‘Yoo-hoo!’ Heleny hurried down the street.
Naomi stood and shoved the diary under her seat cushion.
‘Is anyone here yet? Am I late?’
‘No, you’re fine. I’ve put paper and pencils on the table. I’ve made iced tea and plated your lovely shortbreads for refreshments; have I forgotten anything?’ A Shiver of excitement raced through her. Where would this lead? Then the futility of it all took over. ‘Heleny, I’m wasting everyone’s time. The truth is I haven’t the money to start a business.’
‘Well, in that case, you’ll just have to go after that job in the sex shop.’
They looked at each other and laughed.
‘Poor Georgia, I simply can’t help winding her up,’ Naomi said.
‘Poor nothing, she loves it. Why don’t you put your products out, samples for everyone to try?’
‘Good idea. By the way, here’s your new perfume. No Man’s Land.’ She dabbed a little on Heleny’s wrist. ‘What do you think?’
Heleny sniffed, frowned, and smiled. ‘Unusual, but not unpleasant. I’ll give it a go and let you know the result.’ She reached out and touched Naomi’s arm. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s me who owes you thanks for organising this brainstorming. I’m quite nervous about it.’
‘Naomi!’ Bubba, who had slept most of the day, started giving orders. ‘Get me into that nice cardigan you bought me for Hanukkah. I want to look good for your business meeting.’
Naomi and Heleny exchanged a grin. They rushed into Bubba’s room and smartened her up.
‘Lipstick!’ Bubba cried.
Naomi applied her peach lip balm.
‘Heleny, pass the scissors,’ Bubba said. ‘Now, cut this bloody plait off! Chop it straight along the back of my neck, I can’t wait for the hairdresser’s.’
When the deed was done, she asked for a mirror and nodded at her reflection, fluffing her hair with her good hand. ‘Smashing! Get me to the table before anyone else comes. I don’t want to come across as an invalid. Let’s have a splash of your sexy perfume, child, and a large glug of wine to start the ideas flowing.’
Naomi blinked at her. ‘Sometimes you astound me.’ Minutes later they raised their glasses in a toast.
‘To Pandora’s Box,’ Heleny said, and they chinked.
Papas Yiannis and Marina arrived, followed by Georgia. They gathered around the table and Naomi explained the reason for the meeting. Heleny said they should do it properly and she would keep the minutes. The priest asked about finances. Georgia suggested household products that Naomi should consider, such as lavender pillows and wardrobe sachets to repel moths.
‘Can I say something else?’ Georgia picked up a pot of cream. ‘Pandora’s products, shouldn’t they be in a square container? Like Pandora’s Box?’
‘Good point,’ Naomi said. ‘What do you think, Marina?’
The priest’s granddaughter seemed slightly startled. She shrugged. ‘I don’t know . . .’
‘You mustn’t be shy,’ Heleny said. ‘You’re young, and you took business studies, so your thoughts will interest us all.’
‘I . . . I don’t like to say.’ She stared at the table top. ‘I love the perfume and the idea, but it all seems old fashioned and a bit boring, actually. Sorry.’
Everyone blinked at her, slightly embarrassed.
Naomi broke the silence. ‘No, that’s great. Exactly what we need to hear.’ She patted Marina’s hand. ‘Keep going. What would you do if it was your business?’ She glanced around the table. ‘It’s the young that have money to spend, so we have to recognise what appeals to them.’
Marina nodded. ‘I don’t understand why you want a shop. It seems mad. You should have a website, and a blog, and do makeup videos for YouTube. You could have online launch parties for new products, record wild flower walks and talk about essential oils, and get your range into the local chemists. Or consider direct selling on a large scale, like to some cosmetic companies. Why restrict yourself with the work, expense, and limited location of physical premises?’
They all stared at her.
‘Sorry . . . sorry,’ she muttered.
‘No, that’s great!’ Naomi noticed a flash of pride in the priest’s eyes. ‘But I’m not sure I’d be able to cope with the Internet stuff.’
‘Why not take on a partner who’s good at that sort of thing?’ Marina said. ‘That would leave you free to continue with what you excel at: the products. I’d work full time for forty per cent of the net.’
Naomi’s mouth fell open.
‘Think of it like this,’ Marina carried on, bolder now. ‘The more we earn, the more I make. It would be in my interest to do everything I can to boost the business. The first thing I’d do is go to the bee museum, get them to display your products, and cut a deal for beeswax and honey, and anything else you use that comes out of the hive. It’s all very well using the broken church candles, but you need to be able to cost a product properly in order to price it correctly.’ She glanced around the table and, seeing she had everyone’s attention, she continued. ‘On the downside, there is a lot to be paid for in advance to set up any business.’
Naomi absorbed all this and could see Marina was right. ‘How do you mean, that last point about money?’
‘Well, if you wish to expand outside Rhodes and your local friends, there’s testing, shelf life, and patenting to deal with, all essential, expensive, but necessary to get your range into the big stores. You need a certified accountant to set up a limited company, and he’ll want paying. The biggest money eater of all is advertising.’
Naomi’s hopes plummeted.
‘No, don’t be disheartened,’ Marina continued. ‘You have the most important thing, the first line of products. It’s just a case of taking one hurdle at a time. There’s no timescale for going global is there? It is simply the ultimate goal.’ They all stared at her and she faltered. ‘Naomi, I may have a degree in Business Studies, but I can’t advise you on everything. I’m only a shop girl selling shoes to earn a monthly wage. But I’m sure of this, we need money, a backer. There are people out there looking for new lines, and there’s funding on the Internet.’ She picked up a little pot of lip gloss. ‘Did you know that Greek women spend more on cosmetics than any other country in Europe?’
They all shook their heads.
‘Anyway, in my opinion the name is brilliant. It covers all angles.’
‘How do you mean?’ Naomi asked.
‘Well, Pandora’s Box, the whole mythology thing, gives you the perfect titles for various categories. The Graces, there’s a tag for your mature skin range. Perfume, Aphrodite. Aftershave, Zeus. Helios, sun creams and lotions. Evil has to be the young makeup line – black eyes and dark lipstick. You don’t have to stick to the actual legend, just hint at it.’
‘But I can’t produce things like mascara,’ Naomi said.
‘No, but the Chinese can. We have a lot to talk about, and even more to research, but first, I’d like to suggest a target: five years to get Pandora’s Box into a major supermarket.’ She looked at each in turn. ‘What do you think?’ Stunned silence filled the room.
A thrill raced through Naomi.
The old lady was the first to speak. She nodded at Pappas Yiannis. ‘This granddaughter of yours isn’t just a pretty face. She’s got a brain too.’
Naomi tried to consider all that Marina had suggested. ‘But what on earth could I blog about? I’ve lived here all my life. I’m not in the least bit interesting.’
‘Sorry, but you’re wrong, Naomi,’ Marina said. She glanced around the table again, and seeing all eyes on her she seemed to grow a little. ‘Actually, you’re amazing. I’d be fascinated to hear how you started, where your recipes came from, what improvement certain ingredients bring about. What’s behind the name “Pandora”? I want to know everything, and others will too. Using basic and pure ingredients is a bonus; people don’t like chemicals on their skin. You’ve got heaps going for you.’
Naomi felt a spark of hope. ‘Thirty-five per cent, and you have yourself a deal, Marina!’ she said.
They shook hands across the table.
Everyone clapped and nodded, and Marina beamed at her new partner.
‘Contract!’ Bubba said, primping her hair. ‘As the founder of this business, before anything goes any further, I insist all agreements are put down in writing by Heleny, signed and witnessed.’
Heleny turned to the back of her minutes notebook and started scribbling.
Marina said, ‘Let’s get the ball rolling right now. Open a Facebook page for Pandora’s Box.’
‘I’m not on Facebook.’
Georgia got up and collected Naomi’s laptop from the kitchen counter. ‘You’ll have one in five shakes, Naomi. Budge up so I can sit beside you.’
‘I seem to be redundant,’ the priest said. ‘Shall I pour everyone a drink before I go?’
‘Just a moment, Grandpa. We need two witnesses for the contract, and there’s only you and Georgia that aren’t involved.’
The meeting went on until evening. When the brainstormers had returned to their homes, Naomi and Bubba were peculiarly quiet, each with her thoughts. Once Naomi had put her grandmother to bed, she experienced a wave of exhaustion and decided on an early night herself.
She woke at dawn and, as had become a habit, made her coffee and sat outside with the diary, eager to see the sunrise and learn more about Bubba’s life.