LITMIR.BIZ

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      “Yes, we are. Our daughters like to get the same thing at Christmas since they play together. So we’re doing some Santa shopping. But we don’t need any help. We know this store backward and forward, Sally. We’ll bring what we want to the cash register when we’re ready.”

      “Thank you. If I’m not out here, just hit the bell by the cash register.”

      She headed for the back room, but she didn’t reach it before the front door opened again. This shopper was male, and someone she didn’t recognize. She stepped to the curtain and called, “Hunter, can you come here please?”

      She heard him move to the opening. “A gentleman has just entered the store. I don’t know him, so I think it will be a good idea for you to wait on him. It looks like this may be a busy morning.”

      “Sure. I’ll be glad to wait on him, it will give me a chance to get some practice in.”

      She watched as Hunter walked up to the man and they both moved across the store to the men’s department. She realized that it was a good thing to have a male salesperson again. No one had replaced her father, and she wasn’t sure anyone ever could, but it was good to have a man on hand. Some of the male customers could be a little shy around women, and others much too flirtatious.

      The door opened again, and one of Sally’s favorite customers entered the store. “Mrs Grabowski, how are you? Are you staying warm enough?”

      “Warm enough? Of course I am. I didn’t even make a fire this morning. I just made oatmeal on my little stove,” the old lady said. She had been shopping at the store for many years and was a valued customer.

      “My, you are certainly spartan. I hugged the stove this morning to get warm.”

      “Silly girl. Your daddy knows better than to—oh, sorry, Sally, I didn’t mean—sometimes I forget things. You’re doing fine. I’m here to get some more yarn.”

      The mention of Sally’s father shocked her for a moment, but she quickly pulled herself together. “Right this way, Mrs Grabowski,” Sally said, and led the way to the yarn, discussing the various colors available with the elderly lady. Once she had waited on Mrs Grabowski, she dealt with the two lady shoppers who had entered the store earlier and were buying the same gifts for their daughters. She gift-wrapped their items and thanked them for their patronage.

      Then Hunter brought the gentleman to the cash register and began putting the garments the man was buying into boxes after Sally had rang up each item. By the time the man paid his bill, a substantial one, his purchases were ready to go.

      “Did you find out who he is?” Sally asked.

      “You want me to get personal with the man?” Hunter asked, raising his brows.

      “I just wondered where he was from, I haven’t seen him around here before.”

      “He just bought the Gibson farm. He and his wife are going to retire here.”

      “Oh, how wonderful. Tom and Ellen had been hoping it would sell by Christmas. I hadn’t heard that they’d managed to sell it. That’s great.”

      “I’m glad I could provide the information to you,” Hunter said.

      “Well, it is important, Hunter. We’re a small community, and we like to keep up with changes in the ownership.”

      “Shall we print up a newsletter for you to pass out?”

      “No. That’s not necessary, and I don’t appreciate your sarcasm. It’s important to know everything about your customers, that way you can help them better.” Sally realized she and Hunter came from very different worlds. She was going to have a lot to teach him.

      “I was only teasing. Is there a newspaper in town? I’ll have to subscribe.”

      “I think you’re making fun of me, Hunter, but yes we do have a newspaper. You can find it in the box right outside the store. You should take a look—you could learn a lot about our customers by studying the paper,” Sally answered, slightly annoyed at Hunter’s teasing.

      “I believe you. And maybe I was making a little fun of you, Sally, but not much. You’re too smart, from what I can see, for me to make fun of you.”

      “Thank you…I think.”

      He smiled at her. “You can be sure. My parents taught me to recognize a smart person.”

      Before Sally could say anything in reply, Mary and Ethel arrived for work. She introduced Hunter to them, explaining that he was going to be working for her for the next couple of weeks.

      Hunter immediately turned on his smile and expressed pleasure in meeting them and both ladies melted at once.

      Sally suggested they show Hunter around as he was just learning the departments and they both beamed agreeing this would be a good idea. Sally walked away from the threesome, pleased to have time alone. At least, that’s what she told herself.

      Settling down with the store’s accounts, she caught up on the entries and made the calculations as necessary. Then she closed the books and put them away. Once that was done, she got out her lunch and began to eat alone. She didn’t go out on to the floor to figure out what was taking so long with the tour of the store. She figured she could check on the threesome after she ate her lunch.

      When she did finally go out on the floor, she discovered the store was full of shoppers. Sally realized that she must have been daydreaming as she hadn’t heard the bell ring once. As she looked around she could see that all three of her salespeople, including Hunter, were helping someone, and there were others waiting. Sally immediately assisted those waiting and having made an inroad on these customers, she looked up to see where the other three were working. She could see that they had each taken other shoppers so Sally went to the cash register and began ringing up sales.

      Every time she rang up sales by another person, she marked the ticket by using the initials of the salesperson. If she didn’t remember, she would ask the purchaser who helped him or her. A lot of purchasers were willing to name their salesperson. Those who couldn’t would only say they had a man wait on them so they had to have had Hunter.

      Several hours later, they finally had a lull and Sally sent both ladies to have a cup of coffee. “Even if we get busy again, I think Hunter can take a break if the three of us are on the floor.”

      “Of course,” Mary said. “But will Hunter be able to make his cup of coffee?”

      “He’d better be, or he won’t get any to drink.”

      Hunter gave her a lazy grin. “Don’t fret about it, Sally. I can make a cup of coffee.”

      “I felt sure you could.”

      She turned her back on him, hoping she could hide the wave of attraction that ran over her when he smiled.

      “Going somewhere?” he asked.

      “No, I was just looking over the store. I think the jeans section needs straightening.”

      “I’ll be glad to take care of it.”

      “No! I—very well. Thank you.”

      Hunter strolled to the jeans section and began straightening it.

      Sally looked around the store and found another section that required attention. She needed something to stay busy, otherwise, she’d be staring at Hunter all day! He had a particularly graceful style about him as he worked.

      Sally remembered a young man who had once been in Bailey temporarily because he’d been banished to his grandparents by his parents. Sally had thought herself in love with him at one time, but her father had warned her that pretty is as pretty does. Did Hunter know that expression? Or was he used to proving his way, rather than charming his way?

      She’d vote for charming. It was in his genes, she thought, and not the jeans he was sorting. It was obvious he could turn on his charm

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