The Red Shoe Chronicles : A Fantasy Romance Anthology

by N. R. Larry

  Chapter 3

  Friday night

  I pulled the card out of my purse and looked up at the address, double checking one more time. The place didn’t have a sign outside, and it looked abandoned. It was ten at night, and that’s usually when things started popping off around here with the younger crowds. Sandra tapped me on the shoulder.

  “Tell me the point of us being here again?” Sandra questioned.

  “She sold me a candle earlier today, and this card was inside. Remember I told you she disappeared in front of me and I thought I was going crazy. But obviously, she’s real because here’s the business, and it matches the address on the card.”

  “Kimberly, you can’t be serious. We can do this another time, and I have a date waiting,” Sandra huffed, stomping her feet.

  “You can go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, the club is two doors down I’ll be fine,” I responded, opening the creaky door and stepping inside.

  “Okay, make sure you come over as soon as you’re done and keep your phone on you!” Sandra yelled as I waved her off. The loud music and crowds walking around caused my eeriness to dissipate. The store held jars of jewelry, candles, a few tarot cards hanging around, and a sign in the window, which was strange because all of the lights were out except for my phone.

  “Welcome, Kimberly.”

  “Ahhhh!” I jumped at the sound of the voice behind me. I turned and was shocked to see the woman in front of me had to be in her forties, but she looked like the older woman from earlier.

  “I knew you would come.”

  “Who are you?” I hesitantly asked as I looked for something to protect myself.

  “We met earlier; don’t you remember? I sold you that lovely vanilla candle.”

  “No, the woman I spoke with was about sixty or seventy years old with rotten teeth,” I answered, giving a description of the woman I remembered.

  She smirked, shaking her head.

  Maybe I was dreaming or in a nightmare. I felt my head to see if I was sick, and I wasn’t nauseated and didn’t feel warm.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Tell me your name.”

  “I’m Meredith.”

  “What is this place?”

  “My home, but you didn’t come here for a social visit,” Meredith said.

  “No. You disappeared earlier.”

  “I was waiting for you to come to me and you have. I have a gift for you that I think will help you tonight,” she said as she grabbed a step stool from the corner and opened the closet door. She stood on top and pulled a box down and brushed the dust off the top. I coughed from the debris that floated down.

  “What’s this?” I questioned.

  “A gift that you can only use for twenty-four hours if you choose.”

  “Huh?”

  “Kimberly, you lack self-confidence. I know all about your background and how you’ve become more of a hermit. This will give you the confidence to talk with Jerome and allow all of your inner inhibitions to come true for the next twenty-four hours unless you remove the shoes, then your lack of confidence will return.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Time to explore your deepest desires,” she said, opening the box and picking up red high heel shoes.

  “Shoes?” I asked, trying to hide the laugh.

  “Yep. The minute you put these shoes on you’ll have the personality of a woman that goes after what she wants. Don’t underestimate what I can do.”

  “Meredith, I think you have the wrong person.”

  “What do you have to lose? Either you get laid tonight, or you go home alone like you normally do,” Meredith said, shrugging her shoulders.

  “I only have twenty-four hours, or if the shoes are taken off, I go back to the old me?” I rushed out, taking my shoes off and putting the red six-inch heels on that sparkled on the side.

  “Yep.”

  “How much?” I asked.

  “No charge. Just remember it only lasts twenty-four hours or if they come off,” Meredith reminded me.

  “I must be crazy for doing this,” I mumbled to myself.

  “Think of your wildest fantasy and explore it tonight.”

  Stepping both feet inside of the shoes, I felt a shudder, and my head started spinning. I almost fell, and she caught me by the arm.

  “Sorry, I should have warned you about that,” Meredith stated.

  “Warned me about what, Meredith?” I asked, walking toward the mirror in the corner of her shop and checking my hair out. I pushed up my strapless bra and grinned. I stared closer in the mirror, and my eyes looked dilated and pure black, which was strange because my eyes were generally dark brown.

  “Normally, Kimberly has fun.”

  “Thanks for the candle earlier. I’ll buy some more from you tomorrow,” I said over my shoulder as I left her shop. I was walking toward the bar. It was the perfect situation. I’d planned on asking Jerome out for a date, but if what Meredith said was true, I’d skip the date and go for throwing caution to the wind and giving into temptation and having sex in public.

  Sandra knew I had a crush on Jerome Lawrence. He was thirty-two years old, owned his own bar, the Red Light District, which I found out was named after the band he used to play in when he was in college. He ran the place with his cousin, Charlie. We were cool whenever I came up to hang out, once his career in the band ended. Jerome was single, never married and had no kids, and women flocked to him like a moth to a flame. He was around five-nine to my five-seven. Muscular built at thirty-two years old, he had full lips, and a small mole on the corner of his mouth. He wore a low-cut fade and had bushy yet trimmed eyebrows that framed his handsome face.

  Jerome and I had casual conversations from time to time, and I always thought he was cute but a ladies’ man. However, I didn’t care what the next twenty hours would be as far as me feeling some type of way with having a one-night stand. At this moment, I wanted to be desired and devoured within his arms and the way he was checking me out right now, I would be a fool to pass up this opportunity. Sandra left to go talk to some random guy near the pool table. Jerome was wiping down the counter as he talked to two women that flirted and giggled at everything he said.

  “You can do this,” I said to myself.

  The woman said these shoes would only last for twenty-four hours, or if I took them off, I would go back to being my old self again. Tossing my hair back, I placed my lipstick in my purse, and held my head high. I swished over to the bar, being sure to be in Jerome’s eyesight.

  “I’ll be right with you,” Jerome said, almost spilling the contents of the liquor bottle on the counter. He was shocked at my appearance, and I had Sandra to thank for once. I tried to put up a fight, but in the long run, she was right, and I felt like tonight would be the night I’d fulfill all of my fantasies.

  “Kimberly?” Jerome questioned.

  “Hi, Jerome.”

  The two women sitting two stools overlooked between us, and the one that giggled and touched his arm snapped her fingers in his face.

  “Jerome, are we on for dinner tomorrow night?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer right away, and that was my cue to make my move.

  “Jerome, can I talk to you in your office?”

  “Yes,” he replied, putting the bottle down, opening the side door, reaching for my hand, and pulling me to the back. He looked back at me, and I smirked. He pushed me up against the wall near the bathroom and growled near my ear, burying his face in my neck.

  Jerome picked me up and carried me to his office, I assumed. Whenever I came here, I stayed up front and talked with the staff and hung out drinking my usual virgin margarita. Some people would call it lame, but that was what I liked. Never a big drinker and having Sandra as a best friend, I needed to be sober and aware. The door was kicked in, and I giggled as he placed me on top of the desk, licking his lips. Grabbing my face with both his hands he inserte
d his tongue in my mouth.

  He then walked over and locked the door to his office and came back to me, standing in between my legs. I ran a hand underneath his shirt, helping him to remove his shirt and unbuckle his pants. Jerome lowered his head, brushing his lips across my cheek, leading to my lips. He covered my mouth with his and eased his tongue inside, allowing me to taste the bitterness of the Hennessy. I lifted my arms, circling around his neck and squeezed. Stroking the back of his head, I pulled him in close, wrapping my left leg around his waist.

  “Fuck, you taste so good, baby,” Jerome said, trailing kisses down my chest. He lifted my dress, leaving me in a thong and a wireless bra. Jerome squeezed and cupped each breast bending down, blowing against my nipple as it stiffened at his attention. I shuddered in his arms as his other hand slid down to my sex. I smiled, feeling his lips lowering down my stomach to my pussy.

  “Mmmmm...yes, Rome, please.”

  I gripped the side of the desk as my head tossed back and forth, while thrusting my hips. I’d had so many dreams about this moment, and it was finally happening. I grasped then plucked my own nipples, twisting and pulling, watching his tongue slide in and out.

  “I’ve waited so long for you. Take these shoes off,” Jerome said, attempting to remove my shoes, and I shouted.

  “No! I mean, they should stay on. I feel secure with them on,” I replied, rubbing his cheek, and he winked back at me.

  I smiled, recalling all of his flirty moments that I just shook off as being friendly banter. Jerome’s tongue and finger did double duty, sending me over the edge as my eyesight went blurry. The room was spinning.

  “Ahhh! Rome...ohhh,” I screamed out when I started to squirt for the first time. My chest was heaving up and down.

  “Damn, that was sexy.” Jerome stood up, taking a condom out of his pocket, covering his massive girth. My eyes rose in shock, he was way more prominent than the other men I’d been with.

  “I see you’re surprised, don’t worry, I’ll take my time,” Jerome replied, teasing his dick across my folds before lining himself up and easing inside. I tightened my hands around his waist, closing my eyes to ease the pain.

  “Ughhh...God.”

  “I know, baby. Open up for me,” Jerome responded, stretching my legs wider as he pulled out and entered again. Slowly he stroked, circled his hips, grasped both my ass cheeks. Our moans filled the room.

  “Shit!” He twisted my nipple and bent my legs backward.

  “Yes! Keep going…Ahhh, Jerome,” I moaned out, running a hand up and down his back.

  He hovered over my body and darted his tongue in my mouth, keeping time with his strokes before picking up his pace. This was way beyond my wildest dreams and tempting fate would think something could really become of us after our night together. Based on the type of women that flirted with him at the bar, I’d keep this in my memory for the rest of my life. A knock at the door came, and it sounded like Charlie.

  “Somebody’s at the door,” I whispered, biting his bottom lip. He groaned, shaking his head no.

  “Ignore it. Fuck!” Jerome grunted, pulling out and helping me up. He sat down on the couch in his office, stroking his dick as I turned my back to him. I was sliding down, letting him fill me up.

  I leaned back, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing the side of my neck. We stayed like this for a minute, while he rolled his hips slowly. I strummed my clit and fondled his balls at the same time.

  “Jerome? Are you in there?” Charlie called out.

  “Go away!” Jerome yelled back.

  “Jerome...OMG!” I moaned out.

  “Yeah, baby, let me hear you,” Jerome replied, and the knocking stopped on the door.

  Taking control of the position, I bent forward, placing my hands on his knees then bouncing up and down. The slapping of our skin was heard throughout the room. I groaned when I lifted up to the tip of his dick, and then thrust down full force.

  “Fuck!” Jerome moaned, changing our position and putting me on my hands and knees. He picked up his pace, and the couch started moving. Jerome gripped my hair with one hand with the other on my waist.

  “Ohhhh...Jerome, you feel so good,” I told him as my orgasm overpowered me. I fell forward, panting out of breath. Jerome continued stroking me slowly as he came right behind me, lying on top on my back, kissing me at the base of my neck. He sat up with his erection sitting against his chest; a hand kneading my ass.

  “What just happened?” he questioned, staring up at the ceiling.

  Finally calming down, I turned sitting right up next to him on the couch.

  “I know.”

  Jerome turned and peered over at me.

  “What happens now? You know I’ve wanted to ask you out for a while. This was unexpected, but I’m not upset this happened,” Jerome asked.

  “I have to tell you something.”

  Chapter 4

  Saturday early morning

  I squirmed in my seat, wondering how he was going to feel about me confessing the reason for us having sex.

  “What’s wrong?” he questioned, pulling me into his arms.

  Pointing at his dick, we busted out in laughter.

  “You may want to put him away first.”

  The thick veins protruding were calling for me to take them down the back of my throat. I was still surprised the shoes hadn’t fallen off through the workout we just had for the past hour. Jerome chuckled, kissing my forehead and buttoning his pants up.

  “So, tell what’s going on with you?”

  “Tonight was amazing, Jerome, and I don’t regret it at all, but it came about because-”

  Another knock came at his office door.

  “Hold that thought,” Jerome said, kissing my lips and standing up, grabbing his shirt to answer the door. He tossed my dress to me, and I threw it back over my head before he opened the door further.

  Jerome opened the door, and Charlie was on the other end with Sandra.

  “There you are,” Sandra said as she pushed Jerome back, walking inside and putting her hands on her hips with a scowl on her face.

  “She was looking for her friend, I tried to warn you earlier,” Charlie said, chuckling at us.

  Jerome sighed and closed the door. He ran a hand down his face while we both waited for Sandra to say what she needed to say.

  “I was looking for you, and I found you back here getting your back blown out?” Sandra asked.

  I gasped at her statement and yelled, “Sandra!”

  “What? You guys are cute. You finally got your man,” Sandra teased.

  “What do you need? I was in the middle of talking to Jerome about something important.”

  She looked between the both of us and then around the room.

  “Came to see if you were ready to go home, but I’ll wait up front,” Sandra said, walking away and blowing a kiss at me behind his back.

  I was shaking my head at her childish behavior. Jerome came to sit back down and raised my feet to put in his lap.

  “You were saying before we got interrupted?” Jerome asked.

  “Uhm...about what we did tonight or well early into this morning...What time is it anyway?” I questioned.

  Checking the clock on the wall, I saw it was a little after two am.

  “I don’t regret what happened, Kimmy.”

  “You’re the only person that calls me Kimmy,” I said.

  “Good, I should be the only one. Stop stalling and tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Raising my feet, I showed him my shoes.

  “Your shoes.”

  “Tonight happened because I was wearing these shoes, and the minute I take them off, more than likely, I won’t be as bold as I was when I approached you earlier.”

  He had a blank expression on his face.

  “I was given these shoes by an old lady earlier tonight. Well, I met her at work yesterday morning when I was on break. I bought a candle from her, and a card was inside.”

&n
bsp; I rambled on about what happened to me up to me walking inside his bar. Jerome burst into laughter, and I was shocked and confused.

  “Kimmy, you can’t be serious. Magical shoes aren’t real.”

  “It’s true, Jerome. The reason I didn’t want to remove them is because you’d see the real me.”

  “The real you is a sexy, funny, smart woman that I’ve had a crush on forever. Stop thinking you’re not enough,” Jerome replied.

  “I knew you wouldn’t understand.” I slid my legs off his lap and stood up, turning to leave. He jumped up, grabbing my elbow, stopping me from going.

  “Wait! Why are you leaving?”

  “I don’t want you to see what everyone sees. It’s best we just keep what happened tonight for what it was.”

  “Kimberly, I want to see you again.”

  “No, I can’t.”

  “Why? Because you think some shoes are the only reason I’d be turned on by you?” he questioned.

  “I need to go. Sorry, Jerome,” I said, running out of his office. I tripped because of a small water spill, but I caught myself on the bar and broke my heel. Removing both shoes, I felt something weird in the air, and everything seemed quiet. Like yesterday afternoon, when everything was silent for a brief second. Jerome came up beside me, aligned with Sandra and Charlie.

  “Kimberly, what’s wrong?” Sandra asked.

  My eyes glanced around the room; I could hear them asking if I was okay, but I couldn’t say anything. Was I having a heart attack? I thought to myself. Sandra shook me, and I came out of whatever daze I was in and turned to her.