Page 186 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
And, yet, the idea of working with him is tempting. The only way I’ll ensure I’m the one who gets credit for my designs is if I have my own label. My own company. But I don’t have the kind of name-recognition or connections that Archie does. Or the kind of capital he has access to simply by being Malcolm Forsythe’s son. Assuming Malcolm doesn’t burn all the bridges Archie might use to get financing now that Malcolm’s refusing to let Archie have his own money, or even his own life.
The injustice of what Malcolm’s done to Archie makes me want to work with Archie just to get back at him. If we were successful, that would be the perfect revenge for both of us.
But that’s not a good enough reason to toy with the idea of being part of Bombora.
The front door closes, and Frankie walks back into the room. She looks between Archie and me, still sitting side-by-side even though everyone is gone and there’s plenty of space on the couch. The corner of her mouth tugs into a grin, and Archie scoots to the elbow of the sectional sofa.
“I reckon I’ll head to bed.” There’s a laugh in Frankie’s grin.
“It’s still early.” Archie’s eyes dart from her to me.
“You two have a lot to talk about, and I’m wiped.” Frankie lets out a yawn to prove her point, but I don’t buy it. She is an actress, after all.
Archie and I watch her leave, then our eyes slowly meet.
“Stella’s idea is bonkers, yeah,” he asks nervously. My mind has been wandering, but he’s still looking at me. “We have similar visions about sustainability and environmentally friendly clothes, but can you imagine working for me?”
I tilt my head. “Workingforyou?”
Archie’s brow wrinkles. “Yeah. That’s the gist of what Stella said.”
I snort. “That’s whatyouheard.”
Archie’s brow creases, then quickly smooths with a laugh. “See? Bonkers idea. We can’t even agree on what we both heard.”
He stands and walks to the kitchen, leaving me stunned. He’s wrong on so many levels. I push myself from the couch and follow him.
“You’re the one who said working together was crazy. I don’t think it’s a terrible idea,” I say to his back as he opens the fridge.
He faces me again with a jar of pickles in his hands. “But you said you wanted your own line under your own name.” With a slow twist of his wrist, the jar lid pops.
A whiff of vinegar hits my nose, and I step back. The smell is still strong, but with the distance, it’s more briny than vinegary. Closer to the ocean at high tide, which starts the wheels turning in my head.
“Workingforyou would be very different from working together,” I say slowly, trying to stay focused on our conversation while also not losing the thread of an idea I’ve just had. “Stella’s got me excited about building my own brand. The only way I’d design for Bombora is if I got credit as the designer. But…I might consider designing under the Bombora name if I had the title of partner next to my name.”
Archie raises an eyebrow as he digs a pickle from the jar. “You’d want to build Bombora together?”
I shrug and step close enough that only the jar is between us. “Just because we hate each other doesn’t mean it couldn’t work.”
Archie grins down at me. “That was you hating me back there in the gym?”
His eyes move to my lips, scouting out where he’d like his mouth to explore. Forget that we’ve been at war for years, I’m ready to put that aside and go exploring together. Adventure awaits, and I amherefor it.
“Maybe I don’t hate you as much as I thought I did.” I bite my bottom lip and tempt him closer.
Still holding a pickle in one hand, Archie sets the jar on the counter behind him so there’s nothing between us anymore except a small space so charged with electricity I hear buzzing. “I’ve put a lot of planning in already,” he says in a voice that makes me forget everything we’ve talked about besides kissing. “I’ve got a business proposal in the works. What’s my incentive for letting you step in as a partner?”
The wordpartnersnaps me out of my trance. I swipe the pickle from between his fingers, my new idea fully formed. “Because instead of releasing the New York-inspired designs Valente stole, I’ll create a California-inspired line using the same boro techniques, but without the risk of Valente claiming I’d stolen from them.” I take a bite of the pickle and smile. “Whenthey release their line in six months, they’ll risk looking like they’ve copiedme.”
Archie’s eyes widen. “That’s brilliant, Piper.”
“Thank you. The best part is the new designs will be perfect for an up-and-coming surf wear brand.” I give him a pointed look then take another bite of the pickle. I don’t even like pickles, but I’m enjoying this one almost as much as I’m enjoying the pleased look on Archie’s face.
“I can do a soft launch with a limited supply and a promise that Piper Quinn designs will be available exclusively under the Bombora brand when it launches.” I hand the pickle back to him. “Or I can launch under my own name and build something by myself. But I think we’ll both have a better chance of success if we combine forces.”
His slow grin stops my pulse. “You’ve got killer instinct, Piper.”
The admiration in his voice hits me even harder than his grin. It’s one thing to have Archie clearly attracted to me. It’s another thing all together to have him compliment my abilities. This is such unfamiliar territory that the only way I know how to respond is by joking.
