The Shoe Salesman

Brian's first encounter with Christie and her friends keeps repeating itself in his head. He finds himself questioning whether or not that all happened quite frequently, but gets an answer every time from the soreness of his torso, which is mild at this point but noticeable, even after several days.

As he continues his daily inventory routine in the back room of a local shoe store, the images on the shoe boxes get to him more than usual, especially when he recognizes the kinds that the ladies were wearing including boots, flats and sandals.

Throughout the day, he recalls the reason why he took this job -- to gain the opportunity to get a peek at attractive ladies feet without the worry of being called out for it. The reality of it has been less than rewarding, however, due to the fact that company protocols don't require the employees to sit on a stool at women's feet in order to size them. He considers it a mixed blessing though since a majority of the women who come in have less than pleasing feet to look at.

During his lunch, he constantly rereads the text Kacie made on his behalf, wishing that she would come in to try on shoes and make his day a lot more entertaining. Then he fact-checks himself and remembers that in the year that he's worked at this store, he's never seen her, or Christie, or any of her friends come in so there's no reason to believe they'd start now.

Wednesdays are typically quiet for the last couple hours of the day, and the boss has made a habit of leaving early since Brian knows the closing routine. Once she leaves, Brian is on his own in the store and keeps an ear out for the door chime as he finishes up some clearance mark downs in the back.

Not ten minutes later, a customer enters.

"I'll be right out," he calls from the back.

He takes a quick peek out from the stockroom door, and notices it's a girl -- cute based on her profile, but he can't be for certain since she has her back to him. He sets his roll of labels and pen down and heads out to greet her; however, he's not expecting who he sees.

"You gotta be kidding me!" A far stretch from a proper greeting for sure, but it's the first thing that comes to mind when he sees Ariel turn around.

Doing a double-take, "Brian?!" Ariel says with a surprised smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," he replies.

"Do you now?"

"Yeah. What are you doing here?"

"Uh, shopping! Duh!" she says with a brief laugh. "Well, that is if I find what I'm looking for here."

Brian gets mixed feelings about helping her. Obviously he has to because it's his job, but he hasn't forgotten about her mixed reaction to seeing him get up the other day after she tried to choke him out with her foot. Even her hug afterwards hasn't cleared her completely in his book, although it was a good start.

"What is it you're looking for?" he politely asks her.

Ariel pulls out her phone and shows him a picture of her formally in a stunning black V-neck mini dress. "I'm looking for some heels to go with this!" She swipes a few pictures over, "I have a pretty good idea of what will work with it - something like these," showing him some heels she's tried on before, "but I haven't found anything I'm truly wowed by, and this is the last store around, so if I don't find what I'm looking for here, I'll have to settle with my alternates."

"I see," Brian replies, faking an unimpressed expression on his face from Ariel's pictures. "Let's go see what we have," he says leading the way to the selection of heels his store has.

As they make their way down one of four long aisles, he hears her quietly snickering to herself.

"What's so funny?" he asks without facing her.

"You," she replies.

"And why's that?" he says feeling an insult coming.

"Because I walked all over you last weekend, and now I find you working at a shoe store! I mean, what are the odds?!" she states with a more obvious laugh.

Brian finally turns and faces her, "probably better than the odds of you walking on me again," he says smacking his hand down on the shelf to his left that's displaying black heels.

Ariel quietly smiles at him with a thought-provoking look before turning her attention to the heel selection. Almost immediately she spots a pair of close-toed pumps that might work, grabs them off the shelf, and takes a seat on a stool behind her.

Brian watches half-heartedly as Ariel's beautiful toes emerge from her slip-on vans that she came in with. Their hue of warmth and confinement definitely supports her claim about being out and about all day. He can almost smell the effort she's put into her search.

She slips on nylon ankle socks before wiggling her alluring digits into the heels. Snapping a picture of them on her phone, she does her own comparison with her former pictures for a moment before turning her foot sideways towards Brian to get his opinion. "What do you think?"

He tries not to get caught up with the eye candy she's presented him with. "Well, speaking from both professional and personal experience, I think they're a bit much."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you have lovely feet, and I don't think this pair quite does them the justice they deserve."

That brings a warm smile to Ariel's face, "I see. So in your professional opinion, what do you think they deserve?"

Brian responds promptly with professional demeanor, "Considering that dress you showed me, I think they need something that can let your toes breathe."

Ariel peers down at her feet as she crosses one leg over the other, "And what does your personal opinion suggest?"

Brian can see the gears turn in her head as her smile becomes more of a devilish smirk, making him hesitate to answer.

She looks back up at him, "Come on, you can tell me. Don't be shy."

Rather than oblige her directly, he tries to steer clear of any kind of trap she could get him into by grabbing another pair of heels that reflects his opinion of letting her toes breath.

Ariel acknowledges the shoes with mild disappointment, not because she doesn't like them, but because Brian won't answer her verbally. She has a pretty good idea of what he's trying to avoid, and knows just how to turn his game against him. Instead of simply taking the shoes by hand, she leans back and sticks her foot out at him.

"Be my guest," she says, maintaining her smirk as her heel pops out of her current shoe and dangles by the toes.

With a brief sigh, he kneels down at her feet and pulls the pump off the rest of the way. He calmly sets it to the side and effortlessly slips on the new heel.

Ariel observes her toes through the open portion of the shoe before resting it and presenting Brian with the other foot.

He patiently repeats the process of removing the former choice and slipping on the next one.

Holding her foot up several inches from his face, Ariel tests the play that the shoe provides her toes; it buys her time to catch Brian eyeing them. When he makes eye contact with her again, she's already smiling at him with a scandalous look.

"Go ahead, lick them," she says resting the toe of the shoe against his lips.

Brian immediately pulls back, "What?!" catching her foot in his hand as it drops,

"No, I can't -- not here!"

"Come on, it's not like anyone else is here right now," Ariel teases.

"That doesn't mean someone can't show up though," Brian replies starting to turn red in the face.

"The door has a chime on it, so you'll know if anyone comes in before they see what we're doing. Besides, you said you wanted to suck on my toes the next time you saw me... so?" wiggling her foot back at his face.

"I really didn't think THIS was where I was going to see you next though. I thought it would be at Christie's place again or something like that."

"Are you scared?"

"Huh? No. What would I have to be scared of?"

Smirking again, Ariel says, "I don't know, being caught? Losing your job?" She pauses briefly, "Me?"

Brian cocks an eyebrow, "Why would I be scared of you?"

With a shrug of her shoulder, "Guys usually are after I stand on their neck," Ariel replies.

"Well, I'm not," Brian assures her, "And I never was," guiding her foot back to his lips so that he can place a kiss gently on her toes, maintaining eye contact with her as he does.

She doesn't show it, but Ariel is impressed with how brazen he is, slowly pulling her foot back in order to stand up.

"Do you mind if I browse?" she asks.

"Not at all, go right ahead," Brian says remaining on his knees.

As a part of his job description, he watches her feet as she makes her way down the aisle. Taking into account that they both know the shoes aren't quite right, he maintains his observation in a professional manner to try and figure out what to change about the next pair to present her with.

Without thinking about it, he licks his lips and gets a faint taste of her toes mixed with the shoe's leather. An epiphany hits him when he observes the back of her shoe, making a mental note of it as he returns his gaze to meet hers, which he's not expecting.

She turns the corner before he can react to her smiling back at him. Her pacing suggests she's up to something other than just browsing. He knows she's going down an aisle that doesn't have her shoe size, but keeps an open mind as perhaps she will see a style that she likes, after all, that's the point of browsing.

When Ariel doesn't return for several minutes, Brian habitually cleans the first pair of heels she tried on with a sanitizer and cloth and returns them to their spot on the shelf. He knows she hasn't left because he hasn't heard the door chime; therefore he bides his time by cleaning other shoes on lower shelves nearby, eventually taking a seat on the stool to spare his knees.

"Find anything you're interested in?" he asks again without turning as he hears her approaching from behind.

Ariel slides her hands gently over his shoulders, "Funny you should ask," she purrs into his ear before abruptly pulling him backwards off the stool and onto his back at her feet. Pinning him down at the chest with her foot, "You don't mind if I go for a walk, do you?"

He takes a moment to register the scenery change, namely Ariel's gorgeous legs as they disappear into her denim skirt. A quick jab of her heel breaks him from his trance. "Wha- with the shoes still on?"

"Are they going to be a problem?" she asks, rocking her leg side to side causing the heel to grind into him a little.

"Well, maybe. I can still feel what your jumping left behind from the other day," Brian says trying to avoid looking straight up her skirt out of courtesy.

Ariel smiles, "I'll be nice this time," proactively stepping onto Brian's chest without him being ready for it, causing the heels to sink into him more than she thought they would.

He can barely keep it together as her weight settles on the heels, allowing her to catch her balance. She uses the shelf for leverage as she takes a step forward and turns sideways to balance her weight evenly over his chest and stomach.

"Looks like your odds of being walked on by me again were pretty good after all, wouldn't you say?"

Struggling to maintain his composure, "Yep! Looks that way!" Brian says, trying to remember to breathe.

What seems like the longest couple of minutes ever to him passes before he manages to settle under Ariel's weight. He figures being caught off guard by her sudden decision to stand on him in shoes he's not used to have contributed to him taking so long to adjust. Fortunately, she's kept her word so far about being nice, and has only taken gentle steps around on him.

Planting both feet on his chest again, she smiles down at him and asks "Am I killin' ya?"

"Not yet," he calmly replies, resting his hands on her feet as he exhales.

She may have the attitude of a cactus with a flower on top, but he can't deny how stunning she looks from his point of view, and it shows in his facial expressions as he makes eye contact with her again.

"So how are they?" she asks.

"What?"

"The shoes, how do they feel?"

Brian is perplexed by her inquiry. "That's what I should be asking you. I'm the one who works here."

"And you are doing smashingly so far," Ariel says with a giggle, "just consider this a part of your customer satisfaction requirement." Bouncing subtly on her toes, "So, how do they feel?"

He's not sure how to respond. She may as well be stepping on his tongue.

"Well?" she says trying to coax an answer from him.

"I um...I don't know. Pointy?"

Her face scrunches in confusion. "Ok? Anything else?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well...for instance, if my decision to buy these was based on how much you could tolerate them, would you say that I should or shouldn't?"

"Um...that depends; do you want shoes I can or can't tolerate?"

Ariel smirks, "You do pick up quick," stepping back on his stomach and letting her heels dig into him. "Let's just say I like to leave my mark."

Brian tries not to tense up too much as he knows it'll intensify the pain, but he does have to take a few breaths before responding.

"Then these aren't the shoes for you," he squeaks out in a breathily huff.

"Hmm." Ariel is certain she could make him bleed with these shoes if she wanted to, so his lack of confidence in them intrigues her. She turns and steps down between his legs and takes a seat on the stool again.

Considering his soreness, Brian manages to sit up rather quickly; however, it's a different story when it comes to standing up.

"Problem?" Ariel asks with a smug grin.

Brian catches her expression after a double take, and matches her grin with his tone, "Nah."

"Well go on then. Go find the shoes for me, Mr. Professional," she says laughing to herself.

"Very well," he replies getting back to his feet. "I'll be right back."

Ariel returns her attention to her phone, getting another reference picture of the heels she has on. She compares them to the outfit she wants to wear and considers them a viable option if Brian doesn't come through with a better choice.

Meanwhile, Brian checks himself in the back room. His torso has a slight burning sensation that comes and goes with contact, and he lifts both his outer and under shirts to find that Ariel has left a few heel imprints behind on his skin. It makes him stop to consider if bringing out another set of heels is really a good idea as he's somewhat confident that she'll walk on him with them, in addition is the fact that the set he has chosen have a narrower tip than the shoes she's currently demoing.

His decision ultimately comes down to the fact that he enjoys the eye candy she presents him with. Being pinned under heels isn't his ideal fantasy, and although Ariel's attitude is like being in a shark tank to him, he is still willing to make an exception to be trampled by her.

He fixes his shirts, sighs and tells himself, "Alright you glutton for punishment, here goes nothing," grabbing the shoe box and heading back out.

As he rounds the corner of the first aisle, he spots Ariel checking herself out in a mirror that's mounted at the end of the next aisle over.

"Not that I don't believe you, but why do you think these shoes aren't for me?" she asks with her back to him and her eyes on her shoes in the reflection.

"Any pair of shoes can be for you, but not that dress you showed me," Brian replies. "That is why you're here, is it not?"

Ariel turns to him with an impressed smile, "Go on."

Brian lines himself so that Ariel is between him and the mirror. "It's a power dress, and a power dress deserves shoes that can encourage a commanding posture. The ones you have on now look great on you, but don't quite encourage that posture." He holds up the shoe box he brought out, "Behold," and opens it, "encouragement."

Ariel giggles, "You're such a dork," taking out one thin strapped shoe with a three inch heel, "...with outstanding taste!"

Her compliment is refreshing for him, resulting in a slight, subconscious change in perspective towards her. Where he didn't really want to help her when she first came in, yet had to because of his job, he now appreciates seeing her eyes light up and feels compelled to make a conscious effort to see that see leaves happy.

He takes the second shoe out of the box, and with customer courtesy in mind, he asks, "Shall I?"

"Of course," Ariel replies, handing him the first shoe back.

Brian kneels beside her, guiding her right shoe off first and fitting the new one on. Admiring his gentle touch to her feet, Ariel braces the aisle's end as her new left shoe is fitted.

When her weight squares off on them, she notices the change in her posture that the heel height encourages, causing her chest to frame up with confidence.

Checking her profile in the mirror again, Ariel says, "Wow, these are perfect!"

Brian looks up at her through the mirrors reflection, "They complement you nicely, yes."

Ariel looks back at him through the mirror, "You think so?"

"I do."

"Is that your professional opinion," looking to him directly, "or personal?"

Brian looks up to her directly also and then stands up straight, "Professional, of course."

"Are they not worth a personal one?"

"They are, but..." he pauses due to slight intimidation from her additional height.

"But what?"

"Why does my personal opinion matter so much to you?"

"Why wouldn't it?"

Brian's eyes squint as he looks for foul play in Ariel's. "After last weekend, you don't strike me as the kind of person who would really give a damn what I think."

His straight-forward remark gets Ariel's eye line to focus up. "Is that so?" She awaits an answer, but he maintains his silence. "Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but if I didn't give a damn, I wouldn't ask."

"Hmm," is his response as he starts to consider a pattern between her, Kacie, Christie and Cindy, the ladies he's had a one on one experience with so far. He reckons Ariel may have a moral base deep down as the others do, but she hides it well with her sadistic traits, therefore he decides to give her the benefit of the doubt. "Personally...I think these shoes work best for you because your feet deserve to shine, and these don't hide their natural beauty."

Ariel blushes from his admission and looks back down at her shoes as she is temporarily thrown off her game.

"Better?" Brian asks, unsure of her silence.

Ariel closes her eyes and nods 'Yes'.

"You ok?"

She laughs softly to herself as she looks back at him, "Yeah, I just..."

He looks back with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"I...I should take a walk -- try these out, you know?"

Ariel's body language doesn't suggest that she means to walk on him right away, so Brian extends his arm to encourage her down the aisle.

Again, he watches her make her way to the other end and round the corner before turning his attention back to the previous set of heels she had on. He wipes them clean and returns them to the shelf they originated from, pausing to dwell in thought. It brings a smirk to his face that these shoes didn't sell, and until they do, he will have a small, albeit painful, reminder of the fun he's had at work.

Ariel makes several laps through the different aisles to reestablish her mental playbook before returning to her spot by the mirror. She clears her throat to get Brian's attention, and motions him back to her with her finger.

"Yes?" he says upon his approach.

"Do I really have to ask?" she replies pointing to the floor.

Brian grins while his professional demeanor is the one thing keeping his heart rate in check, "Uh, for someone who barely knows you, yeah. And in this store? Definitely yeah. That's not something I can make an assumption on."

"Hmm, fair enough I suppose," Ariel says taking a step back as Brian gets down on the floor in front of her, "but did you honestly believe that taking a walk only meant circling around in the store?"