Chapter 3: The Fitting Rooms and the Hidden Lens
The next day, Lila arrived at the outlet mall at 8:45 AM, her comfortable sneakers instead of her stilettos, her hands still shaking a little. The manager handed her a name tag that read *Sales Associate, and he told her she’d be working the fitting rooms all day, helping customers try on clothes, and she had to make sure they felt welcome, no matter what they looked like. He handed her a list of rules: no mocking customers, no telling them they don’t belong, no making them feel unwelcome, and she nodded, her throat tight.
She walked over to the fitting rooms, and she hung up a stack of t-shirts and dresses, and she polished the mirrors in the fitting rooms, and she waited for the first customer to walk through the door. At 9:15 AM, a teenager walked through the door, her name tag reading *Jesse, and she stared at Lila. “You used to work at the boutique downtown. What are you doing here?”
Lila’s face turned red, and she looked down at the floor. “I messed up. I messed up with a customer. I’m here for six months to make it right.
Jesse nodded, and she walked over to the rack of dresses, and she picked out a dress, and she asked Lila to help her try it on. Lila walked over to the fitting room, and she opened the door, and she handed the dress to Jesse, and she told her to take her time, and she closed the door, and she waited outside the fitting room, her hands shaking. Jesse tried on the dress, and she came out of the fitting room, and she looked at herself in the mirror, and she smiled, and she asked Lila if it looked good.
Lila looked at the dress, and she told her it looked amazing, and she told her that the dress would complement her skin tone, and she told her that the dress was perfect for her prom. Jesse smiled, and she asked Lila how much it cost, and Lila told her it was $30, and Jesse paid for it, and she walked out of the store, and Lila smiled, her voice warm and friendly, and she felt a little better. She’d helped a customer, and she’d made a sale, even if it was just a $30 dress.
By noon, the manager called her over to the front desk, and he handed her a piece of paper with a note from the board. “You did okay today,” he said. “Don’t mess up tomorrow. You’ll be working the cash register, and you’ll have to ring up every customer, and you’ll have to be polite, no matter what they say to you.”
Lila nodded, and she walked over to the cash register, and she practiced ringing up customers all afternoon, her hands shaking a little. A man walked over to her, and he stared at her, and he said, “You used to work at the boutique downtown. What are you doing here? You’re one of the top sales associates there. What happened?”
Lila’s face turned red, and she told him she’d messed up, and she apologized, and the man nodded, and he paid for his t-shirt, and he walked out of the store, and Lila smiled, her voice warm and friendly. By 5:00 PM, the manager called her over to the front desk again, and he handed her a note from the board. “You did okay today, but you need to be more polite. A customer complained that you were quiet. Don’t be quiet. Talk to the customers, smile more.”
Lila nodded, and she walked out of the store, and she drove back to her apartment, her mind racing. She’d made it through her second day at the outlet mall, but she still had four more months to go, and she had to make sure she didn’t mess up again. She walked into her apartment, and she pulled out her laptop, and she looked up the board’s website, and she saw that they’d posted a new policy about customer service, and she felt sick to her stomach. She’d never thought she’d be working at the outlet mall, but now she was, and she had to make sure she didn’t mess up again.
The next day, she arrived at the outlet mall at 8:45 AM, and she worked the cash register, and she smiled at every customer, and she talked to them, and she helped them find the right clothes, and she made sure they felt welcome. A woman walked over to her, and she stared at Lila, and she said, “You used to work at the boutique downtown. What are you doing here?”
Lila’s face turned red, and she told her she’d messed up, and she apologized, and the woman nodded, and she paid for her clothes, and she walked out of the store, and Lila smiled, her voice warm and friendly. By noon, the manager called her over to the front desk, and he handed her a note from the board. “You did better today. Keep it up. Don’t mess up tomorrow. You’ll be working the fitting rooms again, and you’ll have to help customers try on clothes, and you’ll have to be polite, no matter what they look like.
Lila nodded, and she walked over to the fitting rooms, and she hung up the clothes, and she polished the mirrors, and she waited for the first customer to walk through the door. A teenager walked through the door, and she stared at Lila, and she picked out a dress, and she asked Lila to help her try it on. Lila walked over to the fitting room, and she opened the door, and she handed the dress to the teenager, and she told her to take her time, and she closed the door, and she waited outside the fitting room, her hands shaking. The teenager tried on the dress, and she came out of the fitting room, and she looked at herself in the mirror, and she smiled, and she asked Lila if it looked good.
May you like
Lila looked at the dress, and she told her it looked amazing, and she told her that the dress would complement her skin tone, and she told her that the dress was perfect for her birthday. The teenager smiled, and she asked Lila how much it cost, and Lila told her it was $25, and the teenager paid for it, and she walked out of the store, and Lila smiled, her voice warm and friendly. By 5:00 PM, the manager called her over to the front desk, and he handed her a note from the board. “You did great today. Keep it up. Don’t mess up tomorrow.
Lila nodded, and she walked out of the store, and she drove back to her apartment, her mind racing. She was starting to get the hang of it, but she still had three more months to go, and she had to make sure she didn’t mess up again. She walked into her apartment, and she pulled out her laptop, and she looked up Margaret Hale’s name, and she saw that she’d been a customer at the boutique downtown for 22 years, and she felt sick to her stomach. She’d never thought she’d be working at the outlet mall, but now she was, and she had to make sure she didn’t mess up again.
