The elderly man paused beside a glass display, his worn brown coat standing out among counters and tailored suits. Inside the case, a gold watch caught his eye.
Before he could ask about it, a salesman stepped forward.
“Stop right there. You can’t touch anything.”
“I’m only looking for a watch, son.”
The salesman glanced at his frayed sleeves.
“A watch like this? This is a luxury store, not a charity. You can’t afford anything here.”
A customer looked up. The older man kept his voice steady.
“Please, just show me that gold watch.”
The salesman gave a short laugh.
“Stop wasting my time and get out.”
For a moment, the only sound was the quiet ticking of a clock behind the counter. The man lowered his hand, but he did not leave.
Then a door opened at the back of the showroom.
The manager hurried toward him, smiling.
“Sir, we’ve been waiting for you.”
The salesman straightened. His expression changed as the manager offered the visitor his hand.
The elderly man looked toward the display.
“Is this how your employees treat customers?”
The manager’s smile disappeared.
“You just insulted the owner of this entire company.”
“Sir, I… I didn’t know.”
The owner studied him.
“You shouldn’t need to know who someone is to treat them with respect.”
No one laughed now.
The salesman opened the case and placed the gold watch on a velvet tray.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Then remember this conversation when someone else walks through that door,” the owner replied.
He picked up the watch.
“It’s for my grandson. He starts his first job tomorrow.”
The salesman looked down at the empty space in the case.
He had spent the morning selling watches. Only now did he realize how much a single careless moment could cost.