Dixie Belle

by Debby Mayne

  After Uncle Forest left, Dave grinned at her. “Ready?”

  She swallowed hard, hoping Dave didn’t see her hand shaking. “As much as I’ll ever be.”

  Dave spent the next few minutes making sure she understood how the call was supposed to go. He answered her questions about filling out the orders on the computer and gave her a few helpful hints to make it run smoothly.

  “Here’s a list of existing accounts. Any of them look good to you?”

  “How about the Olson account?”

  Dave shot her a skeptical look but scooted his chair closer to her desk. She’d already pulled up the file on her computer, so he pointed to some things and explained what they regularly ordered, what they needed periodically, and the items they purchased from another company.

  “We carry all of that stuff,” she said. “Why don’t they just buy everything from us? Wouldn’t it be a lot simpler?”

  “Good questions,” Dave said. “If you figure out the answers, let me know. I’ve been working on them, hoping they’ll eventually make the switch, but in the meantime, let’s just try to maintain what we have.”

  She asked him a few more pointed questions until she had a better idea of how to handle the phone call. Finally Dave moved back to his desk. “You’re on your own now, Cissy. Let’s see what you can do. Remember I’m right here if you get stuck.”

  She nodded. Now was her chance to show what she was made of and make Uncle Forest proud. The only thing she wished was that she didn’t have an audience listening and scrutinizing every word out of her mouth.

  After jotting more notes and pondering an opening, she picked up the phone and punched in the Olson account contact number. She started out with her script, but as she became more confident that she wouldn’t botch it, she veered into territory Dave had told her to avoid. She saw him flailing his arms, but she turned her chair away to prevent the distraction. When she hung up, she was absolutely giddy.

  “Look what I just did.” She pointed to the computer screen that showed the additional items sold.

  Dave stood up and walked over to her. As he stared at the screen, he shook his head. “Are you sure about that? They’ve always said they were happy with their source for snaps and hooks. Every time I bring it up, I get cut off.”

  “Positive. In fact, she said it made sense to have everything with us, and I just happened to ask at the right time.” Cissy leaned back in her chair. “When was the last time you actually asked for the order?”

  Dave’s cheeks turned pink, and he folded his arms, but he didn’t say anything for a few seconds. He glanced back at the order form on the computer screen and slowly shook his head. “Good job, Cissy.”

  “By the way, what was all that arm waving about?” She cocked her head to one side and gave him a teasing look. “It was really distracting.”

  His shoulders slumped. “I was trying to tell you they didn’t want to order snaps and hooks from us.”

  Cissy laughed. “Good thing I didn’t pay attention to you.”

  “Yeah, good thing.” He swiveled his chair around to face his computer. “I have work to do, and so do you. Getting an order from an existing client is a cinch. Getting a new sale is where the real work begins.”

  “I know.” She knew she’d hurt his feelings, and based on her history of being in his shoes, she also knew that nothing she could say would make him feel better. But she had to at least try. “Dave, I appreciate everything you’ve done to help me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been so thorough . . . and put together that training binder.”

  “Someone else would have done it.” His clipped tone let her know he wasn’t in the mood to talk.

  Cissy got back to work. Talking to clients was a blast compared to the long hours of staring at the notions manual, reading about what each item did, and learning how to answer various objections the accounts might have. And success right off the bat sure was nice. It gave her the confidence she sorely needed. Besides, it was fun chatting with someone. She just might wind up enjoying this job.

  Lunchtime finally arrived. As she dug through her handbag for some sandwich money, she found Tom Jenkins’s business card. She pulled it out and stared at it for a moment. The background of the card was stark white, and the lettering was crisp. Very neat and attractive, just like the man. Goose bumps ran up her arm as she read the words. Tom Jenkins. President and CEO. Sewing Notions Inc. She stared a moment at the small white card. She pulled out her cell phone, got up, and made her way to the corner of the room to make sure no one could hear her. Then she punched the number on the card into her cell phone.

  “Hello?”

  Her heart hammered at the sound of the familiar masculine voice.

  “Hello, is—is this Tom Jenkins?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.

  “Yes.”

  “This is Cissy Hillwood. You asked me to call . . . ”

  “Yes. Cissy. I thought I recognized your voice.” His voice softened, warming her, and she found herself relaxing.

  “It’s lunchtime, and well, I was wondering . . . ”

  He cut in smoothly. “How would you like to have lunch with me? I know a nice restaurant just a few blocks away. I could meet you there in half an hour.” He gave directions, and they disconnected. Her stomach fluttered. Was she really doing this? Having lunch with the gorgeous Tom Jenkins, arch rival of her uncle?

  Um . . . yes. And she was absolutely giddy with delight.

  A half hour later she found herself outside Keens Chophouse. As soon as she stepped inside, the luxurious décor enveloped her and let her know she was having lunch with someone of means. From the rich, dark paneling and hand-painted murals to the Oriental rugs and white tablecloths, everything about this room screamed elegance.

  “Cissy?”

  She spun around toward the sound of Tom’s voice and spotted him standing about ten feet away, grinning. Yeah, baby, this was what New York City was all about. Her lips quivered as she smiled back at him. “This place is nice.”

  His grin widened. “I thought you might like it.” He gestured toward the dining room. “After you.”

  After ordering, Tom leaned toward her and looked into her eyes, making her lightheaded. She gripped the napkin in her lap and willed herself to relax, but it was hard with this man sitting so close.

  “Does your uncle know you’re here with me?”

  She slowly shook her head. “I didn’t tell him.”

  He flinched. “I don’t want you to lie.”

  “Oh, I didn’t lie. I just didn’t say anything.”

  Tom pursed his lips and nodded. “So how do you like the city so far?”

  Starting the moment she stepped foot into Keens, it became the best experience of her life. “I like it.” She gestured around the dining room. “And this is super nice.”

  He laughed. “Yes, I agree. So do you think you might be in New York a while?”

  “I hope so.” If this were any indication of what living in the city would be like, she’d be here forever. “As long as I have a job, I will.”

  Tom took a sip of his water and smiled. She sure did wish she knew what he was thinking.

  After their food came, she picked up her fork but paused when she saw that he’d bowed his head. She put down the fork, bowed her head, and thanked the Lord for the food she was about to eat and for the man sitting next to her. When she opened her eyes, she saw the look of satisfaction on Tom’s face.

  Today had been such a banner day so far Cissy couldn’t hold everything in. After they placed their order, she found herself gushing about how she’d gotten the apartment and her upsell to the Olson account.

  “I’ve only been here a week, and I’ve gotten more accomplished today than . . . ” She raised her hands to her sides. “Than I did all last year.” Not to mention having lunch with a super handsome man, she silently added to her tally.

  Tom chuckled. “Sounds like you’ve been very busy.”

  �
��Well, I’m not one to brag, but I think I’m pretty good at sales.” She stopped for a moment and thought. “Oh, I’m sorry. I hate when people do that.”

  “What?” He didn’t even bother trying to hide his amusement.

  “I said I didn’t brag, and then I went and bragged.” She feigned a look of regret before a grin erupted. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t help myself. This is all so exciting and new for me.” He’d been a wonderful listener, that’s for sure. She’d always been a chatterbox, but she couldn’t remember a time when she’d talked this much on a first date.

  He smiled. “It’s not bragging when it’s the truth. Sounds like you’re quite a salesperson. If you weren’t working for your uncle, I’d try to hire you to work for me.”

  She couldn’t help but beam even more. “That’s sweet. I have to admit, I plan to study the books even more to see where I can increase business with the accounts we already have.” She lowered her voice and leaned toward him. “Uncle Forest isn’t letting me loose on new accounts yet, but I figure if I can prove myself by building on existing ones, he’ll eventually let me at ’em.”

  “Oh, I’m sure.” Tom laughed.

  “Anyway, it really wasn’t all that hard to get the snaps and hooks business from Olson.” As she spoke she found herself on autopilot until she needed to catch a breath. “I’m so sorry, Tom. You must be bored to tears.”

  “No, actually, I’m quite fascinated.”

  He grinned. “That account you just increased closed out my account with them.”

  “Wha—?” Suddenly it dawned on her. “You had their hooks and snaps?”

  He nodded. “Yup.”

  She felt as though someone had knocked the wind out of her. “Oh, Tom. I don’t know what to say. Here I am, talkin’ a mile a minute, while you’re probably sittin’ there fumin’ about losing business. Should I say I’m sorry when I’m so happy about it?”

  “You shouldn’t do anything other than what you’re doing, Cissy. That business hardly brought enough revenue to worry about. I was just holding on to the account to do the exact same thing you did . . . only you beat me to it.”

  She issued what she hoped he saw as an apologetic grin. “Can we still be friends?”

  He nodded as a grin slowly made its way across his lips. “Absolutely.”

  Cissy basked in the presence of the best-looking man she’d ever seen in her life. She wanted more than friendship, and she fully intended to do everything she could to make it happen, but this could be more complicated than she’d bargained for. What if she continued to take away sales from Tom? Would he want to date the competition?

  He lifted an eyebrow. “So tell me more about your apartment.”

  That was all she needed to go off on another tangent, until she caught herself. “See? I’m doin’ it again. That’s why my friends back home used to call me Motor Mouth.”

  Tom burst into laughter. “Motor Mouth? How cute!”

  “And true, I’m afraid. If I don’t learn to keep my mouth shut, I’ll get myself into all kinds of trouble again.”

  “Don’t worry about that with me. If you say something that bothers me, I’ll let you know . . . but I don’t see that happening. I enjoy listening to you.” He dipped his chin. “How does your uncle feel about your moving out so soon?”

  Her throat constricted as she remembered the anguished look on his face. “I know he really didn’t want me to move out of his house, but he’s pretty awesome about understanding why I need to do this.” She paused. “He says I’m a lot like him. The family didn’t want him to leave Alabama, but he wanted something different, and he had to go for it. That’s how I am.”

  Tom smiled but didn’t say anything.

  “But now I really do need to get back, and since I need to drop off the deposit at my apartment . . . ” She grinned. “It feels so good to say that.”

  “When are you moving?”

  “On Saturday. Uncle Forest is helping me with my suitcases, and he’s getting me a daybed. I still have to find a table—a very small table—and a couple of chairs.”

  “I would offer to help, but I doubt your uncle would allow that.” His smile was rueful. “Maybe one of these days I’ll talk to him. Clear the air.”

  A hint of shyness washed over Cissy. “That would be nice,” she said softly.

  “That number you called me from, was that your cell?”

  “Yes,” she admitted.

  “May I call you again? Or text?”

  She nodded. “Yes, either is fine.”

  Her lunch hour had flown by way too fast. After they finished eating, he walked her to the corner and took her hand in his. “I’m very happy you called, Cissy, and I look forward to next time we can be together.”

  Giddiness washed over her. No one had ever looked at her the way Tom did.

  Her mind raced, and her heart danced all the way to her new apartment. This was turning out to be the best day of her life . . . ever.

  Chapter 11

  CISSY FELT AS though she was walking on air as she floated into the elevator leading to the Zippers Plus office. She had just finished signing her lease, and committed a huge chunk of her future salary. Her apartment might be expensive and small and musty, but it was hers. All hers. Never in her life had she done something so . . . well . . . so grown up.

  Charlene promised to help her get rid of the bad smells, and she planned to decorate the boring walls to liven them up. This was the first apartment that she would have without roommates, so she could decorate it any way she pleased.

  The second the elevator door opened to the office, she saw the look change on Dave’s face when he glanced her way. Uh, oh. Something wasn’t good. She sure hoped he hadn’t gotten into trouble because of her sale. Dave had that account for quite a while, and she’d managed to do something on her first try that he hadn’t since he’d been there.

  As she approached Dave, she put on her best, practiced smile, hoping to lighten things up a bit. “I got the apartment! I am so excited.”

  “We need to talk,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Aren’t you happy for me?” The little-girl voice came through, so she cleared her throat. “I know you tried really hard, but sometimes it takes someone with a new perspective to make changes.”

  Dave gestured toward her chair. “I need to warn you before you step into the lion’s den.”

  “Huh?” She sat down, wondering why on earth he would want to dampen her enthusiasm. Even professional jealousy had its limits.

  Dave sat on the corner of her desk and held out a sheet of paper that had red marks all over it. “Cissy, after you left, I checked on your sale to the Olson account. You just sold a bunch of stuff to them for less than wholesale. We’re losing money on this deal.”

  “What are you talking about, Dave?” She took the paper and looked it over. “We have the entire account now. That’s a good thing, right?”

  “Only if we’re making a profit. If you continue doing this, you’ll put us out of business.”

  Cissy sighed. She had no idea what he was talking about, so she went along with him. “If I did something wrong, I’ll fix it.”

  A sardonic smile spread across his lips. “I don’t think anyone can fix this, Cissy.”

  “I can try.” She waved the paper in his face. “If I messed up, I’ll just call and tell them I made a humongous mistake. That happens, and I’m sure they’ll understand.”

  “I don’t know . . . ”

  “Thanks for telling me first.” Cissy forced a grin. “Let me go do it now before Uncle Forest catches wind of this.”

  “Too late. He knows.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “And I just signed the lease on that apartment.”

  He shrugged and offered a look of apology. Too bad it didn’t appear real.

  She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I refuse to let anything stop me from doing what’s right. Before I talk to my uncle, I’m gonna go make a phone call and
try to fix this. It’s my fault, so I’ll tell them not to hold it against Uncle Forest.”

  Dave gestured toward her phone. “You do that. Meanwhile, I think I’ll go find some earplugs so I won’t have to listen to your uncle after you make an even bigger mess of things.”

  He took off before she had a chance to reply. Cissy looked down at the paper and tried to figure out what had happened and how she had made the mistake that would probably cost her job. She still didn’t see the problem, so she went to her desk, pulled up the wholesale numbers, and compared them. As she went down the line and saw that the cost of some items was per item and not per dozen, it became apparent how she’d managed to majorly mess up. A sense of dread came over her, but she wasn’t about to let that paralyze her. Uncle Forest had been too good to her to cost him money on one of his big accounts.

  With a shaky hand, she lifted the phone and punched in the number of her contact at Olson. “Um . . . this is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in my life, but I need to cancel that order we talked about earlier.” Her heart sank deeper with every word. “I gave you some incorrect information, and if we go through with this sale, Zippers Plus will lose money, and I might lose my job. I mean, I’m new and all, and I’m sure you understand. I don’t want to do that to my boss because he’s my uncle, and he gave me a chance when no one else would. I am so sorry, and if you give me a chance, I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

  Her contact at Olson remained mostly quiet as she listened to Cissy’s explanation. One thing that helped was that her contact sounded like a young woman too, someone named Jenna, who seemed laid back and nice. Occasionally Cissy heard a slight giggle that confused her, but she kept plowing forward. Finally, when she finished explaining and apologizing up one side and down the other, she sighed and said, “So I’m sure you understand that this was all my fault and my uncle had nothing to do with it.”

  Jenna replied, “Yes, Cissy, we already knew that, which is why we’ve adjusted the numbers to what we would normally pay Zippers Plus.”