“This,” she said, waving it in the air as she felt her cheeks heat. “I left it at my old apartment, and the current tenant returned it. I don’t usually stroll around with sex toys.”
Lie! The world knew she did.
“Sometimes, I do. I used to,” she stammered.
Stop talking. She should cram the vibrator into her pie whole.
Cue the embarrassment. But these women seemed downright excited to see her traipsing out of a building with a giant plastic cock in hand.
“We wanted to speak with you since that day we met in the bathroom,” Cleo explained, tucking a lock of blond hair behind her ear when Harper called to her.
“Who are your friends, Libbs?”
Libby surveyed the trail as her besties headed her way.
“This is Cleo and Laney. We met in the ladies’ room right before I went in for that fake VC appointment with the Tri-Derricks.”
“If anyone is going to make friends in the toilet, it’s our Libbs,” Harper said to Penny and Charlotte, who nodded to the women.
“Libbs, why are you holding a vibrator?” Char asked under her breath.
“It’s a long story.”
“Actually, it’s the perfect transition,” Laney chimed.
“Yes, we have a business proposal for you, Libby,” Cleo continued.
“You guys aren’t with those Derricks, are you? Because I know they’re full of crap,” she said, eyeing the women.
“Oh, no, we are not affiliated with them,” Cleo answered, waving her off.
“Hell no! We were renting space in the building, but when we learned one of the Derrick’s dads owned it, we moved our VC office to a different location,” Laney explained.
“You run a venture capitalist firm?” Libby asked.
“Yes, but we’re not predatory venture capitalists or like the douchebags pretending to be a VC to meet women. We got into this line of work because we want to support women in business,” Cleo replied.
Laney reached into her tote, produced a business card, and handed it over. “We’re C.L. Investments.”
“C.L.,” Penny exclaimed. “Libby, emails came in from them when I was holding your phone.”
That’s right!
“I thought it was my dad, trying to get information about Raz. I deleted them without even opening them.”
“Yeah, that was us, reaching out. We only had your email and home address,” Laney replied, reaching back into her bag. She removed a sheet of paper that looked as if it had seen better days.
Libby stared at the familiar page. “That’s my business plan. Well, parts of it.”
“Yeah, one of the Derricks tore it up after you tore into them. Bravo, by the way! Those creeps deserved it,” Cleo added.
“And you taped it back together?” Libby asked. The sheet was just as much tape as it was paper.
“We did. Here’s the rundown,” Laney began. “We got a great vibe from you when we met in the bathroom.”
“Okay,” Libby answered cautiously.
“Then we saw you tell off the Derricks.”
“Like I said, girl, that was fierce,” Cleo chimed.
“And after that,” Laney went on, “we saw you in the vibrator incident with Erasmus Cress. You know, the video that went viral?”
“Oh, she knows,” Harper answered.
Cleo nodded. “That, Libby, was epically empowering stuff. Women don’t need to hide the fact that they enjoy sex toys.”
Libby’s eyes widened as she shared a look with her besties. And from the shock on their faces, they weren’t expecting to hear what Cleo just tossed out either.
“Strong women own their sexuality. They can even take those battery-operated beauties and let a man have it,” Laney added.
“That’s when we got the idea for the Libby Liberator vibrator,” Cleo dropped.
And…what?
“A vibrator with my name on it? We are talking about vibrators, right? Sex toys?”
This might be the wackiest convo she’d ever had.
“Yes, that’s where Cleo and I made our fortune. We started out as engineers. We’re the creators of the Rainbow Screamer.”
“Oh, my God, that vibrator changed my life,” H gushed as Penny and Charlotte nodded.
“That little hitch vibration is pure poetry,” Penny swooned.
“And that’s why we want to work with you, Libby,” Cleo continued. “We figured we’d make one last-ditch effort to meet with you. We showed up at the address on your business plan yesterday and met Ida. She told us you’d be here today.”
“Let me get this straight. You want to finance a venture to make vibrators with me?”
“Yes, you’d be at the helm of connecting sexuality, spirituality, and hopefully, Pun-chi yoga.”
“You know about Pun-chi yoga?” she asked, then recalled a random stranger had just asked her about it.
“Have you been under a rock, girl?” Cleo teased.
Libby shared another look with her friends. “I’ve been under a rickety rock.”
“People are buzzing about it since that last viral video,” Cleo began. “My family got together a few weeks ago. Everyone from my grandmother to my five-year-old niece and nephew wants to start doing it. People saw your demo and loved it. I asked about it at my gym, and they told me members are asking about it there, too. This idea is hot.”
“You’ve got buzz, Libby. Every viral video of you and Erasmus Cress has hundreds of millions of views,” Laney added. “You could be a brand. You could be the face of female empowerment.”
“Libby, this is amazing!” Penny breathed, awe coating her words.
“Do you have a contract with Erasmus Cress?”
Raz.
What would he think of this?
Actually, she knew the answer.
He’d be happy for her. He wanted good things for her.
He loved her, but he was lost, battling his demons. And as much as she wanted to erase his pain, she couldn’t. She could offer support. She could be there when he needed her, but he had to let her in.
She took stock of her situation.
This opportunity with Cleo and Laney could give her the financial security to help her brothers and support herself.
It was everything she’d ever wanted.
No, it was almost everything.
“I am under contract with Erasmus Cress.”
“And when does it expire?” Laney pressed.
Two days.
Her sixty days would be up in two days—the day of Raz’s big fight.
For a matter of hours, she was still bound to him.
“It expires the day after tomorrow.”
“We’re absolutely onboard if you want to continue to collaborate with him,” Cleo replied. “It’s not a game-changer for us. We still want to work with you. Do you mind if I ask a personal question?”
“The world seems to know a lot about me, but, of course, ask away.”
“Are you and Erasmus Cress together?”
That was the million-dollar question.
“I don’t know exactly what we are.”
It was the truth.
Cleo nodded. “What do you say, Libby? We believe in you. This is your moment. You can make an impact and improve people’s lives, men and women alike.”