She looked at the bright, whimsical, summer-loving theme and then thought about the deep masculine undertones of the photo shoots. “It really makes a statement, if that’s what you mean.”
“Statement?” Chantel laughed. “Those images were a visual orgasm. They were raw, erotic, captivating, a feminine take on male sexuality. I had to open a bottle of wine while looking at them. Your branding for the line is light-years ahead of what our marketing team came up with.”
“It is?” Harper did her best not to giggle, but it was hard. That tingling she’d been feeling all week spread to encompass her entire body.
“Lulu Rous agrees. She said the concept was inspired.”
Harper nearly passed out. Lulu Rous was the founder and artistic genius behind Lulu Allure. She was one of the most creative minds in lingerie, and she thought Harper’s ideas were inspired?
“Thank you,” Harper said, sure she was gushing, but she didn’t care. “I had amazing designs to work with and a subject who is a natural in front of the camera.”
Adam was a natural at everything, it seemed. Modeling, cooking, firefighting . . . sex. He was a real sex ninja—and the idea of sparring with him again was tempting. The thought of doing more with him was dangerous, but dangerous had never seemed so alluring.
“That might be, but your style is in every photo you sent, and the concept sets them apart. It’s so refreshing to see a real man, the kind whose muscles come from hard work and not the gym. I am so tired of these metro-sexual models who know more about fashion than me.”
Harper smothered a laugh, because that was exactly what Adam had said. “I wanted to capture the kind of magnetism a guy puts off after a hard day’s work. Then shoot him in his element to show that swagger is earned, not bought off a rack.”
“‘Swagger is earned, not off the rack,’” Chantel said slowly, as if she was writing it down. “I can’t wait to see the final mockups. And your window display is probably as edgy as your photos.”
“I can send some pictures of the window when it’s done.” Which, based on Harper’s mental calculations of just how long it would take to redo the entire display to match the mood of the photos while putting together the online catalog, helping out with Beat the Heat, and doing her day job, would be Friday night. That was, if she skipped all meals and learned how to sleep standing up.
“Great. If they’re anything like these, Lulu will flip. I can just see the taglines you used on these images. Real Men Work. Real Men Sweat. My favorite is Real Men Wear Swagger. Brilliant.” Chantel paused, and Harper could hear her thinking through the phone. “Wait. I have a better idea. What if we came to you?”
“Here?”
“Photos can be underwhelming, so this way nothing can be lost in translation. Seeing the whole concept, how the store, the new display, the campaign, and Swagger all work together to create a singular vision would be helpful.”
Harper looked inside past the three bobbleheads, to the girdles on the floor, the boxes of new sleepwear still needing to be shelved, and felt the panic settle around her neck. “Ah, when were you thinking?”
“We’re launching the line on National Underwear Day, so what if we came the day before? A little prerelease where I can bring Lulu and the entire team, and if it goes well we can wrap this up before the launch.” Chantel’s voice went serious.
“If you like what you see, then you would offer us the same territory, same exclusive terms?” Harper asked, unable to mask the excitement in her voice. This would change everything for her grandmother. It would also change things for Harper. Just a few weeks working on this project and already look how much her life had changed.
How much she had changed.
“What I experienced when I was there changed my mind about you and the Boulder Holder. I know it will change Lulu’s. She’s looking for a reason to say yes to you, Harper. So am I. Your grandma was one of our first retailers.”
“The first. And would Lulu really want to celebrate her prelaunch here?” Harper asked, because in-person didn’t seem to be her forte when it came to people between the ages of eighteen and fifty-five. The idea of negotiating with a roomful of runway-ready trendsetters and executives made her palms sweat.
“Absolutely,” Chantel said with so much confidence that Harper felt her own lift. “I just got word that Lulu will be flying out for the launch and wanted a work retreat away from the office with the team to finalize things. Wine country is sexy, romantic, enticing, and the perfect place to get in the right mindset. Plus, it’s the perfect timing to showcase the new, beautiful, fresh face of the Boulder Holder.”
Any concerns Harper had vanished. Meeting Lulu was the next logical step, and she had no need to be worried. Making friends was what Harper did. It was how she’d survived eight different schools before the third grade. Sure, she was quirky and sometimes a bit awkward, but she was real, knew how to listen, and, most importantly, she had heart.