Carrington’s at Christmas: The Complete Collection: Cupcakes at Carrington’s, Me and Mr Carrington, Christmas at Carrington’s, Ice Creams at Carrington’s. Alexandra Brown
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‘Well, good thinking on your part to use your mother’s maiden name,’ Maxine says. ‘Break from the past and all that …’
‘Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but where are you going with this?’
‘Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. I trust nobody else knows, apart from James of course,’ she says, changing tack now. I shake my head, knowing Eddie would never breathe a word. ‘Good, because us girls have to stick together.’ She leans towards me in a conspiratorial way. ‘Just make sure everything else is in order, because in addition to revitalising the store, I’m going to attempt to modernise Carrington’s.’
‘What do you mean?’ I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
‘Well, given that an exceptionally high volume of valuable items are handled on a daily basis, I’ve suggested HR pull their finger out and do proper checks on everyone, like other stores do. Credit checks and so on. I can’t believe they haven’t even bothered before now. I’ve already discovered there’s at least ten thousand pounds’ worth of shrinkage – stock unaccounted for in the last quarter alone.’
I knew it! I gulp and vow to get hold of my credit file. I’m going to have to get it sorted out, once and for all.
‘So I’m not going to lose my job then?’ And no sooner are the words out of my mouth, when I want to cram them back in.
‘There will be changes,’ she starts, and I brace myself. ‘There are way too many sections in this store that don’t make enough money. Every inch of floor space must earn its keep. So, I’ll be assessing the viability of each section and rationalising them into bigger, more lucrative ones. For example, those homemade silk purses you have taking up a lot of shelf space, how many do you actually sell?’
‘Err, well, I’m hoping to push them as Valentine gifts.’ Marigold, the designer, will be heartbroken if we stop selling her stuff. ‘And the tourists love them,’ I venture, thinking of her working away in the little weatherboard studio on the shingle with unbroken views of the sea. Admittedly, I don’t actually sell many of the purses, but customers are always intrigued to hear about the local artist who makes them.
‘They’re an indulgence. And one Carrington’s can’t afford if it’s going to be successfully rejuvenated, and that’s where you come in.’
‘I do?’ I say, perking up. Maybe this isn’t going to be so bad after all. My section does pretty well compared to the others.
‘I shall be assessing the sections on the ground floor by the main entrance first for visibility and profitability. Women’s Accessories, Men’s Accessories and Fine Jewellery. I can’t believe the cabinet is hidden away up in the personal shopping suite. No, it must be downstairs right by the door, where everyone can see it and be encouraged to buy from it before they waste their money on low-value items elsewhere in the store. I want their shopping fix satiated by high-end goods.’ I nod, thinking, so do I, means more commission for me. ‘And new brand names. Big names! I want Prada. Hermès,’ she gushes, her voice getting louder and more animated, and my nodding head speeds up. ‘And then I’ll decide who is best to sell such exclusive brands.’
My head stops and my heart sinks. Whaat? What does she mean? I’m the best sales assistant. Carrington’s finest …
‘Well, if you look at my sales figures, you—’
‘I like to shake things up a bit.’ Hmmm. Bully for you. ‘Show me your mettle. Let’s see who is really the best sales assistant and then they can sell those exclusive brands,’ she says, triumphantly.
‘Does James know about this?’ I manage to say, my mind reeling. I’m going to be in direct competition with James. And how is my section ever going to compete with Fine Jewellery? One piece alone can cost the equivalent of ten Louis bags.
‘He was the first to know,’ she replies, scribbling something on a page in her Filofax. The room reels as I try to take it all in. ‘So it will be the three of you section heads that I’ll be focusing on initially.’ Maxine carries on scrawling, not even bothering to look up at me.
‘Three of us?’ I ask tentatively, I’m guessing this is where Tom comes in. I’m glad she can’t see my face.
‘Yes, but you know that already, don’t you?’
‘Err, yes,’ I gulp. I fidget in my seat as she continues to hold my stare. So Tom must have told her about our conversation in the club; that I know how he was recruited – and what he’ll be selling. I knew he couldn’t be trusted.
‘Look Gina, there isn’t much that gets past me. Are you in or out?’
‘I’m in,’ I say quickly, panic mounting at the prospect of being forced to go head to head with James, but knowing I don’t have any choice.
‘Good, so this is all about riding the recession and revitalising Carrington’s. And trying to make money of course. You and …’ She pauses to glance at a list on the desk. ‘Annie is it?’ I nod. ‘Yes, you need to sell as much as you possibly can. The other sections will be doing the same, and then I can make a decision on what merch stays and who is best to sell it. I may even decide to scrap a lot of the smaller and less profitable lines to make way for just a couple of select high-end ones. In my experience, this always means less staff. But seeing as you’re a very good sales assistant and we have some strong in-store Valentine’s promotions going on, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you, should it?’ Standing up, she waves a dismissive hand in my direction. ‘And besides, I like winners, not losers.’ And she whips a hand up and does the actual L for loser sign against her forehead. I cringe inwardly. How embarrassing.
‘Of course,’ I mutter, glad to have my share of the Malikov sale. That’ll get my section off to a good start.
‘Oh, and you’ll report directly to me from now on. What day do you have off?’
‘Err, Monday,’ I say, praying she’s not about to make me give it up. Everyone knows it’s the best day off to make a weekend when you work every Saturday.
‘Then your weekly one-to-one meeting with me will be at seven sharp every Tuesday morning. I like to start bright and early.’ She rubs her hands together before flicking her big hair around for a bit.
‘Great,’ I say with a forced smile, feeling relieved that my day off is safe. Good for you. I bet she’s one of those crazy types that just lurrves a military-style boot camp session, preferably outdoors in the lashing rain, while normal people are still snuggled up in bed because it’s practically the middle of the night.
‘Oh, and keep the first Sunday in February free … the board thought a series of “team-building jollies” might keep spirits up, so I’ve put you down for the first session,’ she adds, pulling a face as if the whole idea is totally abhorrent to her.
10
The door at the staff exit is so heavy it seems like an eternity before I eventually step out onto the pavement. I breathe in, and the salty sea air catches in my lungs. The euphoria at not losing my job has quickly subsided, leaving an empty realisation that if my section isn’t deemed the most profitable, I’ll most likely be unemployed. I can’t seem to quell the panic that’s coursing through me at the thought of that chilling prospect. It was practically impossible to revise at Nanny Jean’s with the TV blaring out and Kimberley hollering all day long, so I know damn well I’ll struggle to find something else with my qualifications. It didn’t matter so much at the start, but these days even graduates with a degree in retail management are finding it tough to find jobs. Not that there are any other department stores in Mulberry-On-Sea, and practically none of the smaller, boutique-style shops are taking on new staff, in fact quite a few have already closed down, there are loads of empty units in the pedestrianised bit of town. Everyone is feeling the pinch.
I guess I could commute to London, but then