"Hello, sir. Would you take a moment to look at our autumn clothes and shoes?"
'Not bad…'
That is the man's first thought, before he looks at the store I'm pointing at. He glances at men and women's clothes on display, before he politely smiles at me.
'But I'm in a hurry.'
My smile becomes more sincere, and I speak before he can voice the thought about to motivate his rejection.
"If you are in a hurry, sir, I can help you make your choice. We have a wide variety of items, whether for a date or for business meetings."
At first sight, the man is in his thirties. Clothed modestly but fashionably, he has a shopping bag in his hand, having made some purchase before hurrying along. He glances at his watch.
"Sir, even if not to impress a date or at a meeting, it can be for your own comfort and enjoyment. Why not widen your range of choice for any event you will have to attend? Emmie!"
Before the man can speak, I call over Emmie, who was hesitating on who to engage and how to do it. But she is not inherently shy, so she smiles while approaching.
I turn back to my potential customer, and smile.
"Just five minutes, sir."
He looks at me, then at Emmie, then smiles.
"Alright."
'I should go for a jacket since I'm already here. Maybe an ensemble with casual shoes. Or…'
My smile widens.
"Emmie, let's help this sir find something good. With his figure, the range of choice is large, so let's start with a jacket that will satisfy him, then we will go from there to create a few ensembles for him to choose from."
"Alright."
With that, Emmie hurries in to get the clothes while the man looks at me, surprised, but satisfied.
A few minutes later, Emmie and I escort him outside to see him off.
"Thank you for your patronage, sir."
"No need for that. I enjoyed your service. And you have been fast, as promised. I'm very satisfied."
"We are glad to hear that, sir. Have a good evening."
The man smiles, nods, and goes on his way. My smile doesn't fade, while Emmie jumps, just short of jumping on me.
"Max, that was so easy!"
"I told you to relax. It is not difficult."
I lower my voice to avoid ruffling the feathers of the older clerks, before resuming our position outside.
I can feel Manager Silina's thoughtful gaze from behind. Now, we only have to prove that it was not a stroke of luck that landed us an apparently easy customer, and that will land us the job, the… internship.
Value makes the world function. If you have some, you will find your position, if not, you will be discarded to the side.
If we can handle creating interest where there had been little to none, we will be proving ourselves valuable enough.
"Hello, misses…"
"Hello, sir…"
Mind reading is just a plus, not a crutch. I smile as Emmie engages with a man, flashing a smile after observing and now trying to lead him inside. As for me, I accost two women in their early twenties pasted together like Emmie and I usually are.
Even though not everyone is convinced to take some to visit the store, cheating makes everything easier, especially for those who are already interested in purchasing clothes, shoes, or accessories.
As I thought, semi consumables items are easier to sell in large numbers, along with the assorted accessories like the bags, or other accessories that go well with them. And since the shop is a brand store that deals in both luxury and mid-range products, the range of targets is large.
From two hours, Emmie and I actually stay for three hours, before seeing the time, and our age, we are called inside by Manager Silina.
She looks at her tablet, then at us. Though she is calm, the satisfaction she is keeping behind her façade of stoicism doesn't escape me.
"You both have done well. From your performance, you didn't exaggerate, especially you, Max. You have done better than many of our more experienced employees. Though Emmie has tried, you are the one who carried the weight during this test, so I can easily make the decision for your… internship."
My calm face doesn't break into a smile. Even though the news is good, Emmie is not included. She tries to smile without making it forced, but her disappointment is plain visible.
'Good. Falling low before being raised high. She will work hard. She will be grateful. She will be loyal.'
Manager Silina glances at her, and nods to herself inside, before she continues with what she has in mind.
"However, I can see that you are a team. You have tried to help her, and teach her. And she has done her best. If she can keep doing her best and she does get better, I don't see why she can't stay too."
"Hiii~"
This time, my face breaks into a smile, though it is more because of Emmie's excitement and the suppressed cry she lets out.
"I did it! Max, I did it! We passed the test!!"
She hugs me and starts jumping up and down, fearless of her high heels breaking down, and mine too, because she tries to drag me along in her display of excitement.
I hold her arms around my chest to hold her back and laugh. The display gets a smile out of Silina too, wiping away her mask of impassiveness.
"Alright, girls. Let's talk about when you are available. After that, leave me your contacts and go back. I will call you when the internship contract is ready. It should not take long."
"Yes, Manager Silina."
"Now, come. I will assign the two of you a common locker. That should not be a problem, right?"
"No."
"That's good. You will keep your uniforms there for now. After the contract is signed, you will get an additional one each, to be managed and taken care of carefully."
"Yes, ma'am~"
Emmie squeals, still riding high on the giddiness while holding my hand.
_ _ _
_ _ _
A/N: Hi, I have a question for you. How do you find the story up to now? And before I forget, is the present tense in the story comfortable enough?
I have foreshadowed some things, and after Max's struggles with her identity, which may never really get resolved, it is time for the twist that will bring everything hidden to the surface. Well, not everything, but you get it, right?
Also, throw your power stones this way. Building momentum is a must.
Peace~ (◔‿◔)