Even the box of the shoes radiated elegance. Tina couldn’t wait to wear them. True, she hadn’t dealt with such high heels before, but the night before, just before going to bed, she had walked around the apartment in them several times without any trouble.
Usually, she decided what to wear in the morning, dressing according to her current mood without planning ahead. But this morning, an outfit had already been laid out on the valet stand, ready for her to put on. A skirt suit and pearl necklace seemed like the best match for the new shoes. She tied her hair up in a bun to accentuate the elegant curve of her neck and the jewelry that her ex had given her.
She rubbed her forearms and elbows with her favorite freesia-scented lotion, so the fragrance would linger around her all day. Everything was set. She proudly exchanged a knowing smile with the pretty young woman standing in the mirror, then slipped on the shoes.
“Well, it’d be just great to take a tumble down the tram stairs like this!” She had no idea where that sneaky, intrusive thought came from. She had never fallen off a tram! Okay, once she had tripped, and some random woman had laughed at her, but even then, she hadn’t fallen.
Though, that pair of shoes didn’t have heels this high.
Damn. What if she really did fall?
What nonsense, after all, there’s a handrail to hold onto. She’d have to be really clumsy to fall even while holding it. Besides, she’d been wearing high heels for ten years. That tripping incident had happened about twenty years ago when she was still an intern.
“So, what the hell should I do?” she fretted, growing increasingly anxious. “What if this is one of those, you know, a premonition? I can’t ignore it if it is!”
She kicked off the shoes and put on another pair.
“These don’t go with the necklace at all.”
She took off the pearls and returned them to the jewelry cabinet. As she carefully placed them back, her eyes caught on her Mickey Mouse earrings. Her face lit up.
“This will do just fine,” she thought, until she remembered her loudmouthed colleague.
“She’ll be the first to comment on the suit paired with Disney-themed jewelry.”
In a hurry, she yanked off the blazer and skirt, opting for simple cotton pants instead.
She hurried down the stairs, not liking to leave late. This time, she didn’t even bother making sure the stairwell door didn’t slam behind her. To her surprise, her friend was standing outside the building.
“What are you doing here?” Tina asked in surprise.
“What do you mean? Didn’t we agree on 8:30?”
“Agree on what?”
“Tina! Don’t you remember? Last week we arranged that I’d drive you to work today because I have an errand nearby too.