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“Pris, go grab your laptop. You can show him the program we use.”
Vance’s eyebrow arched and he mouthed her father’s nickname. She put her frita down and padded out of the room. She managed not to mumble under her breath—just barely.
When she came back in, the two men in her life were laughing over spicy fries. Vance had stolen a piece of paper from the printer and was scratching out ideas with a pen.
“What you need is a clean interface. Your employees log in with their ID numbers, have categories, and specific tasks. Managerial levels, as well as basic functions.”
She set her laptop down in front of him. He smiled up at her. “Thanks.”
His fingers flew over the keys. Instead of the ancient screens she was used to seeing, Vance was into the programming of the actual server.
“Don’t you need my password?”
“You were already signed in,” he said absently.
“Oh.” She munched on a fry as she watched him navigate all the menus that made her go cross-eyed when she had to do reports.
“Here’s your problem. It looks like six years ago or so, you used a different number system for ordering. From what I can gather, raw materials for jewelry making turned slowly into buying wholesale.”
She nodded. “We had three designers in-house, including me. But over the years it dwindled down to just me.”
Vance tipped his head. “So, you’re selling more of other people’s work than your own?”
She averted her eyes to the wax paper and the fascinating glob of sauce. “That’s right.”
“The high-end jewelry is harder to sell out of the shops.” Her father cut in with a gentle smile her way.
That’s why she signed up for the expo. Her work wasn’t exactly right for the midsized city of Syracuse and the even smaller Kensington Square. She needed to get into the huge stores where her work would be in a collection, not a simple search for a two-carat solitaire in Google.
But then she looked at her father and knew it was ego. Her family was known for its good service and repairs. For offering up exquisite craftsmanship that was still affordable.
The fact that she wanted to leapfrog away from that into original works was her dream. One that could be on hold until the business was on better footing. Because she couldn’t disappoint her father.
And seeing him actually listen to Vance as he described the kind of system he would put together for them, she saw her father relax for the first time in a very long time.
That was worth more than her spring collection any day.
Ten
“So you really think youcan do this for us,” Ben asked.
Vance nodded. He cracked his knuckles. They’d been talking about the store for the better part of two hours. “I have references if you need them.” The older man was out of his depth with computer language and he tried to bring it down to layman’s terms as much as possible. All the while he was losing Presley with every new thing they discussed.
He wasn’t sure when it happened. Sometime between the program to streamline the store and talking about a mobile application, she got quiet.
Ben looked at his watch then to Goldie. “I have to go home to your mother or she’s going to disown me.”
Vance stood with Ben and held out his hand. “Let me work on a few ideas and I’ll get back to you.”
Ben clasped his hand and brought up the other to pump his arm enthusiastically. “I didn’t expect dinneranda face-lift for our company. You’re all right, son.” He turned to Presley. “You don’t let this one get away.”
Her face melted into a half smile for her father. “It’s way past your bedtime, Pop. Tell Mom I love her.”
“Tell her yourself when you get back from the island.”
“I will.”
“You sure you two will be all right here? Do I need to chaperone?”
