve made enough changes to claim they weren’t my ideas.”
“So, you release your designs before Valente does.” Stella lifts her shoulders in a no-big-deal kind of shrug.
Piper laughs. “Yeah, because I happen to have a spare garment factory to help me manufacture my designs, which, to add another layer of complication, I want to produce using eco-friendly and sustainable techniques.” She lets out another, more bitter, laugh. “I appreciate you wanting to help, but let’s get back to solving Archie’s problems.”
“Okay, but listen…” Stella slides to the edge of the couch, a huge smile on her face. “You could make a few pieces, right? Because that’s all it would take to set up a crowdfund type thing. Show the pieces, tell the story of what Valente is doing—people love a good little-guy-versus-The-Man story—pre-orders flood in, and you have the funds to start your own brand.”
“Stella, you clever woman…” I say, looking from her to Piper, expecting Piper to be as excited as I am about getting revenge on Valente. She’s skilled at revenge, after all. My hair is proof of that.
But Piper’s pressed into the couch, looking as interested in Stella’s idea as she would be in eating the sushi from last night out of the garbage.
