Jillian laughed in delight. “Now I know I like her. When can I meet her?”
A picture of Alice smiling at him from across the table, a few strands of hair framing her face, popped into Adam’s mind. “Have I ever brought a woman home to meet you?” he asked. “But you’re right; I think you would like her.” He cleared his throat, sure that his mother would think he’d just admitted to something that he didn’t. “She won’t tell me her last name, and I can’t figure out what it is.”
Jillian was quiet for a second. “You must have talked to her,” she said, her voice gently reproving. “Think about what she said. She must have given you some clues, whether she knew it or not.”
That brought Adam up short. “She talked about her mother’s death,” he said slowly. “About how it happened a year or so ago…”
“Well, that’s not much to go on, I’m afraid.”
“Thanks, Mom. Gotta go.” He snapped his phone closed and grabbed for his computer again. A year ago… Hadn’t it been around that time that that woman, a shop owner, had died outside her store? It couldn’t be the same woman, could it?
Ten minutes later he had his answer. The article he read was short but had all the necessary facts–including a picture of one Alice Riverton standing in the doorway of The Glass Slipper and looking tired and worn.
Adam stared at the photo. He didn’t know what to do next. Sure, now that he had her full name he could find out where she lived. He could even send flowers to her house to show her that he was smarter than she’d thought.
But somehow that didn’t seem right. After all, just because he knew her last name didn’t mean that she wanted him to know it.
No, the best thing to do, he decided, was to win her trust so that she’d tell him willingly. He didn’t know why it was so important to him that she trusts him, but it was.
He stood to his feet wearily and glanced around the bedroom. He needed to be less of a slob, which was for sure. He threw his clothes in a bag to be sent to the laundry later, and bent over to pick up his shoes. He set them on the closet floor, lining them up as neatly as he could.
There was a row of black in the back, a row of casual next to it, and a row of tennis shoes in front of that.
And, in the very front, a long line of brown ones.
Chapter Five
Lewis was waiting in the parking lot when Alice arrived at work the next morning. He rapped on her window before she turned off the ignition and glared at her. “Well?” he demanded in a voice that was clear even through the closed window. “How’d it go last night?”
Alice shook her head and took her time gathering her things. “You didn’t even wait for me to get out of the car,” she said accusingly when she’d shoved the door into his legs. “And what’s up with the interrogation? Don’t you have anything better to do with your time?”
He grabbed her bag from her hand and slung it over his shoulder. “Not really. I thought I’d live vicariously for once, since I’m not the one with the exciting love life.”
“What makes you think I do?” The look Lewis shot her was incredulous. “I don’t!” she cried, digging through her purse–still on his arm–for her keys. “Hold still.”
Lewis held it open for her impatiently. “Did he kiss you?”
Alice didn’t think that deserved a response, but when she had a hard time fitting the key in the lock he smirked at her. “I see.”
Why couldn’t I have befriended a puppy when I was little? Alice asked herself crossly. Puppies don’t talk. “You don’t see anything, because nothing happened. I went out to dinner with a guy. It was pleasant. The food was decent. I’ll probably never see him again.”
Once she’d wrenched the door open, Alice ducked under Lewis’s arm and hung her coat on its hook in the corner. “Don’t you want to see him again?” he asked, glancing at himself in the mirror that Brittany had made Alice install months before. He squinted at his reflection for a second before jerking away in horror. “Is that a white hair?” he gasped in horror. “I’m not old enough to go white!”
Alice smirked at him and started flipping on lights. “Look again. The lighting in that corner isn’t the best.” She should know. Every time Brittany used this particular mirror, she applied more makeup to her already caked face.
Lewis didn’t say anything for a while, and Alice busied herself with preparing the store for the day. “That was a close one,” he muttered as he made his way into the shop’s main section. “I thought I was losing my mind there for a second.”
The shoes she’d placed on the top shelf the night before had slipped, and Alice stood on her toes to shove them back into place. “It’s okay to get a few white hairs, you know,” she told him over her shoulder. “It’s not like we’re teenagers anymore; it’s a sign of maturity.”
“You only say that because you’re blonde, and the white ones don’t show up as well.” He came up behind her and inspected her head. “I can see four if I look close enough. When are you going to start dyeing them?”
She brushed his hand away irritably. “Will you stop it with the hair? I’m fine with the way it looks. Go next door and bother your own employees.”
“Oh, did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Or did you get no action last night, and now you’re grumpy because Mr. Tall, Dark, and Available didn’t show his affections?”
“Get out, Lewis. Don’t come back until you can think of something intelligent to say.”
Lewis just smirked at her. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”
Alice nearly threw a shoe–with a particularly pointy heel–at the back of his head.
The mall was quiet when she opened the front gate, and once again the Walkers were nowhere in sight. Alice wondered idly if Mimi was still tied up with her weekend plans, and secretly hoped so. Brittany would hardly deign to come in to work if her mother was gone. It might be a good day after all.
She was on her toes, trying to adjust the top shelf, again.Alice cursed the fact that she was short and was forced to work for a bunch of Amazonian women. A hand reached over her head and calmly rearranged the row of pumps. “Lewis,” she said testily without looking at her helper, “I appreciate it, but–”
“Who’s Lewis?”
Alice whirled around and stared up at Adam. He gazed back at her with a strange expression on his face–almost looking like he’d been caught off guard somehow. “What? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you need another pair of shoes.”
Adam cracked a small smile. “Maybe it’s the store,” he mused, glancing back at the neon walls speculatively. “You were perfectly friendly and non-confrontational last night when we were away from this place.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry,” she said with a sigh. “You surprised me, and I kind of forgot my manners.”
“Evidently.” She would have sworn he was laughing at her, but his smile never got any bigger. “Who’s Lewis?”
“He owns the dress shop next door.”
This answer didn’t seem to be what Adam wanted to hear, but he just nodded. “I came to give you my number,” he said, handing her a card. “For when my shoes come in.”
“Anxious?”
For a second Alice thought he wasn’t going to answer her. Then, without warning, he grinned at her. “I am, but not for the reason you’re thinking. Thanks for coming to dinner with me last night, by the way. It was refreshing to eat with someone for a change.”
And then he was gone.
The next morning, again shortly after she’d cranked the gate up, he was back–this time with a cup of hot chocolate. “It’s cold out,” was all he said. “I thought you might enjoy it.”
Two days later he popped his head in just as Mimi’s irritated voice squeaked through the back room. “You’ll never catch Adam if you don’t come to the mall!” she cried. “Really, Brittany. What were you thinking?”
This was the first time Alice had seen her employer in almost a week, and h
er shoulders slumped at the thought of all the extra work she’d inevitably be given. She shook her head silently in Adam’s direction. He got the hint, as well as a disgruntled look on his face, and disappeared around the corner just as Mimi swept in, followed by a sulky Brittany.
“Alice Riverton! Stop staring at the customers. You’re scaring them away. And get to work. I don’t pay you to stand around and look like an idiot.”
Alice had heard these same words more times than she could count. But this time Mimi sounded almost distracted. As if she had too many other things battering at her small brain and was only repeating the phrases out of a sense of duty. Whitney slipped behind the cash register and shrugged when Alice glanced at her with raised eyebrows.
“Alice Riverton! Pay attention when I’m talking to you! The gentleman with the new sign should be here in an hour or so. See that he installs it correctly this time. I have an appointment with my lawyer and won’t be back until later. I expect the sign to be hanging in place when I get back.”
A lawyer? What are you doing with a lawyer? Maybe she was going to marry one. Alice stifled a smirk at the idea of the vilest woman in existence tying herself to a snake.
Mimi turned around, ordered Brittany to stay there until she returned, and glided away without a second glance.
Brittany sank onto a stool and glowered at Alice. “Stop looking so pleased with yourself,” she snapped. “And go fetch me something with caffeine in it. It’s too early to be awake.”
Whitney hid her smile behind her hand and walked Alice to the front. “You have a box in the back,” Whitney murmured, glancing back at her sister. “I thought you might want to let your customer know so he doesn’t come in today.” Her eyebrow fluttered in an almost-wink. “I’d hate for you to be caught in an uncomfortable situation.”
Alice had to think for a second before she realized Whitney was referring to Adam and his brown shoes. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I’ll call him while I’m waiting.”
The line in front of Brittany’s preferred coffee spot was longer than usual, and Alice’s fingers hesitated over her cell phone. It’d be so much easier to simply send him a text, she thought, knowing she was being a wimp. Why is it so hard to just call the man? She decided to send him a text message instead.
This is Alice. Your shoes are in, but don’t come for them today. Walker #1 will be there.
She’d barely had time to flip it closed before her phone pinged with an incoming message.
Alice who?
Rolling her eyes, she shuffled forward in line and thought about her answer for a second.
Alice from the shoe shop. How many Alices do you know?
Just the one. Do you usually need coffee in the morning? I’d pegged you as more of a hot chocolate girl.
Alice’s head flew up and she looked around the food court. There were a fair amount of people milling about in front of the coffee shop. Mostly mall employees that she recognized, but she couldn’t see Adam anywhere.
Where are you? She messaged back.
She was still looking around when her phone rang, and she answered it without examining it. “Hello?”
“The line’s moving. You should think about stepping forward or that lady behind you’ll blow a gasket. You’re in the way of her morning fix.”
“Adam Wentworth!” she hissed. “What do you think you’re doing? Are you spying on me?”
He laughed quietly. “No, I’m in the security office. I headed here after I left you. Sorry about that, by the way. I have this thing about being chased by mad, obsessive women.”
“Chicken.” She smiled to herself. It was nice to know that Adam was human after all. “I’m sure, deep down, that Brittany’s a very sweet person. I just haven’t dug deep enough to see it yet.”
“I’m not a professional spelunker. Now, about my shoes. Can I take you to dinner tonight for the transfer?”
What was it about Adam that made him think he needed to feed her? She shook her head, and before she could get a word out he said, “Why not?”
“I already have plans. Can you come by tomorrow night, after closing? They always leave that to me.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “Can I at least take you to lunch this afternoon?”
Alice ran a hand over her ponytail. “I don’t get lunch breaks,” she explained. “Mimi doesn’t think I need them.”
This time the pause was longer–and tenser. “What you’re saying is that she can make you stay while her daughters shop and gossip.”
“It’s not entirely like that,” Alice protested, thinking of Whitney. “Someone has to stay there, and we haven’t hired anyone else since they took over the shop.”
This statement seemed to go completely by Adam. “So the Walkers make you open in the morning, close at night, and stay through lunch.” He sounded like he needed to say the words out loud to understand them. “No wonder you’re so thin.”
Alice stepped up behind the counter and smiled weakly at the woman on the other side who was waiting to take her order. “Not now, Adam. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
She was relatively sure that he wasn’t used to being cut off like that.
***
The smell of books enveloped Alice when she walked with Lewis into the bookstore that evening, heading straight for the romance section. “People are going to start to think that we’re romance novel junkies,” Alice noted. “Do you have something you need to tell me?”
Lewis shot her a withering look and plopped down next to her. “Do you?”
Not this again, Alice thought. “No.”
“Then neither do I.”
They glared at each other for a second before Lewis sighed and leaned his head back against the seat cushion. “I hate romance novels,” he told the ceiling. “Girls read them like mad and then get the idea that real men act like the ones in the books. How many guys do you know that can scoop a woman in his arms and carry her up three flights of stairs without throwing out his back?”
A vision of Adam’s forearms popped into Alice’s head, and she was glad that Lewis wasn’t looking in her direction. “Not many, I guess. Could you do it?”
Lewis tilted his head down to stare at her. “Do I look like I could?”
Alice eyed him critically. He was tall, but there wasn’t a whole lot to him. “I don’t know,” she said doubtfully. “I might be able to take you down on a good day.”
Lewis just snorted. “You wish.” He sat up and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Did you see Mimi at all today?”
The mention of Mimi’s name was enough to curdle Alice’s brain. “Yeah, she was in for a few minutes this morning. She made Brittany stay at the store all day while she went to a meeting with her lawyer.” She smiled to herself as she remembered the glum look on Brittany’s face when she’d left that night. Adam had been a no-show all day. “Why do you ask?”
Lewis’s eyes were steady when he looked at her. “It seems that she’s bought another shoe store,” he said seriously. “And the previous owners, who thought they’d be able to stay until the end of the month, received their walking papers today. They have to be out by tomorrow night.”
It took a few seconds for the words to sink in. “What do you mean, another shoe store?” she asked stupidly. “How many does she need? And how did you find out?”
A ghost of a smirk flitted across Lewis’s face. “My dad’s good friends with Mimi’s lawyer, and they had lunch together today. Dad called me a little while ago.”
There were too many thoughts going through Alice’s head to focus on just one, so after a brief, internal struggle she gave up. “I don’t know what I’ll do if she forces me to work somewhere else,” she said. “I live and breathe The Glass Slipper. I can’t leave now.”
Lewis shook his head. They’d had this discussion so many times over the past year that it was pointless to hash it all out again. “You know I’d love to have you work with me.�
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“You know I can’t do that.”
Ignoring his own advice, Lewis glared at her. “And why not? With your mom gone you have no ties left to that place! Why do you insist that you do?”
She glared right back at him. “Because that shop is who I am.”
“No, it’s not. It’s who you were.”
Alice’s glare lasted a few more seconds before she dropped her eyes to her lap and spoke quietly. “You’re right. But I feel like if I leave, then I’ve lost a part of her… It’s my only connection to her… And I’ll be admitting that Mimi is stronger than I am.”
“Oh, honey.” Lewis slid onto the arm of her chair and pulled her head over to rest on his stomach. “It’s just a piece of property. Your mom would understand. How can I get you to believe me?”
She slumped into him and thought about the slippers that were sitting in the window display. Those things, or a shallow representation of them, were what started the whole business. “I just can’t,” she said miserably. “I won’t leave until Mimi puts us out of business, and then I’ll take you up on your offer. What would I do without you, Lewis?” she asked, hugging him around the waist. “You’re too good for the likes of me.”
Lewis sighed in frustration but kept his thoughts to himself. “I know I am,” he said, poking her side. “I’m too good for myself.”
***
For the first time since she’d taken ownership of the shop, Mimi was waiting inside when Alice came in the next morning.
This can’t be good, Alice thought wretchedly.
“Alice Riverton. So good of you to come to work today.” Mimi’s voice was even squeakier than usual. Alice suspected she was trying to sound sweet but didn’t have the first idea how to do it.
“I’m usually here this early,” Alice reminded her wearily. “No one else gets out of bed early enough to unlock the gate.”
Eyes flashing, Mimi took a step toward her. Alice backpedalled rapidly, stopping only when her spine hit a shelf.
“I’ll let that go for now,” Mimi said, her mouth stretching across her face so that her canines showed, “because I’m in a good mood. I trust you heard about my new acquisition.”
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