I never really wanted to sell shoes, but having left college, I needed the job to keep a roof over my head. Over our heads, rather, as my girlfriend moved in about a year ago. Eh, it is what it is, despite the Al Bundy jokes I get from everybody.
Still, the job had the occasional perks. You get these dowdy housewives who like to flash their panties at me when I'm showing them shoes. I've had a lot of women flirt with me - I've generally assumed that they're looking for a discount, which they don't get.
A few weeks ago, it was a quiet afternoon, and this redhead came in. I'd say she was a few years older than me - probably late twenties, maybe early thirties. She didn't really strike me as one of the exhibitionist type, as she was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt under a coat. Interestingly she was carrying a bag from the lingerie store in the mall. I caught myself wondering what she'd look like in lingerie. I couldn't really see what her body would look like, but her face didn't look fat or anything.
I let her wander around, looking at things for a few minutes - lots of women just browse then leave, and why bother getting up when they don't want to buy anything anyway, but I ended up going over and asking her if I could help her.
She said she wanted some really high heels, the higher the better, in like a black suede finish, with a platform by the toes and her toes poking out. Well, that makes everything easier, as I knew exactly what she wanted. I checked her size, then went and got a few different pairs.
When I came back, she knew what she wanted, and pointed them out. They were what she'd described, but also had a strap around the ankle. She sat down, and I took her sneakers off, and put the heels on. I had to help her get up, and she walked around the store a little. She looked ridiculous, in sweats and stripper heels.
"Oh shit," she said. "I want to wear them with stockings on. Hold on to them, and I'll go and put my stockings on and come back and try them, OK?"
I was like whatever - so many women seem to just like trying shoes on, but I figured I'd hold them for her until closing. I doubted I'd get somebody else rushing in to buy these, as most of the shoes I sell are practical, rather than like this, just plain sexy. I put them back in the box, then dropped them off on the counter and went to serve somebody else while she put her sneakers back on.
I'll be honest, I didn't really expect to see her again, and I went to serve another woman. As I remember, she was looking at ballet flat type of shoes.
About five or ten minutes later, she came back. She looked even more ridiculous - I could see her legs below her coat were in fishnets, and she was still wearing the sneakers. I figured she'd had fishnets in the lingerie store bag, and had them on under her rolled up sweatpants.
I was still serving the other customer, so I waved to her.
When I got a second, I took her the shoes and said "I'll just finish up there, then I'll be back to help you out, OK?"
"Sure," she said. She sat down, putting the shoes on.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she walked up and down, not looking as ridiculous now, while I finished settling up with my current customer.