Trisha’s outfit was a sleeveless knee-length flower print dress and white 2" slingback pumps. Their booth included a table that was attached to the wall with no pedestal providing an open space on the floor between them.
They had a good conversation talking about their classes and stuff at her sorority and at their church. While talking they half-emptied their individual bucket of peanuts, leaving a trail of peanut shells on the floor in the aisle. During their conversation, Trisha crossed her right leg over her left for a while, but then reversed to cross her left leg over her right. The slingback on her left shoe was looser than the one on the right and when she crossed her leg, the strap soon slipped below her heel. Soon, Trisha was dangling her shoe and swinging it back and forth against the bottom of her foot.
While they were having a good time relating a funny story, Trisha dropped her dangling shoe, but did not worry about it. It was loud enough to where Tim did not even hear it fall. Tim, who was about 6’2” and has long legs, kicked out with his left foot and pushed the fallen shoe forward without knowing it. The seats were open underneath so the shoe went all the way to under the next table where a table of 4 were seated. The shoe rested against the wall, not in the immediate leg space of the customers.
Meanwhile Tim paid the check and they were ready to go to a movie. Trisha felt around under the table looking for her other shoe, not wanting to call attention to her clumsiness. She moved her foot around all over and did not feel it. She realized there was a gap under the seats so she decided she would have to get down on the floor to look for her other shoe.
During Trisha’s search, a child sitting at the table behind her got fidgety under the table and happened to hit the shoe with the back of his foot, sending it under his seat now two tables away from Trisha.
Tim asked if she needed to go to the restroom (she did but this was her chance to find her shoe without him knowing.)
“No. I’m okay right now. You go ahead.”
He left and Trisha got down on the floor and looked first under her seat and saw nothing. Then she looked under Tim’s seat and saw nothing. Flustered, she sat back down and crossed her left foot under her right under the table to hide her predicament.
Tim returned and asked “You ready to go, yet?”
Trisha embarrassingly replied, “Well I have a small problem, I’ve lost one of my shoes.”
“You’re kidding? Is this to get back at me for what happened a couple of weeks ago when I accidentally threw your shoe out the window? Tim looked under the table and saw only one shoe on her feet and the other one nowhere in view. “What happened?”
“If I knew that I could probably find it. I had my legs crossed and my shoe fell off onto the floor while we were talking. Just 10 minutes later it’s gone.”
They again both got down on their on hands and knees and looked under their seats to no avail. They were starting to catch some attention from the other customers and the servers who had to dodge then in the aisle as they carried trays of food and dishes past them. Their server came by and asked them if he could help them. They were obviously looking for something. He did not immediately notice Trisha was missing one shoe. Tim replied to him, “One of her shoes came off under the table and we’re looking for it.”
It could have gotten pushed under to one of the booths next to yours. You keep looking and I’ll ask the people sitting the booth each side of them if they see it under their table.
“Excuse me, sir the lady in the booth behind yours lost one of her shoes. It could have slid under your table. Would you mind checking under to see if it’s fallen under there? The family sitting there cooperated but they did not see her shoe. The server repeated the same query for the customers at the other adjoining booth. “I’m sorry folks, I am baffled as to what happened. I’ll go tell my manager and see what she suggests.”
Tim tried to save the situation, “Well, Trisha, something very strange has happened. What do you want to do?”
“I’m embarrassed, let’s just leave now and take me back to the Sorority house so I can get another pair of shoes.”
Tim and Trisha left their booth and walked toward the exit. She had to be careful with her bare foot stomping on a multitude of peanut shells as she walked along. As they got to the front, the manager stopped them to apologize. Meanwhile, the server took control of the restaurant loudspeaker and made this announcement:
ONE OF OUR DINERS LOST HER SHOE IN HERE SOMEWHERE. IT’S A WHITE HIGH HEEL WITH A SLINGBACK. IF YOU FIND IT, PLEASE BRING IT TO THE HOST STATION IMMEDIATELY
Trisha was really embarrassed then and cried, “Let’s leave now! Everyone’s looking at me and snickering.” But that announcement was just what they needed to get her shoe back. Someone from the table two booths behind them looked down and saw the shoe and brought it to the Host station.
Though still very embarrassed, Trisha offered her profuse thanks to the man who found her shoe. She wiped all the broken peanut shells off her foot and replaced the shoe. After that, she and Tim headed out to see a movie.
NOTE: This story can also be found at Dangling.Com.
