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‘And that is how you take payment,’ Darcie said as she closed the drawer of the till.
‘I think I’ve got it,’ Ellie said. ‘And most people pay by card now, right?’
‘Yes. We rarely take cash now unless it’s for smaller items. Card is so convenient.’
‘It is.’ Ellie gave a small nod. ‘I don’t tend to carry cash these days. I remember Aunt Iris giving me pocket money when I lived here.’
‘How much?’
‘Three pounds a week. It seemed like a fortune back then.’
‘Three pounds used to get you a lot.’ Darcie smiled.
‘I used to save it to buy music cassette tapes.’
‘Those were the days!’
‘It’s so nice to speak to someone who understands what it was like to have to rewind a cassette to hear a song again.’
They laughed at the memory.
‘Are you’re sure you’re happy to do this?’ Darcie asked.
‘I’m delighted to have the chance to work with you. I need to learn about the stock and to get some fashion tips from you about how to add on items when people are shopping but I think I can do this. I mean… the stock is wonderful so it probably sells itself, right?’
‘It does.’ Darcie giggled. ‘OK then… trial run. I’m going to go and get us some lunch and you can see how you manage if we get any customers. Any problems though, ring me, and I’ll come straight back.’
‘Sure thing, boss.’ Ellie grinned.
‘You’ll be fine.’
Darcie gave her a quick hug then she grabbed her bag and jacket from the back room and left the shop.
Ellie walked around, admiring the ranges that were colour coded and in size order then she ran her hands over the leather and suede jackets that came in a vast array of colours and styles. There were some beautiful vintage items in the shop and Darcie had done an amazing job of setting things up so shoppers could come in and browse or even come in with something in mind that they would probably find in the shop. It was, she thought, a proper vintage boutique. Excitement rushed through her as she realised that she was going to be working here, even if temporarily. She’d have to be careful not to spend all her wages in the shop because there was plenty here to tempt her.
Twenty minutes later, Darcie was back with a paper bag and a tray holding two takeaway coffees. She set them on the counter and looked around. ‘It’s been quiet then?’
‘Very. One lady came in and she looked at the boots but then she left again. I did try to help her but she said she was looking for something very specific and hadn’t seen it.’
‘You’ll find that we get customers like that who’re just looking to have a browse but then you’ll get some who come in with no intention of spending but then they get carried away when they see what we’ve got. The things is, with it being vintage, a lot of it is one of a kind, so sometimes reminding shoppers of that can encourage a sale if they’ve been wavering about whether to buy an item.’
‘Ooh! That’s a useful sales technique,’ Ellie said.
‘Very.’ Darcie laughed. ‘Right, I got us bacon rolls and custard slices.’
Ellie placed a hand on her belly. ‘I’m not sure I should eat all that.’
‘Nonsense, Ellie, you look fabulous. Besides which, it’s your first day here so I’m welcoming you in. You can take the cake home with you if you don’t want it now.’
‘OK, thanks, I’ll see how I go.’
They ate the bacon rolls sitting on the sofa in the shop then washed them down with the coffees. Ellie found that she did fancy her custard slice so she ate that too then sat back on the sofa and smiled. ‘Thank you. That was yummy.’
‘You’re welcome. It’s nice to have some company in here.’
‘It’s nice to be here.’
Darcie sat upright and wiped her hands on a napkin. ‘So do you know when you’ll be going on your date yet?’
