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“That doesn’t come with it?”

“Oh no, that’s extra.” And every time you cop a feel, I’m charging you for something more, you slimy turd.

“Well of course I want the pedestal.”

Ernie arrived at my elbow. God bless the man.

“Ernie, make sure… what was your name?”

“Dane. Dane Laske.”

“Make sure Dane Laske gets this packaged in the velvet case. He doesn’t want to skimp on anything.”

“Is that an upcharge?” Dane asked.

“Oh, just a minor one,” Ernie assured him. He picked up the sculpture and pedestal. “Follow me.”

“I thought you were helping me,” Dane looked over at me.

“Oh, I have to see to some orders in the back. Ernie is our best salesperson. You heard everything, right?”

“Oh, I heard and saw everything,” he assured me.

“Good.”

“Leave your mama’s contact information with Ernie, so we can send her a birthday card, won’t you?”

“Do you need my contact information?” Dane asked hopefully.

“No,” Ernie said as I headed to the back of the store. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Hi girls, how’s it going?”

“Busy. It’s a Lance day.”

I looked over and saw that Lance was busy taping shut some of the boxes in the corner. He was Darla’s older cousin, and had been working for us on and off for the last few months whenever we needed the extra help.

“Hey, Lance,” I waved.

“Heya, Zoe,” he saluted with the tape gun in his hand.

Things did go a lot faster with him around. I paid him the same wage as the girls, even though he’d tried to negotiate a higher hourly rate. He’d explained that since he was older and lived on his own, he should make more. He was very close to being out on his ass when he said that, and he must have seen it on my face. He backed down immediately. Smart man… kind of.

“We’re getting more thank you cards these days, have you noticed?” Wendy asked. “Actual cards, not just e-mails. Isn’t that kind of weird?”

“Have you been forwarding them to the craftsmen?”

Wendy nodded. “One came back return-to-sender. I meant to talk to you about that.”

“Who was that?”

“Mrs. Laughton.”

“Her address should be right in the system. She lives in Florida now.”

Wendy went over to the computer and pulled up what I assumed was Mrs. Laughton’s information. “I show her living in Tellico Plains.”

“Shit, that’s on me. I got a little busy after she told me she was moving. I need to call her, I wonder if she’s getting her payments. I need to check with Leslie.”