Chapter 4
Celeste
Turning music on from my work phone, I connected it to the speaker and made sure the volume was just right.
I wanted customers to hear the music clearly, but I didn’t want it too loud to where they couldn’t think.
After a long night and early morning, I declared that today would be a good day.
Allen had caught me off guard when he told me we had visitors this morning.
I was disappointed when it was the jewelry man, Dennis.
I’d gotten so much jewelry as I’m sorry gifts and was over it.
There were only so many diamonds I could have, and honestly, none of them meant shit.
What terrified me earlier was the pull I’d felt for Dennis’s nephew, Shane.
That man was one of the finest men I’d seen in a long ass time.
Normally, I preferred men who were slim and Shane was quite the opposite.
His arms were so thick and defined. Even through his T-shirt I could tell how sculpted he was.
Shane’s light skin was covered in tattoos, from his neck to his wrists.
What pulled me in the most was his masculine energy.
He hadn’t spoken much while I was around, but I felt everything he had to offer when he shook my hand.
It’d been a while since I’d been turned on sexually and I prayed Allen wouldn’t notice how aroused I was.
Light knocks on the front door pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts about Shane.
A smile crept across my face when I saw Erick standing on the other side.
“Good morning. Look at you, dressed to impress,” I greeted.
Erick stood in front of me wearing a three-piece black suit.
It was hot outside, but the fabric looked light.
His slacks stopped right at his ankles, giving the perfect view of his loafers.
A pair of black, square, Ray Bans sat perfectly against his round face and his hair cut was fresh.
He looked handsome. This was my first time seeing him outside of his work uniform and I had a feeling he’d be a perfect addition to the Luxe family.
“Good morning, Celey,” he said, referring to me by the nickname he’d given me.
“Come in. I’m just about done setting up for the day. Follow me right over here,” I instructed, leading Erick to the front counter.
“Thank you again for this. I’ve been trying to find my way into the fashion industry and this would be a perfect start. I’m okay with starting from the bottom and working my way up.”
I wanted us to be seated before the conversation turned serious, but this was the perfect time to start the interview. Erick was already telling me why he wanted to be here and also informed me that he was okay with taking instruction.
“What other avenues have you tried? Like have you ever tried to get a high-end retail job?”
“I’ve applied and interviewed at Angels and Fisher’s,” he answered.
Both places he named were high-end brands. So high-end that customers needed appointments to even step inside the storefront. I wasn’t sure about Fisher’s, but I knew Angels had the best threads in the fashion industry right now.
“What happened? What was their reason for not taking you on?”
“No real experience. I didn’t go to an actual fashion school, but I got a certificate from an online program out of New York. I had to do an externship and everything.”
Honestly, I wasn’t at all surprised to hear Erick hadn’t gotten those jobs.
Not to say he didn’t have what it took, but both Fisher’s and Angels ran a tight ship.
Had Erick known someone on the inside, he would’ve had a much better shot at getting the job.
Aside from that, their commission was so good it made their turnover rate damn near non-existent.
“I feel like if you really have a love for something, it is a good idea to invest in yourself and learn more about your craft. You don’t need a degree from the fashion institute to work for me, but I need you to love fashion.
At Luxe Addiction, we don’t sell products.
We sell emotions. Here, sell me this shoe.
Tell me why I can’t leave the store without this specific pair of shoes,” I said, handing him my best-selling shoe in the color red.
A dubious expression took over Erick’s face, but he complied. He glanced between the shoe and me a few times before finally speaking.
“What do you see when you look at this shoe?” he asked.
“All I see is a red shoe,” I answered, not giving him my honest answer.
I knew exactly what I saw when I looked at the shoe. Other customers did as well, which was why it was my best-selling item. Erick needed to show me that he could sell emotions without me leading the way and my response would evoke just that.
“What I see is a shoe with versatility. Just off top of my head, I can come up with at least four outfits that would go perfectly with this shoe. Biker shorts and a graphic T-shirt is a go-to outfit, but with these shoes, they’d elevate the look.
Tennis skirts and off the shoulder tops would also pair perfectly. ”
“That’s true, but the shoe is two hundred dollars. Why would I pay that much for a shoe that isn’t name brand?”
“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 thought her 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.”