Christmas Wishes
Nicholas
Nicholas and Luke stood side by side as the group of investors made their way around the shop. One of them seemed particularly interested in the Christmas tree displays and even brought out a magnifying glass to get a closer look at the various ornaments and branches.
Another investor stared down at the register, tapping on its sides. “Would you happen to know how old this machine is?”
“Records indicated that it was bought three years ago, sir.” Luke answered the investor with a nod.
The investor frowned. “Three years ago? No wonder this thing looks so ancient. It won’t be a problem, though. We always upgrade our systems when we take on a new company.”
A female investor then tapped Nicholas on the shoulder and she greeted him with a smile. “Mr. Kerstman, I had a question for you?”
“Go ahead,” Nicholas replied, turning back towards her and giving her his full attention. “Anything you’d like to know, feel free to ask either one of us.”
“Do the employees here wear nametags?” the woman asked.
“Yes, of course,” Nicholas replied.
“Ah, wonderful. And what would those nametags happen to say?” The female investor leaned in closer, as she brought u
p a document app on her phone. “Is it something like, ‘Welcome to Christmas Wishes My Name Is...?”
“Actually, no.” Nicholas paused, thinking back to Molly’s nametag with a smile. “Our current manager’s nametag says the shop’s name, and then her title is listed right under it as ‘Head Elf’.”
The female investor burst into a laughing fit. She managed to control herself before she looked back up at Nicholas. “Head Elf? Your manager wears a nametag that says Head Elf? Oh, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.”
“You think it’s something your team could work with?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“We can work with anything,” the woman replied. “But we’d be immediately getting rid of the whole Head Elf thing. We call our managers ‘managers’. We find that while quirky nicknames can be fun, they can often lead to a few seconds of confusion on the part of the customer. We don’t want people confused in our stores, Mr. Kerstman. We want them to get in and then get right out.”
“I see,” Nicholas said in a flat voice.
The female investor placed her phone back into her purse. “Would updating the nametags be a problem for your staff? I can’t imagine that your poor manager is attached to that awful Head Elf label.”
“Actually, I don’t think she’d like that—” Nicholas began his answer.
But Luke fielded the response. “It won’t be a problem, ma’am. Not at all. As long as your company provides the titles you’d prefer.”
“Of course, we will,” the woman replied. She took another look at Nicholas, her eyes staying on him a bit longer than Nicholas felt necessary. “And what about the name change for the store itself? Have you already spoken with your staff about that, too?”
“The staff will be notified when the time comes.” Nicholas’ answer was flat as he managed to suppress all emotion. “We didn’t want to bring any of the suggested changes up until we had a deal on the table, at least.”
“With numbers like yours, Mr. Kerstman, you’ll definitely be getting a deal from us,” she assured him. She offered Nicholas a sly smile. “You should be proud of your little store. You’ve got great financials for a seasonal concept. And running a website when the shop is closed during the off-season is pretty genius, too. Allowing us to take over from here means you might even have a chance at going national, maybe even international. Plus, letting us take it off your hands will give you enough time to pursue other interests.”
Nicholas caught the meaning behind her words as she placed a flawless manicured hand on his shoulder. She gave him a small squeeze and wink. He gave her a courteous smile in return, even though he felt a little sickened by her misplaced affection.
Just then, another investor called her attention, and the female investor soon clicked-and-clacked across the room in her six-inch heels. Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief.
“This is so exciting! Isn’t it, sir?” Luke said, clasping his hands together behind his back and rocking up on his toes. “I’ve never seen a deal go through in the same month as the proposal. I bet they even brought their leasing agreement with them.”
“I bet they did, Luke. I bet they did...” Nicholas’ thoughts trailed off as he watched an investor tinker around with a pile of tinsel, seemingly trying to weigh it in his palms.
“Are you alright, sir? Not to offend you, but it feels like your mind is somewhere else. You’re usually a lot sharper when we’re meeting with potential clients,” Luke told him, keeping his voice low and private. “Are you having second thoughts about keeping the store in your name?”
“It’s all just so weird,” Nicholas said, glancing around the room, taking note of the investors’ strange behaviors as they poked and prodded at wrapped gifts on the shelf and broke apart candy canes on purpose so that they could taste the ingredients faster. “These people, Luke. It’s like they don’t understand Christmas at all.”
In his mind, he wondered: Is this what I used to be like, too? Was I this clueless?
“With all due respect, sir, it doesn’t quite matter if they understand Christmas, does it? As long as they’re able to sell Christmas,” Luke replied. “Isn’t that what Christmas is really all about, anyway? Selling it?”