Kacey slowly unscrewed the cap on her bottle of water while assessing her new collaborator with interest. Though caught off guard by this shift in plans, the prospect of working with Leon Archer Jr. absolutely intrigued her. In the full five minutes since they’d met, she could already tell that collaborating with him was going to be a challenge. A challenge that she was more than ready to accept.
Chapter 5
Over the next hour, Kacey and Leon discussed each design in detail and shared thoughts on the execution of the various styles. They collaborated on pattern adjustments that would simplify production and keep costs down. However, it became clear right away that even though they shared the common goal of turning out a dynamite product at the best possible price, Leon was much more relaxed about the time frame than Kacey was.
“When will the first samples be ready?” she wanted to know.
“Depends,” he casually replied.
“On what?”
“On how fast Bob Truett can get to your project.”
“Bob Truett?” Kacey questioned.
“Our master patternmaker. He’s the person who really holds the power around here,” Leon chuckled. “He’s the best, though. Been with the company for years.”
“You know I want to move this along as quickly as possible, don’t you?” Kacey reminded Leon, not wanting to waste a second.
“We don’t rush things around here. We move at the best pace to get the job done right, on schedule and to the customer’s satisfaction.”
“I’m sure you do, but I can’t stick around Rockport forever.”
“Don’t be in such a rush. Relax. The workroom is pretty busy right now, but Truett knows your contract is a quick turnaround job,” he assured Kacey, examining a page from the folder that contained the production schedule for SunKissed. “If all goes well, we should have your samples completed within a few days. However, I don’t like to ask my employees to work overtime unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Kacey simply watched Leon and held back from speaking while he scanned the document in silence. When he glanced up, he hooked Kacey with his magnetic gray eyes once again, creating an electric connection that made Kacey’s heart turn over. Gulping back her unsettling reaction, she stilled, determined not to expose the stir of emotions cascading through her body.
“But you will ask for overtime if you have to, right?” she finally asked.
“Let’s just see how things go,” was all Leon offered.
“All right,” Kacey conceded, hoping he would not be reluctant to push his employees hard to get the job done in record time. But that was his call to make, not hers, so she’d just have to trust him to do what he felt was best.
As he continued to explain the process, Kacey’s eyes settled on Leon’s full, well-formed lips, unable to keep from fantasizing about the warm, yummy taste she knew they would leave on her tongue. The idea of kissing Leon Archer made her nipples go hard in her bra and the core of her womanhood tense up. Such an intensely sexual arousal, prompted by a man she did not know, was like a lightning strike on a sunny day—completely out of the blue, but not impossible. In fact, getting excited over a man she did not know was exactly what she’d been yearning to feel for a very long time.
Kacey’s personal life hummed along in an easy, uncomplicated way that she’d come to consider as normal. She didn’t have a special man in her life, but she did have Jamal, the guy she turned to whenever she needed someone to rescue her from long spells of sexual abstinence. Kacey trusted and loved Jamal as a true friend, even though he wished she could love him like a man.
Jamal. Thinking of him made Kacey almost sigh. They’d known each other for eight years, and as much as she tried to shift her feelings for the devilishly handsome real estate investor into full romantic mode, it never quite happened. So, she’d settled on remaining good friends with occasional benefits, a perfect arrangement for Kacey, despite Jamal’s desire for more.
When Leon cleared his throat with a fist to his mouth, as if aware of how distracted Kacey had become, she snapped to attention. Taking in his bemused expression, she tossed her crazy imaginings aside, placing fingertips to her chin to feel grounded in the moment.
“Ready to discuss the schedule?” Leon started, lifting one eyebrow while gracing her with a look as intimate as a kiss, which only served to rev her pulse a notch higher.
He’s as caught up as I am, Kacey observed, exchanging a slow smile with him. “Sure,” she replied, squeezing her legs together in an attempt to banish the itch that was definitely in need of scratching. Leaning forward in her chair, she focused her attention on the papers spread out on Leon’s desk, avoiding his eyes completely.
“First, let’s talk about your fabric,” he stated.
“What do you think about the choices?” she asked Leon, her voice now crisply professional and efficient.
“Very nice. We have everything in stock except the imported Naughty Net, but we ought to find it soon.”
“Perfect,” Kacey commented. “And I’d like to come in at least five percent under budget,” she told him, plunging back to earth with a definite crash, determined to make good on her promise to Hadley.
“Five percent? I dunno,” Leon hedged. “You have eight different styles, and each one requires a lot of decorative detail. The cost of your raw materials eats up more than one-third of your budget,” Leon warned with a tone of authority. “You might want to consider eliminating some of the expensive bling if you want to cut costs.”
His candid assessment quickly dissolved Kacey’s dreamy reaction to him. He sounded way too confident that she would be willing to go along with whatever he decided. Well, she had news for Leon Archer. His flirtatious overtures weren’t going to distract her from holding firm on her designs. She knew her swimsuits contained the flashy touches that made them stand out from all the other swimwear currently available, and she had no plans to change that.
Certainly, this guy didn’t expect her to drop the metallic gold rings on her bikini tops, did he? Or omit the polished Italian stone side clasps on the bottoms? Or trash the bronze beading on halter ties shot through with strands of gold and silver thread?
No, she could never eliminate her trademark sparkle or dull the shine that she adored.
“I have to disagree with your assessment,” she told Leon firmly, after taking her time considering his point. “The accessory trim is what makes my styles, along with the custom cuts and imported fabrics. Unique accessorizing is key.”
“I understand. But that’s where the financial wiggle room is,” Leon advised.
Kacey inclined her head in agreement, thinking about the financial bonus that Hadley had promised if she reduced production costs. Somehow, she had to prove to Hadley that she could get the job done, and done at his price.
“I understand where you’re coming from, Leon,” she finally agreed. “However, we’ll have to cut costs someplace else.”
Leon simply lifted his palms toward the ceiling as if at a loss to suggest an alternative.
“The estimates for labor per unit and packaging look good,” Kacey said, searching for a way to make it all work.
“Oh, yes. Those are static costs that remain as is. No wiggle room there,” Leon confirmed.
“Okaaay…so, if accessory trim is the wild card,” Kacey restated, turning her thoughts to ways of saving money without sacrificing style, “I have an idea.”
“Let’s hear it,” Leon prompted.
Kacey sank back in her chair, fingers tented at her lips, knowing she would have to adjust costs somewhere if she wanted that bonus money. Leaning