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Back The Shoe Queen
Chapters (67)
  1. Cover
  2. “And may I say, those shoes are adorable.”
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. ( I )
  7. ( one )
  8. ( two )
  9. ( three )
  10. ( four )
  11. ( five )
  12. ( six )
  13. ( seven )
  14. ( eight )
  15. ( nine )
  16. ( ten )
  17. ( II )
  18. ( eleven )
  19. ( twelve )
  20. ( thirteen )
  21. ( fourteen )
  22. ( fifteen )
  23. ( III )
  24. ( sixteen )
  25. ( seventeen )
  26. ( eighteen )
  27. ( nineteen )
  28. ( IV )
  29. ( twenty )
  30. ( twenty-one )
  31. ( twenty-two )
  32. ( twenty-three )
  33. ( twenty-four )
  34. ( V )
  35. ( twenty-five )
  36. ( twenty-six )
  37. ( twenty-seven )
  38. ( twenty-eight )
  39. ( twenty-nine )
  40. VI
  41. ( thirty )
  42. ( thirty-one )
  43. ( thirty-two )
  44. ( thirty-three )
  45. ( thirty-four )
  46. ( VII )
  47. ( thirty-five )
  48. ( thirty-six )
  49. ( thirty-seven )
  50. ( thirty-eight )
  51. ( thirty-nine )
  52. ( forty )
  53. ( forty-one )
  54. ( forty-two )
  55. ( VIII )
  56. ( forty-three )
  57. ( forty-four )
  58. ( forty-five )
  59. ( forty-six )
  60. ( forty-seven )
  61. ( forty-eight )
  62. ( forty-nine )
  63. ( fifty )
  64. ( fifty-one )
  65. Acknowledgments
  66. Acknowledgments
  67. Questions for Discussion

“I’m thinking the yellow stain on your ceiling looks like a map of France.”

“That’s exactly what it is. What else?”

“I’m thinking the squeaking of your bed sounds like a really old person laughing.”

“You’re exactly right. There are five old people trapped inside this mattress, holding the bed up. They’re laughing because they’re permanently drunk. What else?”

“I’m thinking…” She gazed around the bedroom. Good antique French furniture but mismatched and not well maintained. Faded curtains. Décor that needed to be rethought and refreshed. “I’m thinking, why does the world’s most expensive shoemaker live in such a creaky old apartment?”

He was silent for a moment, as though he was trying to figure out how to answer the question. And then, “What else are you thinking?”

She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Pulling free of his arms, she sat up. “I’m not sure you want to know.” She took up the shirt he’d thrown on the floor and put it on, loving the fact that she could do so—loving the fact that it smelled of his skin. Then she slipped on her beautiful gold shoes and wandered through to the kitchen.

She was filling a glass with water when he came up behind her, put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. They stood that way for a while, and she leaned back against his naked body.

“Why do you want to punish yourself?” she asked.

“Punish myself? What do you mean?” And he kissed her neck.

“You deny yourself luxuries you can obviously afford. This place is…well, it’s not what it should be. It certainly lacks a woman’s touch.”

“It’s just my way.” He was still holding her close. “My time is valuable. Why should I spend it decorating apartments?”

“But it’s your home.”

“Home?” He sniffed. “I’d be happy to live in a cardboard box as long as I can go on making shoes.”

“Well, I think there’s something odd about that.” She pulled away from him to sit down at the kitchen table. “I don’t want us to have secrets from each other, Paolo.”

He sat down opposite her. “If you don’t like it here, we can meet at the hotel in the future.”