Page 3 of The Little Shop on Silver Linings Street
‘No, that’s not right at all. It would get lost on Suzanne’s hands.’ He looked up at Daisy then, a full-on gaze, accompanied by a high-wattage smile. ‘It’s the first one. Definitely. Mind made up.’ He blew out his cheeks. ‘I can’t believe it was that simple. I thought I was going to be in the shop for days…’
Daisy smiled. ‘Sometimes things just fall into place, don’t they?’ She tried to keep the wistful note out of her voice and almost succeeded. She cleared her throat, continuing quickly. ‘Now, I don’t want to throw a spanner in the works but there is just one more thing I should mention…’
‘Oh… yes?’ She could almost see Bertie lean closer as if to hear her better.
She reached back down into the cabinet to select another ring. ‘So, we looked at this ring in a platinum setting but it’s also available in eighteen-carat gold which makes a huge difference to its appearance. Do you know which your girlfriend prefers? Or what metal she generally wears?’
He looked panic-stricken. ‘Oh God, I’m not sure.’ He scratched his head. ‘I got her sister to check her ring size for me, but I didn’t really think about that… she has a…’ He trailed off, obviously trying to recall what he’d seen her wear before. He looked confused for a second and screwed up his face. ‘Gold… I think…’
Daisy smiled. ‘Okay, so what colour hair and eyes does she have?’
‘Like yours, brunette, and beautiful amber-coloured eyes…’
‘And what colour clothes does she generally wear?’
‘Erm… sort of reddish… or brown… green sometimes. Earthy kinds of colours, I guess.’
Daisy slipped on the ring with the gold band. ‘Then I would say that this would almost certainly suit her better.’ She held up her hand beside her face for a moment so he could see how it looked before putting the identical platinum ring on the other hand and then holding it up instead. Then she held up both hands so that he could see the contrast. ‘Do you see what I mean?’
‘I do!’ He looked astonished. ‘Oh God, I can’t believe I almost fell at the last hurdle. I’m not sure what to say… except thank you. Thank you!’ He looked so overjoyed that Daisy thought for a split second that he was going to kiss her in gratitude, but instead he just beamed, his eyes shining.
Daisy took off the ring and handed it to him. ‘And the best thing is that because this is set in gold rather than platinum, it’s that bit cheaper as well. Now you can buy a really expensive bottle of champagne!’ She swallowed a little nervously before leading him over to the sales desk, studiously avoiding Bertie’s eye.
Ten minutes later her customer left the shop a very happy man, swinging his little blue bag with a spring in his step. Daisy couldn’t help but sigh with happiness at the thought of the young woman who would very soon be receiving the most wonderfully romantic surprise. She returned the sales pad to the desk drawer, passing by Kit as she did so. He was doodling on something and idly eating a sugared mouse, but he looked up as she drew level.
‘That was beautifully done,’ he said, his voice hardly more than a whisper. ‘I don’t know how you do it.’
She looked at him in surprise, wondering if she’d even heard right, but Kit’s eyes had skittered away from hers and his head was already bent back to his drawing.
‘Yes, well done, Daisy, well done! Oh, and hello too, of course.’ Bertie was leaning up against the counter on the other side of the room.
She blushed. ‘Thank you,’ she said, immediately flustered. ‘Erm… I didn’t know you were coming in today. Bea didn’t say anything.’
‘Didn’t she? Oh… Well, never mind. She asked me if I could pop in one day this week to bring the sales figures up to date. Just to see how the land lies, I guess, before the big push up to Christmas.’
Kit exaggerated a yawn. ‘Sales figures time,’ he added. ‘Whoopy do.’
Daisy ignored him, realising belatedly that, despite the light tone of Bertie’s words, he looked worried.
‘Was that okay?’ she asked nervously. ‘Just now I mean. I know I probably could have sold that man a more expensive ring, but it didn’t seem right somehow… and he was so nice.’
She flashed Kit a quick glance but he still had his head bent, intent on his doodling.
Bertie glanced at his watch. ‘Isn’t it time for your lunch break, Daisy? Why don’t you come through to the back, and we can have a little chat about the run-up to Christmas.’
He was smiling and didn’t look particularly cross, but Daisy’s heart sank as she mutely followed him through. She was in for it now.
‘I won’t beat around the bush,’ he said as soon as he was sitting behind the small desk which occupied the far corner of the room. ‘I’ll update the figures but I don’t think it’s going to make any real difference to what I’ve already told Mother. Which is that we need to have areallygood Christmas, Daisy. I probably don’t need to tell you, but sales have been dropping off over the last couple of years, and this year worse than ever.’
She hung her head, feeling her cheeks colour again. ‘Is Bea going to be cross with me?’
His voice was kind. ‘No, Daisy, she’s not going to be cross with you. How can she be when you’re the only one who seems capable of selling anything?’
She still couldn’t look at him. ‘But I let that last man buy a cheaper ring. That’s what you mean, isn’t it? That I should do better?’ She peeked up at him, feeling the intensity of his gaze on the top of her head.
‘You have a real talent for dealing with customers, Daisy. And I think you’re right in that he went away very happy. Maybe now he’ll be a customer for life, who knows? But I guess Bea would be happier if today you’d sold him the emerald cut in the platinum setting, or even the brilliant cut stone.’
She nodded, stroking the back of one hand with the other in comfort. It was kind of him to say that about her even though she wished he wouldn’t. She was far happier talking with customers than to people she knew, especially people like Bertie.
