Jimmy’s hands pause on his keyboard where he was typing at nothing, and he looks out. Our eyes meet and he sighs.
“Yes. I did.”
“Why?”
“I know you don’t fully understand how things work around here, but you need to understand one thing. I know what I’m doing.”
“Why?” I repeat. “Why would you take those items, items we’re locked into a contract to accept rolling orders on, why would you take them off the one platform where we can make the most use of that kind of order?”
Jimmy’s lips twist into a smarmy smile, and he looks at me like I’m a child who’s just sprinted into his office with a stupid question. “Because I know how this business works. We always make more money and guarantee more sales by having stock in the stores ready to go. It’s a waste to put stuff like that on the website because it won’t sell.”
“It will.”
“No, it won’t. I won’t have any asshole stealing from the stores just because they can order in bulk through that damned website. Do you have any idea how bad we look when people come into the stores looking for something we can’t sell them because the stock is here waiting to be shipped off to some random in Timbuktu?”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Let me make sure I’m understanding this correctly.”
“Sure.”
“You think someone ordering from the website isstealingfrom you?”
“They are!”
“But you’re the same… the same company. Anything the website makes goes right into your pocket. You’re not… you’re not separate. It’s the same. Profit comes to you regardless.”
“Nah, it’s not like that,” he scoffs. “Sure, the silly subscription service gives us a constant stream of income, but that income needs to go back into the stores. They are our pride and joy. We want real, deserving clients to wear our stuff.”
“Bullshit.”
Jimmy’s brows fly up to his hairline. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve seen your numbers. The stores and the site. Your subscription system reaches far more clients than the stores ever could. Even customers with store credit use the website regularly because it’s convenient. That’s how the world works now because everyone and everything is online. And if you want to sit there and tell me it’s about profit, then you’re still making more through the website because customers have to pay forshipping. You’reactivelysabotaging yourself by focusing on only one aspect of this business!”
“That changes nothing. I need to know our jewelry is going on to the right kind of people. Our suppliers rely on that.”
“I’m one of your suppliers and the whole reason I’m here is because of that subscription service! You have a perfect tool primed to reachmillionsof people and instead you’re sinking it because you think it’s stealing from you?” Saying it out loud only highlights how utterly absurd his line of thinking is, but instead of agreeing with me, Jimmy doubles down.
“Everything I hear from you just tells me you don’t understand,” he snaps. “How you’ve made it this far in business, I’ll never know.”
My frustration drives me right out of my seat. “Bring it back. Bring that stock back and put it live on the website.”
“No! You have no control here! You come in with all these… these prying eyes and these commands and orders like you own the place, but you know what?” He points at me and grunts, his jaw ticking to the side as anger fills his eyes. “You’re nothing! You have no power here! You haven’t signed anything, you’ve just been a tourist, and I’m sick of it. I don’t need some nobody telling me how to run my business!”
“You know what?” I reach into my pocket and immediately scroll to Buster’s number. “You’re right. “
Buster answers immediately. “Yo! Listen, have you ever tried quail on?—”
“Buster.” I lock eyes with Jimmy. “Sign the papers. It’s about time this place had some real leadership.”
24
CALLIOPE
“Up! Arms up, baby, that’s it!”
Nick gasps like he’s taking his first ever breath when his head pops out of his sweater and he shakes his head, sending his curls all over the place. “Freedom!”
“Yeah, freedom. I’m sorry the sweater was itchy. Do you want to pick another one?”
