I visit this board with some frequency and appreciate everyones work and posts. I don't thank everyone each time a read a post but I would like to thank every contributor by posting a Christmas story now. Normally I don't title my stories but if I titled this story I would call it "Whos There" Merry Christmas and Happy any other holiday you may celebrate.
Jack
Copyright 2008
"It could be, perhaps that his shoes were too tight. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small" said C.C. Sabbath as she read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to her little niece.
C.C. slid her finger down her the back of her calf and pushed the heel of her pump off of her foot. A few flicks of her dark stocking covered toes and the shoe was dangling comfortably. Turning the page she continued reading the story.
"Are your shoes too tight Aunt Cici too" asked her niece.
"Maybe" she replied as she let her pump fall. Uncrossing her legs she pushed her other shoe off with her stocking toes and rubbed her feet over one another. A warm smile came across her face and she continued to read.
C.C. Sabbath sat at her desk with her legs crossed intently studying numbers on her computer screen. She grimaced slightly as her tired toes twitched in her tight T-strap heels. She wondered how long she had been wearing her shoes as she rotated and flexed her ankle. It must have been twelve hours at least. Her feet were feeling so hot too! Sliding her hand down her shin she felt the smoothness of her stocking abruptly end at the leather buckle of her shoe. Pausing momentarily, she fiddled with the buckle and contemplated removing her shoe. That definite would be unprofessional she thought so she just rubbed her hand over the toe of her pump to try and soothe her toes.
Just then Heather, her boss popped her head into her office. Heather had long since shed her blazer and shoes and was standing her silk blouse, cashmere skirt, and stocking feet.
"Good, youre here" said Heather as she entered C.C.s office.
Heather plopped down in a chair and propped her stocking feet up on the corner of C.C.s desk. C.C. hated that habit of her boss. Heather always liked to prop her feet up on Heathers desk when the talked. Sometimes Heather would have her shoes on, some times her shoes would be off, one time she kicked her shoe off on C.C.s desk.
Although C.C. thought Heather was a little rough around the edges with habits like smoking, cursing and walking around shoeless she actually admired her. Heather who was 17 years her senior was an excellent successful business woman that C.C. hoped she one day would become. She maintained a fit and attractive body. Signs of age around her face were eliminated with Botox. It was just the feet on her desk and the odor of tobacco masked by expensive perfume and breath mints that annoyed C.C.
The heel of Heathers left foot rested on the toes of her right foot. C.C. looked at dirty soles of Heathers stocking feet and surmised Heather had been smoking outside without her shoes. Heather lowered her left foot, crossed her ankles and wildly wiggled her toes. Through the sheer stockings C.C. noticed that Heathers little bunion bumps were slightly red. C.C.s toes twitched again in their tight shoes.
"So do you have those numbers for me." asked Heather as she started rubbing the arch of left foot over her right shin. The sound of rustling nylon momentarily filled the silence between her words. Both women were looking and Heathers foot as it stroked her shin.
"Yes" replied C.C. "If we close the all woman Michigan branch office that should increase our operating income by what you want."
"Great" said Heather as she put her feet next side by side on the corner of C.C.s desk and pointed her toes forward. "I want that branch closed by the end of the year. I dont want any costs for that branch into next year."
"Its December 12th" responded C.C. "It would be a tall order to shut them down that quickly."
Heather pulled her right foot back along her other leg until her right ankle was over her left knee. Looking at her big toe she started rubbing it with her fingers.
"So whats your point" Heather flatly asked while she was looking at her big toe?
"Ill arrange the severance packages and fly out there the 19th" C.C. replied.
"Good girl" said Heather as she put both stocking firmly on the floor and stood up.
Cindy Lew sat down at her desk and unzipped her ankle boots as she began her afternoon tasks. It wasnt long before Cindy was dangling her boot under her desk. She was typing furiously when her computer went dead at the exact time her boot fell off of her foot. Immediately she knew that her boot must have hit the power strip switch under her desk. Uncrossing her legs Cindy felt around for her boot with her stocking foot. Finding the boot she kicked it away and felt for the power strip with her toes. Her big toe found the power strip switch and pressed it. As her computer began to reboot, Cindy pushed off her other boot with her stocking foot. Reaching under her desk she grabbed both boots and dropped them in her bottom file drawer to get them out of the way. Just then her phone rang. It was Barbara her boss.
"Hello Cindy this Barb could you come into my office please", requested Barbara.
"Sure, Ill be right in" said Cindy.
Cindy thought to herself that Barbara must always know when I take off her shoes.
After pulling on her boots Cindy entered Barbaras office. Barbara looked distressed sitting behind her desk.
"Cindy" Barbara said with relief, "I went shopping at lunch and all the walking made my feet swell. My feet are killing me and I cant get my boots off. Could you help me please?"
The irony of the situation stunned Cindy briefly but then she said" OK".
Barbara swiveled her chair around and lifted her leg. Cindy walked around the desk to face Barbara and took her foot and began to pull. Nothing happened. She pulled harder and still nothing happened.
"Wow thats tight" said Cindy "can you unzip it or something"
"Theres no zipper" replied Barbara with a grimace.
"Alright let me turn around" Cindy told Barbara.
Cindy turned around and straddled Barbaras leg and began to pull and only succeeded in pulling Barbaras chair forward.
"Your chair has wheels!" she exclaimed.
Barbara grabbed the corner of her desk to brace herself while her other armed flailed to find something to grab.
"I feel it coming" said Cindy.
"Yes, Yes" replied Barbara "Yes"
"Its coming, its coming Cindy excitedly said.
As Barbara slid off her leather chair onto the floor and Cindy fell forward the boot finally popped off of Barbaras foot. A sweet leathery musty smell wafted through the room as the two women lay on the floor laughing.
The other boot was not nearly as hard to remove and Barbara was soon seated at her desk blissfully rubbing her stocking feet back and forth across the carpet.
"Thank you so much Cindy" said Barbara.
"Youre welcome", Cindy replied with a smile, "and by the way are we OK with my idea for the Christmas party on the 19th?"
Barbara had initially been against the idea because of the bad economy but since she appreciated Cindys help so much she agreed to a small luncheon at the office.
Pleased at her success Cindy let the other three girls know about the party on the way back to her desk. Once seated at her desk she removed her boots again and began to plan the party.
Also working bootless was Barbara. She kept running her stocking feet back and forth on the carpet. Each stroke across the carpet seemed to soothe her feet even more. As the carpet got warmer she would shuffle her feet around until she found a cooler section of carpet that was more refreshing and stimulating to her nylon covered soles. Her feet began darting out beneath the modesty panel of her desk.
Cindy answered her phone and Barbara asked her to come to her office again. Hanging up the phone Cindy stared at her stocking feet. She knew it was unlikely that Barbara had put her boots on again and felt no need to put her boots on again. She padded towards Barbaras office in her stocking feet.
Entering Barbaras office Cindy immediately noticed Barbaras foot sticking out from under her desk.
"Cindy" Barbara said with relief, "my foot is stuck my hose is snagged on something and I cant free it. Can you help me please?"
For a moment Cindy pondered her career as Barbaras Administrative Assistant, but then she knelt down to examine Barbaras foot more closely. Touching Barbaras foot furtively she heard a shrill giggle.
"Im ticklish" Barbara exclaimed.
Cindy just shook her head in disbelief. She saw the problem. Barbaras hose was hooked on an old staple hopelessly enmeshed in the carpet.
"Im going to touch your foot again" said Cindy and I think I can get you unstuck. Carefully Cindy grasped Barbaras ticklish toes with her right hand while the thumb and forefinger of her left hand grasped the staple. Barbaras foot squirmed involuntarily as she shrieked and laughed. The nylon of her stocking stretched without tearing and Cindy was able to unhook the staple. Cindy let go of Barbaras now free foot and it immediately retreated beneath the desk as the laughter subsided.
Just then the phone rang. Barbara answered it and Cindy started to work on freeing the staple from the rug to prevent another hosiery mishap.
"C. C." said Barbara, "Youre visiting the office on the 19th To what do we owe the pleasure?"
Cindy became aware of a long silence as she worked on the staple. It was a long ominous silence.
"Youre closing our branch" Barbara said falteringly "Were all being laid off -- before the end of the year youre going discuss severance packages with us its really only because of the economy"
Diane Less woke early in the morning while it was still dark. Her calves and feet were still sore from working her second job at the store. There were fewer people working at the store these days and Diane had to run around a lot more. This Friday was supposed to be the first day of her factory end of year shutdown but she was lucky enough to get a job with her old boss driving a limousine at the airport. She needed the extra money to make ends meet this Christmas season.
This morning, Diane was going to do some extra primping. It looked like she would be driving some famous baseball player. Diane knew she could still look sexy and turn a few heads if she took the time to primp. She was hoping the sexier she looked the bigger tip she could get from this million dollar baseball player.
After putting on all her makeup she pulled on sheer black pantyhose and her short black leather skirt. She put on her Victoria Secret Bra with her daughters blouse. Her daughters blouse was much tighter against her lean frame. Putting on her matching leather blazer she looked at her self in the full length mirror. She stood briefly on her tip toes and was satisfied with her look.
Going into the closet she pulled down the shoe box containing her seldom worn black patent leather high heels. Sitting on the edge of the bed she opened the box and pulled out a shoe and became aware of how much her feet were hurting. Crossing her legs she put her stocking covered toes into the shoe and grimaced as she pulled the shoe onto her foot.
Diane stood at the airport holding a sign for C.C. Sabbath. She was shifting her weight from foot to foot. Occasionally she would lift one foot off the ground and rotate her ankle. She caught the leering eye of another chauffer who began to talk to her.
"You look pretty dolled up today" the chauffer said.
"Whats it to you" Diane retorted.
"It looks like youre going to do more than drive in that limo" the chauffer said. "I bet you cant even drive in those heels"
"Im driving a million dollar baseball player around today so just can it" said Diane.
The chauffer looked at Dianes sign and just laughed,
"Its Sabathia you stupid chick not Sabbath, said the chauffer as he walked away chuckling.
Totally disgusted at herself, Diane stomped her foot down and kicked off a shoe. She put most of her weight on her stocking foot and just looked at her little sign. A few moments later she slipped off her other shoe. Stooping down she placed her shoes neatly in front of her so she could quickly step into them when the plane arrived. A tear formed in the corner of her eye as she looked at the arrival board. She felt so dumb.
Somehow Cindy convinced everyone in the small branch to still have a Christmas party. She said if they were going to lose their jobs they should have one last fling, one last bit of fun, they shouldnt let the company break their holiday spirit. They even hired a limo to pick up C.C.
The office was decorated and everyone was doing last minute things to pull off the party. Barbara was sitting at her desk repairing a broken musical Christmas mug with super glue when the catered food trays arrived. Cindy summoned her to the front door so she could make payment. She quickly tossed the glue in her desk drawer and slid it closed. Barbara left her office to pay the caterer unaware that the drawer had pinched the super glue tube and a sizeable puddle of glue was accumulating under her desk.
Returning to her office Barbara stepped in the glue as she sat down at her desk.
Cindy sat at her desk listening to strains of Christmas music wafting through the office when she received a call from Barbara. She walked in to Barbaras office and saw her standing there in her stocking feet.
"Cindy" Barbara said with relief, "my shoes are stuck under my desk. I was fixing a coffee mug with super glue and I must have spilled it and I stepped in it and now I cant get my shoes off the floor. I cant see C.C. without shoes."
Cindy paused in disbelief as he looked at her frazzled boss. Stooping under her bosss desk she worked on one shoe for a few minute and was able to pull it free with a huge clump of carpet stuck to the sole. Barbara quickly put on the shoe. The other shoe was hopelessly fixed to the floor.
"I cant get this other shoe free" said Cindy.
"Im going to look like and idiot talking to C.C. wearing only one shoe" exclaimed Barbara.
Looking at her boss standing in one shoe that had a clump of carpet stuck to it looked pretty idiotic. Cindy also thought that only an idiot would glue her shoe to the floor under her desk. Considering how much longer Cindy would be working for Barbara the obvious and probably most satisfying thing to say was "You are an idiot" but being Christmas she replied.
"I have an idea. I have a dozen pair of Christmas socks I bought at my desk. Ill give the socks out and well all take off our shoes and wear the socks. Well tell C.C. we are having a Christmas sock party and well even give C.C a pair.
"Thats a great idea a great idea" said Barbara as she immediately kicked off her lone shoe.
Diane had stepped completely into one of her torturous pumps and had her other foot half way into the other when C.C located her. Diane was a little disappointed that C.C was a woman as her primping was for naught. Her feet began to throb.
As was her job, Diane helped C.C. with her bags and they walked toward her limo. Diane winced with every click of her pumps upon the tarmac. The limo was running and toasty warm. She let C.C. into the back then situated herself behind the wheel. Immediately she pulled off her pumps and started to drive in her stocking feet.
"Would you like to listen to some holiday music maam" inquired Diane?
"Sure why not" replied C.C.
Diane turned up the Christmas music and said "The major roads are backed up with traffic so Im going to take some back roads maam."
C.C. acknowledged and approved the statement with a nod.
The back roads were through snow blanketed farmland that reminded C.C. of a Currier and Ives painting. The limo was so nice and warm and the ride was so cheery and relaxing C.C. didnt realize that she had slipped her feet half way out of her shoes. It wasnt until she crossed her legs and her shoe fell off that she notice how comfortable she had become. She looked at her pedicure through her sheer stockings and realize how unguarded she let herself become. Quickly she pulled her shoes back on and began to dwell on her onerous task at hand.
Pushing the gas pedal with a flex of her nylon covered toes the limo climbed the last hill to the branch office. The limo parked in front of the branch office.
"Were here maam" Diane said reaching for her shoes. Pulling her shoes on she continued "You have me for the whole day. Is there some where you would like me to wait for you or are there any errands you need run?"
"Im sure there is a place you can wait inside" replied C.C.
With her shoes securely on her feet Diane got out of the car to open C.C.s door. As she opened the door she slipped on some ice. She caught her self on the door but one of her shoes slipped off and slid down the icy hill like a bobsled. C.C. helped steady Diane and both women watched Dianes shoe disappear down the hill.
"Dont worry maam" said Diane. "Let me get you into the building and Ill get my shoe later."
Diane escorted C.C. into the building walking with one shoe on and on tip toe. The cold pavement was actually soothing to Dianes toes.
Both women were surprised to hear "Feliz Navidad". And see Cindy and the receptionist dancing in their brightly adorned stocking feet in the lobby. "The dancing woman stopped and both hugged Diane and C.C.
After a brief warm exchange and explanation C.C. and Diane were seated in the lobby pulling on Christmas socks. Diane had brown socks with pictures of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. C.C.s socks were red and decorated with the Grinch.
Mixing and mingling with the people in office along while walking in her stocking feet put C.C. in a very happy mood. C.C. could not recall being this happy in a long time. She even danced briefly when "Feliz Navidad" came on again but C.C. knew she had a job to do so she began looking for Barbara.
"Nice party" C.C. said to Barbara.
Barbara explained to C.C. that the party was Cindys idea and that every one was not going to let the loss of their job dampen Christmas spirit. She said that they might as well enjoy their last day at work. C.C. was intrigued. She curled her toes in her Grinchy socks and started tracing a little circle with her big toe.
"Well" said C.C." Is there a place I can make a few phone calls and then after that we can get started with the announcement?"
"Sure you can use my office" replied Barbara.
C.C. thanked Barbara and walked into her office. Sitting down at the desk C.C. noticed the shoe glued to the floor. She made sure her stocking feet were as far away from the shoe as possible.
Heather was in a board meeting when C.C.s call came through. Realizing she should take the call she excused herself from the meeting but soon realized she could not find a shoe under the table. Heather was beginning to panic. It would not look good to the board if she had to admit losing her shoe under the table. It would probably become a running joke for the next year. Just then a board member suggested she take the call at the meeting. Relieved Heather obliged immediately.
After a few moments Heather had C.C. call in on the conference phone and C.C told her plan to the board. She said from a number perspective it made sense to close the branch but after meeting the people she felt there was a talent and spirit at the branch the company could ill afford to lose. She suggested that if all the Executives froze their salaries the next year the same positive changes could be realized in operating income. The company could also obtain some positive public relations capital by announcing such a freeze in these economic times.
The board whole heartedly agreed with C.C.s plan and Heathers stocking foot thankfully found the lost shoe.
Everyone at the branch was ecstatic with C.C.s plan and the happiness and goodwill continue long after C.C. and Diane left.
Both women were seated in the front seat of the limo shoeless still wearing their Christmas socks. That chatted amiably the whole ride back to the airport. As they were pulling up to the airport Diane asked
"So what does C.C. stand for?"
C.C. thought wistfully for a brief moment, wiggled her toes and answered,
"My twin sister and I were both born on Christmas Day. My parents named us Christmas Carol and Christmas Joy and always called us by our initials."
