The Second Chance Shoe Shop (6 page)

’
S
he left me
,’ Dan told Riley and Sadie the next morning as soon as he got to work. ‘Can you believe it? I was trying hard not to hurt her feelings by walking away and she just upped and left regardless!’

Riley wiped away tears of laughter as she emptied the float into the till. ‘I’m sorry, Dan, but that’s the funniest one yet!’

‘It wasn’t funny at all,’ he shuddered involuntarily. ‘It was embarrassing. And I had to leave a pint behind because I didn’t want to stand on my own when everyone knew I’d come in with her.’

‘I mean, the way you describe it all. You’re a comic genius! You really should write all this down and turn it into a “dating disasters” book. It would earn you a fortune.’

‘I’ll have you know that I will not be sharing my woes with anyone other than you two. I tell you because you will make me see the funny side of things. But really, I don’t think this dating lark is all it’s cracked up to be.’ He dropped onto a leather cube and gave a huge sigh. ‘At this rate, I’m never going to meet anyone worthy of a second date.’

‘Don’t be put off by one funny woman,’ Riley said. She sat down beside him and put an arm round his shoulders. ‘There is another someone out there for you. You just need to find her.’

‘I’m trying my best!’ Dan sniggered.

‘You are indeed.’ Riley stood up. ‘Now, as it’s my turn to fetch the milk, how about I treat us all to something chocolatey? I’m off to the newsagent’s to pick up a copy of the
Hedworth News
, to see if we’re in there.’

Despite Riley calling and leaving a message, Suzanne had been annoyed that she hadn’t been around to be photographed for the feature. At least she had agreed when Riley mentioned holding a one-day sale that Saturday, though her idea of what constituted a sale left a lot to be desired. A pound or two off here and there was hardly going to cause a stampede in the morning.

Stefan, the newsagent, greeted Riley with a huge grin as she pushed open the door. Stefan and his family had run the business for over forty years.

‘Riley, you’re in the paper today!’

‘Is it awful?’ she asked, dreading his reply.

He flicked a copy of the
Hedworth News
open at page seventeen and pointed. ‘See for yourself, Cinderella.’

When Riley got back to the shop, she had three copies of the paper under her arm. She handed one each to Dan and Sadie.

‘What’s it like?’ Dan flicked through impatiently, scanning the photos.

‘It’s on page seventeen,’ Riley told him as she stepped behind the till. ‘I was right. I do look like a fairy queen.’

‘With me as Prince Charming at your feet,’ Dan laughed as he caught the image.

‘Don’t you dare call me Cinderella,’ she pointed at him. ‘Stefan beat you to it.’

Sadie giggled. ‘Kim’s done a great write-up. They’ve mentioned the sale on Saturday, too.’

‘If it does the job and encourages people to come into the shop, then it’s all well and good.’

Her phone beeped and she read the message. It was from Ethan. Over the past couple of days they had exchanged a few emails, then swapped mobile numbers and had sent numerous texts.
Just thought I’d let you know the feature is online and in print. Hope it’s okay?

Riley typed a message back.
Yes, we have copies! It’s great, thanks. Even I don’t look too bad in the photo! Thanks for doing such a good job.

No problem. I enjoyed it. It was great to meet you.

Likewise.

Riley smiled to herself, remembering Ethan’s warm smile.

‘Riley, I have an emergency!’ A man came rushing into the shop. ‘I need shoes for a ball I’m attending this evening.’

Ray owned the café four doors down, was in his early fifties, thick and stocky around the waist with a full head of grey hair. He was still wearing his apron, the café’s logo embroidered across the front.

Already standing by the men’s section, Sadie pointed to a row of dress shoes. ‘Any of these take your fancy, Ray?’

‘I don’t want to be served by you.’ He folded his arms and stared at Riley, before breaking out into a grin. ‘I want to be served by Cinderella here.’

‘Oh, funny, ha ha!’ Riley picked up the newspaper and rolled it up. ‘One more wisecrack and I will clout someone with this.’

‘But I have to go to the ball!’

‘Out! Now!’

Once Dan and Sadie had finished laughing, Riley shook her head.

‘It’s going to get worse than this, isn’t it?’

A
n hour
before the shop was due to close on Friday evening, Riley, Sadie and Dan started to put everything in place in readiness for the sale the next day. Riley found herself despairing as she looked through the stock that Suzanne had said they could reduce. Some of the footwear had been there for years. No one would buy it. With a sigh of resignation, she filled her arms with boxes and took them over to the front window. Dan blew up balloons, Sadie wrote prices on bright purple stars, and they took it in turns to serve anyone that came into the shop. But try as she might, Riley couldn’t make the display any more appealing.

When they had done all they could, Riley stretched her aching back and went outside to see how the display looked. It was just as she imagined. Drab and predictable.

She glanced up and down the High Street she loved, spotting the royal blue logo of the chemist, the green of the florist’s, the neon sign above the beauty parlour.

Colour.

Once again, she wished Suzanne would listen to some of her suggestions. Only last night she’d seen a new range of sandals, in bright and trendy colours, that would bring the locals flocking. From the buzz already being created online, these were set to be this summer’s must-haves, and the best thing about them was that they were a good price to buy in.

She went inside. ‘Well, we’ve done as much as we can,’ she said.

‘I am knackered!’ Dan flopped down on a kiddies’ bean bag in dramatic style. He pretended to mop his brow. ‘Do you think Suzanne realises just how much work we have to put into a sale that’s only going to last one day and hasn’t got a cat in hell’s chance of gaining us any sales because the price knock-down is only five measly per cent?’

Sadie pulled up a leather cube and sat down next to him. She slipped off her shoe and rubbed at her toes. ‘She can’t say that we’re not making a go of things if we get some sales from this.’

Riley clapped her hands. ‘Off home, you two. Get some beauty sleep tonight. I’ll lock up and see you tomorrow.’

‘I hope Esther doesn’t wake me up at the crack of dawn.’ Sadie stood up, stretched her hands to the ceiling and yawned.

‘I’d love to be woken up by someone as cute as Esther at any time of the day or night,’ Dan sighed, then back-pedalled. ‘By that I mean a woman. Oh, no. I didn’t mean―’

Sadie and Riley grinned at each other. ‘I do love it when you put your foot in it,’ said Riley. ‘We know what you meant. And anyway, haven’t you got a date lined up for this weekend?’

Dan shook his head. ‘No, I’m going out with the lads. I can’t stand any more dating nonsense yet.’

Riley locked the door behind them, relishing the peace and quiet after their hectic day. She checked her watch. Ash was closing up her shop that evening, and was coming across to get her afterwards, so they could go home together. She took a few minutes to check through her Twitter and Facebook feeds, to catch up on anything she had missed. Catching sight of a pair of sandals she’d seen once or twice, she pressed like so she could save them.

Less than two minutes passed before Riley looked up when someone knocked on the door. Expecting to see Ash, she held in her annoyance when she saw it was Suzanne.

‘I was just passing,’ Suzanne said as Riley let her in, ‘and thought I’d see how everything was looking for tomorrow’s sale.’

Riley didn’t believe her for one minute. Hedworth wasn’t a place that you just passed, especially not the High Street where there was nowhere to park.

‘It’s not looking too bad.’ Riley tried to muster enthusiasm as Suzanne surveyed the display.

‘I saw your photo in the newspaper, too,’ Suzanne snorted. ‘You looked like Cinderella.’

Despite her warning to Ray earlier, Riley didn’t pick the newspaper up and swipe her boss. ‘The write-up is great, don’t you think? And they mentioned the sale too.’

‘Good. Let’s hope it brings people in and they can see you working. We don’t want everyone to think all we do is sit around and have silly photos taken.’

We?

‘Really, that should have been me in that photo.’

Riley’s eyes widened at the thought.

Suzanne’s laugh was snide. ‘I don’t mean sitting in the window making a fool of myself. I would have had one taken by the front door, as the head of the establishment. I don’t need to remind you that your job is to sell shoes.’

‘Speaking of which, can I show you these, Suzanne?’ Riley got out her phone and quickly brought up the website with the images of the new sandals. ‘These are set to be a summer sell-out. They’re great for the teens of Hedworth, and for the older ladies too. It might be an idea to get some for the shop. What do you think?’

Suzanne peered at the sandals, then shook her head. ‘They’re too cheap for Chandler’s.’

‘I’d call five pounds from Primark cheap. These are twenty pounds a pair.’

‘Still too cheap. We want to be known for quality, not tat. Quality sells.’

Once Suzanne had left, Riley put her phone away and locked up for the day.

‘What’s the point of stocking quality, expensive shoes when they aren’t selling?’ she asked Ash as they made their way to the bus station. ‘Honestly, the business is going to be finished by the end of the month at this rate.’

Ash linked her arm through Riley’s. ‘It will all work out fine, you’ll see.’

‘If I’m honest, a huge part of me wonders whether I should just chuck the towel in and give up. Find another job rather than waste my time on something that’s bound to fail.’

‘I can’t see you doing that.’ Ash shook her head.

‘But everything seems to fall on my shoulders regardless of what happens. I don’t think I’m ever going to work out what needs to be done. And it isn’t my business.’

‘You’re a fighter. You won’t give up until the very end.’

Riley’s smile was faint but at least she had one. Ash was right. All she could hope was that the article in the paper did the trick and brought some customers into Chandler’s. That, and the sale – it all had to make a difference, surely?

T
he next morning
they were all at the shop early, waiting for the rush that would follow once they opened. Everyone loved to see a sale sign. But they were disappointed when the handful of customers waiting on the pavement spent all of ten minutes trawling the shelves, picking up the shoes and putting them back again just as quickly.

‘I thought we might have at least a few sales before ten o’clock,’ said Riley, hardly able to contain her disappointment after she had said goodbye to the umpteenth customer who had walked around the shop in a circle and then left empty-handed.

‘Still,’ said Dan, ‘we did as Suzanne asked. It isn’t our fault if it didn’t work.’

‘Maybe not, but I know who’ll get the blame,’ Riley sighed. ‘If we don’t sell anything, and that chart in the staffroom doesn’t move, then we might all be in trouble.’

Sadie sat down with a thump. ‘We’re doomed, aren’t we?’

Dan sat beside her. ‘No, we’re going to be fine. We just need to stay positive.’

‘Morning.’ Riley looked up to see Ethan in the doorway. He was carrying a cake box. ‘I thought you might like cupcakes.’ He slid the box onto the counter as they gathered around him eagerly. ‘No rest for the wicked on sale day.’ He glanced around the shop that had only one customer looking at slippers. ‘Where are all the people?’

‘Indeed,’ muttered Dan.

‘It’s early yet.’ Riley threw Dan a warning look as she took a cupcake from Ethan with a smile. Ethan didn’t know they were struggling and she didn’t want him to find out.

The day wasn’t exactly hectic but they were slightly busier than usual. Two women argued over a pair of last year’s winter boots, but when it came down to it they fitted only one of them, which was a relief. A group of teenaged boys came in to check out ‘the fit bird who sat in the window’ and, despite their earlier worries, they did manage to nab a few extra sales. Suzanne would be pleased with that small mercy, at least.

As the doors closed at five thirty, Riley felt glad to be going home. She decided to send Ethan a message. It had been good of him to call and see how they were doing.
Thanks for the cakes earlier. They were delicious!

Glad you enjoyed. Do you fancy a bite to eat one night, too? No pressure if you don’t!

Riley felt her skin flush a little as she wondered how to reply. ‘I think I’d like that,’ would probably be much better than ‘Yes, right now!’ She settled on
Yes, okay.

Are you free on Tuesday evening?

Riley grinned. He was keen.
Yes. Shall I meet you somewhere?
I could pick you up around seven if you don’t mind giving me your address?
She texted it to him quickly before she changed her mind.

‘What are you grinning at?’ asked Dan as he caught her with her head bent over her phone.

‘I have a date. Ethan’s taking me out on Tuesday.’

‘You’ve pulled?’ Dan sounded incredulous. ‘I’ve been trying hard for ages and you haven’t been trying at all. It isn’t fair.’

Riley smiled. Although nervous, as it had been a long time since she’d been on a date and Nicholas had always come round to her flat for pure convenience, she was looking forward to it already.

M
onday morning soon came around
. When Riley arrived at the shop, while Sadie and Dan opened up, she checked to see if there were any emails from Suzanne. She was bound to have sent a couple checking up on them, and the sale.

Surprisingly, there were none. But all became clear when, ten minutes later, the woman herself pushed open the door and marched straight over to the till. She was wearing yet another coat, a black and white dogtooth, three-quarter length. Riley sniggered as she thought of Cruella De Vil.

‘Morning, Suzanne,’ Riley chirped, realising that at least she could be civil to her. ‘It’s a lovely day out there, isn’t it? It was quite warm yesterday, too.’

Suzanne ignored Riley’s small talk and flicked a hand around the empty shop.

‘Busy, I see?’ she said, her eyebrows raised as much as they were capable of.

‘It’s too early,’ Riley explained. ‘Most of the customers will be collecting their pensions before coming across if they need anything.’

‘Our clientele isn’t that old.’ Suzanne folded her arms as she glared at Riley, Dan and Sadie. ‘I thought the place would be buzzing. What went wrong?’

‘I don’t think there was enough of a discount,’ Riley began. ‘I think if we―’

‘It has nothing to do with the discount, Riley,’ Suzanne interrupted, her tone clipped. ‘Sales attract people. Obviously it’s your job to make sure those people buy something. I don’t know why you find that so hard.’ She gestured around the shop. ‘Those are good quality shoes.’

‘They are,’ said Riley, ‘but they aren’t necessarily fashionable.’

‘And how would you know that?’

‘I follow the trends. I can definitely tell that those sandals I showed you are going to be popular in summer and―’

‘There won’t be a shop here in summer at this rate. It’s been almost two weeks since I instigated the sales competition.’

‘If she listened and stopped interrupting all the time,’ Dan spoke under his breath. He looked up to see Suzanne glaring at him.

‘Did you say something?’ she asked.

‘Yes. We worked so hard on Saturday. We can get the people into the shop but we can’t close the sales unless we have what they want.’

‘Or we reduce the prices enough,’ added Sadie.

‘Well, if we can’t compete by having a sale, then we’ll just have to open longer hours.’ Suzanne pointed to them each in turn. ‘From this weekend, I want the shop opening on Sundays, too.’

‘We need more notice than that!’ said Riley. Although she’d been expecting this to happen for some time, they’d have to work out either extra wages or new shift rotas so they could take time off during the week in lieu of the extra weekend hours. ‘There are only three of us,’ she added.

‘If the shop closes, you’ll have to work Sundays in the shopping centre, no doubt,’ said Suzanne. ‘So you might as well get used to it. We’ll trial it for the next three months.’

‘And you’re going to pay us for the extra hours
what
, precisely? Double time?’ asked Riley, knowing that as well as herself, she had to protect Dan and Sadie.

‘Of course you’ll be paid for the extra hours, but first we’ll have you each on a rota so you won’t have to do any. The shop will open on Sundays for four hours, from eleven until three. If that’s successful, then we will open from ten until four. You can each have the four hours off during the week to make up for it. The afternoons are dead so the shop can manage with two of you for three days.’

‘And have a Sunday off . . . when?’ Riley demanded to know.

‘For the first three months, there will be no Sundays allowed off work at all. You all want to continue working together, don’t you?’ Suzanne glared at them. ‘I’m sure you’ll figure it out between you.’

‘She can’t do this, can she?’ said Sadie once Suzanne had left.

‘She can,’ said Riley. ‘It’s a pain, but we knew this might come eventually.’

‘Yes, but we expected to be paid for it!’

‘I’ll sort something out for you,’ she replied. ‘And if not, we’ll just have to stay closed one or two of them.’

‘But,’ Sadie spoke with tears welling in her eyes, ‘you know what our Sundays mean to me.’

‘We’ll just have to postpone lunch until we’ve finished,’ Riley reassured her. Even so, she was wondering why she herself was trying so hard to please a snotty-nosed cow like Suzanne. ‘We mustn’t let this get us down. We have to give the shop three months.’

‘Don’t you find it strange that Max has gone quiet, all of a sudden?’ Sadie asked.

‘If he has anything about him, he’ll stay overseas,’ said Dan. ‘I wouldn’t want to be within ten feet of Suzanne if I didn’t have to.’

Riley said nothing. Dan wasn’t one to mince his words but this time she had to agree with him.

O
n Tuesday evening
, Riley was just getting home from work as Ash came out of their building. They almost collided in the doorway.

‘You’re late,’ Ash said, giving her a hug.

‘I’ve been stocktaking. It took me a lot longer than I thought it would.’ Riley looked her up and down, noticing another new outfit. ‘You smell divine. Are you going out with the youngster again?’

Ash’s cheeks reddened as she nodded.

‘This seems to be getting serious,’ Riley teased. ‘Are you sure you can handle someone so young long-term? He’ll wear you out.’

‘I’m getting it while I can,’ she grinned. ‘You should try it with the dishy Ethan.’

‘I might just do that.’

‘Ooh, what time is he picking you up?’ It was Ash’s turn to tease. Riley had texted her earlier to tell her the news.

Riley looked at her watch. ‘Just under an hour! Better get a wriggle on.’

‘Text me later?’ said Ash, as she rushed off.

‘Yes, we can compare notes,’ Riley said sarcastically.

When she came back out of the building an hour later, Ethan was waiting for her at the door. She smiled, her senses on full alert as he dipped his head to kiss her cheek.

‘That’s my car.’ He pointed to a black Land Rover Discovery. Inside, Riley found it to be immaculate. She breathed in the smell of leather mixed with polish and air freshener.

‘It’s my one vice,’ Ethan said, catching her glancing around in admiration. ‘It’s the most expensive thing I own but as I do a lot of miles around the town, it’s good to travel in style.’

‘As long as you don’t tell me to listen to the engine purring, we’ll be fine,’ Riley mocked.

Ethan looked disappointed, then grinned. ‘I thought we might go to The Caramel Leaf?’

Riley smiled. ‘Perfect.’

The car park at The Caramel Leaf wasn’t too busy as Ethan glided into a space. Riley pulled in the collar of her jacket as she rounded a corner and a gust of wind nearly took them off their feet.

‘Roll on warmer days,’ said Ethan, laughing as he took hold of her hand.

They went inside the restaurant, ordered drinks and sat down at a table in the window.

‘I love it in here,’ she said. ‘Their seats are so comfortable. The thing about being on your feet all day is how much you welcome getting off them at the end of it,’ Riley sighed as she settled more.

‘Remind me how long you’ve worked at Chandler’s?’ Ethan asked as they studied their menus.

‘Eight years. It’s the first job I’ve had as a manager.’

‘Are you worried about trade?’

‘What makes you say that?’ Riley wondered if anyone had overheard her talking.

‘You seem disappointed about the sale. I’m sorry that the article didn’t bring in more customers for you.’

‘I’m sure it did! Really, thank you so much for covering it.’

‘There seem to be more and more businesses closing down every week, especially on the high streets of small towns like this one. Aren’t you worried that yours might not survive?’

‘I’m absolutely terrified,’ Riley admitted. ‘If Chandler’s closed, I don’t know what else I’d do.’ She decided to change the subject. ‘How about you? Have you always been a photographer?’

‘Yes, since I left school.’ Ethan’s face broke into a smile. ‘If I ever feel the need to move from Hedworth, I know the experience I’m getting by working on the paper will be useful. I’m building up a portfolio.’

‘At least there’s no backstabbing and bitching at Chandler’s, not like there was when I was at school.’

Ethan tipped his head to one side. ‘You don’t get that?’

‘Not at all.’

‘Well, you must be one hell of a boss. I’ve never worked in a place that hasn’t had some kind of office politics going on. Don’t any of the staff hate your guts and talk about you continually behind your back yet smile sweetly to your face?’

‘I hope not!’ Riley laughed. ‘Actually, I’m sure they don’t. I’ve been very fortunate to have Dan and Sadie on board. Do you live locally, Ethan? Or do you commute to Hedworth?’

‘I live in Somerley.’

‘Ah, the land of the Coffee Stop.’ Riley knew Somerley well. ‘That place is a gold mine. I love to visit whenever I have a day off or a free afternoon. They do some fabulous cakes there, too.’

‘Yes, it’s done remarkably well since reopening.’

‘You’re very lucky to have it on your doorstep. I’d never be out of there.’

‘I hardly ever visit because it’s so near. That’s the thing, isn’t it?’

‘Well, the next time you fancy a muffin, I’ll come with you.’

Riley blushed as soon as the words came out. It sounded like a double entendre no matter which way she looked at it. She looked down at her menu again quickly.

Ethan laughed. ‘I might just take you up on that.’

They placed their orders and waited for their food. The chatter around them was comforting but there was no need for Riley to be nervous as the conversation between them flowed naturally.

‘What have you been covering today?’ she asked.

‘The usual stuff.’ Ethan took a sip of his drink. ‘I photographed an author visiting a local school to encourage the younger children to read and write. Then I went over to a shop because some woman professes to have found a dead mouse in a bag of crisps.’

‘Eww!’ Riley grimaced. ‘Did she really?’

‘I doubt it. I reckon she’s after compensation. Or a few free boxes of crisps. The things I’ve covered . . .’

‘So do you only do the happy things or do you cover worse things like . . . oh, I don’t know. Accidents, attacks?’ She paused. ‘Murders?’

‘A murder in Hedworth?’ Ethan laughed. ‘Chance would be a fine thing.’

‘I disagree. That thing that people say on the news about not expecting it to happen on their own doorstep isn’t true for me,’ Riley said. ‘Murder can happen anywhere, at any time, to any class of people.’

‘You’re right,’ he nodded, ‘but I bet it wouldn’t happen on my shift. So instead I’m stuck with the boring jobs such as opening local fetes, fundraising stuff and―’

‘Bizarre displays in shop windows,’ Riley broke in.

Ethan grinned. ‘Well, some are far more boring than others. What about you? Have you never wanted to do anything other than work in the shop?’

‘You make it sound so attractive,’ she protested.

He held up a hand. ‘I meant did you have ambitions when you were younger, something that you’d longed to do but never did?’

‘Well, when I was a child I always wanted to be a tennis player and play at Wimbledon.’ She hung her head in mock shame. ‘Never going to happen, I’m afraid.’

‘Pity. I’d quite like to see you in a short white tennis skirt.’

Riley smiled shyly, dipping her eyes for a moment from Ethan’s intense gaze.

‘Now, though, I wished I’d gone to college to study fashion and design. There’s such a variety of things to do these days, plus so many ways of getting noticed with social media. It must be really rewarding to run a business online.’

‘It’s never too late,’ said Ethan. ‘Why don’t you go to evening classes?’

‘I think I’d be too much of a mature student for that now,’ Riley laughed.

As the waiter came over with their food, Riley found herself grinning. She was hoping that Ethan hadn’t got a wife or girlfriend tucked away at home that would come out of the woodwork at the last minute, because she realised that she really liked him. And the signs were looking good that the feeling was mutual.

‘Have you always lived in Hedworth?’ he asked.

‘Yes. I’ve been in my flat for two years now. I used to share with my friend, Ash − she’s female, by the way. It’s short for Ashleigh.’ She groaned inwardly − why had she felt the need to tell him that? ‘But we have separate flats now, although still in the same building.’

‘I don’t live alone. I live with Jimmy.’

‘Is he your brother?’

Ethan shook his head.

‘A lodger?’

‘Not exactly.’

‘Oh.’

Riley’s shoulders wanted to drop but she remained still as Ethan took out his phone. He scrolled through it for a moment and then turned the screen towards her. Staring back at her was the mostly white face of a Jack Russell terrier, with one tan ear and another patch under his chin. Riley had always had a dog at her parents’ house but had never had one since. Not with Tom, and sadly not with Ash. They weren’t allowed pets in the flats. It was one of the conditions of tenancy.

‘Oh, he’s so sweet,’ she exclaimed, feeling a surge of relief.

Ethan snorted. ‘Don’t be drawn in by that cute face and the sorrowful eyes. He’s a demon.’

‘I bet he isn’t. He looks a bundle of fun.’

‘How about the next time we meet . . .’ He looked at her pointedly. ‘Will there be a next time?’

She nodded shyly, already looking forward to it.

‘We’ll take Jimmy for a walk. And maybe, if we can get a bit of time off during the week together, we can visit the Coffee Stop for a muffin?’

Riley beamed, even though she knew he was teasing her. ‘Sounds like a plan to me.’