Chapter 11
Thirty minutes after Claire left his shop, Cody’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID. His sister Stephanie wasn’t going to be happy with him.
“Has Claire stopped in yet? What did you think of her idea? Is it a done deal?” She sounded so enthusiastic that Cody immediately felt guilty.
“Claire seems great. I’m not so sure about her idea.
She hasn’t worked in retail since college.
What has she been doing since then?” They hadn’t discussed that.
He was pretty sure he knew the answer though.
Claire looked like so many women on Nantucket, the ones whose husbands worked in finance or some other high-paying job, flew in for the weekends, and played golf at the country club.
They typically lived in oversize oceanfront mansions with private chefs on hand to whip up a lobster dinner party or a peanut butter sandwich—whatever they wanted.
There was a lot of that on the island, but Cody didn’t mind, as many of them were good clients.
Claire immediately gave off that vibe to him, yet she’d said she was struggling somewhat financially, which was another red flag.
“She’s been a stay-at-home mother, and she’s done some freelance magazine assignments.
She didn’t need to work. Ellis thought it looked better if she didn’t.
Most of the wives of his colleagues and clients don’t work,” Stephanie said defensively.
“Are you saying you told her no?” Her voice was cold and her disapproval crystal clear.
Cody cringed at the tone he so seldom heard from his sister. They were close, and he adored her.
“I told her I thought it might be too soon. I didn’t want her to jump into something that might not work out. Especially if she’s having money issues.”
“You’re an idiot. Do you think I would have suggested this if I didn’t think it was a good idea?”
Cody stayed quiet. He didn’t have an answer.
“How much did she tell you about her business idea?” Stephanie asked.
“Just that she’s going to sell secondhand shoes and bags. Do you have any idea how many she’s sold so far?”
“Two bags and a pair of shoes, I think.”
Cody laughed. “See, that proves my point. That’s hardly a business.”
Stephanie spoke slowly as if trying to explain something to a child. “They are designer bags. She got twenty-four thousand for one of them and over seven hundred for the shoes.”
Cody was speechless. “For a secondhand bag? That’s ridiculous.”
Stephanie laughed. “I agree. But some of these bags are worth more used than new because there were so few made.”
Cody quickly did some math. “So I guess she might be able to afford the shop if she keeps selling a bag now and then. But still, what happens when she runs out of her own stuff to sell? It still seems like a risk for both of us. How do we know it will continue? Maybe she just got lucky with these sales.”
“If it doesn’t work out, then you part ways and find someone else.” Stephanie paused for a moment. “There’s something else I don’t think I mentioned earlier. Claire’s pregnant. She’s staying with her mom for now, but she’s on her own and going through a divorce. She needs this.”
“She’s pregnant? So how will that work when the baby comes? How will she be able to manage running a shop?” Cody ran a hand through his hair as he thought about how that could possibly work. He also realized that he’d misjudged her, assuming this was something she was just playing at.
“She needs this,” Stephanie repeated. “Claire is smart and more than capable, and Ellis has dimmed her light. I can tell that she’s really excited about this. And it’s a real possibility to start a business and to build a life here. If you let her.”
Cody knew when he was beat. “All right. Let me sleep on it, and I’ll call her tomorrow and see if we can work something out.”
Claire pushed her disappointment aside and focused on having a fun day of shopping with Lily.
Lily didn’t find anything at the Hospital Thrift Shop.
They’d gone there immediately after leaving the furniture store.
Claire was impressed with the selection though and saw a pretty cotton sweater that she knew her mother would love.
It was only five dollars, so she grabbed it.
They went to half a dozen shops and Lily didn’t have any luck finding anything.
They were about to call it quits and head home until Claire remembered a little shop on the wharf where she sometimes found unique tops and dresses.
She didn’t know if they’d have anything that would work for Lily’s dance, but they decided to check.
The shop, Nantucket Threads, had a mix of the usual sweatshirts and T-shirts in one corner and pretty tops, shoes, pants, and dresses throughout the store.
Lily gasped when she spotted a rosy pink silk slip dress with thin, delicate straps that tied in bows at the top.
She ran over to the dress and gently touched it.
“I need to try this one on.”
Claire nodded. “Go ahead. It’s lovely.”
Lily set off to the fitting room and, a few minutes later, called for Claire to come see. Lily stepped in front of a full-length mirror and twirled around.
“I love it. What do you think? Can I get this one?”
The dress fit her perfectly and was flattering. Claire glanced at the price tag and was surprised at how reasonable the price was. It would have been significantly more in Manhattan.
She nodded. “You look beautiful. That’s the one.”
As they walked back to the car, Lily noticed a sign for a pop-up shoe shop inside a gift store.
“Can we check it out? Maybe I’ll find something cute to go with the dress.”
Claire nodded, curious to see how the pop-up shop was set up.
They stepped inside the gift store, which had all the standard tourist items with Nantucket emblazoned across them.
The pop-up shop was immediately to the left.
A young woman in her early twenties enthusiastically helped several women try on shoes while an older woman rang them up at the main register.
Claire and Lily browsed the selection of pumps, strappy sandals, and casual loafers.
They were all reasonably priced, especially for Nantucket, and Claire wasn’t surprised to see women buying multiple pairs.
Lily spotted several styles that she wanted to try.
She loved two of them and settled on a delicate rose-gold sandal with a two-inch heel.
When they paid for the shoes, Claire asked the woman ringing them up about the pop-up. “This is a fun selection. Is it just a temporary thing, or are you thinking about adding shoes to your offerings?”
The older woman smiled. “It was meant to be temporary. My granddaughter wants to open a shop just outside Boston, where she lives, and I offered to let her do a test run here first to see what styles are most popular. It’s going better than expected, so I’m tempted to add the shoes here too.
I suggested she might want to stay around for the summer and keep it going before launching her own shop. ”
“That’s a great idea,” Lily said.
Claire thought so too, and as they left the store, instead of getting into her car, when she reached India Street, she dropped her bags in the vehicle and kept going to Cody’s furniture shop.
She walked in feeling a mixture of nervousness and confidence.
She was sure she had a solid idea to propose.
Cody walked into the room when the doorbell chimed and looked surprised to see her again.
“Do you have a minute? I have an idea to run by you.” Claire tried to keep her voice calm and confident, hoping it wouldn’t betray her nervousness.
“Sure.”
“Lily and I have been doing some shopping and just came from a pop-up shop selling shoes. It occurred to me that maybe we can do that here—to prove to you that there’s demand for what I want to do—and it’s less risk for both of us.”
Cody looked intrigued. “What are you thinking?”
“What if I set up shop temporarily—for a month. If it goes well and we’re both comfortable with the idea, we can discuss a lease after that. It’s only a month, so you could still easily find another tenant for the summer season if you need to.” She grinned. “But hopefully you’ll want me to stay.”
Cody laughed. “I’m good with that.”
They discussed dates and agreed that Claire could pick up the keys in a week. That would give her time to plan for what she needed and order some things. She could do a soft opening of the shop just before the country club event and hopefully be ready for a grand opening event the following week.
This time, when Claire left Cody’s shop, she felt like she was walking on air. A pop-up shop was the perfect solution.
“Good thing I spotted that shop!” Lily said. “I think it’s a great idea, Mom. I really do.”
When they got home, they filled Claire’s mother in, and she shared their enthusiasm.
“I love the idea of testing this concept out before committing to a lease. To be honest, I was a little worried about you diving into a yearlong lease. This way, you can see how it goes, and hopefully it will be as good as we hope.”
“It’s a relief to me too. I believe in the concept, but this feels a bit safer. There’s also more pressure for it to go well. But that’s not a bad thing.”
“No. Not a bad thing at all. You can put all your energy into making it a success. And I think the country club event is a great way to promote the launch.”
“At least I have a space now. Even if it is just temporary.” Claire was thrilled that Cody had agreed to the pop-up idea.
She called Stephanie to thank her and to fill her in.
“A temporary pop-up? Was that your idea or Cody’s?” She sounded surprised.
“Mine. But Cody liked it. He actually said no when I first met with him. I went back and proposed the idea.” She told her about the shop Lily had spotted.
“I’m glad he agreed. I talked to him before you went back. I gave him hell. He just didn’t understand your business model or that people are willing to pay so much for used designer bags and shoes. This seems like a good compromise.”
“I think so too. Less risky for both of us. I’m hoping it does well enough to keep going.” Claire was excited about the business idea, but at the same time, it was a little scary. What if the sales she’d made so far were her only ones?
“I think it’s a great idea. And I know you will do well. I’ll tell everyone I know about it.”
“Thank you. And thanks for pushing your brother. I’m excited about it.”
When she ended the call, Claire grabbed her laptop and a notebook. She had a lot to do before she would be ready to open the pop-up.