“How do you know?”
The manager’s eyes moved over her.
“Experience.”
The Billionaire Woman nodded.
“Experience.”
“Yes.”
“With what?”
The manager hesitated.
“With clients.”
“No.”
The Billionaire Woman’s voice softened.
“Try again.”
The manager stared.
The Billionaire Woman continued:
“What exactly about me told you I could not afford it?”
Silence.
The manager looked toward the hat.
The coat.
The gown.
The jewelry.
Nothing supported her answer.
Not visibly.
That made the question worse.
The manager said:
“I am not discussing this.”
“You brought up affordability.”
“I’m ending the conversation.”
“Good.”
The Billionaire Woman glanced toward the entrance.
“Because your chairman is here.”
The manager turned.
So did everyone else.
The front doors had opened.
An older white American man in an immaculate charcoal suit entered beside two executives and a private security specialist carrying a slim hard-sided case.
The Chairman.
Seventies.
Silver hair.
Tall.
Known face.
Known enough that several customers recognized him immediately.
The Boutique Manager’s expression transformed.
Her spine straightened.
Her face brightened.
She stepped away from the Billionaire Woman.
“Good morning, sir.”
The Chairman barely looked at her.
His eyes went directly toward the Billionaire Woman.
Then he smiled.
Warmly.
Not professionally.
Personally.
“My apologies.”
The Boutique Manager’s smile faltered.
The Chairman crossed the showroom.
The security specialist and executives followed.
He stopped in front of the Billionaire Woman.
“You arrived early.”
“Fourteen minutes.”
“I was told noon.”
“We said eleven forty-five.”
The Chairman sighed.
“My assistant will never forgive me.”
The Billionaire Woman smiled.
“She shouldn’t.”
Then his gaze moved toward the locked high-jewelry case.
Then the manager.
Then the printed folio sitting untouched on the glass.
His smile disappeared.
“What happened?”
The Boutique Manager spoke first.
“Sir, there was some confusion.”
The Billionaire Woman said nothing.
The Chairman looked at the manager.
“What confusion?”
The manager glanced toward the Billionaire Woman.
“She arrived without standard client verification.”
The Billionaire Woman raised one eyebrow.
The young associate looked toward the floor.
The elderly customer watched with open interest now.
The Chairman asked:
“Did she give you her name?”
“Yes.”
“Did you search it?”
The manager hesitated.
“I recognized that it was not on our normal retail schedule.”
“Did you search it?”
“No.”