It was going to be a long day.
As part of learning marketing, Darren James, the biggest marketing professional in Michigan, thought to test their skills on the subject by making them sell tee shirts and props for the forthcoming Last Day of the Summer fest being held in the resort.
“And that is the last batch of our props.”
A weary looking Tobias said, dropping the bag filled with shirts, hoodies, face caps, summer hats, and what-not, on the floor beside a freaked out Colleen.
“Whoa! That’s a lot. And we’re supposed to sell everything before. . .”
“8 pm today.”
“Now that is next to impossible in the Oxford dictionary.” .
“Tell that to sweet sensation, Darren James,”
Jessalyn Russo said from behind them. “He thinks that because he can sell things with a snap of his fingers, everybody should, too.”
“When really, all that is going for him is his good looks,” Liz added, her face contorted in a frown as she looked over the bags next to Colleen. “Our bag is just as big as this. And it’s two!”
Colleen did a quick introduction of Tobias to Jessalyn who hadn’t met one another until now. And to Liz, she winked.
“So, how do you both intend to sell all this stuff before 8 pm today?”
Jessalyn and Liz exchanged confused looks with each other. “If the tee shirts were a little less hideous, I would say there was a seventy percent chance we would get it done. But with those horrendous-looking tees, we’re not even a quarter.” Jessalyn stated matter-of-factly. “What’s worse?” she continued. “We have to wear it for the rest of the day!”
They laughed at what she said.
“Well, I was thinking we offer free services in a stand or something. I take free photos and they buy the shirts.”
Colleen grinned widely. “That’s a brilliant idea, Toby. And maybe I could offer some fruit juice on the side. I make some pretty good orange juice and lemonade.”
“Then, it’s settled,” he said, lifting the bag to his shoulder. “I’ll go set this at a perfect location downstairs. Think you can handle getting us that stand?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
When Tobias left, Jessalyn and Liz looked at Colleen enviously. “He’s a smart one, you know,” Jessalyn noted winking at her but Liz was quick to wave that thought in her head away.
“Maybe if she didn’t already have her eyes set on Andre Lourdes, Tobias will be in the picture.”
Jessalyn’s eyes grew wide. “You and Andre Lourdes!?”
Now, that was her cue to exit.
After several minutes of searching for the hospitality manager of the resort to speak to him about renting that stand, she found the pain in the ass man who blatantly told her NO. In his words, “I’m afraid I cannot rent a stand to you because. . . I don’t feel like it.
“. . . you don’t look like you know how to handle a crowd and I cannot have you causing a ruckus downstairs.
“. . . you don’t have a license to run a stand.
“. . . but if you insist on being a persistent bug, why don’t you try calling the owner?
“. . . good luck with trying to keep Mr. Lourdes on the call for two seconds.”
And the man walked out on her. For the second time that day, she was astounded.
A license? Who needs a license to run a stand in a resort? More so a stand, clearly, available for rent.
She pulled out her phone from her back pocket to dial Andre who answered on the first ring.
“What a surprise!” He exclaimed into the phone. “To what do I owe this remarkable pleasure, eh?”
“I need a favor, Andre.”
“A favor, huh? That’ll be two favors you owe me now. Should have taken my chances and got you into my penthouse yesterday. But I reckon there will be more opportunities like this.” He said smugly into the phone and Colleen rolled her eyes. “Get on with it, darling. What do you want?”
“So I spoke to the Hospitality manager about renting a stand-”
“Why do you need a stand?”
“Because Darren James tasked us with marketing a shitload of horrendous props for the Last Day of Summer fest.”
Darren ‘fucking’ James. She could imagine Andre’s face was scrunched up in a deep frown when he did not say anything for over twenty seconds.
“Hellooo? Andre? Are you there?”
“And what did the manager say?”
“To get a license or to call you,” She answered.
“Tell Mr. Cornwall that if he ever refuses you again, he should consider looking for a new job.”
Colleen chuckled. “Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure. But do note, Colleen, you owe me another one.”
Begrudgingly, while muttering profanities to himself, the Hospitality manager let her have the stand that she and Tobias set up just beside the resort’s spectacular lake and fountain. They stacked the props for show, on one end of the counter, with what was left in the bag, behind it. And on the other end, Colleen was making her signature orange and lemonade mix. No, her mother didn’t teach her.
How could she?
It was her mother’s sister, her aunt, the only family that expreessed something remotely close to caring for her. And she’s since mastered the act of making the mix.
Together with ice, sugar, some lemons and oranges, a citrus juicer, and water, they were all set. On the other side of the stand, Tobias’ camera hung over his head, ready to capture some beautiful faces and stuff.
It was a whole lot of fun, and successful, as she made juice for customers while Tobias got some pretty good shots of them. Before they even knew what was happening, they were down to shading the last of their props. Which inevitably meant it was evening.
How time flies?
While laughing together over some pretty fun customers they had encountered today, Valentina Anderson appeared in front of them.
“Colleen, right?” She asked, pretending not to recognize the person she sat beside for ninety minutes yesterday. “Oh, you are a part of Andy’s entrepreneurship program? I was wondering about the relationship between you two.”
Was she hearing right? Or did Valentina sound like she was relieved by that fact?
Colleen drew away from Tobias and straightened up professionally. “That’s right,” she answered. “Are you interested in some props for the Last Day of Summer Fest? We offer free juice and photos on the side.”
“When is the day?”
“Pardon?”
Valentina looked over at her like she was staring at a grade two child. “When is the fest?”
Colleen had no idea so she looked to Tobias for help and thankfully, he answered.
“21st of this month. A few superstars like Johnny Crane, and Naomi Statham will be in attendance. I would recommend you get a summer hat for the occasion but unfortunately, we’re sold out. So, how about a tee shirt?”
“These awful-looking rags?” she eyed the shirts with disgust.
“I bet you could make anything look good.” Tobias flashed her a smile as he handed her two different colored shirts to assess.
Smooth talker, Colleen thought.
Valentina ended up settling for the blue v-neck tee-shirt and posing for over ten pictures, refusing Colleen’s offer of juice under the excuse that she didn’t want to lose her shape by taking sugar.
While she waited for Tobias to print all her twelve pictures, she went on and on about how she and Andre have known each other since their college days, deliberately and excessively dragging out the parts where they went on dates, hooked up, and went for vacations around the world. It almost sounded like they were once in love.
Were they?
Thank goodness Tobias handed her the pictures and she was well on her way, to the relief of Colleen whose ears were beginning to bleed.
They ended up selling all of their props before 7 pm.
Put selling horrible props next to possible in the dictionary!
Colleen returned the stand to a still grumpy Mr. Cornwall, collated the final records of their sale and, with Tobias, were on her way to deliver the good news to Darren James who was waiting in the hall.
“Good job, guys. Great marketing strategy. You two are certainly one step ahead of the others and if you keep this up, you’d have my vote at the pitching.”
When Darren James left the hall, Colleen threw herself in the wide-open arms of Tobias in complete excitement.
“Should we make that four votes, already?” She gushed.
It was time to pull away from his embrace but Tobias didn’t let go. Rather, he kept her in his arms with his hands banded around her waist. And before she could open her mouth to protest, he slanted his lips over hers, kissing her.
Tobias didn’t allow her to break away. So before she did that, and gave Andre the impression that he forced the kiss on her, he pulled away, and burst out in fake surprise, “Andre!”
An angry-looking Andre stood in the entrance of the hallway staring at the duo with jaw and fists clenched tight. At the same time, he looked flabbergasted at the sight in front of him. His face suddenly turned pale like all the blood in it had drained to his body.
And without saying a word, he turned on his heel and left the hall.