Stroke of Sapphire by N.J. Walters Page B

“But?”
    “But I’m not sure it’s right for Sisters’ Jewels. We’ve made our reputation on being feminine and soft and colorful.”
    Her excitement came crashing down. “Oh. Well, that’s okay.” And it really was. They’d decided from the beginning what they’d wanted the vision for the boutique to be and they’d kept to it, becoming very successful.
    Topaz lifted her arm and let the light catch the gleaming copper. “The way I see it, we have two options. The first one is that you offer these designs to someone else.” She lowered her arm and smiled at Sapphire. “I know your first independent line has sold well enough that they want another one from you.”
    “How did you know?” They’d only contacted her a week ago.
    Topaz laughed. “I have my sources. In this case it was the accessories buyer who called the store looking for you. She was so excited about the prospect of having you do another line for them, she couldn’t quite rein herself in.”
    “What’s the other option?” Sapphire was curious to know what her sister had in mind. She sipped her coffee, which had cooled considerably.
    “There’s a stock room we don’t really use much near the back of the store. I’ve been thinking about cleaning it out and knocking down a wall to create more space. Originally, I’d thought about simply expanding our existing stock, but we could use it to try more edgy designs. We could simply remove the door, widen the opening and design it more like the customer is stepping into another space. Above it, we could put a sign that says ‘Sisters’ Jewels Urban’, or something like that. I could talk to Emerald about doing some designs that would match the jewelry. We’re talking a year and a half down the road, maybe two, in order to do the renovations and give you and Emerald time to complete all the designs and have the products ready, but it’s doable.”
    Sapphire grabbed her sister’s hand. “I love the idea. Let’s do it.”
    “Really, you don’t mind waiting?” Topaz tapped the bracelet with her free hand. “You’d sell a lot of these through a major department store.”
    Sapphire laughed. “I’d rather sell a lot of them though Sisters’ Jewels. More profit for us. Isn’t that what you always preach?”
    A slow smile crossed Topaz’s face. “That’s what I always preach. I’ll call Emerald tonight and talk to her. As soon as you’ve completed your designs, you can send them to her along with a few pieces so she knows what she’s working with.”
    The smile left Topaz’s face and she turned her hand so she was holding Sapphire’s. “Are you sure you can’t tell me what’s wrong?”
    Sapphire was caught so off guard, she almost blurted it out. Topaz was sneaky, letting her lower her guard before pouncing. At the last second, she pursed her lips together and shook her head.
    “It’s man trouble, though, I can tell. When a woman changes her entire wardrobe and starts dating practically every night of the week, it can only mean one thing—some guy hurt you.” Topaz sighed and sat back. “But I won’t pry. I promised myself I wouldn’t. But I’m here if you need me.”
    “Thanks. I’m working things out.” At least she hoped she was. Opening herself up to be emotionally crushed again by Jake might not be the smartest thing she’d ever done, but she wasn’t sure she had any other choice.
    If she didn’t try, she’d always have regrets. But she would guard her heart a lot more closely this time. After what had happened between them, she was more hesitant to open herself up emotionally.
    “Good enough. Now, do you have time to run down to the boutique with me before you head back to your studio? The stock for the summer line just arrived and I want you to see the new in-store displays before we open. Plus, I wanted to know if you had any ideas about the window arrangement. Your new jewelry looks magnificent on display.”
    “Sure. I’d love to.”
    Her mind on