Waitng for the Other SHoe to Drop
"Gotta go!" Sarah said, her voice crackling over a bad cellular phone connection. "I'll call you when I get home, and we can ride together to the party at Jimmy's," she added.
"Sounds good," Maria replied, "I'm ready to go whenever you are." Hanging up the phone, it occurred to her that she had never been to Jimmy's house before, in fact, as far as she knew, Sarah had stopped seeing Jimmy weeks ago. Truthfully, she had never really liked him too much, but she was excited about going to any Halloween party, seeing as she had one of her best costumes ever.
Maria spent the next hour fine-tuning her costume, and had gotten most of the pieces together just as the doorbell chimed. When she opened the door, She found Sarah standing there in a tiara and ball gown, complete with glass slippers. Maria could see that Sarah was visibly stunned by her outlandish appearance.
"You look just like that guy! That pirate guy on the rum bottles! Captain Morgan!" Sarah exclaimed. Maria wore a red triangular hat over her loosely tied black hair. A pencil thin moustache was drawn above her lips, and a white ruffled shirt spilled out of her red knee length coat topcoat. A silver sword hilt hung from her black trousers that were gathered up and tied just below the knee. Maria's shapely calves were covered in opaque white silk stockings. Sarah glanced at Maria's stockinged feet and wondered what kind of boots would complete the ensemble. "Speaking of Captain Morgan..." Sarah began, as she poured three fingers into a tumbler and added a splash of orange juice. She poured a second one for Maria.
"I wasn't quite ready yet," Maria said, delighted with Sarah's reaction. "I have this," she said, pulling a black eye patch down over her left eye, "and this guy too!" she said, clipping a stuffed parrot onto her shoulder. Maria stepped into the kitchen and returned wearing large black shoes with giant silver buckles, and a wooden stick protruding from her left knee. Before Sarah could ask, Maria removed her left shoe and pulled her stockinged foot up behind her butt, slipping her ankle through a loop she had made and attached to the back of her belt. The bulge of her foot was mostly concealed by the long coat tails, and she balanced on one shoe and a set of crutches, the fake peg leg banging loudly on the kitchen floor. Sarah grabbed her camera and they took pictures of each other's costumes.
"It's fantastic!" Sarah said. "Where in the world did you find it?"
"My cousin loaned me the coat," Maria said. "He's a British Redcoat in one of those Revolutionary War re-enactment groups. I was going to be a Redcoat, but it was so big on me that I had to think of something else. I picked up all the other stuff on my own, and the fake leg is from a costume shop. But what about you young Cinderella, where ever did you find such a splendid party frock?"
"Sad to say, but I actually wore this dress to high school homecoming. I bought the shoes last week at DSW," she said, kicking them off, and rubbing her tan stockinged feet on the rug. "Unfortunately, they're made out of plastic, and they're miserable, and hotter than hell besides. I figured I would start the evening wearing both, but since neither of us have a date tonight, I'm sure that stealing one of them will end up as part of your entertainment plans." Sarah refilled her glass, and Maria's as well.
"No date?" Maria asked. "What about Jimmy?"
"What about him?" Sarah replied, looking puzzled. "Oh Jimmy's...I get it, you thought we were going..." She began to laugh. "We're not going to Jimmy Callaghan's house, I haven't talked to that jerk in at least a month. The Halloween Party we're invited to is at Jimmy's, you know, that new club on North Wells. They say it's the hottest club in town, and one of my clients is the lead partner of the investor group. You couldn't buy an invitation to this party. It's going to be rockin," she added, as they finished their drinks.
Maria slipped the fake peg leg off and tucked it under her arm with the crutches. They stepped into the hallway outside Maria's apartment and she searched for her keys to lock up.
"Wait." Sarah whispered, looking momentarily flustered.
"What?" Maria whispered back, amused by the sudden conspiratorial tone.
"I dare you," Sarah said, sounding as if she had been drinking, which in fact they had been, "...I double triple dare you...to lock your shoe in your apartment and give me the keys. Right now," she said, pushing the door open a crack.
"Stop it," said Maria. "I'm not running around the city in my stockinged feet all night." She pulled the door shut and inserted the key.
"You wouldn't have to," Sarah persisted. "You have those," she said, pointing to the crutches with one hand while pushing the door open with the other. "I really want you to, because when I start doing my Cinderella thing at the club..." she looked at Maria pleadingly.
"You are such a nutcase," Maria said, kicking her left shoe through the open door, then closing and locking it. She tucked her stockinged foot behind her and put her knee into the fake peg leg again. "I'm telling you right now, if you so much as touch my other shoe tonight, I am going to take off this peg leg and beat you to death with it."
Maria found it difficult to navigate the elevator and lobby with the peg leg in place, and when they reached the curb, she decided to remove it, at least for the cab ride uptown. She immediately began to doubt the wisdom of her acquiescence to Sarah as the icy breeze of the autumn evening whipped across her stocking clad toes while they stood at the taxi stand. She was just about to change her mind when Sarah stepped out of her own shoes, either in solidarity, or just to cool her feet off. Sarah's tan stockinged feet left faint footprints on the concrete walkway, suggesting the latter. They waited in silence, Maria perched with her stocking clad toes dangling above the curb, and Sarah pacing around the front of the building in her stockinged feet. At one point, Sarah had strayed at least a hundred and fifty feet away from her empty shoes, looking at something in the shop window. If Maria had selected a less cumbersome costume, she could be a half a block away before Sarah even noticed they were gone. She inserted the rubber tip of the crutch into Sarah's empty shoe, hoisting it up at eye level. It was a typical classic pump design, but constructed entirely out of clear plastic. Very elegant looking, she thought, but guessed correctly that they were not very comfortable to wear.
Sarah snatched the shoe out of mid air and replaced it on her foot as a taxi rolled to a stop. She stepped into her remaining pump and climbed into the cab ahead of Maria. "Jimmy's," Sarah told the driver, and of course, he needed no further directions. Maria arranged her costume in the backseat, tucking her leg under her and inserting her stockinged foot through the loop on the back of the belt again. When the cab stopped in front of the neon lit club, Cinderella and the Captain Morgan made an entrance worthy of Hollywood Movie stars. Sarah handed a gold leaf invitation to the doorman, and they were quickly escorted inside and seated at a high backed booth on a mezzanine overlooking the dance floor.
"Hey Sarah, glad you could make it," the man said, delivering a bucket with a bottle of champagne. Sarah introduced him as the club owner. "Have a great time," he said, popping the cork from the bottle and pouring for them. "And don't forget the best costume contest at midnight, $1,000.00 for first prize."
Maria wasn't a big fan of champagne, but she had a couple of glasses while they talked. Sarah pretty much drank the rest of the bottle while various acquaintances came and went, until eventually, they found their way to the dance floor escorted by the club owner and his partner. Maria laughed hysterically, and generally just flailed her arms around, since her dancing was severely impaired by the fake leg and the crutches. Many of the other people on the dance floor had similar costume constraints, and she noted that Sarah was not doing much better with the dancing, probably because of all the champagne. After a few songs, they made their way back to the booth, exhausted for the moment.
"Are you O.K. Sarah?" she asked. "I mean, all that champagne. You're not usually a big drinker.
"I never felt better!" Sarah shouted, shaking her head in an exaggerated gesture. "I feel great." She turned her attention back to the dance floor, crossing her legs at the knee and dangling her shoe in the aisle. "Look at the clown," she said, pointing behind Maria.
"Nice to meet you," the clown said, extending his giant gloved hand, and dropping his clown pants to reveal giant boxer shorts with big red hearts on them, and legs that didn't look all that bad to Maria. He bent over to pull his pants up and knocked the dangling pump off of Sarah's toes. "I'll get it," he said, and as he bent down to pick up the shoe, he pressed his red clown nose into Sarah's painted toes, then jumped back with his hands clutching his throat, choking and coughing. Sarah, who would normally be horrified, screamed and laughed, pouring the last of the champagne into her glass. The clown held up one finger of his giant hand, gesturing her to wait. "I want to put this back exactly where it was. I think your foot was right here," he said, pointing to the edge of the seat. Sarah crossed her legs again and positioned her stockinged foot where it had been. The clown held up one thumb, making a mock survey of the situation. Sarah wiggled her toes and giggled at his antics. He held the shoe in one hand and poked her sole with the other, making her jump back, and start laughing again. "Please ma'am, if you could just hold still for a moment," he said in a pleading tone. Sarah extended her leg again and the clown dropped to his knees, carefully placing the shoe gently on her toes, then rocking it back and forth, each time finding some fault with his work and removing the shoe again. Finally, he replaced the shoe and was satisfied with the location. "Ronnie," he said, extending his big hand again.
"Sarah," she replied, shaking hands with the giant glove. "Ronnie, do you enjoy playing with ladies shoes?" she asked, smiling warmly.
"Not at all," he said, glancing at her feet again. "BRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG BRRRRIIIIINNNNGG," he imitated the sound of a telephone and snatched the shoe from her foot once more, holding the pointed toe near his ear and the speaking into the empty heel. "It's for you. Collect call I think," and hand the shoe to her.
Ronnie the clown stuck around for a while, but eventually gave up on Sarah. Maria imagined it was difficult to make a love connection in a clown suit, and wished him a happy Halloween. She turned her attention to her friend again. Sarah was reclining in the booth with legs extended and both shoes dangling, swinging to the music as she rocked to the driving beat of the music. A look at her watch reminded her that the costume contest was in thirty minutes.
"I'm going to go to the ladies room and rearrange my outfit before the contest," Maria said. Sarah got up and followed her to the back of the club. The ladies room was packed with others tweaking their costumes, and they waited in line, until Sarah pulled her aside.
"There's a coat room at the end of the hall," she said, leading the way.
"The belt that holds my ankle is getting loose again," Maria said. "Can you re-tie it so that you can't see my leg under the back of the coat?"
Sarah stepped out of her own shoes and leaned over to examine the belt. It was from a raincoat or something and was looped twice through the belt on her trousers and tied in a knot. "Turn around and pull your leg up where you want it," Sarah told her, and untied the belt while Maria pulled her ankle in tight with her hand. Even in the low light, she could see that the bottom of Maria's stocking was still snow white, apparently untouched by the sidewalk or the floor in the crowded nightclub. "Your arm is in the way," Sarah said, pushing Maria's hand out of the way, and resisting the sudden urge to tickle Maria's exposed sole. Sarah looped the belt around Maria's ankle as tightly as she could and began to tie it, but when she was finished, it was not any tighter than it had been before. "Lean over," Sarah instructed her. Maria leaned forward, placing both hands on a folding table, while Sarah wrestled with the belt, nearly knocking her over several times.
Sarah knelt on the carpeted floor and placed her shoulder against the top of Maria's stockinged foot, pushing her heel in tight while trying to tie the belt with both hands. Maria leaned in toward the corner, pushing the coat hangers aside and holding onto the bar for balance. Sarah tied the knot firmly as Maria's stockinged foot repeatedly brushed against the side of her face. Maria's stocking toes were visible even through the opaque silk stocking, and her painted toes glistened faintly through the fabric. Her feet were so cute, Sarah thought to herself.
"Not too tight," Maria said, facing the corner and unaware of the ruby colored lips a mere inch away from her toes. "I don't want my leg to fall asleep during the contest."
"I don't think it's too tight," Sarah said looking down her nose at the arch of Maria's stockinged foot. "Can you feel this?" she asked, raking her fingernail across Maria's arch. Maria lurched, nearly knocking them both to the floor, but Sarah regained her balance and leaned hard against Maria's legs, pinning her against the table edge.
"Stop it, don't tickle me," Maria said, lurching again as Sarah scratched the ball of her foot, "Stop it, stop it, I mean it, cut out or I'll...."
"What, beat me to death with your fake leg?" Sarah gripped Maria's foot again running her fingertips across the bottom of her toes. Maria was laughing, screaming, and swatting at Sarah with one hand while holding onto the coat bar with the other. Sarah continued to tickle her mercilessly, enjoying it for the fun that it was, but feeling strangely excited by the control, and the thought that Maria was stranded miles away from her shoe. Maria continued shrieking as she tickled her, until suddenly, there was a loud crack, and Sarah felt a sharp sting on the side of her face, where Maria's hand had slapped her hard.
The tiny coatroom fell completely silent. "Sarah, did I hit you? Oh Sarah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... it's just that you panicked me, Sarah?"
She was more surprised than anything, and she looked at the white nylon clad toes inches in front of her face. Each toe was perfectly curled, and descended in length to form a perfect arc. Maria flexed her toes back at that exact moment, exposing the tips of her toes.
"Sarah, I didn't mean to, are you O.K. Sarah?" Maria held still, sounding concerned.
Sarah attacked, grabbing the arch of Maria's soft foot with both hands and plunging her lips over Maria's silken toes, deliberately raking her teeth on the bottom of each toe. Maria screamed, then laughed, struggled, screamed, and laughed some more.
"Stop it!" she cried, laughing and screaming hysterically.
Sarah flicked her tongue, licking tops of Maria's toes and pressed her hard against the table edge. Maria struggled and momentarily lost her balance, falling forward onto the table. Maria's toes were clearly visible through the wet stocking where her tongue had just been. Sarah closed her teeth gently over Maria's toes again.
"Stop it!" Maria growled, "that's enough, now stop." To reinforce her point, she grasped a handful of Sarah's hair and pulled it taught. "Stop."
Sarah held perfectly still and closed her eyes, feeling the silken texture of Maria's toes on her tongue, curling between her lips. Her senses where alive, each finger tip delighting in the texture of the sheer fabric, and the struggle of Maria to break free. She slumped slightly forward, and Maria's other foot, unable to reach the floor, hung in mid air, her shoe brushing almost imperceptibly against Sarah's nylon clad inner thigh.
"Let go," Maria said, pulling Sarah's hair slightly tighter.
Sarah was nearly overwhelmed by the texture of silk on her lips, and she shuddered as she slowly withdrew her mouth from Maria's toes. She was suddenly aware of a tear streaming down her cheek, although she was not at all unhappy. She caressed Maria's foot with both hands, gently kissing tip of each toe, and then pressing her cheek against Maria's stockinged arch. As Maria struggled to regain her footing, Sarah felt Maria's shoe become wedged between her thighs. Every movement of Maria's leg pulled the shoe across her nyloned thigh, producing a sensation that was nearly overwhelming. Suddenly, she could feel Maria's stockinged heel pull away from the shoe, stocking sliding against stocking as Maria's naked heel was grinding into her leg. The feeling of silk against her nylon thigh pushed all other sensations from her mind and she burrowed her face into the arch of Maria's foot, as she heard the shoe fall to the floor. Time seemed to hesitate, and the universe grew silent, as she held her breath, unable to exhale.
"Sarah?"
She pressed forward again and felt Maria's silken arch creep up her thigh, feeling each microscopic fiber rub against another, until she felt the arch of Maria's foot pressing firmly between her legs, damp, soft, sensuous, but there something else. Hot, incredibly hot, and as Maria continued to struggle, her foot pressed against Sarah, the incredible heat radiated outward from the point of contact, coursing through her entire body in an instant.
And it continued, a surging heat, pulsing over and over again. Tears streamed freely down her face, as wave after wave of emotion washed over her. She heard her own voice, although it said nothing to her that she could understand or remember. After what seemed to be an eternity, she sat back on her heels, dizzy, disoriented, ecstatic, scared.
"Sarah?"
Sarah felt the cool solid wall behind her back, and opened her eyes to see her stockinged feet, legs extended on the floor in front of her. What had happened to her shoes, she wondered?
"Sarah?"
Maria was sitting next to her, holding her hand. Sarah saw Maria's shoeless foot next to her own, in a white stocking with something pink smeared all over it. She looked at her friend.
"Are you O.K. Sarah? You scared the hell out of me. I think you must have blacked out or something. All the champagne..."
"What happened to your other shoe, and my shoes too? What's that all over your stocking?"
"It's your lipstick you jerk. You started tickling me and biting my foot," Maria said. "She wiped Sarah's lip with her thumb. "Your make-up looks like Ronnie."
It all came rushing back to her. She searched Maria's face to see if anything was different. If Maria was aware of anything else that had happened, but if she was, it didn't show, her face was one of caring and concern.
"We have to get you home," Maria said, hoisting herself up from the floor and offering her hand to Sarah. Sarah stood up and collected her glass slippers from the corner.
"Five minutes until the best costume contest," the D.J. announced.
Sarah looked at Maria's costume. "I think I'm O.K. now," she said. "Why don't you go up for the contest and I'll wait here for you."?
"I don't know," Maria started. "We really should get you home."
"I'll be O.K., I'm sure of it. Come on, we'll go up on stage together," Sarah said, holding out her hand.
They headed down the hallway with Sarah leading the way, and Maria plodding along behind her. At the end of the hallway, Maria stopped.
"Oh, Cinderella!"
Sarah turned to face her. "Give me your shoe," Maria said cheerfully. Sarah knew she could not argued and stepped out of one shoe, handing it to Maria.
"About midnight isn't it?" she said, and dropped the shoe into the trashcan.
Sarah smiled, leading the way through the crowd to the stage.
Riding home in the taxi, Sarah reflected on the night's events. She wasn't sure if Maria knew what had actually happened in the coatroom and she was sure that neither of them knew what it meant.
"I can't believe you threw my new shoe away," Sarah said, looking down at her stockinged foot. "This is one of the longest times I've ever had to go with out a shoe." For some reason, the prospect was vaguely exciting to her.
"It won't be," Maria said, "because you're taking these crutches home with you and for the next week, I expect to see you at work with one shoe, and one shoe only, every single day, no excuses."
The taxi stopped in front of Maria's building and she got out, leaving Sarah and her new crutches in the taxi. Sarah gave her address to the driver, who was watching her in the mirror as if she were a space alien. Maria stood on the sidewalk and waved, shoeless in her white silk stockings and outrageous costume, which had netted her an unforgettable evening, along with a quick thousand bucks.
Snowman
