game plan,” I cautioned. “We should pretend we’re customers, and we’re checking the place out. Let’s not give ourselves away, or have any confrontations. Okay?”
“Sure,” she agreed, eager to proceed.
We went inside to the familiar sound of a bell jingling over our heads. A pretty woman with dark hair and eyes came out from the back. “Hi. Can I help you?” she asked.
“We were just driving by and noticed your store,” I answered. “We thought we’d come inside, and take a look at what you’ve got.”
“Well, take your time. The tables and racks have all the sizes you’d need.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She smiled, and rearranged the papers and pencils on the counter. She hadn’t been expecting her client for another half hour, and was relieved that we were real customers. She hoped one of us would buy something. It made things more legitimate that way. “That table in the middle is fifty percent off today and tomorrow,” she called, acting on impulse. “It’s a great bargain if you find something you like.”
I smiled, and moved to the middle table to check it out. There were some pretty nice things here, and at fifty percent off, I could get a good bra for less than fifteen dollars. When I found the push-up bras, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. These looked like the bras that sold for fifty dollars at another store.
I picked a couple of them up, and took them back to the counter. “Do you have a fitting room where I can try these on?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Right over here.” She ushered me to a small room in the back corner, and I hurried inside. A twinge of guilt went through me as I caught the thought from Emily that I was a turncoat, but her thoughts ended when I shut the door. Oops, probably not the best move on my part.
I tried them on as fast as I could, worrying what Emily might do or say without me there. I came out of the room, barely put together, and found things just as I left them. The proprietor was still standing behind the counter, and Emily was looking through the racks.
“How did those work for you?” the woman asked.
“Good…really good,” I said. “They fit perfectly. I’ll take them.”
She smiled, hoping she’d made a customer out of me. At the same time, she shouldn’t be selling her inventory so cheap. But it was worth it for a sale. She could easily fix the books to look like I paid the proper amount, and supplement it with the earnings from her real job.
She swiped my credit card, and I signed the receipt while she bagged my bras. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Emily. What was she doing? I glanced over my shoulder to find Emily with nearly the whole table of bras in her arms. She had done the math, and knew that buying these bras at fifty percent off was better than the cost she could get from her supplier. If this lady was stupid enough to sell them for that price, she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to dish out some serious pain to her competitor.
“I’ll take all of them,” Emily said, dropping them on the counter.
“Oh…I’m so sorry,” the owner responded. “I forgot to tell you the deal is limited to three bras per customer. I hope you understand.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Emily sighed with defeat. She knew it was too good to be true. What was this lady up to? “Since she bought two, I’ll buy four. That should even it out.” She smiled, but her eyes held a challenge in them.
“Sure,” the lady nodded. Maybe her little ploy had been too overboard. She should have said they were only twenty-five percent off. Since she priced them low to begin with, she was now stuck with selling six bras that she had to make up the money for. Good thing she had plenty to cover it. She didn’t know how anybody could make it in this business.
Glad we were done, she rang up Emily’s purchases. Her client would be there any minute, and it was always best not to have any witnesses. Emily took her purchases, and we walked to the
“Sure,” she agreed, eager to proceed.
We went inside to the familiar sound of a bell jingling over our heads. A pretty woman with dark hair and eyes came out from the back. “Hi. Can I help you?” she asked.
“We were just driving by and noticed your store,” I answered. “We thought we’d come inside, and take a look at what you’ve got.”
“Well, take your time. The tables and racks have all the sizes you’d need.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She smiled, and rearranged the papers and pencils on the counter. She hadn’t been expecting her client for another half hour, and was relieved that we were real customers. She hoped one of us would buy something. It made things more legitimate that way. “That table in the middle is fifty percent off today and tomorrow,” she called, acting on impulse. “It’s a great bargain if you find something you like.”
I smiled, and moved to the middle table to check it out. There were some pretty nice things here, and at fifty percent off, I could get a good bra for less than fifteen dollars. When I found the push-up bras, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. These looked like the bras that sold for fifty dollars at another store.
I picked a couple of them up, and took them back to the counter. “Do you have a fitting room where I can try these on?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “Right over here.” She ushered me to a small room in the back corner, and I hurried inside. A twinge of guilt went through me as I caught the thought from Emily that I was a turncoat, but her thoughts ended when I shut the door. Oops, probably not the best move on my part.
I tried them on as fast as I could, worrying what Emily might do or say without me there. I came out of the room, barely put together, and found things just as I left them. The proprietor was still standing behind the counter, and Emily was looking through the racks.
“How did those work for you?” the woman asked.
“Good…really good,” I said. “They fit perfectly. I’ll take them.”
She smiled, hoping she’d made a customer out of me. At the same time, she shouldn’t be selling her inventory so cheap. But it was worth it for a sale. She could easily fix the books to look like I paid the proper amount, and supplement it with the earnings from her real job.
She swiped my credit card, and I signed the receipt while she bagged my bras. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Emily. What was she doing? I glanced over my shoulder to find Emily with nearly the whole table of bras in her arms. She had done the math, and knew that buying these bras at fifty percent off was better than the cost she could get from her supplier. If this lady was stupid enough to sell them for that price, she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to dish out some serious pain to her competitor.
“I’ll take all of them,” Emily said, dropping them on the counter.
“Oh…I’m so sorry,” the owner responded. “I forgot to tell you the deal is limited to three bras per customer. I hope you understand.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Emily sighed with defeat. She knew it was too good to be true. What was this lady up to? “Since she bought two, I’ll buy four. That should even it out.” She smiled, but her eyes held a challenge in them.
“Sure,” the lady nodded. Maybe her little ploy had been too overboard. She should have said they were only twenty-five percent off. Since she priced them low to begin with, she was now stuck with selling six bras that she had to make up the money for. Good thing she had plenty to cover it. She didn’t know how anybody could make it in this business.
Glad we were done, she rang up Emily’s purchases. Her client would be there any minute, and it was always best not to have any witnesses. Emily took her purchases, and we walked to the
Similar Books
