‘You’ve done incredibly well, Holly,’ Mr Kellington said when she returned to her desk. ‘A very clever little ruse you used there, too, telling them I’d authorised a discount.’

Holly felt a flare of heat beginning to climb up her neck. She wasn’t sure Mr Kellington would approve of her lying to customers.

‘I’d already told them I was new, you see,’ she said quickly. ‘I had to, because when Emily walked away… well, I wanted to be honest with them about just having started here… in case I couldn’t answer all their questions. And they were so overjoyed at buying such a beautiful suite from Kellington’s, I decided to make it extra special by saying you had personally authorised their discount.’

Mr Kellington beamed at her. ‘Very astute, and just the kind of added value we like to give our customers, Holly. But from what I understand, their experience was almost ruined.’ His unkempt brows met in the middle.

Holly looked down. ‘Yes, well… I know Emily is very experienced, but it turns out she was wrong in her assumption. They weren’t time-wasters after all.’

‘So that’s her game, is it?’ he blustered. ‘Categorising people on sight, at their point of entry to the store?’

‘I… I’m sorry,’ Holly stammered. ‘I didn’t mean to speak out of turn, I…’

‘You have nothing to apologise for, my dear. I can see the spirit of Kellington’s in you where it may be missing in certain other members of staff.’

Holly excused herself and disappeared upstairs to the staff bathroom. Once inside, with the door locked, she did a little jig.

Mostly because of the juicy slice of commission that would be coming her way at the end of the month. But, she had to admit, also to celebrate dropping Emily in it.

She had tried her very best to like and get to know her colleague, but she had been snubbed at every turn. And it had hurt.

To her delight, when she got downstairs, Josh brought a cup of coffee and a vanilla slice over to her sales desk. ‘It’s a bit of a Kellington’s tradition we like to uphold when someone gets a big deal,’ he grinned.

Ben and Martyn came over to offer their congratulations, followed by Mr Kellington himself.

Holly sipped her coffee and allowed herself to bathe in the glory of their compliments.

‘Let us into your secret, then,’ Ben urged. ‘I’ve been here three years and the biggest single purchase I’ve managed is five grand.’

‘Yeah, you’ve been here literally five minutes and you’re already in front of the entire sales team,’ Martyn added good-humouredly.

Holly could tell they were both genuinely chuffed for her, although she felt sure it would be a different story altogether when Emily heard the news.

Speak of the devil and she shall appear was the phrase that popped into Holly’s mind when Emily suddenly entered the shop floor via the back door.

She looked her usual striking self in a black pencil skirt and purple fitted jacket. Her long, slender legs were sheathed in sheer black stockings and her customary black patent heels, and she wore her hair pinned up in a neat French roll.

Holly watched as she strode across the shop, tall and authoritative, clutching her expensive-looking oversized handbag. She acted as if she owned the place.

‘Send Miss Beech up to my office right away, please, Josh,’ Mr Kellington said curtly, heading back across the showroom without waiting for Emily’s approach.

‘Uh oh,’ Holly murmured.

‘There’s nothing for you to worry about,’ Josh reassured her. ‘You’ve done nothing wrong at all.’

‘Somehow I don’t think Emily will see it that way,’ Holly grimaced. ‘She’ll probably think I told Mr Kellington she called the customers time-wasters on purpose, but it just slipped out.’

‘Emily has got no one to blame but herself.’ Josh shrugged. ‘She’s worked here long enough to know how strongly the boss feels about providing a good customer experience.’

‘Someone needs to tell that brainless jobsworth in the car park that there’s a hierarchy around here and he’s at the bottom of the pile,’ Emily was complaining loudly as she approached. ‘I should be able to park where the hell I like, not get shoehorned into some corner because there happens to be a vacant square on David’s bloody clipboard.’

Everyone found somewhere else to look.

Emily sniffed scornfully as she reached the sales desk. ‘What’s this… the mice having fun while the cat’s away?’ Holly saw her swiftly take in the significance of the cream cake and the beaming faces of the other staff. ‘Ah, I see. Who’s bagged a good one, then?’

Nobody spoke.

‘I… I have,’ Holly said after a moment. ‘I still can’t believe it.’

‘Go on – how much?’ Emily sneered. ‘Bet it’s nowhere near my best one.’

‘It’s better, actually,’ Josh said before Holly could reply. ‘Nearly eight grand’s worth in a single transaction.’

‘I don’t believe it.’ Emily took a step back as if Holly had physically pushed her. ‘How on earth did you manage… Hang on, it wasn’t the Brooklyn corner suite, was it?’

Holly gave a little smile.

‘I was first point of contact for that couple,’ Emily raged, slamming her palm onto the desk. ‘I spent at least half an hour with them in total over their two visits to the shop.’ She rounded on Josh. ‘You know full well the rule is that the first—’

‘That rule is superseded if the sales person tells the customers they’re time-wasters.’ Josh cut across her coldly.

‘I didn’t tell them that!’ she fumed. ‘I only said that to… You little snake in the grass!’

Holly shrank back as Emily turned to her, pressing her bright red lips together until they resembled a knife slash across her immaculate face. She felt relieved when Josh stepped manfully between them, holding his palms up in the air.

‘Some might say the rule is also superseded if the sales person suggests the customer goes elsewhere for their furniture. And the customer told Mr Kellington that himself.’

Emily sucked in air. ‘I didn’t mean it like that, Josh. I was just—’

‘Save it. Mr Kellington wants to see you right away.’ Josh dismissed her.

‘I… I’ll need to lock my bag in the staff room.’

Was it Holly’s imagination, or was there a tremor to Emily’s voice?

Josh shook his head. ‘Go straight up there now, please, Emily. You can leave your bag down here.’

Emily dumped her bag by the desk without replying, then turned on her heel and stormed off towards the stairs.

‘Look, I need to go up there too, but don’t go blaming yourself, Holly,’ Josh told her. ‘Enjoy your moment. Mr Kellington thinks you’re amazing.’

Ben and Martyn both went back to their end of the showroom and Holly found herself alone again. Unusually, the shop floor was completely devoid of customers, save for an elderly lady at the far end whom Ben was now assisting.

She took a few breaths and relaxed her shoulders.

Despite Emily’s outburst, she had the distinct feeling that this was going to turn out to be a very good day.