Boardroom Seduction. Anita Bunkley

a car. The factory is on the outskirts of town. About half an hour from the airport.”

      Kacey nodded, grabbed a pen and began to jot down the instructions that Ariana was giving her while Steve ended his call.

      Once he had finished and refocused on Kacey, he told her, “Take your portfolio, fabric samples and proposal to Texas and sell this line to Archer. He’s the man we want.”

      Kacey grinned, drew in a gasp of surprise and then sighed. Had her boss actually given her the green light on her proposal? Was SunKissed by Kacey going to become a reality after so many months of dreaming and planning? She pushed back her chair and stood, papers clutched in one hand, her heartbeat increasing by the second.

      “Then, you’re saying, it’s a go?” she prompted, needing to hear the words from Steve Hadley himself that her swimsuit line was headed into production.

      “Yes, it’s a tentative go. And if you manage a five percent reduction in overall manufacturing costs, there’ll be a nice cash bonus in it for you,” he offered, sounding strongly supportive of Kacey’s project.

      “Oh, I’m sure I can do that, Mr. Hadley. Five percent won’t be a problem. Trust me. I’ll work this out.”

      “I hope so. I’m impressed with your designs, Kacey, and if we can have product in stock by mid-June, I feel confident our customers will buy it.”

      Kacey struggled to appear calm, though she was desperate to scream with joy. She’d been dreaming about this day ever since she started her career in retail merchandising. Now, she had a real shot at shifting her focus toward designing for the masses instead of setting up displays and running in-store contests. She could hardly wait to start the journey.

      While Kacey headed toward the conference room door, Steve remained seated, looking over his eyeglasses at her as he advised, “Pack well. You might be in Texas for a while.”

      “A while?” Kacey quipped, arching a shapely brown eyebrow in his direction. “Certainly Mr. Archer and I can accomplish all we need to do in a day. Two at the most.”

      “No, if all goes well, I want you to stick around there.”

      Kacey glanced suspiciously at her boss. “For how long?”

      “For as long as it’ll take to get SunKissed by Kacey into my stores. No need to rush back here, only to fly back and forth every few weeks,” Hadley explained. “I know old man Archer will do his best to accommodate our time frame, but since this is such a rush job, and a risky midseason production as well, we can’t afford any mistakes. He and I will iron out the contract details before you get there. I want you to stay close, oversee production and ensure an on-time delivery.”

      Kacey assessed Steve Hadley with dread in her heart, doubting he understood the enormity of what he was asking of her. Leaving New York City to spend God knows how long in rural Texas was not something she looked forward to. What in the world would she do for fun in a tiny Gulf Coast town with an old man as her business contact?

      Suffer in silence, she guessed, prepared to sacrifice the lifestyle she loved to see her designs come to life.

      Chapter 2

      Back in her cubicle, Kacey immediately booked her flight to Corpus Christi, reserved a rental car and then phoned her friend Linette to share her good news. However, all Kacey got was the photographer’s voice mail, so she left a message for Linette to call her back as soon as possible, adding that she had exciting news to share.

      That ought to get her attention, Kacey thought as she ended the connection. It was always difficult to reach Linette, who was constantly on the move as she traveled from one location shoot to another. Sometimes it took a week for them to finally catch up with each other due to their busy, on-the-go lifestyles.

      Taking a moment to reflect on the impact of her presentation, Kacey pondered the future, a ripple of excitement feathering her insides. She’d begun working on her designs last year, using computer-assisted design (CAD) software that turned her detailed sketches into actual computer drawings. Printed pattern pieces placed on swaths of bold-colored fabric quickly morphed into the samples that she had personally sewn and fitted on models for Linette to photograph. And now, at last, Hadley was giving her the opportunity to create sexy, stylish swimwear that she knew customers would be thrilled to wear.

      Hadley was damn sure impressed and Ariana is totally behind me, Kacey mused in satisfaction, realizing how much support she had at Leeman’s. If SunKissed by Kacey became the runaway hit she expected, her position with the chic retailer would open doors to all the exclusive shops on Rodeo Drive, as well as retailers like Bergdorf’s, Saks, and Neiman’s.

      A competitive swimmer in college, Kacey loved challenges and loved to win. She knew her petite stature, flawless mocha skin and the thick brown hair that framed her face in curly tendrils made her look a lot younger and less savvy than she was. But at thirty-one, she had made plenty of hard decisions in her drive to become successful, and knew exactly where she wanted to go.

      For more than a year, Kacey had labored over her drawing boards, studied the competition and focused on coming up with swimwear that would make such an impact on the marketplace that every retailer would clamor for her swimsuits. Even though the rights to her special label would belong to Leeman’s, Kacey knew the professional credit and boost in her fledgling design career were more than she’d ever dreamed of.

      Leaving her computer, she went to stand at the large window behind her desk. Looking out, she swept her gaze over the towering buildings pressed together in midtown Manhattan. The steady rain continued to slick the traffic-clogged streets as dull gray clouds hovered above the tops of skyscrapers. She placed her palm against the glass and shivered. Too damn cold, she thought with a shudder, but that’s the way it could be in early April in New York. There’d even been a snow flurry last week, but she prayed that warm weather was on the way.

      In the foggy distance, Kacey could barely discern the outline of the building where she hoped to live one day. Four blocks from Leeman’s, the newly renovated 780-square-foot apartment she dreamed about would be a vast improvement over the tiny closetlike studio in Harlem where she lived now. She’d been saving for two years to make the move, and now, if all went well, her Sun Kissed line would provide a much-needed boost in her income, allowing her to lease the new apartment in mid town.

      But first, she had to go to Texas, get her designs into production, then into stores. And as much as she dreaded an extended stay in a small town like Rockport, she knew the trip would be a welcome break from the damp cold of the city.

      “I’ve got to remain positive,” she murmured, deciding to treat her trip like a mini-vacation, though seriously doubting she’d be able to do anything fun while she was there. After all, she was going to Texas to work, not play, and there’d be little time to fool around.

      A tap at her door brought Kacey out of her thoughts. Swinging around, she waved Ariana into the room, noticing the bemused expression on her colleague’s face.

      “You really impressed Steve,” Ariana informed Kacey, sliding into the chair near Kacey’s desk.

      “That’s what I hoped to do,” Kacey tossed back, returning to sit in front of her computer. “I’ve been working on this project for over a year, and I knew I’d only have one shot at getting him onboard.”

      “Oh, he’s definitely behind you, honey. I’ve worked with Hadley for a long time and when he called Leon Archer personally from the conference room, I knew he was eager to move this project forward. He’s sold. Don’t think he’s ever been as excited about a new line before.”

      “He’s never seen swimsuits like mine before,” Kacey countered with confidence.

      “You’re right about that,” Ariana agreed, crossing her long legs and tilting back in her chair. She fluffed her bleached-white hair and puckered her full pink lips, a gesture that Kacey and her coworkers often mimicked when talking about Ariana. At fifty-six, Ariana Mendio was trim, shapely and still an alarmingly attractive