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“Let’s make that photo the cover.”
“Already in my pile of possibilities.” I moved it to the top corner of the desk to make sure it stayed separated.
“Let’s get a coffee. We haven’t had a chance to talk lately. Crazy busy, right?”
Her time was limited so when she gave me so much of it, it meant more than she knew.
“Always.”
“I could use a change of scenery.”
We walkedin silence a few blocks to the small coffee shop we frequented.
Hayden blew on her cappuccino before taking a sip. She looked at me over the mug, astute eyes studying me.
“The ladies at Paths are all abuzz about this makeup made by someone Ithoughtwould share it with me first.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the heat on my cheeks nothing to do with the coffee. “I’m still testing. And Annmarie is the one who showed me how to make lip gloss. I’ve researched to expand into other things.”
She rifled through her purse and pulled out a small container I recognized. “The product is good.” She unscrewed the lid and dabbed her pinky into the shade I knew to be Grease Monkey. “The texture. Color. Longevity. Feel. It’s all very good. Especially for something homemade.”
She spread the gloss across her lower lip, and I realized she was already wearing it.
My mentor uses my cosmetics?
I blinked a few times in disbelief.
“How long does it take to produce this?”
“I’m making thirty at a time. I can do it in about a day.”
“What’s the shelf life?”
“Six months. The blush and mineral foundation don’t expire as long as they don’t get wet.”
I’d researched every component that went into my products to make them the best they could be.
She rolled the round container in her fingers. “That’s impressive. Let’s have an independent lab verify. Never can be too careful, especially when it comes to potential lawsuits down the road. We’ll have to get licensing. We can chat with my attorney about setting the business up as iron-clad as possible.” Hayden smirked.
All that kind of thing seemed daunting. I didn’t know where to start. “Everything I use is natural.”
“Which is perfect. We have to figure out how to produce it on a larger scale. With the right branding, this has incredible potential. You’ve really got your finger on the pulse of what women want today.”
I blushed. “The idea of making my own appealed to me. Turned out it was fun.”
“You are your own consumer. We can use it as a backstory to grow the sense of community.” The more she talked, the more animated she became. “What do you think about using the ladies of Paths as models?”
I slumped in my seat. “I don’t know about that. Some would probably be okay with it, others . . .”Like myself, not so much.
She winced. “That was insensitive of me. I didn’t think.”
“No. It’s okay. That place, the people, they mean everything to me. I’d love to involve them in any way possible, just maybe not so much in the public eye.”
She nodded, but still looked uncertain. I covered her hand with mine, temporarily forgetting this woman was my mentor, a giant in our industry. For the moment, we were just two friends, making big plans.
“Okay. We’ll keep an open mind about that.” She took another sip of her coffee. “You’ve done some test marketing—”
“I haven’t done much of anything,” I interrupted, panic flooding me.
