I’m Nick Strayer a first year at the State University as a business major. Working at the mall in a shoe store is purely economics. Since I’m neither an athlete nor a great academic, I am working my way through school. With limited financial aid and support from my parents. No one told me in high school that good grades could affect scholarship consideration.

Dorie the store manager comes over to me smiling, while I am serving a customer, actually four of them. One of many groups of college women out shopping today. Dorie said, “I need to talk to you when you get a chance. It’s about the Mall’s upcoming spring fashion show.”

I don’t know Eryn or Megan but they and their friends are soon to become important friends in my life. I am putting on ankle boots with a three-inch heel on Eryn. I work hard to look at her feet and her face, and not elsewhere. She looks at me and teases, “You know, you would look good in these.”

Ignoring what she was saying, and making other small talk. I stand up to allow Eryn to stand up and walk around. With the heels, she is noticeably taller than I am. She says, “You’re slender and even your complexion and hair would work well with these shoes and for the fashion show.”

I am getting uncomfortable as Dorie is standing nearby. Eryn and her friends are having fun at my expense. The others have surrounded Eryn and me and asked me to sit down and try on a pair of boots. I say, “I am not the one who should be the center of attention here. Eryn’s the one trying on these shoes.”

Megan speaks up, “Look he’s even pretty when he blushes.” Megan comes over and lifts my pants legs. Unfortunately, the pant legs were loose enough that she was able to lift them the leg. “You have pretty legs even without heels. Have you ever tried walking in heels?” she asked.

I say, “Sorry, but I’m here to serve your friend and you if you want shoes.”

“So what is your name?” another Beth asked.

“My name is Nick!” I try to say it with a strong male voice.

The girl giggles, “Nikki would work, or maybe Nicole.”

I get impatient, “I’m sorry, but it ain’t going to happen!”

Eryn stands up and walks away and back and then sits down, “Chill out, you should consider it a perk for working here, conversing with customers like us.”

I ask, “How does a guy being embarrassed, with them saying, he could wear women’s shoes come as a perk?”

Eryn’s smiling as she caught me, “Did you mind waiting on four of us college women when we came in? Did it bother your ego getting our attention?” She pauses making sure I feel the need to respond.

“I think you know quite well I was happy, but I have tried to stay professionally cool. I’ve focused on fitting you properly, giving you a good shopping experience, without doing anything to offend you.”

Eryn speaks up and asks, “Did you think any of us are attractive or have especially nice legs? I thought I saw a small smile when you saw mine.” Again she quietly waits. “Um, aren’t you going to answer my question? I would think having our attention would be good for your ego.”

Megan adds, “Athletic guys play up their height and strength, and their looking macho. Why should you mind taking advantage of your stature if it helps us to take an interest in you? Have you made some female friends in classes or are you not interested?”

“A fair number,” I reply.

Eryn, “You didn’t mind that they’re comfortable with you and find you easy to talk to, do you?”

Nick tries to change the subject, “I’m sorry but I think the manager would like me to concentrate on my job.”

Dorie speaks up, “These women are your customers right now. I and Carrie could handle any others coming in.” She pauses, “Your taking time with them easily serves in the store’s interest.”

Eryn spoke again, “You could make an attractive male model, a metro male if you’d like. But I think, just maybe, you could show off most of the fashions if it’s like last year’s show.”

Megan asks, “Name three female friends you’ve made since you’ve come to State?”

“There’s Lexi, Ciera, Jan, and Kayla; two of them are going to be business majors like myself.”

Megan asked, “Is that Kayla Jones? She's as smart as she’s attractive.”

“How would you know a freshmyn business major,” Nick questioned. “There have to be hundreds of us interested in business.”

Megan responds, “Well over 200, who have already declared that major. And she’s one of the best.”

Nick says, “She may be very intelligent but she doesn’t act like anyone special. She’s in my advanced business math class. She’s great at figuring things out, but not always great at setting problems up.”

Eryn says, “Does that mean you wouldn’t mind getting her attention?”

Nick says, “We’re already friends in a study group. I don’t think I need the attention you’d get me.”

Eryn is interested in a pair of knee-high boots to try on. I go and come back with it and a similar boot. “I’m not trying to change your mind, but this style is likely to look as good and fit better on your legs. I hope it is okay if I brought both out in your size?”

Eryn allows me to help put on both pairs of boots. She asks, “So you did notice; what do you think of the shape of my legs and how I look?” Before I can answer she changes the conversation, “But that’s not fair, you get to see my legs but I don’t get to see you try on a pair. What size woman’s shoe or boot do you wear?”

“I’d suspect, a size 8½ but I’ve never been interested in knowing.” When Eryn walked around in one pair of boots and comes to sit down, she quickly has me seated. Eryn’s taking off one of my shoes, “Dorie, is it? Could we have this boot in an 8 or 8½ with a pair of footies?”

I protest and try to get up, but the college women stand in my way until Dorie brings the pair of boots as well as a pair of ankle boots and footies. “Which do you want to try first?” Eryn asks.

“Neither,” Nick says.

“Not an acceptable answer so we’ll go with the ankle-high boots first. Seemingly your manager is interested in how you would look in them.”

Eryn places the pair of nylon footies over my feet before the shoes and then asks me to stand and walk around. I am surprised that the size 8.5 fits. I have a little trouble leaning either too far forward or back as the heels are almost three inches.

“I’m glad to see you are not very used to wearing them. Please, take small steps and turn on the balls of your feet should help you in walking. That isn’t too bad for a newbie. …Now let’s see how the boots fit.” I object again.

Dorie comes over with a wraparound skirt, it is an extra that we use with the mannequins. I say, “No! There is no way; why would I want to wear that?”

Dorie says, “It would be hard to see how they fit and look with your pant legs scrunched up above them.”

Eryn says, “I’m going to buy two pairs of boots if you try them on properly. I know Megan and maybe the others are also interested in buying here.”

I could use the commission from the sales.

Dorie suggests, “Why don’t you use the little room in the back to put on the skirt? Then after trying the boots, you can get back to work, I promise.”

It is a tan brown skirt and it lends itself to the look of the boots. I can’t believe that I am soon back out trying on the boots with the skirt on. Megan takes a picture with me back in the ankle boots and then in my bare feet. “Can you see how much cuter your legs are wearing heels?”

“Cute legs are not high on a guy’s list,” I tell her.

“We appreciate you being a good sport and going the extra step to amuse us. We’ll let you back to being our shoe salesperson after you try the calf-high boots.” Despite uneasy feelings, the women were personable and in good humor. I finally relaxed and thanked them for coming and buying some boots and shoes.

I did get five sales for his effort and time. The commission from the sales is helpful with my tight budget.

The store slows down come two-thirty in the afternoon. Dorie asks, “Nick, please go talk with Margaret at the Mall office about the fashion show.”

It was then that I found out Dorie suggested I be in the mall’s spring fashion show. She had sent a photo of me in the boots and skirt to Margaret Dom the Mall Manager.

Margaret smiles with a bit of a giggle as she greets me. “Yes, I can see what Dorie is suggesting. You even have fine features to help it work… You know, we won’t force you. And if you do, do it, you would need to do the best you can. We wouldn’t want to be seen as making fun of anyone. You would be paid time and a half and models usually get the opportunity to keep an outfit. Some young woman would be happy to get your outfit.”

I said, “The best I can do is say I will think about it and get back to you. I’ve never done anything like this. I am not willing to make a fool out of myself. The extra money would be helpful, but it’s not worth making a fool out of myself.”

My sister Rachel called Sunday evening after I got back from work and before I went off to the library to study. Freshmyn dorms are notorious to study in because of the noise and activity, and mine is one of the worse.

Rachel and I are close, we like talking to one another, and I generally like her advice.

Rachel is amused by what happened at work. “Hey brother, file it as one of your memorable college experiences. I do know what Eryn and her friend Megan were telling you though. I have no trouble seeing the right female students relating well with you as they said. I just don’t see you relaxing enough to enjoy it.”

I get upset, “Even you see me as a wimp like that?”

Rachel got upset with me. “I didn’t say such a thing and you know better! Nor do I think your new friends meant it like that. That is your fragile male ego and your inability to listen. You jump to conclusions; like this time, you should file it where your brain is.” With that, her call ended. I’m not sure but I think she got angry and hung up on me.

Now I have an exam tomorrow that I need to review big time for it. I call Jake and Rob about getting a bite to eat and then studying. Nothing doing and so I contact my friend Brad at the Animal House but that doesn’t work out either. I studied for two hours at the library, but I’m too distracted by my grumbling stomach wanting something to eat.

I make it back to the dorm and go up an elevator with several women in it, but I’m pulled off on the fifth floor by Alexis and Jan. “Hey we need to pick your brain.” Unfortunately for me, it is not about studying; “You know what makes guys tick maybe you can help us.”

Several athletes were interested in them, the guys were upperclassmen. It was very apparent to me what the two guys wanted. It was more basic guy stuff. I’m a little upset, girls think I can help them with how guys think. But it’s like they don’t see me as one of the guys who would be interested in them.

We are soon in Jan’s dorm suite. Obviously that Jan liked one of the guys and didn’t want to give up on him. I tell her, “You could help him along by suggesting things you like to do as well.”

Jan holds up two outfits, “Do you think if I wore this it would catch his eyes without giving in to what he already wants?”

“The skimpier outfit has you close where he wants you and says little for your confidence in yourself. I suspect Lexi already said what you need to hear. The good-looking athlete you’re looking for needs to respect you or he’s not worth it.” Soon I was free to leave.

Thursday night I was in my math study group and Kayla gave me a look several times until I asked if there is something on her mind. “Yes there is, but you and I should talk about it after our study session.” Now it was my turn to be restless.

Finally, I couldn’t help myself and insisted, “Kayla would you please ask or say whatever’s on your mind? It is now driving me crazy.”

She tries not to say anything until I keep insisting. She says, “Well there is a flyer asking for help for a Spring Fashion Show at the mall. I asked Megan Taylor if it was any good in prior years. She said it was a very good fashion show with pay to those participating, with the perk of getting to keep one of the outfits and offers of other discounts. She told me she knew another business major in our class who has been asked to participate. I couldn’t help but take an interest in whom she mentioned. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t going to bring it up. I, like Megan and her friend Eryn, think it would work.”

Alexis spoke up, “So are you two going to tell me and Ciera, who and what you two are talking about?”

Kayla lays down her tablet. “Alexis, what would you say about helping a Ken doll to dress up as Barbie for a fashion show?”

Alexi comments, “You mean some TG guy being part of the fashion show. I doubt it would be the first time, though maybe the first time here. Why would I want to help?”

Kayla shakes her head, “No, I’m talking about a regular guy who is slender and has the complexion and hair to pull it off. He isn’t even wanting to do it. But Megan and her friend Eryn thought with the right encouragement of his friends, he might be willing to do it.”

Alexi frowns, “That would be neat, and why can’t I ever be around when those things happen?” Alexis sighs, “Do you know of the guy they’re talking about?”

Kayla’s grin grows, “Well the women students who helped him, would need to keep things confidential and be able to transform him into an attractive-looking woman. They would have to be so successful that he would willingly agree to it.”

Alexi says, “Keeping confidence can’t be that important if even you and Nick are talking about it.” Alexis looks, at Nick, “So I take it you also know who they are talking about?” Alexi begins to look Nick up and down as her expression changes. “Wow, I agree it could easily work.”

Frustrated and not getting it, Ciera gets up, “I’m going back to my place; I came to study, and I guess that is over.” She is quickly gone…

To be continued…