that would be an impossible task. What I need is much easier. She needs to develop some more mainstream fashions."
"Why? Many designers have an avant-garde approach like Rosie does. Fashionistas don't want the same old same old."
"Agreed. But she's too far out on the edge. She'll never get financial backing until she tones it down."
"Okay." Amanda shrugged. "How does that affect me?"
"I thought you could let her make you some clothes."
"What?" She jumped out of her chair. "There is nothing wrong with my clothes."
He frowned. "It's not about you, Amanda. This is about Rosie."
She glared at him. A master manipulator. She had to give him credit.
Dropping both hands on his desk, she leaned over it. "Don't treat me like a fool."
He met her gaze. "Are you always this paranoid?"
Damn. Insecurity crept over her. She could feel its insidious poison. She'd never had fancy clothes. The few items she'd purchased since getting this job had been picked specifically because they made her look dowdy.
If she were going to go out with him in the evening to expand her business contacts, she would need new clothes. No question about that. Was she looking a gift horse in the mouth?
"If I agree," she said, "you have to allow Rosie free rein and pay for all her supplies." At a bare minimum, Rosie would benefit from the scheme.
"Done." Rising, he gestured to the door. "Why don't you go on and tell Rosie the terms? I'll cover her bills. The only stipulation is that she has to have something ready for you for the Spensor event tomorrow night."
Amanda huffed out. His easy acquiescence told her she hadn't bargained hard enough.
But her annoyance was swept away in Rosie's exuberance. Rosie ran around her desk and threw herself at Amanda, squealing with delight.
"Thank you. Thank you." She stepped back, beaming. "I didn't know if you'd agree."
"Agree?" Amanda stopped at the corner of the desk. "Did you already know about this idea?"
Rosie nodded. "Logan asked me last week."
"Bastard," Amanda muttered. "He set me up."
Rosie drew a sketch pad out of her desk drawer. "What do you mean?"
"If I hadn't agreed when he asked me, he would have told me how disappointed you'd be."
Rosie's eyes widened. "I would have been disappointed."
"Never mind." Amanda sighed.
"Logan told me you needed a cocktail dress for tomorrow night. I've been thinking it over and I have some ideas."
"Don't go crazy. I have to look professional at all times. The only reason I'm going with him to these evening events is so I can make more contacts."
"Yeah, whatever." Rosie waved a hand tipped with five fingernails each painted a different color, none of them pretty. "But we gotta jazz it up a bit. We need to get rid of your office nickname one way or another."
"I won't be wearing the clothes you make here at the office."
Rosie tilted her head. "Logan said a complete wardrobe. He wants to see as much as possible of what I can do before he starts thinking who might back me."
Amanda groaned. "I don't want an entire custom-made wardrobe."
"Of course not. He made me promise I'd take you shopping. In fact, that's what we'll have to do for tomorrow night. There's no time for me to sew something for you."
"Fiend." But Amanda couldn't be too angry in the face of Rosie's excitement.
"No question." Rosie shot her an unrepentant grin. "But there's no reason why we can't take advantage of his generosity. Meet me here at five this afternoon, and we'll start shopping."
Amanda made her way to the conference room, her thoughts whirling. She really didn't have time for wardrobe building. But she'd be foolish to pass up this opportunity. If she had to attend certain events with Logan, she didn't delude herself about the clothing demands. She would not be comfortable wearing the clothes she already owned. Plus, she couldn't deprive Rosie of this opportunity to showcase her work.
And if those reasons weren't good enough, she only had to think about the moniker 'hump a frump'. One way or another, that had to go.
She squashed the little imp in her brain who tried to tell her that Rosie's funky look would never translate well into sophisticated evening clothes. Or the other imp that whispered that Logan would never invest in a fashion line. Dallas Robotics was more his kind of company.
The conference room was empty, except for Josh. Excellent. A second weapon. Because if she didn't figure out a way to get Logan to back off, her body was