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Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201
Head Over Heels
Copyright © 2008 by Lena Matthews
ISBN: 978-1-60504-233-6
Edited by Angela James
Cover by Natalie Winters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: November 2008
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Head Over Heels
A Cinderella Story
Lena Matthews
Lena Matthews
Chapter One
If Cyn Elder had to look at another crusty heel today, she thought she might heave.
Normally, helping customers find shoes wasn’t such a chore, but today she felt as if she’d seen every bunion in the state of California. Was a pedicure such a novelty? And would it kill people to handle their corns before they tried on her shoes?
“Will there be anything else?” The tight smile she forced across her face must have spoken volumes to the woman, who quickly shook her head, and picked up her shoes to head to the counter.
Cyn watched her retreat with a small twinge of regret. Never would she be intentionally rude to a customer, but today had been a day from hell. The two workers her father insisted she hire didn’t show up as scheduled, that alone was annoying, but knowing the twin sisters were kicking back in her apartment per her father’s other order, was downright infuriating.
Trying not to dwell on the negative aspects of her life, and man were there many, Cyn grabbed the shoehorn and grimaced in pain. Standing, she stretched her aching back, feeling the tender muscles cry out in pain. Three more minutes to closing time and then she was off to do as she pleased. And it pleased her to take a long hot shower, slip in between her comfy cotton sheets and pass out.
Cyn mustered the last bit of goodwill she could find, and made her way over to the counter to ring up the customer. After quickly seeing the lady out, Cyn sighed with relief.
Her day was over. With a twist of her wrist, she flipped over the sign and then pulled down the blind, bringing her horrible day to an end. The Glass Slipper was officially closed. Seven o’clock had never looked so beautiful to her before.
Cleaning up though, especially tonight, felt like a reward after the day she’d had. If she had only been given a second or two to pop in the back and get the smell of feet out 4
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Head over Heels
of her nose, the day might have gone a lot smoother. Or if she had any real help, real being the key word, things wouldn’t have seemed as if they were piling up.
Stop it, she ordered herself. Stop dwelling on the bad. Her life wasn’t horrible. In all honesty she didn’t have much to complain about. The only thing she wished was for her father to wake up and realize his live-in lover was a live-in loser. Then again, if wishes were horses—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Startled, Cyn jumped and glanced around. With her hand over her pounding heart, she made her way nervously to the front door. There was someone there, but with the blind pulled down she couldn’t tell who it was.
“We’re closed,” she yelled out, refusing to open the door.
“Yoo hoo, girlfriend, you have to help me.”
Well damn. The falsetto voice gave her customer’s identity away. Sighing, Cyn pulled up the blind and tried not blanch when her visitor’s face popped into view.
MeShell was one of the ugliest women Cyn had ever see, but that wasn’t saying a lot because she was a he. A very unattractive he in fact, but that didn’t stop Ms. Thang from going all out in drag. Looks aside, MeShell was a sweetheart, but nice or not, Cyn wasn’t in the mood to deal with any more customers.
Shaking her head, Cyn gestured grandly to the clock on the wall behind her and shrugged her shoulders in fake sympathy.
Still MeShell persisted. “If you help me out this once, I’ll be your best friend for life.
It will only take five minutes, ten tops.”
Cyn rolled her eyes and kept her hand firmly on the door. She’d heard this spiel from MeShell before, and the way she was going, they were going to be best friends for several lives to come.
“It’s been a long day, MeShell.”
“Each day is only twenty-four hours, darling, so please do me a favor and I’ll do you one in return.”
The only favor she could possible do Cyn would be to leave. “Thank you but no.”
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Lena Matthews
“Please, please. I know you’ve probably had a hard day, girl.” Dramatic to the bone, MeShell gestured wildly as she spoke. “And you know I wouldn’t dream of bothering you at closing time, but I hobbled here as fast as my little feet could carry me with a broken shoe. But I have plans, girl. Big plans that involve me looking as hot as a tamale and landing Mr. Right and by landing I mean I need him to land on me because this girl hasn’t been landed on in a long while. You get my drift, sugar?”
Did she ever. Sighing, Cyn watched MeShell with guarded eyes. She was beat. Tired to the bone, but an extra fifteen minutes wouldn’t make her any less tired. Besides if it helped the fellow sexually deprived, she was all in. Maybe she’d earn her wings to
