Page 27 of Tempting Kat
Tessa's eyes narrow slightly. “Yes, and I know that's young to be starting something like this. Does that matter to you?”
I shake my head quickly. “Not at all. I'm just impressed.”
“Don't be impressed yet. Be impressed when we're successful.” She pulls out an iPad from her sleek leather bag. “I'm thinking of midnight blues, deep purples, black and gold for the color scheme. The brand name is 'Contessa.'”
“Contessa,” I repeat, a smirk forming on my lips. “Classy. Named after yourself?”
She shrugs, but I can tell she's pleased. “Might as well brand with confidence, right?”
“Where'd you get the capital for this? Sex toys aren't exactly cheap to manufacture, especially if you're going high end.”
Tessa takes a sip of her latte before answering. “Family friend, actually. They fronted me the cash, no questions asked.”
“Just like that? Damn, I need better family friends.”
She laughs. “It wasn't quite that simple; nothing is ever free. But my dad's been in business forever—he runs way too many of them—so I've been absorbing that shit since I was like, twelve.”
“Daddy's little entrepreneur,” I tease, but there's no bite to it.
“Pretty much. He wanted me to go into finance, but I figured if I was going to sell something, it might as well be orgasms.” Her delivery is so matter of fact that I burst out laughing.
“Can't argue with that logic.”
We spend the next forty minutes going through her ideas for packaging, website aesthetics, and marketing approach. I'm scribbling notes on a napkin because of course I forgot my actual notebook.
“I'm thinking the high-end vibrators could have these custom charging stands that look like modern art pieces,” she says, showing me a rough sketch on her iPad.
“Fuck yes. And what if they had different modes named after famous artists? Like, Picasso could be all chaotic and unpredictable, while Monet is more…flowing and gentle.”
Tessa's eyes light up. “That's fucking brilliant.”
I glance at my phone and nearly choke. “Shit, it's already four. I've gotta get going—I have a shift at Euphoria tonight.”
“Euphoria?” Something flickers across Tessa's face. A weird look I can't quite place.
“Yeah, it's this bar downtown. Not the classiest joint, but the tips are decent.”
She nods slowly, composing herself. “Right. I think I've heard of it.”
I start gathering my stuff, shoving napkin notes into my bag. “So, we doing this? Because I'm definitely interested.”
Tessa stands, smoothing down her blazer. “Absolutely. I like you, Kat. I think we should be friends, not just colleagues.”
The offer catches me off guard, but in a good way. I don't make friends easily—most people can't handle my particular brand of chaos.
“I like you too, lilac,” I say, gesturing to her purple hair.
She throws her head back and laughs. “God, I haven't heard that one before.”
“I'll draft up some initial concepts and send them over in about two weeks?” I ask, already checking the time again on my phone. Fuck, I need to get moving.
“Perfect. I've got your email, so I'll send over the formal contract tomorrow. I want to get this rolling ASAP.” Tessa offers her hand for a shake.
I take it, surprised by her firm grip. “Looking forward to it.”
But the truth is, as excited as I am about this project, my mind's already sprinting ahead to Euphoria. To Mr. Mysterious. To that fucking peach drawing that's been burning a hole in my bag all week.
Chapter 9
