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“That’s a great idea, but I need them to be willing to buy one first. Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”
“Something brilliant,” Brianna reminded her.
Shanda chuckled. “I have two weeks. Nothing to worry about.”
“Who’s worried?” Brianna asked as she walked into the back. “Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.”
“You and me both,” she muttered under her breath.
With Brianna gone, the shop was way too quiet. What harm would it do to close early and spend the time brainstorming? She had liked Brianna’s suggestion about giving something for free, but that was so overdone. Shanda wanted her idea to be as unique as the blown-glass creations she made.
“That’s it. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?”
What made her shop special was that everything in it was crafted by her or her granddad. If she offered a free live demonstration it might just draw in spectators. With any luck, those spectators would become customers. Even if only half of them purchased something, at least it would get people talking about her shop.
This was crazy. Although she found it interesting, that didn’t mean anyone else would. Maybe she was going to need to go with Brianna’s suggestion.
Who was going to come here just to watch her blow glass?
Shanda walked to the door and was just about to flip the sign over to ‘closed’ when she noticed a man at the door. Yes. A customer.
She may have been overzealous when she ripped open the door. “Hi. Welcome.”
The man looked a bit hesitant to enter. He peered in as though he was about to change his mind. There was no way she was about to let her only customer walk away without even looking around. Whether due to desperation or insanity, Shanda reached out and grabbed him by his hand and practically yanked him inside.
He looked down at her with the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. She wasn’t sure if they were meant to scare her or turn her on. This wasn’t the time to question it.
“Is this the way you get all your potential customers in?” he asked.
If this works, then I might.
“Not at all, but this is your lucky day,” she replied.
The man cocked a brow. “And why is that?”
Still holding his hand, she said, “Come with me in the back and you’ll find out.” He didn’t budge.
“Excuse me?”
God, that sounded like a proposition. Not the type of customers I’m looking for.She shook it off and tried again. “What I mean is, I’d like to show you my blowing technique. Trust me, it’s not like anything you’ve ever experienced before.”
His eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of their sockets, which was a shame, because he really had attractive eyes. As quickly as it had come, what appeared to be an astonished look had vanished. Now, glaring at her and in a deep, serious way, he asked. “Is the owner here?”
Oh God.Maybe he wasn’t a customer. Maybe he was a building inspector or tax collector from the town. Quickly, she ran through all the less-than-appealing scenarios possible and felt confident that she was up-to-date with everything. Which really was a miracle, based on her sales lately. “I’m the owner,” she said proudly. His demeanor didn’t relax, and it was clear as day that he wasn’t interested in learning about blowing glass. She released his hand and asked, “Was there something specific you were looking for? If you’re not interested in my blowing technique, I’m sure if you give me enough time, I can find something else that you’ll equally enjoy.”
The man burst out laughing. “Do you know Billy Brown?”
Shanda was better at faces than with names and usually she remembered people by what they had purchased. “I don’t believe so. Is he one of my customers?”
“I sure in hell hope not. He’s married.”
“The topic of marriage doesn’t normally come up in conversation. I guess I do most of the talking until they know what they want.” Which is usually nothing. Shanda loved the creation part of the business, yet sales weren’t her forte.
He never took his eyes off her as he responded, “I don’t want to know what…techniques you use. I don’t pay for services.”
Shanda placed her hands on her hips and said, “Sorry, no free samples. But if you pay for the first one, I’ll give you another for free.” She couldn’t believe she was resorting to this. She was being pushy. The man was about to turn away and she had to give it one last try. “What did you say your friend’s name was?”
“Billy.”
