The Red Shoe Chronicles : A Fantasy Romance Anthology

by N. R. Larry

  Jenna brushed her lips over mine. “You are. We should’ve defined it sooner. We were all stupid.”

  “I wasn’t stupid.” Eric protested.

  We both shot him the same look of disbelief.

  “I was stupid. You’re one of us, Kayla.” He gripped the back of my neck and kissed me hard, stealing my breath and further mending my soul.

  This felt right. More right than anything had in a long time. The three of us were meant to have our futures intertwined. I’d never been more certain of anything. Together, like this, we could be whatever we wanted.

  Thank you for reading Kayla, Jenna, and Eric’s short, hot romp.

  If you’re looking for more FFM romance, Allyson Lindt can hook you up.

  For contemporary, minus the spells, check out Charm the Geeks. Jordan and Chloe have made a career out of being outrageous for gaming media, but behind closed doors, something is missing. When they meet Liz, the pieces click, but can the three of them withstand the new onslaught of public pressure?

  Check out Charm the Geeks now: https://www.allysonlindt.co/geeks-socialite/

  If you prefer your stories with a bit more grit and urban fantasy, the Valkyrie’s Legacy series is for you. Kirby is trained as an assassin, doing the gods’ bidding, until her partner betrays her. Three sexy immortals promise vengeance, and more, but can she trust them, knowing they’re keeping secrets?

  Check out the Valkyrie’s Legacy series now: https://www.allysonlindt.co/legacy/

  About the Author

  USA Today Bestselling Author Allyson Lindt is a full-time geek and a fuller-time author. She likes her stories with sweet geekiness and heavy spice, and loves a sexy happily-ever-after. Because cubicle dwellers need love too.

  http://allysonlindt.co

  Toe To Toe

  Sunny Abernanthy

  Chapter 1

  Chloe followed the office secretary down the carpeted hallway.

  “Gwen apologizes for not being here to greet you on your first day. I rarely see all the partners agree on one candidate. I’m curious how you won them all over. Here we are.”

  “Thank-you, ma’am.”

  “Please, Chloe, call me Susanne. No, ma’am, or miss so-and so.”

  “Sounds good, thank-you.”

  “Relax, my dear. You got the job, that’s the hardest part.”

  Chloe sat her briefcase on the glass-topped desk and ran her fingers along the smooth edge.

  “I’ll let you get settled, if you need me I am extension one and you have your first meeting in the boardroom at one. Don’t be so nervous you skip lunch, that won’t do you any good, my dear.”

  Susanne left Chloe to her very own desk in her very own office. The window was larger than Chloe imagined and being on the second floor she has a little better view than just a lot of parked cars.

  Chloe took off her sweater and laid it across the chair. She sat down to wake up her monitor by wiggling the mouse. Not a speck of dust on the monitor. Not a speck of dust anywhere. Just the way she liked it. Her chest swelled with pride. Here she was in an adult office making adult money. Susanne saying ‘getting the job was the hard part’ might make some new hires relax, but not Chloe. Chloe Simmons does not rest once the hard part is over.

  The phone rang. Few people Chloe’s knew were used to landlines, let alone multi-line conference phones. It will take some getting used to.

  After she pushed the line with the red light flashing on it, she hoped she didn’t accidentally hang up on anyone.

  “Hello, this is Chloe.” Nothing. She jammed at the red light again.

  “Chloe? It’s Winnie. How’s the office?”

  “It’s huge and kind of empty and plain. I have an enormous window though, so that’s nice.”

  “Still on for drinks?”

  “Yes, if I learn of anything new this afternoon that might delay me, I will let you know.”

  “Ok, and if I text you 911?” Winnie acted as though they never had this conversation every time Winnie met someone new online.

  “Yes, you’ll be fine, good luck.”

  “You too! Kisses!” Winnie hung up before Chloe said bye.

  Then her cell phone rang.

  Winnie: 911

  Chloe: Really?

  Winnie: Just testing

  She darkened her phone screen and sat it on her desk. Next she wiggled her computer mouse and the Red Door Real Estate name and logo filled the screen.

  At the meeting that afternoon there were several intakes and though the agents all take turns, Chloe wasn’t privy to any clients on day one. She learned, being a newbie, her first clients will be open houses. Since none of the seasoned agents like open houses, there must be something unsavory about them.

  Chloe watched the last few minutes of her new work day tick by. Being a Realtor meant her hours would be whatever hours her clients were free. In the future, planning to get off work by five and meet up with friends will be a little more difficult. First she has to get clients.

  At five o’clock, Chloe found her way to the front door, Chloe saw Susanne still sitting at her desk.

  “How was your first day?”

  Chloe fidgeted with a button on her cardigan. “It was all right, I learned a lot.” She wanted to say she was bored to tears all day and felt slighted at the meeting. But in all reality, she was happy to be here.

  “Boring? Don’t worry. You will get to where you need a day in the office. You’ll be great, don’t worry.”

  Chapter 2

  Happy hour at Gators was in full swing. Winnie was sitting with Jen and Steph at a table right by the window. They waved Chloe in. She feed her meter and opened the big glass door to enter Gators. The alligator mascot smiled from his picture on the glass.

  The music was a little quieter during happy hour, letting people actually sit and chat instead of the noise level found on Friday and Saturday nights.

  Chloe joined her friends by slumping onto the empty bar stool the girls called dibs on while waiting for her.

  “So, how was work?”

  “Yeah, your first day as a Realtor. Or do you like being called an agent like you’re undercover or something?”

  She sat up a little straighter, “Ooh, I do like the sound of being called an agent. Instead of men-in-black, I can be lady-in-red.”

  “My grandma and grandpa like that song. It’s old, like form the eighties.”

  “Winnie, I take it this afternoon went well?” Chloe placed a hand on Winnie’s hand.

  “He was sweet and wants to take me to dinner.” Winnie twirled the ice in her glass. “I said I would think about it.”

  “You can’t be so guarded all the time, Winnie.” Jen popped an olive in her mouth and motioned to the server.

  “Well, not all of us are shacking up with Mr. Wonderful.”

  Chloe had tried to tell her friends several times that things with her and Jeff weren’t as great as they seemed. But yes, she was lucky to be loved and realizing that was why Chloe never pulled at the loose threads between her and Jeff. In fact, she loved how Winnie didn’t put up with any crap from the guys she dated. If someone made it to three dates with Winnie, then Chloe, Jen, and Steph knew he would stick around a while.

  When Chloe remained quiet for a beat, Jen piped up, “Everything ok, Chloe?”

  “Fine, fine, he is just real busy with work and to be honest I’m not even sure he realizes today was my first day at Red Door.”

  “Oh, honey. I’m sure he knows and will ask you all about it when he sees you tonight.”

  “You’re probably right.” Chloe checked her cell, one text from her mom asking how her first day was. A message from Jen saying, “we’re here.” But nothing from Jeff… all day.

  Winnie announced to the table, “I’m starving, can we order?”

  Chloe thought maybe, just maybe, she should go home and try to have dinner with Jeff. But then again, it could be a repeat of the last several nights where she ends up eating alone, and he leaves notes say
ing “ate at work” for her to see in the morning.

  “I can eat, let’s order.” Chloe took a menu from the pile on the table, littered with empty cocktail glasses.

  The sun was setting earlier and earlier this time of year. This made for a striking blend of oranges and pinks to catch Chloe’s eye. When she looked up from her menu, she saw the buildings across the street bathed in the autumn light. It outlined the bakery, and it looked extra lovely with the Creeping Virginia Ivy turning red as it clung to the old brickwork.

  She saw a man in a long black trench coat…. wait is that Jeff? Chloe lifted in her seat.

  “Chloe?” Winnie saw her friend’s eyes were fixated on something across the street. “Is that Jeff? Did you invite him?”

  “No, no, I didn’t. He hates this place.” Chloe watched him as he stopped and took out his phone. Whoever he was talking to, they made him smile. No biggie, she thought, but why is he even in this neighborhood?

  Chloe leaned to look out better, to see if maybe he saw her car and was looking for her. She always invited him to come along to happy hour, but he was always working late or tired and would just see her when she got home.

  He lowered the phone and then it was obvious he was texting someone. All three of her friends were staring out the window to see if they saw anything about why he was in the market neighborhood.

  All three women turned towards Chloe when they heard her phone play a little snippet of a jazz song. She slid her hand over her phone and saw text from Jeff.

  Steph needed to know. “What does it say, sweetheart?”

  “He says he is working late and to not wait up, sorry I will miss dinner again. Love you, babe.”

  Chloe’s heart made a distinct thud when it hit the floor. Her friends could do nothing but let it happen.

  Suddenly she wasn’t hungry anymore. “I think I…”

  “No way in hell you are leaving now, driving upset, or worse, follow him.”

  Jen lit up, “Ooh, let’s follow him.”

  “No.” Chloe tipped back her beer and clicked her fingers in the air for the server.

  Winnie helped her friend get out of her car. The two women held onto each other as Winnie tried to get Chloe to her front door. With the key already in her hand, Winnie only had to brace her friend up against the condo’s hallway for a second to get the key in the door.

  Inside it was dark, no signs Jeff had been home since they both left earlier that morning. Chloe crawled into an overstuffed chair. With her stomach making some horrible noises, Chloe tried to thank her friend and cuss out Jeff all in the same breath.

  Winnie hung up Chloe’s keys on the little hook inside the door, “Honey, I need to go so Steph can get me back to my car. I got to get home too.” Winnie stroked her friend’s hair and took a thumb to wipe off some of Chloe’s smeared mascara. “You need to just go to bed. You have a new job. You have got to go to work tomorrow.” Winnie voiced her disgusted by the man she once called her friend. She reassured her friend this was an amazing time in her life and to not let Jeff ruin it. Chloe fell asleep while Winnie spoke.

  Chapter 3

  The morning light hit Chloe in the eyes, waking her up before her alarm went off. She rolled over and extended her arm out to Jeff’s side of the bed. He wasn’t there. She bolted up to look around. She thought for a second she was still in the living room. How she crawled into the bedroom slowly dawned on her.

  “Good morning, babe. You must have had one too many with the girls. You were out cold when I got home.” A towel hung low around his waist as he patted some kind of hair product into his blonde locks. Steam and the smell of his body wash carried out into the room.

  Chloe wanted to know what time he got home, but then again she had no idea what time she got home, let alone into bed, so asking him wouldn’t matter. He would probably lie anyway. She decided she wouldn’t play her hand... yet.

  She needed to get up and get ready for work too, but he had yet to ask her anything about yesterday. He honest to God had no clue and though she wants to jump on him about this, among several other things, she decided to see how long it would take him to realize there were two people in this house.

  “What kind of day do you have planned? Busy day again? Your fees this quarter will be off the charts.” Chloe, insecure, hung-over, and trying to not show her heart was breaking, drew her knees up to her chest and made sure the blankets fully covered her.

  Jeff buttoned his shirt sleeves and muttered something back to her about how hard his job was and she wouldn’t understand. “You better get dressed if you have class today.” He stepped over to the bed and kissed her on the cheek quick and patted the top of her head. “You really need to do something about this hair.”

  Chloe held herself together till she heard the front door of the condo. Then she let it go. Tears poured out of her and she caught herself hitch on each breath. She screamed into her pillows. Everything she saw big enough to smash was hers and not worth breaking…. over him.

  A few notes played of what was her and Jeff’s song, when she received a text message. Then she saw she missed a several. All three of the girls were checking in this morning and she saw she had one voicemail. Thinking the only thing that would make her day complete would be Red Door saying she was fired and to not bother coming in for a second day. She dialed in her code and played the message. Within seconds she realized it was a pocket dial, but she kept listening...like an idiot.

  It was obviously a muffled conversation between Jeff and someone who wasn’t her. And from what Chloe could hear, he was not at work. She looked at the time and after doing the math in her pounding head; she figured he would have left the message about an hour after he said he was working late. Pressing the number three, Chloe saved the message to pull out as ammunition at a later time.

  After she drove around the building and saw only a fire exit on the first floor, she gave up on her idea of running away and parked her car. Chloe ducked inside the building and took the stairs instead of the elevator up to Red Door. She hoped her shower and perfume covered up last night’s drinking in the case she saw anyone, let alone Gwen.

  When she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Susanne. Damn it. Chloe’s headache was gone, but she was still a little fuzzy.

  “Good morning, Chloe. Here is a file from Gwen. Now just look at it, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. The meeting is at two.”

  She thought about the way Susanne said, “Don’t do it if you don’t want to.” What the heck does that mean? As she took the file, Chloe just smiled and nodded.

  In her office, Chloe sat and flipped open the file. Up for grabs was an open house, a duplex, and from the pictures it was a cookie-cutter neighborhood of duplex homes. Before going any further, Chloe woke up her computer and pulled up GPSEarthlink.com. She plugged in the address and found the Dunker Street neighborhood. A few for sale signs, including the Red Door sign at the address inside the folder. Why wouldn’t she want to take this on? She needs to get her first buyer and get her career started. This open house seems as good as any to start with.

  She copied and pasted the address off Dunker Street and pulled up several articles with her gaggleinfo.com search. Then she clicked and click some more. Her jaw hung open.

  “Oh, no.” Chloe picked up her phone and dialed Winnie.

  “Hey, I need to ask you if you have heard about the murders on Dunker Street, about three years ago.”

  “Fuck yea, I remember, don’t you?”

  “No, I really don’t remember it. But now Red Door needs to sell it.” Chloe clicked on images and articles to find everything Winnie started talking about.

  Chloe was happy to leave her office for the boardroom at two o’clock. She carried the folder with her. Susanne gave her a reassuring smile and rolled her shoulders back as Chloe passed by her desk. Chloe straightened her posture and put a little “don’t think about Jeff” pep in her step.

  In the boardroom, most of her male colleagues were alre
ady seated, and the men chatted among themselves. There was one guy who she hadn’t met at yesterday’s meeting, and he eyed Chloe. She had no choice but to sit next to him.

  “Hi, I’m Bruce.” He rose slightly and reached over to pull out the chair next to him. “You must be Chloe.”

  “Yes, that’s me.” She shook his hand and was once again it annoyed her to get a limp hand. Men need to know women appreciate a good handshake, too. Going easy on woman’s hand was a sign of disrespect to her. If she was a frail woman in her eighties, that would be different.

  “Good morning, I see you all received your file on our new Dunker Street listing. As you know no one has had luck selling this house and now, it has landed on Red Door’s lap.” Chloe’s boss, Gwen, pulled up pictures of the listing on the power-point. “Do I have any takers?”

  Everyone kind of chuckled, except Chloe. She looked around and saw no one was leaning into the idea of putting their name on this house. The price was cheap for the neighborhood, let alone for the city, so the commission wouldn’t be huge, but it is better than nothing. Chloe knew she needed to start somewhere.

  “I’ll take it.” She heard Bruce stifle a laugh, but Chloe didn’t waver. She sat up taller. Her colleagues needed to learn who she was and what she could do now, or they wouldn’t take her seriously. Ever.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Everyone, thank you for stopping in. Have a great day.” Gwen took a seat at the head of the table and asked Chloe to join her.

  Chloe gave Gwen her full attention on a few more details and then was given the green light to leave the office for the rest of the day so she could go over and take a look.