Vermont was surprised. “Thirty percent?” he asked. “Listen, Stella, the selling price for these can easily hit eight figures. Do you know what giving me thirty percent means?”
He was worried that Stella might not be familiar with the value of these items, so he thought it would be best to give her a heads-up.
Stella chuckled, “Of course. I’m well aware of this. I’m offering you a generous commission, so you won’t shortchange me. We’ll both benefit from the sale. But, if you feel uneasy about taking thirty percent of the profit, you could do me a little favor in return.”
“Don’t worry. I may not have much, but I have a thick skin. I’m comfortable with taking your money,” Vermont reassured.
Stella was taken aback by his comment.
Keegan kicked Vermont from behind, nearly causing him to crash into the coffee table.
“Hey!” Vermont ground his teeth. “I was just kidding! Can’t y’all take a joke?”
“You had it coming for running your mouth with my best friend,” Felicity giggled.
Vermont could not believe that his girlfriend was choosing her best friend over him. With the three of them against him,
Vermont swiftly decided to switch allegiances. “What favor do you have in mind?”
“It’s nothing much.” Stella smiled and continued, “I just want you to give me a crash course in jewelry knowledge and share some insights on how to run this store while you’re at it.”
Vermont did not know how to respond. “Stella, we’re competitors. Are you really asking me to be your business mentor?” He shot her a look to indicate that he was not a fool.
“Who said competitors can’t be partners?” Stella squinted and painted an optimistic picture. “Your jewelry store relies on artists from your company for endorsements. How much buzz do they actually generate?”
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