eighty-five ninety-five per month, payable in four monthly instalments. With limited stock available I wouldn’t wait around to order. Would you, Babs?’
‘No way!’ wheezed Babs, as her lungs threatened to explode. She hadn’t done so much exercise in years. ‘With our thirty-day money-back guarantee, it’s a no-risk purchase. Besides, who could resist this bargain? Order now by phone, or for our interactive viewers, just press the red button on your remote control now.’
‘Book now to avoid disappointment,’ said Randy, as Billy called it a wrap.
Babs collapsed in a heap onto the bed. Thank God it was over. This selling lark was a lot more difficult than it looked.
‘Well done, partner,’ said Randy, holding out his hand.
‘You big clumsy fool, you’ve crippled me for life,’ snapped Babs, and limped off the set to put ice on pretty much every part of her body.
Ten minutes later, Billy came in, grinning. ‘What’s so funny?’ asked Babs.
‘Those mattresses have been selling like hotcakes and we’ve had several calls to compliment our lovely new Irish presenter with the sweet smile and honest face. If only they knew what a little vixen you are.’
‘I told you I was good at selling,’ said Babs, cheering up. ‘Do I get commission?’
‘Don’t push your luck, love. And next time try to be nicer to our American colleagues. Randy can’t help being a bit thick. It’s all the steroids he’s been taking – they’ve fried his brain.’
‘What time do you want me in tomorrow?’
‘Come in for eleven. I’ve got some gardening products I need to shift. If you can persuade people to buy them, I’ll give you Sophie’s regular slot.’
Babs leant back in the chair and grinned. Things were looking up.
Chapter 12
Mid-January, I received a call from Amanda begging me to come back to work. She said my replacement was useless and made her up like a clown. She wanted me to come in and make her look fabulous again and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She even offered me a significant raise and had found some crèches near the studio where Yuri could go while I did her makeup.
I have to confess I was chuffed when she called – I’d been worried that the girl who’d taken over from me would be brilliant and that my contract wouldn’t be renewed. I loved the job and I was getting a little bored hanging out with Yuri on my own all the time. The good thing about Amanda’s show was that it aired between one and three, so I finished early every day, which meant I could spend most of the morning and the late afternoons with Yuri. But I was loath to dump him in a creche seven weeks after moving him to Ireland, so I decided to ask Mum if she’d help out until he was more settled.
‘Hi.’
‘Hi, how are you? How’s my favourite grandson?’
‘Good, thanks. Actually, Mum, I’m phoning to ask a huge favour.’
‘Oh?’ she said, sounding suspicious.
‘Amanda has asked me to come back to work – well, she begged me, actually – and has offered me a raise, which is great. But I think it’s a bit too soon for Yuri to go to a crèche so I was wondering if you’d mind him between twelve and half three for me. It’d just be for the first few weeks and I’d pay you.’
‘How much?’
I hadn’t thought she’d accept payment. I had presumed she’d be delighted to spend time with Yuri. I’d only offered because I thought it sounded good.
‘Oh, um, how about twenty euro a day?’
‘Those poor children in the factories in Thailand earn more than that.’
‘Twenty-five?’
‘Thirty.’
What had happened to the doting granny? Suddenly I was dealing with a hard-nosed negotiator and was 150 euro a week poorer, which negated the pay rise and left me with less money than I was originally paid. Still, I didn’t have a choice.
‘OK, thirty, then,’ I grumbled, ‘but it seems a lot.’
‘Believe it or not, I have a life, Emma. I don’t just sit around here waiting to look after
‘No way!’ wheezed Babs, as her lungs threatened to explode. She hadn’t done so much exercise in years. ‘With our thirty-day money-back guarantee, it’s a no-risk purchase. Besides, who could resist this bargain? Order now by phone, or for our interactive viewers, just press the red button on your remote control now.’
‘Book now to avoid disappointment,’ said Randy, as Billy called it a wrap.
Babs collapsed in a heap onto the bed. Thank God it was over. This selling lark was a lot more difficult than it looked.
‘Well done, partner,’ said Randy, holding out his hand.
‘You big clumsy fool, you’ve crippled me for life,’ snapped Babs, and limped off the set to put ice on pretty much every part of her body.
Ten minutes later, Billy came in, grinning. ‘What’s so funny?’ asked Babs.
‘Those mattresses have been selling like hotcakes and we’ve had several calls to compliment our lovely new Irish presenter with the sweet smile and honest face. If only they knew what a little vixen you are.’
‘I told you I was good at selling,’ said Babs, cheering up. ‘Do I get commission?’
‘Don’t push your luck, love. And next time try to be nicer to our American colleagues. Randy can’t help being a bit thick. It’s all the steroids he’s been taking – they’ve fried his brain.’
‘What time do you want me in tomorrow?’
‘Come in for eleven. I’ve got some gardening products I need to shift. If you can persuade people to buy them, I’ll give you Sophie’s regular slot.’
Babs leant back in the chair and grinned. Things were looking up.
Chapter 12
Mid-January, I received a call from Amanda begging me to come back to work. She said my replacement was useless and made her up like a clown. She wanted me to come in and make her look fabulous again and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She even offered me a significant raise and had found some crèches near the studio where Yuri could go while I did her makeup.
I have to confess I was chuffed when she called – I’d been worried that the girl who’d taken over from me would be brilliant and that my contract wouldn’t be renewed. I loved the job and I was getting a little bored hanging out with Yuri on my own all the time. The good thing about Amanda’s show was that it aired between one and three, so I finished early every day, which meant I could spend most of the morning and the late afternoons with Yuri. But I was loath to dump him in a creche seven weeks after moving him to Ireland, so I decided to ask Mum if she’d help out until he was more settled.
‘Hi.’
‘Hi, how are you? How’s my favourite grandson?’
‘Good, thanks. Actually, Mum, I’m phoning to ask a huge favour.’
‘Oh?’ she said, sounding suspicious.
‘Amanda has asked me to come back to work – well, she begged me, actually – and has offered me a raise, which is great. But I think it’s a bit too soon for Yuri to go to a crèche so I was wondering if you’d mind him between twelve and half three for me. It’d just be for the first few weeks and I’d pay you.’
‘How much?’
I hadn’t thought she’d accept payment. I had presumed she’d be delighted to spend time with Yuri. I’d only offered because I thought it sounded good.
‘Oh, um, how about twenty euro a day?’
‘Those poor children in the factories in Thailand earn more than that.’
‘Twenty-five?’
‘Thirty.’
What had happened to the doting granny? Suddenly I was dealing with a hard-nosed negotiator and was 150 euro a week poorer, which negated the pay rise and left me with less money than I was originally paid. Still, I didn’t have a choice.
‘OK, thirty, then,’ I grumbled, ‘but it seems a lot.’
‘Believe it or not, I have a life, Emma. I don’t just sit around here waiting to look after
Similar Books
