Happily Never After

Chapter 3

Mr. Shanks was the type of man who, most of the time, got his way wither you liked it or not. His opinion was final and if you tried to changed his mind, you were in for a tough time. Once his choice was picked, you had very little chance of changing it.

"Mr. Shanks, I just don't think that that would be the best product to sell in any of the stores." I look at the wall covered with hanging female clothing items and fold my arms over my chest. "It just doesn't go with what else we've picked for the season."

"I think you're wrong," he simply tells me.

"How can you stand there and tell me I'm wrong? Look at what we already have going into the stores next week! This doesn't go with any of that!" 

Mr. Shanks leans back against a table that helped form a U shape in the room and stares intensely at the clothes, his brown eyes scanning over each item numerous times. "Do you have the information on the items we're already putting in the stores for this season's collection?"

I nod and hand him a stapled bundle of papers that contained a detailed list of the winter collection we were putting out in the stores. I watch him closely as he looks from the pieces of paper, to the wall of clothes then back again.

"Fine." He mutters and I stare at him in shock. He changed his mind! "We'll go with your decision. No one can say that I'm not fair."

"Thank you," I breathe in relief.

He sits the paper down on the table and straightens up, fixing his black suit and dark green tie as he does so. "Update me on the process."

"Of course," I nod.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I have another meeting to attend." With that, he turned and left the room, leaving me to tidy everything away. 

A real man would offer to help tidy up! I sigh and start to take everything down that was hanging on the wall, sitting them in a pile on the tables to be folded.

After spending over twenty minutes taking everything down, I moved on to folding the items and putting them back in the box I took them out of before the meeting started.

I was too wrapped up in making sure everything was neatly folded and placed in the box, that I didn't notice someone standing by the open door watching me.

"Why is a good looking woman like you doing a job that should be done by someone else?"

The strong male voice made me jump and I stop what I was doing and look over at the door. I huff and lean against the table I was standing by, looking over at the male that occupied the space of the doorway. "It's part of my job."

"I doubt that a senior buyer should be doing that," he smiles, moving away from the door and walking towards me. I shake my head and go back to putting the clothes away.

"Not talking to me now? That's a bit rude." I tilt my head up to him and scowl. He stops walking and holds his hands up as if to show that he won't do anything to me. "I only want to help. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less."

I place a folded t-shirt in the box that sat to my left before replying, "Fine."

He continues his walk over to me and starts helping me fold the last remaining clothing items. We never spoke, just stood in silence. So silent that you could hear a mouse squeak if there was one near.

"My brother told me he met you and your friend earlier today. Something about her calling him 'Mr. Obvious' or something like that," he breaks the silence.

I place the last t-shirt I had to fold, into the box and look up at him. "If you're talking about in the lift this morning, then you would be right."