I'd worked at the shoe store for two weeks. The manageress worked some of the weekdays, but Sherry and I held down the shop through most of the slow day time. One side of the shop was women's and girl's shoes, which was Sherry's domain. I dealt with other side, men's and boy's shoes.
The day Marie came into my world started out hot and windy. Business was slow maybe because of the heat.
Sherry asked, "Brad, would you cover for me? I need to get my hair done. I've going out tonight and I want to look good."
"Sure, I can handle it. I'll be lucky if there's any sale's this afternoon."
"Great. I'll be back in an hour or so."
Left alone, I settled back to some reading at the desk. A few people roamed in and out, just looking briefly at the stock.
Then she came in. Her hair all wisps about her face and head, carrying four bags of shopping and one big box under one arm. She looked hot and bothered. Her white blouse was askew from the box, with one collar blown up. Her tan skirt dropped loosely from her hips to mid-knee.
"Ugh, what an exhausting day," she complained as she walked towards me while looking at the shoe displays. She got to the row of chairs, dropped her bags, and fell into a chair. The box on her lap, her arms thrown to the sides, her bottom slid forward with legs straight as she collapsed.
"Can I do anything for you?" I asked.
"We'll see. Just let me be a while to recover."
"Tell me when you want some attention, OK?"
"I will."
No one else was in the shop, so I went back to my reading. After a few minutes, she stood up and started looking around the shop.
"I'm looking for something relaxing, comfortable but exciting," she said, turning to me. "I'd like to try a pair of those, in a size 6?"
"Sure, I'll get them. Be right back."
She was in the chair when I returned with the box. I sat on a small stool we have in the store, with a slope in front for the customer to put their foot on.
"My shoes are killing me," she said.
I opened the box and set it to the side, while she put her foot in front of me. Her brown slip on shoe had a 2" heel. I put my right hand around the back of her shoe and the left on the front over the top and around the bottom, slipped her foot out a bit, put my left hand on her ankle, then slid the shoe off her foot.
"Ahhh, that's better," she said.
I held her foot from the back in my left hand as a set her shoe down with my right, then went to hold her foot firmly in both hands. The men I'd fitted shoes for always has socks on. Touching her bare foot, feeling the heat from it gave me an unaccustomed feeling. I realised her foot was still in my hand and looked up to meet her eyes looking unblinkingly back. Looking into her eyes I knew this fitting was definitely different.
Unconsciously, I started rubbing her foot. After it relaxed, I set it down.
She took it away and put her other foot up. I took the second shoe off and rubbed that foot again not going above her ankle. I started to put it down.
"I'm so tight and tense. Do a bit more?" she asked.
Her foot was on the chair now, so I started at the ankle and slowly but firmly massaged with both hands, feeling the tendon then the muscles of her calf relax slowly.
"Ummm"
She had her yes closed now and her body was visibly relaxing back into the chair. Her legs, which had been tightly together relaxed a bit. Her skirt was draped from her knee, along the side of her leg, across her other knee. She opened her eyes, put her second (right foot) down and put her left foot up. I started in the middle of her calf this time. Again the tension slowly eased, her hips slipped forward a fraction and her legs relaxed more.
"Umm, thanks. You have nice hands."
"You've got nice legs."
She blushed a fraction, as I picked up a new shoe and started sliding it onto her foot. It was a tight fit, and the push to get it on showed a slight grimace in her face. (What to do, tight shoe, I don't want to say she has big feet.)
"The other one too?"
She nodded yes, as she set her second foot up.
I fitted the second shoe and she stood, walked over to the mirror and looked down.
She bent over at the hip to squeeze the shoe. I enjoyed the sight of her bottom outlined. I got a shock when I saw her look at me from between her legs, seeing me look at her. I stood up to talk, but didn't have any words. She stood up and walked, concentrating on the shoe fit but tripped as she passed me, falling against me.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry," she said as she caught my shoulder and chest for balance.
"These won't do, they pinch. I'd like to try a pair of those," she said pointing to a platform slip on.
"Sure, I get some."
I got a size 6 1/2 this time.
When I returned she was sitting. She raised her left foot to the fitting stool as I sat down. Little things were happening. Her foot was further up the stool, so her knee was higher, her skirt further up her thigh, so I could see more of her leg.
"Those shoes got me tense again. Would you help me relax?"
"I do what I can."
I took her shoe off, rubbed her foot (she flexed her toes against my hand this time), then her calf, going to her knee this time, massaging the tendons behind her knee.
"Ahhhh, yes."