Page 34 of Forbidden Romeo
“LaDucas,” Katherine giggled as she corrected me. “It’s a company that makes beautiful Italian leather high end character shoes. All the Broadway dancers use them.”
“Well it sounds like once that call to Mr. Abrams goes through, you should get a pair.”
Katherine shook her head, but her beautiful smile is back. “Did you not hear what I said about the cart before the horse?”
I threaded my fingers into hers and drew her knuckles to my mouth to press a kiss to them. “How about this? Before your first Broadway show, I’ll take you to this LaDuca store and you can pick out any shoe you want.”
She scrunched her nose, but that stunning smile was still in place. “You don’t have to do that. They’re kind of expensive. “
“Oh, yeah?” I leaned down and kissed her nose. “Well… you’re kind of worth it.”
CHAPTER 14
Oh my god.
Holden wasn’t joking… he got me.
He so got me.
I stand outside of the infamous LaDuca shoe store, staring up at it in all its glory. Known for its beautiful Italian leather, LaDuca shoes have been a favorite of Broadway actors and dancers for decades. I’ve never actually owned a pair because I’ve barely made rent these last couple of years. Splurging on $300 character shoes hasn’t exactly been high on my to-do list.
Or on it at all for that matter.
Unfortunately, inside the store, it’s pitch black and a giant Closed sign adorns the locked front door. It’s well after their 6 p.m. closing time and yet Holden continues standing there, his hand in mine.
I look up at him, pushing onto my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “It was a sweet thought,” I say.
“Just a second.” Holden lifts his hand to the glass and gives a rhythmic knock.
My brows lift. “You think you can just knock and they’ll let you in four hours after closi?—”
Before I can finish my sentence, the door swings open and an older man is standing there to greet us with a huge, welcoming smile on his face. “Mr. James. Ms. Harris. I’m Sandy, your concierge tonight. Please, come in.”
Wide-eyed, I look at Holden. “He knows my name?”
“The store is opening after hours for us and the thing that impresses you is that he knows your name?” Holden asks with a little smirk.
It fully registers what Holden’s arranged for tonight as the men share a quick, cheeky smile before Holden simply gives me a wink, holding the door open. “After you.”
I enter the store behind Sandy, the threshold like a portal into a world of luxury and indulgence. The rich smell of leather washes over me like a warm embrace from a long-lost friend. Its earthy, comforting smell lingers in the air. Underneath it, I can detect a hint of sandalwood, adding a touch of warmth and sensuality to the air.
The door swings closed behind us with a soft click, muffling the sounds of the busy street outside. The only sounds now are our footsteps on the hardwood floor, and faint music playing from hidden speakers, creating a relaxing and intimate atmosphere.
“Mr. LaDuca sends his regrets that he can't be here tonight,” Sandy adds over his shoulder.
I feel Holden’s presence behind me just before he presses his mouth to the spot below my ear. Then, he whispers, “Don’t you remember?”
Of course I remember. I remember everything about Holden.
“Before your first Broadway show, I’ll take you to this LaDuca store and you can pick out any shoe you want.”
“I get to pick out any shoe here?” I whisper, looking around the shelves framing us.
“I’ll do you one better,” Holden says, his grin spreading wider. “I’m setting a timer for ten minutes. You have that amount of time to shop and try on shoes. After that, I’ll set another time for three minutes… and you can choose as many pairs that you can hold in your arms.”
My breath catches. As many shoes as I can hold? He’s talking about thousands of dollars of character shoes. “That’s too much?—”
Holden steps around in front of me to face me and gently catches my arms. “For what I did to you five years ago? I could buy you the entire store and it still wouldn’t be too much.”