Page 20 of Broken Headboards

Leaning in, I focus on my laptop screen and try to figure out Austin’s plans. I can see some of the sketches he has for the fixtures, all of them ornate and expensive looking, and to the side I see some drawings his interns probably came up with for the main couches.

Austin isn’t working on any of those things, though. He’s bent over his desk, staring intently at a large piece of paper, but I can’t quite figure out what it is. With the press of a button, I change the camera angle.

“Wow,” I whisper.

A chaise lounge.

So that’s what he’s planning on using as the central piece.

Borrowing from the aristocratic style of 19th century France, the upholstered sofa he’s working on seems like the perfect blend of traditional class and modern lines. Seems like he has an eye for design.

“Come on,” I whisper, trying to zoom in on his plans. Austin is busy adding some final touches to the design, but I’m no longer interested in that. Judging from what I can see, his chaise lounge is going to be perfect looking. But looks aren’t everything, are they? Sometimes, it’s what’s underneath that counts.

See? Men and furniture—not that different.

On the corner of the sheet he’s working, I finally manage to see a few notations. I have to squint my eyes to decode the letters, but I finally manage to read them. He’s planning to use a kind of leather colored with dye, instead of a surface coating of polymer and pigment. His idea isn’t a bad one. The leather he’s going with is usually the best looking one you can use, but it has one slight problem: it’s not that durable.

To add to his durability, he’s planning to use a kind of chemical coating that will add some resistance against tears and stains. I don’t recognize the name of the compound he’s planning on using, but it definitely rings some bells. Didn’t I work with something like that a couple years ago?

Pushing my chair back, I head toward the cabinet I have on the back of my office and start rummaging through my folders. Takes me a while, but when I finally find the one I’m looking for, I remember it immediately.

A few years ago I had a leather German supply that promised a good looking, cheap, and durable product. And yes, they used the same kind of chemical coating Austin is planning on using. For a few months everything seemed to go well...but then the complaints started rolling in fast.

Against direct sunlight, the chemical offered little to no protection. In fact, it sped up the leather’s decay. Eventually, I had to recall all the sofas I built with that leather, since every single one of them (at least the ones under direct sunlight) were starting to look like antiques from two centuries ago.

“Gotcha,” I smile to myself, already imagining Austin crashing and burning spectacularly at the first competition. Since Oakmont always had more buying power than my company, Austin probably doesn’t have direct experience with this kind of leather coating. He’s used to buying the best raw material money can buy, and never really had to look for a good deal. Now that he’s trying to innovate, this slip up he has is gonna cost him dearly.

Because I’m definitely going to capitalize on his mistake.

You just watch.