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I have to give the customers credit. They were lovely. The clientele at this store is fairly well-to-do, and I was worried about looking like a dumbass in front of them. But nine times out of ten, I would say, "I'm sorry, I normally work in the office, so I'm not very familiar with the store, but let's see what we can do..." They were understanding and patient, and I was incredibly thankful for that.

I have to say, this job is making me confront all kinds of insecurities. I am often uncomfortable there, but not in a bad way. More in a "Wow-I-have-stuff-to-learn!" way. The environment is very professional, and a lot is expected of me. For the first time, I am in a position that I feel challenges me enough so that I am not bored, but doesn't overwhelm me entirely.

Working in the actual store, however, I was confronted with a whole new set of issues from those I normally deal with in the office.

For example, there is something intimidating about the French bourgeoisie. They carry themselves in a way that suggests their money was their birthright, and this just seems so elegant and put-together compared to my Midwestern, cow-milking ways. I have been a little concerned that my inferiority complex would become problematic, but I have to say that I have actually found them to be the easiest people I have ever dealt with in retail.

Most of our customers are men, almost all over 50. They wear the traditional three-piece get-up, with trenchcoat and scarf. I would not be surprised if they all smoked pipes. Several of them are art dealers (hence their interest in our art books) and a majority of them have personal libraries that rival our own store. Yesterday, I met the former curator of a Very Important Museum, and he was darling and took no issue with the fact that I didn't have a clue as to what artist he was talking about. Another one had such a gentle way about him that I was actually a little sad when he left the store. And a third was so gregarious and jolly that I found myself wondering if he might be drunk, but it turned he was just a huge Bonnington fan!!! (exclamation his)

In fact, the only customers who proved to be problematic were a French-American couple, the man being the American part of the duo. I don't think he was intentionally being rude, but the crossover of the American demand for high quality customer service (which I obviously could not provide yesterday) and his rushed, urgent manner got me rather flustered, and he didn't seem to understand when I explained to him (in French, for his wife's benefit) that I was merely filling in for someone and could not answer all of his questions. Eventually, we got it all sorted out. Meanwhile, another customer was speaking in English to me, so the American man was able to detect that I am also American. His tone went from formal and a little tense to easygoing and sweet, and he started asking questions about why I live in France (always a toughie) and what I'm doing here.

As they were walking out the door, he said, "I never would have known you were American, but I guess after over six years, you shouldn't have an accent, anymore."

I responded, "Oh, no... I definetly do."

But his wife, who had been almost silent throughout the interaction, said to me once her husband was outside, "No, I never would have known. You have almost no accent whatsoever... you had one moment where you hesitated before saying something, and I had a second where I wondered if you might be foreign, but otherwise... bravo!"

So they quickly went from being my most difficult clients to being my favorites. Unexpected compliments from French women are rare gems. I basked in it for at least ten minutes after their departure.

At the end of the day, reflecting on how much I had learned from my rather hectic and at times nerve-wracking afternoon (the credit card machine broke mid-transaction, the phone would NOT stop ringing, and someone was very concerned that his order had gotten lost in the mail), I was actually sort of proud of myself for more or less jumping head-first into that enormous river and somehow managing to swim to the other side. Dry land felt good, but I had actually had a moment in the day where I hadn't even felt like I was swimming upstream, where I was able to go with the flow of customers and sales and questions and responses. Just managing to float in a highly specialized environment in which I have very little background would have been enough for me, but I congratulated myself some for managing a bit more than just that.

Of course, that was before I came home and realized I had had a hole in my pants the size of a nickel. Given that I climbed ladders a fair amount, I'm willing to bet a few customers might have noticed. But - eh - you live, you learn. Good thing I had long sweater on yesterday. I hadn't even planned that fortunate coincidence.