How To Please An Old Lady

Ella rubbed her temples and looked at herself in the mirror.  If her small business didn't completely fail after this, then she really had the best luck in the world.  This shop was her life! Her source of income and happiness! She crumpled her fists and grumpily walked back to the counter.  Sure, she started her day with a bad review, but she would end it with the best review.  To make sure of this, she spritzed down her counters and nicely arranged her candies out in an organized way.  She straightened her apron and waited for the customers, her eyes anxiously flitting towards her phone to see if any more bad reviews had been sent in.  She ended the cycle when she heard the door open.  She looked up to see a prim and proper old lady with a stylish old lady outfit and a leather black purse. "Hello, ma'am! How are you?" "Fine, thank you," she said in a proper voice.  Ella automatically got bad vibes from her, but she was determined to make her happy.  "Well, what can I get for you ma'am?" she asked.  The lady held up a hand to her. "I'm still looking. Let me think in peace!" Ella nodded and watched as the lady walked up and down the bar where the candy was held, her black, shiny high heels tapping loudly on the floor.  She bent over every now and then to look at the candy, wrinkle her nose, then walk off to another display.  She suddenly reached her hand into a box, chose a large piece of gummy shark, and stuffed it up her thin mouth.  "Um, ma'am, you have to pay for that now," the old lady spun around on her heels and took a look at Ella.  "I was only trying it! All the other shops I go to let me try as I please! And it was terrible anyways, so I'm not paying!" "Ma'am," Ella pleaded, "It would technically be stealing if you just took it and didn't pay, and I could report you for that," The lady squinted at her tapped up to the register, and slapped 50 cents on the register, then she tapped away to look at some more candy.  "Thank you!" Ella said with false cheer in her voice. She heard a grunt coming over where the old lady was.  Ella already had a bad feeling about this.  "Have you found anything you like, ma'am?" Ella asked.  "No, the selection here is absolutley terrible!" Ella cringed at that, "Well, I have a new shipment of candy coming through, would you like to take a look?".  The old lady grumbled and nodded and followed Ella into the backroom. "What are you looking for?" "Candy for my grandchildren for Easter," the old lady grunted.  I feel bad for those poor kids, though Ella, but played the fake smile card.  "Any color or type of candy?" She asked "Pastel colors and chocolate.  Gummy candy will also suffice," Ella nodded and went to grab a box of mini pastel colored bunny chocolates with sprinkles in them. "Will this do?" Asked Ella as she came out with the box.  "What are they?" the old lady asked rudely. "Pastel bunny chocolates, would you like to try one for 25 cents?" she nodded and held her hand out expectantly. Ella dropped a pastel pink one in her hand, and watched hopefully as the lady popped it into her mouth. She chewed it thoughtfully and put on a concentrated face. "The color is too artificial, I don't want them eating this," she said. Ella nodded and looked at her, "I'm afraid that all pastel coloring is artificial, would you-," "THEN MAKE IT LESS ARTIFICIAL!" the lady screeched at her. Ella nodded quickly and went to find some ''less artifical'' pastel candies. She shakily grabbed a box of pastel chocolate easter eggs filled with fudge and brought it out to the lady, whose foot was tapping impatiently.  "Here, these are an all time favorite," she said, handing the box to her.  The lady snatched it up, threw 2 quarters at her, and tried an egg. She nodded as she chewed, and looked back up at her.  "I'll take a sack of these," she said. Ella nodded, then scopped some up into a bag.  "Anything else?" Ella asked, "Well, of course! Do you expect me to just give my grandboys just a bag of candy?" Ella nodded no, then went to grab some other boxes filled with Easter candy.  Ella sat and watched and collected quarters from the old lady as she tried candy.  She sighed a relief at the end of the day when the old lady sufficed for 10 bags of candy, totaling up to a good $90.  The lady had calmed down a bit at the end of the day, and ended up being nice enough that she only yelled at Ella every other 20 minutes or so. Ella smiled at her as she walked out of the store, her arms full of sacks of candy with the business name branded in bright neon colors on the front.  Ella smiled, almost 100 percent sure that the lady would leave a good review.  After all, Ella did go above and beyond to please her. Any rational person would leave a good review.  Ella crossed her fingers as she went to her cell-phone to get into her customer review section.  She nervously scrolled through the oldest reviews (which were all very decent reviews at that) to get to the newest ones.  The newest newest review stuck it’s stupid tongue out at her. She scowled at the name “Jacqueline Revine”, who gave her a one star review because her candy had ‘mold’ on it.  Ella couldn’t help that Jacquline Revine ordered candy with fuzz on it! She rolled her eyes, and scrolled one more spot, to see one of the best reviews in her life! Ella beamed at the review! The lady-which now Ella knew to be Annabelle Elise- gave her an awesome review. All about how Ella had gone out of her way to help her! Ella smiled again, and was glad that she lived up to what she had told herself when she looked in the mirror.