Page 61 of Scoring Destiny

“That’s my favorite too,” I say. “I’m thinking of adding a soft built-in shelf bra. That’s something I think women struggle with. They’re fine when they’re dressed, wearing bras and shapewear, or whatever, but then they get undressed and all the flaws come to light. And while I’m fully on board with embracing who you are, and body positivity, that doesn’t mean women wouldn’t like to feel a little sexier when they get undressed in front of a man. Or even alone, just to build confidence.”

“I always worry that my boobs sag a little,” Jayne admits. “And I’m only twenty-four. What happens after I have a baby, you know? I mean, I know Bodi loves me, and he says he loves my body, which is awesome, but I have this gorgeous pro athlete in my bed and I do think about it.”

“Exactly.” I sigh. “I just worry because as a society we spend so much time discussing body positivity, not body shaming, stuff like that, and here’s me, telling women that saggy boobs actually aren’t okay. Buy my stuff so you can continue to hide what you’re already insecure about.”

“I don’t think that’s the way we market them,” she says softly.

“There are already a million products out there…”

“There are,” she agrees. “But most of that stuff is super uncomfortable. Bodi bought me this gorgeous lace teddy and while it fit great and I looked hot, I was so glad when I could take it off. I think that’s the difference. Women are already buying stuff to help them feel better about themselves—adding comfort to the equation is what will set you apart.”

I smile. “Thank you. I think that’s what I needed to hear.”

“Any time. I’m going to reach out to Noelle to see how she feels about investing in something like this for the store. And we should work on the prototype.”

“I’m going to fiddle with that today, while I sit here and get some inspiration.”

We both look up as two ladies walk in and immediately start chatting Jayne up.

I leave her to it and sink down in a chair by the window, looking out at Main Street. There’s something inviting about this area. Peachtree Heights itself is a small, affluent suburb of Atlanta, and it’s where the arena is located, but Main Street is like this separate little city. Quaint shops and cafes, a couple of high-end restaurants, a travel agency, and even a high-end clothing boutique.

They might be another avenue to explore.

I have a lot to think about as I sketch out a new version of my favorite nightgown, trying to decide what would look best. This is my favorite part of designing clothes—bringing the ideas in my head to life on a piece of paper. I always thought my passion would be working on movies, maybe on Broadway, but the money isn’t there on Broadway and movies can be hit and miss.

I’ve been lucky, and I’m grateful for the success I’ve had, but lately I’ve been restless. Anxious to try new things. Like my clothing line. I’m just risk averse. Most of my money is tied up in my condo, and I only recently opened a retirement account, so I don’t want to do anything to go backwards in life financially. I’m young, and this is the perfect time to take risks, but I feel strongly about being independent. Reid would bail me out if I needed him to but I would hate that.

No, I have to figure out a way to make this work without inconveniencing anyone.

And Jayne’s idea is smart—doing a trial run where the only goal is to break even and build brand recognition.

I itch to reach out to Cash, get his thoughts on everything, but I don’t want him to think I’m after his money or that I’m hinting that I want him to invest. I have plenty of money. I’ve just been on my own so long I like having a safety net and this would potentially drain my emergency fund.

Tomorrow, I’m going to reach out to my contact in Singapore to get real numbers. From there, I can make a more informed decision. Jayne will have had a chance to talk to Noelle too, which is important because I don’t want to do it if she’s not on board. Jayne makes most of the decisions at the store, but Noelle helped finance it, so she has a say too. I’m not completely sure what their dynamic is and I don’t want to cause any problems there.

I’m completely lost in thought when my phone buzzes.

Cash.

CASH: Hey, baby. What are you doing?

MAYA: I’m hanging out at the store with Jayne. What about you?

CASH: We’re off today. A group of us are going to a baseball game in about an hour.

MAYA: Sounds fun!

CASH: I have a surprise for you when I get back.

MAYA: Yeah? What is it?

CASH: It’s a surprise.

MAYA: LOL Now you’re teasing me.

CASH: Maybe a little.

MAYA: I’m looking forward to finding out what it is.