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Ladonna stepped into the space and looked around. Elwood City's mall wasn't doing so well all these years later. Online markets had decimated the in-person shopping scene, but a push from the aging Ed Crosswire brought her in. She and Bud had started a business and needed a storefront, but downtown was even worse--too few spaces for too much money despite empty stores. It was a hard decision, but the tour was easing her mind.
"What do you think?" Bud asked. Ladonna shook her head as she looked around, "Might be too big as it is. Maybe we use shelves to divide the space through here, then we set up a workshop on that end over there. Folks can watch us make things, then shop over here. Might do us some good, folks seem to like that."
Bud sighed heavily, "Yeah, they like the videos we do. I guess we could set up a live stream if Ed allows it. He's got a lot of rules in the contract. Did you look it over?" he asked. Ladonna was supposed to be the red tape member of the partnership, but her reluctance to make a decision pushed him to review the contract.
And Ladonna was glad he did. She turned to him, "Not yet. I saw how long it was and debated calling Daddy to see if his lawyer friend could look it over. I know I saw something about a longevity clause or something like that."
"Yeah, we'd have to be here for two years. Do you think you're ready for that kind of commitment? It's a long time--"
"And this is what we've wanted for a while now. I think if everything else looks good, we should go for it. I mean, what have we got to lose?" she asked. Bud studied her carefully as he moved towards the tiny office, "Don't you think that's a little too lofty? We need to be practical too."
Ladonna scoffed as she looked over the built-in counter, "We both quit our jobs to start working on this full time. Practical went out the window the day you handed in your notice and decided to move in with me. It's all or nothing now, okay? We've got this handled. We've got some stock to push, and we'll have time to make more while we get the shop going. I've got some folks I can call about getting things set up. We might save some money that way."
Bud still wasn't convinced, but they almost had nowhere to go but up, Ladonna was right about that. The day they stopped the typical nine to five workload to focus on their business was the day they started falling forward, and now it was time to see if that was really going to work out.
Muffy groaned as she looked over her schedule for the day. Being the social media manager for the Crosswire empire came with a mountain of responsibilities. Teen her thought it was so fun--you spend hours a day building Instagram posts and making videos and having fun online. In reality, a lot of work went into that. She was responsible for her dad's businesses along with every business he had a stake in, mostly his shops at the mall. Some were franchises and didn't need their help, but he was bringing in more small businesses, and they needed all the help they could get.
"Morning, sweetie," Ed called from the door, taking off his coat as he entered the office, "Hope all is well with you. We've got a big day ahead of us."
"The grand opening is a little soon for the Compson account, isn't it?" she asked meekly, adding, "I still haven't gotten the go-ahead on that video."
Ed nodded, "I know, I know, but Ladonna assured me she had her own presence online. I believe her, she seems smart enough. She's got a real sparkle in her eye, reminds me of you, Muffin," he grinned.
Muffy didn't know whether to appreciate this or be offended. How could Ladonna possibly have better resources than her? She'd gone to college for this and returned home to work with her father. She'd boosted his car sales by hiring local actors and film crews for his new commercials, and his accounts had more engagement than ever thanks to her proven methods. How could Ladonna possibly be doing all of that better than her?
But there was no time to dwell. Ed had a meeting with some contractors, which had him locked in his office, and Muffy had a laundry list of accounts to work on. She made herself another cup of coffee and got to work.
They were almost out of smaller items, and even the bigger ones were starting to run low. As Bud worked in the back, Ladonna made sales from their sparkly new storefront. Calling their dad was a blessing. He knew a contractor who happily made them shelves exactly how they wanted. The work room was fully embraced, and in the weeks leading up to the opening, the siblings worked so that passing shoppers and their online clients could see the work going into their new storefront.
And the work was paying off. Ladonna exhaled deeply as she eyed the clock. She flipped the sign on the door and locked it behind her before stepping into the office, where Arthur was waiting. He put down his phone and smiled to her, "Looks like you've had quite a day."
"Better than we expected," Ladonna nodded, taking a seat behind the desk, "I'm happy your mom's firm is taking us on. We've never been in a position like this before, and we want to make sure we're doing everything right."
Arthur nodded before jumping into a spiel about their accounting software and how things would work. Sure, other online programs worked in a similar manner, but the Compson siblings were paying for peace of mind, and that was why the Read Account Services program was right for them. It was complicated, but the process was friendly and well-explained. Arthur was making sure of that, but Ladonna knew this wasn't his final stop in life.
Ladonna looked him over, "So...how long until your dream gets off the ground?" she asked. Arthur gave her a confused look. Ladonna smirked, "Don't give me that, Arthur, I can see right through you. You've got a dream you're pushing, and I want to know what it is."
Arthur shrugged, "I don't know, yes, maybe, but I don't have the details about it, and that's not important. Right now I'm on the clock for my mom."
"Until something better comes along, until you get the courage to jump off and see where the ride takes you," Ladonna smiled, leaning back in her chair, "That's what this is all about. Nothing fit for me after college, but I knew how to tell a story and how to make things. So I combined the two, and Bud helped out, and then he joined me. He claims I'm leading the charge, but he's smarter than I'll ever be. He knows what's right to do and what's not."
"You haven't changed your mind, have you?" Arthur asked nervously. Ladonna shook her head firmly, "Oh no, of course not. We know better than to play with taxes and labor laws. So far, that won't be a problem, and there's a clause in our lease about that too. Ed will help."
Arthur shifted uncomfortably, "Are you sure you agreed with everything in that contract? There's a hefty fine if you have to close shop early."
Ladonna leaned forward, "Well...we won't have to worry about that, will we?" she whispered, looking up as Bud entered. He held up his phone, "Gotta order some more supplies so we don't run out. Is that cool?" he questioned.
Ladonna nodded, "Whatever needs to be done. Arthur was just finishing up here, and I'm going to go clean up a little, make sure things are good. May I see you out?" she asked Arthur. He nodded and packed up his things, following her to the front door and stepping out.
The mall was winding down for the evening. As Ladonna finished sweeping, Bud entered the store space and looked out over the courtyard. Security gates were closing and people were leaving for the night, but they had a few more items to make for the next day.
Bud turned to his sister, "I really hope we're doing the right thing."
"I do too," Ladonna said, smiling softly, "We've got this, okay? We're good," she assured him, and he somehow found it in his heart to believe her.
It had been a month since the shop opened, and the Compsons fell into a routine. Ladonna would close and stay up cleaning the shop and making items for the morning. Bud would arrive early, open the shop and set out new stock, and then he would work until Ladonna arrived. They were trade on and off throughout the day, taking the opportunity to work the counter and man their social media accounts. It was heavy work, but sometimes a sibling would show up to help or a family friend.
However, they knew they needed more help around the place. They decided to get a part-time employee to help out whenever they could, and the Read's talked them through how to go about that legally. After some interviews, some of which were terrible, they found a great addition. Maria had a degree in communications, but she had plenty of retail experience. She was happy to join in, and while she wanted to run the store, Ladonna quickly brought her into the creation process. She proposed themed days, giveaways, and other fun ways to get people in the door.
Muffy took note of this from afar. Part of her responsibility was walking the mall and finding any problems. Most of them were with cleanliness, but she kept an eye on how businesses were running as well. Despite their home spun feel, the Compsons were thriving, and she found it making her angry.
When she returned to the office, she found Ed typing up a newsletter for the month. It went to everyone--business partners, the owners he oversaw, and loyal customers on the official Crosswire mailing list--and Muffy couldn't help but notice what the main article was about.
Muffy's mouth fell open, "They're already Business of the Month?" she asked with disbelief.
Ed nodded firmly, "I like their style! They mix old ways with new ones like I've never seen before, pumpkin! I know there are things they could improve on, but they've got staying power. I like it, it's what we needed."
"Sure, whatever you say," Muffy whispered. Ed looked up from the keyboard, "You're not jealous, are you? They're making little knick-knacks and t-shirts. It's lowbrow art, I thought you hated that stuff anyway."
Muffy turned on her heal, "How are they better than me at social media, huh? Their socials have so many followers, and they still have a big shipping business. I don't get it."
"You know yourself that you're the best in the business, otherwise I wouldn't have hired you. You might be my daughter, but you know from your brother I only want people who know what they're doing fulfilling my company's roles," Ed said firmly, continuing, "Ladonna has a personality similar to yours. You're cut from the same cloth, BUT you've got your own strengths! She can't handle the business side the way you can."
Muffy looked him over, "You really think so?"
Ed laughed heartily, "Oh, honey, I know so. She calls her father or me for advice, she's got the Read's doing her accounting, and there's still so much they need to work on. But it's a small business, they aren't trying to build an empire like you would. What's a few thousand extra social media followers?" he said, pointing to the screen, "I gotta get this out by five, Muffin. Why don't you take an early lunch as a pick me up?"
Muffy took his advice, but...it wasn't just a few thousand. Ladonna had something magical going on with her accounts, and Muffy couldn't help but be jealous. She went out to her favorite lunch spot and ate outside, taking in the warm day. Suddenly she smiled--Ladonna wasn't just building her own brand, she was building the Crosswire brand as well. Muffy could think of those followers as an extension of herself, and that made her feel better.
Only time would tell if the business had true staying power, but for the moment, everyone could be content.
~End