Personal Shopper (4 page)

Tiny snowflakes
were swirling in the air as she and Max Greenway unpacked the bags and boxes
from the back of her vehicle and carried them into the house.

The interior
suited him. The walls were covered in heart pine paneling. The furnishings were
sturdy and sensible.

"We'll just take
everything in here," he said, as she followed him from the foyer into a great
room. Carefully, she knelt on the floor and arranged the bags carefully on the
oriental
rug.

For the next
hour, she watched him examine next gift, biting her lip in anticipation and
breathing a sigh of relief with each positive comment. He was especially
impressed with the book Laura had picked out for his mother.

"I've known for
years she loved to read. Audubon, the Petersons - she's quoted them like they
were Christ. And now here are their names. She's going to be absolutely
ecstatic." He smiled. "You, young lady, deserve a bonus. Hiring you was one of
the best things I've ever done.

"You probably
won't feel that way after you hear what I have to say," she said.

"Well, have a
seat and let's talk then," said Max, settling into a chair and motioning for
her to sit on the couch.

Laura sighed and
handed him a folder before sitting down. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep
breath and started talking.

"If you look in
that folder, you'll find an accounting for everything I spent," she said. "
There's receipts
for everything. But there's also something
missing." She felt the shame creep into her voice, and the tears. "A thousand
of the fifteen hundred dollars you gave me."

Max Greenway
said nothing, just looked at the folder for a moment so intently that Laura
wondered if he'd even heard her. "So where is it?" he finally asked.

"I -- I used it
to pay my son's school tuition."

"You used my
money to pay your bill?" Max Greenway was looking at her now, his eyes not
exactly angry but certainly not pleased.

"It didn't
happen the way you might think," Laura said, trying to keep her voice from
shaking. "I was behind because....well, that's not important. But I was behind
and when I went by to pick Evan up Monday - after I left your office - the
finance officer told me that if I didn't give her $1,000 right then he'd have
to immediately withdraw."

A tear leaked
from her eye and she brushed it away, embarrassed at her inability to hold her
emotions in check.

"I panicked,"
she said. "I had a credit card in my pocketbook but the school didn't take
credit cards. So I used your cash to pay the bill and keep my son in school."

Max Greenway
said nothing. He just stared at her. It made Laura feel terribly uneasy. She
stood and turned her back to him.

"After I left
the school I went to the ATM
.."

"Laura, sit back
down and face me." Max Greenways' voice was stern. "I don't like people who
turn their backs on me.
Especially when they've done
something to get them into trouble."

Laura felt her
heart jump into her throat. Max Greenway was a man who commanded obedience.
She'd known that the moment she'd walked into his office. His order frightened
her and she immediately submitted to his command.

"Now go on," he
said.

"So after I left
the school I went to the ATM to get a cash advance on my credit card, but it
would only give me $120." She reached into her pocket, pulled out the $120 and
put it on the coffee table between them, sliding the bills in his direction.

Max Greenway
didn't take them. "So how is it that a woman running her business and her
household doesn't know her own credit card balance?"

"It's
complicated," she said. "It involves someone else and I'd rather not
.."

"I think you owe
me a full explanation. I want to hear it." His gaze didn't waver.

Laura looked at
him, trapped. She ran her slim fingers through her the top of her long brunette
hair and sighed. "The card was an emergency card, one of those high-interest
cards that my husband and I never used. When we split up, we didn't even think
to cut it up. We never used it when we were together and I sort of forgot about
it until Monday. But I figured Monday was an emergency so I decided to use it.
But apparently, he's already been using it, and not for emergencies, unless you
consider dinners, movie tickets and lingerie emergency purchases."

"Might I assume
the lingerie isn't for you?" Max Greenway asked.

"There's another
woman now," Laura said. "Well, actually there was another woman when we were
together. I just was just a little slow on the uptake."

"You should have
known better than to have retained any type of joint credit with him, Laura.
You know now that if he doesn't pay it then it'll hurt your credit rating."

"I know," she
said miserably. "The credit card company said the first payment's due next
month. I'm sure he won't pay it. I couldn't even get him to help me with Evan's
tuition."

Max Greenway
shook his head. "And now you're worse off than ever. You have a new credit card
bill plus you owe me the money you took. And of course, those tuition bills
have a way of coming around again."

"Yes, I know,
Mr. Greenway." Laura replied. "You have every right to call the police on me or
ruin my reputation by telling people what I've done. If you did, I'd
understand. I brought this on myself. My purpose here isn't to ask you for
mercy. It's to ask you to give me a chance to repay you. I've put my bill for
my shopping services in the folder. As you can see, it's already marked paid in
full. There's $120 on the table. So I owe you just a few hundred dollars. I was
supposed to get paid today by one of your neighbors, but she made me wait. Her
husband's going to be back in town on Monday. I can get most of the money back
to you then."

"Which
neighbor?" he asked.

"I'd rather not
say," she said.

"I'd rather you
did." He was looking at her again with that hard, principle's gaze.

"Mrs.
Tighlman
." she said.

Max Greenway
smirked. "That doesn't surprise me," he said. "She's all flash and no
substance. I've never cared for her. She hired illegal immigrants to work for
her because they're cheaper. I'm hoping the feds will eventually bust her."

Laura said
nothing. She was relieved to have gotten it all out, but still nervous that he
hadn't addressed what he was going to do - if anything, regarding her actions.

Max Greenway
stood up. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked.

"Oh, that's OK,"
she said, but when he returned, he carried two drinks - a beer for himself and
a soda for her. "I'd offer you a beer but you're driving home later."

She took the
soda with a 'thank you.'

Max sat back
down and regarded her. "Tell me, Laura," he said. "How important was my account
to you?"

"It was huge,"
she said honestly. "I
mean,
every personal shopper
dreams of getting her own Max Greenway." Laura blushed as soon as the words
were out of her mouth. "I'm sorry," she said, mortified at
herself
.
"You know what I meant."

He smiled for
the first time since they'd sat down.
A small smile, but
still a smile.

"Is it important
to you?
To build a client base?"
Max Greenway took a
sip of his beer as he waited for her answer.

"Well, of
course," she said. "This is a great job for a single mom. I can work on a
flexible schedule and even take my son with me if I need to. Until now I
thought I had a shot of making it a success."

"I don't know
how you can expect to be successful at all if you're going to allow yourself to
be taken advantage of," Max Greenway said. "It seems to me that you demand a
lot of yourself while letting everyone else slide. That's bad business, Laura,
not just in business world but in your everyday life. Weak people don't make
it."

"I'm
not weak," Laura said, feeling offended.

"No?" Max
Greenway sat forward, ticking off points on his finger. "You're letting your
son's father get away with no supporting him. You trusted him with your credit
even though he proved to be a liar and a cheat. You walk away from a client
without getting paid for services even though it clearly states on your
contract that payment is due when the gifts are delivered."

Laura shifted
nervously in her chair.

"Stop
fidgeting," he ordered. She obeyed.

"You've left
yourself vulnerable," he went on. "And dealing with that vulnerability has had
an unfortunate snowball effect that is only going to get worse. I assume you
needed the money from my business?"

Laura nodded.

"And now
utilities, rent, car payment...all those things may fall behind," he said.

Laura looked
away. "Yes," she said, and then stood. "But Mr. Greenway, this really isn't
your problem. I took your money. What additional problem that causes me isn't
your concern."

"Perhaps," Mr.
Greenway stood. "But I'm not just going to let you walk out of here with an
IOU." He walked across the room to a roll top desk and began to jot things down
on a piece of paper. He stood up and held it out to Laura. "Here."

"What is it?"
she asked.

"It's a list,"
he said. "I have some more shopping I need you to do. If you want to settle
your debt without my calling the police or spreading the word about how you
mishandled my money, then I want you to follow my instructions over the next
few days to a tee. No matter how odd a purchase may seem, no matter where I
send you to get it, I want you to go without question. Now here are your first
items. I want you to be back at my house with them by noon tomorrow. Do you
think you can do that?"

Laura looked at
him. Her eyes were filled with puzzlement. "OK?" she said haltingly. "But I
don't understand some of this. What's 'The Enforcer?'"

"Don't worry
about what it is. Just go to Front Street Antiques and talk to Mr. Crane. He'll
be able to help you." Mr. Greenway said. "The other things need little explanation."

He handed her a
wad of bills. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.
"Consider this your second chance."

Laura took the
money and headed out the door, looking at the list.

"Noon tomorrow,"
he repeated as she walked out.

***

Laura had no
idea what was in store for her the next morning. Tammy had at agreed to watch
Evan for the next several afternoons, having enjoyed having a Nintendo partner,
so she was thankful, at least that she wouldn't have to pick up her son from
school.

After bundling
Evan off to school, Laura showered and prepared for her day, looking with
concern at the list as she sipped the last of her coffee. The first thing would
be easy - a simple
flowy
skirt and top, size 8.

She headed to
Nordstrom's for the outfit. Max Greenway hadn't specified what type, so Laura
chose something she liked. Her favorite color was pink, and there was a
beautiful set on display, sweater made of an incredibly soft cashmere merino
blend and a skirt classic,
a-line
skirt that was
modest but form-fitting. She used $300 of the money she'd been given to pay for
it and headed out the door.

The next stop
was Borders, where she searched the business section for a list of titles - all
on starting and running a successful business, and then she was off to Office
Max, where she picked up several packs of good quality writing paper.

She was
congratulating herself for making good time when she pulled up in front of
Front Street Antiques. Inside, there was barely room to walk amid the
claw-footed couches and chaise lounges.

She didn't see
anyone else in the store and finally called out, "Hello!" until a tall, gangly
man with a pencil-thin moustache walked out from behind a huge wardrobe.

"Can I help
you?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.
"Are you Mr. Crane?"

"I am Mr. Crane,"
he said, looking her

"I've been sent
here to pick up an item. I don't really understand what it is I'm supposed to
buy, but was told you could help me." She showed him list. "I'm supposed to
pick up the "Enforcer?"

Mr. Crane's thin
lips curled into a smile. "Let me guess, Max Greenway sent you."

"Yes," Laura
said. "How did you know?"

Mr. Crane turned
and walked towards the back of the store, Laura at his heels.
"Because Mr. Greenway is one of the most astute collectors of
punishment implements."

"Of
what?"
Laura was sure he hadn't heard right.

"Punishment
implements.
Straps, paddles and the like."
Mr. Crane stood aside
and ushered her into a back room filled with boxes. "When I called Mr. Greenway
to tell him we got a collection of items from an old Vermont schoolmaster's
estate sale, he was particularly interested in this item."