Page 25 of Falling For Her Boss

“Isabella? The floor is yours.”

Isabella slowly pushes a neat black folder toward me. “I brainstormed some ideas about color schemes,” she said. “For packaging, it’s going to depend entirely on what type of woman you want to attract to your product. It’s not just a case of her gender.”

All of the men have finally turned their attention to Isabella. It’s impossible not to see how she’s owning the room so comfortably. She doesn’t seem nervous at all. In fact, I would say she’s in her element now.

“I’ve compared some of the products already on the market for you to look at in the portfolio,” she continues as I flick through the pages. She’s done a lot. There must be at least twenty pages of notes here. It’s seriously impressive.

“Makeup artists use the palettes that look the most professional, and that means finding something that stands out but in a classy manner. For example, this one,” she says, reaching over to point at a picture of some sleek, black palettes with cursive white text on the top. As she withdraws her hand, her pinkie brushes mine and I almost lose it. Damn, she’s good. Her eyes are sparkling as she continues to talk.

“Makeup artists, at least successful ones, use high-quality products to impress their clientele, and therefore it’s important to them that their products look the best. So if you are aiming for that market, then you need to ensure that your marketing campaign and the product packaging is on the mark.”

Her knee nudges against mine. It sends a jolt of pleasure through me once again, though I can’t even be certain that the act was deliberate. My hand is so close to her leg right now. I’m fantasizing all of a sudden about snaking my hand up her thigh. Highly unprofessional, of course, but entirely satisfying and sexy. It’s fortunate that it’s not my turn to talk right now because I’m not certain I could get any words out.

“For the busy woman of today, and are there ever a lot of those types of lovely ladies, we want something eye-catching. Something fun that makes the product stand out from the crowd, just as she wants to stand out herself,” Isabella continues cheerfully. “Girls love something with a fun theme. But then it also depends what age range you’re appealing to. If you’re looking to entice young girls with your product, then a princess theme or something along those lines could go a long way. For young adults and thirty-somethings, a cocktail theme might be a fun way to get their attention. If you’re making eye shadows, each shadow should have a distinctive name. It’s all about being memorable and keeping makeup fun. Because for most people, the ones who are only using the products for themselves, there’s no sense in using something boring. It’s like a fashion accessory, having a good makeup palette is a talking point. Even if it’s just a lipstick from a specific brand, girls will talk about it because they know that the brand has a good reputation. So you see, it’s all about giving people something to talk about.”

She’s certainly giving people something to talk about now. Or she would be if the other men could see what she’s doing. She grazes her high heel down my calf gently. I’ve never been so aroused in public before. Every simple gesture she does has me going wild. She smiles to herself, clearly pleased with the effect she’s having on me. My eyes dart around the room, wondering if anyone has noticed, but all of their eyes are fixated on Isabella. Who can blame them when she’s put us all under her spell?

She plants her foot firmly back on the floor and meets my eye as though she hasn’t just been actively trying to turn me on during this meeting. She clears her throat with a delicate cough, glancing around the room with a smile.

“In conclusion, your product is in the mid-price range, but making it slightly less expensive, but not cheap…big difference in both perception and reality, would put you way ahead of others in the marketplace. Once you’ve got your marketing and product packaging sorted, you’ll be even more distinctive at a good price. Women want good products, but they don’t want to sell their kidneys to afford it.”

Some of the men in the room laugh. I find myself joining in. Isabella has gone from being a shy delicate flower to being a powerful woman. I like seeing her so confident and sure of herself. She threads her fingers together and rests them on the desk in front of her. She’s no longer focusing on me, but rather captivating the room.

“If you can get a good reputation for yourself, then the products will sell themselves. Girls talk…if they’re using a great product, they will show it off. All you need to do is tweak some details and you’ll be well on your way to success.”

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