Page 78

Regardless, a warmth spreads through my chest. He’s planned something special for me; the least I can do is push aside my inner turmoil for one day.
When we pull up outside a nondescript shop, Cash helps me out of the vehicle. There’s no name on the door, the lights are dimmed, and there’s a Closed sign in the window. Despite its inconspicuous appearance, I recognize it. We’re at Belgravia, a luxury shoe boutique that exclusively operates by appointment only.
Cash strolls inside like he owns the place, and I follow, curious as to what he has up his sleeve.
We enter a room with plain white walls, a reception desk, and a pair of upholstered pastel blue chairs in the corner.
A woman with chestnut-colored hair, dressed in a tailored black suit, emerges from behind the reception desk to welcome us. She strides over, her designer heels with distinctive red soles clicking against the floor.
“Mr. Stafford, I presume?” She reaches out to shake Cash’s hand.
“Please call me Cash, and this is my wife, Everly.” He gestures toward me.
“It’s a pleasure, my dear. My name is April,” she says with a warm smile, then turns back to Cash. “I’ve arranged everything to your specifications.”
She leads us through a door into a luxurious showroom with cream-colored walls and gold crown molding. In the far corner, there’s an ornate full-length mirror positioned next to a dressing platform, which is ironic considering there are no clothes here. Instead, three walls are lined with shelving and track lighting to showcase an extensive collection of shoes.
There’s a cream wingback sofa in the middle of the space, surrounded by several stacks of shoe boxes.
“Everything looks good, thank you,” Cash says, nodding in approval. “We’ll let you know if we need anything.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be out front if you do,” April says. With that, she turns and leaves, closing the door behind her.
“What are we doing here?” I ask, moving closer to one of the shoe-filled walls.
As I assess the extensive selection, it becomes clear that there’s not a single pair of shoes in this room that doesn't retail for at least£2,000.
“I know how much you love high heels, and I wanted you to have your pick of the most sought-after shoes in the world. I’vebeen told that many of these styles haven’t been released to the public yet.”
My eyes widen in shock. “You did this for me?”
This is beyond my wildest dreams. Although I have a fondness for luxury shoes, most of my collection are budget brands. Occasionally, I’ll splurge if I find a pair that I can’t live without, but never shoes on this grand of a scale.
I can’t believe Cash arranged a private appointment at the city’s most elite shoe boutique, all because of my fondness for high heels.
I swear I hear him say, “I would do anything for you,” but he speaks so quietly that I can’t be sure. “We have the place to ourselves for the rest of the morning, so why not indulge me and try on some of these beautiful shoes?” He motions around us.
“What are all these boxes?” I gesture toward the stacks next to the couch, estimating at least fifty pairs.
“I called ahead and had April pull every high heel they had in your size,” he says.
“Cash you didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to,” he interrupts me, placing his hand over mine. “Now, why don’t you take a seat so we can get started?” He guides me to the sofa.
I do as he asks, noting that the couch is surprisingly comfortable.
Cash picks up the nearest box and opens it to reveal a pair of gorgeous black open-toed high heels with a diamond-encrusted ankle band. They’re part of an upcoming collection for a high-end designer known for red soles, set to be released next month.
I trace my finger over the material of one shoe like it’s a priceless artifact.
“I take it you like these?” Cash asks with an amused smile.
“They’re stunning.”
“You should try them on.” He kneels in front of me, placing the box on the ground.
“I can put them on myself.”