Painted Toes

by Agnes Cabrera Zapata

     I knew she was coming today. She called yesterday while I was watching the movie with Victor and his girlfriend, Cindy. I couldn’t help it. I was eager for this day to come and I couldn’t contain my excitement.

     We had an odd first meeting. She was Cindy’s friend. Cindy had invited her over to Victor’s and my apartment. I remember exactly what she was wearing that day. She had a bright yellow flower in her long wavy black hair and big black sunglasses to go with her large colorful earrings. She wore a clean white shirt over a short green tiered skirt that she paired with dark brown flip flops that showed off her perfectly painted pink toes. I couldn’t help staring. Cindy kept trying to introduce us but I completely ignored her. God it was embarrassing. I was staring at her toes, somehow transfixed by the pearly pink shine that contrasted with her tan skin and brown shoes. I’m sure she noticed because I remember the nervous smile she gave Cindy and the hesitant laughter after Cindy finally introduced us. And then I acted like a complete idiot. I was mean and rude that afternoon in my attempts to hide my embarrassment and shrug off my failed effort to make a good first impression. Major mistake. Turned off by my behavior, Cindy’s friend stopped trying to get to know me and I overheard her asking Cindy, “is he always like that?”

     I was hoping to get a second chance with Cindy’s nice new friend and was heartbroken to find that she had invited Cindy and Victor to a baseball game but not me. Granted I’m not much of a baseball fan (I’m more of a basketball geek really), however I would’ve gone if it was with her. Determined to make a better impression this second time around, I made sure I would be ready for her. I would finally get the guts to say something funny or smart, anything to impress her! I charged the door when I heard her coming, hoping to welcome her warmly into my apartment. I ended up scaring her instead. God, why can’t I be a man about it and just come up to the door casually and greet her like normal guy would. She showed up at the apartment wearing faded blue jeans, a Dodgers jersey, her big sunglasses, and those same dark brown flip flops. This time her toes were painted a sort of lavender color, but perfectly painted nonetheless. She had an interesting style and Cindy had often commented how her friend loved wearing flip flops and rarely ever wore regular shoes during the summer months. I found myself staring again at those perfectly painted toes. As she left with Victor and Cindy, I heard Victor telling her to ignore me saying that I had a strange thing for toes. Great, I thought. She must think I’m some kind of freak.

     I found myself thinking about her more and more. I normally love having people over and especially meeting new people. But this time was different. I don’t know what it was about her painted toes and dark brown flip flops, but I hoped to see her again soon.

     She came over to have dinner a few weeks after the baseball game. Cindy and Victor welcomed her with a hug. I tried to do the same, but clumsily forgot to wash up after playing basketball and left stains all over her spotless white shirt! What an embarrassment! She must think I have no manners! I wanted to apologize, but I just couldn’t; I caught a glimpse of her toes and was gone. She had them back to her original pink and they looked nice against the black flip flops she was now wearing instead of her usual brown ones. Then I noticed she was trying to avoid me and sit away from me. She had caught me staring. Again.

     I began to think there was no hope for me to ever make a favorable impression on Cindy’s friend. Why would she ever come back to visit if she knew that I had a strange thing for girls in flip flops with nicely painted toes? I felt like a complete loser.

     The phone call last night gave me hope. She would be coming and I would be ready this time. I made sure my dark brown hair was perfectly in place and checked myself out in the mirror before she arrived. This time I remembered to wash up after basketball and I knew I looked good. This would be the day I would finally impress her.

     I heard her voice at the door with Cindy and as she casually sauntered in with the same big sunglasses and same green tiered skirt the first day she walked into my life, she smiled and called my name saying hi in the cheerful way she always does when she greets Cindy and Victor. I felt the blood rush up and then. . . I saw. . . her toes. She had them painted my favorite color with her trademark dark brown flip flops and I was mesmerized. My jaw dropped and I found my tongue hanging out as I was drooling like some kind of maniac! I tried to say something but all that came out was a loud bark and I broke my staring with a mad dash towards those painted toes and began licking crazily. Everyone was laughing uncontrollably as she screamed, “Nooo Poohbah not my feet!! I’m ticklish!!!!”