The next day at the bank after Don returned Trisha's shoe, Trisha was a little on edge wondering what Don's next move would be. She definitely detected interest on his part and did not want to hurt him. Soon after arriving, Don called Trisha into his office to bring him some loan records. A rejected applicant wanted him to give them a second chance. Trisha came into his office wearing a nice navy blue dress and matching navy pumps, which slipped a little at the heel because of the sheer nylons she was wearing.
"Thanks Trisha. You having a good day?"
A little nervously Trisha replied, "Sure Don, things are going well so far. And you?"
"Okay I guess. But I have an idea of how it could be better. Let's go to lunch today. The Three Dollar Cafe is a good place. How 'bout it?"
Trisha hesitated. She thought about how she did not want to lead Don on and how her co-workers would really pounce on her like a pack of wild cats if she went on a real date with this guy they all adored. Throwing caution to the wind, she agreed and the two of them left around 12:30 for a nice lunch.
Before then, Trisha had some work to do in the Records Room. She left the door open and Don did the same. She kicked off her heels and climbed the sliding ladder giving Don an excellent view of her pretty legs and feet clad in nylons. When she reached one time to get a very high file, she lifted one foot off the ladder and pointed it out and behind her, a pose that accentuated her well-defined calf muscles. This only fueled his excitement over the upcoming lunch date.
Don walked Trisha out the back way to the parking lot and like a gentleman, opened the door for Trisha and made sure she was situated before closing the door. They engaged in small talk on the way to the restaurant and Trisha was noticeably nervous - al least to everyone except Don. Not knowing the affect it had on Don, and probably without even realizing it herself, Trisha slipped out of her pumps in the car and rubbed her feet on the soft carpet.
Don
had to take special care not to wreck on the busy Barrett Parkway once he saw
her.
Soon, they arrived at the restaurant and Trisha slipped back into her heels and Don walked her inside where they were immediately seated. After the waitress took their order, the conversation continued.
"Don, I appreciate how you helped me out the other day. Can I buy your lunch as a token of thanks?"
"I couldn't let you do that. Consider keeping me from having to eat alone your thanks if you'd like. (Pause). So when do you go back to school?"
"I have to be back early to help plan Sorority Rush. I'll probably go back around the 15th of August. How about you?"
" 'Bama starts up about the same time. My last day here is the second Friday in August. I'm going to spend a few days with my folks before heading back." Don could hear Trisha shuffling in and out of her pumps under the table but had no plan for sneaking a peek.
Lunch soon arrived at their table and the small talk continued. Trisha had slipped out of her pumps completely to give her heels a break. Don dropped a napkin on the floor in order to get a good view of her legs and feet. She had one leg crossed and was bouncing her crossed foot a little. Her pumps lay to the side out of the way.
"Trisha, I know I'm leaving soon and you are too, but would you like to go out again? This time, maybe an evening date where we have more time and can relax and get to know each other better?"
Trisha paused and carefully selected her words. "Don, I think you're a great guy. However, I have been seeing someone else."
"Oh, okay. I didn't know that."
"Please don't take it personal, I'd probably go out with you otherwise. You're nice looking, smart and very much the gentleman. All the girls at Wachovia are dying to go out with you. I'm amazed you chose me, actually."
"Trisha, who do you know who wants to go out with me? I really had no idea."
Although she could have chosen one of six girls, she decided to name her friend, Kelli, whom she knew had a crush on Don. "Kelli's said she'd like to go out with you."
Don had not worked with Kelli as much as some of the other girls but he began to try to think of subtle clues and son he could remember quite a few. "I guess I'm pretty dense sometimes. You know, she has given me quite a few hints that I completely ignored. They all make sense now."
Trisha suggested, "Maybe you and Kelli could go on a double date with Chuck and me this weekend. Let me ask Chuck and then I'll let you pick the place and ask Kelli, yourself. I think she will definitely go out with you."
As expected, Kelli was thrilled to be asked out by Don and Chuck also agreed to the plan. Don chose a new Japanese Restaurant on the south side of Marietta for that Friday evening. They had agreed that Don would pick up Kelli and meet Trisha and Chuck there at 7PM.
Kelli asked Trisha is she would go shopping with her after work that day. They stopped by the nearby Rich's at Town Center Mall and Kelli wanted to go by the shoe department, one of Trisha's favorite places to shop.
"Trisha, I've seen you and other girls wearing mules and they look so classy. I've never really worn them and I thought you could help me pick out a pair." Trisha happily helped Kelli pick out a pair of blue mules with a 2-inch heel. They were a pair of Naturalizers identical to a pair Trisha already owned.
"These look nice and they're comfortable too."
"How does it feel walking in them?"
"Well, I'm not used to wearing heels that are so loose feeling on my feet. It's actually a bit liberating."
Trisha added, "I know! It's also nice to slip them off whenever I want and put them back on quickly, too."
After some more shopping for accessories, they went home for the evening.
Friday evening, Chuck picked up Trisha at her house and they began to discuss the date.
"So how did this double date come about, anyway?"
Trisha, not wanting to reveal anything about her and Don said, "I knew that Kelli liked him and I decided to take a chance and tell him because I figured he'd be interested. Kelli is pretty and has a good personality and all that."
Chuck was easily satisfied with her answer and never did suspect a thing else had happened. Trisha was dressed casually, not wanting to risk any upstaging of her friend Kelli. She wore a pair of khaki Capri's with a pretty rose-colored blouse and a pair of black flat mules. Her hair was pulled back in a matching rose-colored hair bow that circled the top of her head like a horseshoe.
Don arrived at Kelli's house and was pleased when she appeared at the door. She was dressed very nice with a royal blue cotton dress cut just above the knee, sheer nude nylons and a pair of her new blue 2-inch heel mules. Don had never seen her reveal that much foot at work and he liked the type of nylons she chose to wear also. The mules made a slight swishing sound with every step.
"You look very pretty tonight, Kelli."
"Why thank you, Don. You look very dashing yourself."
The two began to talk for really the first time as they drove to the restaurant. It was a time of getting to know each other and a time of developing mutual attraction and interest in one another. Don caught a few glances at the floor and noticed that Kelli was slipping her feet in and out of her mules about an inch or so in a rhythmic fashion.
At the restaurant, the four met outside and there was a 30-minute wait for a table. Trisha and Kelli sat on the porch rail and dangled their feet a foot or so off the ground. Chuck and Don stood next to them and the four of them engaged in conversation. Kelli was not all that used to wearing mules with hose and she noticed that they had a tendency to slip down. A couple of times, one of Kelli's mules slipped off and onto the porch and Don, each time, was quick to pick it up for Kelli and place it slowly back on her foot. Trisha was wearing her mules barefoot, which apparently created enough friction to keep them on under similar circumstances, otherwise. She was, engaged in her typical shoe dangling throughout, however without incident.
Chuck, who was holding the beeper, felt it vibrate and the foursome left the porch to get a table. This was a traditional Japanese Restaurant (and Don knew that) with tables arranged a foot off the bamboo floor and back rests instead of chairs. There was also a shoe caddy outside each set of tables.
All removed their shoes and placed them in the caddies. The girls sat across from the guys and therefore everyone's legs were flat on the floor and side-to-side. Chuck's legs were on the edge with Trisha's next, then Don's and finally Kelli's. Don received the benefit of his legs being sandwiched between Trisha's and Kelli's. Trisha's legs were just short enough to remain completely under the table and out of Don's easy sight, however, with Kelli being 4 inches taller, Don was treated to seeing the end of her nyloned feet all during dinner. This only served to increase the interest he was developing in this girl he had failed to take the time to get to know all summer at the bank, but he wish now that he had.
At one point during dinner, Don made a point to drop his napkin on the floor on the side of Kelli's legs and feet. In the process of retrieving it, he brushed up against the side of her soft nyloned foot and Kelli made a slight notice but said nothing.
After dinner Don retried his shoes and Kelli's and knelt down to put them back on for her - a seemingly gentlemanly gesture that Trisha did not expect Chuck to copy. Don enjoyed watching Kelli walking again in her mules, which really flattered her legs and ankles.
Each pair returned to their car that brought them there to go home. On the way out, they heard a clap of thunder and saw a bright flash of lightning and it was starting to rain a little. Chuck and Trisha were parked near the entrance but Don and Kelli were a little farther away in the opposite directions. They said their goodbyes and Chuck and Trisha got in Chuck’s car and were soon on the way out.
After starting their walk at a normal pace Don suggested, "I guess we should hurry before the storm hits."
He grabbed Kelli's hand and started to jog toward the car and Kelli had little choice but to try to do the same. Her slippery mules were making it difficult, but she managed to keep them somewhat under control. As they made it closer to the car, the rain increased dramatically into a torrent and Don tried to pull Kelli along even faster. The combination of the speed and her feet and shoes getting wet led to trouble. About 10 feet form the car, Kelli slung her right mule forward and it slid on the pavement under Don's car.
"Oh no! Don!"
Don saw her shoe fly out in front but they were going too fast to stop. Kelli's nyloned foot got very wet those last few steps.
"Go ahead and get in the car, I'll get your shoe."
Don unlocked the door and let Kelli in the car and he stooped to look underneath to see that the shoe was in the dead center of the car and in between the wheels. He could not reach it - even after getting down on his hands and knees on the wet pavement. He got up and went inside the car and told Kelli, ”I’ll have to back the car out first. I couldn’t reach it.”
Kelli was okay with that and Don went to start the car. Chug..chug..chug.. “Oh no! The battery must be dead. Are Chuck and Trisha still here?”
Kelli looked over to where they were originally parked and said, “No, they left just before the rain hit hard.”
I think I’ll wait until the rain stops before I do anything anyway. No one will want to help us jump start in this downpour. I’m not a AAA member yet, so I can’t call them. I’ll have to get someone here at the restaurant or call someone.”
“We could call Trisha’s cell phone or even my Dad would probably come out here,” Kelli replied.
Don took a good look at Kelli. Her curly blonde hair was stringy wet and her clothes were soaked. One of her cute blue mules was gone exposing her sheer nyloned foot. She had taken the time to paint her toenails a bright red not knowing they’d be seen so much tonight since her mules were closed-toed as the name implies. She was being a good sport and had not lost her temper or her sanity. A quick check of himself revealed he was not looking much better. His khaki slacks were wet and grimy from the knees down and everything else was very wet. The car was slowly getting a damp smell as well. He thought about his decision to choose Trisha over Kelli to pursue and take to the Career Fair, which at the time seemed to be the best one. Second-guessing he wondered if they would have hit it off this well under those circumstances - given he had more of a heart for Trisha at the time. Maybe this was the way things were supposed to be.
The rain continued to pelt the car and even a few hail pellets danced on the hood. Unbeknownst to either of them, the slightly sloped parking lot by now carried was a thin fast moving river of drainage. Kelli’s shoe was not terribly light, but it had been carried ‘downstream’ about 25 feet and now lay underneath the car two to the right of them - away from the restaurant.
After about 10 more minutes it was getting dark and after Kelli’s shoe slid under a third car. The rain subsided, as did the flow of water on the parking lot. The owner of the next car to the left came out of the restaurant walked out to his car. Don got out and asked him for a jump-start.
“Sure, no problem. Been there myself many times.” And quickly, Don and the kind neighbor got the jumper cables properly placed and Don started the car on the first try.
He helped remove the cables and after waiting on the other man to leave, Don backed out the car enough to expose Kelli’s shoe. He jumped out to retrieve it and it was not there. He looked in all directions and knelt down in front of the car again. From inside, Kelli was getting concerned. She opened the door and asked, “Don’t you see my shoe under there?”
Don offered back a sheepish, “No - it’s nowhere to be seen.”
Kelli jumped out of the car and hobbled over in front of the car and looked all around and under the car herself. “Where could it have gone?”
Don thought for a moment, “Maybe there was water on the parking lot and it carried your shoe away.”
“Oh, no and they were brand new too! Only got to wear them once.” Kelli said as she got back in the car expecting to give up the search.”
Don joined her in the car. He was curious so he boldly asked, “Did you happen to buy them for tonight?”
“Well, actually Trisha and I went shopping and she recommended them. I didn’t have any dress mules, only a few casual styles, and everyone’s wearing them it seems. I guess I’m not used to wearing shoes that come off so easily when having to run. They’re especially easy to come off with nylons. I always wear casual mules barefoot.” Kelli crossed her shod foot in Don’s direction and suggested to Don, “Take your finger on the back of my heel and see how easy the shoe slides forward.”
Don eagerly did as Kelli suggested and her mule flew off and landed in the floor. “Wow, that is slippery!” Don really enjoyed all this slippery shoe talk and he was really developing an interest in Kelli. He realized just how pretty and nice she really was. “Do you want me to take you home?”
“I suppose so. My clothes are so wet - I just want to get on my pajamas and go to bed.” Kelli left her mule in the floor and rubbed her two nyloned feet on the plush floor mat to warm them and take out some of the wet chill. Don had a hard time keeping his eyes on the road with this going on during the drive back to Kelli’s house.
Don pulled up in Kelli’s driveway and respectfully, her parents were in the basement watching a movie on TV and did not care to spy on their daughter’s date. He took her by the hand as they walked slowly away from his car to the front porch while Kelli spun her single mule by the heel with her other hand.
“Don, believe it or not, I had a really nice time. You’re a real gentleman. I’m sorry your pants got so dirty. I’d love to pay for them to be dry-cleaned. You were so sweet to try so hard to recover my shoe.”
“I couldn’t accept that. I think they’ll clean up okay. I’ll soak them in Wisk when I get back to my apartment. (Pause) Would you like to go out again next weekend? That will be my last weekend in town before getting ready to return to Alabama.”
“I’d love to! We’ll talk about it at work on Monday, okay?”
“Sounds great!” Don exclaimed and he gave her a nice kiss before returning to his car to go home.
Kelli got changed out of her wet clothes and gave Trisha a call.
"Hello." Trisha answered the phone as she and Chuck watched a movie together at her parents' house.
"Trisha, it's me."
"Kelli, hi, you home already? Is Don there?"
"He just took me home. I wanted to thank you so much for setting us up on the date tonight. Don is such a gentleman. We had a great time."
"I knew he was a nice guy. Its too bad things couldn't have worked out earlier in the summer. He's going to be gone soon I suppose."
"Yeah, he's leaving in 2 weeks, but we're going out again next weekend."
"That's great! I'm so happy for you!"
"Well, I don't want to keep you so I'll talk with you more at the bank. Bye, Trisha."
"Bye, Kelli."
Kelli purposefully neglected to tell Trisha about her shoe troubles. Trisha had not told her about her shoe troubles when she went out with Don, either. if they had shared stories, the coincidence might have raised undeserved suspicion.
Next weekend, Kelli and Don went out Friday and Saturday night and she took him to church with her on Sunday. Their romance was blossoming very quickly and she cried as she saw him off to Alabama the following Wednesday morning.
Kelli and Don continued to see each other a couple of times a month on Saturdays when the school year continued.
Trisha's last day at Wachovia was the Friday after Don left. Some of the tellers took Trisha out to lunch at Rio Bravo - the same one where they first got acquainted back in May. Soon, Trisha was back at the Univ. of Georgia for her Junior year.
