Dear Customer

Dear Customer,

Ihave a secret to tell you.

I couldn’t share it when you were in my jewelry store the other day, because I wanted to make a sale. But now that you left without buying anything, I’ll tell it to you.

You and your husband were looking at my display of diamond earrings, trying to choose a pair that suited your taste and your budget. The few pairs that you liked were way out of your price range, so you wistfully passed them up. Your husband looked disappointed — he wanted you to have something new for Yom Tov, but you didn’t like any of the earrings that were under $3000.

I overheard you quietly ask your husband, “Maybe we can spend another $500?”

I could see your husband’s inner torment when he answered that $3000 was the absolute maximum you could spend; buying the $3500 earrings would mean that he’d have to borrow money.