Dressed For Success

Pam: You won’t believe what happened at work today. If it had happened to someone else, I’d have thought it was really funny.

Ann: Wasn’t this morning when you had that important client jetting in for your big presentation?

Pam: Yeah, but I’m afraid we got off on the wrong foot. We went to the private jet terminal and were waiting when he arrived. This guy’s real proud of his organization’s new, super-fast business jet, so we were prepared to properly ohhh and ahhh over it.

Ann: I don’t think I’d have to prepare to ohhh and ahhh over one of those luxury jets. I’m pretty sure that reaction would come spontaneously.

Pam: It really was absolutely gorgeous and, even though it had just stopped raining, the plane was literally gleaming as it taxied up. The pilot opened the door, lowered the steps, and our client emerged, gleaming almost as much as the airplane.

Ann: Did you get to check out the inside?

Pam: I was really hoping he’d ask us. We greeted him and he showed us around the outside, pointing out the special features. Then he told us he was expecting an important call but that he’d be happy to show us the interior while he waited.

Ann: Pretty cool. I’d have loved to see it too. Was it amazing?

Pam: It really was. Since my shoes were wet and dirty from walking around outside of the jet, I stepped out of them as I climbed on board. When I glanced back, I was glad to see my boss, Archie, had done the same. Then our client also kicked off his shoes, climbed onboard, and gave us the tour.

After a few minutes, the client’s important call came, so he stepped off the plane, into his shoes, and walked towards the terminal. I followed him off the plane, stepped into my shoes and then noticed something strange. The two remaining men’s shoes on the ground didn’t match each other. One was brown and one was black.

Ann: Oh no! Your client put on two different shoes! How on earth were you going to tell him that without embarrassing him?

Pam: That’s what I was thinking. Archie was still on the plane checking out the cockpit, so I lingered near the aircraft door trying desperately to think of a delicate way to point out to this brilliant, wealthy man that he’d just done something so dumb.

Ann: I’d probably pretend I didn’t notice. How’d you handle it?

Pam: I was still trying to figure that out, when the guy finished his call, wandered back over, and I looked down to see that he was wearing two matching shoes.

Ann: What!? His shoes matched each other?


Pam: Then I realized the awful truth. It wasn’t a matter of mixed pairs. Archie must have arrived wearing two different shoes! So I jumped in front of the mismatched pair and tried to distract the client.

Ann: So much for making a good impression! Did he notice?

Pam: No, he didn’t. I diverted his attention by pointing up and asking the significance of the tail number. Then I pointed at the paint job and asked who selected the beautiful colors. By slowly walking to the other side of the airplane asking questions the whole way, I was able to lure him away from the mismatched shoes to the opposite side of the plane.

Ann: Good save. Maybe once they were back on Archie’s feet, no one would notice.

Pam: That’s exactly what I was thinking. So the client and I are on the opposite side of the plane when I see through the windows that Archie is climbing out.

Ann: Did he even notice?

Pam: Oh yeah! With loud laughter and a booming voice Archie announces, “Well look at that! I’m wearing two different shoes!”
Ann: So much for being discreet! How did the client react?

Pam: He just laughed politely. Then Archie realized he probably should have kept it to himself and got a little nervous and tried to make it better with a joke.

Ann: That’s always a good approach.

Pam: Usually, but in this case things went from bad to worse. Archie said, “Well, I guess these things are going to happen when you dress in a dark closet hiding from the husband!”

Ann: Did he really!?

Pam: He did alright. Oh, and by the way, did I mention the client is one of the country’s leading televangelists?

Ann: Oh no! Do you think it blew the deal?

Pam: Let’s just put it this way…I don’t think we should hold our breath waiting for a ride on that jet.