Page 74 of Singled Out
“I’m not a purist,” I assured her.
“Same.” Dakota held her glass up. “To laid-back bitches.”
We clinked, laughing.
“Tell us what you’re cooking up,” I said after taking a sip.
“My candles; your jewelry, Harper; your ceramics, Dakota; and I know a girl who makes soaps, lotions, that kind of thing. I think she’d jump at the chance to sell through a retail store. I’ve researched some other product lines that would fit what I have in mind—candle holders, crystals, geodes, stickers, incense, some other decor, and gift items. Basically an eclectic mix of handmade merch and unique items we can order from smaller suppliers.”
“I love it,” Dakota said easily. She said it so fast that my head whipped in her direction. “What?” she asked me. “You don’t?”
“No, I do,” I said. “I’m intrigued. I can picture it. Sort of an earthy, artistic vibe?”
“Yes!” Cambria said. “I had an idea for a name.” She made a face as if hesitant to tell us. “What do you think of Earthly Charm?”
I let it roll through my head for a second. “I like it.”
“It’s perfect,” Dakota said. “You’re good at this.”
Cambria laughed. “Trust me when I say I’ve been obsessing.” Her eyes were wide with enthusiasm that was contagious. “So there’s a couple of different directions we could go.”
She paused to take a bite of sausage, and I didn’t miss her use of the word we.
I gulped some wine and waited.
“I’d love to have partners. You two if you’re interested. We could open this business together as co-owners, either apply for a small business loan or find investors, and develop it together, equal shares. Or if that’s more than you’re wanting to bite off, I can be the sole owner, and I’d love to have you as my first two employees.”
I blew out a breath with an overwhelmed wooo sound. “That’s…big. Both options are a huge deal.”
“Huge deal,” Dakota said. “Thank you for including me.”
“If you hate it, no hard feelings,” Cambria said in a rush.
“I don’t hate it,” I said. “I’m a little freaked out about the partnership. Are you sure about that?”
Cambria picked up an almond but didn’t put it in her mouth. “I’ll be honest. I’m freaked out too because it’s a big endeavor to open a store on the square. I was originally thinking a tiny storefront with a large enough back room to do my work in, but then this opportunity came out of nowhere. I’m a risk taker, so I want to do it either way, as long as I can get financing. But I’d love it more if you two were in it with me. If it was our business.”
“You know I’m a bartender, right?” Dakota said. “I can make a mean mimosa and a killer martini, and I can make change when I have to, but I’ve never owned a business.”
“If you’ve sold your mugs, you technically have,” I pointed out, surprising myself because, by those standards, I was in business too.
“This is such a bigger scale,” Dakota said. “How long do we have to think about it?”
“However long you need, as long as nobody else gets serious about that storefront. Darius said he’d give me first dibs.” Cambria looked to me. “What are you thinking, Harper?”
“I’m thinking I need more wine.”
We all laughed, and I held my glass up for her to refill.
I nodded. “I need to make enough money to pay the rent and live on.”
“I plan to include payroll in the financing,” Cambria said.
“This girl is smart,” Dakota said.
“We can totally do this,” Cambria said, her eyes lit with excitement and determination. “Going into business together would be an adventure.”
I laughed giddily and wondered if the wine was hitting me. Because I liked adventures and was really considering this. “I need to make sure you understand that, like Dakota, I’m great at customer service but inexperienced with business stuff.”