Page 8 of Sleighing You
He rubbed his eyes and glanced around the crowded store, mouth agape. “How…whendid it get so crowded in here? I swear I looked down for five minutes and now the store is packed.”
I shrugged. “Five minutes, two hours… same difference. I told you Maple Grove loves its festivities.”
“You weren’t kidding.”
He brought his hand up to adjust his tie—a habit I noticed he did when he was thinking—only this time there was no tie to straighten. Just the cords from the hood of his sweater. I probably shouldn’t take such delight in the grimace he made when he looked down at the sweater and groaned.
“We learned a couple years ago that it wasn’t only business owners who enjoyed partaking in the ugly sweater contest… everyone did. So, we asked the mayor to open the contest up to one business winner and one person from the town every year.”
Chris smiled, tilting his chin at me. “And then you stocked the store and sold the sweaters?”
“You’re lucky to have such a shrewd businesswoman managing your store,” Lyla piped in. While I appreciated her having my back… I also wasn’t sure she’d be helping. I liked my work to speak for itself.
“This is my best friend, Lyla. Lyla, this is Chris Pohle—his parents own the franchise.”
Lyla held out her hand to him which he took, flashing her a disarming smile. “I’m also the CFO.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said. Even though she sounded friendly enough, I knew that tone. She was wary of him… just like me. Just like anyone from here in Maple Grove would be. He had a long way to go if he wanted to win over the people of this small town.
“Anyway,” I said, “Now you see why I need to hire holiday staff to help with the registers. Especially around Christmas Fest.” Most of the year, I could manage the store myself, but not in December.
He nodded. “Well, your store certainly makes enough to justify the expense. Some of our smaller stores aren’t so lucky.”
“Luck?” Lyla snorted. “This has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with Avery Pinkerton’s managerial skills.”
Chris smiled, and his eyes briefly met mine. “After looking over the books this morning, I’d have to agree.”
Heat flushed my cheeks.
A moment passed between us as his jade eyes found mine. Though he wasn’t smiling, there was a crinkle in those eyes—the closest thing to a smile I’d seen from him directed at me yet. Then he opened his big mouth and ruined it.
“But there’s always room for improvement.”
I put a hand on my hip, taking a step back as Lyla gave a low whistle. “Improvement?”
“Oh, boy,” Lyla muttered beneath her breath and backed away from the conversation.
Chris shrugged. “Sure. Are you against improving and learning?”
I shook my head slowly.Oh, you think you’re so clever… thinking you trapped me.“Of course not,” I said carefully. “What Iamagainst is an arrogant city boy who arrived wearing a suit that costs more than my car coming in for less than three hours and thinking he knows more about my store than I do.”
“Correction.” He held up a finger close to my nose. It took everything I had not to smack it away from my face. “Mystore.”
My lungs expanded around the deep, calming breath I forced myself to take. “All right,” I said carefully, looking aroundthestore. “Why don’t you show me how it’s done? There’s a customer over there who’s been lingering for about thirty minutes but hasn’t bought anything yet.” I angled my chin toward old Ed Williams. He’d been coming into my store every week for two years—solely for the free cookies and coffee I put out for customers. He was a nice enough guy who had been surviving on pretty scant social security checks.
However, not once in two years had he ever bought anything from my store—and not for a lack of trying on my part.
“You want me to sell something to that old man?” he hitched his thumb over his shoulder, and I gave a single nod of my head.
“That’s right.” I looked down at the display beside me and grabbed a small snow globe, handing it to Chris. “This. Sell him this and get it out of my store. It’s only twenty dollars and should be pretty easy.”
Chris took the snow globe from me, examining it as he it turned it upside down, then flipped it back upright. Fake snow floated within the orb and landed in a glitter bomb over the two figurines of Santa and Mrs. Claus ice skating. “And if I sell him this snow globe… you’ll make the changes I suggest to this store?”
I nodded. “Sure.”Or, I’d at least listen to them.
His eyes narrowed impossibly more. “And if I lose?”
“You have to implementmyideas for changing the other stores.”
