As I take the card from her I give her an awkward "thanks," stumbling backwards toward the door.
She smiles and goes back to unpacking the boxes. I take that as my cue to exit and quickly walk back to my own store. I remove the sign from the front window and am once again open for business. I prop the business card on the register and start alphabetizing another section of the store.
I try to think about other stuff, but everything that woman said stays with me. I just can't picture doing something like that. Plus there's no way making money could be as easy as she said. There has to be some kind of catch. Nobody gets paid just to have a good time.
"Stop thinking about it. You are not that type of person," I scold myself.
Still, I need to make some kind of an effort to raise money. My time here is quickly running out and so far I've got nothing to help me keep this store.
I try unsuccessfully for several more minutes to stop thinking about my earlier conversation before finally, I give up on work and close the store again. I walk back to the suite where the woman is. Her door is still open, so I walk inside.
Curiosity really is going to be the death of me.
"Um. Excuse me," I say hesitantly as I approach.
She turns around to look at me, "Yes?" She asks curiously.
I step inside and hesitate a few more seconds. "How much can I make at this thing?" I ask bluntly.
I need to stop beating around the bush when it comes to important things. But at the same time, that might have been a little too blunt.
"Honestly?" the woman asks.
I nod my head, butterflies churning in my gut.
"You could make enough to set you up for life. I’ve seen girls walk away with thousands just for a date, and millions for more. It depends on you." She answers.
My eyes nearly pop out of my head. This is like the answer to my prayers.
I tell myself to calm down and not be too hasty about anything. I still need more information and I'm finding it very hard to believe what this woman is saying. I mean, honestly, millions? That doesn’t even sound real. It feels too good to be true, too easy.
I walk over to her and continue the conversation. Skepticism is evident in my voice as I say, "I'm finding this all very hard to believe. It can't really be this simple to make that much money. It sounds too good to be true."
She smiles good-naturedly as I voice my doubts.
"Look, your doubts are understandable, but before you judge, why don't you come down and see for yourself?" She suggests.
She can see the hesitation on my face. Before I can reject her offer she says, "You don't have to participate. Just come down, watch the first couple of auctions and see how it's done. If you like what you see, then we have a process for you to sign up and join on the spot. There's no harm in looking, and you'll meet a lot of people in case you want other opinions on it," She explains.
I'm still unsure, but she does sound pretty convincing. She's probably right, it can't hurt to just observe. Plus I like that she isn't pressuring me to commit to being a part of it right now. She waits in silence as I weigh my options in my head. "What should I wear?" I ask after all my hesitation.
She smiles, "I can definitely help with that…" she replies.
After our conversation I bid her goodbye and head back to my store. I finish alphabetically organizing that section. I spend the rest of the day standing by the register and mulling over the information she gave me. Around closing time I give a last look around the store before locking up and heading home.
I still have a few hours before the event and I spend that time making myself presentable, as well as preparing myself emotionally. I keep reminding myself that I don’t have to do anything, I’m just going to look. And if I participate, I could save my store. I remind myself that there's no pressure and I don't have to participate if I don't want to. That helps me breathe a little easier.
But at the same time, I’ve been hoping so hard for a solution to all of my problems, and here one is. I’ve just got to keep an open mind. Maybe this is what I’ve been looking for.Chapter 6 - DominicI'm getting ready for the auction tonight. It’s almost time to leave. I honestly don't know how to feel about it. I guess I'm pretty optimistic at the moment, I mean I do have high hopes for it.