Patience.
"The capacity to tolerate shits."
Senthie Salvador could almost tolerate things that others might not be able to put up with. She believed that having a bad temper could always lead to unfavorable situations just like what happened on the first day of her business.
********
"Huh? Where is that coming from?"
SENTHIE turned her gaze to see Walter with his puzzled face, who was now sitting on the sofa that was placed beside the front corner of the counter and against the wall. She was daydreaming and forgot that he was still there. This was very rare to happen, he was silent the whole time he was cleaning. She didn't hear any complaints or his annoying remarks, so she decided to be nice and tell him why she came up with that idea.
"I was brushing my teeth when I checked my daily horoscope earlier and it says that I will meet my human lucky charm today! I'm so excited!" Senthie said, not looking at him as she was rewinding the scene earlier.
"And you're telling me that you seriously believe in that?" he snorted, making her face him. Walter was not looking at her. His eyes were fixed outside the store.
Senthie rolled her eyes at him. "Just don't open your mouth, okay? You're starting to ruin my mood!"
Senthie was wondering what he was looking at so she turned her gaze outside, too. Nothing unusual. They were just empty hallways and the shops across.
"Whatever. Just keep your eyes there," she mumbled.
She checked the time again to see it was already 10 am. She was so nervous that she could hear her heart pounding. It felt that it was going to burst any moment. She was trembling! Her dream was finally happening and it felt like she was still dreaming. She hoped for their business to be successful.
The beating of her heart got even louder and faster when Walter exclaimed, "hey, Sen! Your lucky charm is coming!"
"Finally, a customer!"
Senthie quickly stood up from the stool and smoothed down her hair and her turquoise dress. She stepped outside the counter area and walked a little towards the center of the store. "Good mo–"
She was taken aback by the view. "Kenzo?"
"Hi, Sen," Kenzo said as he placed his hand on the back of his neck and smiled shyly.
"Brooo!" Walter called. He stood up from his seat and invited Kenzo to do their fist bomb and a bro hug. They hadn't seen each other for almost a year.
Kenzo flashed a bright smile to his best friend. Maybe he was fine now.
"I never thought you'd be here so early!" Walter said, placing his arm around his best friend's neck. Kenzo just smiled at him then turned his gaze to Senthie.
"Kenzo, uh, why are you here?" Senthie asked.
What was he doing here? He was not a customer so he couldn't be the one in the horoscope--Senthie thought, convincing herself that he couldn't be her human lucky charm.
"I asked him to meet me here, but isn't it weird that he had no idea about your store opening here?" Walter said, his eyes on Kenzo and then to her. "Why you didn't tell him?"
"Well, the thing is..." Kenzo uttered as he placed a hand on the back of his neck.
Walter repeated, "the thing is?"
"The thing is…"
"The thing is what?" Walter asked impatiently.
Senthie felt that she had to do something. Kenzo was in an uncomfortable situation--he was not even looking at any of them while trying to say something.
Kenzo let his hand drop to his side, making his hair fall to his jaws. He licked his lips and continued again. "The thing is–"
Senthie clapped her hands as strong and loud as possible to earn their stunned reaction. She saw this stunt in Assassination Classroom, one of her favorite anime series. It was a stunt performed by the protagonist to temporarily make his target confused or lost in a trance for a brief moment to kill them. Senthie thanked the protagonist in the said anime in her mind.
Who would've thought that she could use the clap stunner in real life?
Senthie was surprised that it was effective. Kenzo and her brother were stunned, and for that brief moment, she pulled their shoulders inward to make them turn and push them lightly to head to the exit. "Bystanders are not allowed here, so move your butts out of here!"
She saw a glimpse of Walter's furrowed brows as if saying 'what just happened?'
Senthie smiled at her victory. Still pushing them, she said, "go, go, move it!"
"Wait, Kenzo just got here!" Walter groaned.
"Yeah, and I'm doing you a favor here. Go hang out with Kenzo, you haven't seen him in ages," she suggested.
Kenzo turned his gaze to Walter and assured him. "It's okay, bro."
When the two of them were finally out of her store, Senthie heaved a sigh of relief. Relief that Kenzo didn't have to answer her brother's question while she was in front of him and relief that she didn't have to face him and remember her guilt again. She didn't tell Kenzo about her store opening in Grand Mall because she didn't want to bother him, and she thought, perhaps, he'd force himself to visit just to show his support even though he might not want to see her yet. Senthie didn't want him to feel uncomfortable--but the guilt was coming back and adding more.
Senthie scolded herself and held up a finger, pointing it at her face as if she was talking to it. "Hey, you! Yes, you! Are you crazy? Why did you do that? Now, Kenzo will think that you're avoiding him!"
"Then why do something you'll regret later?" a voice asked.
Senthie let an audible sigh and placed her hands on her hips. "That's what I'd like to ask myself, too."
She realized that she wasn't talking to herself anymore when she heard the familiar chuckle coming from behind her. "Was that also a habit of yours?"
She turned around only to bump her forehead on something hard.
She had bumped her forehead on his chest!
Senthie hastily stepped backward and looked up to see his one-sided smile. He looked so sexy that she felt the heat radiating from her cheeks. And the thought of him witnessing the scene where she was talking to her index finger made her blush even more. That was embarrassing!
"Huh? Uh, yes. Uh, sorry about that," she stuttered. Her hand on her forehead. "W-what brings you here, sir?"
He smiled. "Just checking you out."
"Sorry?"
Did she hear him right? He was checking her out? Was he flirting with her right now?
He narrowed his eyes. His eyes were too sexy for her that Senthie couldn't help but stare back.
"I mean, just checking if my business partners are all set," he said, his eyes roaming around the store.
"Oh, I thought you meant something else."
Senthie thought that maybe she heard him wrong. But she could sense something fishy about it.
He smirked. "What were you thinking?"
"Huh? Nothing. Anyway, the VP personally visits all GMC business partners?
Jimhuesh flashed his one-sided smile again and shrugged. "No, I visit those selected stores only."
"So I'm one of those lucky business partners! Thank you for visiting my store, sir. It's an honor." Senthie beamed as she placed her right hand on her heart and slightly bowed her head.
"My pleasure," he responded. "See you around, Ms. Salvador."
--------------------------
"Okay, let's see who will be my first customer. I'm so excited! I'll be meeting you soon, my lucky charm!" Senthie muttered to herself.
It had been an hour after Jimhuesh disappeared to his next destination. He went to the jewelry store just across from Fashion Sen's.
So all the people who entered her store were all guys. Walter, Kenzo, and Jimhuesh.
Saying that her first customer would be a woman was an understatement. Of course, it must be--her store was selling women's clothes only--so her lucky charm had to be a woman.
Speaking of her soon-to-be lucky charm, Senthie's gaze went to the woman who just entered.
"I like the designs on the mannequins," the customer said while looking around.
Who was this creature? She was freaking gorgeous!
"Do you also do customizations?" she asked as she approached the counter.
"Y-yes!" Senthie stuttered.
The customer was really pretty. Her eyes were like the color of the ocean--she might be wearing contact lenses just like Senthie. She had long lashes and slightly arched brows. Her nose was small and pointed and the shape of her upper lip was like the cupid's bow. She had fair skin that looked soft and bouncy. She was like a model, too. She was tall, around 5'9 compared to Senthie who was 5'5 height. She also had a slender body but busty and had a big booty. She looked even taller with her sky-blue high heels that matched her sky-blue outfit. She was wearing a fitted crop top with see-through balloon sleeves and a fitted short skirt that revealed her flawless thighs. She was the proof of the saying 'flaunt what you have.'
"Uh, by the way, ma'am, I know it's too late but I still want to greet you a good morning." Senthie smiled. "Do you want a customized dress?"
Senthie's lucky charm flipped back the hair that was in front of her and held the chained strap of her bag on her shoulder and smiled. "A gown to be exact. For my birthday party."
"That's great! I wish you a happy birthday in advance, ma'am!" Senthie beamed. "Do you want to see my portfolio?"
"No need. Just write down my instructions," she informed, inspecting her polished nails. Senthie didn't know if she was flaunting her newly done nail art or if she was just checking if the glitters were still there.
"Oh, I see. Sure," Senthie agreed. She had to give the best customer service--though the customer sounded so bossy--good thing she was pretty.
Senthie opened the counter drawer and picked up a pen and a paper.
"I want a gown that would make me look princess, but at the same time fierce, you know, like a seductive princess. Make it red." the customer said. "Also, I love furs, add it to the design."
She was talking without the consideration of Senthie jotting down her words, she didn't pause except for the fur thing, so Senthie just wrote the keywords like princess, fierce, seductive, red, and furs.
"Okay ma'am, anything else?"
"Oh, I almost forgot, I don't like a balloon-style gown."
"Noted, ma'am."
"A see-through would be also fantastic!"
"Anything else you want to add up, ma'am?"
'Please say no more,' Senthie chanted in her mind.
"No, that would be all."
Senthie looked at her and smiled. "Then please, let me take your measurements."
Suddenly, a loud voice filled the air making them turn their gazes to the source. "Bes! Sen!"
"Cecile?" Senthie muttered, her eyes were wide.
She glanced at the customer only to see her frown.
Cecile was now scurrying towards Senthie to throw a big hug attack. She stepped back a little as she was pounced by her best friend.
"Excuse me? I'm still here. Can't you just save those petty little greetings after you serve your customer?"
Senthie pulled away from the hug and apologized to the customer, while Cecile just glared at her.
Cecile was losing her temper again.
"Are you serious? How dare you glare at me!" the customer snorted but Cecile was unfazed. "Woah! How brave of you." She advanced toward Cecile.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Stop that!" Senthie murmured to Cecile but she remained dauntless.
Before the situation could get worse, Senthie moved forward and shoved her best friend behind her. "My apologies for her rude behavior, ma'am."
Senthie squeezed Cecile's hand from behind to warn her. "Cecile, apologize to her, now!"
When she didn't respond, Senthie turned to look at her and saw her pouting, so she threw a death stare.
"Fine!" she murmured and then looked over at the customer. "I'm sorry."
"Fine, I'll accept your apology given that my gown has to be finished in three days," the customer demanded with a smirk.
To Senthie's surprise, she just froze and imagined the process of those three days to be. The thought of not getting sleep in three days straight made her want to just jump off the building.
"That's impossible! At least give us a week!" Cecile complained. Senthie glared at her.
Cecile's tone was rude. Senthie couldn't believe her best friend. She could just say that without freaking out.
The customer crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, I see... So you're partners. Were you always rude to your customers?"
"How about you? Were you always rude to everyone?" Cecile talked back.
Senthie fought the urge to smack her best friend.
"You don't know the basics, do you? What kind of customer service do you have here? This is the worst," the customer said calmly, but the tension she was giving off was enough to make Senthie feel that she was extremely pissed.
"I'm truly sorry for this inconvenience we have caused. This won't happen again. Rest assured that your gown will be finished on time," Senthie said sincerely.
Did she really say that? How could she finish the gown in just three freaking days? Had she finally lost it?
Cecile turned her gaze at her best friend, her eyes were wide, not believing what she just heard. "What?! Are you insane?!"
"Can you just please shut up?" Senthie murmured.
The customer smirked. "Good! I'll be looking forward to it."
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Hello, Noomiells!
Thank you for reading this chapter. Hope you liked it. :D
Do you guys believe in horoscopes, too?
Have you watched the anime series--Assassination Classroom?
What can you say about the clash between the customer and Cecile?