A pretty, buxom young waitress named Annabelle showed Aaron, Annette and Ivan to an empty table in a secluded booth of Tuscany Cove, an upscale Italian restaurant.
"May I take your order?" she asked brightly with a notepad and pen ready.Aaron fixed his calculating gaze on her, taking in her delicate face, her large brown eyes, her porcelain skin, her soft brown hair in a ponytail and the way her crisp white blouse and black slacks that made up her uniform accentuated her feminine curves.Annabelle felt herself blushing under his scrutiny. Aaron's gaze seemed analytical, yet surface level. It was unlike any of the furtive stares from awkward boys or the undressing leers from older men.
"A question if I may Ms. Annabelle, are those shoes standard issue? I don't think I've seen the other waitresses wear them" Aaron asked her coldly.
Annabelle blinked in surprise, then blushed further and giggled at Aaron's observation that she was wearing black leather pumps with chunky six-centimeter heels. "No they are not. I'm quite short, you see, so I prefer these shoes to give me some extra height" she explained, bouncing up and down in them.
"I see, and do those shoes affect the way you walk or is that elegant gait your natural way of walking?" asked Aaron again in his cold, clipped tone.
Ivan decided to intervene before Aaron made things awkward with his probing questions. "I apologize, Ms. Annabelle. Aaron's not used to dealing with people, please don't be upset." he told her.
To Ivan's surprise, Annabelle giggled again. "It's quite alright sir. I'm actually quite flattered that he thinks my walk is elegant." she reassured Ivan, still blushing crimson.
"Nobody has asked about my heels until now. This kid's really observant! Nobody has called me elegant before" thought Annabelle to herself as she smiled warmly at Aaron. "You're a very smart and observant boy. Yes, heels affect the way people walk. It's kind of like you are walking on tiptoes, your balance and center of gravity changes. You need to take smaller steps and stand straighter" she explained to Aaron.
"I see, I wondered why you were walking differently from the others, the heels changed your balance and center of gravity. I'm surprised that they have such a profound effect. Thank you for that information Ms. Annabelle. I shall have water and garlic bread to start, and a pepperoni pizza as my main course" said Aaron.
"Water, garlic bread and pepperoni pizza. Alright" said Annabelle taking down his order, she then quickly took down Ivan and Annette's orders and left, her hips swaying and her heels clicking.Ivan sighed in relief that Annabelle was not upset. He gave Aaron a look that was half impressed, half amused.
"You really need to work on your demeanor and small-talk, son. It is one thing to want to talk to a pretty girl, but direct questioning like that can make people uncomfortable. Next time, don't just directly ask her about her shoes" he chuckled.
Annette gave a worried look to Ivan. "Why is he so curious about high heels?" she whispered to him.Ivan squeezed her hand "It's his natural curiosity. He'll get over it" he reassured her.
"Don't give me that hogwash about natural curiosity! It's thanks to you men that we women have been indoctrinated into damaging our feet! Thank goodness I broke out of that! If only more of us would take a stand against those archaic torture devices" thought Annette to herself, observing Annabelle out of a corner of her eye with a mixture of pity and derision.
Aaron was lost in thought about Annabelle's high heels. He now realized what had intrigued him about Catherine's gait. While Catherine's heels were not the same style as Annabelle's, they still had the same effect.He watched Annabelle out of the corner of his eye as she walked or rather strutted in her heels with a swing in her hips and step. Her heels also made a distinctive, and to his ears pleasing, clicking sound on the tiled floors of the restaurant compared to the other servers' more practical flat shoes.
"Why don't you wear high heels, Mother?" asked Aaron suddenly, catching Annette off guard.
Annette took a deep breath as she tried to formulate an answer. "Well I've never worn them because I'm quite tall and felt that they were unnecessary. As a teacher, I'm standing for most of the day, and standing in high heels for long periods of time is quite uncomfortable, and can cause a lot of strain to your feet, so they are not very practical for me" she explained, emphasizing the "me" before Aaron could point out that Annabelle's job also required her to stand for long periods of time.
"I see" said Aaron, as Annabelle returned with their first course. "Another question if I may, Ms. Annabelle. My mother says she doesn't wear high heels because they are uncomfortable to stand in for long periods of time, and that they put a strain on your feet. I would like your opinion on the matter" he asked her as she set down his garlic bread.
Annabelle giggled at Aaron's childish yet surprisingly mature questions about her heels. It was a refreshing departure from the usual awkward attempts at flirting and canned pick-up lines she usually encountered, and a subtle validation in her choice of footwear.
"Well, I can't speak for your mother, but the health risk is not as severe as some people make it out to be. It depends on various factors, like the style of heel, the height of the heel and the shape of your feet. I'm quite comfortable and confident in mine" she said, giving Aaron a twirl in her heels while Annette glared at her in disapproval.
"Stop that disgusting twirling you shameless hussy! I don't need you encouraging a preference for heels in my baby boy!" Annette thought savagely to herself, wishing Annabelle could read her mood more accurately.
"I see. Thank you for sharing your views Ms. Annabelle. I agree with your assessment" said Aaron, inclining his head in thanks to her. She giggled and ruffled his thick, black hair. "You are a very interesting young man. I do hope you come again" she said and sauntered away, her hips swaying and heels clicking on the floor.
"What do you mean you agree with Annabelle?" demanded Annette, once Annabelle was out of earshot.Aaron stared at Annette coldly. "I believe Ms. Annabelle's opinion is the valid one Mother. She wears high heels every day and finds them comfortable. Why should I consider your assessment when you don't wear them?" he asked, his voice like ice.
Annette felt like she had been slapped in the face. Aaron's cold gaze and icy voice had an edge of contempt in it. "Now you listen here young man! You asked me why I don't wear high heels. I told you why I don't wear high heels. It boils down to personal preference. End of discussion!" she snarled.
Aaron gave her another cold look before starting to eat his garlic bread. Annette tried to calm herself down and remember that Aaron was still a child. He didn't know how systemic and harmful gender stereotypes and beauty standards were. That snake-hipped waitress herself was the perfect example of internalized misogyny.
"I actually agree with Aaron's reasoning. Annette has never actually worn heels, so she doesn't really have first-hand experience on whether they'll be comfortable for her" thought Ivan as he laid a calming hand on Annette's shoulder, keeping his opinion to himself, for he knew that high heels were a very sensitive topic for her.