Graciela's Mad Dash by Elizabeth Sowden

Graciela admired a pair of shiny, silver Steve Madden peep toe pumps. Silver was in this season; she’d read it is Vogue. The shoes were more than she could afford, but she rationalized that she needed them for when she was onstage. As she stood with her face pressed against the glass of the shop window, her phone began to ring.

“Hola, Grachita,” said a voice on the other end.

“Javier, que onda?”

“Your friend Roxie hasn’t called me.”

“Javi, I told you she wouldn’t call. You have to call her. She’s a tough nut to crack but she’ll come around as long as you’re persistent.”

“I don’t know, Graciela, I don’t like girls who play games.”

“Roxie doesn’t play games,” Graciela said, opening the shop door and stepping inside. “She just had some bad experiences in the past, and she’s a little shy, that’s all.”

“It’s an awful lot of work to do for a girl I barely know.”

“Javi, I’ve known Roxie for a long time, she’s one of my best friends. Behind that dour exterior is one of the sweetest most caring people you’ll ever know. Besides, you had a good time with her the other night, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah…she seemed nice.”

“Look, just give her a call. Getting to know Roxie takes some work but once you do its totally worth it.”

“Ok, Grachi. I’ll call her tonight.”

“Gracias, amor. Enamorarás de ella, you’ll see.”

After she hung up with Javier, she flagged down the salesgirl and asked her about the shoes in the window. The girl came back with a box labeled 7.5, and Graciela lifted them out slowly. As she pulled the wadded paper from the toe, she admired the sheen of the silver leather.

“They are fantastic, aren’t they?” the salesgirl asked.

“They are,” Graciela said, as she slipped her right foot in. She held her foot up and admired the way the shoe looked. “Can I wear these out?”

“Sure!” the salesgirl chirped. She took the box and Graciela’s card and went to the register. While she waited for the salesgirl to ring her, up, Graciela got another call.

“Buenos?” she asked.

“Hey, girl, why haven’t you called me?” It was Rickey, her brother’s friend and her semi-boyfriend.

“What are you talking about? I call you all the time.”

“You haven’t called me since last week. And there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you.”

“Well, you could have called me!”

“Hey, I have my pride you know. I don’t want to always be calling you.”

Graciela clicked her tongue and said, “See, that’s your whole problem. Stubborn, macho pride.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not too proud to say this, Graciela. I love you.”

Graciela felt as though she had lockjaw. She dropped her phone the pile of paper on the floor. Her heart thundered in her ears. Love? Did Rickey just say he loved her? How was that possible? They hadn’t even discussed whether or not they were a real couple. Now he was in love with her? She didn’t think she was in love with Rickey and hadn’t even considered falling in love with him—she thought they were just having fun—but suddenly she wished she was with him, instead of in the shoe store waiting for the sales girl.

By the time she snapped out of her trance and picked her phone off the floor, her batter had died. Graciela felt sick. Now he thought she had rejected him, and it was all over. She had to call him back, but before she could, the salesgirl came back with her card and the shoe box.

“Here you go! Thanks for shopping with us!” the sales girl chirped.

“Yeah, right,” Graciela said as she put on her Skecher sneakers.

“Didn’t you want to wear these out of the store?” the salesgirl asked of the pumps.

“Can’t, gotta run.” Graciela stuffed the Steve Madden silver pumps into the box, grabbed her purse and dashed out of the store. She didn’t know what she would say when she got to Rickey’s place, she just knew she had to get there.

Writen by: Elizabeth Sowden

Posted by Mirela Gluck at 06:09 PM
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