#Customer segmentation tools

[maverickinfosolutions]

At Maverick Digital, we have a team of experienced SEO consultants, AdWords & PPC experts, and skilled web designers who can easily bring your offline business online and grow your revenue after that with a progressive ROI. Our team of Social Media Marketing experts can also run sponsored ads on Facebook and Instagram so that your business has a decent presence on social media & also generates revenue from it. Best Digital Marketing Agency In Kanpur.

[technologyequality]

AI-Powered Business Analytics: Make Smarter Decisions, Faster

AI-Powered Business Analytics Make Smarter Decisions, Faster 💡 AI-powered analytics give you instant insights into what’s working and what’s not. Learn how to use AI to optimize business decisions. The Problem: Are You Guessing or Growing? Let’s be real—making business decisions based on gut feelings is like throwing darts blindfolded. Sure, you might hit the target occasionally, but most of…

[theseoblogspace]

Improving Website Personalisation for Small Businesses

Did you know 91% of consumers like shopping with brands that offer personalized tips1? But, only 13% of marketers feel their personalization is good enough1. For small businesses in Australia, making your website more personal can really help. It can lead to a 6% increase in sales for those who offer unique experiences1. In today’s world, people see between 4,000 and 10,000 ads every day2. So,…

[amazonmarketingagency]

Lab 916: Your Partner in Crafting Winning Amazon Strategies

Introduction: Lab 916's Expertise in Amazon Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Lab 916 stands as a beacon of expertise, providing businesses with tailored Amazon strategies to succeed in the competitive marketplace. With a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms, trends, and best practices, Lab 916 helps businesses navigate the complexities of selling on the platform and achieve their goals.

Strategic Planning with Lab 916

Lab 916 takes a strategic approach to Amazon strategy development, focusing on optimizing product listings, implementing competitive pricing strategies, leveraging advertising tactics, and fostering customer engagement. By customizing strategies to align with each client's unique objectives and market dynamics, Lab 916 ensures that businesses can maximize their potential on Amazon.

Optimizing Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

A crucial aspect of Lab 916's Amazon strategy is optimizing product listings to enhance visibility and drive conversions. Through meticulous keyword research, compelling product descriptions, and high-quality imagery, Lab 916 ensures that each product listing is optimized to rank higher in Amazon search results. By improving the visibility and appeal of product listings, businesses can attract more customers and increase sales.

Implementing Competitive Pricing Strategies

Lab 916 assists businesses in developing competitive yet profitable pricing strategies tailored to their market segment. By analyzing competitor pricing data, market trends, and consumer behavior, Lab 916 helps businesses set prices that maximize sales while maintaining healthy profit margins. Additionally, Lab 916 provides guidance on leveraging dynamic pricing tools and promotional strategies to stay competitive on Amazon.

Leveraging Advertising Tactics for Enhanced Visibility

Advertising is a key component of Lab 916's Amazon strategy, aimed at increasing product visibility and driving targeted traffic to product listings. Lab 916 utilizes Amazon's advertising platform to create and optimize sponsored product ads, sponsored brand ads, and sponsored display ads. By strategically targeting keywords and audience segments, Lab 916 helps businesses maximize their advertising ROI and generate sales on Amazon.

Fostering Customer Engagement and Loyalty

Lab 916 emphasizes the importance of fostering strong customer relationships to drive long-term success on Amazon. Through proactive customer service, timely responses to inquiries and feedback, and strategies to encourage positive reviews, Lab 916 helps businesses build trust and loyalty with their customers. By delivering exceptional shopping experiences and maintaining positive seller ratings, businesses can enhance their reputation and drive repeat purchases on the platform.

Conclusion: Achieving Success with Lab 916's Guidance

In conclusion, Lab 916 serves as a valuable partner for businesses seeking to excel on Amazon. With Lab 916's expertise and strategic guidance, businesses can optimize their Amazon strategies and achieve success in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By leveraging Lab 916's insights and best practices, businesses can unlock their full potential on one of the world's largest online platforms.

Introduction: Lab 916's Expertise in Amazon Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce, Lab 916 stands as a beacon of expertise, providing businesses with tailored Amazon strategies to succeed in the competitive marketplace. With a deep understanding of Amazon's algorithms, trends, and best practices, Lab 916 helps businesses navigate the complexities of selling on the platform and achieve their goals.

Strategic Planning with Lab 916

Lab 916 takes a strategic approach to Amazon strategy development, focusing on optimizing product listings, implementing competitive pricing strategies, leveraging advertising tactics, and fostering customer engagement. By customizing strategies to align with each client's unique objectives and market dynamics, Lab 916 ensures that businesses can maximize their potential on Amazon.

Optimizing Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

A crucial aspect of Lab 916's Amazon strategy is optimizing product listings to enhance visibility and drive conversions. Through meticulous keyword research, compelling product descriptions, and high-quality imagery, Lab 916 ensures that each product listing is optimized to rank higher in Amazon search results. By improving the visibility and appeal of product listings, businesses can attract more customers and increase sales.

Implementing Competitive Pricing Strategies

Lab 916 assists businesses in developing competitive yet profitable pricing strategies tailored to their market segment. By analyzing competitor pricing data, market trends, and consumer behavior, Lab 916 helps businesses set prices that maximize sales while maintaining healthy profit margins. Additionally, Lab 916 provides guidance on leveraging dynamic pricing tools and promotional strategies to stay competitive on Amazon.

Leveraging Advertising Tactics for Enhanced Visibility

Advertising is a key component of Lab 916's Amazon strategy, aimed at increasing product visibility and driving targeted traffic to product listings. Lab 916 utilizes Amazon's advertising platform to create and optimize sponsored product ads, sponsored brand ads, and sponsored display ads. By strategically targeting keywords and audience segments, Lab 916 helps businesses maximize their advertising ROI and generate sales on Amazon.

Fostering Customer Engagement and Loyalty

Lab 916 emphasizes the importance of fostering strong customer relationships to drive long-term success on Amazon. Through proactive customer service, timely responses to inquiries and feedback, and strategies to encourage positive reviews, Lab 916 helps businesses build trust and loyalty with their customers. By delivering exceptional shopping experiences and maintaining positive seller ratings, businesses can enhance their reputation and drive repeat purchases on the platform.

Conclusion: Achieving Success with Lab 916's Guidance

In conclusion, Lab 916 serves as a valuable partner for businesses seeking to excel on Amazon. With Lab 916's expertise and strategic guidance, businesses can optimize their Amazon strategies and achieve success in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By leveraging Lab 916's insights and best practices, businesses can unlock their full potential on one of the world's largest online platforms.

[cohoai]

Micro-Moments Unfolded: How Brands Ride the Spontaneity Wave - Coho AI

Micro-moments emerge when consumers reflexively turn to a device, predominantly a smartphone, as a response to an instantaneous need or curiosity. They aren’t just confined to purchasing decisions. They encapsulate a spectrum of actions: “I want to know,” where a user might be looking up a fact or information; “I want to buy,” which can lead them down a purchasing rabbit hole; “I want to go,” guiding them to seek out locations or experiences; or even “I want to do,” pushing them to explore a new activity or hobby. These moments are fleeting but potent, representing pivotal junctures in the decision-making process. https://www.coho.ai/blog/micro-moments/

[marketxcel]

How to Build a Strong B2B Market Research Plan

Learn how to create a robust B2B market research plan from scratch. Explore strategies, tools, and best practices to drive informed decisions and business growth.

[essglobe]

How To Target Your Most Profitable Customers With Retail Business Intelligence

The retail industry is highly competitive, with businesses constantly vying for customer attention and loyalty. To stay ahead of the competition, retailers need to make informed and data-driven decisions. This is where Retail Business Intelligence (BI) comes into play. By harnessing the power of data analysis and advanced analytics, Retail BI enables retailers to identify and target their most profitable customers, optimize marketing strategies, and drive business growth.

[loop-hole-319]

Post war cybertronian game where you play as a delivery mech.

You have a human companion who hangs out on your shoulder and in their little human carrier backpack. Throughout the game you can collect collectibles to decorate and customize your human's outfit, their carrier and little nesting spot in your apartment. Very cute slice of Life.

The deliveries start out cute and wholesome. Delivering ingredients Energon goodies shop, some Crystal flowers and courting gift or two.

There is even a side quest where you deliver a prank gift to some bot.

Then you start delivering to increasingly more shady looking areas and even your human companion takes notice of the suspicious locations.

Until one cycle there is only one delivery on your entire schedule, something completely out of the ordinary. When you begin approach the drop-off zone your human companion gets onto your shoulder and clings on to your avatar's audio fin, a part of your frame they have never been on. They start rapidly venting through their nose and scanning the doorway. Just before you enter the door you are put into a small cutscene where your human companion says their first full length of dialogue.

"Wait! Somethings wrong"

*sniff sniff*

"It smells like there's a lot of spilled Energon (blood) behind that door"

It then gives you the option to enter the room, drop off or turn around and leave the hallway.

If you choose to leave, you get jumped on the way out and knocked out.

If you choose to enter you are greeted to a mafia meeting where several mechs have been put down due to mafia related businesses. You are then knocked out.

You wake up locked in a cell with your human companion completely trapped. You are able to tear off a vent cover in your cell and lift your human to the entrance.

This is when you switch control to your human companion. You must now as a human traverse the mafia's secret lair via the vents, air ducts and through the wall. All while collecting keys, data points and sabotaging as much as possible while you find a way to free your bot companion.

Several of the customizable decorative pieces actually double as tools for your human companion during this segment of the gameplay. Those little shoes that you unlocked at the beginning of the game and then kept finding different textures for are actually insulation boots that humans use to work on high voltage machinery. Having found them will allow your human companion to pull certain electrified switches safely. One or two of these story items like the boots would only be customizable, while the rest of the tools and equipment you would have found throughout the delivery portion of the game. If equipped, some of these can be used to make the game play of this section easier. But some of them have negative consequences. Like If you choose to equip lights on their suit it makes them more detectable while sneaking. Or if you add the squeakers to the boots it completely turns off your sneaking ability forcing your character to take the long routes.

Eventually you escape and you are forced to relinquish control of the human companion. The next cycle you go back to your normal schedule of delivering packages, except you have an additional package addressed to the Intelligence and Law Enforcement Agency building.

The game ends with you arriving at your apartment to discover that the information that you had delivered to the agency helped find and arrest the mafia. They give you a huge Shanix prize for your combined efforts. You get to retire with your human companion to a selection of places. End game

[oftenwantedafton]

personal space | steve raglan x f!reader

chapter four

Explicit content, 8k words, revised 4/9/25

ao3 link

Steve Raglan is falling behind on his work.

Not that mundane career counselor job; no, he means the other. The research. No new suitable candidates have crossed paths with him lately, and even if they had, he could hardly set up that job placement in your presence.

There is still other, more routine work to be done at the restaurant, too.

That’s where he is now, late Thursday evening, hands buried inside the chest cavity of one of the animatronic suits. The springlocks had felt a little loose the last time he’d worn the costume. He doesn’t want another equipment failure; he’s borne the consequences of the previous one for nearly two decades, as evidenced by the scars covering most of his body.

He knows the rabbit suit like the back of his hand; he could find the most minute components blindfolded. It doesn’t matter that the workroom is poorly lit or the specially customized tools that had belonged to his former business partner are showing signs of aging; he knows what needs to be done by feel, his calloused fingertips stroking over metal, counting each segment until he locates the ones that had seemed faulty. Yes, there. He keeps one hand in place as a marker and reaches around on the table until he locates a set of pliers, then plunges back into the torso. Maybe he should have had his daughter on hand to assist. He could have directed orders like a surgeon, but instead of asking for a scalpel or suctioning tool, he’d be requesting wrenches and bolts. It’s really not so different, operating on this animatronic, finessing metal instead of flesh. The latter would not even disturb him. He’s used to the sight of blood, cleaning up the worst of it during those times when Vanny is finally overwhelmed, begging for a reprieve, bursting through the nearest exit for fresh air and wretching while he picks up where she left off scrubbing at the stubborn bits of gore clinging to furniture or floors or walls. She’s too soft to be a police officer, in some ways, but the career has been invaluable for his own gruesome pursuits, so he’s more forgiving than he might otherwise have been.

His mind wanders, and now it settles upon thoughts of you.

The way the late afternoon sunlight had cradled your face as you’d accompanied him out of the building earlier; that pretty blush of color across your cheek when you’d caught him staring. Your fingers brushing against his, walking so close by his side. Lingering in the parking lot, delaying farewells. Almost the weekend. The wedding. How had you talked him into going? Oh, yes. That smile. That smile that undoes him every time. Weakens his resolve and fuels his desire, makes him imagine what it would be like to sink inside of you for the first time, as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter, mouth latched on your throat, fingers knotted in your hair, his hips pressing forward again and again…

“Fuck!”

He’s lost his place inside Spring Bonnie. His grip on the pliers slips and the segment of steel ricochets back, slicing across four of his knuckles. Jerking his hand back, drops of blood patter along the inside of the mascot. He grabs an oil stained rag from the workstation’s surface and swiftly wraps it around his injured hand. Stupid. Absolutely moronic to let himself be distracted while working on dangerous components like these. Cautiously lifting the impromptu bandage, he assesses how deep the cuts are. Shallow. So no sutures needed, then. But they hurt like a bitch. He needs to get cleaned up, make sure they don’t get infected. This is about as far from a sterile environment as one can get.

The bearded man nearly trips on a wet floor sign as he exits the workroom, cursing again and kicking the offensive yellow object out of the way. The place is more disorganized than usual. That last guard had put up more of a fight than he’d anticipated, and while Vanessa had done a thorough job of disposing of evidence, the pizzeria could do with a good tidying. Something to put in the job description of his next hire, perhaps. He really needs to get on that, as soon as he’s done orienting you.

A leaden feeling in his gut at that last notion. He’s gotten so used to your presence so quickly. Cheerful and youthful and vibrant. A breath of fresh air. Sweet smile. Such soft skin, nothing like his own. Do you think about him the way he thinks about you? You must. You reach for him so often. He wants to let you get closer. But it’s dangerous. So, so dangerous. Better to keep some distance between you, for both your sakes’. He’s more unnerved than he’d let on about that CCTV footage capturing him. Now he’s sustaining injuries because he can’t keep his mind focused. He shakes his head in silent reprimand. Enough. He needs to get this tended to so he can get back to work.

Steve takes a quick detour to the security office to retrieve the first aid kit—this thankfully stocked properly, clearly Vanessa’s doing—and then ducks into the employee restroom and cranks the faucet on high, wincing when the blast of water hits his wounds and again when he lathers them with soap. At least, he supposes, it’s fortunate that his left, non-dominant hand was the one affected. Small comfort, but still. Another pair of hands would be helpful for this task, too, he muses as he binds his cuts.

Your touch would do wonders right now.

Stop that. Focus.

He scowls, finishing his bandaging and then returning to the workroom. The time displayed on his wristwatch is later than he’d like. This task is going to have to wait for another time to be completed. Maybe tomorrow night he can get Vanny to assist him. For now, he just wants to go home and crash. And if you enter his mind again, well. Far safer when he’s at home in bed.

“Tomorrow night, old friend,” he murmurs aloud to the yellow rabbit mascot, switching off the nearby desk lamp and exiting the workroom.

***

“I have a favor to ask,” you say the next afternoon during the workday lunch break. You’ve been debating about how best to approach this all morning, but any rehearsals in your mind all end with the career counselor denying your request. So the direct approach has won in the end, with you hoping for a very different real world result.

Steve glances at you, watching you wind more leftover spaghetti around your fork while he finishes chewing a bite from his sandwich. You’re eating together in his office today.

“What is it?” His voice sounds wary, eerily accurate to what you’d previously envisioned in your mind. No. Be confident. That’s what he likes.

“Relax, it’s nothing bad.” Your eyes are drawn to his bandaged fingers once again. An accident repairing something at home, he’d said. He wouldn’t elaborate any further. “I need help picking out the wedding gift.”

The older man’s lips part in disbelief. “You still haven’t gotten one yet? The wedding is tomorrow!”

“I know”, you reply hastily. “I just couldn’t find anything reasonable left on the registry. All the cheaper stuff has already been bought.” You rummage through the mail stacked to one side and set the stapled pages in front of your mentor.

“Well, naturally.” He wipes his fingers on a napkin, treating his left hand a little gingerly as he flips through the list quickly, then makes a disgusted sound and pushes the packet away. “Greedy. They’re asking for too much.”

“They just got a house,” you reply, sighing. “It’s tough when you’re first starting out. Everything is so expensive.”

“They’ll manage. Everyone does.” He takes a sip from a can of soda, frowning. “Just get a gift card.”

“That’s so boring, though. Thoughtless.”

“Not really. Then they can put it towards the purchase of whatever they still need.”

“No, I can’t do it. I’d feel so guilty. I hate it when I just get gift cards.”

Steve leans back in his chair. “Well, that’s your only option. You’re not going to spend hundreds of dollars on a couple you barely know. Get a gift card.”

“Come shopping with me,” you implore, clutching his sleeve. “After work.”

He shakes his head, balling the plastic wrap that had housed his sandwich into his fist. “I can’t. I have things to do. You shouldn’t have procrastinated.” He leans down to toss his trash in the wastebin underneath the desk and your fingers slip from his forearm.

“Oh, come on. I just found out about the wedding a few days ago! It’s not my fault. Please help me choose something. You must have some ideas. What did you need after your wedding?”

Another scowl. “I don’t recall.”

You don’t believe that for a second. But, he’s always touchy about the topic of his family, so you decide on another tactic. “I’ll treat you to dinner after. Whatever you want. You know all the best places.”

The bearded man sighs, and it does sound a bit regretful, which makes you feel marginally better. “I can’t. I have to finish the work I started last night.”

“You can do that on Sunday, can’t you?”

“I’d prefer to get it done sooner.”

“What if I helped you with it, and then we went out?”

“No,” he says sharply, causing you to flinch. Then his voice gentles. “It’s…not safe.”

“Then you shouldn’t be doing it either. I still don’t understand how you got hurt. What were you doing?”

“Maintenance on some equipment, like I told you.” His gaze evades yours. He’s definitely not telling you the truth.

“That’s so vague,” you complain.

“Look, just get the gift card.”

“Steve, come on. Please?”

“I don’t even like these people. I can count the number of conversations I’ve had with them on one hand.”

“What happened to socializing and networking and all that? Besides, you don’t really like anyone, from what I can see,” you counter. “Except maybe, I hope, me.”

He grunts, running his fingers over the condensation beading on the side of his soda can. “You’re tolerable.”

“Tolerable? Seriously?” You shove his arm playfully. “When I’m nice enough to bring you dessert every day?”

A flicker of interest sparks in his eyes. “What did you bring today?”

“I’m not showing you until you agree to go shopping with me.”

“Blackmail. How devious of you.” His lips twitch in amusement.

“Come with me. I promise it’ll be fun.”

“You’re not going to let this drop, are you?”

“Nope.”

“What’s for dessert?” He leans over to reach inside your lunch tote but you quickly grab the bag and rise, backing away slowly from the desk.

“Promise me we’re going out after work.”

Steve stands, advancing towards you. “I’m not promising anything. Hand it over.”

“No deal.” You tuck your hands behind your back. You’ve reached the opposite wall with its display of the district map. There’s nowhere left to go.

He stops just inches from you, hesitating before he curls an arm around your waist, pulling you swiftly against one hip.

“Hey!” Your protest fades and you relax, dropping the tote and resting a hand against his chest. His face tilts to regard you, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose.

“Stubborn girl,” he says, smirking. “You’ve no idea how much trouble you cause. Fine. I’ll go.”

You smile and he bends lower. Your stomach flutters. Is he going to kiss you?

A knock on the door startles you both. Raglan quickly moves to open it while you bend to retrieve your lunch bag.

One of the secretaries hands the older career counselor something, looking curiously at your crouching figure before departing.

“Door stays open from now on,” he warns under his breath, walking back to his desk. Worried about others thinking something is going on behind it when it’s closed, perhaps. Maybe gossip and rumors spreading. Well, you’re not ashamed of anything. Your coworker might feel differently, though.

You shrug and nod, setting the tote on the desk to unzip it and extracting a sealed plastic container. “Cherry cheesecake.”

Steve groans, lifting the lid and glancing appreciatively at your offering. “There goes my waistline. I’m going to have to use a different notch in my belt pretty soon.”

“I don’t mind a dad bod,” you murmur, resisting the urge to poke his tummy. In truth, he looks exactly the same as he had when you’d first started working here two weeks ago, but you suppose underneath clothes things might be a little different.

“You might not, but I do.”

You pass him a plastic fork, then lean over to press your lips against his deltoid before digging into your own portion. It’s the only type of kiss he’s allowed from you thus far, and you still offer them sparingly, cautious about provoking another lecture or having him force you away from him. “Thank you for agreeing to come out with me.”

“You’re welcome.” He hesitates, rolling the utensil between his fingers before he finally cleaves a piece off of the cheesecake and brings it to his mouth.

“What do you think?” You lick some of the stray cherry syrup from your fork, waiting for his reaction.

“Heavenly,” he finally moans around the mouthful.

“I’ll bring it more often, then.”

“You really shouldn’t.”

“How often do you have a woman cook for you?”

“As of late, never.”

“What about your daughter?”

“Our schedules don’t really align,” he mutters, stabbing a cherry.

Some obvious tension there, you think, but you don’t dare pry further just yet. “See? Now I’m obligated to.”

“I know how to cook,” he replies around another forkful. “I just can’t be bothered.”

“Because you’re too busy.”

“Exactly.”

“Doing what? I’m intrigued now. What’s got you keeping such late hours?”

“It wouldn’t interest you.”

“It might.”

“Finish your food. Break is almost over.” He points to the clock with his fork.

You briefly debate about pressing him further but ultimately decide against it. He’s agreed to go out with you (okay, you’d left the word shopping out just then and maybe that’s intentional, but still) that’s more than you could have hoped for.

Besides, you really do need to get a gift.

***

Just after 6pm on Friday evening finds you at one of the anchor stores at the local shopping mall.

“Alright, which aisle do you want to start with?” Steve drags a shopping cart free from its brethren, waiting for your guidance.

You tilt your head to one side, considering. “I’m not sure.”

He pushes the cart forward and immediately glowers over what seems to be a rogue front wheel. “I swear I get the broken cart every time,” he mutters, abandoning it and exchanging it for another. “I actually have a suggestion.”

“Really?”

He looks at you solemnly. “Get a gift card.”

You shove his arm and he chuckles. “Not helpful.”

“Okay, in all seriousness. This is going to be some work, but…what about putting together a gift basket with his and hers items? Matching robes, mugs, things like that?”

“Ooh, I like that idea.” You nod enthusiastically. “And everyone needs picture frames, we can throw in a couple of those, too. Alright, lead the way. I’ve never even been in here.”

“I suppose you haven’t had a chance to do much shopping yet,” he muses, setting a reasonable pace past a jewelry counter and a selection of handbags.

“Not really. The guy that’s training me at work is a real hardass.”

“You are spoiled and you know it.” He nudges your arm and you rest a hand near his on the handle of the shopping cart.

“What are you wearing tomorrow?”

“Sports jacket, dress shirt, tie. Not much different from what I wear to the office. It’s already laid out. What about you?” He pauses, his eyes narrowing. “You haven’t delayed choosing an outfit yet, have you?”

You stand a little straighter. “You’ll be proud to know I’ve actually gotten my dress ready. It’s on a hanger in the walk in closet waiting for me. Shoes and jewelry and everything all picked out, too.”

“Congratulations. Behaving like a responsible adult. What’s that like for you?” He inquires drily.

You smirk. “I don’t know. What’s it like behaving like a total—”

Steve glanced around hurriedly, then lays a finger across your lips and leans close to your ear. “Don’t finish that thought if you want to go to dinner after this.”

You grab his wrist, jerking his hand down. “You already agreed. You can’t back out now.”

He hums in amusement, his face moving back to study yours at a distance that tempts you to just close the remaining inches and steal a kiss (but he’d never allow that, would he?) before he straightens and resumes pushing the cart until he locates the display of picture frames. You select a 5x7 and 8x10 with solid black frames, classic choices neutral enough to match any room, your fellow social worker advises. Then it’s off to housewares for a set of white coffee mugs (again, practical choices that could accommodate any color scheme their new kitchen has), a breakfast tray with a cute tiny strawberry pattern on it (this had been your selection, and since nothing else seemed to appeal to your mentor’s tastes, he’d allowed you this victory), a stainless steel electric kettle which you don’t recall seeing on the list but think is a great idea, and then finally the women’s clothing department to choose the first of a pair of bathrobes.

“I don’t know what size she wears,” you realize as you browse the selection. There are a few satin ones that definitely lean towards lingerie more than the simpler terrycloth counterpart that your companion seems set on.

“That’s alright. We’ll get a large. They’re meant to be oversized anyway.”

You add a pink robe to the growing pile of objects in the shopping cart, eyeing a few bras and panties and cute pajamas that might be good additions to your own wardrobe, but Steve’s already moved on, choosing a royal blue garment similar to the one you’d placed in the cart. “Okay, so what are we putting all this stuff in?”

“I have an idea about that, too. Something that doubles as a practical item.” Now you’re led to some woven totes perfect for laundry or other storage. “Then a roll of cellophane to wrap it all up and a card and we’re done. You’re picking the card out,” he adds.

You spend a few minutes browsing the greeting cards while he retrieves a roll of clear, iridescent tinted cellophane wrap. The sentiments are all about the same inside, so you randomly select one with the introduction “From the Both of Us” and declare your shopping finished.

There’s a bit of a line to checkout since it’s a Friday night but you don’t mind, sneaking glances at your mentor while you’re waiting and glancing over the magazine covers and impulse items stocked nearby. When it’s finally your turn, Steve helps you unload the carriage and insists on paying, a gesture that you try to refuse but ultimately accept. Midway through digging into his wallet for a credit card a voice interrupts him.

“Dad?”

He freezes, his head turning to regard a young blonde woman in a police officer’s uniform standing behind him, just finishing the process of retrieving a soda bottle from the refrigerated case beside the checkout lane.

“Vanessa,” he greets shortly, tugging free the credit card he was looking for and handing it to the cashier.

“Wait, this is your daughter? The Hello Kitty fan?” You peer curiously at the woman, trying to discern any resemblance between them, but you don’t see anything immediately obvious.

Steve is still managing to avoid eye contact with either of you. “Yes,” he replies with a sigh, his fingers nervously tapping the edge of the conveyor belt.

“Hi! I work with your dad. We’re getting stuff for a wedding for two of our coworkers tomorrow,” you supply.

“Never expected to see you out shopping at the mall. Or going to a wedding,” she aims in her father’s direction. “I’m Vanessa,” she says, reaching past him to shake your hand. You notice the last name Shelly on the name tag pinned to her uniform shirt. So she’s married, then.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

The cashier indicates that Steve needs to sign the touch screen and he quickly scribbles something with the stylus that does not even remotely match what you’ve seen at work. Sloppy. In a rush to leave, clearly. What is it with him and his daughter, anyway? The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Maybe he doesn’t approve of his son or daughter in law. That must be it.

“We should get going. I’ll talk to you later,” he tosses over his shoulder.

“Um, yeah. Enjoy your break. It was nice meeting you,” you offer, feeling bad at the abrupt departure you’re being pressed into.

Unlike the leisurely pace he’d previously set, Steve practically races to the parking lot, the items in the cart jostling together as he finds various cracks and holes in the pavement. You hurry to keep up, watching as he unlocks the trunk of his car and begins unloading the shopping bags.

“Steve, hey. Slow down. Everything okay?”

“Fine.” He sets another bag down and something that might be the coffee mugs or the glass panel picture frames clink together alarmingly.

You quickly peek inside to make sure nothing is broken. “Take it easy, will you?”

Ignoring your request, he finishes emptying the cart and then slams the trunk shut while you return it to the storage area. He’s already inside the car with the engine started by the time you return. You settle into the passenger seat and stare hard at the driver who seems intent on studying the car parked in front of his own.

“Steve.”

“What?”

“Look at me.” Stormy blue gray eyes meet yours. “What’s going on? I know it’s kind of a tradition for parents to hate their in-laws, but don’t you think you’re taking it a bit far? Especially when the person isn’t even here to defend themselves.”

He frowns. “What are you talking about?”

“Vanessa’s spouse. That’s why you’re upset, right? Come on, they can’t be that terrible.”

“Vanny’s not married,” he says, still looking puzzled for a moment, then his expression clears. “The badge. She…changed her last name.”

“Why?”

“Because she doesn’t want to be associated with me.” He flicks the rabbit’s foot on his keyring and it begins swinging back and forth.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“What are you sorry for? Of course you didn’t know.” He rests his injured hand on the steering wheel. “Guess this kind of killed the mood, didn’t it?”

“I’d still like to take you to dinner,” you say softly. “We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.”

A quick glance in the rearview mirror, then he looks over at you. “It’s too crowded here. I want to go someplace quiet.”

“Okay. Anywhere you want.”

”Alright. I have a place in mind. Let’s go.”

***

Steve’s not used to being seen in public with his daughter.

He can’t even recall the last occassion that had necessitated it. To say that it had been somewhat of a shock to bump into Vanessa at the mall is putting it mildly. Perhaps if you hadn’t been there it wouldn’t have been so jarring.

He doesn’t want to explain things; doesn’t want to justify his relationship with you to her or explain why theirs is so poor with you. Keeping things businesslike with Vanny has made things so much simpler. Feelings always complicate everything.

You complicate everything.

He settles across from you in the basement level of a Mexican restaurant, a dingy joint downtown that has cheap food and strong drinks. He’s not here for the cuisine, though; he’s here for you.

A bad idea, this. Because every venture in public is always a risk. At work things are controlled. Screening names of applicants. Meeting people one on one. No familiar faces. Not one individual has ever recognized him. He’s disguised himself well. But there’s always the chance that someone will remember him as the pizzeria owner. The place where so much death had happened. Accidental. Intentional. The lines between them had blurred at some point. Indistinguishable. Irrelevant.

He orders a lite beer and it vanishes quickly. You take your time with a strawberry Margarita, stirring and sipping, glancing around at the decor outside the booth. The seats have high walls partitioning each section, keeping things more private. One of the reasons he’d chosen this place.

“So I’ll pick you up at five tomorrow.”

“Okay.” He watches you run a fingernail across the grouting between two tiles of the table’s surface.

“Is your drink good?”

“Yeah, it’s yummy.” You sample more of the pink tinted beverage.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You resume tracing the patterns of the tiles. “I just wish you trusted me more. You know I would never repeat anything to anyone.”

Steve drains the last of his beer. “It’s got nothing to do with trust. You don’t want to get involved in all this mess, believe me. It’s too complicated. Too much water under the bridge.”

“We could have invited her out with us. I wouldn’t have minded.”

“She’s on the clock, remember?”

“Well, okay, yeah. Then another time.”

“I don’t think so.” He signals to the waitress for another drink, briefly holding up the empty bottle before setting it down again, then reaches for your hand. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

You frown, chewing your bottom lip before nodding.

The arrival of a platter of loaded nachos provides a momentary distraction, easing the burden of conversation temporarily. He wants to tell you how pretty you look, with your hair falling out of place and your cheeks slightly flushed from the alcohol. He wishes he could admit how much he longs to unfasten just one more button of your blouse and slip his hand inside that opening, resting his palm against your skin, then lean over and steal the kiss he’s been desperate for while your heartbeat bounds against his fingertips.

But it would never stop there. He knows this. One kiss would lead to so many more. One button on the blouse become all of them undone. He wouldn’t stop until your body was naked against his. Then an avalanche of tasting and touching. Fucking you. Marking you. Claiming you.

And you still wouldn’t know who you’d been intimate with, who you’d so readily given yourself to after all of that. Lusting for someone who doesn’t actually exist. The camouflage that is Steve Raglan. Just a grouchy middle aged social worker with a strained relationship with his daughter that you think you can fix.

If only you knew the man actually hiding beneath.

“Steve?”

“Hmmm?” He realizes he’s been staring at the dessert menu tucked into the napkin holder. His gaze shifts to your face. “What did you say?”

“I asked who’s wrapping the gift for tomorrow?”

“Oh. I can do that. It’ll be easier than bringing it to your place and then having you bring it back down again. I’ll do a nice job packing it up.”

“Okay.” You select a cheese drenched tortilla chip from the center of the pile, dipping it in salsa and sour cream. “How long do you think we’ll be there for?”

He shrugs. “It depends. A few hours, probably. Long enough to be courteous.”

“At least it won’t be too hot. I checked the forecast again. Perfect weather for being outdoors.” You wait for him to choose something from the platter before scooping up another morsel.

“It’s a nice venue,” he agrees. “The country club has a decent restaurant, too. We should go sometime.”

You smile, and he feels some of the tension easing from his shoulders. He hasn’t completely ruined things. Not yet.

“I’d like that.” The smile fades. “Thank you for coming out with me. I know you had stuff to do. And…well, I know we had that little speed bump earlier…”

A speed bump named Vanessa, he thinks, but remains silent.

“…But overall, I’d say it’s been a pretty good evening.”

“If this was a blind date you’d probably never ask for another.”

“Yeah, I would.”

“Then you’re a glutton for punishment.”

“It’s okay not to be miserable, you know.”

“I’m not miserable. I’m…” He hesitates, faltering over a more suitable adjective choice.

“Yeah.” You nudge his shin under the table. “Like I said.”

“I’m not sure why you find me so irresistible, to be honest.”

“Irresistible?” You laugh. “Okay, and add arrogant to that as well.”

“Just proving my point for me.”

You set your glass down and reach for his fingers resting near his beer. “Okay. Being totally serious now. You’ve been great. I’ve learned a lot. I mean, maybe in the beginning you were a lot stricter and abrasive, but you’ve definitely mellowed out more, especially this past week. Letting me see another side of you.”

“I don’t know about that,” he mutters, letting his calloused fingertips stroke over your hand. Here you were, trying to comfort him and smooth things over when he was the one who should be stepping up and doing these things. He just can’t quite bring himself to do it. It would be too easy to let that slide into something else. That thing he can’t let happen.

“I’m glad you’re my friend.”

Steve exhales, his eyes meeting yours. A friend. When was the last time he’d counted anyone as such? His former best one had become his worst enemy. Why should you be any different?

“I enjoy spending time with you.”

“I think maybe we should consider this your last drink,” he teases.

“I’ve only had two,” you say dismissively. “I think if I needed you, you’d come to my rescue. That first time I called you, you sounded so concerned. And sleepy,” you chide, nudging his leg again. “You’re spending too many late nights doing whatever it is you’re doing.”

“Wait until you’re my age. You’ll understand fatigue better.”

“Would you have come to rescue me?”

“I guess so,” he replies evasively. “We’ve pretty much demolished these nachos. Are you still okay with skipping to dessert, or did you want to get an entree?”

It’s a clumsy attempt to shift the conversation, and he has no doubts that you’re well aware of it. But you graciously allow it, answering his query. “Dessert.”

“Okay. I recommend the fried ice cream, but have a look.” He lifts the menu and sets it in front of you, but your eyes remain locked on his face.

“I’ll get that, then.”

“You don’t want to see what else they have?”

“No, I trust your judgment.”

”Alright.”

Once the table has been cleared and two dessert plates set down, Steve waits for you to take the first bite, digging into coated vanilla ice cream and a cinnamon dusted tortilla shell drizzled with chocolate sauce and covered with whipped cream. The rapturous look on your face says it all and he grins, diving into his own portion.

“Okay, this is pretty much the best thing ever. Holy cow. How have I never tried this before?”

“I told you it was delicious.”

“Well now I feel like anything I know how to make is vastly inferior.”

“I strongly disagree. All of your creations have been fantastic so far.”

“Really? You’re just being nice.”

He raises an eyebrow. “When am I ever nice?”

“You’re right.”

He reaches underneath the table to squeeze your knee, letting his hand linger when the playful mood passes. You’re wearing a skirt today. It hits you right below the knee. Easy enough to gather the material and let his fingers dart underneath, massaging the joint.

You let the spoon sink into the melting ice cream, the treat suddenly forgotten as you stare at him, your pupils dilating. There’s a stray bit of chocolate clinging to the corner of your bottom lip that’s driving him mad, the desire to lick that spot clean, to lick your mouth open running in a river rush of heat down his spine.

“Steve,” you say quietly.

He shifts his hand back to his own lap, hating himself for being able to refuse to pursue this any further. He’s nearly jealous of your feelings for this persona he’s adopted, and how absurd is that? “Finish up. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow,” he says gruffly.

Back outside your apartment a half hour later, he pulls up to the main entrance. Your seatbelt is stuck again, but he doesn’t trust himself to help you remove it. Another touch or two might just crumble his resolve just then.

“Thanks again. I had a great time,” you murmur once you’ve finally managed to release the buckle.

“See you tomorrow.”

You look at him, your eyes so full of want that he knows is mirrored in his own. But he can’t.

He can’t let you get any closer than you already have.

***

You think that maybe, just maybe, the outfit you’re wearing is a slam dunk.

You appraise your appearance a final time in the dresser mirror on Saturday afternoon. The violet sleeveless lace affair with its modest neckline clings flatteringly to your figure and the hem hits you perfectly. You’re having one of those rare good hair days where your cow licks are subdued and the whispier flyaway strands are cooperative, the tresses actually sleek and tidy looking. Natural, clean makeup applied. A cute, tiny clutch that even Raglan can’t condemn. And lastly, the shoes. They’re not terribly comfortable, but they are attractive. High heeled. Thin straps with tiny crystal studded flowers. You take a few practice steps back and forth in the kitchen. You think you can manage them. It’s not like you’ll be standing the whole time, anyway. At least, you don’t think you will. You’ve no idea what to expect, really, since it’s your first wedding.

You get your first confirmation that you’ve chosen wisely regarding your attire when you see the expression on Steve’s face as you settle inside the car. He has to clear his throat before he can properly greet you. “Hi. You uh…you look very nice.”

You grin, smoothing your hands over the lower half of the dress even though it doesn’t need it. “Thank you. Not immature, right? Not going to be embarrassed to be seen with me?” you tease.

“No,” he manages to choke out.

“No, not immature, or no, not embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“Neither.”

”Good. You look very dapper as well.”

”Dapper?”

”This stupid thing won’t…there, I’ve got it.” The seatbelt fastens with a click. “Handsome. Is that better?”

”If you say so.” His tone is stern, but you think he looks a little pleased by the praise all the same. ”Here. Before I forget, sign the card.” He leans to retrieve an envelope from the dashboard and hands it to you, then grabs a ballpoint pen from the cupholder and offers it as well. You extract the greeting card, glancing over the embossed lillies adorning the outside before opening it to find Steve has added no further sentiments beyond what was already printed inside, merely signing his name at the bottom. This version, at least, looked more familiar than that awkward scrawl at the department store last night.

You add your name beside his along with a note of congratulations and then seal the envelope, tossing the pen back into the cupholder. “Got everything all wrapped?”

”Yes. Take a look in the backseat.”

You turn to see the tote with its contents encased in the shiny cellophane and nod approvingly. “It looks good.” You tuck the card inside and then face forward. “Okay, I’m ready.”

”Got the invitation?”

Your mouth falls open. “No! I completely forgot. Let me go run and get it.”

”I had a feeling you might. Lucky for you I still have my copy.” He reaches inside his jacket, flashing the corner of the ivory card before securing it once more.

”You kept yours? I would have thought you’d have tossed it out.”

”That does sound like something I’d do. But I found it when I was cleaning up my desk the other day and thought I’d hang onto it just in case.” He glances over at you and smiles gently. “Don’t look so nervous. They would have let us in anyway.”

”You never know. People crash weddings.” You fuss with your clutch. “I am nervous,” you admit.

”There’s nothing to worry about, save sheer boredom and cringe speeches and lousy catering. You’ll see.”

***

Steve Raglan occupies a seat in the last row aligned in front of the gazebo where the engaged couple is to be wed, one spot in from the center aisle while you settle into the folding chair beside his, the gift you’d collaborated on placed on the table with the other offerings after a few pleasantries had been exchanged with fellow coworkers.

He can feel the anticipation wafting from you, noticing your fidgeting and hissing a reprimand when reassurances don’t seem to be working. It’s like holding the collar of a golden retriever puppy, all full of nervous energy, unintentionally misbehaving.

He doesn’t know the couple getting married that well. They’d met at work, and that was about the extent of what he was aware of, deeming any further knowledge irrelevant. He does know that you look stunning and he’s caught multiple attendees looking you over, igniting more than one flare of jealousy. The music cues up and the audience quiets down as the bride begins walking down the aisle beside her father. Steve is very pointedly avoiding thinking about his own personal experience with getting married. It was a lifetime ago now, when he’d been someone else.

An exchange of custom vows crafted by the couple follows. His lips press in a thin line of distaste until he observes how charmed you seemed by this gesture, raptly watching the ceremony. As predicted, the catering proves to be disappointing. Small portions. Bland food. Slice of cake so thin you could practically see through it. His face actually hurts from plastering a smile on it so often. He murmurs the same noncommittal greetings to everyone he encounters, eventually issuing the obligatory congratulations to the newlyweds when his turn arrives. People finally start to break off into smaller groups to socialize. Casual music plays after the wedded couple has their first dance and the makeshift dance floor that’s been created becomes filled with guests and family members.

“Do you dance?”

Your voice interrupts his reverie. “Not to this contemporary selection, no.” His arms are folded across his chest again, a display of closed body language indicating he wants to be left alone; by the other wedding guests, anyway. You’re the rare exception. The rest of the table he’s seated at is mercifully devoid of anyone else at the moment. No small talk has to be made.

“But you can dance,” you persist.

He supposes that yes, he can. Or at least, he has in the past. Certainly no time in recent memory has warranted it. “I’m sure you’re more familiar with these songs than I am. You should go over there. Have fun.”

You shake your head. “Come walk with me instead.”

He glances over at you. “And go where?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. It’s a country club. Plenty of places to go. I need to stretch my legs. Come on, Steve. Please?”

He considers the well lit area they’re currently seated in and weighs that against the idea of being alone with you somewhere else cloaked in shadows. It’s hardly a difficult decision to make. “Alright. For a few minutes,” he concedes, shrugging out of his jacket and leaving it draped over the back of his chair.

The older man is surprised when you choose to go off the beaten path, abandoning the paved and gravel lined routes in favor of exploring the golf course itself. You’re clearly struggling to walk in your shoes, the spiked tips sinking into the cropped grass once the wedding party area has been left behind. He recognizes your troubles almost immediately. “You want to head back?”

”No. Can you just help me take them off? It’s hard for me to bend in this,” you murmur apologetically. Steve nods, squatting down to unfasten the buckles, sliding each shoe off and handing them to you. You carry them hooked over your fingers as you continue your trek further onto the golf course. There’s water near this tee, faintly visible as it reflects the moonlight above. The sounds of the gathering have completely faded now.

”So what did you think of your first wedding?”

”It was nice. They seem so happy.” The older man grunts noncommittally. “Do you think you’d ever remarry?”

Raglan barks a laugh. “Me? Never. I learned my lesson the first time.” A pause. “What about you?”

”I don’t know. Maybe someday, I guess.” You halt and he stops, turning back in your direction. You let your shoes drop. “Okay. Now dance with me.”

Steve frowns. “What? That wasn’t part of the deal. You just said you wanted to take a walk.”

“No one can see us over here.”

“There isn’t even any music.”

“I’ll hum for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

You step closer to stand in front of him, reaching to gently clasp the bandaged hand while your other fingers curl over his shoulder. He reluctantly places his free hand stiffly on your waist. He doesn’t want to do this. Why does he keep giving in to you?

Whatever melody you’re attempting to recreate is unrecognizable. He feels foolish as he turns you in a circle, trying to execute actual dance steps on the grassy surface. An abrupt dip down, your spine cradled against his hand, has you shriek and giggle like mad. Now he’s actually smiling, too. Enjoying this random, frivolous moment. Enjoying you.

You suddenly stumble a bit, wincing, your improvised tune abruptly ending. “Time out. Sorry, my feet are killing me. I feel like I’m getting a blister.”

“I think there’s a bench over by the water. Yes, there is. Here, sit down. I’ll grab your shoes.” You obey, settling onto one end of the wooden structure. He joins you, setting your shoes on the ground near his feet. “Alright, let’s check your—oh.” You’ve shifted, now sitting sideways, your stockinged feet occupying his lap. His hands gently begin probing once he’s recovered from his initial surprise, assessing each sole. “No blisters yet that I can feel, but you should probably keep the shoes off as much as possible. You’re not used to wearing heels, are you?” He hasn’t paid much attention up until now, but he thinks you’ve always worn flats to the office.

“No. And they’re brand new. I just got them because they matched the dress. I thought they were pretty.” He hums, partially in agreement, partially in disapproval. “That feels nice.” He still hasn’t stopped caressing you, continuing to massage your sore extremities without even realizing what he’s doing, moving from your feet to your ankles to your shins and calves.

Then he halts, his hands abruptly abandoning you. Too much temptation. He has to stop touching you. “Anyway, you’ll be fine,” he says dismissively, knowing it sounds harsh. You sigh, moving until your legs are properly aligned beneath you, your bare shoulder now brushing against his shirtsleeve.

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“I can’t promise I’ll answer, but go ahead.”

“Why do you always wear long sleeves?”

“Overstepping again,” he cautions curtly.

“You told me I needed to be more aggressive with the applicants. Firm. Decisive. Direct. Focused. Get right to the point.”

“True, but I’m not a client. At least you’re retaining something,” he adds. Not mocking. Maybe a little proud.

“It doesn’t bother me if…”

“If what?” He prompts.

“If you have some, I don’t know, some condition you’re ashamed of.”

“It’s not a condition, exactly.” He hesitates. He could just consider the discussion over, but something about being in this near darkness makes revealing the truth seem a little safer. He fumbles with the button of his shirt cuff, shoving it up to his elbow and then reaches for your hand, guiding your fingertips to his forearm.

“Scars,” you realize aloud. “What happened? Are they burns?”

“No. A…mechanical accident at a previous job. And no, I’m not giving you any more information than that.” Your fingers continue to trace the furrowed skin. At first the movements seem curious. Then the touches evolve into more of a caress. They feel good. He doesn’t want them to, but God, they do. Stroking a secret part of him that’s been concealed for so long feels so deliciously sinful. He swallows loudly when you lift his arm, allowing you to manipulate the limb until your lips graze the inside of his wrist. Fuck. Immediate heat to his groin. He needs to stop this, right now. “You shouldn’t…I’m not who you think I am.” He tugs his arm free of your grasp.

“What do you mean? Steve?”

It’s exactly what he needs, hearing that false name just then, bringing him back to reality. The person that you want doesn’t exist. Not really. It’s the facade you like. Not the man underneath. You don’t know who he really is. Can never know, because discovering that would drive you away from him for good, and he can’t accept that.

He bends to retrieve your heels and stands. “We should probably leave.” He hates pushing out every word. Absolutely despises himself for not grabbing you and pressing you down beneath him and kissing you under the stars. But at least you’re safe. That was more important.

He knows you’re hurt and confused. That happy little bubble you’d recreated around the two of them popped yet again. Stiff goodbyes are issued to the bride and groom before leaving. The ride back to your apartment is silent.

“Thanks for going with me,” you murmur as he pulls in front of the main entrance.

“I’m glad I did. Genuinely.” It is surprisingly the truth. He’d enjoyed himself, in spite of everything. Because of you. He likes being with you.

“I don’t understand you.” You reach for his hand, and he allows it. Because really, at this point, what does it matter if it happens once or twice or a dozen times? He’s already crossed a line with you he never should have. “Why do you fight yourself so much?” Your voice is quiet.

Because that hand you’re holding so gently has done terrible things. Because there is so little keeping me from doing what I want, from tearing right through this fragile barrier between us.

Those are the real answers, but of course he can’t tell you that. So he simply says “Because.” Which is no answer at all. He stares at your still joined fingers. “It’s not a rejection based on your merit as a person. You deserve to know that.”

“Is it because we work together?”

“Well, that’s a definite drawback. Workplace relationships are never a good idea.”

“The age gap?”

“Are you calling me old again?”

“Maybe.” A small smile appears, but fades quickly.

“That’s another concern. But that’s not the main reason.”

You shift in your seat, turning your body more to his. “What is the main reason?”

“I can’t tell you that. Not any differently than I already have.”

“But you do like me.”

“Yes, I like you,” he admits, his voice tight. His gaze shifts to the windshield. It’s too difficult to look at you. To see that hope, that desire he’s certain is mirrored on his own features.

”Like me as more than a friend, I mean. Find me attractive,” you continue, seeking obvious clarification.

”Yes, I find you extremely attractive.” His eyes flick to yours. “And yes, I like you as more than a friend. I shouldn’t, but I do.”

You reach for his glasses, slipping them free before he can stop you. You carefully fold them and tuck your arm behind your back. You know what you’re doing. He knows it, too. Playing along. Leaning. Grasping. Tugging the gold framed lenses free. Your face tips up. That ripe mouth he wants to defile is just within reach. So close. Just the slightest movement would bring his lips to yours. Touching you. Tasting you. The barest little shift is all that’s required.

He suddenly leans back, jerking away from you, his gaze quickly diverting so he doesn’t have to see the lust and hurt mingling in yours. “You should go inside and soak your feet and get some rest. I’ll see you Monday.” It’s a cold dismissal, contrasting so starkly from the warmth you’ve stoked inside of him. He heaves a shuddering sigh when you finally exit his car, watching your retreating figure. He wants to chase after you. Drag you against him. Witness your surrender.

And you would, too. He knows you’d succumb to him. Do whatever he wanted.

If only he’d ask.

[adventures-in-a-world-of-fiction]

Gen-AI and two nickels

There is a fairly common expression, with variations for different currencies, that goes, "If I had a nickel for every time [thing happens], I'd have enough money to [do something expensive related to original thing]." E.g. "If I had a nickel for every time a customer insulted me, I wouldn't have to work customer service." "If I had a nickel for every time someone told me about the housing crisis, I'd be able to buy a mansion." Etc.

Generative AI is a tool that works on patterns and probabilities. It doesn't "understand" anything, but it can spot words and phrases that correlate, things that are related, things that are often put after something else in a sentence, to come up with things that read as natural language. It's very good at making segments of text that read like a human being wrote it. Because it's copying from millions of (stolen) texts where people wrote similar things.

I'm pretty confident that you could get gen AI to come up with a new example of this sort of phrase because it's a pattern it would be able to identify and it would be able to fill in the blanks with words that would make sense.

But that's not the only version of that phrase.

In Phineas and Ferb, the character Doofenshmirtz has the line, "If I had a nickel for every time I was doomed by a puppet, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?"

This is a subversion of the original phrase. It sets you up with the first part of the pattern and then flips it around and turns it into something new. Something unexpected. This is the sort of thing that gen AI is incapable of coming up with. It could probably come up with it now, because the two nickels version has become a meme in its own right and been copied over the internet, so it's probably been included in some training sets since then, but only because someone else thought of it first.

A creative human being came up with a joke that played with a piece of common phrasing and turned it into something new. Gen AI can regurgitate based on averages and give you something mediocre and dull. It can fill in an autocomplete with the most common next words to fill in the gaps based on repeating what other people have said before. It's fundamentally incapable of coming up with something clever and new.

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

oh yeah that one take about recruitment in 3h just wanted to add on a gameplay note (this isnt discourse pls dont snipe my mum) recruitment is simultaneously discouraged, not accounted for properly in game balancing, and not punished outside of one instance. the game is surprisingly stingy on deployment slots relative to map size and enemy density, especially in the war phase. you're supposed to be encouraged to bring your default students, and any extra you picked up along the way, but the low slot count means you either pick one or two extras, or replace your in-house students with new ones (or faculty). this discourages you from picking too many of your favourites and building a custom team of mix-match units, due to your limitations in slots, and, when paired with the effort expended during the monastery segments to recruit them via training a weapon/mov rank or building support, which is a time-resource affair you're balancing, and finally, with how utterly terrible Hunting By Daybreak is (especially on Hard/Maddening) if you neglect too many default students and the versions of them you get aint up to snuff despite the auto level due to wank ranks and shit weapons (and your recruits dont show up on this map even tho they have dialogue for it) leading to the player not being encouraged to engage with the mechanic paradoxically, outside of Hunting By Daybreak (common Crimson Flower W: not having this map) both everything before and after, the game does nothing to punish you ditching your homeboys to hang with the cool kids, so if you just plan for this one map (or not play it by protecting Discourse Girl) you can just go on unpunished provided you either optimise your team decision OR abuse NG+ to bypass all the nonsense. the game makes it a hassle to do all the recruiting if you want to do a lot of it, but also puts up only one fat fisting of resistance before giving up. finally, the game doesn't account for you recruiting anyone out of house, leading to funny things like silver snow permanently kneecapping you by two deployment slots for story reasons and not just, letting you replace them with recruitments slots. its very noticeable when compared to other routes. (common Silver Snow L). the devs also didn't account for you doing this, but then, due to 3H's amorphous map and enemy design, it ends up not mattering as much, since your units could be anything and it'd work, but you do end up having access, most of the time, to some of the most cracked units in the game, and devs didn't really design their routes with that in mind. not really paying attention to the tools you would or wouldn't have.

and yet, quadruple paradoxically, as if to prove me wrong and smack my nipples, they encourage it anyway, by having paralogues in the war phase require out of house pair ups, like caspar and mercedes, or linhardt and leonie. but these are only for random side maps, and are the most specific as shit big brain combos, so you'd assume they had this in mind all along, but then it begs the question of why they made it so irritating to recruit people to begin with, but then also why they didn't plan out any other campaign missions, slots, or other unit design factors when it came to recruitments, or even bother hinting at these combos so you wouldn't get locked out of content instead of shooting in the dark or looking it up and arghghghghgh 3H's gameplay choices are a mess

basically, recruiting is a series of weird as fuck paradoxical design choices that just sort of todd howard their way into Just Working but damn if the experience isn't baffling to think about in its' execution and impact on the game's core mechanical design

.

[videomilemarkers]

Hey Everyone

As I mentioned on @missedmilemarkers I had stepped away for a bit. I really spent some time working on the Video projects for the youtube channel and for the Tumblr community.

I had spent a bunch of time filming at night in snow storms. There has been a little bit of that shared here but really not in the manner. This turned out to be great for "@videomilemarkers" but really kinda sucked for @missedmilemarkers

What I have done is i have created some custom tools that help me manage my videos. Its rather simplistic in its approach. All it does is it takes my 4K footage and formats it to a horizontal aspect ratio. I had received a fair amount of input specific to this and the people in the horizontal camp really won this battle based on their input vigor.

This little tool that i developed i did it for the community here to make my life easier, and not losing that "rough touch" that tumblr loves.

So what does this mean???

Well very simply put. I will do a daily single post here of a segment of the video. I will be posting these videos in reverse so from the end to the start. Those who follow the blog on a daily manner will see the walk in reverse. Those who visit my blog page will see the walks in order. There will be no editing of the videos and they will be presented here in a raw format

So the final final final question is this.

How long does everyone want the videos to be

Also thank you everyone for the warm welcome back. It really did mean the world to me!

I personally like 23 seconds ;)

[carlhofelina]

Lead Generation: Key Strategy for Business Growth

Lead generation attracts and converts in front of your product or service, from where such prospects are guided through a buyer's journey until that sale is secured.

In fact, 67% of companies use lead generation as the primary metric in content creation. Here's why it matters for your business.

Benefits of Lead Generation

● Expand Your Market: Lead generation helps you unlock untapped segments of your audience. This unlocks opportunities for new markets.

● Grow Your Following: Developing valuable content that positions your brand as a source of thought leaders will build a loyal following that is likely to grow into customers and advocates.

● Increase Revenue: Target lead gen means reaching qualified prospects, making conversion easier for your sales teams.

● Improve Lead Quality: Concentrated content and targeting ensures that marketing happens to your desired audience, thereby making the prospects much higher-quality and making conversion more probable.

● Reduce Cold Calls: Hot leads make prospects come to you, making cold calls time-consuming and low probability.

● Automate Lead Management: Use of tools like CRM and email automation makes capturing and nurturing much easier by freeing up crucial time for them.

Beyond traditional marketing, BPO admin support and global solutions add to the quality of lead generation. Data management and customer communication can be outsourced to let you streamline, increase efficiency, and free your team for better core objectives using BPO admin support. Similar to that, global solutions bring scalable tools and platforms, ensuring optimized operations and broader reach in a variety of regions.

Lead generation is the key to sustainable growth. Targeted strategies, campaign refinement, and process automation can enhance conversions, expand reach, and drive long-term success.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Visit Best Virtual Specialist today to discover more ways to boost lead generation and grow your revenue!

Reference: https://www.sendoso.com/demand-generation/benefits-of-lead-generation

[andmaybegayer]

Last Monday of the Week 2024-11-11

Getting into situations

Listening: New job which means I have need for a quick and easy source of music that I can throw down on any device with internet while I figure out exactly where I draw the line on mixing personal music files with corporate hardware. Hence, soma.fm, a really good family of internet radio stations that I enjoy a lot.

There's several stations here but to call out ones I like in no particular order:

Beat Blender: Slower house music and electronica

Metal Detector: What it says on the tin, mixed metals

Sonic Universe: Weird jazz

Secret Agent: Normal jazz

SF 10-33: The San Francisco emergency radio broadcast channel mixed with ambient music

Vaporwaves: Look we all have to get stupid sometime

Watching: Movie Night was also a sort of belated Diwali Night because a friend of mine has been getting extremely into indian food, so we watched "Sita Sings the Blues", an 82 minute, Creative Commons, mostly one-woman animation project that is a retelling of the Ramayana and also a breakup jukebox jazz musical.

There's about 30 minutes of a decent movie in here and another 15-20 minutes of the breakup part that would be hard to cut since it's the reason it exists. It's an animation from 2008 and you can see that it's exactly what it needs to be to run on one person who knows Flash reasonably well. The "blues" part is because there's numerous musical segments that use pre-existing 1920's jazz numbers to set the tone which reportedly cost the author tens of thousands of dollars to license, and she's now a free culture advocate so this is how you get Cory Doctorows I guess.

Is it good? I mean there's some really good parts. The legend is delivered in the form of three shadow puppets half-remembering the story to put it together which is very endearing in a Bill Wurtz History Of Japan kind of way. The amount of effort on display for 2008 is enormous. The concept is impressive, in that you found all these songs, but you could have probably cut the songs and got this down to a tight 40.

Reading: Work! Documentation! Learning so much about [REDACTED]. Very weird not working in an open source company again.

Also started The Book of All Skies on the metro the other day, and have gotten to the end of the first act. Compelling! Love an Egan, one of very few authors who can put a topology lesson into a book without it sucking ass.

Making: Made Gulab Jamun for movie night. From spreading my diwali cooking over more than three days I'm learning that actually this shit is easy if you don't try to cram it all into three days. I should make this stuff more often.

Playing: Poking and fiddling with things a little. Still not in the headspace to pick up a full game again. Once I have a schedule I can get back into video games but when I don't have a schedule that includes video games.

Tools and Equipment: Keyd is the new-ish hotness for client-side remapping of keyboard keys. It's not quite a custom build, but it's close.

Allows you to get 99% of the way to whatever zany custom mapping you want under Linux with fairly universal coverage and minimal faff in a very compact and manageable package.

[webpinosoftwares]

Top Organic Social Media Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Audience Without Paid Ads

In today’s competitive digital landscape, growing a social media audience without paid ads is a key goal for many businesses. Organic growth fosters authentic connections, boosts long-term engagement, and builds trust. Below are some essential social media marketing tips to grow your audience organically:

1. Create Share-Worthy Content

To attract attention and encourage sharing, your content must stand out. Highly visual and emotionally engaging content is more likely to be shared, expanding your organic reach.

How to create share-worthy content:

Use eye-catching visuals like infographics, videos, and memes.

Evoke emotions — funny, inspiring, or thought-provoking content performs better.

Offer value by educating or entertaining your audience.

2. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)

User-generated content is a powerful way to expand your audience authentically. Encouraging customers to share their experiences builds trust and extends your reach.

How to leverage UGC:

Run contests or giveaways encouraging followers to tag your brand.

Share or repost customer reviews, photos, or testimonials.

3. Optimize Your Profile for Conversions

Your social media marketing strategy should start with optimizing your profile. A well-crafted profile can convert casual visitors into followers.

Profile optimization tips:

Write a clear, keyword-optimized bio.

Include a call-to-action (CTA) and website link.

Use branded visuals for your profile picture and cover photo.

Read More: Social Media Profile Optimization Tips — Learn how to craft a high-converting social media bio.

4. Post Consistently

Consistency is essential for keeping your audience engaged. Platforms reward active accounts with more visibility, so regular posting helps grow your audience.

Steps to maintain consistency:

Use a content calendar to schedule posts.

Experiment with posting times to discover when your audience is most active.

Mix up content types with images, videos, and stories.

5. Engage Directly with Your Audience

Engagement is a cornerstone of effective social media marketing. Directly interacting with followers strengthens relationships and encourages further interaction, boosting visibility.

Ways to increase engagement:

Respond to comments, mentions, and DMs quickly.

Ask questions or start conversations in your posts.

Host polls, surveys, or live Q&A sessions.

You’ll Love: Top Engagement Strategies for Social Media — Proven tactics to increase follower interaction.

6. Use Hashtags Wisely

Hashtags help improve the discoverability of your content. However, the key is using them strategically rather than overloading your posts.

Best practices for hashtags:

Use tools to find relevant, trending hashtags.

Create a branded hashtag for followers to use.

Combine broad and niche hashtags to reach different audience segments.

7. Collaborate with Micro-Influencers

Micro-influencers, with their smaller but highly engaged audiences, are an excellent way to grow organically. Collaborations with them help you tap into their dedicated followers.

How to collaborate with micro-influencers:

Partner for giveaways or joint promotions.

Invite them for a social media takeover.

Co-create content that appeals to both audiences.

8. Cross-Promote on Different Platforms

Don’t limit yourself to one platform. Cross-promotion helps you expand your audience by sharing content across multiple social channels.

Cross-promotion strategies:

Share content on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with tailored messages.

Promote your social channels in blog posts, emails, and YouTube videos.

9. Foster a Community Around Your Brand

Building a community is vital for audience retention. By creating a sense of belonging, you inspire loyalty and encourage followers to spread the word about your brand.

Tips for building a community:

Create private groups on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Host live events, webinars, or virtual meetups.

Be authentic and responsive to your followers.

10. Measure and Adjust Your Strategy

Tracking your performance is essential to improving your social media marketing tips. Use analytics to monitor key metrics and adjust your strategy based on data.

Metrics to track:

Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares).

Follower growth over time.

Content performance to see which formats work best.

By using these social media marketing tips, you can grow your audience without relying on paid ads, while building a strong, loyal community around your brand. @webpinosoftwares

[jasir247]

Top Digital Marketing Strategies for 2025

1. AI-Driven SEO & Content Marketing

Search engines are evolving, with AI-powered algorithms reshaping how content ranks. To maintain a competitive edge: ✅ Prioritise Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) when creating content. ✅ Utilise AI-based tools like Jasper, SurferSEO, and Frase.io for content optimisation. ✅ Focus on long-form, informative content tailored to user intent. ✅ Implement structured data and schema markup to improve search visibility. ✅ Optimise for voice search and AI-generated responses to align with new search behaviours.

2. Hyper-Personalised Marketing

Consumers expect customised experiences across all digital platforms. To meet this demand: ✅ Use AI-powered customer relationship management (CRM) tools such as HubSpot, Klaviyo, and ActiveCampaign for audience segmentation. ✅ Personalise email campaigns with dynamic content and behaviour-based automation. ✅ Leverage Google Ads Performance Max and Meta’s AI-driven targeting for precise ad placements. ✅ Incorporate personalised product recommendations for eCommerce and digital shopfronts.

3. Short-Form & Interactive Video Content

Video remains a dominant force in digital marketing, particularly short, engaging formats: ✅ Create content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to capture audience attention quickly. ✅ Utilise AI-powered video creation platforms like Synthesia, RunwayML, and Pictory. ✅ Integrate interactive elements such as polls, quizzes, and live Q&A sessions to drive engagement. ✅ Experiment with immersive experiences like 360-degree videos and augmented reality (AR).

4. Performance-Driven Paid Advertising

Data-driven advertising is becoming smarter and more efficient: ✅ Use AI-powered Google and Meta Ads for automated bidding and precise targeting. ✅ Implement retargeting strategies to reconnect with past visitors. ✅ Leverage AI analytics to anticipate user behaviour and optimise conversion rates. ✅ Adopt programmatic advertising for automated, real-time ad placements.

5. Influencer & User-Generated Content (UGC) Marketing

Influencer marketing is shifting towards authenticity and community engagement: ✅ Partner with micro and nano influencers to achieve higher engagement at lower costs. ✅ Encourage UGC through branded challenges, reviews, and community hashtags. ✅ Use AI tools to evaluate influencer reach and engagement rates. ✅ Feature UGC across websites, social platforms, and email marketing for credibility.

6. Community & Conversational Marketing

Building digital communities fosters brand loyalty and customer retention: ✅ Engage with audiences on WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord. ✅ Deploy AI chatbots for real-time customer interactions and automated lead nurturing. ✅ Host live events, such as webinars and Q&A sessions, to strengthen brand relationships. ✅ Implement SMS marketing and AI-driven chat to provide personalised communication.

7. Ethical & Sustainable Marketing

Consumers increasingly value sustainability and ethical business practices: ✅ Promote eco-friendly products and sustainable packaging in digital campaigns. ✅ Share corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives through storytelling. ✅ Adopt privacy-focused marketing strategies, including ethical data collection and zero-party data. ✅ Be transparent about sourcing, brand values, and business ethics.

8. Web3 & Blockchain in Marketing

Decentralised technologies are reshaping digital marketing strategies: ✅ Explore NFT-based loyalty programs to drive engagement. ✅ Utilise decentralised social media for better audience ownership. ✅ Implement blockchain for transparency in advertising and fraud prevention. ✅ Accept cryptocurrency payments for online services and eCommerce transactions.

9. AI-Powered Data Analytics & CRO

Data-driven decision-making enhances marketing performance: ✅ Use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Hotjar, and Crazy Egg to analyse user behaviour. ✅ Conduct A/B testing on landing pages, emails, and ads for optimisation. ✅ Leverage predictive analytics to identify trends and customer preferences. ✅ Improve website UX and sales funnels to increase conversions.

10. Voice & Visual Search Optimisation

As voice and visual search continue to grow, businesses must adapt: ✅ Optimise content for natural language and voice search queries. ✅ Implement image and video search SEO using Google Lens and Pinterest Visual Search. ✅ Enhance accessibility with alt text, metadata, and structured product descriptions. ✅ Focus on multimedia-rich content to align with AI-driven search results.

🔥 Final Thoughts

To stay competitive in 2025, brands must embrace AI, automation, and data-driven strategies while maintaining an authentic connection with their audience. Businesses that leverage new technologies while prioritising customer experience will stand out in the evolving digital space.

📌 Read more insights at: 👉 check out