Shoe Strings

she’d let
him kiss her.   He wondered if he’d
be able to stop.
    He stood up and began pacing the room, decided to stuff his
tie in his suit jacket until he got a look at Kerri Ann.   He could always steal into the restroom
and put it back on if necessary.   He
thought of Kerri Ann, slipping into her new dress, primping in the mirror as he
had.   Was she nervous like him?   Or was she cursing Lita for forcing her
to accept a dinner invitation with someone she considered only a friend?  
    Damn it, it was only 5:10.   Was time standing still only for him?
    ***
    Kerri Ann swiped the mascara wand over her lashes and
applied a fresh coat of shimmering gloss to her lips.   She stood back and crinkled her nose at
her reflection.   She wondered for
the millionth time what Bryce would think when he picked her up in…fifteen
minutes, she discovered with a quick glance at her watch.   Damn.   She pulled the clip that held her bangs
off her forehead and ran a brush through her new layers.   The knock at the door of her office
bathroom had her screeching in worry.   Was he here already?
    But it was Lita who poked her head in the door, a mile-wide
smile on her face.   “You look
beautiful, Kerri Ann.   Can I come
in?”
    Her office bathroom was barely big enough for one of them,
much less two, but she ushered her in anyway and closed the door behind
her.   “Have you seen Bryce?”
    “No, he’s not here yet.   Look at you.”   Lita clapped
her hands and then grabbed Kerri Ann’s shoulders.   “I have a surprise for you.”
    “Oh, God.   I
don’t know if I can take any more surprises.”
    Lita shushed her with a scathing look and pulled a large
shoebox out of her shoulder bag.   “I
had these over-nighted from my shop.   Size eight and a half, right?”
    “How did you know my shoe size?” She took the box Lita
shoved in her face.
    “I looked at your shoes while you were in the dressing room
the other day.”   She pulled off the
top and lifted the tissue paper reverently.   “What do you think?   We call it Desideria.   In Portuguese, it means longing.”   She shrugged.   “I thought it was appropriate.”
    Kerri Ann pulled out the shoe, a three-inch sling back
sandal of soft leather that felt like butter in her hands.   It had swatches of lime paisley fabric
across the upper, held together with a crystal pin.   They were stunning and Kerri Ann knew
without a shadow of a doubt that she’d kill herself trying to walk in
them.   Plus, she’d Googled Lita’s
boutique and had discovered her shoes retailed for more than Kerri Ann spent on
her high-end running shoes.   “Lita,
these are beautiful, but…I can’t wear these.”
    “What?   Why not?”
    “I haven’t worn heels this high since the prom and even then
only for a few hours.”
    “Kerri Ann, look at me.   Do you like the shoes?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “No buts.   Somewhere along the way, you’ve forgotten that you’re a woman—a
beautiful, strong, independent woman.   It’s your right, damn it—your duty to wear heels and dress up
every now and again.   No one will
think you look foolish or silly, not if you don’t.”
    “But what will Bryce think as I’m hobbling along on these
pencil sticks?”
    “He’ll think what every man who sees you thinks.   That he’s incredibly lucky to be with a
woman with legs like yours.”   Lita
pulled the other shoe out of the box, knelt down, and put it on Kerri Ann’s
foot just like The Grand Duke had slid the glass slipper on for
Cinderella.   It fit perfectly.   “Even the polish you chose
matches.”   She stood up when Kerri
Ann put on the other shoe.   “How do
you feel?”
    “Tall,” Kerri Ann smiled like the Cheshire cat.   They were beautiful and Lita was right,
she did feel every inch a woman.   “I
love them, Lita.   Thank you.”   She hugged her new friend and found Lita
laughing when they pulled apart.   “What’s so funny?”
    “You are tall.   Oh, how I’d kill to be a fly on the wall with you tonight.”
    Kerri Ann turned to face the mirror, brushed at the bangs in
her eyes, and dabbed on the perfume Ty had given her last year for her
birthday.   “What do you think you’d
see, Lita?   We’re just friends.”
    “Not for long.   What?” she asked when Kerri Ann turned around abruptly.
    “We can’t be more than friends.   We just can’t.”
    “Why?”
    “Bryce is…he deserves so much more than I can give