"This gentleman entered the showroom without an appointment. He started asking technical questions that weren't relevant to a sales consultation. I was simply trying to direct him somewhere more appropriate."
Walter placed his cowboy hat against his chest.
"More appropriate?"
Daniel ignored him.
"I have monthly targets to meet, Ms. Vale. We can't allow every visitor to occupy a sales consultant for twenty minutes when they're clearly not prepared to purchase anything."
Catherine looked toward the reception desk.
"Was Mr. Hayes offered assistance when he arrived?"
The receptionist, a young woman named Emily, hesitated.
Daniel shot her a warning glance.
Emily noticed it.
Then she looked at Catherine.
"No, ma'am."
Catherine waited.
Emily swallowed.
"Mr. Hayes came in and asked whether someone could explain the engineering specifications of the silver car. Mr. Mercer looked at him and told him he was probably in the wrong showroom."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Emily, that's not what happened."
"Please let her finish," Catherine said.
The receptionist lowered her eyes for a moment before continuing.
"Mr. Hayes asked the same question again. Mr. Mercer told him how much the car cost. Then he said Mr. Hayes didn't look like someone who could afford it."
The silence that followed seemed to stretch across the entire showroom.
Catherine slowly turned back to Daniel.
"Did you say that?"
Daniel shifted his weight.
"I may have made an observation that came across differently than I intended."
Walter sighed.
"Young man, there is nothing complicated about what you said."
Daniel's face flushed.
"I was doing my job."
"No," Catherine replied. "You were making a judgment about someone you hadn't bothered to understand."
She pointed toward the silver sports car.
"You see that vehicle? Do you know how many engineers spent years working on its development?"
Daniel nodded quickly.
"Of course."
"Do you know how many people worked overtime to bring it to market? How many technicians tested its components in extreme temperatures? How many designers fought to preserve the balance between performance, comfort, and reliability?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then you should understand something. The people who built that car didn't spend years solving difficult problems so someone could stand beside it and use its price tag to decide who deserves to look at it."
Daniel's expression faltered.
Catherine turned to Walter.
"Mr. Hayes, I apologize for what happened."
Walter regarded her thoughtfully.
"You didn't insult me."
"But I am responsible for this showroom."
"And I appreciate the apology."
He glanced at Daniel.
"However, I don't think the problem can be solved by asking one person to apologize for another."
Catherine nodded.
"Neither do I."
She turned toward the staircase.
"Mr. Hayes, would you join me upstairs? I've arranged a private meeting room for you."
Walter glanced at the silver car one more time.
"Actually, I'd prefer to finish my question first."
Catherine's expression softened.
"Of course."
Walter turned toward Daniel.
"Let's try again."
Daniel stared at him.
"What?"
"My question. The cooling system."
Walter pointed toward the vehicle.
"Who led the engineering team responsible for its thermal management?"
Daniel looked helplessly toward Catherine.
She crossed her arms.
"That's an excellent question."
Daniel cleared his throat.
"The information should be available in the technical documentation."
"Should be?" Walter asked.
"I can retrieve it."
"Please do."
Daniel hurried toward the consultation desk.
His polished shoes struck the marble floor much faster than they had when he approached Walter only minutes earlier.
Walter watched him go.
Then he placed his cowboy hat on the edge of a nearby display stand.
Catherine stood beside him.
"Are you sure you're all right?"
Walter smiled faintly.
"Catherine, I've spent forty years around people who thought a title made them important. Believe me, I've encountered worse than an unpleasant salesman."
"That doesn't make what happened acceptable."
"No. It doesn't."
He glanced around the showroom.
"I came here hoping to see whether the company had learned anything since the last time I visited."
Catherine's expression changed.
"Is that why you came in person?"
"Partly."
"And the rest?"
Walter looked at the silver car.
"I wanted to see whether the people selling our products understood what made them worth buying."
Catherine followed his gaze.
"Then I'm afraid your visit has been disappointing."
Walter shook his head.
"Not entirely."
He pointed toward Emily at reception.
"That young woman told the truth even though she knew it might cost her something."
Emily looked up, startled to hear her name mentioned.
Walter gave her a small nod.
"That counts for something."
Catherine looked toward the receptionist.
"Yes," she said quietly. "It does."
A moment later, Daniel returned carrying a thick technical brochure and a tablet.
He stopped several feet from Walter.
"Mr. Hayes, I've located the engineering specifications."
Walter accepted the brochure.
"Thank you."
Daniel waited.
Walter opened the document and began reading.
The silence became unbearable for the salesman.
"Mr. Hayes, I'd also like to apologize if my earlier comments offended you."
Walter continued reading for another moment.
Then he closed the brochure.
"Do you know what the problem with an apology is, Daniel?"
The salesman swallowed.
"No, sir."
"Sometimes people apologize because they finally understand what they've done. Other times, they apologize because they've discovered the person they insulted might be important."
Daniel lowered his eyes.
Walter continued.
"I don't know which kind of apology you're offering me. Perhaps you don't know either."
"Sir, I really am sorry."
Walter studied him.
"Then I hope you'll remember this conversation the next time someone walks through those doors wearing something you wouldn't choose for yourself."