Kelly raises her eyebrows at me, sitting straighter than I’ve seen her all day. This is easily the best pitch I’ve heard, but I’m glad to see she’s on the same page, and it’s not just because I’m biased.
“So how would we implement that?” I lean back in my chair and chew on the end of my pen. Three sets of eyes follow it to my mouth. Mallon shifts in his seat, readjusting himself, Leo licks his lips, and Thorin? He shamelessly eye fucks the hell out of me.
Mallon speaks up this time. “We focus on the makers. They’re what make your clothes special. Handmade, quality pieces with a story. We run ads on social media, video streaming services, and podcasts with snapshots into different makers. How they perfected their craft. What the sales mean to them, their family, even their community.”
Kelly is taking notes, nodding along, and I can’t help but agree. “Still ads are trickier. You have to focus on the clothes, but the settings need to be on brand. We need to do more research, but I can guarantee your clients are likely to be earthier and more eco-conscious.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “That’s accurate. If we hire you, you’ll have access to the market research we have.” I try not to react, but Kelly kicked me under the table the second I said the word ‘if.’
I kick her back. I’m awake this time and that bruise is going to be massive already. She snorts out a small laugh but covers it as a sneeze. “Bless you,” three deep voices say in unison. She looks up at them, eyes as round as saucers.
I can’t blame her. I know from personal experience that the combined force of their personalities, their distinctly alpha energy hits like a sledgehammer. And even though I know she’s hung up on someone else, I still frown.
I have to remind myself that I don’t get to be possessive or jealous. Whatever the situation between the four of us is, it’s just physical. It’s temporary and it’s just physical. They can look at anyone they want. They can talk to anyone they want. They aren’t mine.
I sip my coffee, looking up over the rim. Leo’s watching me. No, he’s smoldering at me. His foot nudges mine under the table and he winks at me. I don’t know how he conveys so much without speaking a word, but his message is clear. Don’t be jealous.