“Who is the boss?” Cindi asked innocently. It was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the fashion world.
Henry just gave her a look.
She shrugged. “It was worth a try.”
Her stepmother pushed past her and poked Henry in the chest. “Now wait just one minute. I will not subject my family to this kind of publicity stunt.” She shook her head. “Not while you’re living in my house.”
Cindi gritted her teeth, ready to spew venom, when Henry said, “She’s a legal adult. We don’t need your permission. And we can put her up at the Castle hotel for the week.”
Hildy looked down her nose at her and let out a little laugh. “How perfectly funny. Cindi works at the castle hotel. As a maid.”
Henry shrugged. “Not after this she won’t be.”
Gritting her teeth, her stepmother lowered her voice. “Don’t think you’ll be coming back here after that.”
Cindi’s heart clenched. Being kicked out of her own father’s apartment? The home where she grew up? She looked around the living room at the window seat where she’d sit and read for hours; at the balcony where she and Daddy would blow bubbles and watch them until they floated away, too far to be seen. She realized her father’s best memories were in her heart, not in the walls her stepmother had redone in hideous shades of mauve and green. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked her stepmother in the eye. “It’s about time I moved out on my own.” Exactly how she was going to support herself was a mystery, but she’d figured it out. Now that she had this shot of confidence, it was time for a brand new start.
With brand new, killer shoes.
***
Henry hung up with the boss, thrilled that their idea got the green light. Bruno helped Cindi load her things into their car, with a delivery van coming for the rest.
“I’m sorry this got you kicked out of your place,” Henry told her.
She didn’t look upset. “It’s more like a much-needed kick in the pants to get out of a bad situation. See? The shoes are changing everything for me already.”
“Wait, let me video tape you leaving your apartment in the new shoes!”
As Cindi stood outside her apartment door, she took her lovely little feet out of her old flats and slipped them into the beautiful crystal heels.
Henry swallowed a groan. Damn, she’d probably assume he had a foot fetish, the way he was grinning like an idiot. Truth was, he had a green-eyed-blonde fetish. And he was going to get to spend an entire week with the most beautiful one he’d ever seen—and get paid for it.
Henry followed her outside into the bright sunny day, the camera in his phone taping the entire time. Then he slid it in his pocket. They’d have to get her a tiny camera that hung from her waist and taped her feet. He’d record from other angles, too. He was no professional videographer, but his amateur work would likely give it more of a real feeling. The whole thing was an ingenious idea. Who was this woman? He couldn’t wait to find out.
When he finished taping, she handed him the shoes. “See you later, darlings.” She giggled.
It was going to be an interesting week. He smiled at her. “This is going to change your life. You ready?”
She turned to him with the most beautiful grin. “I’ve been waiting to change my life for a long time.”
He’d been saying the same thing to himself for a while, but how many people actually ever did it? His brother had left home to play trumpet in a band. He had groupies who followed him from town to town. But Henry was reluctant to leave their mother behind all alone so he could chase his own dreams—whatever they may be. He didn’t even know. Would he take advantage of this kind of opportunity like Cindi was? He wasn’t sure. He admired her courage and spontaneity.
“First things first,” he said. “We need to update the press that we’ve found the shoes, and then we’ll hold a press conference tonight explaining that you’ll be wearing these shoes for one week starting at midnight.”
She closed her eyes and smiled, and he had to resist the urge to kiss her. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered.
“Believe it,” he told her. “And it’s only going to get more interesting.” He’d booked her a room at the hotel, where Bruno would deliver her things. “Rest up. The adventure begins tonight.”
She nodded, but he noticed her hands shaking. He grabbed one and squeezed tighter than he meant to. “It’s going to be fine. It’s going to be fun! Start thinking about how you want to spend this week in those shoes.”
“You’ll be with me, right?” Her eyes were big and full of hope.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
***
He was right. The press was dying to know what had happened to that shoe. At nine o’clock that night, he introduced the world to Cindi—the girl in the crystal shoes—standing next to him in the hotel lobby. Her shoes sparkled in the light of the cameras as he explained what happened to the shoes, and the week ahead. “She’s going to be a princess for a week and turn the shoes over at midnight next Saturday during a fabulous ball.”
All the entertainment shows planned on following this lucky maid turned celeb and her shoes, and plenty of news programs wanted in on it, too. He’d be updating Jiminy’s website several times a day with new photos and clips. He was almost as excited as she was. This was going to put him on the map as a marketing god.
Once the press conference broke up, Cindy exhaled. “Wow. That was crazy.” She stifled a yawn. “I guess I’ll head back to my room and we’ll get started tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “This journey starts at midnight. The morning shows will want footage of the first night out. So what’ll it be, dinner, dancing?”
She blew out a breath. “I guess we’ll play it by ear.”
“Great. You’ve got about an hour and a half to nap. Then we’re hitting the town. I’ll have a few outfits for you to choose from when you wake up.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Can’t have you and these shoes out on the town dressed in anything but the best.”
***
Cindi woke from the most spectacular dream. Then, looking around the hotel room, she realized it hadn’t been a dream. She was out of her stepmother’s apartment in a posh hotel with fabulous shoes and the adventure of a lifetime ahead of her.
She jumped out of bed and wandered into the sitting area of her hotel room. She’d cleaned this room before; now she was a guest. She pinched herself just in case this was a dream-in-a-dream. Luckily, it hurt. This was real. Three dresses hung from the back of the bathroom door with a note from Henry. “Pick the one you like best, but I’ve got my money on the pink cocktail dress. See you at midnight.”
She tried on all three, but Henry was right. At five to twelve, she stood by the door waiting for this crazy plan to begin. She felt like she was waiting for a date. Only, Henry was really coming to pick up the shoes, not her.
His video camera was rolling when she opened the door. “Where will the adventure begin, princess? Come with me, your chariot awaits.”
He led her to a Mercedes limousine. She hesitated before getting in. “This is incredible.”
“Enjoy it. Remember, it all ends a week from now midnight, so make the most of it. Now where are we going first?”
***
She collapsed in bed at four in the morning. They’d gone dancing at several different nightclubs, and she ended the night walking along the river, recounting the evening’s adventures for the camera. As she slid out of her dress, she realized her feet should be killing her. But they felt fine. These shoes truly were meant for her. She climbed into bed in her nightgown, still wearing the shoes.
In the morning, she woke to piles of gifts in the sitting room of her suite. Bottles of perfume and pricey makeup she’d only dreamed of owning were stacked on the coffee table. Bags and boxes covered most of the floor. It was better than a lifetime of birthday presents all waiting in one big pile in her hotel room. She knocked on Henry’s door next to hers. “What’s all that stuff in my room?” she asked when he opened the door.
“Swag, baby.” He grinned, and her stomach flipped. “And it’s only just begun. The deliveries keep coming in. Designers everywhere are hoping you’ll wear their clothes or jewelry and be photographed in it. It’s super advertising for them.
“And I get to keep it all?”
He nodded. “And it’s only day one.” He pulled a key out of his pocket. “Oh, and a year-long lease from Cadillac.” He tossed her the set of keys.
She was too stunned to speak. Everything she’d ever wanted was literally at her feet—and on her feet. All of the goodies she ogled in magazines and on TV. Well, everything except that pony of hers. If she weren’t so shocked, she’d scream.
He handed her a sheet of paper. “Here are some possibilities for you today.” It was an itinerary with potential locations to visit: museums, art galleries, trendy restaurants, and stores. Lots of stores.
They started off with breakfast down the street, Cindi’s new discreet belt camera, smaller than a stopwatch, taping her feet as she walked. She ordered the most expensive breakfast she’d ever had, and Henry took a moment to tape her drinking a mimosa. “Cheers!” she said, raising it in the air.
Then he set his camera down. “That should be enough for a while.”
“So, you’re going to be with me the whole week?”
He set down his drink. “Is that a problem?”
“No, no. It just seems like a lot to ask of you. I mean, someone in your life’s got to be upset about this. You relocated to the hotel for a week.”
He forced a smile. “I haven’t had a girlfriend in a while, if that’s what you mean. I’ve got a lot of responsibilities. No time for that sort of thing. And this is going to launch me to a new level. Thanks so much for this fabulous idea and for being such a good sport.”
She took another sip of her drink. “A good sport? You’re paying to show me the time of my life this week—and you didn’t give me a hard time about taking off with your shoe. Why didn’t you think I stole it? Bruno did.”
“I just had a feeling you were a good person.”
She looked down at her half eaten crepes and smiled.
It was a bit surprising when Henry asked for a to-go bag for the leftover muffins and rolls. Maybe he had low blood sugar and needed a snack for later? Who knew? But later, she saw him slip the bag to a homeless man as they waited to cross the street.
Her throat was too tight for her to say anything, so she looked away, touched by the unexpected gesture. Henry was more than just a handsome, successful guy, and she couldn’t wait to find out more. But first, the journey of the shoes beckoned.
They did some shopping after breakfast, and Cindi was stunned people knew who she was. Some even asked for her autograph and wanted to pose for pictures. She signed the backs of receipts and slips of paper as “The Girl In The Crystal Shoes.”
“How do they know who I am?” she asked, after they left a jewelry store.
He grinned and held out his arm for her. “Not too many people are walking around New Royalton in crystal shoes being followed by a camera.”
“True.”
It was an exhausting day, but it flew by. When she finally got back to the hotel after dinner, she kicked off her shoes. “A little distance will make the heart grow fonder,” she told Henry.
“Get your beauty sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he told her.
***
Henry wasn’t sure who was having more fun—him or Cindi. They strolled through museums together, stopping for another fabulous lunch the next day. Cindi was thoughtful, smart, and funny. She must have spotted him passing out leftover rolls to the homeless, because after breakfast, she did the same thing, without saying a word. He’d never been so touched by a woman’s gesture. Most of his dates ignored his interactions with the homeless, or scolded him for it.
But then again, Cindi wasn’t his date. Unfortunately.
During lunch, his phone rang, and he grimaced when he looked at the caller ID. He hated disappointing his mother but there was no way he could visit this week and let her find out about this over-the-top shoe promotion. “Hello, Mother.”
“Henry, aren’t you coming to see me?”
“Sorry, I can’t right now. I’m totally wrapped up with work. Do you need anything? I could have something delivered for you. Whatever you need, just let me know.”
“No, no. I’m fine. I look forward to our visits, is all. I get lonely, you know.”
Did she give his brother this guilt trip? His brother probably didn’t even call.
“Next week, Mother. We’ll go out for lunch, it’ll be great.”
She sighed. “Alright then. Take care, Henry.”
He hung up, his good mood disappearing, and tucked away his phone. “I try to visit my mother once a week. She lives outside the city, about an hour away. It’s impossible this week.”
Cindi lifted a shoulder and smiled. “I wouldn’t mind if we went to visit her.”
He laughed. “I don’t think people would enjoy watching you cavort about with my seventy-year-old mother. They’re looking for something a little more exciting from you and the shoes.”
“But I hate keeping you from your mom.”
He drummed his fingers on the table and leaned forward, deciding she deserved an explanation. “My mother knows I work in marketing for a shoe company, but she doesn’t know they’re high-end designer shoes. I’d be too embarrassed to have her know I help peddle six hundred dollar shoes.”
Cindi stirred her drink with the red cocktail straw. “I think she’d be proud you work for such a well known company. Why would she care how much the shoes cost?”
Sighing, he looked down. “We didn’t have much money growing up. Six hundred dollars would have kept our cupboards filled for months. I think she’d feel bad, seeing the way I live now compared to how we grew up. I’m a bit embarrassed by some of the excess in my life.” He had a posh apartment, a nice car, and while his cupboards were often bare, it was only because he usually ate out.
Cindi nodded and pointed her straw at him. “I see where you’re coming from. If my father were still alive, he’d cringe at how I live now, scratching to get by. I grew up rich. When he died, my stepmother decided I wasn’t worth spending money on. Of course, she and her daughters always have the best. That’s why I’ve never had a pair of Jiminies.”