Chapter Six
Piper pulled into the parking lot of a few minutes after seven o’clock and stopped under the awning.
A young-looking valet jogged over and opened her door.
Handing him her keys, Piper accepted the small tag he gave her and slipped it into her purse.
She smoothed her hand down the side of her gold dress as she took the marble steps to the door.
The dress had been one of Piper’s most prized creations. She loved how it felt against her skin, but that was nothing compared to the way it actually fit in all the right places.
At five-feet-ten inches, Piper had always had trouble finding clothes that fit. And most of the jeans she’d worn growing up had either been too short, too tight in the hips, or they fit in the hips and not the waist.
But the turning point for Piper had been her junior prom. Finding a dress for that special night had proven to be near impossible. She’d been lucky enough to acquire one thanks to her mother, but Piper never forgot the drama of it all.
That was when Piper had decided to make her dream of designing clothes a reality.
She’d quickly become overwhelmed with requests, making quite a bit of side money during the summer, creating unique clothing for the curvier women of her community. The rest, well, the rest was history.
The door opened before Piper reached it. “Good evening, Miss.”
Stepping inside, Piper smiled at the dark-haired woman and scanned the room for signs of an elderly man sitting alone.
“Do you have a reservation?” the woman asked, her eyebrows slightly elevated.
Piper nodded, her gaze continuously moving around the room. “I’m here to meet Mr. Seaborn.”
The woman waved her hand toward the back. “Very good. Right this way.”
Piper followed the maître d’ around the dining room to a dimly lit corner in the back. And there, seated at the very table they stopped in front of, sat Mr. Armani in all his masculine beauty.
The gorgeous, finely suited man got to his feet, skirted the table, and pulled out a chair for Piper. “Miss Hollister. It’s good to see you again.”
Unable to find her tongue, Piper sat and sent him a small smile.
Mr. Seaborn returned to his seat, dismissing the maître d’ with subtle head shake, and picked up the bottle of wine cooling on the table. “May I?”
Piper nodded, afraid to look at him, yet afraid not to.
She decided to risk a glance, only to find him staring back at her with those whiskey-colored eyes.
“Is something wrong?” he murmured, pouring their wine.
Stop being an idiot, Piper mentally admonished herself. She quickly shook her head. “Not at all. I was just expecting someone…older.”
His lips twitched. “And why is that?”
“I have no idea, Mr. Seaborn.” She chuckled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “How presumptuous of me.”
He smiled as well, his beautiful eyes crinkling at the corners. “Please, call me Ethan.”
“And I prefer Piper,” she responded, careful not to stare at his lips. “I believe we met at the fashion show.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “You mean when you nearly ran me down outside the front doors?”
Piper grinned in return. “You remember that. Yes, well I was running late at the time.” God, he smells amazing.
His nostrils flared, and a strange light entered his eyes. But it was gone so fast that Piper figured she’d imagined it.
“Of course I remember. How could I forget you, Piper Hollister?”
Piper blushed, certain that he was teasing her. Or was he? “So, why is it that you asked me here, Mr. Seaborn?”
“Ethan,” he corrected before taking a sip of his wine. “I’m interested in your clothing line.”
“You mentioned that before.” Piper took a sip of her own white wine. “As I said on the phone, I’ve been offered a contract with Calibri’s. I’m meeting with them on Friday to discuss the terms.”
Ethan leaned back in his chair. “I’ll double their offer.”
“You don’t even know what the offer is,” Piper blurted, stunned that he’d make such a bold statement.
That strange light flashed in his eyes once more. Piper figured it to be a reflection from the candle resting in the center of the table.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll give you double what they offer you.”
Swallowing hard, Piper took another sip of wine to calm her rapidly beating heart. “Why would you do such a thing without even seeing the designs?”
He shrugged a large shoulder. “I saw enough. Besides, I’ve done my homework. I believe it’s a fair deal for the both of us.”
More than fair, Piper thought in awe.
Keeping her expression calm, she met his piercing gaze. “What are the terms if I agree to this?”
“Seventy-thirty.”
Another shock. Thirty percent was more than what Piper expected to receive from Calibri’s. “Thirty percent is very generous of you, Mr. Seaborn.”
“It’s Ethan. And the thirty percent goes to me.”
Piper nearly swallowed her tongue. “I’m sorry, what?”
Leaning toward her, he rested his elbows on the table and pinned her with a serious look. “One million up front for expenses, and you retain seventy percent of the profits.”
Certain that she hadn’t heard him right, Piper gaped at him. “But it could take me years to repay your investment. Especially with you only taking thirty percent of the profits.”
“I don’t think so, Piper. I have ways of moving the clothes at a rapid pace. Worldwide, in fact. The debt would be repaid in less than a year, you’ll retain seventy percent ownership, and I’ll reap good benefits as well.”
Piper couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around his offer. “Why would you do such a thing when you could have easily asked for seventy percent for yourself?”
“I have my reasons.”