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It all began with the red shoes I just didn’t know it at the time

I was out shopping with my roommate Gemma on a Saturday afternoon That wasn’t unusual The unusual part was that ere shopping forfor so for me to wear on a date—a real date Not a blind-date setup, but an honest-to-goodness date with a guy who’d asked me out for a second date after a first date that could have made the record books for weirdness

Any guy who asks you out for a second date even though he nearly had a nervous breakdown caused by your friends and co-workers on the first date has to be pretty special He deserves a little extra effort And that’s why Gedale’s that Saturday

“Let’s go upstairs and look at shoes,” she urgedat my sleeve

“But we haven’t found anything for ure out what shoes I need?”

She looked at me with pity in her eyes and shook her head sadly, like a doctor about to tell me I had teeks to live “Oh, Katie, honey You have so much to learn We need to find the ultimate pair of shoes, and then we’ll build an outfit around them”

When she bypassed the ner boutiques, I got the iet “Ge not to whine, “if we buy shoes up here, then I’ll have to wear a plastic garbage bag as a dress, and I’ll only be able to afford that if we already have some under the sink”

“We only have clear ones, so I doubt you want to go there,” she said, not breaking stride “And relax, I’ner shoes We just come here for ideas and inspiration, then we’ll buy the closest thing we can find at a more reasonable price”

I knew her well enough to knohat she was doing, and it had nothing to do with putting together a great outfit for dale’s without e to the holy shrine of shoes Her pace quickened as we bypassed the designer boutiques and headed straight for the upscale shoe departhtly touching certain shoes Every so often, she picked one up, held it to her breast, and closed her eyes in silent contemplation I tried not to look at any of the shoes because I knew I couldn’t afford thes I couldn’t have

Not only was that a wise philosophy where shoes were concerned, it was also the reason I was going on this particular date It only uy I could have, who fit every require over soent, nice, and had a good job He also wasn’t the eneration, unlike someone else I could mention but didn’t want to think about Blinders, remember, I warned myself

Then Ge “Katie, look at these You have to look at these”

I lifteda red shoe Not just any red shoe, but a high-heeled stiletto pu, all rich, shiny, red, and good enough to eat “Nice,” I admitted

“Nice? Nice? That’s all you can say? These are aet these”

“Do I really want men to worship me?”

She gavelooks “Why wouldn’t you?”