Page 78 of For the Boys
“Shit!” He had to leave now or he was going to be late for his meeting at Detroit Manufacturing. Today he was finalizing the samples, which meant another phone call with Mackenzie was in his near future.
He pulled into the warehouse parking lot just in time and stumbled through the door.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” he told Jack, the owner and operator of Detroit Manufacturing.
“It’s all good,” Jack said, checking his watch. “You’re actually right on time.”
“Oh, perfect,” Brent said. “Hold on, I have to get Mackenzie on the line so she can sign off on the women’s side of things.”
Jack nodded and turned away while Brent dialed his sister.
“B, I haven’t found anyone to take over for Anna yet!”
“That’s not why I’m calling. We have to sign off on the final samples for spring and summer, and I need your expertise for the women’s line.”
“Oh, right,” Mackenzie said.
“You did get the package I sent you with the last round of samples, right?”
“Yes, I did,” she said. “I did a little try-on session with my friends, and we discussed what worked and what didn’t, so I took a bunch of notes, and I’m ready to go.”
Brent sighed. “And yet you don’t want to be doing this for a living.”
Mackenzie matched his sigh with one of her own. “And as you regularly like to remind me, I’m only twenty. Let me live my life.”
Brent rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s rock this.”
Brent dialed Mackenzie on FaceTime and turned to Jack and the rest of the team he had assembled to work on FLEX. “Okay,” he said. “We’re ready. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
Jack stood behind a long table laden with clothing. “What do we want to start with?”
“Let’s start with the men’s,” Mackenzie said. “I haven’t got to see much of it.”
The next several hours passed quickly as Brent and Mackenzie talked over the entirety of the new line with Jack and his team. Muscle tanks would be offered in a variety of spring and summer colors, as would shorts with a built-in lining and pockets to allow customers to mix and match their sets. Zip-up windbreakers would be the same. Lightweight long-sleeve tops and biker shorts would be produced in white, grey, and black. Ball caps would be available in snapback and fitted designs, each sporting the FLEX logo in a variety of color combinations. There would also be branded socks.
For the women’s line, in addition to sports bras, form-fitting crop tops, and flowy tanks, they would also be releasing running and compression shorts, capri leggings, crop hoodies and zip-up jackets, plus socks and ball caps. All would be offered in the same colors as the men’s line.
“This line is going to be amazing, B,” Mackenzie said some time later when Brent was out of the warehouse and settled in his truck.
“It will be if we can find someone to replace Anna!” Brent said. “Otherwise, I’m going to have to fly you out here to do it.”
Mackenzie laughed. “As much as I would love that”—she rolled her eyes, indicating sarcasm—“we need someone semi-famous. A professional athlete is obviously the way to go.”
“I agree,” Brent said. “What about a professional hockey player? You’re on the East Coast. You should be all dialed in to the women’s teams over there.”
“Despite the fact that my brother is a pro, I rarely watch the sport outside of your games,” Mackenzie said.
“Well, you’re no help. Just keep creeping Instagram. Ask around. Help me out, please.”
“Brent, you need to chill. If you take on anything else right now, a concussion is going to be the least of your worries.”
Brent sighed, his temples throbbing at the mention of his concussion. “I know, I know. But it’s already January. If we want to launch this line by the end of March, I need to get this contract nailed down with someone new and get the photoshoot done. I’m running out of time.”
“Look, worse comes to worst, I’ll do it,” Mackenzie said. “I’m not a professional athlete, but I have been known to take some bomb-ass Insta photos, and I exercise on occasion.”
Brent laughed, relaxing a little. “I really couldn’t do this without you, Kenz. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Fingers crossed.”
