Page 137 of His Flash Mate
“Perfect.Then we should look to see how they’re trying to build their name and see what’s working and what’s not so that we can apply those concepts to the Southside build.”
Seeing his point, I let him pull me into the first store.
The clothes were appealing but very limited in size and style options to suit a wide range of body types.We went to the next one, specializing in men’s watches that only catered to male clientele by offering a gift cigar with purchase.The man behind the counter spoke directly to Konni about what he was looking for, never once looking at me.When I glanced out at the sidewalk, where the majority of shoppers were women, I understood why we were the only ones inside.
We left that place, and Konni talked me into a store I had visited.We walked through the racks together, and it wasn’t until we reached the back of the store that I realized someone was behind Konni with an armful of clothes that I’d looked at.
I shot him a look.
“Research,” he said, turning me so I would follow her to the fitting room.
“I want to see each one,” he called before I closed the curtain.
He was sitting in a chair right outside when I came out in a new skirt and blouse set.
“What do you think?”I asked.
His appraising gaze raked up my legs.
“It’s perfect.”
If I thought he’d say that to every skirt set, I was wrong.He had a discerning eye, and only three additional items received the same approval.I walked out with all of them.
The next one was a men’s clothing store.We did the same thing, but for Konni this time.I loved picking out his clothes.He looked amazing in everything, of course.But the brown suit with pin-stripes was my favorite.It just drew attention to his shoulders and his eyes.
Before I knew it, we were back in the car with Harlow, who had stowed our bags in the trunk.
“What did you conclude from this?”Konni asked.
“That I shouldn’t go research shopping with you in the future.You just used it as an excuse to buy me things.”
He chuckled, proving that I was right.
“But I did notice a lot that could help the Southside project.Customer appeal and experience directly tie to a shop’s success.The watch place catered directly to male shoppers, even though the majority of foot traffic was female.I’m not saying they need to sell women’s watches or anything, but they didn’t do anything to pull in women buying for the men in their lives.They skipped a large demographic by offering only cigars as a purchase incentive.A complimentary glass of champagne would have established a positive customer experience for me while you browsed and brought me back in when it was time to purchase something for you as a gift.
“But I can see why they’re still there.They recognized an unmet need.Of the downtown shops, few are for men.
“So when we come up with the final marketing pitch, we should propose a diverse sampling of shops, appealing to a varied customer base while still meeting the client’s expectations.”
I kept thinking out loud all the way to Seventeen Twenty-One.And Konni listened to everything, asking questions and showing his genuine interest.
Harlow opened the door for Konni, who got out and turned to offer me a hand.Still wrapped up in my thoughts, I accepted and kept talking.It wasn’t until we’d almost reached the door hand-in-hand that I realized what I’d done.
“This isn’t being perfect,” I said, tugging my hand from his.
He flashed me a quick grin.
“You were too tempting, kitten.You were shining so brightly, I couldn’t stop myself.”
“Pretty words won’t save you.You’re just delaying your probation.”
But he wasn’t.Not at all.He was still being perfect; I just wasn’t ready to be with him openly yet, like he wanted.
The hostess nodded in greeting as we veered to walk upstairs, where another host waited.
“Your order is in and will be ready shortly,” the man said when he opened the door to Konni’s private room.
“Thank you,” Konni said.
