If the Shoes Fit

by Pauline Lawless

  “Well, Niamh has done fantastically well,” Rosie told them. “How many reps do you have now, Niamh?”

  “Twenty-five, last count,” she told them, blushing a little. “I can hardly believe it. I never imagined it would go so well. Just think,” she looked around at the others, smiling, “they’re all out there now making money for me while I sit here quaffing champagne.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Amber laughed, refilling their flutes.

  They had a wonderful night, regaling each other with stories of the people they’d met. After listening to Niamh they all began to think that maybe her modus operandi was the way to go. Imagine having people earning money for you while you sipped champagne – that sounded good! Tessa wondered if recruiting representatives to do the selling for her would be better for her relationship with George than having to go out selling herself, at parties. She mentioned this to the girls.

  “Has George still not accepted it?” Amber asked her.

  “’Fraid not. I don’t know why he’s so against it. The nights I’m in, we do nothing anyway. I watch TV and he goes into his study and listens to music or works. It’s as if he’s jealous of the job.” She shook her head slowly. “I really don’t know what to do about it. The atmosphere at home is terrible. I can’t wait to get out of the house.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Amber said. “He’s obviously very out of touch with today’s world.”

  “I think he’s just insecure. He’s afraid of losing you,” Rosie remarked, with her usual wisdom. “He wants you at home, dependant on him. He probably feels that this business is making you independent again.”

  “You’re maybe right,” Tessa agreed. “I know he feels insecure because I don’t want to get married but, to be honest, I’m glad now we didn’t. I just wish he’d accept that I really want to do this.”

  “Gav felt a bit like that in the beginning,” Niamh butt in, “but he’s accepting it a bit more now. He’s beginning to realise that I’ll be bringing in money so he’ll have an easier life.”

  “Is he helping you at all, by baby-sitting?” Amber asked.

  “Not really, but I can manage. Mam is great.”

  She then told them about her visit to the bank manager, her eyes shining as she recounted what he’d said. “I’m so excited. It’s made me even more motivated to do well.”

  “Oh Niamh, I’m so happy for you and I know you’ll do it,” said Rosie, giving her a hug. The others followed suit. She was such an inspiration to them.

  Once Tessa put George out of her mind, she started to relax and feel like her old self. It was great to be having a girls’ night again. She hadn’t laughed so much in ages. Niamh had them all in stitches recounting her experiences.

  “I had a reply from a woman who sounded awfully strange so I asked her to meet me in a hotel, instead of going to her home. Luckily I did! I nearly died when I arrived and found this guy, dressed in drag; full make-up, earrings, the works and wearing heels.” She stopped for a moment, enjoying the looks of amazement on the faces of the other girls. “He was really interested in the shoes and asked if we could make them in size ten. I couldn’t wait to get out of there!” she laughed. “I needn’t tell you, I didn’t sign him up.”

  “Why not?” Amber asked. “He probably has a whole crowd of fellow-transvestites who could be customers. Think of the business you’re losing!”

  “Okay, I’ll give you his number. You can sign him up,” Niamh replied, calling her bluff.

  “No, he’s not in my area. I can’t have him, he’s all yours,” Amber shot right back while Tessa and Rosie almost collapsed with laughter.

  “Actually, he’s probably just a cross-dresser, as they prefer to be known nowadays. The word transvestite has more of a sexual connotation,” Tessa informed them.

  “How do you know all this?” Amber asked her.

  “Experience,” Tessa replied, nonplussed. “Believe me, in the modelling world you come across every possible sexual computation.”

  “Can you imagine Carlo’s reaction if I started sending him orders for sizes ten and eleven?” Niamh asked them.

  “Speaking of Carlo – are you all meeting up with him this week?” Rosie asked.

  They all nodded their assent.

  “He’s coming out with me on Thursday morning,” Niamh informed them. “He wants to see how I recruit and sign up girls. I’m so nervous about it.”

  “Don’t be daft,” Amber reassured her. “You’ve been so successful he probably wants to see how you do it!”

  “He’s coming out with me on Wednesday evening and Amber on Thursday,” said Tessa. “He’s here to help us and see how we operate,” she added, hoping to reassure Niamh some more.

  “He’s meeting me to help me with my paperwork on Wednesday afternoon,” Rosie told them. “Isn’t he just the dishiest?”

  The girls looked at Rosie, surprised at her remark.

  “I’m not blind you know, just because I’m a widow,” she laughed at them.

  “Dishy isn’t the word,” Niamh agreed.

  “I think he fancies you, Amber,” Rosie remarked.

  “He more than fancies her but she’s not interested,” Tessa added, disapproval in her voice.

  “Definitely not interested,” Amber informed them.

  “Why not? He could be your knight in shining armour,” Niamh sighed.

  “They went out with the Round Table,” Amber snorted.

  “The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” Rosie murmured.

  Amber was fed up of them constantly throwing her at Carlo. Time to stop it once and for all!

  “Actually,” she said sweetly, “I met Pete for a drink last night.”

  Having dropped this bombshell, she turned on her heel and went to serve up the supper.

  The others looked at each other in stunned silence.

  Tessa couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “Did she just say she’s been out with Pete?” she asked the other two.

  “I’m afraid so,” Rosie said, equally perturbed and thinking that Amber was no match for that silver-tongued-devil, charming though he was. She was bound to get hurt.

  Niamh had paled visibly. Besides the fact that Pete had tried to chat her up at the dinner, she knew that he’d been seeing Lesley. Was Amber aware of this? She doubted it. She didn’t know what to do. Should she say something? Not much point now, she supposed. Oh God! If what Val said was true he was two-timing both of them. What a mess! She put it out of her mind. No point in spoiling the evening. Nobody mentioned Pete again.

  They had a wonderful night together as their friendship blossomed. They all agreed that they would have to get together like this on a regular basis.

  Amber and Tessa sat chatting after Rosie and Niamh had left.

  “I’m really sorry that George is not coming around,” Amber commiserated with her. “What are you going to do about it?”

  “I don’t know. Things are really bad at the moment,” Tessa stared sombrely into her glass of Sancerre. “Things are so tense at home that I feel stressed all the time. That’s not doing my heart any good,” she grimaced.

  “Would you consider leaving him?” Amber asked. “It might shake him up a bit.”

  “I’ve thought about it, Amber, but I hate giving up on us. I’d really hoped it would work.” She looked so dejected that Amber’s heart went out to her. “I’ve already got one divorce behind me,” Tessa continued, “and I feel such a failure because I don’t seem able to sustain a permanent relationship.”

  “I know how you feel,” Amber replied, in a heartfelt voice. “That’s why I don’t want to get involved again. I’m afraid it wouldn’t work out.”

  “What about Pete?” Tessa asked her. “I can’t believe you went out with him and yet you won’t go out with Carlo.”

  “Pete is a sweetheart and we had a great night,” Amber smiled, “but I wouldn’t be serious about him. Carlo’s another story. I’d be much more afraid of getting involved with him.”r />
  So she does fancy him, Tessa thought glumly.

  “If you leave George where would you go?” Amber wanted to know. “Would you go back to London?”

  “No, I don’t want to go back there, that’s for sure,” Tessa replied. “Now that I’ve started this job, I really want to stay here and make a success of it.”

  “Well, you can always come and stay with me for a while,” Amber suggested. “Maybe a trial separation would make George see sense.”

  “Perhaps you’re right but I doubt it,” Tessa said gloomily. “I’ll think about it and thanks for the offer. I just may take you up on it.”

  Gavin was having a few pints with the lads in Murphy’s. Some of them had been drinking since late afternoon and were more than a little drunk when Val entered the pub. She was wearing tight skinny jeans and a low-cut vest top which left nothing to the imagination.

  “Whoar! There goes one hot babe,” Billy, one of the guys, remarked, letting out a low whistle.

  Gavin turned to check out the babe in question. “Hey, that’s my sister-in-law you’re talking about!”

  “Lucky sod! Call her over and let’s get a better look at that smashing bod,” Ryan, a serious lecher, said.

  “Hey, Val!” Gavin called out to her. “Come on over and say hello.”

  She sashayed over, swinging her butt, thinking what great luck it was to meet him here, sans Niamh.

  Gavin grinned at her, knowing that she was putting on a show for the guys.

  “Why aren’t you at the dinner with the girls tonight?” he asked her.

  “What dinner? What girls?” Val didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “Your shoe crowd. A fabulous-looking bird called for Niamh tonight. She was one hot babe,” he whistled. “The spit of Demi Moore – Tessa, I think her name was.”

  Val was furious. Imagine! Tessa called for Niamh to go to a dinner! Why wasn’t I invited? Why hadn’t Niamh mentioned it? She was more annoyed still that Gavin seemed to fancy Tessa.

  “Didn’t know you liked flat chests,” she snapped back at him, leaning towards him so that he could see that hers was anything but flat.

  “Miaow!” he said laughing. “Don’t worry, babe, yours are definitely way more to my taste.”

  She sat down on his lap, putting her arm around his neck and leaning into him.

  His pals started teasing him.

  “Hey, Gav, don’t be greedy, share her around!” Ryan said.

  “Why do all the birds always go for him?” Billy grumbled.

  It was obvious to one and all that Val wasn’t interested in any of them. She wanted him. She was flaunting herself at him now, wriggling about on his lap, and she knew that she had turned him on.

  Gavin was angry with himself and realised that this was going too far. He wished she’d leave him alone.

  “Better go join your friends,” he said, pushing her up.

  She took the hint and walked away, but the lads teased him unmercifully all night.

  Chapter 23

  Niamh had a problem. Her first delivery of shoes arrived on Monday morning and as the deliveryman carried box after box into the tiny living-room, Bridget stood, arms akimbo, her scowl deepening with every new box that appeared. This was Niamh’s first order and already the tiny living-room was full. Where was she going to put next week’s order which was twice as big? She’d have to think of something, and quick, if they weren’t to be evicted by Bridget who was threatening that right now.

  “You’re not turning my home into a warehouse, Miss!” she shrieked. “Look at it, for God’s sake! I can’t even sit down to watch telly!”

  “Calm down, Bridget, I’ll find a solution, somehow,” Niamh said. She had no idea how but obviously this wouldn’t work out.

  Admittedly, the boxes wouldn’t be there for long as she planned to deliver them straight away but the following week’s deliveries would be much bigger and would pose more of a problem.

  She had been lucky enough to find an old school friend, Sharon, to help her deliver the shoes. Sharon drove a massive, luxurious Range Rover. Her husband, Dean, was in business but what business exactly nobody could say. One thing was for sure, he was loaded. Niamh had often wondered where he got his money. She’d heard he was a car dealer but surely they didn’t make that much. She’d said as much to Gavin

  “I wouldn’t ask, if I were you,” Gavin had told her. “He’s dealing more than cars, that’s for sure.”

  Niamh didn’t want to believe that but, still, they did seem to be awfully well off. There were rumours of massage parlours and brothels and, Lord forbid, even drugs and she hoped, for Sharon’s sake, that it was just that – rumours. She was sure that her friend knew nothing of her husband’s dealings though she seemed happy enough to be spending his money.

  Niamh had been wearing the red shoes at the school gate one morning when Sharon, whose daughter Willow was in the same class as the twins, had spotted them and practically had an orgasm on the spot.

  “Oh my God, they’re divine! You have to tell me where you got them,” she’d cried.

  When Niamh explained that she was selling them, Sharon was over the moon and insisted on going home with her to see the rest of the collection.

  “Oh my God, they’re fabulous,” she’d cried, when she saw the other shoes. “I want them all. How did you get this job? I’d love something like that. I simply adore shoes.”

  “Why don’t you become a rep for me?” Niamh had said, grabbing the opportunity. “You can hold parties or sell to your friends.”

  “Gosh, I’d love that. That’d be fantastic,” Sharon had exclaimed excitedly. “I’m so bored now that Willow has started school.”

  Niamh signed her up on the spot and when she mentioned that she was going to have to hire a taxi to deliver her orders, Sharon exclaimed, “Don’t be so silly! Don’t even think of hiring a taxi!” She was adamant. “I’d be delighted to drive you around to do your deliveries. I’m free all day while Willow is at school. Please say yes!”

  Niamh began to understand that despite all her money Sharon was lonely, and from her own point of view, it was a terrific bonus that she wouldn’t have to pay for a taxi. Besides, she’d enjoy Sharon’s company as she did her rounds.

  She sorted out the deliveries and invoices, Bridget glowering in the background all the while. She was just about finished when Sharon arrived, rearing to go. They had good fun and her reps were delighted to get their first delivery of shoes. By lunchtime they were done and when Sharon refused to take petrol money from her, Niamh insisted on taking her for lunch to Joel’s.

  “I’ve haven’t had so much fun in ages,” Sharon exclaimed, her eyes shining. “I’m really glad you let me help, Niamh. I’m so bored at home all day. I just love anything to do with shoes and it’s great to have an interest like this. Thanks so much. I really appreciate you letting me help.”

  Niamh felt that she was the one who should be saying thanks and felt sorry for Sharon, who appeared so humble and grateful. Seemingly, Dean was never home and Sharon was obviously very lonely. Niamh appreciated her help and was happy to have her on board. Next, she had to sort out the storage problem. She confided the problem to Sharon.

  “Leave it with me,” Sharon said confidently. “I’ll think of something.”

  Niamh couldn’t imagine what.

  Another problem Niamh was discovering was that although she was on the road recruiting every minute that the kids were at school, there was still a lot of paperwork to be done at home and she knew it would get increasingly difficult as the business grew. Gavin was no help – he didn’t even want to baby-sit occasionally and Bridget was more of a hindrance than anything else, constantly interrupting and complaining about the children. With Bridget on her case she couldn’t very well put them in front of the telly or let them watch DVDs all day, although they’d have been quite happy to do just that. She was mulling over this problem when she had a brainwave.

  She wrapped the kids up well a
nd walked them over to her mother’s house. Eileen was delighted to see them and welcomed them with open arms. The kids felt so free there. They could run around and make as much noise as they liked. Her mother never minded, not like that battle-axe Bridget. They were so happy here.

  As always, the first thing Eileen did was put on the kettle for a cup of tea.

  “Mam, I have an idea. Could I have my old bedroom back?” Niamh looked at her mother hopefully. “I can’t work in Bridget’s. The kids have no freedom there and I thought that if I could come here every day after school, until tea-time, I could work on the computer in my bedroom and pay you to baby-sit.” She crossed her fingers behind her back, anxiously waiting for her mother’s reply.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Eileen replied. “I couldn’t take money to baby-sit my own grandchildren!” She laughed at the notion as she set out the mugs and the scones she’d baked earlier.

  “Of course you can. It would mean so much to me. I’m earning it now and you can use the extra few bob, for holidays or whatever. Please say yes!”

  “Of course you can do that, sweetheart! I’d love it. It would be great to have you here every day – it’s lonely here with all of you gone. I’ll clear out the room tonight. But I’m not taking any money!”

  Niamh decided to let the money issue lie for the moment – but she would make sure her mother accepted payment. “Great, Mam! And, you know, I won’t be working all the time so when I’m not we can take the kids to the park or for outings.”

  “It’ll be wonderful!” Eileen’s eyes were shining.

  Niamh was delighted that she’d thought of it.

  As she sat munching a warm scone, Niamh told her mother about Sharon and how well the deliveries had gone.

  “I’m really glad,” Eileen said kindly. “I always liked Sharon and felt very sorry for her and now that she’s married to that crook, she could do with a good friend.”

  “Is he so bad?” Niamh asked, frowning.

  “Worse,” her mother said with a snort. “He’s a sleazebag.”

  Niamh reached for another scone. “Mam, you’ll have to stop all this baking when I’m here – otherwise I’ll be as big as a house.”