Kim Makes a Sale

While Richie went to show Mike his office Toni walked up the street toward the bakery on the corner she wanted to talk to Lucy about an idea she had for a fund raiser. She stopped in front of Barrett’s something going on in there. Richie had told her about meeting the new owner.

Stopping in the open doorway she saw people inside packing up things and went in to see if Mr. Barrett was there.

"Hi…I’m looking for Mr. Barrett?" Toni asked the first person she came to.

"He’s in the back," the girl pointed to an office. Toni walked back and tapped on the glass window, he was on the phone but motioned her in.

"So I said fuck it it’s out of here today, he wouldn’t pay the price so …I don’t know some place...who cares I’ll dump it in a canal somewhere," Kim laughed out loud, "yeah mate see ya I got a good looking woman wanting me right now." Hanging up the phone he smiled at Toni, "I’m assuming you do…want me."

"Are you Kim Barrett?" Toni asked as nicely as she could without slinging something at him.

"In the flesh…what can I do for you baby?"

"I’m not your baby," Toni said lowly and precisely. "I’m here to ask a favor."

"Hmm that works both ways…what can you do for me?"

It wasn’t worth it, Toni turned to leave and he called for her to wait. "Sorry love I didn’t mean to upset you…what kind of favor do you need?" he sat back in his chair and gave her the once over.

"First let’s get something straight, my name is Toni Roberts…Mrs. Toni Roberts…there was a fire this week at our minister’s house and he’s badly injured. I am on a fund raising mission Mr. Barrett, to try and help the family."

"Roberts…Roberts…oh yes…I’ve met your husband…he nearly brained me with my own croquet mallet. And you’re looking for what a donation?"

"I was actually thinking about a sidewalk sale with proceeds going to help restore the old Mill where they live. If you have anything here you’d like to put out I’m sure it would be appreciated…and remembered Mr. Barret when you reopen your store."

"Ah…I see," he thought about it a moment, "what percentage would I keep from the sales?"

"If you must…whatever you’d like…it’s your merchandise."

Kim sat up arms on his desk it might build some goodwill in this community, "say I keep twenty percent to cover some of the cost, I would after all have to have an employee to ring up sales. When are you planning this sidewalk sale?"

"I’m thinking next Saturday that would give us time to run an ad in the paper to let people know about it." Toni leaned against the doorframe.

"I like it…and it solves a problem I have at the moment. Fine you do the advertising and I’ll have the sidewalk full, " he smiled up at her. What a stroke of luck he could empty out this store of the contents and be ready for shipments in a couple of weeks.

"Well thank you very much Mr. Barrett that’s very generous of you," Toni smiled back reassessing her first opinion of him.

"Not at all, anything to help out…who was it now?"

"Reverend Alistair Harris and his wife Ahnna…he’s very special to our community."

Feeling very proud of herself she walked up to the corner to talk to Lucy about setting out some of her delicacies for the sale.