Caught between a rock and a high heel 11

Kieron trudged through the office hallway, his aching feet protesting with each step on the plush carpet. The tight pantyhose and restrictive pencil skirt felt like a prison as he struggled towards the exit. He had chosen the longer skirt that morning but now deeply regretted his decision, as it made it nearly impossible to walk normally. The black and red checked pencil skirt rose high on his waist, pulling in his stomach, and paired with his ankle-breaking pumps, the skirt that passed his knees made taking a normal stride impossible. He was already exhausted, and the morning was barely over.

Fed up and frustrated from the morning's struggles, Kieron lumbered along as his mind thought back. There was the usual meeting with his boss Tom Watkins where he sat embarrassed as the man complimented and spoke down to him. There was another trip out with Alain where his outfit made it difficult to keep up. And perhaps worst of all, there was an hour-long discussion about makeup with Gina, where they discussed his look for that evening as he nodded and feigned interest.

Feeling his heels sink into the carpet, making it even harder to walk, Kieron just wanted to get outside where he could find a quiet spot in the park and escape for an hour. He knew he wouldn't be able to eat lunch, but the thought of being alone and not having to pretend to be someone else was worth it.

Kieron's eyes blazed with determination as he stared ahead, his focus locked on the exit that promised temporary respite. A fierce smile curled across his lips, even knowing that his hampered stride would make getting there take twice as long. He was so close! So very close!

But, just as he was about to make his break for it, a voice called out from behind, "Kiera!" Turning, The sound of the familiar voice, was like a dagger to Kieron's heart as he fought the urge to crumple to the ground.

(See image 21)

"Alain!" Kieron exclaimed, his eyes widening as he spotted his French colleague approaching at pace. "What does he want now," the skirted man thought, feeling a sense of dread wash over him as memories of a morning spent together flooded back.

"Kiera, ma chérie, I'm so glad I caught you," Alain gushed, his voice filled with excitement as he bounded up. "I've made a reservation for lunch at the most divine bistro. Can you be ready in ten minutes?”

"Oh, lunch," Kieron said, his voice tinged with hesitation as he bit his lipstick-covered bottom lip. "I've, like, kinda already made plans."

"Plans? Oh, non, non, non!" Alain exclaimed, his eyes wide with disappointment. "You must postpone. We are meeting with one of the event managers for this evening. He is going to give us all the important details that we'll need to know. It is a matter of most importance.”

With a forced smile, Kieron breathed out heavily through his nose. "I guess I could postpone," he replied, his voice filled with reluctance as he shuffled his aching feet on the carpeted floor. "If it's that important."

"Oh, it is, ma chérie," Alain shot back, his voice filled with determination. "It takes a lot of time and effort to make connections like this, and although tonight is going to be a pretty standard affair, getting access to places others can’t, will lead to crucial conversations that make or break a piece of writing.”

"Ok," Kieron whispered, his voice filled with resignation. "I'll be ready."

"Excellent, mon ami," Alain excitedly exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I'll meet you out front in ten. And remember, we must be fabulous!"

As Kieron watched the enthusiastic French man turn and saunter away, he shook his head and sighed loudly. There went his hour of peace and quiet, he never seemed to get a minute to himself these days.

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Stepping out of the taxi outside Becca's apartment, Kieron felt the driver's piercing gaze boring into the back of his silky teal gown. The driver had been leering at him through the rear-view mirror throughout the journey home, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. With determination in his heart, he pushed his exhausted legs forward, stumbling across the road with all the speed he could muster, despite the skyscraper-tall heels crushing his feet. The long tassels from the hem of the dress tickled and caressed his smooth-shaven ankles as he made his way to the door.

“Goodnight, gorgeous,” boomed the driver in his thick east London accent. Kieron winced but was far from surprised after being bombarded with questions the entire ride, questions he didn't want to answer after a long and exhausting day. The driver's invasive gaze and inquiries had only added to Kieron's discomfort, but he refused to let it show as he made his way to the safety of Becca's apartment.

(See image 22)

As Kieron reflected on the evening's events, memories of the dull and mundane event flooded his mind. Despite his initial trepidation, the event had turned out to be far from the disaster he had anticipated. A washed-up D-list celebrity, who had once been a member of a girl band, sat on stage signing copies of her autobiography, which were soon destined to gather dust at the bottom of the bargain bin. Kieron found himself in a section of mainly empty seats set up for reporters, wishing away the time as he attempted to alleviate the discomfort in his feet.

Taking the time to rest his weary feet as Alain talked away in his ear, Kieron had kicked off his shoes and made fists with his toes, trying to ease the pain. Time dragged as he sat there feeling uncomfortable, completely overdressed in an evening gown, surrounded by others who had opted for a more smart-casual look. Throughout, he reminded himself that although his presence there seemed to be a giant waste of time, the point was to experience a night in the expensive designer dress and heels, no matter how ridiculous or uncomfortable he felt. It didn’t matter that he felt like an imposter as he nervously looked around grinning like a fool. All that mattered was that he wrote a compelling review when he returned to the office the following week. A review that would drive traffic to the website, please his boss Tom Watkins, and by proxy Becca! As he thought about the embarrassing and tedious task ahead, he couldn't help but hate his life.