“By that you mean she agreed to provide cookies for your shop as long as she gets proper credit.”
Primly, Lewis folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. The cookie lady and I have a very healthy relationship. I eat her cookies, and she gets my money. Everything else is just fluff.”
Whitney erupted into laughter. “I hope you share with your customers.”
Alice and Lewis stared at her. She stared back with wide, shocked eyes. Then, her hand covering her mouth, she backed away toward the storeroom.
“She has a point,” Alice told him after Whitney had disappeared. “You probably should share. You should never stand between a woman and a good chocolate chip cookie.”
Lewis muttered something unintelligible and gazed at the back wall with an absent expression. “I’ve never heard her laugh before,” he commented. “She should do it more often.” He shook himself. “Where’s her evil half? Out terrorizing the natives again?”
“No, she’s doing some shopping therapy.”
Lewis nodded knowingly. “That’s what I said. You’re entirely too sweet about the Walkers, Alice. You need to learn to relax and let go of some of the anger you feel toward Mimi. It might be good for you.”
“And it might get me less time off.” Alice moved to the front of the store and started to clear out another section under the display window.
“What are you doing?” Lewis knelt beside her, taking things from her hands and placing them on the floor.
“I’ve decided to sell a few men’s shoes,” she replied, her head stuck deep inside the cabinet. “Grant convinced me, and I’ve ordered a few things to start me off.”
Lewis shook his head. “I think, after a year or two, you’ll be able to buy out Mimi and own this place yourself,” he said in an admiring voice.
“You mean, like I should have in the first place?” Alice’s words were sharp, and she regretted them almost as soon as they’d left her mouth. “I didn’t mean it,” she sighed. When Lewis threw her a look that said, quite plainly, that he didn’t believe her, she relented. “Okay, I meant it. But I’m trying to get over it. It’s not like I can do anything about it right now.”
Lewis looked at her appraisingly. “You will,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want to go into business with me? I could clear out a good, large space for you, and you could sell shoes to all my customers. It’d be a match made in heaven.”
“What, next door isn’t good enough for you?” Alice grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Lewis.” She hugged him with the arm that wasn’t holding twinkle lights and he rested his cheek against the top of her head.
“I’ll be next door if you need me,” he told her before getting to his feet. “Are we still on for the bookstore tomorrow?”
Alice smiled up at him bravely. “Yeah, we are.”
Lewis leaned down and ruffled her hair, causing strands to escape from her ponytail and flutter around her face. “It’ll be a good way to remember your mom’s birthday,” he said gently. “She would have thought it a very fitting way to remember her. Hot chocolate, shelves and shelves of books, a hot man sitting next to you…”
“What, is Adam Wentworth going to be there?” Alice gave a half-hearted laugh at his expression. “I’ll be there.”
***
The last box was just not going to fit. No matter what Alice did, the cabinet door wouldn’t close. That was a problem, since no matter how cluttered the shop became with unattractive footwear, Mimi had an uncanny ability of noticing the one thing that wasn’t in its usual place. And any minute now, she’d come waltzing through the door on her way to her car.
“I wish she wouldn’t insist that the only way out of the mall was through our back door,” Alice muttered to herself. “The mall has other exits.”
She slapped the box on the floor, sat back on her heels, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again a few seconds later, there was a pair of very large, very scruffy sneakers on the ground in front of her–attached, unfortunately, to a pair of legs.
Alice tried, she really tried, to make sure her customers only saw her at her best–or, at the very least, not at her worst. Sitting on the floor and throwing shoe boxes around hardly qualified as her best, so it was only natural that she felt cross and defensive.
Her eyes traveled up over well-worn jeans and a faded sweatshirt, stopping when they reached the face of one of the handsomest men she’d ever seen. She noted idly that she had to crane her neck back to see the top of his head. He must be quite tall.
“May I help you?” she asked, scrambling to her feet. She felt an uncommon urge to wipe her hands on her skirt.
The man looked amused. “I don’t know,” he said glancing around the shop. “I was told this place was very tasteful, but I think my informant was either blind or recently suffered a head injury.” His gaze lingered on the garish green walls, and he winced.
Alice knew ‘tasteful’ was not in Mimi’s vocabulary, but he didn’t need to be so obvious about it. “Can I help you find something while you’re here?” she asked, picking the box off the floor and tucking it under her arm. “Were you looking for yourself or someone else? I–We recently added a men’s line.”
The man regarded her with raised eyebrows. “Myself. I need to restock my wardrobe as my luggage is somewhere over Italy right now.” His sonorous voice had become noticeably cooler.
Alice wondered if he’d come from Italy or if his luggage was taking a side trip there without permission. She thought about asking, but the man didn’t seem to be in a talkative frame of mind–and it was really none of her business. She eyed his shoes and tried to figure out what size he’d wear. She’d spent the past few days wandering around the shoe department at Nordstrom’s trying to get a feel for men’s feet, and she wasn’t sure if she had it down yet.
The man caught her staring at his sneakers and sighed in exasperation. “I don’t want to replace those,” he said. “I need a dress pair for a meeting tomorrow. You probably don’t have anything I’d like, anyway.”
Alice resisted the urge to stomp on said sneakers. How did he know what she had in stock? Was he some sort of shoe-store spy? Instead, she smiled at him so sweetly she could feel her teeth rotting. “I might have more than you think,” she informed him, glad she’d had the foresight to order a few abnormal sizes. It was pure coincidence that she was holding one of them at that moment. “Perhaps these will work for you.” She thrust the box at him and watched closely as he opened it.
The look on his face made her give herself a mental pat on the back. Maybe this men’s shoe thing wouldn’t be as hard as she’d thought. As he reached inside to pull one out, her cell phone rang with the familiar strains of Nat King Cole’s, ‘Unforgettable’.
The man rolled his eyes. “Very tasteful,” he muttered under his breath. Alice wondered if he knew that she could hear him. He must, she thought. It’s not like I’m very far away from him.
“Are you going to get that?” The man’s voice was polite, but his eyes were annoyed. “You might as well. I’m sure it’s your boyfriend; he’ll keep calling back until you do.”
Alice glared at him and flipped open her phone. “What?” she demanded. “I’m with a customer.”
Lewis’s words almost tripped over themselves in his gossip-induced excitement. “Do you know who he is?”
Glancing back at the man, who had sat down to toe off his sneakers, she smiled to herself. The shoe he was trying on slid onto his foot like they were made for him. “Who?” she asked. “And why does it matter?”
“That’s Adam Wentworth!”
Alice almost dropped the phone, and the man–Adam Wentworth, evidently–stifled a smirk. “Where are you?” she demanded, trying to cover her surprise.
“Right outside.”
Sure enough, when she looked out the door, there stood Lewis, cell phone stuck to his ear. “Is he everything Brittany hoped he’d be?” he asked
, laughing into the phone.
Alice rolled her eyes and flipped the phone closed. Turning to Adam–and wondering if she should refer to him as Mr. Wentworth–she knelt down at his feet.
“Stand up, please,” she ordered.
Adam stared at her and didn’t move.
“Please stand up,” she repeated. “I won’t know if they fit unless you do.”
He slowly rose to his feet and watched as she felt the sides of his shoes and then the toes. “Walk around for me,” she told him. When he didn’t move, she huffed and stood up herself. Was he unaccustomed to taking orders from a sales lady? “You do it like this,” she said, and proceeded to take several exaggerated steps around the shop’s interior. “I realize that the décor isn’t to your specifications, but I’d hate to have you walk out of here in a pair of shoes that’ll give you a blister.”
Adam stared at her in bemusement for a few seconds before finally placing one foot in front of the other. After he’d circled the shelves a few times, he halted in front of her. “I’ll take them,” he said. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or amused, and she didn’t dare look at his face. She’d just been rude to the one person who could evict her. Although, come to think of it, it might be worth it to see Mimi and Brittany kicked out of the mall.
Adam watched her as she rang up his purchase and slid his box into one of the shop’s signature silver bags. As she handed it to him, he leaned over the counter, took it, and extended his free hand. “I’m Adam Wentworth, by the way,” he said, flashing a smile that would have melted her knees had she not been so irritated. “And you–”
Brittany’s squeal interrupted him. Emotions warred inside Alice’s head. She was irritated by Brittany’s voice, as always, but also a little glad that she’d be able to witness the meeting between Adam and his biggest fan. “Adam! You’re finally here!” Brittany squealed, and ran as fast as her heels would allow to his side.
Alice wondered fleetingly how Brittany had known it was Adam from the view she had of him from the doorway. Did Google provide pictures of people from all angles? Of course, as much as she hated to admit it, he had a very scrumptious backside. She’d watched it as it made its way around the store in his new shoes.
Adam’s charming smile dropped a little before he turned in Brittany’s direction. “Do we know each other?” he asked, looking her up and down. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure.”
Brittany giggled and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m Brittany Walker,” she said in a breathy voice. Alice wasn’t sure if she was having a hard time breathing or if she thought it made her sound more appealing. “This is my shop.”
Adam glanced at Alice sidelong and caught her rolling her eyes. “Is that so?” His tone was mild. “It’s a very…” he paused, like he was searching for just the right word, “…interesting place. Did you do the decorating yourself?”
Brittany giggled again. “Me? No, I had Alice do it.”
Adam’s eyebrows rose and he looked her up and down once more. “I see.” He bent over to pick up his bag and flashed that smile at Alice. “It was good meeting you, Alice.” He emphasized her name. It was almost as though he was proud of himself for figuring out what her name was without having to ask. “I’m sure I’ll see you later.” He tipped his head in Brittany’s direction and was gone.
Brittany managed to contain herself for a full six seconds. Then she erupted. “Adam Wentworth was in my shop and I wasn’t here!” she wailed. “What did he do? What did he want? What did he say? What did–”
“I don’t really know,” Alice told her, busying herself at the register. She didn’t think it’d be a very good idea to point out that you could start a question with words that weren’t ‘what did’. “He came in, looked around, and said his luggage had been lost.” That much was true, she thought. She was really hoping Brittany hadn’t noticed that Adam was carrying one of their bags.
A satisfied smile spread across Brittany’s face. “I knew he’d heard of me.” She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “He’s already halfway in love with me. I can tell.”
“Who was that man leaving my store with one of my bags?” Mimi demanded from the door. “He looked like a very scruffy version of Adam Wentworth.”
Brittany whirled around. “It was Adam! He came to see me!” Alice almost choked on her water.
“Alice Riverton! Calm yourself! Honestly, girl, you can’t even drink a bottle of water without creating a scene.” Mimi glowered at her. “It’s time to lock up. Brittany, you must tell me everything he said on the way home.”
The only thing Alice could think of as the Walkers made their noisy way out of the store was that she was insanely grateful that Mimi had such a short attention span. Who knew what she’d do if she knew Alice had sold Adam a pair of men’s shoes?
***
The worse thing, Alice decided, about Adam’s accidental meeting with Brittany the night before, was that she assumed it would happen again.
That was why Brittany hung around the store all day, getting in the way and generally making a nuisance of herself.
“Don’t you have any shopping to do?” Alice finally asked out of desperation. “Nails to get polished? Hair to color?”
“I don’t color my hair,” Brittany snapped. A snort wafted from the register where Whitney was standing.
“Shut up, Whitney.” Brittany glared at them until a man and woman came through the door. She rushed over to greet them, but when she realized it wasn’t whom she was hoping for, she pouted and told Alice to do her job and sell something.
Brittany didn’t give up until the store closed. “Maybe he’ll come tomorrow,” Alice said with fake sympathy.
“Whatever. Come on, Whitney. It’s time to go.”
Whitney threw Alice an apologetic look as her sister dragged her out.
Thirty seconds after the back door banged closed, Lewis walked in. “Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the shelves she was staring dumbly at. “It’s time to blow this joint and have some fun.”
“I don’t know, Lewis,” Alice said tiredly. She’d been dreading this all day. “I think all I want to do tonight is go home and soak in the tub.”
Lewis clicked his tongue at her. “You can do that after we visit the bookstore,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument. “I insist. I’ll even buy the hot chocolate.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to remember Belinda, Alice thought. It was just that she was likely to feel weepy, and after a long, frustrating day, she’d turn into a waterworks for sure. “Come on,” Lewis told her kindly. “It might help take your mind off things. And besides,” he added, “you get to ride in Tang.”
“Tang?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
Lewis grinned at her. “My new car. You haven’t had the pleasure yet.”
Some things, Alice thought as they barreled down the road, can wait.
The bookstore was almost deserted by the time they arrived, and they sank into overstuffed chairs in the romance section. “I thought you were into histories now.” Alice looked around at the titles surrounding them. “Is this a sign that you’re in love?”
Lewis made a face. “Are you?”
Alice stared at him blankly.
“Come on, Alice. I’m sure Adam made a huge impression on you.”
She sighed and leaned her head back. She could never quite forget that thousands of people–with unknown hair ailments–had placed their own heads in this exact spot, but for once she didn’t care that she might go bald because of it. “I think I’m the one that made the huge impression. I… wasn’t very pleasant to him.”
Lewis, who was leaning his elbows on his knees, fell off the chair and landed in a heap on the floor. “What did he do to you?” he spluttered. “You’re always pleasant, even to the evil Walker sisters.”
Alice held out her hand to help him up. “Whitney isn’t evil.”
He batted her hand away. “Yeah, I know she’s
not.” He looked pointedly at her hand, which she was still holding out. “I’d just pull you down,” he told her wryly.
“I’m stronger than I look.”
Lewis just raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Whatever. I think you’re avoiding the question. What did Wentworth do to you?”
Alice closed her eyes momentarily in embarrassment. “He didn’t do anything.” She curled her feet under her and watched as he plopped back in his chair. “He just insulted my mother’s store, and I wasn’t in the mood to hear it. So I was rude.”
Lewis regarded her thoughtfully for a minute. “It couldn’t have been that bad. I mean, your idea of rude and, say, Brittany’s, are totally different. You were probably just being as sweet as the rest of us are on a normal day.”
She smiled weakly. “I don’t know. I can’t get over the feeling that Mom would have been very disappointed if she’d seen me.” Alice wasn’t terribly surprised when the tears started, and before they could make their way down her cheeks, she was in Lewis’s lap.
“Let go,” she said without really meaning it. “People will think we’re in some sort of sordid relationship.”
“Ah, darlin’, you only wish we were in some sort of sordid relationship.” Lewis’s matter-of-fact voice made her smile, and she wiped her face on his shirt. “It’s okay to cry, you know. It’s been a long year, and I think you’re entitled to a little emotional release.”
All her strength left Alice, and she slumped into his arms. “What would I do without you, Lewis?” she asked, not really expecting an answer.
“You’d have a hole in your soul.” He grinned down at her. “Same as I would. Now, get back in your own chair and try to look as calm and beautiful as you usually do. I’m off to get some comfort food.”
Alice sniffed and dabbed at her nose with the back of her hand. The tears were still behind her eyes, but she wouldn’t let Lewis see that. “That’d be great.” As soon as he’d turned around the closest shelf, she buried her face in her hands and let the dam open.
Alice in Glass Slippers Page 4
