ANYTHING BUT ENEMIES

03. a rich man's teddy bear

"A YOUNG MAN came here a couple days ago to complain about our customer service."

I flinch at the sudden notes of Roselyn's voice, almost dropping the vase in my hand as it rose to my heart. "God, you need a cowbell."

She adjusts the grandma glasses on the bridge of her nose, lips puckering into an expression that I know is trying to hide a smile before straightening. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you right now, young lady."

"Was he tall? Unreasonable with some stupid preppy outfit? Father probably owns a yacht with how full of himself he is?"

My boss accidentally lets a snicker escape before schooling her face back into indifference. "Well, he was quite the looker, I'll tell you that."

Ugh.

"Yeah, let me stop you right there."

She shifts to the side, bringing something from behind her back, and I have to raise my hand to cover the smile that starts to grow across my face at the infamous donkey card.

"Familiar, Miss Cunningham?"

I hum noncommittally.

"You can not call our customers a-holes and say they resemble donkey behinds."

My snort escapes at the word behinds, "Roselyn, he was practically asking for it. You should have heard the stuff he was saying to me."

I earn a sigh in return. "I believe you, but you know we can't afford any bad reviews. It hurts business."

Making a big show of looking around the empty shop, I hold up a thumb. "Right."

"Cleo," she chides.

"Roselyn." I groan, setting the vase back where it belongs as her nails drum against one of the glass shelves. "He deserved a punch. I let him off way easy."

"What did he even say like that?"

"He made fun of my clothes, my name—and get this—he wanted me to pick out a sympathy card for him."

She gasps in a way that I would think is theatrical if I didn't know her as the woman who'd taken out a loan at the tender age of twenty-five to bring her longtime stationary shop dream into existence. "He didn't."

"He did." I nod soberly.

"In that case, I don't feel bad anymore."

"Feel bad?"

"Well, as my star employee I figured you couldn't be the in wrong..."

I arch an eyebrow as her words trail off, a smirk already starting to tug at my lips. "What'd you do to him?"

She leans against the back wall by the vase display, greying bun pressing to wood. "I may have convinced him to buy a paperweight for my troubles."

"...What paperweight?"

She holds up a finger before disappearing around the corner of the case. When she returns, there's a small brown teddy bear sculpture sitting in her hands, the thing clutching a tiny red heart with a painted-on smile.

My snort comes out loud and unexpected. "You convinced him to buy that? How?"

"I said it was for a good cause."

"Like charity?"

"I didn't say charity. Just a good cause. Such as your paycheck."

Only Roselyn could end up convincing a pissed off customer to drop more cash after coming in with the intent of complaining.