In Anyone Else's Shoes (5 page)

Chapter Six

Four nights down, about a gazillion left to go. Emma unlocked the door to her Untamed Soles. Just five more months, she told herself, just five more months, and wended her way back to the crowded office she assumed had originally been designed as storage space for a box of peds. Across her face she wore the blinders of focused determination. She hadn’t been in her office more than a second before line one began to blink, singing its imploring song.

‘Emma Green, manager, how may I help you?’

‘Hey, Em-Em! How’s my best girl?’

‘Alyssa! Hey! Um, where are you calling from, sweetie, because it’s way too early for you to be at work?’

‘I’m in my store, believe it or not. Hey, Em, did you see a lot of joggers out this morning? There must be some sort of marathon coming up. It was crazy!’

‘Actually, I see them every morning, Alyssa. People like to run before it gets too hot, or, you know, sometime before the crack of nine?’

‘All right, that’s enough. Listen, I need your help, Em-Em. I may be in trouble.’

‘What’s his name this time, Ms Irresistible? Do you need a ride to the clinic?’

‘Ha-ha, very funny. This is work stuff that I need help with. I’m pretty sure our new boss is finally coming to my store for a visit, and I’m not sure what to do.’

‘I think you should introduce yourself, and then, before he gets a good look at your sales floor, run Alyssa, run!’

‘I know you’re kidding, but I actually thought of that. Seriously, I need help merchandising my store. It looks like crap, and I am not in the mood for a lecture from Mr Large and in Charge. And, I’m definitely not in the mood to look for a new job. Help me? Please? I know some new guys I bet you’d love to meet! And these guys are smart, Em-Em – just like you! You can talk to them! Talk, Em-Em, talk!’

‘Of course I will help you, sweetie, but no more guy surprises, OK? I’ve got enough on my plate as it is.’

‘Aah, there we go. I thought you sounded a little more upbeat than usual. C’mon, dish the dirt, sister.’

‘No. So anyway, when is Jason expected for his little visit?’

‘I’m not sure. He said sometime this week. You don’t think that means today, do you?’

‘I don’t know. I’ll have to check my calendar to see if today is sometime this week. Listen, what if I stop by after six? Rachel’s closing tonight. We can whip your store into shape before nine – possibly. And Alyssa, if he pops in today? It’s been nice working with you.’

‘Thanks for your confidence, hon. See you later!’

Emma sat back in her chair, an impish grin forming on her face. All the talk about Jason had sparked thoughts of him, and their last conversation. ‘I will always hold out hope,’ he said. She couldn’t shake the words from her head. It was romantic, sappy, and clichéd, but it made her feel … yearned for. Despite his words, she still wasn’t certain of his intentions. It was OK; she wasn’t sure about hers either.

Emma would never say anything, but she found it odd, and kind of amusing, that Jason had yet to step foot in Alyssa’s store. He’d been to her own store several times already. Plus, he definitely seemed the type of boss who liked getting to know his managers, and
all
the hot, young men wanted to know Alyssa. Emma considered that maybe once Jason met Alyssa, he’d be holding out hope for her as well – or instead.

‘You can’t arrange everything strictly by colour, Alyssa.’ Emma was knee-deep in metal display risers and random pairs of black boots. She loved her friend dearly but, at times like this, could never understand why anyone had ever decided it would be a good idea to give her the keys to an Untamed Soles. ‘Look, let’s group all the Steve Maddens on this table, and all the Angiolinis on this shelf over here. See where I’m going with this?’

‘You’re a doll, Em-Em! What would I do without you?’

‘I don’t know – work, maybe? Listen, if we keep at this, we can have this place looking presentable in no time. I love you, sweetie, but my stomach’s beginning to growl, and unless you’ve got a box of Sprinkles hiding inside a pair of these mid-calfs, I’m going to have to bolt soon.’

‘Holy shit, Emma.’ Alyssa’s eyes grew to saucers as she muttered the words in her friend’s ear. ‘Look what just walked in the front door.’

Emma turned discreetly, afraid of what lurked behind her. She smiled, remembering Alyssa had yet to meet Jason.

‘I don’t want to scare you, Alyssa,’ Emma whispered at her friend, ‘but that, my dear, is your boss.’

‘No fucking way. And I’ve been avoiding this walking panty swamp all this time? What the hell is wrong with you, not sharing the specs on this fantasyland?’

‘Panty swamp? Come with me, sweetie. Introductions are in order.’

Emma grabbed her friend’s hand and led her towards the front of the store. Jason looked up from a scrambled display of flats and noticed the girls heading his way; his sour veneer quickly dissolved.

Emma glanced at her friend and thought she detected a measure of drool perched at the corner of her mouth; but who could blame her? Jason looked his usual awesome self, all wrapped up in soft, fine-fitting jeans and a long-sleeve white shirt, two buttons undone – just like the girls.

‘Check out those eyes,’ Alyssa whispered as they closed in on their boss. Emma could only respond by rolling hers.

‘Jason Eastman, I’d like you to meet Alyssa Tanner, another of your devoted store managers.’

‘Well, we’ll see about that. Very nice to meet you Alyssa.’ Jason extended a strong hand; Emma averted her eyes, afraid to see what Alyssa might do with it.

‘It’s definitely my pleasure,’ Alyssa replied. ‘Welcome to Phoenix, by the way. I understand you’ve become a local.’

‘Well, I’m getting used to the desert, I guess. I don’t quite feel like a resident yet.’

‘That’ll come quickly, don’t worry. Especially once you know your way around. I’d be happy to be your tour guide – if you’re looking!’

Jason glanced quickly at Emma, nodding his head slightly. ‘We’ll see, I suppose. Thanks for the offer. So, Emma, I’m a little surprised to see you here.’

‘Just stopped by to say hi to one of my work pals. I didn’t realise she was in the middle of a floor move, which, by the way, looks fantastic, Alyssa! Anyway, I guess my timing wasn’t very good, so I’m going to be on my way. It was great to see you, Jason. Bye, Alyssa!’

‘Wait – please don’t leave yet, Emma,’ Jason pleaded. ‘I wanted to talk to you about something important. I was going to call you later, but, since you’re here … Could you stick around just a bit?’

‘I guess I could,’ Emma replied, softly patting her tummy, acknowledging they were both in this together. She considered that her friend probably kept a stash of something sweet tucked away in a drawer – hopefully still wrapped. ‘Alyssa, I’m going to hang out in your office for a few, if that’s OK.’

‘Sure, hon. I’m going to show Mr Eastman the rest of the store. Make yourself at home.’ Alyssa rubbed Jason’s arm as she spoke, her eyes locked to his.

Once Emma was comfortably out of range, Alyssa curled around to face him. ‘So, Jason, what would you like to see first?’ She continued stroking his arm, adding a coquettish little smile.

‘Actually, Alyssa, I’d like to talk numbers with you. Why don’t you lock up, and we can have a walk and talk, OK?’

Emma nibbled on Alyssa’s cache of explode-in-your-mouth candy, thinking her friend must have stopped maturing sometime around middle school. Curious to see what was happening, she cracked the office door and searched for her friend and her boss, trusting things were going well.

From her vantage point, she could see the pair facing off in the midst of what appeared to be a one-sided conversation. Jason was very vocal and animated, hands and arms twirling about, pointing everywhere. He looked up, he looked down – he looked pretty much everywhere except at Alyssa. Emma couldn’t recall ever seeing him this demonstrative. Alyssa wasn’t saying much, but managed to maintain a persistent smile. After several minutes of what questionably might be considered a conversation, Alyssa trudged towards her office. Emma snapped the door shut, hoping her friend hadn’t noticed her furtive behaviour.

‘Can you believe that?’ Alyssa snapped out the words as she entered her office.

‘Believe what?’ Emma replied, seemingly oblivious.

‘The little fucker is sending me home. He wants me to think about things.’

‘Actually, yeah, I can believe it, sweetie. He didn’t terminate you, right?’

‘No, but he’s one tough son of a bitch. I’m supposed to read the entire Untamed Soles management manual tonight, and then call him tomorrow. What a hard-ass … I think I might be even more attracted to him now.’

‘You are one strange puppy, Miss Alyssa. My advice? Lay off the boys tonight, and do your homework. Wait – maybe I shouldn’t have put it that way.’

‘Ha-ha. I hear you, Em-Em. Good luck with whatever it is he wants to talk to you about. I’ll leave you two alone.’ Alyssa gathered her purse, started to leave, then turned in her tracks to face her friend. ‘I just realised – my little Em-Em probably doesn’t need good luck tonight. I’ll want details tomorrow, hon, details!’

Emma almost hated it when Alyssa was right about something, but she was afraid her friend had nailed this one on the head. She was sure Jason’s agenda had everything to do with her, and nothing to do with shoes. He would ask her again to move in with him, or he would tell her again that he wasn’t giving up hope. She needed a planned response to anything he might ask, or anything that might come up. Otherwise, emotions might get in the way.

She peeked out the office door and watched him tote a ladder to the middle of the sales floor, the fabric of his shirtsleeves overtaxed from his flexing biceps. That is one gorgeous man, she thought. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to start a little something with him, Emma thought. He’s so yummy hot, so young,
so shy with women
, why not climb aboard for an evening? She considered worst case scenarios, should she decide to take this leap. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to work with the man any more, and she’d have to quit her job. Or, maybe he wouldn’t be able to work with her, and she’d quickly be on unemployment. Either way, it wasn’t so bad. Just days earlier, she had considered quitting to pursue something with more potential. It wasn’t like the Tucson job included a promotion and a bag full of bucks, at least not right away.

Emma stepped out of Alyssa’s office, and headed straight for the man on the ladder.

‘Oh good, you’re here. Could you hand me one of those clasps from that bag, please? The whole thing fell while I was straightening this signage.’ Jason pointed to a small paper sack lying on the floor.

Emma had to climb the first step of the ladder to relay the hardware to Jason. He reached down, and she stretched up to make the transfer. She had one foot off the ground when he smiled his thanks, and a rush of heat streamed low through her belly. He turned to continue his work, and she was suddenly unable to move. Her gaze fixed on Jason’s perfectly shaped, impossibly tempting ass, which hovered just a few rungs above her. As he extended his arms to work the sign, his butt shifted slightly – flawless, taut bubbles of paradise begging attention. His amazing ass was in her face, etching its profile onto the prurient reaches of her mind. She started to reach up with one hand, desperate to feel, squeeze, explore,
grope
his bottom, but stopped herself before things got messy. She was grateful that her ability to think clearly had somehow returned.

‘Can I help you with that?’ Emma asked, swallowing hard as she looked up at him.

‘Almost done, thanks. I can only imagine the business we’d do out of this store, if it were yours.’

‘No thanks. I mean, I know you’re only joking, but I …’

‘Listen, I want to talk to you about something. Have you eaten yet?’

‘I’m starving, actually.’

‘Good – let’s grab a bite. Why don’t I drive, then bring you back for your car after dinner?’

Emma agreed to the meal, and then stole peeks at Jason as he folded the ladder together and carried it to the stockroom. She imagined him climbing something else a little later.

‘Here you are – a Grey Goose and soda for the lady, and a Patrón on the rocks for the gentleman. Your dinners will be out shortly. May I get you anything else in the meantime?’

‘We’re good, I believe – right, Emma?’ Jason smiled as he gestured across the table.

‘Sure. Thanks.’ Emma shifted in her seat, wondering when Jason might ditch his bashfulness around women and get to the good stuff. Maybe after his drink?

‘So, Ms Green, I’ve got something I’d like to ask. Now, I know we’ve gone down this road before, but things have changed. Before you give me an answer, I want you to allow me to present my case, front to back – deal?’

Front, back – both, please! ‘Deal.’

‘I’m withdrawing my offer of Tucson. I don’t think that’s the best place for you.’

‘Why?’ Where did that come from?

‘I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. It’s not fair for me to ask you to pick up your life and move to a smaller market. I think Tucson will work for us, but if it doesn’t … Anyway, it’s not the right move for you.’

Emma drew a long sip from her vodka-soda. ‘I told you I was good with the move. I – I’m ready for a change, Jason. Whether it’s a new city, a new job – I’m ready.’

‘I know. That’s why I wanted to offer you something better – something I hope you’ll say yes to.’

‘I don’t think that moving in with you …’

‘Emma, Emma, please. I want you to be our new buyer for the Southwest region. You’re perfect for the job. I love the way you run your business. I love your loyalty, your enthusiasm, your intelligence … I love how you come to your friend’s rescue.’

‘Really? You’re offering me a buyer’s position?’

‘Yep. It’s a big job, Emma. It could be a bit stressful on occasion, but I know you can handle it.’

‘Wow, I’m not sure what to say.’

‘Say you’ll take it! Of course, I’m sure you have some questions – right?’

The tumbler of vodka and soda didn’t stand a chance. Emma wanted to stay calm, and she wanted to act professional. But her hand simply had to take a swipe at the innocent drink perched presumably out of harm’s way near the centre of the table. Faces flushed, wait staff scurried, and soon, all was back as it had been.