It's been a while since I've offered up a new installment. Some early mornings made it hard to get the time to edit what's already been written...but finally, I got it done. I just felt like there was a bit too much plot, and too little "action." Hopefully the balance is better now.
Of course, with some of the changes I made, what I've already written that would become Part 6 with some editing is going to need a pretty significant rewrite to stay relevant. The next couple weeks promise to be hectic, but I'll see what I can do.
For now, enjoy!
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The next morning, Mallory stepped out of the shower with an outfit in mind. Most days, Mallory’s traditional and girly sensibilities tended to prefer a dress or a skirt. Mondays often required some filing and running around, though, and so on Mondays, she found it was often easier and more practical to wear pants.
Keeping her towel wrapped tightly around her, Mallory began laying out pieces on her bed. She started with a pink sweater set, then added a pair of basic black dress slacks. It would be a bit cool, so she decided to wear tights with her pants, something she did for a little extra warmth. She opted for some basic tan tights, but as she turned to put her tights on the end of her bed, she stubbed her right baby toe on the edge of her bed. “Ouch!†Mallory yelped. She sat down on the bed and crossed her right foot over her left knee, looking at her toe. Naturally it looked fine, but her little toe throbbed. She kneaded her foot for a moment before getting dressed, taking extra care as she slipped into her tights and then her pants.
Practical pants deserved practical shoes, and so Mallory fished her basic black flats from the closet. Compared to the shoes she had worn all weekend, the flats were boring and simple, but they were comfortable and well-broken-in, something that became an advantage when running around the bank all day. She slipped her left shoe on and looked down, her black pants revealing her tan toes. She looked at her shoeless right foot, curled her toes, and thought of something. She opened her sock drawer and found a pair of striped knee socks. She had never worn them before, but she felt like she needed the splash of color. Kicking her left shoe off, she pulled on the knee socks over her tights, then tugged on her pant legs to fall over them. When she stood up, her little feet disappeared under her pantlegs, save for the tips of her pink toes. She pulled her pantlegs up ever so slightly to reveal her pink, white and gray-striped feet. She slipped each shoe on, gently easing her sore right foot into her waiting flat. Her toe still ached, but she knew as the day went on, she could easily make her foot more comfortable.
Mallory drove to work feeling sort of excited, wondering what Sarah would be wearing. Sarah was always so fashionable, it was hard to imagine her in anything remotely plain. Over the past couple days, Mallory had felt like she wanted to be just like Sarah in many ways. Sarah was confident and self-assured in the face of troublesome customers and cute boys. She was a quick thinker. She was in command of who she was and who she wanted to be. And she was always stylish. While Mallory doubted her worn flats and cute striped socks, she knew that Sarah could wear the same shoes and make them sexy. Maybe they could just trade their shoes and see who brought the plainest shoes along. It surely would not be Sarah.
Mallory wondered, as she parked, if maybe she was developing a bit of a girl-crush on Sarah. She was not attracted to Sarah, and yet, in a strange way she felt drawn to her. It was more that she wanted to be like Sarah, and that meant being close to Sarah, hoping that her confidence and fashion sense would rub off. As she stepped out of the car, she thought of the day before and the feeling of Sarah’s textured tights gliding over her own nylons, and wondered if maybe something else could rub. She hesitated at the thought.
Mallory walked into the bank and saw Sarah behind the counter talking to Katerina. She punched the code to unlock the door to the teller’s area, and walked in. Sarah smiled. “Morning, Mallory,†she almost sang. “Are you frumpy today?â€
“I’m not frumpy,†Mallory said. “I’m just wearing very plain shoes.â€
“Okay, good,†Sarah said, laughing. “Let’s see!â€
“You’ve seen them before,†Mallory said, stretching her right leg out and rotating her foot to show her shoe. She sort of saw her own shoe in third-person, the black faux leather scuffed in places, wearing off at the tips of her toes, the soles perilously thin. Sarah had said she would give some old shoes to Mallory. She hoped some were new black flats.
“They are plain, not gonna lie,†Sarah said. “We can fix that. Are those socks?â€
Mallory pulled her pant leg up just a bit, revealing her striped socks. “They are!†she said.
“Cute,†Sarah said. “I love striped knee socks.â€
“What did you wear?†Mallory asked.
“Behold, my plainest shoes,†Sarah said.
Sarah was wearing a thin black sweater over a white turtleneck, layered over a gray plaid skirt that was hemmed to her knees. Mallory was surprised to see Sarah wearing gray tights, not the black she usually opted for. She was even more surprised to see Sarah’s feet in a pair of black high-heeled loafers with a two-inch block heel. Compared to Sarah’s usual graceful shoes, the loafers looked clumsy and heavy, and the quarter-inch between Sarah’s gray heels and the backs of the black shoes made it look as if she might step right out of them.
And yet, Sarah had pulled the shoes into her outfit, seamlessly looking like a high-school student a few years older.
“Did you buy those?†Mallory asked.
“No, they’re a hand-me-down,†Sarah said. “My older sister wore these in high school. Every girl had a pair of these. They’re only a half-size big for me, but she wore them so much my feet are swimming in them.â€
“They look so heavy,†Mallory said.
“It’s because they’re too big,†Sarah said. “It takes me a lot to walk in these. But they’re not all that uncomfortable, really.â€
“I don’t know how you can call those hard to walk in,†Katerina said. “We’re barely starting the day and my foot is already killing me.â€
Mallory looked at Katerina’s shoes. Katerina had opted for her usual simple business skirt and blazer, with nude pantyhose and towering stiletto heels. The black pointy-toed pumps had four-inch heels and thin ankle straps.
“Because these want to fall off my feet with every step,†Sarah said, bending one knee so that her soft gray heel popped from her loafer. “At least your shoes aren’t going anywhere.â€
“At least until lunchtime,†Katerina said. “My left foot is so sore already.â€
“Loosen your ankle strap,†Sarah said. “That way you can move your foot around so it doesn’t go numb.â€
Katerina unbuckled her ankle strap and fastened it a couple notches looser, then flexed her foot in her shoe. Her heel popped a bit and her toes were able to move. “That’s a little helpful,†she said. “Thanks, Sarah.â€
“No problem,†Sarah said. “Sometimes I have to loosen my shoes to get through a day.â€
The morning rush died down by mid-morning, and an hour before lunch the three women were patiently waiting for customers to stop by. Katerina reached down and slipped her hand under her arch, rubbing her left foot. “Still sore, but at least I can feel my toes,†she said.
“I can feel my toes, and they still hurt,†Mallory said, laughing.
“You’re wearing flats,†Katerina said. “No excuses.â€
“I stubbed my baby toe this morning,†Mallory said. “My foot has been sore all day.â€
“Ouch!†Katerina said.
“That’s no way to start a day,†Sarah said.
“I’ve been good so far,†Mallory said, “but these shoes may have to come off after lunch.†She wiggled her right toes, her baby toe still throbbing. She tried to resist the urge to slip her shoe off, though she had already slipped her foot in and out a few times to stretch her aching toe.
“I think we’re all feeling that way,†Katerina said.
“Not me,†Sarah said from her stool. “These are still comfy.â€
Sarah was perched on a stool at the drive-up window, one leg crossed over the other. Mallory noticed Sarah’s loose-fitting loafer on her dangling leg and felt suddenly inspired to play a prank. She crouched down behind Sarah, wincing as her toes flexed under her. She felt her worn flats pop from her heels as she leaned forward to pull off Sarah’s dangling shoe. She was reaching for the clumsy block heel when she felt something pull at her right shoe, and something started to tear. “Oh!†Katerina exclaimed.
Mallory tried to turn, but something was tugging at her right foot, and her toes glided out of her shoe, her aching baby toe slamming into something hard as she spun. “Ouch!†Mallory blurted out.
“What’s going on?†Sarah asked, turning from atop the stool.
Katerina had almost lost her balance, but was still standing. “I’m stuck on something,†she said.
“Something hit my shoe,†Mallory said.
Sarah laughed. “Kat, you stepped on Mallory’s shoe,†she said.
“Oh my God,†Katerina said, looking down. The sharp stiletto heel of her loose left shoe had landed on Mallory’s popped flat mid-step, and punched through the thin sole. When Mallory had turned, the shoe had caught on the heel and started to tear apart.
“My shoe!†Mallory said, watching as Katerina clumsily wiggled her heel out of Mallory’s shoe. The old brittle flat had come apart at the seams, the sole torn open at the heel and the scuffed faux leather separating at the back.
“Oh no, I’m sorry,†Katerina said, reaching down and squeezing her arch. “I never realized you were there. Are you okay?â€
“I’m fine,†Mallory said, sitting on the floor and looking at her ruined flat. “My shoe, not so much.â€
“What were you two doing?†Sarah asked.
“I was trying to steal your shoe off your foot,†Mallory said.
“And I couldn’t feel my foot and tripped on her shoe,†Katerina said.
“And my shoe came apart from the stress,†Mallory added.
Sarah laughed. “I’m sorry,†she said. “It’s just such a funny string of happenings.â€
Mallory stood up, picking up her shoe. “Well, this can’t be worn like that,†she said, dropping her ruined flat in the trash.
“I’m sorry, Mal,†Katerina said.
“It’s OK,†Mallory said. “I was bored of these shoes anyway.â€
Sarah looked down at Mallory’s striped toes, peeking out from under her long pants. “Well, to be honest, the socks are way cuter without the shoes,†she said.
Mallory wiggled her toes. “I think you’re right,†she said. “And comfier. My toe’s still really sore.â€
“Aww,†Sarah said. “At least lunch is coming soon and we can sit down.â€
For the next hour, the girls waited out that promised lunch break. Mallory delicately hobbled around in her one shoe, her toe a little more painful since she hit it on Katerina’s spike heel. Katerina had loosened her other shoe as Sarah had suggested that morning, and was walking about gingerly herself. Sarah was confidently going about her business in her loose loafers. As Mallory stretched her toes and rubbed them into the carpet, she felt a bit of envy again at Sarah’s self-confidence. Even in shoes she admitted she only partially liked, she was confident and self-assured, comfortable and composed.
At last, it was noon. Katerina would usually let Sarah and Mallory take their lunch first. Mallory followed Sarah to the little lunch room in the back of the bank. Sarah pushed the door shut as Mallory clocked out. “Mal, how’s your toe?†Sarah asked.
“Still sore,†Mallory said, looking at her little striped foot. “I hope it’s not broken.â€
“Nah, it’s just uncomfortable,†Sarah said. “Would you like me to rub it for you?â€
“Sure,†Mallory said. “I’ve never had my feet rubbed before.â€
The girls pulled up chairs, and Mallory sat down opposite Sarah. Sarah spread her legs against the chair legs, hooking her feet around the chair legs, and flattened her skirt on the seat of the chair. “Put your foot here,†she said.
Mallory propped her right foot up on Sarah’s chair. Instantly, Sarah began kneading Mallory’s striped foot, gently tugging at her sore baby toe with her finger and thumb. It hurt at first, but Sarah’s gentle touch made Mallory forget about the pain for a moment. “Ooh,†Mallory said, finding herself short for words.
“Is that better?†Sarah asked.
“Mmmh,†Mallory said, still caught up in Sarah’s soft massage. Her toe still hurt, but Sarah’s hands on it made it a lot more bearable.
“Sometimes a foot rub makes everything better,†Sarah said.
Mallory watched Sarah’s hands kneading at her striped cotton foot, her thumbs pressing under Mallory’s toes. Mallory looked down and saw Sarah arch her right foot, wiggling out of her loose-fitting loafer and setting her gray stockinged foot on the floor.
“Do your feet hurt too?†Mallory asked.
“No, not really,†Sarah said. “But this kind of feels good and my foot was jealous of your foot, so I had to take my shoe off.â€
Mallory arched her left foot and kicked her flat loose, stretching her foot across the floor to rub on Sarah’s silky foot. To her surprise, Sarah stretched her leg out too. Mallory’s cotton toes glided over Sarah’s gray foot.
“Girls understand,†Sarah said, laughing.
Mallory was going to say something, but rubbing Sarah’s foot said far more than any words could. The two girls could say volumes to each other with just their eyes and feet. Mallory’s sore foot was soothed by Sarah’s gentle hands, and the act made Sarah long for a little touching of her own. Mallory filled that gap, and the two girls smiled at each other.
As their lunch wound down, Mallory drew her foot away, slipping her single remaining flat on. Sarah did the same, stepping into her loose black loafer as she stood up. They had not said anything all lunch, and Mallory debated saying something now, if only she knew what. In that lunch break, they had found their connection and cemented it. Mallory wanted to define it with words. She was not in love with Sarah, not at all, but she needed Sarah in her life. And she sensed Sarah, who was far more worldly and sophisticated, needed Mallory in hers. Mallory stretched out her still-sore foot, wiggling her toes, and was shocked as Sarah slipped her left shoe off, extending her silky gray foot and touching toes with Mallory. Mallory looked up at Sarah, and Sarah smiled softly, nodding.
Mallory then slipped her left shoe off. “What’s the point?†she asked, wiggling her striped toes into the floor.
“That’s my girl,†Sarah said, leading the shoeless Mallory back to the desk.
As Mallory and Sarah slipped back behind the counter, Katerina was perched on a stool in the empty bank. She looked at Sarah and Mallory, her eyes panning from their hair to Mallory’s striped shoeless feet. “Okay, I’m jealous,†she said.
“Why?†Sarah asked.
“You girls are so cute,†she said. “Sarah’s rocking her shoes, and Mallory, you took off your shoes and your socks are adorable. I have to wear these awful things to feel sexy, and I can’t keep up!†Katerina rubbed the top of her foot.
“Well, Mallory has tiny cute feet,†Sarah said. “And I’ve worn these a lot, so I’m comfortable with them even though they don’t really fit.â€
“I’ve worn these a lot,†Katerina said, tightening one of her ankle straps.
“But you’re trying to compensate,†Sarah said. “You’re trying to let the shoes make you feel sexy, and they’re killing you, so you’re not truly confident.†Sarah arched her gray feet and stepped out of her loafers easily, landing on her tiptoes. “I still feel sexy even without my shoes. I actually feel sexier.â€
“Really?â€
“I would even walk around all over the bank without my shoes on,†Sarah said. “If someone asks, my feet hurt. That’s all. I don’t need shoes to feel sexy and confident. They’re just shoes.â€
“You’re brave,†Katerina said. “I’m a little jealous.â€
Sarah stepped back into her shoes. “Not brave, just uninhibited,†she said. “Look at Mallory. She was really self-conscious about herself. Now she’s walking around without shoes.â€
“Well, I only have one at the moment,†Mallory said, wiggling her toes against the carpet floor. Her sore baby toe was starting to feel better.
“I didn’t tell you,†Sarah said. “I brought you some shoes in my car, like I promised.â€
“Are there any flats in a size eight that would match my dress?†Katerina asked, slipping her fingers through the sides of her shoe and squeezing her arch.
“Kat, take your shoes off,†Sarah said. “No one’s going to notice, and if they do, no one should even care.â€
“But I’m the manager,†Katerina said.
“Doesn’t mean you can’t get sore feet,†Sarah said. “Just take them off.â€
“You took your shoes off Friday night,†Mallory said.
“But no one was around,†Katerina said, unbuckling her ankle straps. “People might notice today.â€
“Your feet will thank you,†Sarah said.
Katerina slipped out of her black heels and set her tanned nylon feet on the floor. “There,†she said. “No more shoes.â€
Sarah smiled. “See? It’s not so bad.â€
Katerina wiggled her feet into the carpet. “It’s kind of nice, actually,†she said. “Especially after wearing those all day.â€
“It’s actually kind of addicting,†Mallory said. “Though I also have socks on, so they’re a little more squishy than just my tights.â€
“You have stockings under your socks?†Katerina asked.
“I was going to just wear tan tights under my pants,†Mallory said. “But then I thought of wearing these socks too.â€
“That’s decadent,†Sarah said. “I love wearing socks over my tights. Every step is like a little foot rub.â€
Mallory kneaded the carpet with her feet and realized how her socks glided over her tights with every movement. It was sort of soothing.
“Mallory, you’re going to get nothing done,†Katerina scolded, laughing as she rubbed her feet together.
The three girls worked through the afternoon. Mallory felt quite productive in her socked feet, and as the afternoon pressed on, she felt more and more at ease, even venturing to the other offices in the bank in her striped socks. By contrast, Katerina had stayed mostly behind the counter, keeping her hosed feet out of public view. “Sarah, you were right,†Katerina said as they started to wrap things up for the day. “This feels naughty but it’s so much better than wanting to cut my feet off after work.â€
“It’s much better,†Sarah said. “We have to be cute, but nothing says we can’t be comfortable too.â€
Mallory nodded, still loving the feeling of her socks gliding over her tights. She had even had a couple compliments on her socks when tending to customers that afternoon. Her sore toe was finally feeling better, too.
“But you never took yours off,†Katerina said, rubbing her toes as she ran some reports on the computer.
“I don’t have to,†Sarah said, letting her heels slip from the loafers as she took a few steps around. “They’re practically falling off! Plus it’ll feel so good when they come off at home.â€
Mallory had been watching Sarah’s shoes all afternoon. There was something that looked comfortable and inviting about them, as far as heels were concerned. “I want to try your shoes on,†she said.
“Speaking of which, I have shoes for you,†Sarah said. “Do you want to try mine?â€
Mallory nodded.
Sarah stepped out of her shoes casually. “I’ll be right back,†she said, heading for the door in her stocking feet.
Mallory felt a tinge of jealousy at Sarah’s boundless comfort without shoes. She looked down at Sarah’s pretty shoes, and stepped into them. Her toes glided down the worn insoles, stopping as they hit the toe of each shoe. She wiggled her feet effortlessly, then looked down. The shoes were loose for Sarah, but there was easily an inch between Mallory’s heels and the backs of the shoes, even with the socks on. Mallory tried making a single step, but her heel popped out of the shoe so easily. She thought it looked sexier when Sarah walked in them.
Sarah had just come back into the bank. “How do you like them?†she asked Mallory.
“I don’t think I could walk in them if I wanted to,†Mallory said, stepping out of the shoes. “They’re so loose on me.â€
Sarah stepped into the shoes. “I think it seriously takes me more effort to wear these than to wear a pair of six-inch heels,†she said. “That’s part of what I love about them, they look so simple but they’re really complex little things.â€
Sarah set a bag on the floor. “What did you bring me?†Mallory asked, teasing.
“A few pairs of flats,†Sarah said. “I just don’t wear flats very often. I have a pair of these in there too, but smaller. And a couple pairs of heels. But nothing animal-print.â€
“Well, thank you,†Mallory said. “I love shoes.â€
“Me too,†Sarah said. “I’m glad these pairs will have a new home. The patent heels in there used to be my favorite shoes.â€
“Now I’m excited,†Mallory said, wiggling her socked toes against the carpet.
“Jealous, jealous,†Katerina said, limping over in her nude-hosed feet. “I have to put my shoes back on and I don’t want to.â€
Sarah slipped one loafer off and stood on her soft gray tiptoes. “Do you need to borrow my shoes to drive home?†she asked.
Katerina blushed. “I have moccasins in my car,†she said. “I don’t like driving in heels sometimes.â€
“Oh, that’s good, then,†Sarah said.
“Except it means I’m not wearing my sexy shoes,†Katerina said, picking up her empty heels.
Sarah nudged her empty loafer with her stockinged foot. “That’s why they make driving slippers,†she said. “Heels are for winning boys over. Sometimes you need flats to drive.â€
“You’re so philosophical, Sarah,†Katerina said, laughing.
Sarah slipped her shoe back on. “I try,†she said.
“Oh, Mallory, I almost forgot,†Katerina said. “You’re off tomorrow, right?â€
“I am,†Mallory said. “Why?â€
“Denise from the business office called me at lunch,†she said. “A girl at the operations center just quit, and they were hoping we had someone who could take her position.â€
Mallory’s eyes widened. The operations center was a few miles away from their branch. It was where the bank handled human resources and administrative work for all the local branches, as well as where their commercial finance department was based. “How long do they need someone?†she asked.
“Permanently, I think,†Katerina said. “I told Denise you’d be perfect for the job.â€
“That would be amazing!†Mallory said. “But I would miss both of you so much.â€
Sarah leaned against the wall and slipped one of her shoes off, rubbing her gray-stockinged foot against her leg. “You could still work here on Saturdays,†she said. “Or after work on late nights.â€
“That’s true,†Mallory said. “I’ll need to buy nicer outfits anyway.â€
“I told Denise you could be there for eleven,†Katerina said. “I forgot you were off tomorrow. Can you make eleven o’clock?â€
“Of course,†Mallory said. “I’ll be there whenever she wants. What should I wear? I’ve never been to the operations center.â€
“Just dress nicely,†Katerina said. “They think you’re working here tomorrow so they won’t expect you to be totally prepared for an interview.â€
“Oh, I’ll be prepared,†Mallory said.
“Just give me a call in the morning,†Sarah said, slipping her loose loafer back on halfway. “I’ll go through some options with you.â€
“Aww, you’re the best,†Mallory said.
“Girls, I need to get off my feet,†Katerina said. “Can we head home?â€
“Sure,†Sarah said, sliding her purse over her shoulder and heading toward the door as her heels slipped from her loafers with each step. “Let’s call it a day!â€
Mallory took a look behind her as she walked out of the bank in her socks, holding her lonely worn-out black ballet flat. Tomorrow was going to be an exciting day.
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As always, comments are welcome!
Steps To Awareness: Part 5 (Fiction)
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