February 18th: I saw you for the first time today, and you were the most amazing example of aptness that I had ever laid eyes on. Your skin was so gorgeously brown, but not too dark like some of those girls that you hang around with. Do they not realise how ridiculous they look? All weird shades of practically orange and with their ridiculously high heels. I'd break my neck if I even thought about wearing those - sheesh - common sense people!!
February 23rd: I looked at you from afar today. Well, across the road to be precise. Did lunch with the kid sister, and insisted that we must go to the little café across from your shop - even if it is ludicrously expensive. I couldn't have her knowing about you though. She's always been jealous of me, always wanting everything that I want, the only difference being that if she wanted it she usually got it! She's so selfish like that! But she is not getting you, I will make sure of it. You'll be mine one day. One day, when I get the balls to actually come up to you.
That's it! I have decided! Next time that I am near the shop I am going to come in. I'm going to come in and see you properly up close and in person! Yes. Wow. I can't breathe I'm so excited. I can't wait to hold you, and call you mine. Knowing that none of those other girls can ever have you.
February 30th: Stupid Sales Assistant! Stupid! Stupid! Five times I tried desperately to tell her that I wanted to see you, but she kept insisting that my life would not be complete without a pair of stilettos! Do I look like a bloody stiletto girl? Jesus Christ Almighty! She'll have be listening to Britney and dying my hair blonde next! I thought that maybe if I just bought a pair, she'd leave long enough for me to come and talk to you. But, NO. That bloody woman is on stamina tablets or something! They're not like this when you actually want a sales assistant!!!!
Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about the kid sister's Christmas present? Even if it is a few months early?
March 4th: Walked passed shop on lunch break, saw you through the window. You looked as irresistible as ever. Couldn't come in. Was with The Best Friend. She's getting married - she doesn't understand these things!
March 10th: Went away for the weekend for The Best Friend's hen do. I missed you so much. Spent the whole time thinking about you. The Best Friend thinks that I'm obsessing about the French guy from the Café on Main Street, but woo if only she knew that it was actually the sexy Italian on Lowden Road! But, I'm keeping you my dirty little secret!!
March 11th: Came into the shop, but some other girl was talking to you. She was so lame, flicking her hair all over. Talk about walking cliché! You can do so much better than that. Was so glad when you obviously told her where to go, and then I swear you looked at me. So cute.
I'm sorry that I ran away. I get scared way too easily. I hate being shy. It is so intoxicating, but I'm sure you know all about that - you know, working with all those smelly feet!
March 20th: Finally told The Best Friend about you. She squeezed it outta me, 'cause she thinks I've been acting weird for weeks. Decided to take her to see you, and now thinks that I have completely lost my marbles! She thinks that I can do better, but she's never met you, she doesn't know you like I do!
She thinks it's best that I don't come to the shop for a little while; apparently I'm a little too obsessed. Is she crazy, or did she not look at you!? Of course I'm obsessed! Maybe she mistook you for the other Italian? How dumb to place two Italians together!
May 20th: That is IT! I can not take this anymore! I has been (to the day) two whole months since I last saw you, and I am going out of my mind. This is insane. Tomorrow lunch I intend to march into the shop and declare my feelings to the entire world. I am not ashamed. Sure, you might not be as pretty, or as sophisticated as all the others, but to me, you are the epitome of perfection, and I no longer care who knows.
May 21st: Out of season? OUT OF SEASON!? What does that even mean? You're only there during the winter? What, do you fly here like those birds that fly east for the winter? How absurd! Where do you go in the summer? Oh, of course they couldn't possibly divulge that kind of information, they couldn't (apparently) even tell me if you'd be back next winter! Oh why must we be kept apart by this cruel world?
May 29th: I have been so depressed. The Best Friend is worried, but this is all her bloody fault! If only I'd ignored her, we would be together right now. Enjoying each others company, as you sit beside me whilst I read in the sun...
September 23rd: Found a picture of you in an old magazine - apparently you were famous?have your picture pinned up by my bed...
November 12th: It was my birthday yesterday. The Best Friend gave me a gift card for your shop to try and cheer me up. To be honest, the idea of going into the shop and not being able to see your gleaming face, it tears me apart. For six months, I have avoided the shop, and I don't intend to change. It is just too hard!
November 13th: BFF called to ask if I'd spent the gift card yet. She said that when she'd gone into to buy it, she'd spotted an amazing pair of boots in the window that she was convinced I would love. I said that I wouldn't like them as much as I liked you. She told me not to be so sure. I think she's gone crazy again!
November 18th: Finally came into the shop today. It took me several attempts, but I made it! You would be so proud! I saw those boots in the window - they were Italian, and yeah, I had to smile. BFF's heart was certainly in the right place, but they weren't you.
I looked at the stiletto's, and still think that they look stupid. Everything was so expensive, and nothing really blew me away. I decided to look in the Sale section, I usually love the words Sale, but in that shop, I swear the word really means "useful crap that's falling apart and we'll still rip you off for the pleasure of taking it off our hands". It was no surprise that a boot that I picked up were heavily fading. I'm sure they'd been lovely once, and they were cheap. I thought I'd hold onto the boot whilst I thought about it. And it was whilst I was holding that boot trying to root through the others that I caught a glimpse of the matching book that wasn't quite so faded. I guess that was the boot that hadn't spent months in the shop window. And in that glimpse, I knew it was you. The beautifully plain boot that I had admired for so long from afar.
