After a week out of town (and without my laptop), I've finally been able to edit through Part 4.
Enjoy as always!
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The next morning, Mallory agonized over her work wardrobe. She remembered her conversation with Sarah and wondered if they would each be able to settle on a pair of shoes that fit both of them. After her shower, she stood in front of her closet wrapped in a towel, looking through skirts trying to find one that felt just right for another crisp fall day spent inside. She took out a black pleated skirt that was hemmed at about mid-calf, then fished a white mockneck from her dresser. A gray argyle cardigan would keep her warm. She debated on her choice of stockings, settling on a pair of black nylons that made her legs and feet, or what showed of them, look mature, moreso than the tights Sarah wore the day before.
Shoes were Mallory’s final decision, as she picked a pair of black kitten-heel pumps from her closet. They were her mother’s shoes, shoes she was allowed to wear for church and very fancy outings. Her mother had given them to Mallory because they were a few years old, and the little rubber pads on the heels were worn through to the metal nails that held them in place. That meant the heels clicked on hard floors, too much for Mallory’s mother’s tastes. Mallory knew as she took her first steps in them that Sarah would approve. Her mother may not have liked the clicking, but Mallory smiled with each step.
Mallory wore the clicky kitten heels around the house as she brushed her hair and neatened her bedroom. She wanted to feel more confident and more sure of herself, as she had rarely worn the black pumps before. Heels often made her feel wobbly and unsteady, and these had been no exception. But Mallory tried to find the grace she had mustered when trying Sarah’s wedges on the day before, and with each step, she felt more comfortable in heels. She almost wished she could go out and about and show the world her newfound confidence, instead of being trapped behind a bank counter for the afternoon. But as she neatened her kitchen counter, she realized that an afternoon out of sight might be the better way to grow accustomed to a new pair of shoes.
As Mallory drove to the bank, she wondered what Sarah would think. She worried that she was doing this all to impress Sarah, but she justified that she was hoping to impress the boys, too. Maybe not today, but she had to get that first bit of confidence before she could expect to impress them. Impressing Sarah, who was just a friend, could be a start.
Sarah had already opened the bank when Mallory got there. Mallory unlocked the door so she could get in, locking it behind her while they turned all the computers on and spruced up the counter. Mallory’s first steps into the building were not-so-subtle echoing clicks in the empty tile-floored building.
“Is that Miss Mallory?†Sarah called from behind the counter.
“Maybe,†Mallory said, giggling.
“I hear clickies,†Sarah added, emerging from the little office behind the counter.
“They’re my clickies,†Mallory said, clicking her heels extra as she came up to the counter door.
“I can’t wait to see!†Sarah said as Mallory slipped behind the counter.
Mallory’s heels were almost silent on the carpet behind the counter, but she could see Sarah at last. Sarah had opted that day for a black sweater over a black-and-white houndstooth-patterned skirt that wrapped her legs tightly and ended at her knees. She was wearing black ribbed tights, and her feet were in a pair of three-inch-heeled black patent pumps with two straps over her feet to keep the shoes from falling off. Mallory remembered what Sarah had said about wearing shoes she could not slip off so easily. “Those are cute shoes,†Mallory said.
“Aren’t they?†Sarah said. “They’re a little tight in the toes, but I love them.†She looked over Mallory’s outfit from head to toe. “Those are cute too,†Sarah said. “Not super-sexy, but they click really nicely.â€
“I know,†Mallory said. “They were a little distracting this morning.â€
“Like these?†Sarah said, setting off across the bank to unlock the front door for customers. Her heels clicked hard against the floor.
“Your shoes are so loud,†Mallory said.
“It’s the thicker heel,†Sarah said. “Yours are more dainty so they click nicer. It’s more subtle. Mine are more of a ‘look at me’ click.â€
“They don’t sound comfortable,†Mallory said.
“They’re okay,†Sarah said. “These are definitely statement shoes. They’re not comfy shoes.â€
“So how did it go with the boy?†Mallory asked.
Sarah took a deep breath as they took respective positions behind the counter. “Well, I’m single Sarah,†she said. “He was a little surprised but he didn’t really care that I wanted to break up.â€
“I’m sorry,†Mallory said.
“No, it’s better that way,†Sarah said. “It’s a lot easier when he’s not trying to hold on. He was more upset that I’d wasted his time at all. He’ll have a new girlfriend he doesn’t care about by Friday.â€
“You have a good attitude about it,†Mallory said.
“I’m trying,†Sarah said. She rocked back on her heels, balancing on the tall heels as she kept her back against the counter. “I can be a little demanding but I really want to be a good girl. And Rob isn’t really a good guy. He’s sort of a jerk. So I don’t really miss him being gone, but I do, because at least he was my guy.â€
“That makes sense,†Mallory said.
“Mostly because I want someone to rub my shoulders after work, but he’d just say he wanted to play video games and ignore me,†Sarah said. “The spark wasn’t really there anymore.â€
“Then it sounds like it was time for a new boy,†Mallory said.
“Exactly,†Sarah said. She remained balanced on her heels. “I’m a little sad, but no loss, really.â€
The first hour crept past as no one even ventured inside the bank, just an ATM customer or two. After the first customer of the day came and left, Sarah leaned back against the counter, again balancing on the tall heels of her shiny shoes. “These are not comfy shoes,†she reiterated.
“Are they too tall?†Mallory asked. She wanted to lean back on her heels too, but the kitten heels were just not tall enough.
“No, I love the height,†Sarah said. “I’ve worn taller. But the toes are kind of tight and they hurt after a while.â€
“Ouch,†Mallory said, wiggling her toes in her shoes. She had been nervous about wearing heels, but so far, the kitten heels were proving to be comfortable enough.
“It’s the price of really hot shoes,†Sarah said. “Mary Jane heels are always a head-turner.â€
“Is that the brand?†Mallory asked.
“No, the style,†Sarah said. She extended one leg toward Mallory. “The strap makes it a Mary Jane. Like the shoes with straps that little girls wear, except these are the grown-up version.â€
“So shoes with straps are Mary Janes?†Mallory asked.
“No, not any strap,†Sarah said. “It has to be like mine, across the top of the foot. That’s a Mary Jane. Otherwise, it’s an ankle strap or something else, but not a Mary Jane.†Sarah stood up straight in her tall heels. “I love these shoes. Mary Janes are so sexy.â€
Mallory looked down at her own shoes. The heels that had felt so novel and exciting when she got dressed for work were, by comparison, simple and plain. “My shoes are boring,†she said.
“They’re a step up for you,†Sarah said. “You can’t go from wearing flats to stiletto heels right away. Did you just get those?â€
“No, they’re my mom’s,†Mallory said. “They’re the tallest heels she would let me wear to church events.â€
“They’re kitty heels!†Sarah said, laughing. “I can’t imagine wearing something that flat and calling it a heel.â€
“My mom had taller heels she would wear sometimes,†Mallory said. “But not too tall.â€
“I actually don’t like wearing flats,†Sarah said. “They’re cute for certain things, but I’m so used to wearing heels that it hurts wearing shoes that are too flat for too long. I end up having to tiptoe a little to stretch my arches.â€
“I love my flats,†Mallory said. “But these are comfy for heels.â€
“You couldn’t walk in these yet,†Sarah said, walking around behind the counter.
“I sort of want to try,†Mallory said. She stood on her tiptoes, her heels popping out of her kitten heels. “See? I can arch my feet.â€
Sarah giggled. “I may have to take these off,†she said, pausing and balancing on one foot as she raised her other leg back and rotated her ankle.
“So soon?†Mallory asked.
“It’s because they’re too narrow,†Sarah said. “They’re really awful work shoes, but they’re so hot.â€
“What brand are they?†Mallory asked.
“They’re Nine West,†Sarah said. “They make gorgeous fashion shoes but they don’t always fit well.â€
Mallory slipped her right shoe off and looked down. “Mine are…um…not Nine West?†she said, giggling as she slipped her shoe back on.
“That’s why they’re comfortable,†Sarah said, perching on a stool and hooking her heels around the bar at the bottom. She reached down and unbuckled the straps on her right shoe. “It’s my right foot, mostly.†She slipped her black stockinged foot from the shiny pump and let the shoe hang on the rung for an instant before it fell loudly to the floor.
“I thought Nine West made good shoes,†Mallory said. Her eyes watched Sarah’s hand as she rubbed and stretched her toes, and she found herself wishing she were taking off her own shoes. She arched her right foot, feeling her heel loosen just a little.
“They make cute shoes,†Sarah said. “But lots of them are cut really narrow. I have this pair I absolutely love, and they fit great, but most of them, I can’t wear very long.â€
“So I shouldn’t buy Nine West then,†Mallory said, approaching the counter as a customer walked in.
Sarah, still perched on the stool in only one shoe, pretended to work at her computer while Mallory entered the customer’s Sunday banking. Mallory arched her right foot again, her stockinged heel sliding from her kitten-heeled pump, and glided her toes across the silky insole, back and forth as she entered two deposits. On the carpet, her heel was silent, though she tried not to move the shoe as she rubbed her toes against the insole. Mallory finally stuffed her toes into her shoe, her heel popping inside as her customer left the counter.
“I liked your shoeplay there,†Sarah said, still at the stool in only one shoe.
“My shoeplay?†Mallory asked. She arched her foot again, her right heel popping out of her shoe.
“You were playing with your shoe at the counter,†Sarah said.
“Oh, yeah,†Mallory said. “My toes were jealous of your toes.â€
“That was kinda hot,†Sarah said. “Not gonna lie.â€
“Really?†Mallory said. “It just felt natural.â€
“It was natural,†Sarah said. “Lots of girls just take their shoes off and stand there.†Sarah extended her shoeless right foot from the stool, twirling her foot at the ankle.
Mallory slipped her right shoe off completely, stretching her toes out and balancing on her left foot. “Well, my feet don’t hurt enough for that just yet,†she said, laughing. “But it’s tempting.â€
Sarah crossed her right leg over her left and rubbed her foot, stretching her toes. “Shoeplay is an art, like footsie, sort of,†she said. “It’s a little harder with strappy shoes, though.â€
“You mean, like what I’m doing now?†Mallory asked. She set her foot down on the ground to balance herself, then slipped her right shoe back on.
“Yeah,†Sarah said. “Just playing with a shoe, then putting it back on, or playing with both. Like how sometimes you’re sitting there and you let your shoe pop off your heel, you bounce it around a bit and then put it back on right, but you pop it right back off.â€
Mallory looked down at her silky black feet and her plain black heels, as she arched her right foot again and slipped her heel in and out of her shoe. “Wow,†she said. “It’s like there’s this whole artwork around our shoes being impractical and uncomfortable.â€
“Sort of,†Sarah said, standing up from the stool as a car pulled up to the drive-through window. “It’s a nervous habit that some of us girls have, but there’s this certain sensuality to it all.†She calmly walked to the drive-through counter wearing only her left heel and tiptoeing on her arched black right foot.
Mallory was impressed and maybe a little jealous at Sarah’s confidence. She walked back to the other counter and back to the window, all wearing just one shoe, but walking with grace as if she were wearing both. Mallory slipped her right shoe off as she watched, rubbing her toes against the back of her left ankle, then slipping the shoe back on. She looked down at Sarah’s empty Mary Jane and picked up the shiny shoe. It was sexy in its own right, and she felt the urge to slip it on her own foot. Instead, Mallory put it back down. She preferred the thought of taking her shoes off instead. Her right heel popped from her shoe in anticipation.
Sarah finished up with her customer and walked back to her stool. “Okay, this shoe has to go now,†she said, propping her left foot up on a rung of the stool and unbuckling the Mary Jane straps.
“Too sore?†Mallory asked.
“My toes are so sore right now,†Sarah said. “I love these shoes but I can’t work in them very long.â€
“Part of me wants to try them on,†Mallory said.
“Don’t,†Sarah said, slipping off her left shoe and stretching her stockinged toes. “If you love your feet, you don’t want these.â€
Mallory watched as Sarah stood up, now in her ribbed black tights alone, the black heels against the front counter. Almost reflexively, Mallory slipped her right shoe off and rubbed her toes across Sarah’s tired feet. The soft ribbed tights felt amazing under Mallory’s toes. Mallory kneaded Sarah’s foot, but suddenly realized what she was doing, and pulled her foot away, curling her toes behind her left ankle.
Sarah blushed. “Wow,†she said, curling her toes under her as she rolled her feet to the side. “Mallory dear, you’re getting very good at this.â€
Mallory nervously stuffed her right foot back into her shoe. “Is that a good thing?†she asked.
“It is, if you keep it up,†Sarah said. “Why did you put your shoe back on?â€
“Because I thought I did something wrong,†Mallory said. She looked down and slipped her shoe off, setting her sheer foot on the floor.
“Well, yeah, you stopped!†Sarah said, balancing on her right foot as she extended her left foot toward Mallory’s shoeless right foot. Mallory felt Sarah’s ribbed tights gliding over her nylons. “Doesn’t that feel good?â€
“It really does,†Mallory said, curling her toes up into Sarah’s arch as their feet rubbed together. She noticed a car pulling up to the drive-through window, and rushed over to the window in only one shoe. The kitten heel of her left shoe meant she only hobbled a bit, but at the window she balanced on her left foot and crossed her right foot over, rubbing her toes against the smooth top of her shoe. She had felt so graceful in her heels earlier, but she had a long way to go to feel graceful in only one of them.
The one car at the window turned into two, and with no time to fetch her other shoe, Mallory stayed at the window wearing only one pump. She would balance momentarily on her toes with her right foot before returning balance to her left foot, hiding the shoeless right foot behind her leg, or polishing the toe of her left shoe with her soft toes. As a third car lined up outside the window, she considered slipping her left shoe off too, or slipping her right shoe back on, but the lone shoe was across the room and she did not want to fumble with either of them and risk getting caught. Instead, she set her right foot on the floor, balancing on her toes a bit, and rang through both cars.
As another car pulled up to the window, Mallory heard a customer come in the front door. Sarah could take care of them, but surely they would see her missing shoe over the counter. She glanced back and saw that she recognized the customer; it was a rather cute boy who came in often on the weekends. Her cheeks flushed red as she pondered how to get across to the counter where her empty right shoe sat. Of all the customers who could catch her incompletely dressed behind the counter, it would have to be him! She turned around, her attention to the drive-up window. It’s only a shoe, she told herself. It’s only a shoe, and he won’t notice.
As Mallory waited on the customer at the window, she crossed her right foot in front of her left, figuring it would hide her missing shoe more than if she were just standing there. The customer at the counter, Shawn, was talking with Sarah as Sarah cashed his paycheck. As her customer drove off, Sarah heard, “Hi, Mallory.â€
He remembered my name! Mallory felt suddenly flustered. “Oh, hello,†she said. It was all she could manage as she closed the cash drawer. She had had something of an unrequited crush on Shawn, or at least she assumed it was unrequited. Nervously, she uncrossed her right foot and curled her toes against the floor.
“What happened to Mallory’s shoe?†Shawn asked Sarah. He noticed! Mallory thought, her cheeks warming.
“She forgot it over here,†Sarah said. “She’s not really used to wearing heels.â€
Mallory felt embarrassed and pivoted on her left toe, walking back to the counter. “Well,†she said, trying to fake an air of defiance, “I got a little jealous because Sarah, who is used to wearing heels, had to put these aside because her feet hurt.†She reached down and picked up one of Sarah’s empty Mary Janes.
Shawn smiled. “Those look sexy but they must be painful to wear,†he said.
“They are, but they’re so cute,†Sarah said.
“And so Sarah took her shoes off, and I took one of mine off, and then someone drove up to the window and I didn’t have time to put mine back on,†Mallory said.
“You have time now,†Shawn said.
Mallory blushed. “I don’t really want to wear it now,†she said.
“Girls’ shoes are kind of a hassle,†Sarah said.
“Yours aren’t very tall, though, Mallory,†Shawn said.
“No, they’re not,†Mallory said, picking her empty shoe up off the floor and set her heel on the bank counter next to Sarah’s. Mallory’s heart sank a bit. Next to Sarah’s tall and graceful shiny black shoes, her own kitten-heeled shoe looked simple and basic. Sarah’s shoes looked like they had just come off a shelf, polished and never worn. Mallory’s shoes had little scuffs here and there on the toes and heels. They looked older and more mature, far from sexy. Mallory felt deflated.
“Shawn, I’ll let you in on a little secret,†Sarah said, leaning closer. “Girls don’t really like wearing shoes. No matter how much we love shoes, we don’t like wearing them.â€
“Well, when they’re like your shoes, I can see why,†Shawn said.
Mallory rubbed her nylon toes over the tip of the shoe she was still wearing, hoping she could polish some of the shine out of them. Here was this boy she liked, and he was captivated by Sarah, captivated by her sexy shoes. Look at my shoes! she thought.
“But it looks like one of you has actually been wearing her shoes,†Shawn said, picking up Mallory’s shoe from the counter. “I’m not really convinced Sarah ever wore these.â€
Mallory’s heart raced. Shawn was holding her shoe! Her left heel started to pop from her remaining shoe in nervous anticipation.
“Well, I don’t wear them that often,†Sarah said. “But I have more shoes than Mallory.â€
“But I’m getting more,†Mallory said quickly.
Shawn laughed. “So do I need to give this right back?†he asked, holding Mallory’s shoe up.
“No, that’s okay,†Mallory said. “Would you like the other one?†She lifted her left leg and reached down, grabbing her loose heel and slipping it off her silky toes. When she realized what she said and what she was doing, she flushed red.
Shawn and Sarah were both laughing now. Mallory felt embarrassed as she set her stockinged left foot down on her right foot. She had felt on autopilot, and now, in her stockinged feet, she felt vulnerable. She had just offered to give one of her shoes to a boy she barely knew from a few times in the bank! And here she stood, in her skirt and cardigan, one shoe in a boy’s hands and one in her hand and her stockinged feet on the floor. There were no words.
“I think you should take one home,†Sarah said. “Mallory clearly wants you to.â€
“What about your shoe?†Shawn teased, his hand gripping the toe of Sarah’s shiny pump on the counter.
“Those were kinda expensive,†Sarah said. “But if you really wanted to…â€
“But then what are you girls supposed to do all afternoon?â€
“We can work in our stockinged feet,†Sarah said. “Girls do it all the time. We’re very sneaky. Until you saw Miss Mallory over there, you had no idea.â€
Shawn laughed. “That’s true,†he said. “Do you really take your shoes off all the time back there?â€
“When it’s quiet, I will,†Sarah said. “Mallory’s still learning but she’s a fast learner.â€
“I never used to take my shoes off,†Mallory said. “But we all tried swapping shoes Friday night. It was sort of fun.†She noticed that Shawn was still holding her shoe, almost caressing it absently.
“Guys would never do that,†Shawn said.
“Guys don’t wear cute shoes,†Sarah retorted.
Shawn’s eyes traced the shape of Sarah’s shoe while he cradled Mallory’s pump. “True,†he said. “So what should I do? Do you girls need these back?â€
“I think you should take both of them,†Sarah said. “But when you bring them back, there should be one boy for each of us. And the one with the right shoe gets the right girl.â€
Shawn picked up Sarah’s glossy shoe at last. “So this is a Cinderella thing?â€
“Sort of,†she said. “But this time you know which girl fits the shoes.â€
Shawn smiled. “Okay,†he said. “Next week, hopefully?â€
“We’ll be here,†Sarah said.
Shawn waved and left, two mismatched shoes in his hands. Mallory at last felt her face cooling down from the rush of embarrassment. Her attention turned to the one pump in her hand. “Oh my God,†she managed.
“What?†Sarah said, reaching down to rub her toes.
“He has our shoes,†Mallory said.
“Yes, and we have a double date,†Sarah said, smiling. “Isn’t that awesome?â€
Mallory dropped her shoe on the floor. “I’m so nervous,†she said. “And I don’t have my shoes.â€
“You’re sexier without them,†Sarah said. “You’ll be fine. We have time to plan!â€
Mallory looked down at her small nyloned feet. Was she really sexier without her shoes, as Sarah had suggested? Mallory knew very little about being sexy. Modesty was the name of her teen upbringing, sexy something to be avoided at all costs. Even as a young woman, she just followed what she had always been encouraged toward. Sleeveless shirts, plunging necklines and short skirts were inappropriate. Stockings were a matter of propriety and completeness; bare legs were unfinished and scandalous. Tall shoes were inappropriate, unless it was a modest heel for church. Not wearing shoes at all had nothing to do with sex appeal; it was just what church girls often did after wearing painful shoes for an entire day. Bank girls too, apparently.
But it was never about being sexy, until Sarah suggested it. “This is sexy?†she asked.
“Oh hell yes!†Sarah said, alighting from the stool and standing in her nylon tiptoes. “We’re shoeless. We’re vulnerable. And we’re not just barefoot, we have stockings on. Look at our feet. They’re so sexy.â€
Mallory was unconvinced. “You’re sexy,†she said. “Because you know how to carry it better.â€
“Shawn thought you were sexy,†Sarah said.
“He did?†Mallory asked.
“Didn’t you notice?†Sarah asked, picking her shoe up from the counter. She looked at it disdainfully and set it on the floor. “He was holding your shoe like you would hold a newborn baby. He was petting it! He’s totally a shoe guy. He didn’t even take my shoe until I pretty much begged him to.â€
Mallory had noticed, but it had not really added up to her. It was her shoe that Shawn picked up first, and her shoe that he never put down. And she remembered him touching the leather gently. For that matter, he noticed her shoeless foot behind the counter. “So he thinks my shoes are sexy?â€
“And probably your feet,†Sarah said. “I hope his other guy friend likes feet, too.â€
Mallory looked down again at her own shoeless feet, her toes clearly visible through the smoky gray haze of her nylons. Just a few days before, she never would have considered her feet sexy. It was not that her feet were not sexy; it was just that it had never occurred to her that feet could be sexy. Even now, she struggled to define why. Was it that she had small feet? Was it the shape of her toes? Was it her choice of hosiery? Was it a combination, or something totally different? And why did Sarah pick up on it so readily? She looked over at the drive-through counter as Sarah stood there in her black tights, balancing on tiptoe as if she were wearing invisible high heels. Every so often, she would rub her right foot against her left calf, curling her toes tightly as she did. Mallory’s eyes drifted toward Sarah’s lone glossy pump, but as much as she wanted to slip her foot inside, she decided not to try it yet.
The final hour crept by, as Sunday afternoons often did. A few customers came in, but Mallory was relieved she could stay behind the counter, her shoeless nyloned feet out of view. Sarah, of course, was as uninhibited as ever, strolling to the bank vault or the front offices in her tights. Mallory felt a little jealous. She wondered how it was that Sarah felt so comfortable without her shoes. Mallory did love the feeling of the carpet under her toes, but she still felt somewhat exposed to the world, as if everyone could tell she were shoeless. She told herself it was a feeling that would only become natural with time, and her first afternoon working in nylons was hardly enough time. She rubbed her right foot against her left calf, curling her toes tightly as her foot glided against her leg.
“Mal, you’re a size seven, right?†Sarah asked.
“I am,†Mallory said, pressing her clenched toes into the carpet.
“I should let you have some of my shoes,†Sarah said.
“But you’re an eight,†Mallory said.
“I am,†Sarah said. “But I have some shoes in my closet that are a seven and a half that I never wear. They were wicked cute but they’re too small for me, really.â€
“You’d just let me have them?â€
“You need cute shoes more than I do,†Sarah said. “They don’t fit me right anymore. At least you’d wear them.â€
“And if you bought them,†Mallory said, “they must be cute.â€
“Damn right,†Sarah said, laughing. “I don’t buy frumpy shoes.â€
“Are my shoes frumpy?†Mallory asked.
“Your kitten heels?†Sarah asked.
Mallory nodded.
“Not frumpy,†Sarah said. “They’re very conservative, the low heels and all. But not frumpy. Frumpy are like those Dansko shoes the nurses love. They’re so clumsy.â€
“They’re very practical,†Mallory said, reaching down and rubbing her foot.
“Yes, they are,†Sarah said. “But they’re frumpy. Like my shoes? They have shape and style. Danskos are boring and unattractive. They’re shapeless.â€
“What about my old black flats?†Mallory asked.
“No, not frumpy,†Sarah said. “They’re just very plain.â€
“Do you even own a pair of frumpy shoes?â€
“Maybe,†Sarah said, laughing. “Every girl has a pair of frumpy shoes. Or at least they were cute once, and now they’re frumpy. I probably have a pair or two.â€
“I’ll bet they’re not as frumpy as mine are,†Mallory said.
“Probably not,†Sarah said. “But by my standards they’re probably pretty blah.â€
Mallory and Sarah closed up the bank, then picked up their sole remaining shoes. Mallory was a bit nervous walking through the bank lobby in her nylon feet, but Sarah was calm and confident. They locked up the bank and walked to their cars, Sarah opening the back door to toss her shoe on the floor. “I’m going to bring you some of my old shoes,†Sarah said. “If they fit you well, they’re yours.â€
“Aww, thanks,†Mallory said, rubbing her feet in the parking lot. The feeling of the gritty pavement underfoot made her feel uncomfortable. “I’m nervous about driving home without shoes.â€
“It’s just driving,†Sarah said. “I just try to remember that someone decided that walking around in bare feet wasn’t appropriate. That doesn’t mean it is. Just that someone decided that.â€
“But we’re not barefoot, we’re in tights,†Mallory said.
“Exactly,†Sarah said, smiling. “See you tomorrow?â€
“Bright and early,†Mallory said. “Wear your frumpy shoes tomorrow!â€
“Okay,†Sarah said. “I’ll find my frumpiest pair of shoes. Maybe they’ll be your shoes when we go home!â€
Mallory laughed. “Are you saying I’m frumpy?†she asked.
Sarah smiled as she got in her car.
Mallory opened the car door and slipped behind the wheel. She immediately rubbed her feet against the carpeted floormat, the carpet feeling much more comforting than the rough parking lot outside. She looked down at her lonely kitten-heeled pump and set the shoe in the passenger seat next to her purse. She wished she had the right shoe to drive home, but as her stockinged toes found the pedals of her car, she decided she could do without it for ten minutes, anyway.
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As always, there's more to come!
Steps To Awareness: Part 4 (Fiction)
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anklesprain1
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fantastic story . Thank you very much
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