“Well, get to the point then.” Willow laughed. She heard Trish take several deep breaths.
“Okay, Amy asked me if she could be in charge of the inventory I have here on hand to take the items to the brick-and-mortar stores. I said sure. She took everything that I had here two months ago. When you’d send stuff, she’d replace it.”
“Trish, why do I get the feeling you’re stalling?” Willow laughed. She’d never met her assistant in person, but over the phone and internet, she really liked her. And trusted her which was the most important thing.
“Damn,” Trish said, and Willow heard her take several deeper breaths. “We have nothing.” She blurted out.
“I don’t understand.”
“All the inventory we had here, Amy gave to the brick-and-mortar stores. Everything, even those fifty boxes we got last week. I have no overstock. Thank god Amy told the owners that you are a single personand it takes time to craft your work. She got them to agree to take whatever you could send, and they’ve told their customers that it could take at least three months for a piece. And on that note, one of the e-mails I sent was for orders we got online over the weekend. I don’t know where you are, or how much stock you have where you are, but I need anything you can send me. If you don’t have it, fine, at least Amy told people they were going to have to wait. Oh god, I forgot. Look at your bank account.”
Willow did as she heard Trish talk to someone in the background and sucked in her breath. “Trish, why is there all that money in my account? Where did it come from?”
“That’s what I’m telling you. That money is from the sale of all your inventory. Minus my pay and Amy’s but that’s from the last two weeks of sales.”
“Oh my,” Willow said, and frowned at the bottom line. She had never set the prices on her items. She had trusted Trish to do that. “I’m afraid to look, but can you roughly tell me about the orders you e-mailed me?”
“Total, about four hundred pieces were ordered just online in the last week alone. That’s not including the list I sent that the stores want. I don’t know if you’re the panicking type like I am, but we put it on the website that it would take at least three months for delivery.”
“That’s good. I’ll organize everything, all the e-mails and make a list of what I have to get. I think I can do this. I’ll keep you posted. If you don’t need me, I’ll talk to you next week.”
“Okay, and if you have any questions let me know.”
“I will. Thanks, Trish.” Willow hung up and stared stunned at her bottom line in her work account. She studied it for several minutes then began laughing and stood to do a happy dance. Something she set out to do as a hobby, just turned into an outstanding business. She quickly printed the orders and organized them. While still staring at her bottom line, she found a business card that she received two years ago and literally crossed her fingers as she dialed.
“Hello?”
“Is Magnolia there?”
“Who is this?”
“Willow Raintree. I talked to Magnolia almost four years ago. She helped me get started with lessons and purchasing my first kiln.”
“Oh, unfortunately, Mother’s been sick lately, and last night she took a turn for the worse. I’m sorry she can’t come to the phone right now. Was there anything I could tell her?”
“Actually, she told me if I ever wanted to purchase another kiln to call her. But I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone so you can be with your mother.”
“Wait. You wanted to buy one of my mother’s kilns?”
“I did. I was in her shop six months ago, and that’s when she told me if I ever wanted to expand to come there first, since your mother was thinking of selling.”
“She was. Mom had just found out she had cancer and thought she could sell her kilns to help with the medical bills. Unfortunately, she never got to advertise them. And also, I know nothing about the pottery business. Tell you what, if it’s not inconvenient for you, would you like to stop by and take a look? Motherdid tell me she wrote a list of what she wanted to sell her stuff for. It’s in her shop.”
“It’s not inconvenient for me, but I don’t want to intrude on your family if your mother’s ill.”
“It might give her a boost, who knows?” The woman sighed. “Oh, I’m Sara by the way.”
“Sara, can I come over now? I’m about thirty minutes away.”
“Sure. I’ll put the coffee on.”
“Thanks, but unfortunately I only drink tea.”
“Tea it is then.” Sara laughed, and they said they’d meet in an hour. Willow quickly finished dressing and printed off some sheets from the computer and was out the door in minutes.
*****
“I’ll take it all,” Willow said three hours later as she walked around Sara’s mother’s studio.
