dealing with personnel issues. I had to fire someone a few months ago and it was one of the worst experiences of my life.”
“What happened?”
“She was someone my mother hired without talking to me first and Gwen’s personality was difficult. No one else seemed to get along with her. Not the customers, not the other employees. If that had been the only issue, I would have tried to work with her about her people skills. But when inventory started disappearing, always coinciding with her shifts, I studied our security cameras and found proof she was slipping items into her bag and carrying them out. Only one or two a shift, but that could add up. I know of other small boutiques that have gone completely under because of one employee’s dishonesty.”
“I’m shocked that someone would do that so blatantly here in Haven Point, where everyone seems to know everyone. Didn’t she know you had CCTV?”
“I think she didn’t think I would ever catch her. She wasn’t a local,” Samantha said. “Her husband transferred from out of state to Caine Tech and she applied after they moved to Shelter Springs.”
“Well, that explains everything, then.”
She made a face at his dry tone. “I don’t mean to imply that every local is necessarily perfect. We have our problems, too. I only meant that I didn’t know her from a mannequin when my mother hired her. She didn’t really have references, either. At least none that I ever saw. My mother was impressed because she drove a nice car and had trendy clothes.”
That only reinforced his negative impression of her mother, which he knew was probably not fair. Still, he had the distinct impression from a few things Samantha had said that her mother had spent a lifetime undermining her confidence in herself.
She had much to offer the world but he was beginning to suspect she wasn’t able to see that clearly herself.
“I’ve never had to fire anyone and can only imagine how difficult it must be. Do you still encounter this woman around town?”
“No. Fortunately, her husband took another job shortly after that in California so they moved away. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when I heard she was leaving, especially because she had begun spreading rumors around the community that she had been fired unfairly and had even told people she was considering suing.”
“You didn’t press charges?”
“No. Her husband paid me back the cost of the merchandise she had taken. They could well afford it, which was another thing I didn’t understand. Why not just pay for it with her employee discount, which is substantial? He was embarrassed about the whole thing, and to be honest, I just wanted to forget it.”
“That must have been difficult, coming only a few months after your mother’s death. Especially when your mother had been the one to hire her.”
“Yes. I think she was dishonest from the day my mother hired her but I didn’t realize it for several weeks. I might have acted sooner if I hadn’t still been feeling a little lost, trying to run things on my own. It was a tough time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. If you want the truth, the whole incident left me a bit scarred.”
“In what way?”
“I need to hire a few more people to pick up the slack at the shop since I’ve become so busy on the wedding gown side of things, but I’m afraid of making the wrong personnel decision. What if I end up having to fire someone again? I’m not sure I have the fortitude to do that.”
“You do,” he said confidently. “You’ve done it once. It will probably be easier the second time around.”
She laughed a little. “I would much prefer if the first time was the only time.”
“Look at it this way. You’ll be the one doing the hiring this time. You can vet candidates as carefully as you need to so you can be absolutely sure of a person’s character before you take on a new salesclerk.”
“You’re right,” she said with a surprised kind of look. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He was finding so much more to admire about Samantha Fremont than he’d ever imagined when he first met her.
“If you weren’t running a boutique, what would you do?” he asked after a few more moments.
“Design dresses.” She answered with such alacrity, he almost laughed.
“You could give it a moment’s thought,” he suggested.
“I don’t need to. That’s my favorite part of the job. I love creating the ideal wedding dress for someone