The Second Chance Shoe Shop by Marcie Steele

was covered in red crepe paper, bought from the stationers’ two doors down, and a few silver stars were stapled onto it, to make it resemble a throne. A piece of paper with the words ‘Are you one step ahead?’ written in black marker pen in large capital letters was taped to the wall by Riley’s side.
    ‘I can’t believe you have me doing this,’ Riley whispered to Dan as she sat on the chair. ‘It looks like a set from a pantomime!’
    ‘All in the name of business, darling!’ Dan whispered back.
    ‘It’s a good job I had a pedicure last weekend,’ Riley pouted as she removed her socks and shoes. ‘I wouldn’t want anyone to see my feet at the best of times.’
    ‘Riley, can you look this way?’ asked Ethan. ‘I’ll just take a few photos to get the angle right and then we’ll get going. Okay?’
    Riley nodded, her smile stiff.
    ‘Stop squabbling,’ cried Sadie, from where she was serving an elderly gentleman. ‘You’re like a pair of five-year-olds!’
    ‘If you can just sit still a minute, Riley,’ Ethan encouraged as he snapped away. ‘And smile.’
    ‘I am smiling,’ she grimaced. ‘My face is hurting I’ve been smiling so much.’
    ‘Dan, can you just slide on the slipper?’
    ‘Slipper? It’s a bloody great big heel!’
    ‘Shall I do it like Albert used to?’ Dan whispered to Riley, running his hand up her calf.
    ‘Don’t you bloody dare!’ She slapped his hand away. ‘I don’t know how he got away with touching so many women’s legs without getting accused of sexual harassment.’
    ‘Don’t speak ill of the dead.’
    ‘You do!’ Riley protested.
    ‘If we can have just you on the chair, Riley,’ said Ethan. ‘And perhaps you can hold up the sign.’
    Dan took it down from the wall.
    ‘You could use it as a hashtag,’ Ethan continued. ‘Is the shop on Twitter?’
    Riley snorted. ‘No. Mr Chandler refused to get on with these new-fangled ideas of ours.’ She smiled fondly. ‘He was a fuddy-duddy.’
    ‘Look.’ Sadie pointed outside. ‘We have an audience!’
    Riley turned around. Three teenaged girls were holding up their phones and taking photos. Joanne and Brittany, who worked in the café, stood having a chat. Two workmen behind them, who were filling the planters with flowers, were leaning on their shovels. An elderly couple stopped to see what was going on and a woman tutted at them as she tried to get past.
    ‘I don’t mind photos of the shop,’ Riley said, ‘but please don’t say I’m going to be all over social media looking like a fairy queen!’
    Everyone laughed, except Ethan.
    ‘You’re doing fine,’ he reassured. ‘But if you can just sit still for a while―’
    ‘How long?’ she spoke through a forced smile.
    ‘A couple of minutes. I just want to make sure I get you in the right light.’
    ‘The right light!’
    ‘Stay still, Riley!’
    Riley gritted her teeth as she sat like a statue. ‘This is ridiculous. I can’t sit here like a waxwork dummy. I have work to do.’
    Ethan grinned. ‘Okay, Cinderella, I’m done. You can get off your high horse now, before it turns into a pumpkin.’
    ‘Oh, ha ha,’ Riley responded, but she was smiling as he helped her get down from the window. ‘Did you get what you were hoping for?’
    Ethan nodded. ‘I think so. I’ll email over some photos later, if you like? Can’t promise which one will get used, though.’
    ‘It will be the one that makes me look the oldest, the ugliest and the fattest, I expect.’
    ‘Oh, I don’t think I have a photo like that.’ Ethan stared at her for a moment, eyes twinkling, before looking away.
    Riley felt her skin burning up and rushed over to the safety of the till. When she turned back she realised Ethan had followed her.
    ‘If there isn’t anything else,’ he said as he picked up his case, ‘I’ll be on my way.’
    ‘When will we be able to see it?’ asked Dan.
    ‘Tomorrow or the night after, I expect. Kim will write it up, get it online and