A woman wearing a green, striped, cotton a-line dress, with bright, red hair, and obviously old enough to wear pantihose considering she was working in a business, said, “That’s a first, Robert.”
The woman was smiling, but also shaking her head in disbelief. She could see Robert had just carried a woman into her store, giving her a piggyback, while another woman walked next to them, and they all looked like they were broken from laughter.
“I’m thinking of becoming a starship, Rowan. Inaugural test flight,” Robert said. “I’ll have to wait for passenger reports before adjustments are made.”
“Smoothest flight this passenger has ever been on,” Allison said. “Also the only flight, but I’d definitely recommend. Five out of five stars. I’ll tell anyone planning on travelling to the solar system.” She was still laughing, and could barely catch her breath after enthusing about her trip.
“I have new shoes in, Robert. Feel free to look,” Rowan said, with Robert giving Allison another smile before disappearing around a wall inside the store. “Come on! I assume Miss Boots-in-her-Hands is the one shopping. Step up here.”
Allison stepped off the bench, pulling her skirt back down as she realised the entire promenade probably saw her panties. She just hoped the image kept them entertained that night, and they didn’t see too much. Then she stood on the pad Rowan indicated, while Rowan held her arms to keep her still.
“What’s Robert’s deal?” Angie asked.
Still holding Allison in place Rowan looked at Angie and said, “He’s lovely. Doesn’t like bitches. He told you he likes shoes and feet?” Angie and Allison both nodded, then Rowan pursed her lips and shrugged. “That’s his deal. He’s good at it. And that’s all he wants, to find shoes for women and help them try them on. He’d do better than me at running this place, if he was allowed. Instead he brings the few women he connects with in here, sometimes other stores if he feels they’d suit her better. There’s nothing weird about him, that I know of. Except he’s not great in bed, apparently. Women get bored of him and the shoes aren’t enough.”
Rowan pulled Allison off the pad and looked down at the impression Allison’s feet had made, before dialling something into a manually controlled device she held in her hand. “Go ask the starship for help finding shoes. I think you’ll owe him.”
“Does he need...” Allison pointed at what were obviously her size measurements in Rowan’s hand.
“No. He knows these measurements naturally. He’s been looking at feet for years, then asking me if he’s correct. He always is,” Rowan said. They all heard footsteps then Rowan called out, “Robert, come help your friend find some shoes. It’s obvious she’s not a frequent purchaser of quality footwear and needs your expertise.”
Robert came around the corner, somehow carrying three towers of boxes. “I went into the store room, picked some out for Allison. I apologise. I know I should ask before I go in there.”
“You’re excited so we’ll overlook it. This time! Go on,” Rowan said.
Robert walked further into the main area of a store with Angie and Allison following, right to before the biggest wall of shoes, then indicated for both of them to sit on the bench. “I assumed you’re not too good in heels,” he said. Angie laughed and Allison cringed. “That’s fine, I’ve picked you out some that’ll get you used to them.”
He began to open a few boxes and the shoes all either had a low heel, were in a wedge, or had a higher, chunky heel. There were no flats, and no sandals without a heel.
“Do I have to?” Allison asked. “I’m not the shortest person.” She was average height for a man so a little above average for a woman. Not towering, certainly not over Angie but she wouldn’t be looking eye to eye with quite a few guys in the shoes Robert had selected.
“Yes! You do!” Angie said,.
“No,” Robert said. “You’ll feel sexy in them, though. And they’ll make your ass look even better.” He smiled at her, looking up from one knee before her.
Allison realised he hadn’t seen her ass. He was always in front of her since they met.
“I noticed your hands were on it when you were carrying me,” she said.
“I didn’t want to drop you. Is that an issue?”
“No,” Allison said, getting defensive. “Not really...” When she thought of his hands on her she felt something. A tightening within her, a contraction. A pulsing like desire. Longing. Want, almost. Like she wanted him... She couldn’t think it... Instead she lifted and straightened her leg to let him slip the shoe on her foot, and as he did she really looked at him. He was a big guy and for some reason that pleased her, thinking of her in heels. Maybe with an ass.
As he was slipping the other shoe on her foot he said, “Your stockings are filthy from that floor, you’ll need new ones to put on before we buy you your shoes.”
“I know where Rowan has them,” Angie said. “You keep trying on shoes.”
As Angie left Allison stood with a little help from Robert. The feeling in heels was different, quite different, but she felt she could manage. She took a few steps, then a few more, looking at Robert for approval. It wasn’t too bad. She wouldn’t be as confident as in boots but looking down at the shoes they were nice. She’d admired women in this style before.
Allison walked back to Robert, a little more confident, when a wave of dizziness hit her. She wavered in her step and put fingers to her forehead, her other arm out reaching for something.
Robert rushed to her as she could just make out through blurry vision. Then she felt his arm around her shoulder and another taking her elbow. “Are you OK?” he asked.
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“New medication,” Allison managed.
“Come, sit down,” Robert said, surely moving her back to the bench.
They both sat and Allison was about to ask if he’d put his arm around her to keep her steady when she noticed his arm had never left. She leaned into him and he held her securely. Closing her eyes she thought Doctor Grace was correct. Being held made a difference.
Eventually Allison felt better, like she could walk again. Whether she could walk in heels was a different matter but she wanted to find out. “I’m OK, now. I’m certain,” she said to Robert. “We can go back to shoes, if you don’t mind.”
“Are you sure?” Robert asked, still holding her.
“Certain, and play with my feet while you do it.”
“As a thank you or because you like it? I don’t want to trade anything. I’m enjoying everything as is. You don’t have to do anything for me,” Robert said.
“I want you to. I don’t know if I’ll like it but I want to find out,” Allison said, wondering what it’d be like to be touched; after an invitation to touch her. “I think you’re nice, whatever I feel about...” She wanted to know how she’d feel but couldn’t say it to him; to say she wanted a man to touch her.
Then they got down to footwear, with Robert stroking her feet as Allison had shoes placed on them, and straps tied to secure them, and toes pinched for measure. And so Allison was trying on shoes, with a man interested in her, and after a while she was even trying to strut. After thirty or so minutes of laughing and Allison eventually trying poses they both were sitting again.
“Which do you want?” Robert asked.
“I don’t know, I’ll have to ask Angie,” Allison admitted. “Where is she?”
“She’s here! And I found you a purse as well, which you need. You can’t keep carrying your conn, setting it down or having me hold it. Your stockings are in here too, enough new ones for the week.”
Rowan was standing next to Angie. “Angie wants Allison to try on a shoe. You know the 21 line, black, wedge, closed toe, elasticated fabric—”
“You’re planning on wearing more denim?” Robert asked.
“How did you know?” Angie replied.
“Those aren’t the shoes you want. I’ll get them but you don’t want them. Sorry, Angie.”
“No problem,” Angie said. “You seem to know shoes better than any woman I’ve met. Pick her something.”
Then he stood and left for the storeroom.
“The stockings are white, aren’t they?” Allison asked Angie, who was holding a purse with tags still on it.
“You’re a genius!” Angie said. “Telepathic! And go into the room back there and let Robert watch you put them on.”
“No!” Allison said. “No way!” Rowan was laughing and Angie simply smiled.
“You obviously like him. It’s plain to see. Give him a little thrill! It’s fun. Let him thrill you! He wants to. Have fun. ‘New shoes, new woman,’ isn’t that what they say?”
Allison shook her head and changed the subject. “Is that the purse?” she asked. It was a brown leather satchel style, smaller and obviously a handbag, with a shoulder strap. It held its shape but it was still soft. She thought it would look good with denim, and she was willing to bow to wisdom at this point, even if the wisdom was to dress her like a twenty year old. She couldn’t be bothered fighting anything. “I like it. I’ll get it.”
“And you won’t have to pay a single credit,” Angie said. “With your new man.”
Allison scowled at Angie and Rowan laughed again, walking away. Then Robert was back, carrying two boxes.
He knelt before Allison and opened the first box, which were the shoes Angie had picked out. Then he opened the second and took out another shoe. It was smooth black leather, at least Allison thought it was leather. The toe was round and wide, and the sole wasn’t quite a platform but it wasn’t thin. It had a big block heel as high as anything she’d tried on. The top of the foot had thin layering of leather overlapping, all the way down to just before where the smooth toebox began. Allison thought they’d look amazing with the white of white stockings. On her legs, on her feet. And they wouldn’t be falling off. They looked solid!
“Oh wow!” Allison said, standing, impressed. “Those are the ones I want!”
“You’ll definitely stumble, and might trip, wearing those. They’re beautiful but you’re the one who doesn’t want men rescuing her,” Angie said. “The heel is high! They’re powerful, but—”
“Give me my purse, with my fresh stockings,” Allison said, grabbing her purse from Angie. “I’ve learned not all men are bad.” She also grabbed Robert. “I need you to tell me if I get any snags. If you don’t mind!” Then she lead him towards the room Angie had pointed to.
In the private room, with Robert sitting on the sofa, holding the box of what Allison hoped would be her new shoes, as the door clicked shut behind her Allison realised who she was, what had been bubbling up since Robert held her close to him in a piggyback. Since she began to feel things, physically, for him. “I need to be honest,” she said, feeling sick.
“I don’t expect anything. Really,” Robert said, thoughts obviously on what a man and a woman usually get up to in private rooms.
“I’m not quite who I say I am.”
“You’re imitating?” Robert said, smiling.
“Technically, no. I mean legally definitely not.” She held the hem of her skirt and forced herself to lift it. To show the unfortunate bulge in her panties. He had to see what she was. She had to be truthful about herself.
“If you hit me I won’t scream. I promise. I’m sorry. I am,” she said, as she knew Robert could see a lump behind the lace of her panties. But Robert was already standing, right on top of her. He grabbed her and before Allison knew it he was kissing her, deeply. He felt up her hip, up over the side of her bra, with one hand. He held her as he kissed her, with fire.
“Am I your first kiss?” he asked, as Alison noticed she felt the absence of his tongue in her mouth, wishing he’d come back to her. Wishing he’d hold her again.
“Yes, and I want another one,” she said looking at him. Needing him.
“No,” Robert said, matter of factly.
“Are you playing with me? Are you trying to make me desperate and get me on my knees?” Alison said, then her brow furrowed, this time not from withholding, or denying emotion. It was the opposite. “Because I will. And I’ll enjoy it. And so will you. I’ll make sure you do!”
“I know I'd enjoy it, and I think you want to. The whole station is talking about this mysterious Allison and the rumours are running so fast I can’t keep up with them. But you don’t need to be fast. Take your time. If you want to do this again tomorrow message me.”
“You’re not playing with me?” Alison thought for a second. “You’re not angry with me? With who I really am? You want—”
“Angry with a woman who let me pick out shoes for her, stroke her feet, is about to let me buy her the heels she loves, along with her innocent, white stockings and a purse. And who just told me I’m the first man she kissed? And she’s not an idiot twenty year old!” He laughed. “No! I’m not angry. This is my best day in years. You let me give you a piggyback! You’re amazing!”
Allison’s face turned plain. After a moment she said, “Thank you. I didn’t realise how much I needed this. Or you.” She paused. “Do you want my boots?”
“Your boots?” Robert asked, sitting down again.
“No, that’s stupid. They probably smell wrong, or something. I don’t really know what foot guys like. They’re boots from when I was—”
“Yes. I do want your boots! I’ll buy a stand to put them on and won’t get rid of them unless I somehow end up married and my wife forces me to throw them away. And even then I’ll put them in storage. I want your boots. And I never want to forget today.”
And he was standing again. Holding Allison again. Kissing Allison again. And Allison let it happen, needing every bit of it. Realising she needed this. She wanted Robert. And a part of her was wondering if this was what she always wanted, she just didn't know it was possible.