If The Shoe Fits by Laurie LeClair Page B

Alex as he
took in every detail. Finally, Alex looked at her in the
shadows.
    With bated breath and her heart pounding, she
walked out of the depths and into the light. Even from where she
stood, buffeted by the pane of glass, she caught the gasps of the
onlookers.
    “Mr. Royale, do you care to comment?”
    Another person piped up, “Are you and Ms.
King dating, sir?”
    Question after question was fired at him. He
didn’t say a word. He stared at her, long and lingering. A smile
tugged at the corner of his mouth.
    Her heart stilled.
    He bowed his head slightly. She took it as a
nod of approval.
    “What’s going on?” Dolly whispered
loudly.
    “He’s not mad,” she threw over her
shoulder.
    When she looked back, he’d disappeared. The
photographers trailed him, still peppering him with questions.
    “The second window.” Charlie rushed back to
the steps. “Come on, he’s on the move.”
    “Huh?” Dolly’s question sailed past her as
she rushed through the throngs of employees, their claps echoing
and bouncing off the marble surrounding them.
    “Thank you,” Charlie said, pressing her way
to the other side of the aisle way and to the second display
window.
    She met Peg at the landing. “They love it,”
her assistant gushed.
    Charlie rushed on and gained the stairs. She
searched the crowd outside the window. She didn’t spot Alex.
Growing concerned, she stepped closer. More people seemed to have
gathered and were now openly chuckling at the smartly dressed
couple on King’s best quality, hand-crafted furniture. The male
fanned out the bogus deck of cards. The female plucked the middle
one. All aces. All hearts.
    She strained to see over the snapping
photographers and to the edge of the crowd. He was nowhere in
sight.
    “If you’re looking for me, I’m right here.”
His softly spoken words came from just behind her.
    Slowly, she turned. She heard the gasps from
the growing cluster of people. It seemed as if they then held their
collective breaths.
    “Alex.” His name came out in a hurry. The
rush of blood pounded in her ears.
    He drew closer. “Is that all you’re going to
say?”
    His expression remained neutral. Beyond him,
she heard her staff’s whispers of speculation.
    “Do you like it?” she asked, too anxious to
wait another moment.
    He laughed, breaking the trance of the
spellbound crowd gathered outside. The flashes went off as he
cupped her face in his hands. “Brilliant,” he murmured, “absolutely
brilliant.”
    Relief washed over her. Giddiness seemed to
follow. “Are you talking about you or me?”
    “Both of us, my love, both of us.”

Chapter 15
     
     
    “Dexter’s coming,” Dolly hissed as Charlie,
followed by Alex, descended the display window stairs.
    Panic gnawed at her middle. “Dex?!” Her voice
rose an octave.
    Her staff applauded again, yet somehow the
celebration seemed a little less happy with the prospect of what
she would soon encounter.
    Suddenly, the crowd seemed to grow quiet as
they slowly parted.
    With all the nerve she could muster, Charlie
began to walk. Nearly ten more feet and she halted at the
sight.
    Fair-haired and with thick, dark-framed
glasses, Dexter glared at her. His set jaw and clenched lips spoke
volumes. Even in his white, lab coat he couldn’t mask the
disheveled air about him. The shaggy hair, the slight stubble, and
wrinkled jacket all bore the fact that Dexter Snodgrass never gave
a hoot about appearances.
    Charlie cringed. That could definitely be a
problem. She sensed he’d block out their audience and would launch
into a heated discussion right then and there.
    The strong presence at her back and steadying
hand on her arm had Charlie releasing her pent-up breath.
     
    ***
     
    Alex took in the man standing before his
wife. A twinge of compassion hit him. It could easily have been him
in that position, jilted. “Dexter, I take it?”
    The man nearly gaped at him. “You!” He turned
back to Charlie. “It’s true, then? How