Kate and Tom decided not meet the other couple at the shopping centre on Thursday night. Kate was working late organising for Saturday night and Tom was tired after a hard day on the tools. He was happy to stay home and watch TV. When the team announcement came out and the gun rookie was announced as a debutant he got excited, but that excitement soon waned when he realised he wouldn’t be there to watch.
Kerry and Michael took a seat outside one of the shoe stores. This particular store specialised in ladies shoes but also had a men’s section. They waited outside on a lounge watching customers walk in and out. They were on alert to spot someone they found attractive. They had decided they would wait outside for a maximum of 15 minutes before moving on to another store. There were 6 shoe stores in the centre.
They were there 10 minutes before Kerry got the nod from Michael. He whispered to her “The tall brunette in the long black skirt”
Kerry smiled to herself. She had also noticed the woman walk into the store. She looked of Arab descent or such. She had very long dark hair that almost reached her waist. She was certainly a head turner with a full figure and an exotic looking face. Kerry got up and entered the store herself and pretended to be examining the bargain box, while really watching the Arab woman. A sales assistant began to help the Arabic woman while Kerry turned away another assistant who approached her.
Eventually the woman sat down and began trying on pairs of heels. She tried on three different pairs each time doing a short walk. Clearly she preferred the first pair. She took those to the counter and the sales assistant followed her, leaving the other two pairs besides their boxes on the floor. Kerry immediately went across and picked up the third pair the woman had tried on, some bright green stilettos. Pleased with herself she approached the other sales assistant.
“I’ll buy these”
“Perhaps you should try them on first”
“No need they are ideal for what I want”
“They are $210 dollars. Are you sure you don’t want to try them on? The look several sizes too big you”
The price was more than Kerry wanted to pay but then again the experience of being that woman would be worth it. “They are for my sister. This is her size”
“Very well. Come to the counter”
Kerry approached Michael with a triumphant grin on her face showing him the bag with the stores brand on it. “Now to find someone for you”
They had to visit two stores, and had been waiting 10 minutes outside the second before a man who took Kerry’s fancy entered the second store. This gent looked like a surfer. In his early twenties, tall tanned and with long bleached blonde hair. He was dressed casually in board shorts and flip-flops. She got Michael’s attention and sent him in.
The surfer went straight to the flip flops section and selected a black pair. He did try them on and seemingly satisfied put his old footwear back on and took the flip flops to the counter. Michael thought he had lucked out. Their strategy involved the target rejecting some of the footwear they had tried on.
Reluctantly he followed the man from the store giving Kerry the thumbs down.
“How about we have something to eat. Afterwards we can try some of the other stores” suggested Kerry. She led the way to the food court.
There Michael noticed the surfer dude had met up with a young woman in very elegant business attire. Clearly they were a couple as the man gave the girl a hug. He watched the two of them take a seat and the man took out the thongs and showed them to the girl. She appeared to nod in appreciation. The man then swapped his old flip-flops for the new ones. Put the old footwear in the bag and dumped the bag in the closest bin before they wandered away.
Kerry must have been watching as well. “Get it” she urged Michael.
“I’m not going to get shoes out of a bin” he replied.
“Well I will then” Kerry said. She thought the surfer dude was a hunk. Shamelessly she walked up to the bin and removed the bag. If others were watching she didn’t care. She headed straight back to the car park. Michael followed as soon as he realised she was not returning to him.
Kerry was waiting for Michael at the car. She had a smile on her face “I wonder what his name is. Maybe Chad? He certainly looked like a cool dude”