Maggie’s stocking covered toes of her right foot furtively peeked out from beneath the modesty panel of her desk. Her rust painted toenails matched color of the autumn leaves. Maggie’s left leg was crossed over her right knee and her slingback heel hung towards the side of her big toe. She flexed the other four stocking covered toes in an effort to get the high heel more securely on her foot but soon realized the futility of the effort. She then slowly began to uncross her legs while concentrating on balancing the dangling shoe but the heel of the shoe hit her empty right pump unexpectedly and fell from her toe. Feeling no need to recover her shoes Maggie stretched out her legs and let both feet boldly emerge from under the modesty panel. “You’re not going to believe it but I lost my shoe.” Lisa said as she limped into Maggie’s office. Maggie immediately pulled her stocking feet under her desk. Glancing under her desk Maggie quickly pulled her shoes back with her stocking feet. She had felt compelled to slip her feet into her shoes. The left shoe slipped on easily. “How did that happen?” Maggie asked as she began to work her right foot back into its shoe. “You have to help me get it back.” Lisa answered without listening. “OK, OK I’ll help but how did you lose it? Where did you lose it?” Maggie inquired as she crossed her legs and used her index finger to pull up the sling of her right shoe securely on the heel of her foot. Lisa walked around Maggie’s desk and sat up on her credenza with her two feet dangling above the floor. Her left foot was shoeless and shrouded in sheer black nylon. On her right foot was a shiny black alligator loafer. Maggie swiveled her chair to face Lisa as Lisa crossed her ankles in an attempt to hide her dark stocking foot behind her shod foot. “Well you know how we like to play with our shoes under the table.” Lisa started. “Wait, Wait.” replied Maggie with her hands up, “I don’t play with my shoes under the table.” I take them off sometimes but I don’t play with them. You play with your shoes all the time.” Reflecting for a moment, Lisa responded, “I guess you’re right.” “Why do you play with your shoes anyway?” Maggie asked almost wondering out loud. Uncrossing her ankles and letting her remaining shoe dangle from her foot slightly as her legs began to gently swing back and forth Lisa glanced down at her feet and started talking. “It’s a habit. I’ve done it as long as I can remember. There was the sound of Lisa’s shoe dropping and to the floor and the rustle of nylon as she rubbed her feet together. She continued, “Sometimes my shoe is bothering me or my feet are hot. A lot of times I’m just bored or nervous and it’s something to do. Sometimes it attracts a guy’s attention when I’m in the mood but what ever the reason it always feels good.” “Until you embarrass yourself when you lose your shoe” stated Maggie. “So what happened? “I was in the demo conference room doing an interview and I was in and out of my shoes the whole time” Lisa began, “I kind of stretched my legs out and my shoe fell off and I just let it sit there for a while. Then I went to put my shoe on. I felt my foot push my shoe forward then my shoe disappear and then my toes curled over the edge of a hole under the conference table.” “There’s a hole under the conference table?” asked Maggie. “Yah and my shoe fell into it” said Lisa. “Here I am ending an interview with this woman and I’ve lost my shoe. “What did you do?” Maggie inquired anxiously. “Luckily I was wearing black pants, black stockings, and black flats.” Replied Lisa, “ I just stood up and walked with one shoe as I led the woman to the door. I acted like nothing happened and I don’t think she noticed. I kept eye contact with her as I escorted her to security so she would never see my foot. After that, I scurried back to the conference room to find my shoe but Louise was in there with Earl. I wasn’t about to crawl under the table to find my shoe so I came here.” Louise came walking down the hall Earl the Facilities Director and Lisa stood up and twirled her lone loafer around with her stocking toes to step into it. Maggie turned towards the direction Lisa was gazing in to see what she saw. Lisa and Maggie saw the new svelte Louise who had dropped 22 pounds through the company’s Weight Lookers and spa membership programs. She was now wearing new tailored suits and higher heeled shoes. Earl and Louise stopped to continue a discussion. Louise raised her foot off the floor and leaned against the wall with her left shoulder. Her right black patent leather pump just fell off her foot and landed upright on the floor and she let her hosed foot hover above the empty shoe, which stood upright. Louise moved her right foot forward and began brushing the carpet lightly with the sole of her taupe stocking foot. Earl apparently said something funny and the both began laughing. As they were laughing Louise tried to slip her foot back into the shoe but succeeded in flipping the pump behind her. She moved her foot back to retrieve the shoe but only succeeded to push it beyond the reach of her outstretched foot. Subtly she glanced down but did not see her shoe. Her stocking sheathed toes kept gliding the floor in the hopes of finding her shoe before the conversation ended. “Just a little further back to your left” Earl said after he glanced down and saw Louise’s stocking foot straining to reach its shoe. “What?” Louise asked a bit puzzled. “Your shoe” replied Earl. “It looks like you’re trying to find your shoe. Just stretch your foot a little further back to your left, you ‘re almost there.” Louise took the opportunity to look behind her and find her shoe. Hooking it with her big toe she was able to bring it next to her other foot where she slipped into it. “I’m so embarrassed.” said Louise with a self-conscious apologetic expression. “With the weight I lost my shoes are looser and they’re constantly slipping off my feet. Can you believe that?” Shortly after that, the conversation became more subdued and the two parted company. Louise turned to Maggie’s office and started walking towards it. Lisa slipped her foot firmly into her shoe without looking at them. Louise entered Maggie’s office. “You are really looking good Louise” Maggie honestly said. “Yes!” Lisa added. “Thank you girls” Louise said as he placed her right hand on the corner of Maggie’s desk and lifted her left foot right out of its shoe. She began rubbing the top of her stocking foot on the back of her left calf. Louise’s toes pressed down on the heel of her empty shoe raising the toe of the shoe off of the floor. She continued speaking. “I’ve just finished talking Earl and there are no outstanding issues that have to be addressed at tomorrow’s meeting. It looks like we’re in great shape. You girls have done excellent work again.” Turning to Lisa to speak Louise’s shoe fell on its side. She looked down as her foot fished around fumbled into the misbehaving heel. “I need you to come upstairs to see Legal with me about the new contracts Lisa.” said Louise. As Lisa started to walk out from behind Maggie’s desk Maggie whispered “Keep eye contact. I’ll get your shoe.” On the walk and elevator ride to the Legal department Louise never noticed Lisa was only wearing one shoe nor did Lisa notice Louise’s pumps slip off of her heels on every step. Lisa felt fortunate that she was able to keep her stocking foot hidden from anyone who had the potential to see it. She was beginning to enjoy walking with just one shoe. The Chief Consul’s secretary let Louise and Lisa into her office. Lisa was glad to see she could easily tuck her feet under an ornate wing backed chair and completely keep her stocking foot out of view. As Lisa positioned herself comfortably in the chair Louise decided to leave and make a quick photocopy. Lisa crossed her ankles under the chair and let her loafer slip off of her foot. Her stocking toes then began playing with her shoe. Rachel Deems the Chief Consul entered her office and acknowledged Lisa. Lisa quickly uncrossed her ankles and slipped her foot back into her shoe so she could rise an meet Rachel but Rachel bade her to remain seated. Seeing Rachel walk into her office Louise rushed back to Rachel’s office. Entering the office hurriedly, Louise’s right shoe slipped off of her foot and slid completely under Rachel’s desk. Neither Rachel nor Lisa saw this and Louise was stunned. Sitting down at her desk Rachel stretched her legs out and pushed the heel of her left pump off of her foot with the toe of her right foot. She let her left pump dangle momentarily before letting them fall quietly to the floor. With the white stocking enclosed toes of her left foot she pushed off the heel of her right shoe. Rachel hooked the toes of her left foot into the heel cup of her right shoe while the toes of her right foot remained in the toe of the shoe. Resting the heel of her left foot on the floor her two feet played a gentle game of tug-of-war with the shoe. Finally her hot sweaty feet felt cooler as fresh air encircled them. After a few moments Maggie remembered why she had taken her right shoe off earlier. The dull ache returned to her big toe as she stood outside the conference room waiting for the three people using it to leave. She lifted her right foot off the floor and rotated her ankle but her toe would only feel better without the shoe. Putting her foot back on the ground she tried to ignore her toe but it continued to scream for freedom. Continually shifting her weight from side to side provided no relief. Her shoe began to feel tighter. Maggie lifted her foot and reached down with her right hand to push down the heel strap of her offending shoe. The she was so tight that it remained on her foot until she pulled it off with her hand. Wriggling her toes while holding her shoe near to her foot did not give Maggie the relief she desired so she slipped the shoe back on to her foot without pulling on the heel strap. She lowered her foot with the slingback dangling. Once on the ground she lifted her stocking foot out of the shoe and up to her hand again. This time Maggie began massaging her abused big toe. Finally her toe was feeling better and the meeting was ending. Maggie lowered her right foot, slipped her stocking toes under her the heel strap of her shoe and lifted off the floor. She positioned it next to her other foot and then wrapped her stocking foot around her ankle. As the people left the conference room Maggie slid her foot back into her shoe leaving the heel strap down. Once in the conference room Maggie crawled under the table and saw a neat little 4X4 inch square hole. Her right shoe began was becoming a bother to keep on her foot so she just left it on the floor as she crept closer to the hole. Just then she saw two pairs of legs in jeans and work boots enter the conference room. “I’ve got too sit down these new boots are killing me.” A woman’s voice said. “I’m going to take your advice and take them off for a while.” The man who was secretly attracted to women’s nylon covered feet had been listening to his workmate complain about her new boots all day. This excited him and he had been suggesting she loosen or take off her boots for as long as she complained about them. Maggie saw the person with the smaller pair of legs plop down in a chair at the end of the table. The woman crossed her legs and began untying her boot. After her left boot was loose enough she pulled it off exposing a thin black nylon sock. She dropped her boot on the floor right in front of Maggie and began rubbing her toes. There was an audible sigh from the woman. Maggie could not believe she was under the table looking at this. The odor of warm leather and perspiration wafted beneath the table. “So this room is ready to wire?” A man inquired. “Yes” said the woman as she uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them to loosen her other boot. “This room has a raised floor and I cut an access hole for the cables under the table. We can pull the cable up through the hole then run it to all the jacks to punch it down.” The woman pushed her other boot off and began rubbing and flexing her right foot while Maggie stretched her stocking out to feel for her slingback shoe. “Let’s see the hole.” said the man as he stooped to look under the table secretly wanting to catch a glimpse of his partner’s feet. Maggie realized she had no place to hide so she just smiled and the man fell back on his backside. As Rachel talked, she stopped playing with her right shoe slipped her foot back into it. Her stocking foot then felt a strange shoe under her desk. Puzzled she subtly peered under desk in mid conversation and saw Louise’s pump. Louise spied Rachel’s subtle peek and quickly slid her stocking foot under the front panel of Rachel’s desk. Surprised Rachel eyes shot a glance to Louise. Lisa was completely oblivious to this situation as she was pushing her loafer back and forth under her chair with her stocking covered toes. Looking at Rachel’s eyes Louise sheepishly and silently communicated with Rachel. With a series of small facial expressions Louise told Rachel that she had clumsily lost her shoe and she would appreciate it if Rachel would help her. Rachel returned a silent understanding yet scolding glance and pushed Louise’s shoe towards Louise’s foot.The two women’s stocking feet accidentally rubbed together for a surprisingly long moment that was not un-pleasurable either woman. Maggie sat in her office with her stocking feet propped on the corner of desk holding Lisa’s loafer in her hands. She kept looking at the loafer and kept smiling, almost silently laughing. Lisa walked into her office and without saying a word Maggie tossed the shoe to Lisa. Making a juggling catch Lisa was about to say something but Maggie uttered the first words. “Tell me Lisa” she said as she brought her legs down and sat up, “Did you notice what shoes your interviewee was wearing?” Lisa looked puzzled as she stood on one foot slipping on her loafer. Maggie reached down and picked up a purple suede kitten heeled mule and showed it to Lisa. .