I guess they were sold out of the $300 one

I had just the smallest amount of shopping to take care of today. Little things to round out bigger things. One thing in particular was for my sister-in-law. I wanted a supplemental present for her. Something to bolster her other present.

Anyway, I thought I’d get her a gift box from Lush because I didn’t think she was familiar with the company. I learned about them through my other sister-in-law who got me an introductory box for my birthday. I fell in love. The place is expensive, but the name really describes the product–lush.

The Lush store in my town is in the luxury mall – the one with the hoity toity stores. I went up there today in my jeans and flannel shirt and walked into the store. There were no other shoppers but four clerks on duty. I had a moment of hesitation. I hate that feeling of entering a store with no other customers and too many staff. You always feel like a gazelle on the Serengeti.

The first lioness rushed me at the door. I explained what I was looking for and she assured me she had just the thing. She dragged me to a ginormous wrapped box.

“This has a fabulous sampling of all of our products,” she said and shoved some colored soap at my face. “Smell.”

I dodged the sample and eyed the jumble of products in the box. “Uh huh,” I said. “What’s the price of this one?” I knew it was way more than I was budgeting.

I turned the price tag around just as she said, without one hint of irony, “One hundred and seventy-nine.”

I guffawed. “OK. Dial that enthusiasm back about one hundred and fifty dollars.”

I mean I love my sister-in-law, but dear lord. The clerk wasn’t deterred. She towed me across the store to another decorative basket. While she babbled on with her pitch, I looked at the price. $75.99. The clerk grabbed my arm and slathered on some admittedly lovely smelling lotion. I let her rub it in to my skin while I shook my head that, no, I wasn’t purchasing that basket either.

We went down the aisles while she dusted me with fairy dust and thrust soap at my nose.

I did end up buying a basket–a very reasonably priced one. I did not get a smile from the clerk when I left. She seemed disappointed that I was so low rent.