As I priced stock in the washing machine section of the store a few days later, a customer came up behind me and asked, “Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me about the sales on today for top-loader washing machines?”
Uh-oh. The shivers up and down my spine told me it was Xavier. I had just managed to get over the other night, and now here he was, and it all came back to me. Great, just great. I decided to treat him just like any other customer—nothing more, nothing less.
I turned to face him. “Certainly, sir.” I took in the look of shock on his face with an internal smirk. “It depends on the model you prefer. Our discounts range from twenty to forty percent. But we also have rebuilt machines at even lower costs. What price range are you looking at?” Xavier seemed to be at a loss for words.
“
