"Thank you for the tender."
Rupert, reshelving books on the second floor of the shop, glanced down. A young man, goggling at Anya over his shoulder, picked up his pace as he headed for the door. Anya, busy counting money, missed it completely.
Joining Anya by the register, Rupert asked, "What did you say to that young man?"
She didn't even look up. "I thanked him for giving us money."
"But you used the word tender."
"Of course. Legal tender means money."
Rupert could already see this conversation wasn't going to go well. "The word has other connotations."
She closed the register and gave him her full attention. Oh, dear. "I know. It also can mean having or expressing warm and affectionate feelings as well as someone who takes care of another. You and Xander have told me that I should make the customers feel welcome in the store. Using the word tender not only suggests that we like them but that we are also caretakers who will help them with their needs."
"You've obviously given this quite a bit of thought."
Anya grinned up at him.
"But I'd prefer in future that you just thank them for coming."
"But Giles," Anya complained. "Everyone has told me not to …"
"Anya." Rupert pointed toward the three young women, teenagers really, who were approaching the counter. "Just help the customers and remember what I said."
Rupert was halfway to the staircase when the point Anya had been about to make, before he'd interrupted her, hit home, hit home rather like a freight train. Oh Good Lord, she wasn't about to …
He turned to see Anya handing a package over to one of the girls. "Thank you. Please come again."
Rupert breathed a sigh of relief.
"But not in a sexual way."