“Outside of the shoe pairing well with any look, the material is durable and ensures longevity. Name brand shoes are usually on the trendier side of fashion. Which isn’t a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for. However, when the next pair of Jordans come out, the pair before them won’t have the hype anymore. Here at Luxe Addiction, we strive to provide timeless products. If you bought these shoes today and wore them five years from now, they’d still hold the same value.”
Erick had officially sold me on my own damn shoe. I loved that he didn’t bash other brands while trying to sell my product. He offered nothing but truths and still got his point across. Everything about Erick worked. Ladies loved men with his type of personality, not to mention they knew he wouldn’t be trying to hit on them. I was jumping for joy on the inside and praying he’d accept my offer.
“Wow. For you to have never worked in sales of this kind, you did a great job. Hell, if I didn’t have the money, I would’ve come back for the shoes when I did,” I said truthfully.
“Thank you. I was nervous as hell.”
“I couldn’t tell at all. What are you expecting from Luxe Addiction? Do you just want to work here to get your foot in the door? Are you trying to climb the ladder, explore further opportunities?”
Erick set the shoe on the counter and ran a hand down his suit jacket before answering. I respected that he gave himself a chance to process my questions before answering. It let me know he wasn’t giving impulsive answers. I knew from experience that when people interviewed, they gave answers the employer wanted to hear so they’d get the job.
“Right now, I’m looking to start my journey. I have every intention of staying put for as long as I’m supposed to be here.”
“That’s fair. If you’re still here in a year, we can talk about other opportunities Luxe has to offer. The starting salary I had in mind was seventy thousand for your first year, plus commission. I know you said your availability was open, but since the store is open every day, I came up with a schedule. Mondays and Tuesdays I’d have you come in at ten to help open the store and work until closing, which is nine o’clock. Wednesdays you’d have off since that’s my slowest day. Thursdays and Fridays would be ten to five, and every other Saturday ten to three. How does that sound?”
“Seventy thousand dollars? Like seven zero?” he asked in amazement.
“Yes, sir. Plus the commission,” I repeated for clarity.
“I’ll take it. I didn’t think you’d pay me that much since I was just starting out. I thought I was gonna have to keep Coffee King as a second job, but I won’t have to. What exactly would I be doing? Like when I don’t have a customer or if we’re slow.”
“You’ll be stocking and checking the online store orders. My best friend Jade is going to take over shipping orders until I hire someone for that. Jade is good with customers and will come out to help if needed, but she prefers to be in the back.”
“Okay. I can’t wait to meet her. Are there any forms I need to sign?”
“It’s all online. I can send the link to your email address. All I ask is that you double check your banking information to make sure it’s correct. Monday starts a new pay period, so your first check will be a full one.”
Erick and I talked for a while longer before he left the store. I was happy his interview had gone well and I was just as excited as him. Jade scolded me all the time for not hiring people, but I liked to be hands on with my business. But now that everything was moving in the right direction, having time off and not having to carry all the responsibility didn’t sound so bad. As if I thoughther up, Jade came walking through the front door with all her bags in hand.
“Good morning. How did the interview go?”
“It went really well. He’ll be here Monday.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re finally trusting the process and growing with the company. Keep pushing and you’ll have a second location in no time.”
“That’s the plan. One day at a time though.”
Jade went into the back room and returned moments later, ready to work. I had a few things to handle for my mother, so I’d only be here for a few hours today. Around twelve forty-five was when we got the first rush of customers, but it died down quickly. Now, there were only two customers left browsing, so Jade went to the back to get a few of the online orders out. I’d just finished ringing a customer up when the bell went off, indicating someone else had walked in. I made it my business to greet everyone who walked through the door, but my voice got caught in my throat when I saw who it was. My focus was so stuck on Shane that I almost missed the middle aged woman walking in front of him.
“Hello, welcome to Luxe Addiction,” I greeted as I came from behind the counter.
“Hello,” the woman replied.
“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“No. One of my girlfriends is always telling me about this store, so I thought I’d come in and take a glance. Plus, my son is the one spending the money, so I’ll be sure to leave with something,” she teased.
“Okay, well, let me know if you need anything,” I stated between chuckles.
When she walked away, my eyes fell back to Shane. I felt him staring a hole through me while I talked to his mother, buthe had yet to speak. His pensive look made me bothered and slightly uncomfortable. Maybe he didn’t remember who I was.
His deep voice rang out, putting my prior thoughts to rest. “Miss Celeste. We meet again.”
“Looks that way,” I said, nervously tucking my hair behind my ear.
From the lowness of his brown eyes, I could tell Shane was high. He was still dressed in the blue jeans and T-shirt he’d worn earlier and he’d brought all his masculinity along with him. His edginess was apparent just by looking at him, but I could tell he wasn’t much of a talker. Even when he had been at my house earlier, he did more listening and observing.
“This your spot or you just run shit?” he quizzed.
