Page 123 of Inflame

“Are we selling a product or classes or what exactly?” she asks.

“Probably going to sell your asses,” a voice behind us booms with laughter. “Bunch of cheap whores from the database.”

My body whips around to see Ethan glaring down at us, and within seconds we are surrounded by half a dozen people in nondescript clothing—some men and some women—with Collins looming in the back. I didn’t even know they were bodyguards, that’s how much they blended into the crowd.

“You prick,” Angie sneers, and when she tries to step forward, Collins cuts through the group to intervene.

“Miss McFee and Miss Nettles, please move up in line and don’t give any regard to Mr. Maxwell. He seems to have lost his logic.”

Taking the hint that there might be a physical confrontation yet again in public, Ethan smirks, blows me an obnoxious kiss, and then exits the shop without a fight.

“Damn, he is ballsy,” Angie whispers. “What’s his deal?”

“Probably to try to ruin every good thing I have going for me.”

“Well, let’s not let him. The best revenge for someone who does you wrong is letting him see that you are way better off without him. And you are, Claire. You don’t need his toxicity in your life. You one hundred percent deserve better.”

I nod my head, trying to get back into a workable space mentally. Ethan always throws me off my game, and I can’t keep allowing him to infiltrate my thoughts. “I think we should start with a product line, meant only for women. Designed by women, created for women,” I answer, trying to detox my mind from all things Ethan. “I think we should have a strong social media presence, post live videos of our design creations, and anchor our products to emotions. Focus on how our products make us feel.”

“I agree. Any thoughts on a title?”

When it’s my turn, I order a bowl of greens and stick with all of the vegan options, doubling up on a couple of my favorite toppings. Once we pay, we find a seat outside at a table and continue our discussion while nibbling at our food.

“Empowered 4 You? Girl Power?” I ramble. “Maybe…” I chew up a bite of my food, growing frustrated over a brand name. “Oh, this is tough. I am struggling.”

“How can we portray that women don’t need anyone? I mean, it is great to find your person. But we can do it all without a man. How can we send that message?”

I shrug. “Being a loner… Like RSVPing as a plus none. Ha, I guess I have your wedding on my brain. And my RSVP once said ‘plus one’ for Ethan, and I have to change it to ‘plus none.’ I don’t need his type of negativity in my life anyway.”

“That’s it!” she chants.

“What?”

“The name.Plus None. I think that is a great name. Shows that women don’t need a date to feel valued. We need to find it within ourselves. Love from inside before you can let another person love from the outside,” Angie explains. “Plus None.”

“It does have a nice ring to it,” I say. “Plus None. Hmm, it does sound good. Let’s make sure it isn’t trademarked or anything crazy like that.”

“So, what should we work on first when it comes to products?”

“I love looking through magazines or seeing social media influencers and seeing an entire outfit. This is probably why I love the displays at malls. Helps me figure out what looks good with what accessories. What are your thoughts on having a detailed survey and creating weekly or monthly subscription boxes?”

Angie sits up in her chair and taps her index finger over her lips. “A complete box with jewelry, an outfit, and some makeup or skin products? Maybe even some health items? I’ve been working at creating clothes that have inner adjustments so they will fit if you lose or gain five pounds.”

“I think having a complete box that is customizable is what will propel us into the next generation of subscription purchasing. Including the jewelry, the accessories, skincare, nail polish, plus a workable outfit… That’s what busy women need. There are so many possibilities for things we can include in each box. Where do we go from here?” I ask, finishing up my salad—which I thoroughly enjoyed—and checking the time on my phone.

“Let’s go back to the office and start ordering the rest of our supplies. Tomorrow, let’s brainstorm a prototype for our subscription box. Let’s get all of our ducks lined up and then start figuring out who we need to hire to get the production going.”

“Thank you,” I say softly.

Angie looks over at me confused. “For what?”

I smile sadly. “For giving me something to look forward to.”

She squeezes my hands. “This is a dream come true to work with you. You are my very best friend.”

I squeeze back. “Feeling’s mutual.”

My phone buzzes with a text notification and with one glance at my screen, my stomach is in knots.

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