Page 17 of Wild Scottish Beauty

“Why in the world would you coat a man in honey?”

“It’s less shiny than oil, but still gleams.”

“Won’t it just look like piss?”

“You think? Huh, I’ll have to look into it.”

“You can do that off the clock, Sheila. I’m not paying you to test out honey on naked men.”

“More’s the pity, I’m sure. Right, then. Carrying on. A spot has opened up at the airport.”

I rolled my eyes.

“We’ve been over this. Move on.”

“I think you need to hear me out because your brotheris trying to shoehorn his way in, but I managed to get the leasing agent to give us twenty-four hours before he opens it to other applicants.”

My blood heated at the mention of Andrew. It was impossible not to.Traitor.

“Our kilts are custom-made. What do you suggest we do for an airport store?” I shouldn’t be open to the idea, but the thought of my brother getting prominent placement with his fast-fashion, cheaply made crap, which he passed off as authentic Scottish merchandise, made me want to punch my fist through the computer screen. Not that any of this was Sheila’s fault, it was just the closest thing to me. Instead, I drew multiple circles on the paper, stabbing little holes into the corner of the cover, while Sheila rushed through her pitch.

“I think you could choose one or two tartan favorites, our bestsellers maybe, and produce those in common sizes. Then we go all accessories. Bowties, braces, bags … all of that can be made ahead of time without having to be a custom order. We have enough data to know what our customers like best, so we produce a lot of it. The revenue stream from this positioning would employ an entire new warehouse of employees at our production facilities.”

She knew just where to fire her shots. It was vitally important to me that my employees lived and worked in Scotland, and each product was made with a careful eye to detail. Kilt-making was a time-honored tradition, and I made sure that each of our orders was crafted with that history in mind. But I also knew we were approaching a recession and that many employers were making cuts. If I was in the position to provide more jobs, I wanted to do so.

“What data do you have that supports purchases at that price? My brother’s shite products would likely sell better.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’ll send you the financials. I did a lot of research on high-end boutiques and their placement in airports around the world. Turns out, many people forget to buy gifts while traveling and are willing to splurge before they hop on a plane home. The data supports it.”

“Send it over. I’ll look at it today and get back to you by”—I checked my watch—“before end of day. I’m going to the pub for the match later.”

“Look at you being social.” Sheila gave me an approving nod.

“Hardly. I need to eat. And there’s beer.”

“Will any of your friends be there?”

“I dunno.” I shrugged a shoulder. “Likely?”

“Aww, you have a man date to watch the rugby. See? You’re growing. I knew moving to Loren Brae would be good for you.”

“From my understanding, you’re my cousin, not my mother, Sheila. I don’t need you to hover over me.”

“Not hovering. Just observing.”

“I didn’t see discussion of my personal life on today’s agenda.”

“Oh, speaking of!” Sheila continued unperturbed, tucking a pencil behind her ear. “Did your intern arrive?”

“I’m not talking about that.”

“Wait, what happened?” Sheila’s eyes sharpened. “I thought you’d agreed to this.”

“Changed my mind.”

“That’s not like you. Usually, you’re a man of your word.”

My back went up. Sheila wasn’t wrong. Once I’d given my word or agreed to do something, I rarely backpedaled. I didn’t like people who were indecisive or changed tracks constantly. If I said I would do something, I did it. Which made me even more annoyed that Sophie had surprised me with Willow as an intern. If she’d just told me who was coming, I would have told her no.

---