"Thanks for coming, Jake," blonde beauty queen Julie said as she kicked off her high heels and began rubbing her feet together and wiggling her toes to get some feeling in them.
"No problem," Jake replied, "so is this for the Halloween party this weekend?"
"That's right," said black, sporty Kara, who had stripped off her sneakers and socks to rub her feet.
"We rented out the old dance hall," Asian goth Sam explained with her boots lying on the floor and her black-polished toes flexing, "and we need it cleared out by Friday so we can get set up in time."
Shy, nerdy redhead Becky, sat on a table nearby, clapped her flip-flops against her heels.
"So you want me to do the clearing up, right?" Jake sighed.
"Please?" The girls all pleaded, giving him puppy dog eyes.
"Alright," he said. The girls all sprang to their bare feet (as Becky's flip-flops fell off when she jumped up) and gathered round him for a group hug.
"Thanks, pal!" Julie said as she and the others put their shoes back on. "We'll see you at the party, ok?" Jake watched them walk out.
"Why do I keep falling for it?" He asked himself.
"Everyone have their costumes picked out?" Julie asked the other girls as they sat getting their feet treated at the nail salon. She had been the de facto leader of the unlikely group of friends since high school.
"Yup, it's perfect for your idea," Kara grinned with a wink.
"Me too," added Sam.
"Uh-huh," Becky nodded.
"Good, because-" Julie started, but then caught her breath as a pedicurist took a pumice stone to her heel. The others began getting their feet pumiced too and all four women were left clenching their toes and teeth as they tried to suppress their ticklish laughter.
Come Saturday, Jake pulled up in front of the hall to see it decked out the way one expect: plastic pumpkins, bats and skeletons, orange and black streamers, spooky green lights. He stepped out of the car in his zombie costume. Becky waved him over. She was dressed as a farm girl with her hair in pigtails, a polka dot shirt and cutoff jeans. As she stepped out from behind a decoration, he saw that she had fully committed to the Daisy Mae look by going barefoot.
"What do you think?" She asked nervously, clenching her hands and bobbing up and down on her toes. "I don't know if I make this look work."
"No way, you look great!" Jake said. Becky blushed and stared down at her feet.
"Hey you two, get on in here!" Jake turned to see Kara leaning in the doorway dressed as a pirate. She had a red bandana, a tight striped shirt, tattered dark blue pants... and she was barefoot too. She scrunched her toes into the carpet as she stood aside for Jake and Becky. Jake was surprised to see Sam dressed as a jungle princess, with leopard print fabric covering her chest and waist, so naturally she was also barefoot. Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Ah, there you are!" Julie called as she entered the room. She was in a blue and white gown with a clear plastic tiara and a high heel sticking in her waistband. The hem of her dress stopped just above her ankles and sure enough, her bare feet poked out from underneath.