An Easter Lilly In Bloom: A Way-Late Easter Tale

Write here your dreams, your stories, your experiences of footsie or other situations where a foot had been used to seduce

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paradigm88
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An Easter Lilly In Bloom: A Way-Late Easter Tale

Post by paradigm88 »

Months back, I finished a late-for-Christmas Christmas-themed story with a one-off character. And I assumed that she wouldn't appear in another fictional work.

Then I spun off a character for that story for a seasonal follow-up, also a couple months late. And now, I've put the wraps on the third installment, featuring that character I didn't think had more story left in her.

Lilly returns for Easter dinner with her new boyfriend's family. This is a long one, longer than I'd first anticipated - but I felt odd cutting the "glue" that binds the story together. Otherwise it's just a few vignettes that have little reason to be grouped together. That, and I admit I had something of a direction for the middle of the story when I felt I needed to rework that altogether. The result is, well, it's a longer conclusion than I'd planned, but hopefully just as evocative as it needs to be. (No, Lilly is not available for dates to your real shindigs and family gatherings.)

Enjoy!

--

Lilly Preston leaned close to the mirror as she secured a purple flower in her hair. She was usually a fan of a plastic clip or maybe barrettes, but the flower seemed like a proper accent to make a big impression. And she certainly wanted to make a big impression. The delicate lavender petals matched just perfectly with the floral print of her dress, just as she had planned. Lilly smiled.

A phone buzzed softly in the kitchen. Lilly assumed that meant that Ryan Baker was outside her apartment, waiting patiently in his handsome blue BMW. Ryan worked in accounting for one of the companies that sponsored the charity that Lilly worked for. Lilly had met Ryan at their holiday party a few months earlier, after months of working together by e-mail. There was a certain spark that evening, and the following nights had confirmed it.

Suddenly, the proudly-feminist, perpetually-single Lilly had a boyfriend. And she admitted to herself that she enjoyed her new role, enjoyed the dinner dates and the dressing up and being Ryan’s arm candy at parties and social events. It felt reassuring to have companionship beyond her salsa dancing and yoga classes.

Ryan had asked Lilly to join him for Easter dinner at his family’s house. Lilly thought it sounded marvelous. And then the details started coming out. That Easter was a big family gathering for the Baker family. And that the Baker family was pretty wealthy in their own right. And that the Baker family Easter gathering was at a big estate they owned on the coast. None of it was a deception by any stretch; Lilly knew Ryan had money, but she had just assumed it was all self-earned. Lilly, by contrast, was not from money, and the thought of meeting Ryan’s wealthy parents freaked her out a little.

Hence Lilly’s desire to make a big impression.

Lilly had deliberated over the perfect Easter dress, and settled on a white dress adorned with purple and pink floral blossoms. The dress had a modest neckline and little sleeves, which she would hide with a matching lilac-purple shrug with three-quarter sleeves. A classy pearl (or faux pearl, really) bracelet on her right wrist offset the five or six Alex + Ani bracelets on her left wrist, each with a medallion for some cause or charity or value. Below Lilly’s just-above-the-knee hemline, she was wearing opaque white tights. Lilly opted for the tights because they seemed Easter-appropriate, they looked innocent and conservative, and she especially liked Ryan’s reaction when she mentioned them to him a few days before. Lilly usually treated opaque black tights as her safety net for fashion, but the white tights worked well on Lilly’s long legs, and she could see why Ryan was so intrigued.

Lilly’s phone buzzed again as she sat on the edge of her bed and slipped her feet into a pair of lavender peep-toe slingbacks. The shoes had a vintage sensibility to them, with short-for-Lilly two-and-a-half-inch heels, graceful buckled slingback straps and a rounded toe cut out at the tip to reveal Lilly’s white-stockinged toes. Lilly adjusted the slingback buckles to fit tightly around her heels, then stood up and looked in the mirror. She looked like the matured version of a girl in her Sunday best.

Lilly grabbed her purse and her phone and a light spring coat, but through her scrambling, she heard the delightful click of her own shoes and thought, what if they spent time out by the water or on the grass? Lilly dreaded the thought of walking down a grassy hill in her heels, so she fished a pair of lavender ballet flats from her closet. They were a thrift-shop find, a pair of cheap ballet flats dyed to match a bridesmaid’s dress, and they probably sold for a hundred dollars because they were “bridalâ€￾ shoes. But at the thrift-store price tag, they were a perfect pair of springtime emergency shoes. Lilly tucked the flats into her purse as she rushed down to the door.

“Morning, Lilly,â€￾ Ryan said from the driver’s seat of his BMW M3 as Lilly pulled the door open.

“Morning, and Happy Easter,â€￾ Lilly said as she climbed in and slipped into the soft leather seat.

Ryan leaned over the console and kissed Lilly as she buckled in. “I was worried you changed your mind,â€￾ he said.

“I didn’t change my mind,â€￾ Lilly said. “But I wanted a change of shoes.â€￾

Ryan looked in the footwell at Lilly’s shoes. “I like those,â€￾ he said.

“Well, yes,â€￾ Lilly said. “But walking on grass doesn’t like them.â€￾ Lilly reached down and eased her slingback straps off of her heels, because she didn’t like wearing her shoes in Ryan’s car, either.

“So you brought spare flats,â€￾ Ryan said, pulling out of the parking space in front of Lilly’s building and joining the traffic on the main road.

“I did,â€￾ Lilly said, slipping her heels off and rubbing her feet on the carpeted floormats. The carpet felt brand new, and Lilly never had to question if the floor of Ryan’s car was clean. “You never know.â€￾

“It’s good thinking,â€￾ Ryan said, smiling. “You’re always prepared.â€￾

“Usually,â€￾ Lilly said, folding her right leg up and tucking her foot under her left thigh. Her soft white sole peeked out from under her dress, resting against the center console. Ryan enjoyed that, too.

Ryan took his hand off the shifter and wrapped his fingers around Lilly’s foot instead, kneading with his fingertips. Lilly curled her toes. She loved when he did that.

Ryan drove one-handed, his other hand massaging Lilly’s right foot as they rode in silence. At last, Ryan asked, “Are you nervous?â€￾

Lilly laughed, but there was no point in dancing around the matter. “Very,â€￾ she said.

“You don’t have to be worried,â€￾ Ryan said, petting Lilly’s foot with his free hand.

“Of course I do,â€￾ Lilly said. “I’m just this delightfully average girl from a modest family who dresses up so people think otherwise.â€￾

“That’s why I love having you around,â€￾ Ryan said. “You’re a breath of fresh air.â€￾

Ryan had said that since their first night out, when they left the Christmas party where they’d met to grab a coffee before heading home. Ryan was from a world of money and image and uptight socialites. He confessed this to Lilly, who was in her slinky, lacy party dress, black hose and a pair of ten-dollar satin slippers Ryan had given her because her feet hurt too much to wear shoes home. Lilly was, by comparison to the past women in his life, normal and unpretentious.

And Lilly felt like Ryan was far more “normalâ€￾ than the world he came from, even though he certainly lived the part of the money and image. The world of privilege had been a bit of a vacation for Lilly, too. She loved the date nights where she’d wear a designer dress and tall heels that she had paid a pittance for at some thrift store, and they’d follow up a fancy dinner and a bottle of wine with some dancing. It beat the casual splitting-the-check dates Lilly had become used to.

And here they were, the rich boy and the girl who merely looked it, headed off to a fancy Easter dinner. Ryan was wearing a shirt and tie, with his blazer on a hanger in the back seat. Ryan had even followed Lilly’s suggestion that he wear a tie to match the purple in her dress. And here she sat, prim and proper except for the fact that her shoes were off and one foot was getting a gentle massage as she rode along.

Lilly stretched out her left leg in the BMW’s footwell, pressing her toes into the carpet floormat, sort of wishing she could switch feet and get a massage for her left foot, too. Until they got to the house, this would have to do. Ryan was the first man Lilly had dated who confessed to having a foot fetish, and Lilly found herself enjoying it against her expectations. She had called Ryan out on it when they were at a play that winter. Lilly had worn her four-inch heels (cheaply but adequately repaired enough to get her through a night), and Lilly kept noticing Ryan glancing down toward her legs in the dark. “Is there something wrong with my legs?â€￾ Lilly had asked during an intermission.

“No, I’m just shocked you still find those shoes comfortable,â€￾ Ryan had replied.

“They’re not,â€￾ Lilly said. “They still kind of pinch.â€￾

“So take them off,â€￾ Ryan said in a near-whisper.

“Here? Now?â€￾ Lilly asked.

“No one’s going to notice,â€￾ Ryan whispered back.

They were alone in the row, and Ryan was right. So Lilly reached down and gracefully slipped her left shoe from her crossed foot, making sure to set the shoe on the floor silently. Lilly felt self-conscious, but the feeling of her tight shoe coming off was bliss, and she stretched her stockinged toes, curled them tight, then stretched and wiggled them. “Is that better?â€￾ she asked teasingly.

Ryan’s gaze was fixed on her wiggling left foot. “Yeah,â€￾ he managed.

And for the rest of the play, even in the dark, Lilly noticed Ryan straining to see her one stockinged foot. “Are you watching the play or my foot?â€￾ Lilly asked once.

“Both, sort of,â€￾ Ryan said, reaching his arm around Lilly’s shoulders.

Lilly stretched her shoeless foot toward Ryan, and slipped her stockinged toes under his pantleg. She started rubbing his leg, her toes finding the top edge of his dress sock. Ryan tightened his hug, and Lilly kept her foot there for the rest of the play.

Ryan and Lilly followed the play up with a visit to a wine bar, where they occupied one side of a booth, each with a glass of wine while watching a pianist at the front of the club. After the first glass of wine, Lilly had already been talked out of her left shoe. Her feet were in Ryan’s lap, and Ryan was rubbing her shoeless left foot, while gently tugging the heel of her right pump so the shoe slid on and off her stockinged heel. Finally, Lilly had asked, “What is it about my feet?â€￾

Ryan explained his love for feet, that he had been at least aware of his interest since grade school. Lilly listened intently, not even flinching when Ryan finally slipped Lilly’s right shoe off and set it on the table on its side. Lilly was well aware of the mechanics of attraction; she had always been a pretty girl, and she had learned how to use her wardrobe to showcase her figure and often her long legs. But despite a closet full of shoes, her feet had never even factored into that equation. She looked to Ryan’s end of the bench, where the overhead lights made her silken, stockinged feet shimmer, her blue toenails barely visible through the fabric wrapping her toes. She bent her right leg, sliding her right foot across Ryan’s lap so her toes could brush the seam above Ryan’s fly. She only barely needed to curl her toes to feel Ryan’s arousal through his dress slacks. And all it took to elicit that reaction, she thought, was wearing a pair of pantyhose and removing a pair of so-called sexy heels.

Lilly spent that night with Ryan, and she had spent the next two months adapting to her new knowledge. Mostly, it was little tweaks to her habits. Bare legs and boots gave way to hose and heels, with the boots only if it were too cold or snowy for heels to be practical. Instead of wearing her ballet flats barefoot with pants, she opted for knee-highs or cute trouser socks. When a sunny, warm spell popped up in mid-February, Lilly tried wearing some of her strappy sandals with nylons, a style that caught Ryan’s eye a few times. And when they were out on dates, Lilly had taken to playing footsie with Ryan, first nudging his foot or leg under the table, then eventually taking one of her shoes off and rubbing her foot under his pantleg.

And that was how Lilly had ended up in Ryan’s BMW with her slingbacks off under the car seat. Lilly never remembered taking her shoes off in other dates’ cars. But in Ryan’s car, she was invariably shoeless. Lilly flexed her right foot, curling her toes against the center console while Ryan tended to driving. And after Ryan was back up to cruising speed, his hand effortlessly slid from the shifter to Lilly’s waiting foot.

Lilly and Ryan chatted idly as they cruised along, crossing a bridge and tracing the shore toward the Baker family’s home. It was adequately warm for Easter Sunday, in the sense that at least it was not snowing, but it was hardly warm enough for tourists to be lining the beaches and seaside towns. At times, Lilly felt like she and Ryan were the only ones out there.

Finally, Ryan turned off the four-lane highway and onto some two-lane roads, and after winding past a winery, he slowed down for a driveway flanked by two tall stone pillars. A steel gate had been left open. “Here we are,â€￾ he said.

Lilly looked up the long driveway to see an enormous house built at the top of a crest overlooking the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful. Lilly felt all her apprehension of earlier coming back as she unfolded her right leg and felt for her slingbacks, slipping her toes into the shoes. “Wow,â€￾ she said.

“Don’t be nervous,â€￾ Ryan said. “They’re just people.â€￾

“People with money and class,â€￾ Lilly said, reaching down to fit her slingback straps back around her heels.

“You have class,â€￾ Ryan said.

“Says the boy with the shoeless girlfriend in the car.â€￾

“Still classy,â€￾ Ryan said, smiling and leaning over to kiss Lilly’s cheek as she adjusted her shoes, hunched forward in her seat.

Ryan parked his car, got out and walked around to the passenger side. He opened the door to find Lilly still buckling one slingback strap. “I’m ready,â€￾ Lilly said as she took Ryan’s hand and climbed out of the low-slung sports car.

Lilly’s feet landed on the gravel driveway and stones crunched under her shoes. She took a few steps and was surprised that such a fancy house had a gravel drive, though it gave the mansion more of a beach-escape feel. It also made Lilly’s steps very tentative, as she felt stones slipping under her heels and had to hold Ryan’s hand for balance. The walkway to the house was gravel laid around pieces of slate, and Lilly felt more at ease as her narrow heels landed well on the slate stones. At least Lilly’s balance felt more sure, as she still felt nervous as they approached the front door. Ryan knocked twice, then opened the door himself, stepping in first so as not to put Lilly on the spot. Lilly smiled, then stepped inside the house and pulled the door shut behind her.

The house inside was immaculate and elegant. There was the hushed commotion of activity somewhere else in the house, but the front foyer was mostly empty. Lilly heard footsteps coming in their direction, though. “Ryan, is that you?â€￾ a woman called.

“Happy Easter, Mom,â€￾ Ryan called back, taking Lilly’s coat to hang it in the closet.

Ryan’s mother appeared from a doorway, and Lilly thought she was about as she imagined: sophisticated and classy, self-assured, but maybe a bit warmer than she had expected. She hugged her son tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Mom, this is Lilly,â€￾ Ryan said, motioning in Lilly’s direction.

“Lilly, we’ve heard a lot about you,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said, giving Lilly a hug of her own. “We’re glad you could make it. It’s so nice to meet you.â€￾

“Aww, thank you,â€￾ Lilly said. “I’m glad I could be here, too.â€￾

“I like your dress,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said. “You accessorize well, too.â€￾

Lilly blushed. “Thank you,â€￾ she repeated, still expecting to hear some criticism about how she was not quite up to the Baker family’s standards.

“Can we get you anything to drink?â€￾ Mrs. Baker asked.

“Maybe some water?â€￾ Lilly asked.

“Sure, right this way,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said.

Ryan led Lilly through the halls back to the kitchen, which overlooked the ocean and the house’s expansive backyard. A fancy patio opened out to the grass, which stretched as far as the beach and then dropped away into sand. “I’ve got this,â€￾ Ryan said, pouring two glasses of water and handing one off to Lilly.

“You’re just in time for the Easter egg hunt,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said. “All the little ones get so excited for it.â€￾

“I can imagine,â€￾ Lilly said. “Easter used to be so exciting.â€￾ She stood next to Ryan at the island in the kitchen, as his mother stood across from them.

“We’re glad we have the kids here,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said. “Ryan’s sisters’ little girls, and the cousins bring their children too. These holidays are really for the children.â€￾

“They really are,â€￾ Lilly said. “Though I appreciate the occasion to play dress-up, too,â€￾ she added, laughing maybe a bit nervously. She doubted her small-talk abilities when she was on the spot, and she could not remember the last time she had met a boyfriend’s parents. Even though Mrs. Baker seemed pleasant enough, she still felt nervous.

“So what do you do for work?â€￾ Mrs. Baker asked.

Lilly sipped her water. “I’m a coordinator for a non-profit,â€￾ she said. “That’s how I met Ryan.â€￾

“I told her a little of the story,â€￾ Ryan said, moving closer to Lilly and putting his hand on the small of her back.

Lilly smiled through the small talk, but as they stood in the kitchen, Lilly’s lovely lavender slingbacks were growing uncomfortable. Lilly usually bought her shoes very wisely, but with a pair of purple heels, they needed to match an outfit more than they needed to be comfortable. Such were the lavender slingbacks. The height was as comfortable to Lilly as walking barefoot, but the shoes were cut just a bit narrow for her feet, and so her toes felt cramped inside as the shoe forced them toward the peep-toe opening. The other part was her own doing; she had questioned in the car whether she left the slingback straps too loose for comfort, and so she tightened each one a notch before getting out of Ryan’s car. It only took a few steps to realize she had overtightened them, and it would be difficult to correct that without sneaking away somewhere. Classy women didn’t adjust their shoe straps while meeting a suitor’s parents.

As Ryan and his mother talked, Lilly leaned into the conversation. She raised her right leg behind her, and with her right hand, she gently nudged her slingback strap down her heel, being very careful not to snag her tights. She also did not want to nudge the strap so loose that her shoe fell off. Lilly lowered her foot, carefully setting her heel down on the tile floor, then arched her foot, feeling the strap give way just enough. Lilly clenched her toes and slipped her shoe off, planting her soft foot on the tile and spreading her stockinged toes wide against the cool floor.

After a few minutes, Lilly slipped her toes back into her pump, resting her heel atop the slingback strap. She wondered if she could successfully loosen her left shoe’s strap with her stockinged toes, and slipped her right foot free again, this time planting her stockinged toes atop the leather heel strap of her left shoe. She was trying to nudge the strap inconspicuously when Mrs. Baker stood straight up and took a few steps around the island. Lilly slipped her right foot back into her pump, glad she had not been successful.

“You know, we should go out and see the kids finish the egg hunt,â€￾ Ryan said, once again wrapping his arm around Lilly’s back and planting his hand atop her hip, as if to guide her.

Lilly looked up innocently as she reached down, raised her right leg ever so carefully, and tugged the strap back over her right heel. “Sure, I’d love that,â€￾ she said.

“So you like children?â€￾ Mrs. Baker asked.

Lilly laughed nervously. She hated the question because it was an impossible answer, especially meeting someone’s parents. “Kids can be fun,â€￾ she said. “But I’m not in any rush to have my own family. I want to get my career in order first.â€￾ She looked up at Ryan, who had a nervous look of his own on his face. He clearly disliked where the small talk had gone.

“It’s important to have priorities,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said. “These days especially, there’s really no need to rush.â€￾

“I’ll remember you said that, Mom,â€￾ Ryan said, laughing nervously as well.

“I mean, I do tell Ryan we’d love to have grandkids,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said, opening one door to the stone patio outside. “But first things first, naturally. Plus we already have a couple grandkids running around.â€￾

Lilly stepped out onto the patio with Ryan and his mother, her heels clicking on the patio blocks as she left the house behind. The true beauty of the scene was only partly visible from inside the house. The patio stretched most of the length of the house, with a gated inground swimming pool set off to one side, not yet open for the summer. The patio opened onto a spacious lawn, showing hints of green despite the early Easter and the cold winter in the rear-view mirror. Just beyond the lawn, a sandy drop-off led to a beach along the ocean. The sea breeze was cool, but the sun felt warm and inviting on Lilly’s forearms. Above the patio, on a porch on the second floor, Lilly saw a couple men smoking cigars and motioning out toward the water. She guessed they were Ryan’s father and brother-in-law.

The patio was not vacant, either; there were a couple women sitting down at one end, and a few kids milling about. “I think Lilly needs to sit down for a few,â€￾ Ryan said, steering Lilly toward one of the tables. Mrs. Baker took a seat on one side of the round table, and Ryan sat next to her, so Lilly took the other seat to Ryan’s right.

“I like seeing Ryan so protective,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said, laughing. She then motioned to the adjacent table, where two women were sitting. “That,â€￾ she said, gesturing to the closer woman in a blue dress, “is Ryan’s sister Mary. And that,â€￾ she continued, gesturing to the other woman wearing a black-and-tan dress, “is their cousin Emily.â€￾

Lilly nodded. Mary, in the blue dress, looked a little older than Ryan, with the same classy air of their mother. Emily was a few years younger, and very pretty, prettier than Mary even. Lilly loved the dress she was wearing, and thought she had tried it before, hoping to find it again one day on clearance. Emily appeared to be bare-legged, though, wearing a pair of black pumps with ankle straps and four-inch heels. Mary was wearing sheer nylons and blue pumps that matched her dress. Lilly was conflicted; suddenly, in her cardigan and white tights, she felt years younger than them.

All of a sudden, three little girls rushed up to Mary and Emily, each dressed in some form of Sunday best, carrying little Easter baskets. Lilly looked over as the two mothers plucked a few Easter eggs from each basket, then preened their little girls, adjusting headbands and sweater sleeves and dress hems.

“How did you do, girls?â€￾ Mrs. Baker asked from her tables.

Suddenly, the frenzy of girls had surrounded the table where Ryan and Lilly were seated. Not only did Mrs. Baker have the full attention of her granddaughters and great-niece, she also had her own daughter and niece making introductions. “Mary, Emily, this is Lilly,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said, gesturing across the table. Lilly smiled and introduced herself, shaking hands with Mary and Emily. In turn, Mary and Emily introduced their daughters.

Mary’s daughter Marisa was especially excited to meet Lilly. “Miss Lilly, you have purple shoes,â€￾ she said, as if it were a tremendous discovery.

Lilly laughed. “Yes, I do,â€￾ she said. She did like how little kids were fascinated by the simplest things. “I like your shiny white shoes, though.â€￾ Marisa blushed.

“Do you want to come egg-hunting with us?â€￾ one of the girls asked Emily.

“That’s okay,â€￾ Emily said. “Aunt Mary and I can’t really walk in the grass in these shoes anyway.â€￾ She motioned to her black heels, which Lilly recognized had glossy cherry-red soles.

“What about Miss Lilly?â€￾ Marisa asked.

“She’s wearing heels too,â€￾ Mary said.

“Well, actually,â€￾ Lilly said, reaching for her purse. She took out her pair of backup flats and set the two simple lavender shoes on the patio in front of her. The little shoes were styled like ballet slippers, with some decorative stitching to give the flats definition and two little string bows atop the toes. “I did bring spare shoes.â€￾

The girls surrounded Lilly with their Easter baskets as Lilly reached down to unbuckle her slingback straps. She felt bad that the girls couldn’t convince their mothers to come out on the lawn with them. But this was also an easy way to impress Mrs. Baker, and a perfect way to get out of her uncomfortable pumps. Lilly slipped her right foot out of her slingback and into one of the flats, and then did the same with her left, tucking the shoes back under her chair. Lilly got to her feet and said, “Ready to go, girls?â€￾

Lilly was instantly grateful that she had brought the little flats along as the girls led her to the lawn. She missed the sexy clicking of her heels against the patio, but the backs of her heels were sore from the tight straps of the slingbacks, and as the group of girls reached the lawn, Lilly knew she would have plunged into the earth on her first step. She had had enough bad experiences walking in tall heels on grass to know it was a bad idea.

The three girls were wearing shiny and pretty dress flats, but they could have been wearing sneakers the way they attacked the lawn and the garden paths, targeting the parts of the landscaping where they had not yet looked for Easter eggs. One of Mary’s daughters and Emily’s daughter were the same age, so they teamed up ahead, peeking under hostas and looking along the shards of slate laid into the earth. Mary’s daughter Marisa, the older daughter, lagged back with Lilly.

As the egg hunt went on, Lilly found herself less and less enchanted with her thrift-store flats. She was wearing boots the day she found them, and there was no way she was taking her boots off in a Goodwill to try on a pair of cheap flats in her size. The flats were adorable. But they were narrow, and they squeezed Lilly’s toes uncomfortably. The soles were stiff, too, and every time she bent down to talk to the girls, her heels would pop out of the flats. Admittedly, Lilly was breaking them in, as she was pretty sure they had been barely worn before finding their way to the store. But she was quite happy that she had not been the one to buy them at full price.

At last, the girls had found their fill of plastic-shelled Easter eggs, and they came over to Lilly to show her their Easter baskets. Lilly once again crouched down, balancing on her toes so she could be at the younger girls’ level. She felt her heels slip from the flats and heard the shoes slap the slate stone below her. At last, Lilly stood up and followed the girls back to the patio. Marisa lingered back with Lilly as the two younger girls raced ahead. “Your shoes keep falling off,â€￾ she said.

“I know,â€￾ Lilly said, wishing they would fall off for good. “They’re not very comfortable.â€￾

“Mine either,â€￾ Marisa said. “Is that why they make little straps on them like your other shoes had?â€￾

“Pretty much,â€￾ Lilly said. “To reinforce good habits.â€￾

“So we don’t take off our shoes everywhere?â€￾

“I guess so,â€￾ Lilly said.

“So why do big girls take their shoes off all the time?â€￾ Marisa asked.

It was a kid’s question, but as Lilly thought back a few months, and as she thought to the uncomfortable shoes on her feet at the present, it was an interesting question. “Because sometimes, it’s just better,â€￾ she finally said, smiling as they reached the patio.

As the girls showed off their finds to their parents, Lilly circled around the table she had been sitting at, coming up behind Ryan’s chair. She was going to playfully give him a hug, but realized she did not want to seem too forward in front of Ryan’s mother. Instead, she leaned down with her hands on the back of Ryan’s chair. “Hi,â€￾ she said, smiling.

“Hey, Lilly,â€￾ Ryan said, looking up from his seat. “How did that go?â€￾

“It was fun,â€￾ Lilly said. “My feet hurt, though.â€￾

“Take your shoes off,â€￾ Ryan said, joking.

Lilly had already slipped her right flat off, resting her foot atop the leather so she did not have to stand on the patio. “I already did,â€￾ she said.

“I wish I could see,â€￾ Ryan said. “You’re cruel.â€￾

“Did your mom say anything?â€￾ Lilly asked.

“She likes you,â€￾ Ryan said. “She thinks you’re classy, and good with the girls.â€￾

“I should probably put my shoe back on, then.â€￾

“She was very impressed you came prepared, by the way,â€￾ Ryan added.

“Prepared?â€￾ Lilly asked.

“Your spare shoes,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said as she returned to her chair. “You could see how excited the girls got when you could go on the lawn with them.â€￾

“Well, I figured my heels wouldn’t work so well if we were out on the lawn,â€￾ Lilly said. She slipped her right shoe back on, hoping Mrs. Baker hadn’t seen her exposed stockinged foot.

“She’s very practical,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said as if speaking privately to Ryan.

Marisa suddenly appeared by Lilly’s side. “Miss Lilly,â€￾ she asked, “can I show you around the house?â€￾

Mrs. Baker was nodding in the background, so Lilly said, “Sure, I’d like that.â€￾ She leaned back down to Ryan and whispered, “I’ll be back in a few.â€￾

Lilly followed Marisa across the patio to one of the many sliding doors inside. Marisa chose a door to the living room, and Lilly helped her slide the heavy door open and closed again as they stepped inside. Lilly felt her steps sink a bit into the plush carpet as she surveyed the room. Like everything else she had seen so far, it was immaculate, everything shined and polished and clean as if no one had ever actually lived in there. The furniture was ivory leather, the carpets were almost white. Lilly felt like she and Marisa, in their white-and-purple ensembles, were the room’s sole pop of color.

The white carpets gave Lilly a moment of pause. She lifted one leg, noticing a few blades of grass on the heel of her flat. “I’m going to take my shoes off,â€￾ Lilly said, stepping out of her flats and into the carpet. As each foot landed in the carpet, she felt her toes and heels dig into the plush floor. It was soothing, relieving, and at the same time a bit revealing. Lilly realized that six months ago, she never would have taken her shoes off in this situation. She decided that six months ago, she had no idea what she was missing.

Marisa watched intently as Lilly wiggled her white-stockinged toes against the carpet. “Do your feet hurt?â€￾ she asked. Marisa was young but perceptive.

“A little bit,â€￾ Lilly said. “These aren’t very comfortable shoes.â€￾

“They’re cute, though,â€￾ Marisa said.

“Exactly,â€￾ Lilly said. “Comfy is important but cute is even more important. But sometimes cute hurts.â€￾

Marisa led the shoeless Lilly up the carpeted stairs and showed her the expansive mansion. With every exquisitely-furnished room, Lilly felt smaller and smaller. Ryan had admitted, grudgingly, that his family had money. “I don’t like to tell women at first,â€￾ he had explained.â€￾Then they’re just interested in hanging around for the money.â€￾ But he had never suggested that they had the money to buy a small country. Marisa, on the other hand, had grown up in the lap of luxury, so she never flinched as she pointed out each extravagance casually.

But if the mansion was extravagant, it was also comfortable, especially as Lilly walked about shoeless. She was accustomed to walking around her apartment or her office sans shoes, but the mansion’s carpeted floors were so luxurious and so seemingly untouched by comparison. Each step was a gentle massage on Lilly’s soles. When they stopped to look at a room, Lilly would knead her toes against the carpet, or brush her soles lightly against the floor, the fibers tickling her feet. She felt a bit spoiled.

“Are you going to marry Ryan?â€￾ Marisa asked as she led Lilly down another hall to a sunny sitting room overlooking the ocean.

Lilly laughed. “I don’t know,â€￾ she said. “We haven’t been dating very long.â€￾

“You’re the nicest girl he’s ever brought here,â€￾ Marisa said.

“Aww, thank you,â€￾ Lilly said.

“And you wear purple shoes,â€￾ Marisa added.

“Not right now,â€￾ Lilly said.

“Ryan’s other girlfriends never took their shoes off,â€￾ Marisa said.

“No?â€￾ Lilly asked as the girls entered the sitting room. There were two lounge chairs illuminated by the sunlight shining into the room. Marisa sat on the edge of one, her feet barely touching the carpeted floor. Lilly sat in the other, feeling herself sink into the plush chair as she swung her long, white-stockinged legs onto the chair. The warmth of the sun radiated on her pretty white legs and feet, and she wiggled her toes.

“Nope,â€￾ Marisa said. “Except for Marla. She was super nice, and she never wore shoes here. Ryan really liked her.â€￾

Lilly looked down the lounge chair at her shoeless white feet, her toes curling in the sunlight. She had a feeling she understood why Ryan liked Marla so much. Lilly had remembered to bring her purse, so she reached down, fished out her phone, and snapped a picture of her white-stockinged feet wiggling in the sunlight. She smiled as she texted the photo to Ryan, hoping he would be alone when he saw his phone. Then she considered Marisa, and hoped the inquisitive girl did not ask what she was up to. Or mention it later.

“Do your feet still hurt?â€￾ Marisa asked.

Lilly curled her warm toes. “Not really,â€￾ she said. “But I don’t really want to put my shoes back on when we go downstairs.â€￾

Marisa nodded understandingly.

Lilly heard footsteps coming upstairs, muffled by the carpet. “Lilly?â€￾ Ryan’s voice called from the hall.

“We’re in the sun room,â€￾ Lilly called back.

It was barely ten seconds before Ryan appeared in the doorway to the sun room. “Hi, honey,â€￾ he said, smiling.

“Did you get my text?â€￾ Lilly asked.

“I did,â€￾ Ryan said. “Some of the cousins are just pulling in so we’re going to get together downstairs in a few.â€￾

“Should I come down?â€￾ Lilly asked, sliding her right foot off the lounge chair so she could stand up.

“We have a few minutes,â€￾ Ryan said, walking over and kissing Lilly’s forehead. He sat down at the foot of the lounge chair. Lilly raised her left foot and Ryan scooted over on the lounge chair so her foot was resting in his lap. Lilly raised her right leg and slid her right foot into Ryan’s waiting lap as well. She had barely landed her heel on Ryan’s thigh before he had his hands on her soft feet, kneading them gently.

“Thank you for keeping Lilly company,â€￾ Ryan said to Marisa, who looked on with interest as he rubbed Lilly’s feet.

“You’re welcome, Uncle Ryan,â€￾ Marisa said. “She’s really nice.â€￾

Ryan laughed. “I know,â€￾ he said.

Lilly loved that Ryan was rubbing her feet, but Marisa’s intent observation left her slightly unsettled. “How did you know Lilly’s feet hurt?â€￾ Marisa finally asked.

“Because her shoes are off,â€￾ Ryan said. “If I rub her feet enough, she can put her shoes on again. But Lilly doesn’t want to tell everyone, so that’s a secret for the three of us. Right?â€￾

Marisa nodded solemnly. She was clearly mature for her age, but she was still prone to a child’s imagination, Lilly thought.

“Good,â€￾ Ryan said. “We’ll be right down, if you want to head downstairs. I think some of the cousins just got here.â€￾

“Okay,â€￾ Marisa said, nodding. She got up and bolted downstairs.

Lilly looked at Ryan, who was smiling as he rubbed her feet. “She’s very smart, but super trusting,â€￾ Ryan said. “And she likes you.â€￾

“She’s a sweetheart,â€￾ Lilly said. “But right now you’re mine.â€￾

Ryan smiled as he took Lilly’s right foot in his two hands. He lined his fingers up on Lilly’s sole, with the heels of his hands on the sides of her feet, and he rolled his hands down while pressing his fingers into Lilly’s soles. Lilly called it “foldingâ€￾ her feet, and she loved it. He repeated the folding motion a few times before switching feet and folding her left foot. Lilly leaned in and kissed Ryan without a word.

Lilly leaned back into the lounge chair, her feet still on Ryan’s lap. She rubbed her left foot against Ryan’s slacks, and she could feel his arousal. Ryan blushed, and Lilly smiled, wiggling her toes against his crotch. “I should wear white tights more often,â€￾ she whispered.

“Yeah, you should,â€￾ Ryan said. “How are your feet?â€￾

“Happy,â€￾ Lilly said. “Do you need a moment?â€￾

“Yeah,â€￾ Ryan said. Lilly sat up and swung her feet to the floor, cuddling next to Ryan. She dug her toes into the carpet.

“There had better be an encore,â€￾ Ryan added, looking down as Lilly wiggled her stockinged toes.

“Well, of course,â€￾ Lilly said, smiling. She wanted the encore to be right now, if their absence at the party would not go unnoticed. Instead she would wait until they got home. Or maybe to Ryan’s apartment. She remembered the first time he had taken her there. It had started with his hands working inside her peacoat, exploring her curves atop her short sweaterdress. Lilly had reflexively shed her pumps the way a snake sheds its skin, and when the elevator door opened the two awkwardly made their way to Ryan’s apartment door. Once inside, their coats fell to the floor and…Lilly smiled at the recollection. The only bad part was that no one found her shoes in the elevator, and the next morning, she had to pad home in the slippers Ryan gave her, conveniently hiding in her purse for such emergencies.

Ryan apparently had the same thoughts in mind as he stood up. “We should go see the family,â€￾ he said. “Are you ready?â€￾

Lilly nodded, standing up and following Ryan back into the main hallway.

As the two made their way down the stairway back into the living room, Lilly asked, “Ryan, where are my heels?â€￾

Ryan stopped in his tracks. “Um…they’re on the patio,â€￾ he said. “I forgot to bring them in. Where are your flats?â€￾

“Behind the couch,â€￾ Lilly said.

They took two more steps down, and both Lilly and Ryan saw there would be no discreetly finding a pair of shoes for Lilly. The family had started to filter into the living room, and a few had already noticed both Ryan and Lilly coming down the stairs. Lilly sighed. “Oh, well,â€￾ she said, following Ryan into the living room.

As Ryan exchanged hugs and handshakes with some uncles and aunts, Lilly stood quietly alongside, waiting for her introduction. She just hoped that, in the crowd, no one would think to look down. And for the first few “and this is Lillyâ€￾ introductions, she was fortunate. But as the family got more and more spread through the room, Lilly worried that people would be inclined to look down. And sure enough, as she shook an aunt’s hand, the aunt glanced down. “You’re quite tall, and dear, you’re not wearing shoes,â€￾ she said critically.

“We were out on the lawn earlier, for an egg hunt, with the nieces,â€￾ Lilly said. “And when we came in I didn’t want to track any grass on the carpet.â€￾

“That’s smart of you,â€￾ the aunt said, seeming to approve of Lilly’s excuse, before moving on. Lilly was relieved. She had an excuse she could fall back on. And a few times, she did.

But as Lilly followed Ryan around the room, the only girl in her stockinged feet, she still felt a bit awkward. At the holiday party, she was trying not to get caught playing with her shoes, and no one had caught her until the very end. Now, she was entirely shoeless, and people kept glancing down, hoping to judge her by her heels, and instead judging her by her adorable but improperly shoeless stockinged feet. But on the bright side, Lilly was comfortable, as the carpeted floors were soft underfoot. She imagined the other women, mostly in designer heels that cost more than Lilly’s entire ensemble, would regret their shoes by the time lunch was served.

Some of the family took seats on the sofas, and Ryan did the same, leading Lilly to a spot on a white leather couch. Lilly sat down and, figuring she had been exposed by now, crossed one leg over the other, arching her foot for an invisible high heel.

“I just realized,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said, sitting next to Lilly, “that you’re not wearing shoes, Lilly.â€￾

“Well, I didn’t want to risk tracking any grass or dirt on the carpet,â€￾ Lilly said. “So I left my flats at the door.â€￾

“Ryan has found a practical one,â€￾ Mrs. Baker said, giving Lilly a hug with one arm. “That’s what we have a maid for.â€￾ The rest of the room laughed.

While the family members caught up, Lilly listened in, leaning into Ryan a bit, rubbing her foot up and down her leg. She knew Ryan was watching, and as her eyes scanned the room, she could see some of the men glancing in her direction every now and then. It felt like the holiday party all over again, only with a bigger audience. Ryan’s sister Mary had joined the group, and as she stood by the couch, she eyed Lilly’s legs jealously, shifting her weight from side to side. Cousin Emily did the same, stretching her legs to keep her feet from going numb in her towering shoes. None of the Baker women looked comfortable in the least. Lilly felt uncomfortable being shoeless, but her feet certainly felt comfortable. She wondered why no one else dared take their shoes off.

At last, some of the family started getting up and wandering toward the dining room. Mrs. Baker got up to go check on the food, leaving Ryan alone with Lilly on their couch. “Could you do me a favor?â€￾ Lilly asked Ryan.

“Sure, Lil,â€￾ Ryan said.

“Could you go get my slingbacks from the patio outside?â€￾ Lilly asked.

“Sure,â€￾ Ryan said. He got up and headed straight for the sliding door to the patio.

Lilly uncrossed her legs and stretched them out, pointing her toes in and heels out as she rubbed her soles into the carpet. As she stretched, one of Ryan’s cousins glanced over. She was maybe a few years younger than Lilly, with reddish hair and a bright smile. “That is a really cute outfit,â€￾ she said.

“Thanks,â€￾ Lilly said. The cousin was wearing a pink-and-green Lilly Pulitzer dress, and she was either wearing shiny nude hose or she was an heiress to a lotion magnate. She looked cute in her own right, and she had probably even paid retail for the Lilly dress. “I like your dress too.â€￾

“I like the white tights,â€￾ Ryan’s cousin said. “It’s kind of daring but you make it work well. I don’t think I’m that brave.â€￾

Lilly was flattered. “Aww, thanks,â€￾ she said, looking down at her legs. It was a simple fashion choice, really. She wondered why more women didn’t give it a try. “Are those nylons?â€￾

Ryan’s cousin nodded. “Wolfords,â€￾ she said, slipping off one of her glossy tan pumps and wiggling her stockinged toes. “They’re so worth the splurge.â€￾

Lilly’s tights came from Kohl’s, but she knew of Wolfords. She could never imagine spending that kind of money on nylons. “They have a nice shimmer,â€￾ she said.

“I like the tights though,â€￾ Ryan’s cousin said. “It’s very youthful.â€￾

“It looks more grown-up when I have my shoes on,â€￾ Lilly said, laughing as she stood up.

“You really want these?â€￾ Ryan asked, setting Lilly’s slingbacks in front of her on the floor.

“No, but I should try and be a big girl,â€￾ Lilly said, laughing as she slipped her right foot into one empty slingback.

“Oh, of course you’d have matching shoes,â€￾ the cousin said. “Those are so cute. Where’d you get them?â€￾

Lilly slipped the other shoe on and sat down so she could buckle her heel straps. “I actually found them at a secondhand store,â€￾ she said. “There’s this little shop downtown that’s all vintage stuff and designer stuff that’s traded in. It’s the only way I could afford some outfits.â€￾ She buckled her first strap, leaving it looser than she had buckled them in the car.

The cousin slipped her shoe back on. “I’m Erin, by the way,â€￾ she said, finally introducing herself. “And this is Brady.â€￾

“And I’m Lilly,â€￾ Lilly said as she buckled her left heel strap. She stood up and arched her feet, feeling her heels barely rub the heel straps of her shoes. Maybe she had left them too loose this time. She could fix that later, she rationalized as she and cousin Erin and their dates walked to the dining room.

As Lilly walked, she wished she had stayed in her tights after all. The dining room was as plushly carpeted as the living room, and with her slingback straps so loose, the shoes were difficult to walk in. She did like that Ryan had put his hand around her waist to sort of guide her, and she felt ladylike and elegant despite her loose-fitting pumps making each step slightly treacherous. Ryan selected two chairs and pulled one out for Lilly, who gracefully sat down next to cousin Erin. Ryan sat in the seat next to hers. Lilly slid her feet back toward her chair, her stockinged soles gliding on the smooth insoles of her slingbacks, the slingback straps helplessly brushing her stockinged heels. Despite the commotion and the hum of chatter in the dining room, Lilly heard the distinct sound of nylon heels popping free from shoes not far away. She glanced over at Erin in the next chair.

Erin was sipping a glass of water and glanced over at Lilly. “Oh, hi, Lilly,â€￾ she said, having not noticed Ryan and Lilly taking the seats next to her. Lowering her voice, Erin asked, “Did you take your shoes off?â€￾

“Mostly,â€￾ Lilly said in an equally low voice, her toes playing with her slingback straps.

“Me too,â€￾ Erin said, looking under the table. Lilly looked to see Erin stretching her legs out in front of her, wiggling her nude-hosed toes.

“I brought a pair of flats, but I was in the grass with them earlier,â€￾ Lilly explained. “So I didn’t want to wear them in here.â€￾

“Brady yelled at me after church,â€￾ Erin said. “Mass ran wicked long and we were standing the whole first half, and so I took my shoes off and got communion in my stocking feet. Brady was so embarrassed.â€￾

“Heels are not made for standing around,â€￾ Lilly said. “Ryan and I went to a function two weeks ago, and after an hour I had to take my shoes off and just stand there for the last half. My toes were so sore.â€￾

“My toes still hurt from church,â€￾ Erin said.

“Mine feel good now,â€￾ Lilly said, as she rubbed her feet into the carpet.

Erin was about to say something, but Brady and Ryan both leaned in with a silencing finger as Ryan’s father raised a glass to kick off dinner.

After a toast and a prayer, Erin and Lilly continued to chat through Easter dinner. Lilly was just pleased she had someone besides Ryan to talk to. While they talked, Lilly occasionally nudged her shoes around with a stockinged foot, or reached over and rubbed her toes on Ryan’s pantleg. She wished Ryan would take his shoes off and play footsie with her, but it would be an awkward game at best. Besides, Ryan never took his shoes off in public, and Lilly sort of liked that, especially as she became more prone to playing with her shoes. One of them had to be the proper one, after all. She wondered if Erin and Brady had the same chemistry.

Dinner wrapped up, and some of the family ventured back outside, while others mingled around the table and some stayed seated finishing conversations. Ryan left to use the bathroom. Lilly stayed at the table partly because she had nowhere else to go, and partly because she didn’t want to put her shoes back on. She had stretched her long legs out, exploring the frame under the table, exploring the carpet, making sure she hadn’t lost track of her pretty purple slingbacks. She looked over at Erin, who was slumped down in her own chair, playing on her cell phone. Lilly looked under Erin’s chair and her shiny tan pumps were still empty under her chair. Brady suddenly returned and slid his chair out from under the table so he could sit down. “What do you want to do?â€￾ he asked Erin.

“I don’t know,â€￾ Erin said as her fingertips flicked at her phone.

“Did you put your shoes back on yet?â€￾ Brady asked.

“No,â€￾ Erin said sheepishly.

“Me either,â€￾ Lilly said, coming to Erin’s defense.

Brady glanced under the table. “What is it with you girls and shoes?â€￾ he asked, laughing.

“You try wearing three-inch heels all day,â€￾ Erin said.

“But you’re going barefoot in public,â€￾ Brady countered.

“We’re wearing nylons,â€￾ Lilly said.

“Socks aren’t any better,â€￾ Brady argued.

“All the best shoes are just made to look cute,â€￾ Erin said. “They’re not made to be comfortable in the least.â€￾

“And that’s why they make our shoes easy to take off,â€￾ Lilly added, dragging her slingbacks out from under the table. If she were going to wear them again, she had to adjust the heel straps first.

“Ryan, you’ve gotta back me up on this,â€￾ Brady said, half laughing as Ryan returned to the table.

“Why don’t we take this upstairs?â€￾ Ryan asked. “It beats the dinner table.â€￾

“To the sunroom?â€￾ Erin asked. Lilly saw she was also reaching under the table.

“Yes, the sunroom,â€￾ Ryan said.

Neither Erin nor Lilly bothered to put their shoes on before heading upstairs. In the sunroom, Lilly took one lounge chair while Erin took the other. Ryan and Brady took chairs across the room, but Lilly noticed that Ryan opted for the chair with the better view of her feet. Lilly rubbed her feet together and smiled at Ryan as he and Brady chatted.

Erin sat on her lounge chair and contemplated putting her shoes on, but finally swung her legs up onto the chair. “We need to head out soon, but I’m tired of these shoes,â€￾ Erin confessed, rubbing her soles against the chair.

“I might wait until I can get my flats back,â€￾ Lilly said. She stretched the toes of her right foot against her left heel, as if she were trying to pry off an invisible slipper.

“I can’t get over your tights,â€￾ Erin said. “I really need to get some.â€￾

“I sometimes wear them with these white lace flats,â€￾ Lilly said. “Or crochet flats. But Ryan likes when I wear them with a Mary Jane heel.â€￾ She kept prying at her heel with her right toes. The sun was baking her feet, and she loved the warmth. “Ryan just loves them.â€￾

“Brady’s indifferent,â€￾ Erin said, rubbing her toes against the arch of her right foot. “But I always figured Ryan was a foot guy.â€￾

“How did you know?â€￾ Lilly asked. She crossed her ankles and rubbed her crossed right ankle against her left.

“We were at a family wedding,â€￾ Erin said. “I was still in college so I never wore heels, and my shoes were killing me. I went to sit down and take them off, and I remember noticing that Ryan was always looking over at my table. He came over to chat while everyone was dancing. But I caught him staring at my feet a few times. He wasn’t very discreet about it then.â€￾

“He’s only a little more discreet now,â€￾ Lilly said, laughing. “We were at my nonprofit’s holiday party. I was wearing these four-inch heels and the insole started to come apart, and my feet were killing me. So naturally I started complaining to him.â€￾

“Well, that’s unfair to him,â€￾ Erin said.

“I had no idea!â€￾ Lilly said. “But I got a foot massage out of it in the middle of the party. And afterward at the coffee shop.â€￾

“And a boyfriend out of the whole thing.â€￾

“Which means foot rubs any time I ask for them,â€￾ Lilly said, glancing across the room, rubbing her feet against one another as Ryan looked over.

“Best thing ever,â€￾ Erin said, sighing as she rubbed her shimmery stockinged feet together. Lilly really wanted a pair of Wolfords now.

“Pretty much,â€￾ Lilly said, smiling.

Ryan and Brady, their conversation falling quiet on the other side of the room, went back downstairs, leaving Lilly and Erin alone in the sunroom. The girls talked for a little while longer. Erin eventually asked to try Lilly’s slingbacks on, which she did, taking a few steps around the sunroom. Lilly rubbed one of Erin’s glossy tan heels with her toes, but decided she preferred being shoeless a little longer. “They’re not that uncomfortable,â€￾ Erin chided as she kicked off Lilly’s slingbacks.

“It’s not your shoes, it’s my feet,â€￾ Lilly said, standing up and kneading her toes into the carpet.

“You really don’t like shoes,â€￾ Erin said, laughing as she slipped her own heels back on.

“It’s not that,â€￾ Lilly said, blushing. She lowered her voice. “I just really want Ryan to rub my feet right now.â€￾

“Ooooh,â€￾ Erin said, reading between the lines. “Or maybe when you get home?â€￾

“Well, yeah,â€￾ Lilly said, smiling as she reached down to pick up her slingbacks.

“Lucky girl,â€￾ Erin said, laughing.

The two girls headed downstairs, where Ryan was actually giving a couple uncles and aunts hugs. Ryan glanced at the stairs and smiled. “Lilly,â€￾ he said. “Good timing. I was wondering if we should head out soon.â€￾ He paused. “So we can get to your parents’ and all.â€￾

“Sure,â€￾ Lilly said, playing along. Her parents were hours north, but no one else in the room knew that.

As Ryan said some more goodbyes, Lilly walked around the couch and found her purse, set next to her empty flats. She picked up her ballet flats and inspected the soles, making sure there was no grass stuck to them. Surprisingly, they were clean. She could easily have worn them around the house. But as she wiggled her toes, she was glad she hadn’t.

Lilly carefully fit her slingbacks into her purse and slipped her soft feet into the ballet flats. The flats felt uncompromisingly stiff and pinchy in her toes. Lilly considered walking to the car in her stockinged feet, but the shoes would make her feet feel even better when they ultimately came off on the ride home. There was a little thrill to an uncomfortable shoe, even a flat.

After saying goodbyes to Erin and Ryan’s sisters and Ryan’s dad, Ryan’s mother opted to walk them to the front door. “I’m glad you got to come down, Lilly,â€￾ she said as they worked through the kitchen and dining room again. “It’s a pleasure and you’re quite a sweet girl.â€￾

“Aww, thank you,â€￾ Lilly said. “It was a pleasure meeting you, too.â€￾

“Hopefully you’ll be back soon,â€￾ Ryan’s mother added.

“I hope so too,â€￾ Lilly said.

As they stood in the foyer hugging and kissing, Lilly noticed there were some things littered on the floor by the stairs. She looked down and saw a few pairs of sneakers from some of the little cousins who had shown up since they got there. Some of the kids had gone upstairs to the playroom overlooking the water. Among the shoes by the stairs, there was a pair of shiny white Mary Jane-style shoes. Lilly smiled.

After one more hug and kiss, Ryan and Lilly strolled out to Ryan’s BMW, gleaming in the sunlight. Ryan opened the door for Lilly, who slipped into the passenger seat gracefully. Lilly wasted no time in slipping off the ballet flats, folding her right foot under her left thigh by the time Ryan climbed in the driver’s seat. Ryan looked over at Lilly, and Lilly just grinned as she wiggled her toes. “Hi, honey,â€￾ she said with a smile.

Ryan and Lilly drove back to the city, the roads mostly empty while people gathered with their own families. The two talked about Ryan’s family, about Lilly’s chat with Erin, about Ryan’s conversation with Brady. Lilly called her parents from the car to wish them a Happy Easter. And, of course, Ryan rubbed Lilly’s right foot as they drove north.

Before long, they were back at Ryan’s building, never even having discussed where they were going. Lilly slipped her flats back on and gathered her purse and coat as they got out of the car. The building lobby was quiet as Ryan and Lilly walked through and stepped into an open and waiting elevator.

In the elevator, Ryan smiled at Lilly as he pressed the button for his floor. “Thanks for coming with me today,â€￾ he said.

“Of course,â€￾ Lilly said. “Thanks for introducing me to your family.â€￾ Lilly slipped off her right flat and rubbed her foot on Ryan’s ankle.

Ryan smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed them,â€￾ he said, reaching his arm around to Lilly’s waist and rubbing her side and hip. Lilly felt Ryan’s fingers trace over the purple satin ribbon she wore as a belt, finding the top waistband of her tights under the fabric of her dress. Lilly trembled ever slightly as she leaned in toward Ryan, still balancing on her left foot as her right toes caressed Ryan’s ankle.

“They were really nice,â€￾ Lilly finally said. She felt Ryan’s hand glide down her hip and to the back of her thigh, and as he rested it there, Lilly stood on her tiptoes on her left foot, the back of her shoe popping from her stockinged heel. On her tiptoes, though, Lilly felt out of balance, so she returned her right foot to her shoe, landing her toes on the sole of the empty flat as she now stood leaning into Ryan. Ryan pulled Lilly closer to him, but as he felt Lilly searching for grip in her shoes, he instead shifted his body closer to hers, allowing her to find her balance on her tiptoes.

The elevator glided to a stop at Ryan’s floor and the door slid open. Lilly, still balancing on tiptoes standing in her shoes, slid her toes forward, her heels crushing down the backs of her ballet flats. She looked up at Ryan and smiled as he held the door for her. And after she stepped into the hallway, Ryan emerged from the elevator, clasped his hands around Lilly’s waist and leaned down to kiss her. Lilly slipped her right foot from her flat, catching her toes on the crushed back of the shoe before sliding her foot back in.

Ryan and Lilly started walking down the hall toward Ryan’s apartment door. “You know, when we were in the sunroom after dinner,â€￾ Ryan said, “I sort of wished we had the house to ourselves.â€￾

Lilly wrapped her free arm around Ryan’s waist as they walked, leaning into him. “It took you that long?â€￾ she asked.

Ryan kissed Lilly’s forehead as they walked. “Well, maybe not,â€￾ he said.

“It didn’t feel like it,â€￾ Lilly said, smiling.

“Oh, yeah,â€￾ Ryan said, blushing as he unlocked the door to his apartment.

Lilly stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed Ryan as he swung the apartment door open. There was a chair just inside the door, and Lilly reached in mid-kiss to drop her purse and coat on the chair. “That’s better,â€￾ she said, turning herself toward Ryan and reaching up to clasp both her hands behind Ryan’s neck. Ryan hugged Lilly and leaned down, and the two embraced in a kiss. Lilly stretched up on her tiptoes, stepped out of her ballet flats, and kicked back her right foot, curling her toes as they kissed.

Ryan stepped forward a bit, nudging Lilly to take a step or two back into the apartment. As they made their way inside, Ryan tripped briefly and looked down to see Lilly’s empty flats. “I feel like this has happened before,â€￾ Ryan said, still hugging Lilly.

“They can stay outside,â€￾ Lilly said, smiling as she tiptoed backward into Ryan’s apartment.

Ryan smiled back and leaned in to continue their embrace as he nudged the door shut, leaving two lavender ballet flats on the welcome mat behind them.

--

As always, comments are appreciated!


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llama
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Location: United States

Post by llama »

Well Done!!!
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