If the Shoes Fit

by Pauline Lawless

  She pressed Val’s doorbell. No reply. She knew her daughter was in. She kept her finger on the bell and, when Val still didn’t answer, she used the key Val had given her, to let herself in.

  Val came sheepishly down the stairs.

  “I know, I know, I should have told you . . .” she started, scared of the murderous look on her mother’s face.

  “You are a bitch – a mean jealous bitch! My God, what would have happened if you’d got the job and Niamh hadn’t?” Eileen clenched her fists by her side.

  “That would have been something!” Val couldn’t resist the jibe.

  “Val, I actually want to slap your face,” her mother spat out. “Thank heaven your father isn’t alive to see what a nasty person you’ve become.”

  Somewhat chastened by this remark, Val replied. “Of course Niamh was going to get it. Everybody loves her. Even though she’s never worked a day in her life, she got the job, didn’t she?” She couldn’t keep the jealousy from her voice.

  “That’s because they could see she’s a nice person, unlike you. And she works bloody hard looking after those kids and that useless husband.”

  “Don’t call Gavin useless!” Val’s face became suffused with colour.

  “Oh, so you’re still carrying a torch for your brother-in-law! I’ll tell you one thing, missy,” Eileen came up close to her, her face practically touching Val’s, “if you do anything to hurt Niamh in this job, you’ll never darken my door again.”

  Val was quaking. She’d never seen her mother so angry.

  “Now, I’m going. I can’t stand to look at you any more.” Eileen turned on her heel and left.

  “Ah, Mam, I’m sorry, I didn’t . . .”

  But her mother had marched out, leaving Val very shaken.

  Rosie was in great form. She was in Gail’s for dinner and her daughter was all agog to hear how the first day had gone.

  “It was terrific,” Rosie was glowing. “The shoes are beautiful and I’ve made three new friends.”

  She told her all about them and the champagne they shared afterwards.

  “What about the others?” Gail wanted to know.

  Gail pealed with laughter as her mother described Phoebe and Val.

  “Somehow, I don’t think we’ll be friends,” said Rosie. “They’re quite dreadful. Twin Peaks, Amber calls them, because they both have enormous boobs, not entirely due to nature. Amber has a wicked wit and she’s great fun. I’m so glad you forced me into this. Thank you, darling.” She gave Gail a kiss on the cheek.

  “I’m so glad to have you back, Mum,” Gail said, wrapping her arms around Rosie.

  Rosie uttered a silent prayer. Thank you, Jack darling. She knew it was his doing.

  George was listening to Wagner when Tessa got home.

  “What’s for dinner?” he asked, looking up from his newspaper.

  “Hello to you too! I’m fine, thank you.” She marched to the fridge and took out the lasagne she’d made the day before and stuck it under his nose. “Dinner will be on the table in twenty minutes.”

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, going back to his newspaper.

  Over dinner Tessa made an effort to act as normal, as did George, so some semblance of civility returned. Still he never mentioned the training and neither did she.

  Lying awake beside him that night, she wondered what had happened to them. She wasn’t happy and George didn’t seem to be too happy either. She thought back to when they’d first met and remembered a lot more laughter and fun in their relationship. It seemed that George didn’t do laughter or fun any more. When had he started to change? When had he started to take life so damned seriously? She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life like this. If her brush with death had done nothing else, it had taught her that life was precious and that she should treasure every moment and live every day to the full.

  She’d give this job a chance and if things didn’t improve between them then she’d have to seriously consider her options. She thanked her lucky stars that she’d held out against marriage. She still had her lovely house in London and she could always go back there but it was rented out now and, anyway, she didn’t want to go back. She was very excited about this new job and didn’t want to give it up. If she decided to leave George then it would make more sense for her to rent a place in Dublin. God, I can’t believe I’m thinking like this, she said to herself. But her heart attack had changed her attitude to life. Life was not a dress rehearsal – it was the real thing – and she intended living every moment of it, to the best of her ability.

  She was thrilled to be starting this job. It was exciting and she loved the other girls – well, Amber, Niamh and Rosie anyway – Phoebe, Val and Lesley were another story. It was good to be back interacting with women once more. She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed it. This was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

  Amber was thinking exactly the same thing. They’d had such fun over their champagne. Tessa was a scream and Rosie and Niamh were two smart cookies. She had a feeling they would all become great friends. She hadn’t realised how much she’d missed the company of women. There was nothing to beat the craic when a group of like-minded women got together. God, it felt good! They were all so different but that’s what made it interesting and fun.

  Chapter 12

  The rest of the week flew by. Niamh couldn’t believe how much there was to learn. It felt good to be using her brain again. Being around small children for the past five years hadn’t exactly taxed it too much. There was so much to get through: accounting, tax, sales techniques, recruiting, interviewing, business management, staff training, time management, computers and lots more. It was exhilarating. She couldn’t wait to get started.

  She was still upset with Val and ignored her as much as possible. She could sense that Amber, Tessa and Rosie had no time for her at all. Amber couldn’t understand how Niamh was even civil to her.

  “If my sister did that to me, I swear I’d never talk to her again,” she’d said.

  “Yeah, well, Mam gave her an earful,” Niamh assured her.

  Despite the difference in their ages, Niamh and Rosie had bonded really well. There was something about Niamh that brought out Rosie’s maternal instinct. I could be her mother, Rosie thought. She’s even younger than Gail and David, for God’s sake, yet we’re fast becoming friends. Niamh found herself confiding in Rosie, telling her all about Bridget and how impossible it was living under her roof.

  “That’s really why this job is so important to me,” she said. “If I make a success of it then we can move into a place of our own. That’s my ambition and I’m going to work as hard as I possibly can to make it happen.”

  Rosie admired her courage and determination.

  On Wednesday it was time for the allotment of areas and Niamh was delighted to find that Grace had given her Clondalkin, the area where she lived and the surrounding areas. She knew lots of people there and it would mean much less travelling.

  “Thanks, Grace, that’s great.” She smiled gratefully at her.

  Amber was given Malahide, where she lived, and the neighbouring areas. She knew these well and was already mentally making lists of all her ex-colleagues who lived there, hoping to line them up for parties. She knew they’d love the shoes.

  Grace had been true to her word and given Tessa the closest area to Kildare.

  Rosie would have worked any area at all, she was just so pleased to be doing it, but she also got the place where she lived, Dun Laoghaire, and the surrounding areas. She was more than happy.

  Phoebe made a face when told that she would be working the inner city area. She was not a happy bunny.

  Val was given a much rougher area on the north side of the city.

  “I’d prefer to have the area Niamh has,” she grumbled.

  Amber threw her dagger’s looks as Grace, with a voice as cold as ice, informed her, “I’m afraid you have to work the area I’ve decided to give you, Val. You don’t have a choi
ce. And in no circumstances can you recruit or have reps selling in Niamh’s area, or anyone else’s, for that matter.”

  That shut Val up.

  Lesley was also given a very rough area and, although it was obvious from the way she pressed her lips tight together that she wasn’t happy, she didn’t complain.

  She’s a clever lady, Amber realised. She knows better than to go against Grace’s decision.

  When they broke for lunch Phoebe, Lesley and Val hightailed it outside, to feed their nicotine addiction and to grumble and complain. What a trio! They deserved each other. Amber noticed Grace watching them. She was no fool. Amber supposed she knew what she was doing.

  Just then Grace came over to Amber and whispered. “Could you meet me for coffee after we finish this afternoon?”

  “Of course,” Amber replied. “I’ve nothing on this evening.”

  “Let’s go to City West, where I’m staying. I wouldn’t want any of the others to see us and think it’s favouritism.” Grace waved her hand in the direction of the others.

  “Well, I know Niamh, Tessa and Rosie wouldn’t think that. They know we worked together before. As for the others – well, God knows!” Amber made a face.

  “Exactly!”

  As Amber returned to her seat, Carlo took her aside.

  “I was wondering, Amber, if you’d like to meet me for a drink this evening, after we finish?”

  “I’m sorry, Carlo, but I have a previous appointment,” she said, smiling sweetly. She was relieved that she could honestly say that. He was very sexy but there was no way she wanted to be alone with him. It was a long time since she’d felt this attracted to a man – not since Dermot, in fact. Her husband’s betrayal had crushed her. So much so that she’d lost all sense of her sexuality. In the fifteen months since her divorce, she hadn’t looked at another man. Not that they hadn’t tried, of course, but she just wasn’t interested. She was dead inside. She’d more or less resigned herself to a life of celibacy and now here was Carlo, upsetting that plan. Yes, she was very attracted to him, but there was no way she would give in to an Italian womaniser. No, siree!

  When they met up later Grace asked Amber how she felt it was going.

  “Fantastic. We’re all really excited and can’t wait to get started. Well, I speak for my friends anyway.”

  Grace sighed. “Yes, the other three are something else.”

  “What I can’t understand is why you took them on?” Amber looked at her questioningly.

  “Well, I thought about it carefully. I need a certain type of person for certain areas. I couldn’t have put you or Tessa into their areas, for example. I hear from other direct-selling companies that some of their agents actually need bodyguards going into certain areas in Dublin. Can you believe that? I think Val, Phoebe and Lesley are tough enough to handle that kind of environment. I had to match the manager to the clientele.” She shrugged. “We’ll see how it goes.”

  “Phoebe would drop dead if she heard what you’re saying. She considers herself oh-so-posh!” Amber laughed. “But are you sure the women in those tougher places have the money for designer shoes?” She looked doubtful.

  “You must be joking! They certainly have and they don’t mind spending it on shoes.”

  Amber was amazed.

  “Mind you, if I’d known that Val and Niamh were sisters I wouldn’t have taken them both on,” Grace continued.

  Amber, realising that this meant Niamh might not have made it, disliked Val all the more.

  Thursday morning was scheduled for the accounting side of the business and the girls arrived to find a very attractive man seated beside Grace and Carlo.

  “Let me introduce Pete Clancy, our accountant,” she said as he smiled at them and gave them a little wave. “He is going to take you through the financial side of things which is a very important part of your business.

  Pete was the total opposite of Carlo, Tessa noted. He had bright blue, twinkling eyes which, coupled with his dimpled smile, gave him a very disarming air of innocence. He had a Brad Pitt-style, unshaven look about him and Tessa wondered if his blond hair had been helped along by a good colourist. She reckoned he was probably in his mid thirties. Although he was wearing a very expensive suit, and a shirt and tie, he somehow made it look casual. He’s a right charmer, Tessa thought, as he flashed his boyish smile. It was obvious that all the girls felt the force of his attraction as they had suddenly perked up, giving him their full attention. Even Amber, Tessa noted, was hanging on his every word.

  He made the boring business of finance seem fascinating and by lunchtime he had them all eating out of his hand. He was vibrant and funny and moved about with a restless energy as he spoke. He was obviously highly intelligent and he made each of them feel like they were the only person in the room.

  “He’s a pet, isn’t he?” Amber remarked as they sat down to lunch.

  “A sweetheart,” Niamh agreed.

  “He’s lethal,” Tessa exclaimed. “He should have a sign on his forehead – ‘Danger to Women’!”

  “Surely not,” Rosie said. “He looks like an innocent little boy.”

  “Exactly!” Tessa replied, her mouth full of pasta. “The most dangerous kind of man! Mark my words, Carlo is a pussycat in comparison.” She looked pointedly at Amber.

  Amber giggled and almost choked as a result. When she’d stopped coughing and Niamh had poured her a glass of water, she turned to Tessa. “He’s sweet and harmless, you’ll see.”

  Niamh and Rosie agreed.

  “Ladies, I’m the expert, believe me,” Tessa continued, her face solemn. “I know a Casanova when I see one and I met one today.”

  The other three pealed with laughter at the notion.

  Val rang her mother on Thursday but got no joy.

  “I really have nothing to say to you, Val,” Eileen said, hanging up on her.

  Eileen had never done that before. She’d always come round. She was obviously still really angry with her. Val decided that the only way she could get her mother to talk to her again would be with Niamh’s help. With this in mind she suggested she and Niamh share a taxi to the dinner on Friday night.

  Niamh rebuffed her. “No, thanks. Grace says she’ll send one for each of us.”

  Niamh was still hurt but Val knew she would come round. She always did.

  Chapter 13

  There was a great atmosphere at the final day of training. Carlo gave a superb talk on marketing and advertising and then Grace asked them to prepare a plan to get their business up and running successfully. They had thirty minutes to do this and they even surprised themselves with what they managed to come up with.

  “I can’t believe it! All these wonderful ideas!” Grace enthused.

  “Fantastico!” Carlo replied, lounging in his chair and smiling delightedly at them.

  “I think we have ourselves a group of entrepreneurs here, boys,” said Grace.

  “A very pretty group of entrepreneurs, if I may say so,” Pete replied, his boyish smile sweeping over each and every one of them.

  They all automatically smiled back at him.

  He was such a charmer. He really had it down to a fine art. Tessa wondered if there was any animosity between Carlo and himself. There didn’t seem to be, but Italian men were very macho and she was sure there must be some rivalry between the two men, especially when there was a gaggle of women to compete for. It should be interesting to watch. She brought her thoughts back to the meeting and Grace, who was speaking.

  “We have a bottle of champagne for what we consider the best thought-out business plan . . . and the winner is . . . Niamh!”

  The girls clapped and cheered – Val and Lesley with some reluctance.

  Niamh was blushing as she shyly went up to accept the champagne and receive kisses from Grace, Carlo and Pete. Tessa thought that Pete took rather longer than was necessary and held Niamh a little too close. She was blushing furiously as she took her seat again.

  Phoebe couldn’t bel
ieve it. She thought her plans were terrific – driving through Dublin with a loudspeaker, hailing people and letting off a thousand balloons with shoes printed on them – were two of her least outrageous ideas. She couldn’t understand why she hadn’t won. To her ears, Niamh had merely said that recruiting representatives was the way forward.

  In fact, Niamh had put forward a very detailed plan of how she would target future representatives so that she would have every street in her area covered. Her friends thought her plan for recruiting was great and Carlo and Grace obviously thought it was a blueprint for success too.

  When they came back after lunch they found beautiful pink boxes, tied up with silver ribbons, lined up on a table.

  “Your shoes are here with your name on top,” Grace told them. “Please try them on to make sure they fit and let me know if there’s any problem.”

  She laughed as they all made a beeline for the shoes, oohing and aahing over the boxes.

  “Then, when you’ve tried them all on, please keep on the shoes you prefer most,” Grace continued, laughing at their enthusiasm. This was a little game she was playing. From her experience, Grace knew that a woman’s choice of shoe could tell you a lot about her personality.

  They had great fun for the next half hour trying them all on and Niamh felt a lump come into her throat as she realised just how much her life was changing. The shoes were out of this world – all different, all beautiful, all with incredibly high heels.

  “Oh, my God!” Amber made a beeline for the red kid sandals which were divine. They were exactly like the Emilio Pucci ones that she’d admired on Net-a-Porter. They had five-inch slender heels and narrow straps which wrapped around her foot and extended way above her ankle. She particularly loved the zip at the back of the shoe. She tried them on and as she twirled around admiring them in the mirror Grace had provided, Tessa laughed at her.

  “You’re like Dorothy on her way to Oz!”

  “I feel like The Good Witch of The East has waved her wand over me,” Amber exclaimed. She was in seventh heaven.