Page 21 of Vas

“Say in about an hour in the shoe department.”

Tiffany was obsessed with shoes, buying a new pair whenever she could afford it, so it was no surprise that’s what she wanted to spend her gift card on. “Sounds like fun. I’ll see you then.”

Anna tossed her phone onto the coffee table and hustled to the bedroom. Living thirty minutes from the mall didn’t give her a lot of time to get ready.

Not usually having a lot of spare money to burn, Anna wasn’t a frequent visitor of the fancy department store, so when she arrived, she followed the marbled path, ending up taking the long way around in search of ladies’ shoes. She also felt a bit out of her element and wished she’d chosen a fancier top to pair with her jeans. At least she’d made the smart decision to wear her cute ankle boots instead of sneakers, and the soles made a happy tap tap tap as she rounded a bend, running into Tiffany.

“Oh my gosh, look how cute these are,” Tiffany gushed by way of greeting as soon as she spied Anna, holding up a pair of strappy sandals for her inspection.

“I would kill myself in those.” And she would. A two-inch heel was her absolute maximum for fear of breaking an ankle—and even that was pushing it.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. They’re pretty high.” Tiffany’s lips puckered into a pout as she set the shoe down but then she cheered back up again when she picked up another pair. “What about these?”

Anna nodded. “Those are cute,” she said of the beige, platform pumps with a chunky heel and peek-a-boo toe. “And the neutral shade would match just about anything in your closet.”

“I wonder if they have them in my size.” She turned her head, looking over her shoulder for a store attendant.

Anna roamed down the aisle, picking items up and just as quickly setting them down, almost fainting at the prices. Never in a million years could she bring herself to spend over a hundred dollars on a pair of shoes. She’d stick to her cheap boots and even cheaper sneakers—thank you very much. Though she had to admit, some of the shoes were very pretty and it would be no hardship to strut around in them. Especially the pair of cute navy pumps with the white polka dots and bow on the toe that she spied at the end of the row. She picked up one of the shoes and turned it over. Then nearly dropped it. Three hundred and fifty bucks! Holy cow. She gingerly set it back on the stand, suddenly afraid to even touch it.

“What do you think?” Tiffany appeared at the front of the row, modeling the shoes.

“I love them. They look great on you.”

Tiffany looked down, turning her ankle this way and that. “They are adorable, aren’t they? I’m going to get them.”

Anna watched her go before roaming down another aisle, absentmindedly poking through a rack of accessories, wondering what it would feel like to have so much money it was no big deal to spend seventy-five dollars on a wallet. Anna hadn’t grown up poor, but her family hadn’t been well-off either, hovering right around the bottom of middle class—just enough for the necessities and a few presents for Christmas and birthdays. Anything else Anna wanted, she’d had to work for. In fact, she’d gotten her first job when she was fifteen, working at the local library after school, restocking shelves. It was there the seed of wanting to teach had first taken root.

Every Wednesday had been story day and toddlers and young children would sit on a mat and listen while a librarian read to them. Anna had loved to watch the kids’ eager faces transform with a mix of emotions while they absorbed the story and knew she wanted that to be her life—helping kids expand their minds. But to make that dream happen, first she needed to finish expanding her own.

She wouldn’t lie, she was getting a bit discouraged. Working at Red’s she wasn’t making as much as she had at her previous country club job, and her savings account, while getting there, was taking forever to fill. At the rate she was going, it would take at least another two years to save up enough money for the degree she needed. She’d contemplated getting a second job but dismissed it just as fast as she already worked forty hours a week and waitressing was demanding. Still she kept her eyes open, searching the want ads a few times a week, looking for a job that paid more money or an administrative job that wasn’t as taxing so maybe she could get another part-time one. But jobs were scarce and so far she hadn’t found anything. If she were smart she’d ditch her apartment and go back to live with her mom, but Anna hated to be the thorn in her otherwise peaceful new marriage.

So, for now, she’d just keep plugging along, working, saving, and daydreaming.

“Where do you want to eat?” Tiffany linked her arm through Anna’s and steered her out the department store exit doors.

As soon as they stepped into the mall proper, the decibel level, as well as the crowd, rose by at least seventy-five percent. Moms holding on to toddlers or pushing strollers, women in power suits and others in workout gear, couples darting in and out of stores or wandering aimlessly window shopping.

“Food court?” Anna suggested, knowing, with the wide range of options, they would both find something they liked.

“Perfect.”

Anna let Tiffany lead the way, again, not exactly sure which direction they should go. The interior of the mall had changed a lot since the last time she’d visited. New stores replaced old-time favorites and they passed at least a dozen kiosks in the middle of walkways, selling everything from costume jewelry and hair accessories to tee-shirts and sunglasses.

Her eye caught on a booth that displayed cell phone covers, and she slowed, tugging at Tiffany’s arm. “Can we stop a minute?” She still needed a case for her new phone. She knew it was money she shouldn’t spend but breaking the phone Vas bought her was by far the worst of two evils.

They circled the cart, looking at the different colors and designs until Anna saw one she liked and pointed at it. “Do you have this one in the size I need?” she asked the guy behind the counter.

“What kind of phone do you have?”

Anna pulled it from her purse and handed it over.

“Holy shit, is that your new phone?” Tiffany asked, nearly drooling as she leaned onto the counter to get a better look.

Anna rarely used her phone while at work so wasn’t surprised that after nearly two weeks Tiffany had yet to see it. “Yeah.”

“That’s a Max Pro! No offense—because, like you, I make the same crap wages—but how could you afford one? That sucker costs over a grand.”

Anna sucked in a gasp, choked, and started coughing. She’d never thought to look up how much the phone had cost. “A grand?” she managed to croak, still trying to clear her airway.

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