Wickedly Wicked

Chapter One

Lilliana stepped out of a Fifth Avenue store in a daze. She tilted her head back, basking in the sunshine. Euphoria lifted the corners of her lips, spreading a huge smile across her face.

Yes! Yes! Yes! She bit the urge to scream her happiness to Manhattan at large.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she hailed a cab to Queens, hoping to beat the rush hour traffic. However, today she didn't mind the commute or the fare.

Lilliana resisted the temptation to call Lara. She wanted to tell the good news to her best friend in person. Instead, she contemplated the inroads they both had made in the jewellery industry.

Entrepreneurship had been an arduous journey with more bumps than smooth sailing, but they had soldiered on.

Self-marketing and online sales could only take them so far. They needed to showcase their products and their employees' talents at the right stores, which upheld their brand. After many phone calls and months of excruciating wait, Lilliana had landed a meeting with The Sevens, a mid to high-end jewellery store that was well-renowned.

At the store's small office, it had been a nerve-wracking interview with the manager and the owner, Allen Sevens. They had prodded at all their missteps and questioned their projections for future growth. Lilliana had steeled herself for another painful dismissal. But then Allen, who had worn a perpetual frown, had agreed to display their items with a rare smile. 

An hour later, Lilliana entered the house to find a very nervous Lara sitting at the bottom of the staircase. 

 "How did it go?" she asked, biting her nails.

"Well..."

"Please don't tell me. I know it didn't work as we aimed too high. We should've tried the departmental stores one more time." Lara buried her face in her hands, muffling her anguished voice.

"We got it, Lara." Lilliana could no longer keep the secret. She was surprised that her friend hadn't called earlier to know the outcome of the meeting.

Lara gasped. 

Then they were hugging, jumping and shrieking at the top of their lungs. Nothing could spoil their unbridled joy.

"Oh my God, we did it." Lara wiped a stray tear.

"It's crazy but true. Here we come."

"Woohoo. We're going to be famous. This calls for a celebration," Lara cried. "Let's have some wine, and you can tell me all about it. I wish I'd been there, but it all worked out." She skipped to the kitchen with a smiling Lilliana bringing in the rear.

Half a bottle later, she admitted what had been weighing on her mind. "Allen likes our company, but we're dealing with a whole different market, Lara. And we've a couple of months to pull this together."

"We got the inventory."

Lilliana played with her favourite L&L piece—a Celtic bronze bangle with an intricate Trinity knot. "It means no semi-precious gems, but actual stones like rubies and sapphires in our stuff, and for that, we need serious cash." 

"You're right. When is The Sevens launching us?"

"Allen thinks the first week of September will be perfect as it's well before Christmas. It will give us ample time to gain our footing in the market. Our products will be away from the advertisement war and steep discounts. We both know how the big companies bare their claws at each other during the holiday season."

"The timeline is tight but doable." Lara turned thoughtful. "I know all the right suppliers, but the issue will be the financing, Lily. We already have the bank loan with the factory as collateral. So, the only thing left is to—"