Page 428 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
“I’m impressed.”
“I never thought you’d ever say that to me.”
It was true. I was. She handled the sale expertly. The customers left with smiles on their faces, and I couldn’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t want to come back here.
More customers stepped up to the register, and after Tinsely had processed about ten sales, she stepped aside and invited me to ring people through.
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea for efficiency’s sake,” I said.
She waved away my concerns. “Nonsense. Every customer in this store right now knows who you are. They won’t have any expectations of you ringing them through quickly. I think they’ll just be excited to have their purchase tendered by the Naughty Santa.”
I chuckled. “Good old Wanda Wayans at it again. It’s a good one, right? It suits me.”
Tinsely invited the next customer up but took the brief interlude to say through a teeth-clenched smile, “There are a lot of nicknames that would have suited you.”
Our customer was an elderly man wearing an Irish cap and a tweed jacket. He smelled like cigarettes and mint and told us all about his wife and how all she wanted for Christmas this year was a cat because their house felt lonely and she wanted a furry companion. He revealed the small gift he’d selected, which was a powder-pink pet collar with a blank tag.
Tinsely gave him recommendations on where he could get it engraved once they selected their new kitty’s name.
The day went on like this. Tinsely made friends with everyone who came up to our counter, and two hours later Charlie relieved us so we could wander the store and help people with their shopping experience.
In the jewelry department, Tinsely paused and gazed into a glass display full of glittering pieces.
I leaned over the display beside her. “See something that catches your eye?”
She pressed her fingertip to the glass, pointing to a pair of dainty hoop earrings encrusted in diamonds. “They’re quite beautiful.”
“Buy them. You get a discount.”
She shook her head. “I never buy myself something this close to Christmas. And those? They’re too much anyway.” She pushed away from the display and moved toward the tech department. “Are you coming or what?”
CHAPTER 9
TINSELY
At the end of the long shopping day, Chadwick and I locked up the front doors of the department store while the remaining staff set to work cleaning the store, restocking shelves, folding destroyed displays of sweaters and pajamas, and closing their registers.
I slumped against the doors and closed my eyes. We’d been here since eleven o’clock this morning and it was now nine. On Chadwick’s schedule it had been noted that once the store closed, he and I were to take ourselves to Times Square to continue mingling and driving conversation about Bamford’s. My feet were already killing me. When I used to be a sales associate, I could be on my feet all day with no problem, but apparently my office job had ruined my endurance.
Chadwick leaned against the door beside me. I cracked open one eye and peered up at him while he rested his head back and gazed up at the ceiling, seeming just as exhausted as I was.
“Not as easy as you thought, huh?” I asked.
“Why is making small talk so exhausting?” he mumbled.
“Don’t worry. We only have to go out there and do it for another two hours.” I tried to convince myself to push off the door and stand on my own, but the support felt wonderful on my sore heels. “You go. I’ll catch up.”
He laughed. “Fat chance, Tinsel. Where I go, you go.”
“I’m so tired. Do you think we could con one of the baristas into opening the bar back up and making us some espresso shots? That will get us through the night.”
Chadwick eyed the closed-down café and lounge. “I have a better idea.”
The conspiratorial note in his voice was enough encouragement for me to finally push off the door. I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Hear me out.”
“The last time I heard you out I ended up with the short end of the stick.” I pointed down at my jingle-bell shoes.
