The snooty sales clerk raised his eyebrows. “As I said, you can’t return sale merchandise. Besides, the brooch was fine yesterday. You probably handled it too roughly or knocked it against something so that the stone came off.”
Outraged at his insinuation, she braced her hands at her waist. “I did no such thing. It came loose when I pinned it to my blouse. I didn’t knock it against anything.”
“We can’t take it back.” He pushed the receipt back over the counter.
“In that case—”Sabrina narrowed her eyes and focused on the name tag on his vest. “Ian, I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”
He huffed indignantly, when behind Sabrina, a man’s voice interrupted, “Sabrina?”
She whirled around and found herself face to face with Paul Gilbert.
“Hi! Paul, what a surprise.”
He gave her a wide grin, then bent toward her and kissed her on the cheek. “You look lovely.”
Not wanting to give him any encouragement, she took a step to the side. “Thank you.”
Paul motioned to the item in her hand. “Is there a problem?”
“The brooch broke a day after I bought it here, but they won’t take it back.”
Paul turned to the sales clerk. “Surely, that’s a misunderstanding, Ian, isn’t it? Can’t you do something for my friend here? I’d really appreciate it.” Paul smiled warmly.
Flustered, the sales clerk actually blushed, his eyelids fluttering like those of a high school girl who’d just run into the hottest guy at her school. Sabrina suppressed a grin: Ian clearly had the hots for Paul.
“Mr. Gilbert, so nice to see you again. I didn’t realize this lady was a friend of yours. Of course, we’ll replace the brooch. No problem at all.”
Sabrina noticed that his hand was almost shaking when he took the brooch from her.
“Would you like to exchange it or receive a straight credit for the purchase price?”
“I’d love to get a similar brooch,” she said to him.
“Absolutely, let me bring you a few comparable ones,” Ian said eagerly and disappeared to one of the other display cases.
Grateful, Sabrina turned back to Paul. “Wow, thank you so much. You must be a frequent customer here.”
Paul smirked. “I like to shower my girlfriends with gifts. What can I say? I’m a romantic.”
Sabrina laughed and dropped her voice to a low whisper. “And it’s absolutely shameless how you’re leading this poor guy on and making him believe you’re batting for his team.”
Playfully, Paul nudged his elbow against her. “He’s going to fantasize about this encounter all night. Who am I to stop him? Sometimes you have to employ dirty tricks to get what you want.”
Sabrina nodded slowly. She was sure Paul was exactly the kind of guy who’d use whatever means were necessary to get to his goal, be that getting a woman into bed or a business deal struck. And with his charm, she figured that most people wouldn’t even fault him for it.
“So, what brings you to the city?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Oh, I thought you knew: I work in the city. In Midtown.” He winked. “Occasionally, I manage to pry myself away from my office and prowl the streets of Manhattan for easy prey.”
Sabrina laughed. He didn’t seem to take himself too seriously. It was refreshing. “Well, then I shouldn’t keep you any longer. I’m sure the prey is waiting and will be disappointed when you don’t show up.”
He made a dismissive gesture. “They can wait. It’ll make their hearts grow fonder. How about I help you choose another brooch instead?”
She couldn’t come up with a reason not to accept his offer, though she would have preferred to have Daniel by her side instead.
When the sales clerk returned with a velvet-covered tray carrying a dozen other brooches, she leaned over them and perused them.
“They’re gorgeous,” she said.
“Beautiful,” Paul murmured and moved closer, his hand brushing hers as they both reached for the same brooch.
Sabrina picked it up.
“That’s my favorite, too. It’s the same color as your eyes,” Paul claimed.
The green stone sparkled under the bright store lights.
“I love it.” Sabrina avoided looking at Paul, uncomfortable about his direct compliment and stared at the sales clerk instead. “I’ll take this one.”
He smiled, taking it from her hand. “It’s a little bit more expensive than the other one, but I think I can probably give you a discount.” Ian glanced at Paul.
Outraged at his insinuation, she braced her hands at her waist. “I did no such thing. It came loose when I pinned it to my blouse. I didn’t knock it against anything.”
“We can’t take it back.” He pushed the receipt back over the counter.
“In that case—”Sabrina narrowed her eyes and focused on the name tag on his vest. “Ian, I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”
He huffed indignantly, when behind Sabrina, a man’s voice interrupted, “Sabrina?”
She whirled around and found herself face to face with Paul Gilbert.
“Hi! Paul, what a surprise.”
He gave her a wide grin, then bent toward her and kissed her on the cheek. “You look lovely.”
Not wanting to give him any encouragement, she took a step to the side. “Thank you.”
Paul motioned to the item in her hand. “Is there a problem?”
“The brooch broke a day after I bought it here, but they won’t take it back.”
Paul turned to the sales clerk. “Surely, that’s a misunderstanding, Ian, isn’t it? Can’t you do something for my friend here? I’d really appreciate it.” Paul smiled warmly.
Flustered, the sales clerk actually blushed, his eyelids fluttering like those of a high school girl who’d just run into the hottest guy at her school. Sabrina suppressed a grin: Ian clearly had the hots for Paul.
“Mr. Gilbert, so nice to see you again. I didn’t realize this lady was a friend of yours. Of course, we’ll replace the brooch. No problem at all.”
Sabrina noticed that his hand was almost shaking when he took the brooch from her.
“Would you like to exchange it or receive a straight credit for the purchase price?”
“I’d love to get a similar brooch,” she said to him.
“Absolutely, let me bring you a few comparable ones,” Ian said eagerly and disappeared to one of the other display cases.
Grateful, Sabrina turned back to Paul. “Wow, thank you so much. You must be a frequent customer here.”
Paul smirked. “I like to shower my girlfriends with gifts. What can I say? I’m a romantic.”
Sabrina laughed and dropped her voice to a low whisper. “And it’s absolutely shameless how you’re leading this poor guy on and making him believe you’re batting for his team.”
Playfully, Paul nudged his elbow against her. “He’s going to fantasize about this encounter all night. Who am I to stop him? Sometimes you have to employ dirty tricks to get what you want.”
Sabrina nodded slowly. She was sure Paul was exactly the kind of guy who’d use whatever means were necessary to get to his goal, be that getting a woman into bed or a business deal struck. And with his charm, she figured that most people wouldn’t even fault him for it.
“So, what brings you to the city?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Oh, I thought you knew: I work in the city. In Midtown.” He winked. “Occasionally, I manage to pry myself away from my office and prowl the streets of Manhattan for easy prey.”
Sabrina laughed. He didn’t seem to take himself too seriously. It was refreshing. “Well, then I shouldn’t keep you any longer. I’m sure the prey is waiting and will be disappointed when you don’t show up.”
He made a dismissive gesture. “They can wait. It’ll make their hearts grow fonder. How about I help you choose another brooch instead?”
She couldn’t come up with a reason not to accept his offer, though she would have preferred to have Daniel by her side instead.
When the sales clerk returned with a velvet-covered tray carrying a dozen other brooches, she leaned over them and perused them.
“They’re gorgeous,” she said.
“Beautiful,” Paul murmured and moved closer, his hand brushing hers as they both reached for the same brooch.
Sabrina picked it up.
“That’s my favorite, too. It’s the same color as your eyes,” Paul claimed.
The green stone sparkled under the bright store lights.
“I love it.” Sabrina avoided looking at Paul, uncomfortable about his direct compliment and stared at the sales clerk instead. “I’ll take this one.”
He smiled, taking it from her hand. “It’s a little bit more expensive than the other one, but I think I can probably give you a discount.” Ian glanced at Paul.
