Page 36 of Cruel Love

“I’m not trying to burst your bubble”—Max sat on my bed—“but how would you pay this person?”

Damn it, there were always obstacles. I paused by my desk then waved the entire thought away. “Fine. That’s for later. I’ll table it for when the company is profitable.”

“It’s a solid plan. If you can get someone who knows what they’re doing, you can slide right into being competitive, combining two things you love.”

“Right?” I was so excited I could barely contain myself. “I talked with Sky this morning. She’s already started building the website and said Damon would help me get all the paperwork done for the LLC and EIN. I will finish that in my spare time, but I need inventory to sell. Which is where you come in.”

Max’s dark brows furrowed. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to be a partner in my company. It’s a lot. I know.” I wrung my hands, energy zinging through me. “My sister is the other partner. We would each own a third. You said you weren’t sure what to do with your art degree when we graduate. Would this be something that interests you?” My body was so tense my neck hurt. I wanted Max in my life after graduation. He was an amazing friend. I trusted him.

A slow grin spread across his face. “Yeah, I’m more than interested. But tell me more before I fully commit.” He rolled his eyes and laughed. “Okay, we both know I will, but I want to hear more anyway.”

“We have very different styles, and that makes sense. It would cater to more people—potential customers. Eventually, we can hire a bigger team, but we’re starting with the three of us, and we’ll be the sole owners.” I resumed my pacing as ideas flooded my mind. “I love what you’re doing for your thesis. You have this innovative, edgy talent, and I can see people scrambling to get their hands on an original you created.”

“The typography artwork?” He pushed a lock of dark hair off his forehead.

“Yeah, with the silhouette. It’s edgy and cool. Plus, there’s so much you can do with that. Of course, you can design boards however you want, but I’ve never seen anything like that on a board before, and you never know.” I stopped and caught his eye. “It could blow up.”

“Wouldn’t that be cool?” Max scooted forward. “We need a contract. And to photograph the completed boards.”

“Right. There’s so much work to do. Riley mentioned her stepdad is a lawyer, and he might be able to do a reduced rate for a business contract between us. I’ll talk to her and find out for sure.” I would have to confirm everything, but I was all in if she said it was a go.

“Okay, I’m in.”

I squealed and threw myself at him. Max wrapped his arms around me and laughed, the sound loud and rich in my ear. When he released me, I went to grab my art supplies. “Do you have some time today?”

“You had me bring my stuff. I assumed we were going somewhere to work, but I thought it was related to the conflict-and-adversity-themed project.”

I shuddered. “I don’t want to do that one. I have zero good ideas.”

“We can brainstorm later.” He glanced around my room. “Are we designing on canvas or paper for the surfboards?”

“I saved up a little money and bought a few used boards that are from reputable brands. It’ll take a while to sand them down so the paint adheres to the surface. But before we work on that, I thought we could sketch designs.”

“Let’s go to the beach. It’s the best place for inspiration.”

“I love that. I could spend every day there and never get sick of it.”

Max grabbed his stuff and some of mine. “Then you’re going to have to make this business a success and buy a beach house.”

That was the plan. After we stepped out into the hall, I tested my door handle, making sure it locked. “Are you done with classes today?” I’d forgotten to ask. I knew his schedule, but my pregnancy brain was kicking in, and I couldn’t remember details.

“I’m good. I have a date tonight, but that’s not till later. We’ve got the rest of the day. What’s your sister doing for her part of the company?”

“Remember Regan’s in fashion?”

“Yep. But is she designing beachwear, bathing suits, or wet suits? Or something else?”

“Yes to all of the above, I think. We only talked about swimwear, but as far as I’m concerned, she can do whatever she wants.” I stopped short, realizing what I’d just said. “But you get a vote too. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to override your input. If you’re an equal partner, we all must agree.” Shit, I needed to talk to Regan about what I’d just done with Max. I worried my lip for a second before shoving the concern away. Regan wouldn’t care. I knew my sister well.

“Nah, I’m good with whatever, as long as she manages the clothes and I only need to focus on what I do or whatever business tasks we divide up, like social media.”

“Right.” I stowed my stuff in the back seat of my car. Max did the same, and we climbed in and then pulled onto the road that would take us to the beach. “I hadn’t thought about some of those things. There’s a lot. It’s almost overwhelming.”

“We can make some lists. It’s probably a lot more manageable than you’re thinking. The surfing pics are easy. We can take them with you on the board.”

“Yeah, but”—I took one hand off the steering wheel and motioned at my belly—“it’s clear that I’m pregnant.”

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