Page 8 of The Fiancé Hoax
“Intuition is your business model?”
She cringed. “Is that bad?”
I sighed. “Very bad. You need data, Felicity. Numbers. What’s your profit margin?”
“Okay, I know that one. It’s around five percent.”
“That’s terrible. What about your markup—how much do you price the products over wholesale?”
“Twenty percent. I think.” She scrunched her face up.
I set my coffee cup down. “Felicity, you’re giving your clothes away.”
“No, that was just once or twice to one lady. And she swore she’d pay me back after she paid off her credit card.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re literally giving your clothes away? Let me guess. You’re giving your favorite customers discounts, too.”
Her eyes darted to the side. “I have to make sure my fans come back, don’t I?”
I leaned back in the booth. “That’s not how it works. When you price the clothes, you need to factor in your time making them. The rent, utilities, all of it. It’s not just the cost of the fabric.”
“You must think I’m an idiot.” She buried her face in her hands. “Lauren’s always telling me I’m too generous to the customers.”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot. I think you’ve got some… interesting ideas when it comes to running your business.”
She looked up. “I thought if I was nice to them, they’d become loyal customers.”
“Pay your bills first, then you can be generous.”
She nodded sheepishly.
I sipped my coffee. “You need to learn how to manage a business. And at least get a portfolio to keep your designs in so they don’t blow away at the first breeze.”
“Okay, good points. But look at these designs.” She shuffled through the papers and showed me several drawings. “This is where I’m strongest. Creating unique clothing. You can’t find this just anywhere. This is gold, Cooper.”
She met my eyes when she said my name. For a second, there was something there. Something between us.
I liked my name on her lips. Blushing, she quickly looked away.
“You could have the best clothes in the world,” I said, “but without business sense, you’ll fail.”
She looked down, her face falling.
“You’re running your business all wrong, Felicity.”
She bit her pouty lip.
“I mean, a rent increase shouldn’t make or break you if you’re prepared,” I said. “You need to have emergency funds. Some kind of Plan B.”
“I know. I’m terrible at business, honestly.” She sighed. “I guess I thought if I had the talent and the skills, I could make the store a success.”
I shook my head. “Talent’s not enough. You need a business plan, a marketing strategy.”
“Okay, you’re right. I’m just saying there’s potential here. If I did all that and had some money to advertise, I know I could turn Moonstone into something… magical.”
Her eyes met mine, the light catching the ring of gold in her irises. I didn’t blink, and this time, she didn’t look away.
“I can feel it, you know?” she asked in a breathy voice.