Alice in Glass Slippers

by L. C. Davenport

  The corner of Lewis’s mouth twitched. “So we’re on last-name only basis, huh? You’re a fast mover, Wentworth.” He slammed the hood of his car shut and dusted his hands together. “Honestly, if you want to know if Alice and I are dating, I’d suggest you talk to her. If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.”

  “That’s what my mother said,” Adam muttered under his breath, flushing when Lewis laughed. “But I still don’t know why she’s avoiding me… or why she won’t go out with me.”

  Lewis’s eyes narrowed, like he was sizing Adam up. “Before I say anything, you need to tell me something first. What are your intentions toward Alice Riverton?”

  What is this, a marriage interview? Adam thought. It was easier to get a doctoral degree than it was to extract information from this guy. “I’m not going to force her to go to dinner with me if she doesn’t want to,” Adam said with some exasperation. “I just want to know…”

  “What she’s thinking. Well, man, she’s a woman. Do you honestly know what makes any of them tick?”

  Adam grimaced, thinking of his conversation with his mother. He’d been trying to figure out all morning why she was so interested in his relationship, or lack thereof, with a woman she’d never met before. The only thing he could figure was that her internal, grandmotherly clock was going into overdrive–and getting louder by the second.

  “Me either. But I do happen to know what Alice’s thinking in this particular instance. Come inside with me. I’m just staring at the car in case something looks familiar. And if Alice sees me talking to you she’ll probably stuff one of her high-heeled shoes up my nose.”

  Once they were seated in his office, Lewis leaned back in his chair and rested his hands behind his head. “What do you know about Alice’s past?”

  Adam felt a little squirmy, but he tried not to let Lewis see that. Looking someone up on the Internet was hardly a crime. “I know that her mother was killed outside The Glass Slipper a year ago,” he said slowly, “and that Mimi bought the shop from Alice’s father. But Alice doesn’t know that I know that,” he added hastily. “I searched for her name online when she wouldn’t tell me her last name.”

  Lewis was quiet for a few seconds. “You are persistent. Did your research tell you about how miserable Alice’s been for the past year? And that she never gets any time off?”

  “I noticed that. She always looks tired.”

  “That’s what she said about you. Maybe you have more in common than you think.” Lewis tapped his fingers on his chin thoughtfully. “If I come right out and tell you why Alice won’t give you the time of day, I won’t be able to look her in the face. But come on. You seem to be a smart enough guy. Think about her situation.”

  Adam had already done more thinking that morning than he did in the course of a week, and his brain was starting to rebel. “Let me see if I have this straight. Alice’s boss is horrid to her, and she gets extra work when Attila–er, Mimi–gets her knickers all bunched up.”

  Lewis nodded. “And Mimi’s daughter wants to have your children. Don’t forget that.”

  Wincing, Adam agreed. “That’s not reciprocated, by the way.”

  “That’s a relief. I’d question your sanity if you did.”

  Adam sat there and stared at the ribbon-strewn desk in front of him. It didn’t take very long before the pieces had clicked together.

  “You’re a genius, Mr. Hughes.” Adam grinned and stood up. “Thank you for not telling me why Miss Riverton is reluctant to see me. I understand her reasoning perfectly.”

  Lewis followed Adam out of the store, past his car, and to the main entrance of the mall. “Where are you going?” he asked as he jogged behind him.

  Adam held the door open for him and strode down the hall to the security offices that were quickly starting to feel like his second home. “I have a sudden urge to study all of Ms. Walker’s work habits,” he said.

  After all, it would hardly do to begin Mission Alice, without knowing all the pertinent information.

  And once he had Mimi figured out, Alice had better watch out.

  Chapter Seven

  Alice sat at the register and watched Whitney, who walked around the shop with a feather duster in her hand. She was humming something that sounded suspiciously like it might have come from a Disney movie. Alice smiled to herself and shook her head. She didn’t understand how Whitney could be so happy when she’d had maybe an hour of sleep the night before. Maybe she was one of those people who never needed to sleep. She felt slightly envious.

  It would be great to have someone living under her roof again–even if said roommate insisted on paying rent.

  “What’s up with her?”

  Lewis stood next to Alice, his eyes narrowed as he regarded Whitney. “There’s nothing wrong with her,” she told him. She grinned before stifling a yawn. “She’s just in a very good mood today.”

  His head tracked Whitney’s progress around the store. “Why? Did her mother get deported?”

  “Deported? Where would she go?”

  Lewis grinned, an evil glint in his eye. “Hell, of course. I hear the devil brigade has been short-staffed since Mimi moved to the realm of the living.”

  Alice snorted with laughter. “You’re lucky Mimi won’t be here for the next week,” she told him. “If she heard you say that…”

  Lewis just smirked at me. “No wonder Whitney’s in such a good mood.”

  “Yeah.” Alice paused, eyes twinkling. She was too relieved at Mimi’s absence to question it. “It helps that she’s not living at home anymore.”

  “Oh, really?” This didn’t seem to faze him. “Where’s she living?”

  He looked at her when she didn’t answer right away. “Alice?”

  She grinned. “With me.”

  It took a good long time for Lewis to get over the shock, and when he did, he sank into a chair and ran his hand through his carefully arranged hair. “I can’t believe it,’ he muttered. “Our little Walker just took a huge leap toward independence. I hope you didn’t let her move in without making financial arrangements.”

  “Whitney insisted on paying rent,” she told him cheerfully, “so you can wipe that scowl off your face.”

  Lewis harrumphed and ran his hand distractedly over his head again. This made the parts that had previously been sticking up poke out at the sides at angles only possible with a healthy amount of hair products. “Well, at least someone’s looking out for you,” he grumbled. “You sure aren’t.”

  “Stop that,” she said, and reached over the counter to bat his hands away from his hair. “You’re giving yourself bed head, and it’s eleven o’clock in the morning. And besides, you can see the white easier when it’s all messed up.”

  Lewis’s hands froze and his face paled. “No, you can’t.”

  Alice caught Whitney’s eye and winked at her. “Yes, you can. Even Whitney thinks so.”

  Whitney’s startled eyes turned in Lewis’s direction. She looked at him for so long that Lewis shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t see any,” she said finally. Although, it was a little louder than usual.

  Lewis laughed at Alice’s scrunched-up expression. “I like this girl more every day.”

  Alice was still watching Whitney an hour later, and Whitney had finally had enough. “What?” she asked, placing a pair of ballet flats back on the shelf. “You’ve been staring at me all morning.”

  “Sorry.” Alice tried to pull her thoughts together. “It’s just that there’s something different about you today. I’ve been trying to figure out what it is, but…” She shrugged her shoulders. “I must be too tired to think straight. How are you doing it?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Functioning. You got even less sleep than I did.”

  “I’m too wired to be tired. Talk to me at closing and I won’t be nearly as chipper.” Whitney stared off into the distance. “You never saw Mimi outside the shop, did you?”

  When Alice shook her head, W
hitney’s eyebrows bunched together. “Well, she may have treated me better than she did you, but only barely.”

  Alice leaned against her and put her arm around Whitney’s waist. “Then I guess it’s good that you don’t live there anymore,” she said lightly. “Have you told her where you’re staying?”

  Whitney’s body relaxed against Alice’s. “She didn’t ask, and I didn’t feel inclined to tell her.”

  “She’s likely to blow a gasket when she finds out.”

  Scowling fiercely, Whitney pulled away and started to organize the day’s receipts. “I don’t care what she does,” she retorted. “She’s been telling me what I can and can’t do long enough. I think I’m old enough to make my own decisions by now.”

  Alice placed her hand on Whitney’s arm, stilling her motions, and when Whitney finally spoke again she did so in a voice that was firmer, more confident than Alice had ever heard. “Will you teach me how to drive?”

  “Drive? I don’t know,” she said doubtfully. “I don’t have a whole lot of experience in teaching anyone to do anything.”

  Whitney just rolled her eyes. “I took driver’s ed a long time ago, so it’s not like you’ll have to start from scratch.”

  “Then what happened?” Alice had been wondering this since Whitney had told her the night before about her non-driving status, but had been too polite to ask.

  “It was the test,” Whitney told her sorrowfully. “Mimi insisted on coming along for the practical part. How would you do if she were breathing down your neck when you were trying to make a three-point turn? I failed four times straight before I gave up.”

  Alice snickered. “I can imagine. If you really want me to, I’ll refresh your memory and I promise to leave you alone when you take your test. We might have to go celebrate after, though.”

  “You’re awfully confident in your abilities.”

  Grinning, Alice stood to her feet and straightened the mirror behind them. “I love a challenge.”

  Looking doubtful, Whitney pushed her toward the entrance. “Go have lunch and leave me alone,” she said. “And take your time. You need energy food. I saw how much you ate for breakfast this morning.”

  Maybe there were a few downfalls to having a roommate, Alice thought.

  ***

  Adam watched as Alice’s head started drooping over her sandwich. He’d been down the hall when he’d seen her exit her shop, and followed her almost without realizing it. He wasn’t planning on going over to her, but when her head tilted forward and her sandwich fell on the ground, his feet moved across the crowded room without another thought.

  A few heads, mostly female, turned appreciatively in his direction as he threaded his way to her table, and for once in his life he ignored them.

  He sat down and regarded her silently. He’d been watching security tapes all morning for Phase One of Mission Alice and had only come up with two facts, which he’d already figured out before: Mimi hardly ever worked, and when she did, she rarely came in before noon.

  He wondered idly how she was making enough money to pay for another business. Maybe she was paying herself on some sort of fixed scale that involved neither commission nor hours.

  But it did explain why Alice was always so tired. He’d long ago figured that out, too, but it was always good to have proof. Could he legally encourage Mimi to hire another employee? All in the guise of owner-tenant relations, of course.

  He watched Alice as she slept, blissfully unaware that someone was observing her, and unwilling to use the word stalker, no matter how much he felt like one. He wondered what she’d do if she woke up and found him there.

  Without warning, Alice’s head jerked up, her eyes wild and unseeing. “Call the doctor!” she gasped, and put her hands over her eyes. “Make it stop, make it stop!”

  Alarmed, Adam reached out and grabbed her wrist, hoping to wake her up. But when his fingers brushed against her skin she jerked back, grabbed her cup of soda, and threw it in his face.

  She had amazingly good aim for a person who was still dreaming, Adam thought. He sighed as the cold liquid made its way down his chest. He would have done a lot better on his Little League team if he could have pitched like that.

  “Wake up, Alice.” This time when he grabbed her hands she didn’t pull away. She just blinked at him, confusion written all over her face. “You’ve been having a bad dream.”

  “Adam?” Her voice was unsure. “What are you doing here?”

  That was the question of the year, Adam thought drily as her drink dripped slowly onto his shoulders. “I thought you might like some company,” he answered finally. “But then you fell asleep before I made it over here.”

  “Oh.” Alice seemed to ponder that. “What happened to your face? And why are you holding my wrists?”

  Adam felt an uncomfortable sensation creeping across his cheeks. He half-thought it might be a blush but dismissed the idea almost immediately. He hadn’t blushed in years, and it would take more than a short, blonde-haired girl with surprisingly soft skin, to make him start now.

  “I had a small encounter with your soda while I was trying to wake you up,” he said curtly, letting his fingers drift away from her. “I think I succeeded.”

  What was it with Alice and his face? He asked himself, trying ineffectively to mop the liquid from his forehead. She’d gone from attacking his ego to trying to blind him. Next thing he knew she’d be aiming lower and…well, he didn’t really want to think about that. Just the idea made him shudder.

  Alice looked at him curiously and then dug through her purse. Adam almost laughed when she wordlessly handed him his own handkerchief. He was wiping his face and inhaling the scent of flowers, vanilla and root beer when she spoke.

  “Am I responsible for that?” She pointed to his shirt.

  Adam glanced down to his white button-down. It was now covered in brown splotches, and he shrugged. He was about to smirk at her and make a joke about beverages taking the place of cleaning solutions when he caught the expression on her face. She looked worried.

  “No,” he said, stuffing his handkerchief in his pocket before he realized that he’d just got all his money wet. “It was my fault. What were you dreaming about, anyway? It must have been one heck of a…” He stopped when he heard her indrawn breath.

  “I was dreaming of the last time I saw my mother.” She shivered and rubbed her arms unconsciously. “I only do that when I’m really tired.”

  Adam cleared his throat. He was usually very slick with women, but whenever he spoke to Alice, all his tact and reasoning skills deserted him. “I’m sorry,” he said, glancing down at the table and staring at the puddle on the floor.

  She just shrugged and looked away. “It’s not your fault. I just didn’t get any sleep last night, so it’s not that surprising.”

  “I see.” Feeling that a change in topic might be a good idea, Adam said the first thing that came to his mind. “Would you mind if I asked you something?”

  Alice’s eyes went from pensive to guarded. “I’m not going to ask you out again,” he told her, adding not yet in his mind. He wished she wouldn’t look so freaked out by the idea of going out with him. “I was just wondering about your relationship with Mr. Hughes.”

  She started to roll her eyes but stopped before she got very far. “Everyone asks me that,” she muttered to herself. “I swear if my best friend was a girl, would everyone assume I was a lesbian?”

  Adam felt decidedly ill at ease, and his cheeks became warm again. Had she managed to make him blush twice in the same conversation? He had to make sure this stopped. He just didn’t know how. “Um, no?”

  Sighing, Alice rested her chin on her hand and regarded him patiently. “Maybe you should ask Lewis, since you’re so interested.”

  What was it with these people? “I did,” he said, getting irritated. “He told me to ask you. I’m beginning to think that you’re secretly married or something.” He crossed his arms over his damp chest and glowered at
her.

  Her eyes widened and then crinkled with laughter. “Married? To Lewis? No way.”

  That made Adam feel marginally better. “Are you dating him? It’s a very simple question, Alice.”

  “No.”

  Alice’s answer was so sure that he grinned at her. “Are you sure? You guys seem awfully chummy.”

  Leaning forward, she looked him in the eye. “Trust me, Adam, there are no romantic feelings there. Back in college, so many people asked us about our so-called relationship that we got curious enough to kiss each other.”

  “And?” Adam held his breath.

  “Nothing. It was like kissing one of those dummies they use to teach you CPR in health class. He felt the same,” she added when his mouth opened to ask another question. “And that effectively banished all thoughts of non-platonic love from our minds.”

  Adam’s grin returned. “I’d ask how you know how kissing a dummy feels, but I don’t think I want to know.” He paused. Now was as good a time as any. “Would you consider adding me to your list of friends? I could use one.”

  Alice regarded him thoughtfully. “I don’t know, Adam,” she said slowly. “I like you. Really, I do. But if my boss saw me talking to you…”

  “Let me handle that.” Adam uncrossed his arms and leaned on the table so that only a foot of space separated them. “She can’t have a problem with us being friends, can she? And last time I checked friends were allowed to hang out together occasionally.”

  She opened her mouth, but closed it when he shot her a pleading look. That look always made his mother hesitate, and it worked on Alice, too. He filed that bit of information away for future use.

  “Okay,” she said after a long pause. “I can try that. But no flirting.”

  There was no way Adam was going to agree to that, so he smiled at her and sat back in his chair, hoping she wouldn’t notice that he hadn’t agreed with her. “Am I allowed to buy you lunch once in a while?”

  She shot him a look. “Only as long as I can do the same for you.”