Maileah was proud of her sister’s impeccable taste and merchandising instincts. Junie had transformed the old toiletries and T-shirts gift shop into a stylish boutique with fashionable resort clothes and unique handcrafted items from local artists and artisans.
While there was a lull in customer traffic, Maileah showed Junie the advertising metrics she needed to review and manage.
“I’ve automated most of your ads and marketing, so you only need to monitor the numbers. There is a daily cap on the ad spend, and your customers will receive a series of emails after they purchase.”
“I can’t believe you set all this up,” Junie said, her eyes widening. “This is so professional. How did you figure this out?”
“This is what I did at work, only with a few more zeros on the end.” She inclined her head. “Why doesthat surprise you?”
“It shouldn’t, I guess.” Junie shrugged. “I remember you and Mark talking about marketing, but it didn’t register with me at the time. I was focused on the merchandise assortment, and he managed that side of the business. I didn’t realize this was so powerful.”
“It’s what I know how to do.” Maileah only spoke about her work a little because few of her friends and family understood the technical aspects.
Grinning, Junie folded her arms and looked at her sister. “I always thought of you as organizing events, throwing parties, and going out all the time.”
“I did that, too.”
Maileah recalled some of the parties for clients. Little was accomplished, especially the next day, but the company had money to burn. Until the stock price plummeted. “That was all part of my job.” Now it seemed a lifetime ago.
“Well, I love what you’ve done,” Junie said. “I can already see an increase in my sales numbers.”
Being able to do that for her sister felt good. “And you’ll see more once the algorithms know more about your ideal customer.”
Junie hugged her. “Thank you for doing all this. It’s over my head.”
“You’ll learn it,” Maileah replied.
Even though Junie had a nest egg, she wanted to see her succeed in doing what she loved after suffering so long after Mark’s death. And Maileah knew how quickly funds could evaporate. Thankfully, Junie was more pragmatic than she had been.
“Now for the important update.” Junie’s eyes flashed with excitement. “How are you and Todd doing? I want to hear all about your first kiss.”
Maileah shook her head.
“Don’t give up too quickly.” Junie patted her arm reassuringly. “Give it time. Nice guys are like that; they can grow onyou. Look at Knox. I couldn’t imagine my life without him now.”
“No, it’s over. We agreed we weren’t right for each other. He’s seeing one of Babe’s old sorority sisters now, and they’re a much better match.”
Looking crestfallen, Junie sighed. “I’m so sorry to hear that. He seemed so right for you.”
“Honestly, he would have bored me to death.”
A customer arrived and began to browse, so Maileah closed her laptop. “Anyway, I’m meeting someone else soon at the cafe. Who knows? He could be the one.”
“Another man from the dating app?”
“The last one. I had a weak moment.” She smoothed a floral skirt she’d bought at Babe’s and paired with a white shirt she already had. “What do you think about the outfit?”
Junie held up a finger. “Wait. It needs something.” She withdrew a malachite necklace from a glass jewelry case. “This is from a local artist. It matches your eyes and completes the outfit.”
“Thanks, I’ll bring it back.” Maileah admired it as she slipped it over her head. “If anyone asks, I’ll send them to you. Or sell it off my neck.”
Junie was still staring at her. “There’s something else that’s different about you. You’ve changed since you moved.”
Maileah considered that. “I realized what I do with my life depends on me. No one can do it for me. As for getting married, what would that solve?”
“You’re waiting for love.” A smile lit Junie’s face.
Maileah shook her head. “That might never be. After seeing what happened between Mom and Dad, I decided to take responsibility for myself. So that’s what I’m doing.”
