Ben started walking out as I approached the customers. On his way out, he stopped and turned a couple times, hesitating to leave, like he had something he still needed to tell me. I kept waiving to him and mouthing that I’d see him later, but he just left the building and stood by the door. 

“I am so sorry, sir” I said to the man who’d called for me. “What can I help you with today?”

He looked over his shoulder, and motioned for one of the men in the back to come over. The other man was taller and younger looking, maybe mid 40’s and thin but slicked back hair. They were all dressed sharply, down to the cufflinks and tie clips. 

“Hey how’s it going, I'm looking for a new phone. I want the newest apple one.” He said, pointing around to an array of Iphones on the desk beside us.The three other guys adjusted themselves around this younger man as he spoke.

“I think I can definitely help with that. The newest one would be this one right here. Now, this one is black but we’ve got many other colors you can choose from, I’ve got them all here in the back if you’d like to see.”

He nodded and followed me. I could tell this guy isn't into specifics, he just wanted a new phone, and only a wealthy man could be that uncaring. I was willing to bet he had good money he was down to spend, meaning this was the time to plug a couple other “necessary” purchases. 

“Here we are, sir, five different colors to choose from. If I may ask, what sorts of things would you like to use your phone for?”

He wrinkled his brow and sort of scoffed. He looked over at his guys beside him and they mirrored his same expression. 

“I don't know, basic phone shit, whatta you mean? Like calling, texting, taking pictures and shit, maybe playing some games, why? Does that matter?”

“Well, yes a little bit. If you want to do more things, you might want some more storage. I suggest the 1 terabyte option, you’ll get the best performance out of it.”

He shook his head. “Yeah, If you’re telling me it's the best one, then yeah alright sure.”

“Of course, you got it, boss. What sort of color would you like?”

“You got pink?”

“We do have this sort of pastel pink right here sir, does this look alright to you?”

“yeah , yeah, that's good.”

I took him over to the register. He looked sort of confused, he wasn't in his element. He didn't know much about tech, so I figured I could sneak in just a couple more things now that I already got him to buy the most expensive of the most expensive.

“So, is this a gift?”

He started taking his coat off and handed it to one of his guys as he sat down in front of me at the desk. I pulled up some chairs for his guys too. 

“Yeah, a gift. My daughter, it's for her sweet 16,” he said. “She likes pink.”

“Oh that's great sir, it's a great gift, can I ask what service provider you use?”

He looked behind at his guys. “What do we use again?”

“I think T-Mobile boss, yeah T-Mobile.”

“Ouch, what do you guys think of it?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it's alright, my shit works and all.”

I started entering all his data into his computer, including his current service provider, which wasn't us. My biggest commission came, not from selling phones, but for getting people to sign up as verizon users.

“Do you guys watch football?”

They all nodded. 

“What's your team?”

“Patriots, I'm from Boston.”

“No kidding? My pops was from Boston, loved the patriots. You still watch?”

“Yeah, I still do.”

He leaned in close to speak to me, and his voice got a little higher. I had to be careful here since my dad was 100% not from Boston and I knew close to nothing about football. 

“Yeah, I watch it on my phone literally everywhere, even on the train. You fellas don't look like you take the train though”

His stone face cracked into a smile, a hearty chuckle, then eventually a full on laugh. I laughed along with him, and his guys followed along sheepishly. 

“Yeah, no, not since I was about your age,” He said, wiping his eyes. “I didn't know you could do that, on your phone and everything.”

“Not with T mobile you can't, that thing is gonna be slower than Brady.”

He laughed again, his big shoulders jumped up and down when he did. This was the perfect set up, and everything was going accordingly. This was gonna be the knockout. 

“Alright boss, your total here is gonna be $2,500 plus a bit of sales task. Let me get this thing ready for you, It’ll be a second-”

“Woah, Woah hold on there!” He bursted. “2500? I came here thinking I was gonna pay a couple hundred bucks, I mean what the fuck is this?”

He was pointing at me with his whole hand, waving it around as he spoke. His other guys started murmuring too, something along the line of the price being ridiculous.

“Yeah Boss, I know, I know. It was like that not too long ago, I remember, but they’re selling everything way higher now, especially since this is the newest. Sorry Boss, but anywhere else you’d probably get it for even more. I can show you the prices for the other stores if you’d like to compare”

He shook his head and stayed silent for a moment, and started talking to his guys behind him. I knew they had the money, but I guessed this guy probably grew up poor and got rich, so he knew the value of his money. I knew he was willing to buy it, he just wanted to make sure he was really getting the best bang for his buck. I'd established some sort of a bond with him, I even offered to show him prices, I knew that despite his seemingly indecisive reaction, he’d end up leaving the store with the phone, but that was the easy part. I needed him to end up leaving with more. 

I let them talk for a bit longer, before It was my turn to interrupt. 

“Look, Boss,” I said to him, feigning to look around for a non-existent threat. “I think I can get you a sort of discount, alright?”

He stopped his conversation, and turned to look at me. He had big brown eyes, commanding ones. From the way he talked to the way he sat down in the chair before me, this was a man who liked thinking he was in control. That was exactly what I’d give him. 

“I have a niece too, I know it's hard to do these things on short notice. A mans gotta get a little girl a gift, and you seem like the type of guy who's worth giving this limited deal to. Let me tell you what it is.”

I lowered my tone of voice, luring him to put his elbows up on my table and listen whole heartedly. 

“I’ll get you this thing for 150 dollars, right now.”

I started typing furiously on my computer. He looked at my fingers on the keyboard earnestly. This was the stage of confusion, but willingness. He was in listening mode. 

“So, we got a limited deal, just this christmas time. I can get you this thing for $150 or…totally free.”

“Free?” he uttered. “How the hell is that gonna work?”

I turned the screen to him. “Alright so here’s the deal. The phone's true price is 2,500 plus some tax, but if you switch to verizon as your service provider, you get to take it home for $150. Then, if you bring in the old phone to trade in for this new one, we’ll even take that $150 off, so really you're getting the phone for free.”

He scratched his head. His eyes darted size to size, like was making some big calculation. Eventually, he asked me. 

“So how much does Verizon cost?”

“Well, T-Mobile is 35 a month, right? Well ours is only 40, just five dollars more, and you can watch football or whatever the hell you want with us, and get the free phone, you get it?”

Within 15 minutes, I I had this guy’s membership officially into the system, and he gave me his daughter's old phone for the new one. He thanked me, and on his way out, I heard him mutter something along the lines of, “I almost feel bad for this kid.”

I watched them leave with a smile. I knew within a few days, he’d be back. He hadn't read any of the fine print on the new contract he just signed, and customers usually storm in angry and upset. It was pointless though, since I already had his daughter's old phone, and it was against company policy to give it back. 

Just as they finally left, Ben popped back in the store. He watched as the group of men looked back, and when they were finally out of sight, he spoke. 

“You just scammed that guy, didnt you?”

“Scammed?” I replied quizzically. “No, why would you say that?”

“Is he going to come back here with questions about the deal?” he asked me firmly. 

“Well, maybe. If he does, I’ll answer them. Why, you know this guy or something?”

Ben shook his head. 

“Then what's wrong?”

Ben shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know, he just seems like the type to pick a fight.”

“Well, I have security here so I don't really care.” I said as I threw on my coat. “Lets get out of here, I'm hungry”