Free All the Right Places (RILEY O'BRIEN & CO #1) by Jenna Sutton Page B

to your project nor will you be sharing in any of the profits.”
    Since Amelia didn’t like the woman’s attitude, she was quick to correct her. “That’s not entirely accurate, Diana. Teagan and I worked together to come up with a compensation plan that is based on performance. If and when my designs reach a certain sales threshold, I’ll start to get a percentage of each sale.”
    Diana flushed at her rebuttal, a defiant expression on her face. The tension in the room was palpable, and she wondered if the older woman was equally combative with Quinn.
    Is that what Deda had meant when he’d said some people were having a hard time with the transition from Mr. O’Brien to Quinn? If so, she had an entirely new level of respect for Quinn. She also felt strangely protective of him, and it made her angry that his employees might not fully support him.
    Vandy cleared his throat. “Quinn thought it was important for you to know how much the women’s division contributes to the company’s overall revenue. In other words, how important the division is in the whole scheme of things.”
    Vandy passed a thick report to her. “This shows the total dollar revenues for the company for the past twenty years broken down by division and product.”
    She flipped through the pages, taking note of some of the more important charts, while Vandy continued his explanation. “It also includes several pie charts that show what percentage of the revenue is attributable to each division. Last year, for example, revenue generated by the women’s division accounted for eleven percent of the company’s total income.”
    Diana scoffed. “She doesn’t understand what you’re saying, Vandy. She’s interested in fashion, not finance.”
    Amelia was not only shocked by the other woman’s verbal assault; she also was angered by it. “Since we’ve known each other for less than an hour, I find it strange you think you know what I am and am not interested in.”
    Deda choked, but she didn’t take her eyes off Diana. The other woman glared at Amelia, crossing her arms over her chest.
    Although Amelia didn’t want to start her project on a bad note, she wasn’t about to let this woman insult her. She had taken care of herself and stood up to bullies before she’d been able to ride a bike.
    “I understand Riley O’Brien & Co. needs to be more competitive so it can survive for five more generations. The women’s division needs to pull its own weight. It should generate a lot more money and account for a larger percentage of the overall revenue.” She tapped her pen against the report. “The only thing that is debatable is how to make more money.”
    With that statement, she took control of the meeting, not really caring she lacked experience in the corporate world. She tucked her insecurities away, for the moment, and tackled the problem.
    “Vandy, since Riley O’Brien only produces two styles of women’s jeans and those styles have been around for thirty years or so, it doesn’t sound like you spend a lot of time on product development.”
    The older man nodded. “You’re right. We don’t have a single person dedicated to product development for our division. My group is focused on manufacturing and distribution.”
    “How do you feel about adding a line of accessories to your division?”
    Vandy had the guts to answer her question honestly. “I don’t know. Although I’m sure you’re very talented, I doubt accessories will make much of an impact on our numbers.”
    “And how would you feel about a complete redesign of the existing products and possibly expanding the product line to include jackets, shirts, skirts, and maybe even dresses?”
    She knew she took a huge risk by asking the question since it could give away her true objective. But she really needed to understand the level of resistance she faced.
    “James didn’t like the idea of diluting the Riley brand,” Vandy said with a frown. “He didn’t want to turn