[ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

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
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:54 am

[ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

Post by paradigm88 »

Those of you who are regulars on this corner of the forum probably remember a couple different story threads over the last few years. I had a story in something like seven or eight parts titled "Steps to Awareness," featuring a young woman exploring a budding shoe/foot fetish through her co-workers and job. Another writer on the board - you recall JoshJack - had a few stories that featured some regular characters, two young women exploring the same sort of ground with each other.

JoshJack and I talked about swapping characters a couple times. His story circulated a couple years back. Sadly his material was lost from the board in a hacking episode. But he and I had talked, way back, about me borrowing his two core characters, Hannah and Ashley, and introducing them to my latest favorite, Mallory.

And so "Stepping Out" began back in 2017. I'd kicked around the last couple steps to get to where I wanted the story to end without being forced - in fiction, sometimes the repairman HAS to fix the cable - and by earlier this year I had it settled. Had it done. And after another hacking attempt, I wasn't able to get ahold of poor JoshJack to get his nod of approval.

I finally did - he's still around - and he was okay with where I brought his characters. So here's the latest installment. My "Steps to Awareness" stories are still on the board, if you're new to the forum. If you're not into nylon feet and shoeplay, this probably won't be your cup of tea.

Because of the length, I broke it down into three posts below. Hopefully the formatting looks good to you; I've checked it on two computers and it looks good to me. Enjoy - and as always, comments are appreciated!


paradigm88
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:54 am

Re: [ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

Post by paradigm88 »

The knock at the door startled Mallory as she found her sunglasses case on the kitchen counter. She had expected it, but it was the uncertainty of just when the door would ring out that caught her off-guard. “Coming!” Mallory called as she hurried to her couch and slipped the sunglasses into her purse before padding to the front door.

Mallory opened the door to find Sarah waiting patiently. “Hey, Sarah,” Mallory said, swinging the door wide.

“Hey, Mal,” Sarah said, walking into the apartment. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

“That’s okay,” Mallory said. “The other girls are running about fifteen minutes late too.”

“Sounds like we already have something in common,” Sarah said, laughing as she sat on Mallory’s couch. Mallory watched as Sarah crossed her right leg over her left. Sarah was wearing a purple turtleneck under a puffy black vest. Her tight khaki pants were hidden from the knee down by sleek black riding boots with a two-inch heel. Sarah was sexy in her boots, but there would be no games of footsie today. Mallory sighed inside.

“Can I ask your fashion opinion?” Mallory asked. The question she had seemed irrelevant now.

Sarah flicked at the screen of her phone with her thumb. “Sure, what’s up?”

“I’m trying to decide on my shoes,” Mallory said. She ran to her bedroom and picked her two options up off the floor, then returned to the living room to show Sarah. Sarah’s attention was once again glued to her phone. “Here,” Mallory said, trying to get Sarah’s attention back.

Mallory had struggled to find something to wear that was casual enough for a day with the girls, and not too much like her usual work attire. She had settled at last on a light seafoam green sweater and a tan skirt that was hemmed just above her knees. For work, she would have paired the outfit with some suntan hose, but for play, she had opted for a pair of ivory cable-knit sweater tights. Mallory had been loving the innocence and texture of her feet all morning. She had hoped that Sarah would be more enthused.

In her left hand, Mallory held up a pair of tan ballet flats. “I was thinking of wearing these,” she said, raising her hand with the shoes to make them more obvious. “But I sort of really want to wear these.” In her right hand, she raised a pair of light brown sandals. The sandals had two straps crossed over the toes, a single heel and ankle strap, and a two-inch block heel.

“I think I like the sandals more,” Sarah said, looking up from her phone. “Those are way cute.”

“I’m going to bring the flats, just in case,” Mallory said, tossing the flats into her tote bag. “But I just got these and I really want to show them off.” She sat down next to Sarah and slipped her ivory knit feet into the sandals, buckling them in one at a time.

“Maybe I should have brought spare shoes,” Sarah said, laughing.

“I like your boots,” Mallory said.

“They’re pretty hot, I know,” Sarah said. “But I’ll probably be bored with them by dinner.”

Mallory’s iPhone started buzzing on the kitchen table. “That’s them,” she said, jumping up and grabbing the phone. “Are you ready?”

“Ready as ever,” Sarah said, standing up. Mallory grabbed an ivory trenchcoat from the coat hook by her door, slipped it on, grabbed her purse and tote bag, and followed Sarah out the door.

Mallory and Sarah stepped outside into the parking lot, where the only car running was a silver BMW SUV. “I didn’t know these girls were loaded,” Sarah whispered as Mallory led Sarah to the Bimmer. One of the girls waved from the passenger seat as they approached.

Mallory opened the back door of the SUV and carefully stepped up into the seat. “Hi, Hannah, Ashley,” she said. “This is my friend Sarah.”

“Sarah!” Hannah said from the passenger seat. “I’m Hannah. We heard so much about you.”

“Hi,” Sarah said, smiling back.

“Hi, I’m Ashley,” the driver of the SUV said. Mallory saw Ashley’s eyes dart up and down as she studied Sarah. Ashley would not look in Mallory’s direction, though.

“This is a nice car,” Sarah said as she buckled her seatbelt.

“It’s my dad’s,” Ashley said. “We figured we needed something bigger for the day.”

Hannah had turned in her seat to see Mallory. “We’re so glad you girls could come!” she said. “This is basically what got us through the week.”

“I’m really excited, too,” Mallory said. She noticed Hannah was wearing a clingy red cardigan that revealed a white-and-blue striped top underneath, and navy blue pants. She wondered if Hannah were wearing boots like Sarah.

Sarah eyed both Mallory and Hannah as she fished her cell phone from her purse. “Wow, you two really could be sisters,” she said.

“Ashley thought that, too,” Hannah said. “I guess I wouldn’t mind having a cool younger sister.”

Mallory looked down at her feet and wiggled her off-white sweater-knit feet in her strappy sandals. Beneath her sandals, the carpeted floor of the BMW looked spotlessly clean. Mallory reached down and unbuckled one sandal, then wiggled her right foot free and sunk her toes into the plush carpeting underfoot. As she looked up again, she noticed Hannah glancing, her eyes drifting toward the floor of the car, and a smile creeping across her face.

“So you both work at a bank too?” Sarah asked.

“We do,” Ashley said. “I’ve been there about a year and Hannah’s been there two.”

“That’s cool,” Sarah said.

“Plus I work a few hours a week at a CPA firm,” Hannah said. “It keeps me busy but I figure every little opportunity helps.”

“You and Mallory are all about dreaming bigger, it sounds like,” Sarah said, glancing in Mallory’s direction.

“Well, I didn’t go to college to be a teller forever,” Hannah said. “I figure the CPA hours are something I can sell on my résumé, until I get a promotion or something.”

“Hey, I think I’ve gotta pee,” Ashley said abruptly. “Hannah honey, do you want a coffee?”

“Um, sure,” Hannah said, nodding.

“I should go too,” Sarah said. “Mal, do you want anything?”

“Hot chocolate, maybe?” Mallory said.

Ashley pulled the Bimmer to a stop at a Dunkin’ Donuts and jumped out of the truck quickly to rush inside. Sarah more gracefully stepped down from her seat and shut the door quietly behind her as she headed inside. Mallory was a bit confused as she watched Sarah walk inside.

“Ashley’s been in a mood all morning,” Hannah said. “This is early for her for a Saturday.”

“I was wondering,” Mallory said. “I’m really glad we could do this, though.”

“Me, too,” Hannah said. “Did you take your shoes off?”

Mallory blushed. “I took one off,” she said. “I like these shoes but I don’t like wearing shoes in the car.”

“Me either,” Hannah said, stretching her right leg and setting her foot on the dashboard. Her navy pants revealed her nude-stockinged foot, her red toenails and a single gold toe ring peeking out from the nylon. “I took my shoes off as soon as we got in,” Hannah added, wiggling her toes.

Mallory reached down and unbuckled her other sandal, wiggling her foot free. “I guess I can take the other one off,” she said, folding her stockinged left leg under her. The cool leather seat was soft and smooth against her leg, and she wiggled her toes contentedly against the seat.

“You’re a size seven, you said, right?” Hannah asked.

“Yeah,” Mallory said.

“Me too,” Hannah said. “I was hoping I could try your sandals later.” She folded her extended leg back under the dashboard.

Mallory had wondered if Hannah was attracted to feet as well. She certainly seemed to have her eye on Mallory’s. “Of course you can try them,” Mallory said. “I didn’t see your shoes.”

Hannah reached to the floor and held up a single low-cut brown loafer. “They just felt right for a day like today,” Hannah said. “Ashley hates them but I think they’re cute.”

The driver’s door of the BMW opened as Ashley climbed back behind the wheel with two cups of coffee in hand. “Hannah’s so preppy,” she said, laughing for the first time that morning. “I swear she stepped out of the J. Crew catalog this morning.”

Hannah feigned insult. “Brooks Brothers is way more expensive than J. Crew, love,” she teased back.

“Coffee?” Ashley asked, handing Hannah one of the two cups. She leaned in and kissed Hannah, glancing back toward Mallory as they separated. It was the first time all morning that Ashley had acknowledged Mallory’s presence.

“Here, Mal,” Sarah said, having slipped into her seat while Mallory was watching her front-seat companions share a kiss. “So are we ready?” As Mallory took her hot chocolate, she noticed Sarah glance down at her seat. Sarah looked back up and smiled.

“Ready as ever,” Ashley said, buckling her seatbelt as she glanced over her shoulder into the parking lot. Mallory felt a hand grab the stockinged toes of her folded left foot, and she wiggled her toes for Sarah in response. Maybe the drive would be less awkward than it had started out.

On the drive, the girls chatted as they tried to find more common ground than their jobs at a bank. Ashley and Sarah compared stories of growing up with wealthy parents, while Hannah lamented growing up as the daughter of working-class parents in an affluent town. “If it hadn’t been for school uniforms, I’d have been a total outcast,” Hannah said. “That awful plaid skirt was a godsend.”

“I like plaid skirts,” Mallory objected, feigning insult.

“I had to wear a uniform too,” Sarah said. “But I used to hem my skirts an inch short. And if they didn’t complain, then I’d hem another inch shorter, sometimes.”

“If I had to wear uniforms, I’d have done the same thing,” Ashley chimed in.

“So scandalous,” Hannah said, glancing at Ashley with a smile.

“I hated it because I love shopping and I couldn’t wear most of my cute stuff at school,” Sarah said.

“I hated that skirt,” Hannah said. “But it kept me from showing all the other girls that I couldn’t afford everything they could.”

“And that skirt was the last time Hannah showed anyone anything,” Ashley teased.

“I can still show off!” Hannah said. “I’m just a lot more choosy about who I share with.” Hannah looked at Ashley, but her eyes darted toward Mallory in the back seat.

Mallory caught Hannah’s sideways glance, and her toes curled tightly as she brushed the carpet with her right foot. She felt her cheeks flush the way they did when she was caught shoeless by her parents when she was younger.

The conversation broke the ice, and the next ninety minutes were filled with conversation as Ashley’s father’s Bimmer coasted through miles of open highway and wove through windy back roads. At last, the endless trees gave way to civilization, houses and gas stations and a bed-and-breakfast inn, before they came upon a picturesque downtown. “This is adorable,” Sarah said. “Where did you find out about this?”

“We came here a few times in college,” Hannah said. “My ex-boyfriend was from this area, and we’d sneak away here for a weekend every so often. I just fell in love with the place. It’s like a New England paradise. There’s a little craft winery, and a vintage shop, and it’s just so perfect.”

Ashley glanced over from the driver’s seat. “Ex-boyfriend?” she asked.

“I was nineteen,” Hannah said. “He was a senior. He was super-nice and preppy and a total gentleman. We dated for a couple months, but as much as I wanted to like him, he didn’t turn me on. We still talk sometimes. But this town is probably the best thing I got from the relationship.” Hannah paused. “Well, that, and figuring out I wasn’t into guys, obviously.”

Mallory was caught a bit by surprise. In her naïveté, she had just assumed that Hannah and Ashley were close in the way she and Sarah had become. Hannah’s admission made that make a lot more sense now. And suddenly Ashley’s attitude — she acted like Mallory was unwelcome — made a lot more sense, too.

“Oh, so you’re a couple?” Sarah asked.

“You didn’t know?” Ashley asked.

“Mallory never told me,” Sarah said. She glanced at Mallory with a look of surprise. Mallory shrugged. She had never said anything because she was far from sure herself. For all she knew, Hannah and Ashley had boyfriends at home but liked playing with each other’s shoes.

“Well, we are a couple,” Ashley said, her voice carrying an air of pride. “We don’t really broadcast it at work because they don’t allow interoffice relationships, and obviously we’d create quite a stir.”

“We almost got caught once,” Hannah said.

“Oh, yeah,” Ashley said, laughing. “We were playing with each other’s shoes under the table at a branch meeting, and I thought I’d stolen Hannah’s shoes. It turns out they were the branch manager’s heels!”

“Poor Jessica,” Hannah said. “She had to walk around the room in stocking feet like nothing ever happened. I did feel bad for her.”

“I walk around our office in stocking feet a lot,” Mallory said, her dangling foot kneading the carpet.

“I want to work at your bank,” Hannah said, smiling.

“Well, we’re here,” Ashley said, opening her car door. “Ready?”

“Almost,” Mallory said. “I have to put my shoes on.”

“Me, too,” Hannah said.

(Story continues...)
paradigm88
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:54 am

Re: [ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

Post by paradigm88 »

Ashley muttered something as she stepped down from the truck. Mallory unfolded her left leg and slipped her soft feet into her sandals, buckling them tight on her feet. She looked up as she saw Hannah ready to get out of the car. Sarah glanced over at Mallory and smiled as she climbed out. At last, Mallory took her purse, wiggled her feet in her sandals, and opened her car door to get out.

Mallory studied her three companions as Ashley studied a parking meter in the public lot. Ashley’s aura was modern casual. She had worn a bright green tunic that fell to mid-thigh, cinched at her waist with a black belt. Her black leggings turned the tunic into an abbreviated dress, though they ended anticlimactically at her ankles, with Ashley sporting black flip-flops on her bare feet. Ashley looked both stylish and relaxed. Hannah stood a few steps behind Ashley, one knee bent slightly and her stockinged heel popped out of her soft brown loafer. She really did look like a J. Crew catalog model. Sarah played with her phone, looking conservatively sexy. Even though her outfit was modest, it left little to the imagination.

After Ashley and Hannah agreed they had no need to pay for parking on a Saturday, the girls set off into town. Mallory could see why Hannah had been so taken by it years ago. The streets were lined with big-windowed storefronts. The buildings and the architecture looked old, but the stores were mostly new, a mix of boutiques selling antiques and trinkets and little cafes and coffee shops. Mallory had never seen such a thing before, but she now understood what people meant by “tourist trap.” It felt whimsical and enticing in a way the mall never did.

But Mallory also noticed how quiet it was. Maybe it was busier in summer, but on this fall day, Mallory felt like she and her three friends were the only ones in town. The streets were quiet except for the rustling of leaves in the wind, the slapping of Ashley’s flip-flops, and the clicks of Sarah’s boots and Mallory’s own sandals on the sidewalks. “I like your clickies,” Sarah said, smiling at Mallory.

“Thanks,” Mallory said, feeling self-conscious. She did like the sound of her blocky heels on the stones and sidewalks, but she worried if it was too noticeable. On these lonely streets, though, it was nothing to panic over.

“This is the bookstore!” Hannah suddenly exclaimed. Mallory looked ahead and saw a quaint local bookstore occupying not only the first, but seemingly the second floor of the building ahead of them. “I love this place,” Hannah continued. “We need to go in.”

“A bookstore?” Ashley asked as Hannah opened the door. Bells jingled with the door as the girls walked inside.

Mallory stepped into the bookstore with a sense of excitement. Reading was an escape for her, something that inspired her to be more than her family had expected her to be. And now, as she found herself surrounded by stacks and shelves of books, both new and old, she felt inspired again. She wondered if Sarah felt the same way. Sarah was eyeing the shelves with a questioning look.

Once in the bookstore, the girls quickly found sections of their own to browse. Mallory wanted to see what was upstairs, so she found the stairwell at the back of the store and climbed it. The wood steps creaked and clicked loudly under her sandals, so she tried to lighten her steps as she ascended to the second floor. She was relieved to see the floor at the top was carpeted. Her steps became silent for the first time since they’d gotten out of the car.

Mallory browsed the shelves for a while when she became aware of a creaking on the steps upstairs. She glanced over and saw Hannah emerge from the stairwell. “Hi,” Hannah said as she joined Mallory among the bookshelves.

“It’s so quiet in here,” Mallory said.

“That’s why I love it,” Hannah said. “Plus you found the reading room.”

“What reading room?” Mallory asked.

“There’s a reading room to the side,” Hannah said, motioning between the shelves. Off to the side, there was a glass-encased sitting area with a lovely view of the town.

“Oh, wow,” Mallory said. “No wonder you love this place.”

“I do,” Hannah said.

“Where are Sarah and Ashley?” Mallory asked.

“Still downstairs,” Hannah said. “They found something they both enjoyed reading and now they’re talking, plus Ashley wanted more coffee.”

Mallory was relieved. She and Sarah had never really meshed in their hobbies and academics, and she worried Sarah would bore easily of the bookstore.

“Hey, take your shoes off,” Hannah said.

“Here?” Mallory asked, looking down at her sandals and her white-stockinged feet.

“Yeah, take them off,” Hannah said, smiling. “I want to try them on.”

“Okay,” Mallory said. As she crouched down and unbuckled her ankle straps, she wondered why she felt so complacent just going along with Hannah’s request. Would she have done the same thing if anyone else asked her to take her shoes off in the middle of a bookstore? She stood back up and stepped out of her sandals, wiggling them a bit to free her feet from the straps. And as each of her ivory-stockinged feet landed on the carpet, she felt somehow elated.

“Where did you find these?” Hannah asked as she stepped out of her loafers and into Mallory’s sandals.

“Aerosoles,” Mallory said. “They were expensive but super comfy for heels.”

“I think I want these,” Hannah said, reaching down and buckling the ankle straps. “You can try mine on if you want.”

“That’s okay,” Mallory said. “They’re cute but they’re shoes.”

Hannah took a few steps toward the sunlit reading area, looking back at Mallory. Mallory could tell Hannah was far more comfortable in tall shoes than she felt. “Ooh, these are comfy,” Hannah cooed.

“I told you,” Mallory said, following Hannah toward the sunny reading room. The floor felt warmer underfoot as she stepped into the sunlight. She always felt a bit uncomfortable taking her first shoeless steps in a new place, but the warmth of the carpet felt inviting, and it only took a couple steps for her to feel natural again.

“Are you sure you won’t try my shoes?” Hannah asked. “I’d really like it if you did.”

Mallory loved the feeling of the carpet on her soles, but she felt bad leaving Hannah’s flats in the other room. “Okay,” she said, walking back to where Hannah had slipped her flats off. She nudged one empty flat with her stockinged toe. The brown leather was buttery soft. Mallory did not notice the name on the gold insole, but these were clearly not Payless shoes. She tentatively slipped her feet into Hannah’s flats, her stockinged soles gliding on the soft insoles. She wiggled her stockinged feet inside the shoes as she looked down at the low-cut toes, revealing most of the tops of her feet.

Mallory walked back to Hannah, who was in the sunny reading room admiring Mallory’s sandals. The flats were very comfortable, the soft lining soothing Mallory’s feet. And while she could not feel the wear and depressions that usually marked someone else’s shoes, just knowing they were Hannah’s shoes gave her a little thrill. “These are really nice,” Mallory said.

“Aren’t they?” Hannah said. “I love those shoes.” She sat down on a bench in the sun.

“I think they’re the most expensive shoes I’ve ever worn,” Mallory said.

“Then you need to try more of my shoes,” Hannah said. “You’d love my Tory Burch flats.”

“I want a pair,” Mallory said. “But they’re so expensive.” She slipped her right foot from Hannah’s soft flat and folded her foot behind her to adjust her stockinged toes.

“My last girlfriend and I used to trade shoes all the time,” Hannah said. “We’d trade shoes under the table at dinner, or at parties, or in line at the store. But Ashley’s feet are too big for us to trade.”

“You’re my size,” Mallory said, slipping her foot back into Hannah’s flat. She sat next to Hannah.

“I know,” Hannah said, smiling. She stretched out her legs, wiggling her pale hosed feet in Mallory’s strappy brown sandals. Mallory noticed Hannah had two toe rings on her left foot, as well as a gold ankle bracelet worn over her nylons. “I love trading shoes,” Hannah said. “There’s something about your feet in another girl’s shoes, and her feet being in yours.”

Mallory arched her feet, braced the backs of Hannah’s flats against the carpet, and slipped her feet out, wiggling her toes as Hannah’s flats slapped against the floor. “I like that feeling too,” she said. “I just prefer taking off my shoes. Or your shoes. They’re really comfy, though.”

“I like the sandals and tights thing, too,” Hannah said. “That way you can have classy feet and they can still breathe. My feet get so hot in my shoes sometimes.”

“Me, too,” Mallory said. “I never tried sandals and tights before. But I really wanted to wear these sandals, and I don’t really like going bare-legged. It’s not classy.”

Hannah reached down and unbuckled Mallory’s sandals, slipping her sheer feet out and wiggling her red-painted toes. “No, this is way classier,” she said, laughing.

“You have toe rings,” Mallory said, stretching her legs to hook her toes under the heel straps of her sandals. She dragged them a bit closer.

“I do,” Hannah said. “I don’t always wear them.” She raised her feet up and spread her toes in her sheer nylons. “One is from Ashley. It’s our little thing. She wears one on her second toe, too.”

Mallory wanted to rub her feet against Hannah’s feet, but she thought of Ashley and it felt wrong. “Should we go downstairs?” she asked, looking over at Hannah.

Hannah was staring at Mallory’s feet. “Oh, yeah, probably,” she said, snapping to attention. She stood up and slipped her feet back into her flats. “You’re sure you want your sandals back?” she asked.

“For now,” Mallory said, smiling as she slipped her feet into the brown strappy shoes and buckled her ankle straps.

Mallory and Hannah walked back downstairs, Mallory wishing with each step that her feet were in Hannah’s buttery-soft loafers. The thought of Hannah’s sophisticated, sexy feet in her own sandals felt somehow empowering, though. When they got downstairs, they found Ashley and Sarah debating over a celebrity gossip magazine, and the two girls were not at all hesitant to leave the magazine on the rack and head for a new adventure.

“So where to next, my dear?” Ashley asked as the four girls stepped into the mid-morning sun.

“What about the vintage boutique?” Hannah asked.

“Ooh, I haven’t been there in ages,” Ashley said. “Let’s go.”

The four girls crossed the street and stepped into a little clothing shop. “I’m not usually big into vintage,” Hannah said in a whisper. “But everything here is new, but sort of retro, back to when we were kids. So it’s not like a bunch of fifty-year-old dresses.”

“I’m sold,” Sarah said, peeling off into a rack of dresses.

Ashley and Hannah went to look at another rack, so Mallory found herself alone once again. She quickly decided she could spend all of her money here. She browsed past a rack of dresses, plaid jumpers and clingy sweaterdresses and a polka-dotted maxi skirt, brushing her hand over each one. Like the bookstore, there was a stairwell at the back leading upstairs, and she took it, the carpeted steps muffling her shoes this time.

The upstairs had even more dresses, and a wall shelf full of sweaters. It was as if she had ascended the stairs into heaven. Mallory glanced through each of the racks, telling herself not to fall in love, that she was not going to actually buy anything. Her hands brushed over the racks, looking at clothes but never actually taking them from the rack to study them. At last, Mallory saw a display of shoes against the store’s upstairs window. Maybe she could buy something, she thought as she left the dresses behind.

Mallory slowed her steps as she reached the shoe section, lifting her feet high to unbuckle her sandals mid-step. When she reached the shoes, the ankle straps of her sandals had loosened, and she walked out of the sandals and landed on her stockinged soles. It was almost a reflex action. Now comfortably shoeless, Mallory perused the shoe selections. Her attention was immediately grabbed by a flash of seafoam green. She turned the corner and saw a lovely pair of crocheted flats in a shade of green that matched her sweater. She picked up the lonely flat on display. The upper of the flat was soft, an open crochet weave that made them light and airy. The soles were thin leather, padded with a little foam that made them squishy to the touch. “I want these on my feet,” Mallory whispered as she rose on her tiptoes, arching her feet.

Mallory found a pair in size seven and sat down, unboxing the shoes. They were almost weightless, she thought as she slipped one on her right foot, then the left. The crocheted yarn fit snugly over Mallory’s little feet, and her almost-white tights shone through the weave. Mallory stood up, and the leather soles flexed comfortably as she arched her feet and rose on her toes and took a few steps. The shoes were more like slippers, hugging her feet snugly yet comfortably. She knew instantly she would not be putting her strappy sandals back on for long.

Mallory sat back down and slipped the seafoam green slippers from her feet, wiggling her toes as she set her feet back down on the carpet. As she boxed the shoes, she heard a slight squeak from the back of the room as someone came upstairs. She looked over and saw Sarah ascending the staircase into the room. “Mallory?” Sarah called.

“I’m over here, Sarah,” Mallory said, standing up.

“Mal, honey,” Sarah said, crouching down. “You’re supposed to leave a trail of breadcrumbs, not shoes.”

Mallory blushed. “I wanted to take them off,” she said.

“Aww,” Sarah said, walking over to the shoe section with Mallory’s sandals in hand. “These are cute, though.”

“So are these,” Mallory said, kicking her stockinged feet back and forth from the bench.

“Yeah, they are pretty hot,” Sarah said.

Mallory smiled. She liked when Sarah paid attention to her feet. Hannah had sort of paid attention to her feet, but she seemed more interested in making sure Mallory tried her shoes on, which was exciting in a different way. Looking at her shoes in Sarah’s hands, she sort of wished that Sarah would slip her feet into Mallory’s sandals, so both Hannah and Sarah’s feet would have been in them. But she doubted Sarah would trade her sexy tall boots for Mallory’s too-small sandals.

“What did you find there?” Sarah asked.

“My new shoes for today,” Mallory said, tipping the box to show Sarah the crocheted flats.

“Those are so you,” Sarah said. “They’re super-cute.”

“And so comfy,” Mallory said. “It’s like they hug my feet.”

Sarah picked one up. “They’re slippers,” she said. “Of course you would like them.”

Mallory smiled. “It’s like walking in my stocking feet,” she said, nodding.

“That’s what I love about ya, Mal,” Sarah said, kissing Mallory’s forehead as she perused the shoe racks herself.

Mallory put the lid on the box of her new shoes and thought about getting another pair. She had no idea when she would be here again. She looked on the shelf and found a pair in her size in ivory. They would be perfect for the spring, she reasoned as she stacked the two shoeboxes under her arm. “You could get a pair,” she said.

“Too flat,” Sarah said. “Flats have their place but I love my torture heels. You can be the girl in slippers.”

“I like the sound of that,” Mallory said, tiptoeing in her ivory tights. “Where are Hannah and Ashley?” she asked.

“Ashley’s trying on a dress,” Sarah said. “They’re fun. I like them. Did you know they were a couple?”

“I had no idea,” Mallory said. “I just thought they were super close.”

“I think Ashley’s threatened by you,” Sarah said. “She seems a little frosty.”

“Threatened?” Mallory asked. “But why?”

“Because you’re cute and Hannah pays attention to you,” Sarah said. “You’re both preppy girls, goody-two-shoes. Hannah took her shoes off while we were shopping, too. She has cute feet but yours are cuter.”

“It’s my tights,” Mallory said, feeling overwhelmed by the thoughts Sarah was rattling off nonchalantly. She was enamored a bit by Hannah, but more in the sense that Hannah felt like the big sister Mallory wished she had. Though at the same time, seeing Hannah’s feet in her own sandals, and realizing Hannah’s feet had been in her sandals, was enthralling. Mallory looked down at her own tiny feet, her toes stretched against the carpet. “But I do have cute feet.”

“Yeah, you do,” Sarah said. “And this shoeless thing you’re into is a wicked tease.”

“I’m not teasing,” Mallory said, letting her feet fall flat against the floor.

Sarah stood behind Mallory, her hand caressing the small of Mallory’s back. “You don’t have to be trying to tease,” Sarah said. “Sometimes it just works that way.” She crouched down and set Mallory’s strappy sandals in front of her. “Do you want these on before we go downstairs?”

“Not really,” Mallory said, lifting each of her feet and wiggling her soft toes through the straps. She felt Sarah’s hand guiding the straps around her feet, then pulling the ankle straps tight to buckle them. Sarah slid her fingers under Mallory’s exposed arches, giving each sole a tickle before standing up.

Mallory and Sarah descended back to the first floor, where they found Hannah and Ashley in a debate over an outfit. “It looks lovely on you, Ash,” Hannah was saying. “I just think it’s kind of expensive if you’re getting the other dress, too.”

“Says the girl who spends two hundred and fifty bucks on a pair of flats,” Ashley said, smirking.

Hannah tried to contain a smile of her own. “Hey, they were on sale for one-fifty,” she said in a slightly-ashamed tone.

“My point stands,” Ashley said, draping the dress over one arm.

“I had to eat a lot of ramen for those shoes,” Hannah said, popping her right heel out of her loafer. “That’s sacrifice.”

“And Dad’s Visa isn’t sacrifice,” Ashley said, grinning as she made her way to the checkout.

Hannah looked up at Mallory and Sarah as she folded her right foot behind her, reaching down to adjust the stocking seam across her toes. “I wish I had my dad’s Visa, or I’d have twenty pairs of Revas,” she said. “Whatcha got?”

“New shoes,” Mallory said. “They aren’t Revas but they’re super comfy.”

Hannah looked in the shoebox as she slipped her right shoe back on. “Ooh, cute,” she said. “Are you going to change?”

“Well, yeah,” Mallory said, heading toward the checkout with Sarah and Ashley. “Did you find anything?”

“A few things,” Hannah said. “But I’m not going to splurge yet. I’m trying to be a good girl.”

“I’m not,” Sarah said. “I don’t know when I’ll be back here, so it’s shopping time.”

The girls made their way through the register. As Sarah paid for her dresses, Mallory stood off to the side, unbuckling her sandals again. “What are you doing?” Ashley asked.

“Changing my shoes,” Mallory said, unboxing the seafoam crochet flats and setting them on the ground.

“You just got those,” Ashley said.

“And they’re so comfy if we’re going to be walking,” Mallory said, slipping one stockinged foot into a slipper.

“Those are cuter than I thought from the box,” Hannah said, watching Mallory as she slipped the second shoe on.

“I love them,” Mallory said, putting her sandals in the empty shoebox in her bag. “They’re just like slippers.” She wiggled her feet in the tight crocheted shoes and smiled.

(Story continues...)
paradigm88
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:54 am

Re: [ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

Post by paradigm88 »

Mallory felt better about her purchase as they walked outside, even if she felt shorter among her friends. Instead of teetering on tall platforms, she felt the contours of the ground through her soft soles. And with each step, the soft yarn rubbed her feet, a soothing feeling against her tights. She felt like she was walking down the brick sidewalk in her stocking feet, but protected from the elements.

The girls passed through a couple more stores as they worked down the sidewalk, each one with new sights and treasures to behold. Mallory understood why Hannah and Ashley loved it so much. At one point, they wandered into an enormous barn converted into a sort of mall, only with a more rustic aura about it. Ashley ducked into a jewelry store with Hannah excitedly in tow. Sarah wanted to browse a shoe store. Mallory, already wearing her big purchase of the day, wanted to avoid the temptation, so she walked up a set of stairs to a little bookstore, browsing while the other girls shopped.

Mallory’s own browsing ended quickly when she found a couple books she wanted, so she bought them and returned to the balcony outside the bookstore. For a few minutes, she stood there overlooking the rest of the indoor mall, looking down at the storefronts where her friends had disappeared. Mallory wanted to be with them, but she needed a moment for herself as well. As she stood, she balanced on her left foot and rubbed her right foot against the back of her leg. Her sandals would have tempted her to take one off by now, or maybe both, but as she wiggled her toes in the soft crocheted flats, she felt no need to, at least right away. Her feet felt cuddled and loved. And yet, something tugged at her inside to take the flats off and parade about in her stockinged feet.

The tugging ended as Sarah emerged from the shoe store below, looked around, and waved in Mallory’s direction. “Hey Mal, come see,” she said in a loud enough voice to carry without being disruptive.

Mallory descended the wooden and iron staircase to the first floor. “What’d you buy?” she asked.

“Shoes,” Sarah said, sitting down on a bench. “The boots are kind of pinching my toes.” She unzipped the knee-high leather boots, gracefully sliding her legs and feet from each boot and crossing them in front of her. To Mallory’s disappointment, Sarah’s feet were bare, her toenails painted a bright cherry red. Sarah wiggled her naked toes.

Mallory arched her feet, balancing on her toes, and used her left heel to nudge her right flat from her stockinged heel for a moment. She considered slipping off her shoes altogether, but then she rested her feet flat on the floor again, feeling the back of her right shoe crush a bit under her soft heel. Sarah produced a pair of black round-toe pumps with a tall heel from her shopping bag, and slipped into the shoes as she stuffed her empty boots into the bag.

“Better?” Mallory asked as she balanced on one leg while she reached down to fit her shoe back onto her foot.

“For now,” Sarah said. “They’re still shoes.”

Mallory looked around the room and noticed a pair of massage chairs a few steps away. “Sarah,” Mallory said, motioning to the tan leather chairs.

“Yes, please,” Sarah said, grabbing her stuff and practically racing Mallory to the chairs.

The two girls each settled into one of the padded leather chairs. Sarah opened her purse as she kicked off her heels and found two quarters, one for each chair. Mallory nudged her crocheted slippers off, wiggling her feet as she rested them on the padded footrest. The chairs cradled the girls’ arms and legs, and as Sarah’s quarters clicked through the coin slots, the chairs came to life with a quiet hum, stretching into a reclined position as they kneaded the girls from head to toe.

Mallory was in absolute heaven. The kneading against her neck and back was as delightful as the squeezing against her calves and the nubs that tickled at her stockinged soles. And all the while, she felt heat radiating into her already-warm feet, into her thighs. She looked over at Sarah, who wiggled her naked toes and sighed. Sarah was staring at the wood ceiling above. Even in a wide-open mall arcade, they were alone.

“Mallory?” Sarah asked in a whisper.

“Sarah?” Mallory answered. She arched her feet as the massaging touched a nerve just right.

“Do you think you’re bi?” Sarah asked.

Mallory was floored by the question. In all her life, there had been no question, because there was no option. She knew she was attracted to men. But the last couple months had been full of a question Mallory was afraid to ask, because she was afraid of the answer. It went back to that dinner with Sarah, and the dinner dates and coffee dates that followed. Sarah was seductive and engaging, Mallory willing and accepting. And while Sarah talked of guys she was interested in, the attention she had given Mallory in private was far different.

The last time they went out, Sarah had guided Mallory to her bedroom, making her lay face down on her comforter. Sarah slipped off Mallory’s shoes, unzipped her dress, unclasped and removed her bra, and the two girls spooned for an hour, their legs entwined and Sarah’s hands exploring Mallory’s body as they lay there.

Mallory loved it.

But as she sat there, the massage chair kneading her all over, Mallory knew that to love it was to be in love with Sarah, or at least it had to be. Was that who Mallory was?

“I don’t know,” Mallory answered.

“I love what we have,” Sarah said. “And I’ve loved exploring you. But I’m still seeing Shawn.”

Shawn was the guy who had come into the bank weeks before, chatting with Sarah and Mallory and leaving with one of each girl’s shoes. Shawn had come back, as promised, but he had been interested in Sarah more. Mallory had her shoe back, but Sarah had been on a couple dates, and it seemed things were going well.

“I wish he’d had a boy for me,” Mallory said.

“At least you got your shoe back,” Sarah said.

“I’d rather have the boy and no shoe,” Mallory said. She looked down the chair at her pretty stockinged feet. “Or just no shoes,” she added, wiggling her warm feet.

“It’s all about the feet for you,” Sarah whispered.

“Yeah,” Mallory replied. It was perhaps the only thing Mallory was certain of. She loved taking her shoes off, letting her soft feet explore the world around her, being that scandalous no-shoes girl. She loved playing footsies under the table and getting her feet rubbed after dinner. In fairness, no boy had ever stolen Mallory’s shoes from her feet or rubbed her toes during a movie. She could only imagine that.

But for Mallory, it was all about her feet, as long as “it” meant pleasure. She wiggled her feet in the massage chair, feeling the massage nubs pressing into her soles. “I can’t put my shoes on right now,” she said.

“We still have time,” Sarah said, wiggling her own bare toes.

The girls fell silent, with only the hum of the chairs breaking the quiet of the deserted mall. At last, the chairs folded back to a seated position, the massage break over.

“That was lovely,” Sarah said, stretching before reaching for her purse.

Mallory rubbed her feet against the footrest. She thought about finding another quarter, before reaching down and adjusting her toe seams.

As Mallory reached for her crochet flats, she saw Sarah digging something out of her purse. She watched as Sarah put on some sheer nylon socks. Sarah winked at Mallory as she stepped into her heels. Sarah’s words had been very clear, but it seemed like her actions were always another story.

Mallory sighed, scuffed her feet back and forth against the leather footrest, and pulled her slippers on to follow Sarah.

Sarah and Mallory found Hannah and Ashley, and the four girls decided to get an early dinner, in anticipation of the long drive home. Near the front of the barn was a pub, and they found a cozy corner booth to settle into to talk about their day. Mallory slid into the corner seat, with Sarah sitting to her right, Ashley across the table from her and Hannah on her left.

The girls all ordered drinks, with Ashley requesting a beer and Hannah, Sarah and Mallory sharing a bottle of wine. And with that help, the conversation flowed easily. Even Ashley had let her apparent guard down, compared to the standoffish attitude she had had all day.

Mallory had wondered earlier if introducing the girls was a good idea, and as she sat there sipping wine and enjoying the conversation, she felt encouraged. Under the table, Mallory’s feet squirmed in her cozy crochet slippers. The slippers were making her feet warm and cozy, more than any shoes she owned. And the warmer her feet felt, the more Mallory wanted to take her cozy slippers off.

And at that moment, Mallory felt something brushing her right foot ever gently. At first it only nudged the side of her foot, pressing against her crocheted shoe, but the sensation moved higher until it rubbed the exposed top of her foot. Mallory’s heart skipped a beat, as only one thing could be nudging her feet under the table. Her eyes shifted to her right to Sarah, who was in conversation with Ashley. At the same time, what could only be Sarah’s foot tenderly rubbed her own foot, tracing the edge of her slipper back and forth.

Again, Sarah’s actions were another story.

And again, Mallory really, really wanted to take her shoes off.

Sarah’s toes seemed to understand, and gently tugged at the side of Mallory’s slipper. Mallory felt the soft yarn ease down her heel, and she arched her foot, her heel popping free from the slipper. Sarah’s toes slipped under Mallory’s arch, and Mallory slid her foot out of her slipper entirely, rubbing her toes on Sarah’s toes. Mallory was still confused, but she was only wearing one shoe, which was better.

But then Mallory felt Sarah nudging at the heel of her left slipper. Mallory’s heart fluttered as she arched her left foot to pop out of her other shoe. Only what seemed like minutes before, Sarah had been telling her she was committed to dating her new boyfriend. Now she was stripping Mallory of her shoes under the table. Of course, Mallory would have taken her shoes off eventually, but the fact that Sarah wanted her shoeless sooner was thrilling. Mallory shook her left foot out of her slipper and stretched her little toes as Sarah’s foot gently caressed her sole.

And then Mallory felt another foot gently stroking her right leg, from her heel to her calf, up and down. Mallory felt a chill.

Mallory looked at Sarah, who was still in conversation with Ashley. Almost nervously, knowing the answer but not sure she wanted to confirm it, she shifted her eyes left, to where Hannah was leaned into the table, her head resting on her folded hands, listening to Sarah and Ashley.

And as Mallory felt both of Sarah’s feet gently rubbing her right foot, Hannah’s other foot joined in, gently petting her left foot. Sarah’s feet were far more aggressive for the moment, stroking Mallory’s foot back and forth. Hannah’s feet were tender and explorative, her toes sampling the texture of Mallory’s cable-knit tights.

Between the two, Mallory sat, stunned and shocked and becoming more and more aroused.

“Mallory’s quiet,” Ashley said at one point, breaking the conversation.

“She’s usually quiet,” Sarah said.

Mallory nodded, looking for words. “I’m just taking it all in,” she said. “It’s been a long day.”

In truth, Mallory wanted to say nothing. The scene was awkward to say the least. Her right foot was being courted by her work friend who was interested in someone else. Her left foot was being courted by a new friend whose girlfriend was sitting across the table. Mallory was the girl in the middle. She wanted to pull away, but she felt bad because she didn’t want to hurt either girl’s feelings.

And no matter how awkward the scenario was, it felt really good in the moment.

Mallory sat there, frozen in awkwardness and arousal and concern and panic. As Hannah’s silky toes caressed her ankle and heel, Sarah had both her feet at work, her right foot rubbing Mallory’s arch as her left foot rubbed the back of Mallory’s heel. There were no words. Mallory couldn’t have spoken any if there were.

And then, as if they were coordinating their moves, both Sarah and Hannah’s feet pulled away. The warmth of the friction against Mallory’s stockinged feet was gone in an instant. Had the other girls figured out what was going on? Mallory doubted it. But as arousing and exciting as it had been, it was something of a relief. Mallory returned her feet to her slippers, resting her feet atop the soft shoes.

An appetizer had appeared at the table, and the girls shifted into eating and talking, fortunately not about their under-the-table footsie games. Slowly, with each bite of flatbread and each conversational nugget, Mallory felt at ease again. She crossed her legs, reaching down to adjust the seam of her tights across her dangling right toes. Her toe seams always twisted around her big toes, and while Mallory loved the look of it, it felt more comfortable when the seam stretched across the tips of her toes.

Of course, as Mallory rubbed her toes and fixed the seam of her tights, she thought of Sarah doing it for her a couple weeks ago, as she stood there in a bookstore. She stood there reading the back of a book, when she felt Sarah’s hand adjusting the seam of her tights. She remembered resting her foot against Sarah’s leg as Sarah looked over her shoulder, the feeling of Sarah’s fishnets under her sole…

Mallory let go of her toes, wiggling them in frustration. Feelings were so confusing.

Mallory tried to get back into the conversation as she uncrossed her legs and tucked her toes back into her slippers. Before long, dinner had arrived. Mallory glanced around the table as they ate and chatted. It was just four girlfriends, sharing stories and dinner and having a nice evening.

“I hope we can do this again sometime soon,” Ashley said from across the table. Mallory was surprised; she had seemed a bit moody earlier.

At last, the check came and the girls passed it around the table, either slipping in a credit card or some cash. Mallory rubbed her feet together. She thought about putting her sandals back on for the short walk back to the car. But she knew she was going to take her shoes off for the ride home, and her slippers would be easier to take off gracefully. Mallory set her feet down on the slippers, scrunching her toes on the crocheted yarn.

And then she felt a foot brushing against her right foot again, toes hooking the back of her ankle, tugging at her foot and leg to come closer. And against her left ankle, she felt nylon toes gently curling against her tights, tugging her leg and foot in the opposite direction.

Sarah and Hannah were at it again.

It was nothing short of awkward.

Mallory’s heart raced as she felt both girls working their feet on hers, rubbing one foot against Mallory’s foot while their other foot gently rubbed her calves and under her knees. It was wrong, but it felt thrilling.

Mallory didn’t want to put either girl on the spot, either. They were her friends. Of course, Hannah had far more to lose. Sarah would merely feel a bit awkward at the table. Hannah had to explain her behavior to her girlfriend across the table.

Maybe that was the ticket, Mallory thought. Maybe she had to call out Sarah, hoping Hannah would get the idea and relent herself. That way no one had to know and no one got hurt.

But then, Ashley dropped her purse on the floor as she tried to get a couple more dollars for the tip. As Ashley pushed her chair back from the table, Mallory’s idea evaporated and she froze in panic. She watched, in slow motion, as Ashley ducked below the table to retrieve her purse.

“What the hell is this?” Ashley asked, bolting back upright.

The other three girls sat silently at the table.

“It’d have been nice to know you three had a private footsie party going on over there,” Ashley said. “No wonder Little Miss Innocent was so quiet the whole time.”

The soft feet rubbing Mallory’s feet and legs stopped and drew away, back to their corners of the table. Mallory felt exposed and embarrassed. She pulled her legs up onto the bench, as if in retreat.

“Don’t be upset with Mallory,” Hannah said calmly. Her cheeks were flushed red. “This isn’t her fault.”

“Well, she wasn’t exactly pushing you away,” Ashley said.

Sarah looked at Mallory. “Hannah too?” she mouthed.

Mallory nodded. “I didn’t know what to say,” she said.

“It was my fault,” Hannah said. “My feet were bored and Mallory has really soft tights and I started playing with her foot. She had no idea I was going to.”

“What about Sarah?” Ashley asked.

“I always play with Mal’s feet,” Sarah spoke up. “I didn’t know Hannah was interested too.”

Hannah glanced across the table at Sarah. “I didn’t think you were…”

“We’re not,” Sarah said. “We had just had a talk about that this afternoon, actually.”

“About what?” Ashley asked, clearly confused.

Sarah looked at Mallory, a guilty expression on her face. “Mal and I have been kinda close the last couple months,” she said. “I guess you could say experimenting. And I told her this afternoon I like her, but guys come first for me. But then I felt like teasing her under the table anyway.”

Mallory looked at Sarah and felt bad, then looked at Hannah, who had a pitying expression on her face. Ashley still looked frustrated, but confused.

“Oh, wow,” Ashley said, as the significance of the moment set in.

Mallory again looked around the table, with their confusions and temptations all laid bare. Hannah looked sad. Ashley looked disappointed. Sarah looked ashamed. Mallory felt a mix of all three feelings. And she still had no idea what to say. Fortunately, no one else did, either.

“Maybe,” Ashley started, pausing to think before she said the wrong thing. “Maybe we’re all just fooling ourselves.”

Mallory felt crushed. “We can still be friends,” she said quickly.

“Oh, sure,” Ashley said. “I just think maybe we’re all mixed up in our relationships.”

“Oh, Ashley,” Hannah said.

“Hannah, you’re a great girlfriend,” Ashley said. “But I’ve been a bit bored lately.”

“I didn’t know,” Hannah said, dejected.

“I never said,” Ashley said. “We always knew I needed more in my life than just another girl. There’s nothing you could do.”

Hannah nodded and blinked her eyes a couple times. Mallory thought she was going to cry.

“I know what you mean,” Sarah said. “Mal, I love what we have, but it’s a side thing for me. I love my bad boys, and you’re too good for that.”

Mallory nodded, too. As long as they had worked together, the boy with the edge had always drawn Sarah’s attention. Being a girl was the only edge Mallory had to offer.

“Same,” Ashley said. “I don’t enjoy the girly-girl thing like you do, Han.”

“I know,” Hannah said.

“But it was a great time together,” Ashley said. “I’ll never forget.”

Hannah smiled through her sadness. “We did have a lot of fun.”

“And learned a lot.”

“Mm-hmm,” Hannah said.

Ashley and Sarah glanced at each other briefly. “You know,” Sarah said, “Mallory’s kind of a girly girl.”

The table was silent for a beat. At last, Ashley said with a sigh, “Times like this I wish I had a cigarette.”

Hannah’s eyes widened. “But you quit, Ash,” she protested.

“Well, yeah,” Ashley said. “But sometimes you still wish you could have one.”

“Menthols okay?” Sarah asked, holding her purse high.

“You smoke?” Mallory asked.

“Only when I’m really drunk, or stressed or something,” Sarah said. “Come on, Ashley.”

Sarah and Ashley left the table, leaving Mallory with Hannah. Hannah looked at Mallory. “I swore she quit,” she said, making a face.

“I had no idea,” Mallory said.

The girls sat in silence for a moment. “I’m sorry,” Hannah said at last.

“Why?” Mallory asked.

“That wasn’t fair to you or Sarah,” Hannah said. “But most of all to Ashley. She’s right, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s not fulfilled,” Hannah said. “Ashley’s bi. I love her, but I’m only a piece of the puzzle for her. She hasn’t been truly happy in a long time.” She dabbed at her eye with a napkin, wiping away a tear.

Mallory nodded. That was Sarah, even if her game of footsie said otherwise.

“We can’t help who we love,” Mallory said, hoping it was some consolation.

“It’s so complicated,” Hannah said. “She’s the best girlfriend I’ve had. But we both knew it would be fun until it wasn’t anymore.”

“Maybe I should be sorry,” Mallory said. “I shouldn’t have played along.”

“This isn’t on you,” Hannah said. “You were in a really awkward spot there. We should have talked more. Ashley sort of has a guy on her radar. This is kinda overdue.”

The girls were silent. “And if I’m honest, we never matched on style,” Hannah added. “Ashley had to go out of her way to dress up. And, well…she doesn’t really, aside from work.”

“I didn’t used to,” Mallory said. “But I feel so much better when I’m dressed up.”

“It’s just a subtle confidence thing,” Hannah said. “Like people take me seriously if I have a dress on, or if I’m wearing heels.”

“Oh, definitely,” Mallory said. “I feel it too.”

“And it’s kind of a turn-on,” Hannah said. “Like, the pretty things we wear, and the textures, all the textures.”

“I’m all about that,” Mallory said. “That’s part of why I hate wearing shoes inside, there are so many great textures to explore.”

“Right?” Hannah said. “Sometimes I just have to take my foot out of my shoe and rub the carpet. Ashley thinks I’m crazy.”

“I do it all the time,” Mallory said. “It’s kind of a bad habit but it feels so good.”

“Speaking of,” Hannah said in a near-whisper, “I love your tights.”

“Me too,” Mallory said, feeling her cheeks flush. “They’re so soft.”

“So innocent,” Hannah added.

Mallory looked across the table at Hannah. Hannah smiled back, looking preppy and composed and confident. Mallory wanted to be Hannah someday. But in the moment, she wanted to be with Hannah. And she wondered if maybe Hannah wanted to be with her too.

Under the table, Mallory rubbed her little feet together. She always felt comfort from rubbing her feet together, but the texture of her soft tights felt more exciting than usual. And yet, she wanted to share.

“I don’t have my shoes on,” Mallory whispered.

Hannah smiled, and then her eyes brightened. “May I?”

“Please?” Mallory asked.

Mallory felt Hannah’s warm, silky stockinged feet caressing her own under the table, her left foot gently petting Mallory’s left foot, her right foot rubbing her heel and calf. Hannah’s toes brushed up and down Mallory’s heel, then rubbing her soles. Mallory wiggled her toes.

“Wow,” Mallory whispered.

“I’m a total foot girl,” Hannah said.

“Me too,” Mallory replied. “We can be sole sisters.”

Hannah laughed.

Ashley and Sarah returned to the table from the direction of the restrooms. “What’s new, ladies?” Sarah asked as she began to pull out her chair.

“Oh, just talking,” Hannah said.

“We should be heading out soon,” Ashley said. “It’s a long drive.”

“Okay,” Mallory said.

“You girls ready?” Sarah asked.

Mallory and Hannah both laughed.

“What?” Sarah asked with a smile.

“We just need to find our shoes,” Hannah said at last.

Sarah glanced at Ashley, then at Mallory, and smiled.

- - -

In the front seats of the SUV, Ashley and Sarah were talking.

“I’ll be honest, I was kind of a bitch to Mallory because she felt like competition,” Ashley said. “But then I had to think about where Hannah and I were honestly going, and I think she’ll be happier.”

“I think so,” Sarah said.

“What about Mallory?” Ashley asked.

“She’s special,” Sarah said. “I’d never done anything with another girl before her. She’s very sensitive, very sensual. And I need something more than that. More name-calling and hair-pulling and I dunno, dirtier? That’s not Mal.”

“Hannah’s such a cuddle whore,” Ashley said.

“Mal gets so cuddly when you play with her feet,” Sarah said. “They’re gonna be like puzzle pieces.”

“They already are,” Ashley said. “Are they asleep?”

“I think so,” Sarah said.

Mallory wasn’t asleep. That was the reason Hannah had suggested squeezing into the back seats before they left town. But as Mallory and Hannah slipped out of their shoes before they bothered with seat belts, Mallory knew naptime was not so likely.

For the first half of the ride, Mallory had rested her feet in Hannah’s lap. Mallory thought Sarah had been good at foot rubs, but Hannah was an expert, alternating between gentle kneading and soft petting and squeezing her toes. Hannah had whispered to Mallory that she loved the cable-knit tights, and Mallory decided she needed to find some more fancy knits for her feet.

The girls had since switched, and now Mallory had Hannah’s feet in her lap. Hannah had tucked her right foot between Mallory’s thighs and was rubbing her left foot on Mallory’s left thigh, just under her skirt. The rubbing had nudged Mallory’s skirt up her legs, and while she tried to fix it at first, she had instead started rubbing Hannah’s silky toes. No one could see in the back seat, anyway.

Mallory sat there, listening to her friends talk in the front seats. She looked to her right, where a tired Hannah smiled as she leaned against the side of their seat. Between Mallory’s stockinged thighs, Hannah’s toes wiggled, and Mallory felt restless and aroused.

Mallory curled her toes and rubbed her feet against the carpet. Their shoes were down there somewhere. She could find them when they got home.

For now, Mallory thought, she was finding herself.

(fin)
MM12
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 9:53 pm

Re: [ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

Post by MM12 »

Wow! Just got around to reading this. Very well written. And ya joshjack has awesome stories. I wonder where he disappeared to
paradigm88
Posts: 377
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:54 am

Re: [ENG] Stepping Out: A Long Tale of Collaboration...and Exploration

Post by paradigm88 »

His account got hacked and locked out; he's lurking on the board as I understand, just unable to post currently.

Thanks for the feedback! Glad to see there's some enjoyment of the story; it turned into a far deeper plunge than I really expected at first!
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