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“And what do they sell?”
“Clothing,” I reply in a smart tone. “Things that a woman might want, like sexy lingerie and perfumes and whatnot.”
“I see,” Andrew says in a cool tone, his blue eyes sharp. “Where’s the boutique located? Downtown right? I know they had some retail vacancies come up recently in that area, so maybe I’ll stop by.”
I laugh.
“Oh no, we don’t have a physical presence. A Woman’s Secret is an on-line retailer. Our customers browse our products on their phones and order right off the web. We don’t have a physical presence because it’s unnecessary. Haven’t you heard of Shein, that Chinese fast fashion company? Their revenue is in the billions, and they have no stores at all. Literally zero.”
My dad looks skeptical.
“No brick and mortar?”
“Definitely not,” I assure him. “Like I said, it’s unnecessary these days! People buy straight off the web, sight unseen. Other than photos of course. Chloe hired a professional photographer to take some stills of our products, and they turned out amazing. People are snapping up our products right and left.”
My dad’s about to speak again, but my mom interrupts.
“But at some point, will A Woman’s Secret open a physical location?”
I blink.
“I don’t know. I mean, we just started. I think Chloe’s still figuring things out, from managing inventory to grappling with supply chain issues. You know that’s been a thing ever since the pandemic. But maybe. I’m sure at some point, we might rent some space and try selling in person. That would be awesome, right?”
It’s clearly the wrong question because my mom gets an agitated look on her face, her lipsticked mouth twisting with horror.
“Please don’t,” she says. “I couldn’t bear it if my clients saw you working at a place called A Woman’s Secret. Andrew, tell her no. This can’t go on because you know that the store’s not selling lingerie. They’re sellingfetish wear,” she adds in a horrified whisper.
“I’m sorry?” my dad asks, finally putting down his paper. “What are you talking about?”
“Okay, okay, A Woman’s Secret isn’t your usual lingerie shop. In fact, we sell a lot of clothing that’s not even lingerie. It’s sexy stuff. You know, aprons that have cut-outs—”
“Cut-outs?” my dad asks, looking befuddled. “Why would you have cut-outs on an apron?”
“Oh, you know,” I say in an airy tone. “To highlight a woman’s mid-riff, or maybe her nipples, or you know … downthere.”
Both of my parents stare at me, aghast.
“You’re working at a sex shop,” my dad manages in a strangled tone.
“Yes!” my mom wails, clasping her face with her palms. “Imagine if a branch opened downtown and peoplesawour daughter working inside! I’d be so embarrassed!”
There you have it. My parents aren’t prudes, nor do they care what I do with my time, really. What they care about is their reputation and upholding the “perfect family” image. Having an ugly daughter with crazy red hair working at a sex shop is beyond the pale. Amity and Andrew look like they’re going to faint.
“That’s it,” my dad says. “You’re quitting your job.”
“No, I’m not,” I snap back at him. “A Woman’s Secret is doing really well, and like I said, Chloe’s smart. I’m learning a ton from her, and she’s done me a favor by taking a chance on me. You know that we used to work at McDonald’s together, right? So she knows that I don’t have any experience with retail, but she hired me anyways.”
“That’show you know her?” my mom gasps, her blue eyes bulging from their sockets. “From McDonald’s?”
“Yes,” I snap back. “Haven’t you been listening? For your information, McDonald’s wasn’t bad either. I wouldn’t recommend standing over a deep fryer eight hours every day for the rest of your life, but they run their stores like machines. Heck, McDonald’s is one of the most profitable brands in the world! I’d love to go to Hamburger University one day to learn their secrets. But unfortunately, that’s only open to franchisees and I was just a crew member.”
But my praise for the Golden Arches falls on deaf ears. Andrew and Amity merely continue to stare at one another, their features frozen with horror.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” my mom murmurs. “Our daughter works at a sex store and soon, everyone’s going to know.”
“It’s not that bad,” I interject. “Everyone buys this stuff! They just don’t talk about it.”
But my parents are shaken, and my dad fixes me with a stern look.
