Aaron and his parents entered Summers Shoe Store. It was a large, brightly lit store, with shoes and boots of various styles and heel heights displayed on shelves lining the mirrored walls. Comfortable black leather stools and couches were spaced at regular intervals along the white tiled floor for customers to sit and try on shoes.
A young sales woman with wavy chestnut hair, amber eyes and dressed in in a sleek black skirt suit, pantyhose and black leather chunky-heeled pumps similar to those that Annabelle had worn looked up as they entered.
"Welcome to Summers Shoe Store I'm Kate Summers the owner, please call me Kate" she greeted them politely.
"Good Morning Ms. Kate. I'm Aaron Zakhrov. Ms. Annabelle, a waitress at Tuscany Cove recommended your establishment. We are here, to broaden my mother's horizons. She believes high heels are symbols of oppression towards women, and I wish to challenge that belief." said Aaron in his cold and clipped voice before Annette or Ivan could stop him.
"What an interesting and thoughtful young man!" giggled Kate. She had been taken aback by his cold demeanor at first, but quickly recovered and looked at him with interest.
"You didn't have to be so blunt about it!" grumbled Annette, already regretting making this deal.
"Well he does seem to be quite passionate about challenging your opinion Mrs. Zakhrov." chuckled Kate. She turned towards Aaron again.
"You've explained your mother's views. What about your views Mr. Aaron?" she asked him.
"I believe they are the epitome of elegance, sophistication and civilized society. They elevate women to a new level of elegance and sophistication" said Aaron with cold firmness.
"My. My, what a bold and mature statement! A gentleman after my own heart!" exclaimed Kate happily. A passionate high heel enthusiast herself, she felt like she had found a kindred spirit in this precocious young boy.
Annette's jaw dropped open in disbelief at hearing Aaron's viewpoint. She rounded on Ivan.
"Did you encourage that opinion?" she demanded of him.
"Of course not!" shot back Ivan. They both looked worriedly at Aaron as he looked around the shop.
Annette pulled Kate to one side. "I'm trying to educate Aaron that high heels can be uncomfortable and harmful to your feet. Please cooperate with me." she whispered.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that. My business is to sell high heels, not campaign against them." replied Kate, looking coldly at Annette.
Annette, opened her mouth to argue back, but was interrupted by Aaron's return.
"I would like you to try these, Mother." said Aaron showing her a pair of black patent leather pumps with pointed toes and 8-centimeter high metal stiletto heels.
Annette looked at them in revulsion. The heels were long and sharp, looking more like daggers than anything else. The black patent leather and the silver finish of the heels made them glitter menacingly in the bright lighting of the store. In Annette's view, they looked like very uncomfortable, and potentially dangerous shoes.
"May I ask why you picked those Mr. Aaron?" asked Kate curiously.
Aaron regarded her thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if I can explain it, Ms. Kate. I saw them and just felt they looked powerful." he said in his clipped voice.
"You have excellent taste, but I think those would be a little too much for your poor mother, Mr. Aaron." chuckled Kate.
"I suppose you are right. I shall defer to your judgement then Ms. Kate" said Aaron inclining his head at her.
"Alright give me those!" growled Annette, her anger at being told she can't handle something overcoming her dislike and apprehension for those heels.
Annette sat down and removed her comfortable blue sneakers while Kate brought a pair of the pumps in Annette's size.
With Kate's help, she slipped on the shiny and elegant shoes.
Ivan came to Annette's side and held out his hand to her. "Stand up slowly." he instructed.
With Ivan's help, Annette slowly stood up and looked at her reflection in one of the store's full length mirrors.
Aaron watched intently as his mother stood for the first time in high heels.
Despite wearing a simple and comfortable white sweater with a pair of faded blue jeans, the heels added a layer of sophistication and slight intimidation to Annette.
She stood taller and straighter, with a more pronounced arch to her back that emphasized her femininity. The 8-centimeter heels enhanced her already statuesque height, almost matching Ivan's own 195 cm height.
Ivan could not help but let out a low whistle. "Damn babe, you look gorgeous." he whispered.
"Don't you dare encourage this further Ivan! This is as far as I'll go" growled Annette in reply, looking at her reflection in the shop's mirror in disgust.
"I look like some sort of tramp! What do Ivan and Aaron see in these things? And how can that horrible salesgirl peddle these torture devices with a smile?" Thought Annette, with a feeling of being isolated in her opinions and views.
Kate wasn't paying attention to Annette and Ivan, but instead focused on Aaron who was studying Annette as she stood in the heels. "What do you think now young sir?" she asked him in a low voice.
Unbeknownst to Annette and Ivan, Aaron's cold blue eyes had flashed with excitement. "It makes her look taller and sexier. I thought it would make her look powerful, but she still seems unsure of herself" he said.
Kate nodded. "Yes that is correct sir. The right clothes and the right shoes can change how powerful, confident and dominant you look and feel. Your attitude to them matters though. Your mother, for example still looks and feels uncomfortable in those shoes. If she liked how she looked in them, the powerful presence would be even more pronounced" she explained to him.Aaron regarded Kate with his cold eyes. "Thank you Ms. Kate. This was a very informative experience" he said.
"Do you want to try walking?" asked Ivan, still holding Annette's hand as she stood in the heels.
"Absolutely not! This is as far as I will go" snapped Annette, sitting back down to remove the dreaded heels.
"Alright young master Aaron, let us not overburden your mother. Would you like me to show you how a girl walks in those heels?" asked Kate before Annette could call a halt.
Aaron nodded, and Kate slipped off her sturdy black leather 6-centimeter chunky-heeled pumps and slipped on a pair of the 8-centimeter black patent leather stiletto heeled pumps that Aaron had selected in her size.
Aaron watched carefully as Kate walked around the shop in the heels. She took smaller steps, put a swing in her hips and arched her back. The heels enhanced the sleek cut of her skirt suit giving it a sensual and more dominating appearance. She looked more like a no-nonsense businesswoman than a simple shop-floor saleswoman.The heels made a rhythmic clicking sound on the shop's tiled floor as she walked.
"What do you think?" she asked Aaron as she pranced around him.
"It makes you look taller, walk in a more elegant way and gives you a very imposing presence" said Aaron in his clipped voice, his icy blue eyes boring into her warm brown eyes.
"An excellent assessment Mr. Aaron. Pick out another one for us" said Kate.
Aaron carefully looked around the shop while Kate looked on with interest.
"What an astute and precocious young man! He's got an intuitive grasp of how high heels can be both a symbol of empowerment and a means of control!" Thought Kate to herself, watching as Aaron moved around the shop, ignoring platform heels, and wedges, while actively seeking out stilettos, and gravitating towards boots.