Thank you, Ellen

Thank you, Ellen

Alice stood in the doorway, watching the man peruse the counters. She’d found out early that the best way to sell jewelry was to let the patron look around a bit, before trying to help them.

Of course, they often got caught up in items they actually couldn’t afford, which soured the sale and the patron often left unhappy. So, she had also set up her shop with price categories. Not listing the actual price in everyone’s sight, but giving each counter a range so people concentrated on the items they already knew they could afford. It seemed to work very well, she seldom lost a customer.

This one seemed confused however. As she watched, he stared at each item in the counter he had stopped at. It wasn’t a ‘can’t make up my mind,’ but, more a ‘confused.’ She went out.

“Can I help you?” she asked, he looked up seemingly relieved.

“Yes” he said, “I don’t know what I’m doing. The girl I’m dating, Ellen, seems to think a month is an anniversary, she says she has a ‘big surprise’ for me. I’m clueless.

“One month huh, Yes, I can help you. My name is Alice, yours?”

“Ted.”

“Well Ted, first, if you get her anything it has to be small, one month worth. Like a charm for a bracelet. However, if someone had told me we were exchanging presents for one month, I’m afraid I would have just laughed. A nice dinner out, flowers, yes, a gift… just too soon.

Ted let out a sigh of relief. “I thought so too! We barely know each other, and frankly… I don’t think it’s going to go much further.”

Alice smiled, “Yes,” she said, to her future husband. They just didn’t know it quite yet. (And, thank you Ellen!)