Page 116 of Secrets on Ice

The rooftop terrace looks incredible, if I do say so myself. We spoke with the concierge, and they arranged the most gorgeous private dinner on the rooftop terrace of our apartment for the launch of Sullivan Black Designs to our friends. There's champagne on ice, food coming up from the restaurant downstairs, and a small easel by the head of the table with our logo beneath a black cloth.

Tonight is the night we launch, and we are so nervous because we are showing everyone what we have been working on since moving to New York. We want their opinions because we trust these women.

The girls start arriving all at once. Collette comes up first. Harper waddles out with both hands under her enormous bump, complaining about the elevator. Issy, Violetta, and Evelina arrive with more champagne than five women could reasonably drink, and Marlowe swans in last.

“Oohh, what's under the sheet?” Harper says immediately, lowering herself into a chair like she's parking a bus.

“We will show you all soon,” I tell her.

The staff walks around making sure everyone has drinks and is comfortable. Cassidy claps her hands, and everyone quiets, and my stomach does a nervous little flip because this is real now.

“So,” I start. “Thank you all for coming out tonight. As you know, Cass and I have been talking about relaunching our interior design business. Tonight, we would like to introduce, Sullivan Black Designs.”

I press play on the computer, and it shows the logo on the screen and then launches into the gallery of all our projects over the years. The girls all clap and give us congratulations on the logo. They love it.

“Not only are we launching our design business, we are also launching something new,” I say, which grabs the girls’ attention, and they look surprised.

“Not only will we be decorating people’s homes, but we will also be decorating them with our own products,” Cassidy adds.

I press play again for the next video showing off the sample products.

“We're official,” Cassidy whispers to me as the girls watch.

“I know,” I answer excitedly.

The video finishes, and Cassidy nods at me, so I lift the lid off the box we've had hidden under the table all night and start passing the samples around. Cushions and throws, in every pattern we've made so far.

And the table loses its mind.

“Oh my god,” Collette says, pulling a throw across her lap and running her hand over it. “Ember. This is beautiful.”

“Feel that one.” Cassidy leans over. “That's my favorite.”

“No, this one.” Violetta has a cushion clutched to her chest with both arms, like someone might take it from her. “This one's mine. I'm keeping it. I'm taking it home tonight.”

“You can't take the sample,” I tell her.

“Well then you’d better hurry up and get more.” She grins.

Harper has a throw draped over her bump, her eyes shut. “I'm never giving this back. I'm sorry. It's mine now — and when this baby comes out, he's getting wrapped in it, so really, I'm doing you a favor by testing it.” She smiles at us.

And just like that, we're talking business, properly, all of us, the questions coming faster than we can answer them. How many patterns? Are we doing seasonal ranges? What's the price point? Can they buy them now, or do they have to wait for a launch? I catch Cassidy's eye across the table, and she's got the same look I know is on my face, because we have poured everything into this in a spare room with a laptop and a lot of hope, and now it's real and it's in people's hands and they actually love it.

They love it.

“I want to say something,” Collette says, tapping her glass. “Because I don't think you two understand what you've done.” She looks over at us both. “You’ve moved cities after a devastating loss. You’ve started over while still grieving, and instead of falling apart you built a whole business. Most people would still be in bed.” She raises her glass. “So, we want you both to know how proud we are of the two of you. To Sullivan Black Designs,” she says, raising her champagne glass in the air.

“To Sullivan Black Designs,” they all say, and every single one of them is looking at us. I have to swallow hard, so I don't cry into my champagne.

Collette doesn't sit down. “Actually, while I've got everyone.” She turns to us, and there's something nervous in her face now, which is not a look Collette wears often. “I want to hire you.”

I blink at her. “What?”

“For the house in Maine.” She sets her glass down. “Fish and I have been talking about it since we got back. It's beautiful and it's ours, but it doesn’t feel like us, and honestly, neither of us has a clue where to start. We just keep walking around it saying we should do something about this room.” She takes a breath. “So, would you two do it? To help make it ours.”

The table goes quiet.

“You're serious?” Cassidy says.