"You're joking," said Brandy. She and Mandy stared at him.
"What?"
"You are buying her shoes? Seriously?" asked Mandy.
"Is that wrong?"
Mandy looked at Brandy. Brandy actually teared up, and Mandy hugged Becker.
"I so want you for my boyfriend," she said.
"You are beyond sweet," said Brandy, wiping tears away. "If she turns you down, she's certifiable."
"If she turns you down, call me," said Mandy.
Becker laughed, and blushed.
"Do you know her size?" asked Brandy.
"Yeah, I had her roommate look at her shoes. She's a size 5."
"To the shoes!" said Mandy.
"She likes really high heels, and shoes that are bright and "adorable," but I'm not sure I can pick out "adorable," said Becker.
"That's why we're here," said Brandy.
She and Mandy set off, looking for adorable size 5 shoes with high heels.
Becker collapsed into a chair. An older sales woman came up to him.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"We've got it," called the girls in unison.
"What are you two doing over here? Why are you going through the stacks?"
"We're helping him. He's buying adorable shoes to impress his girl, who isn't his girl yet, but should be or she's nuts," said Brandy.
Becker raised an eyebrow. "I thought only Jess could talk like that without breathing."
The older saleswoman smiled. "It comes with youth. My name is Sandra, and I would be happy to help you as well."
Becker chuckled. "Thank you for not saying that your name was Sandy."
Sandra chuckled. "I think its some sort of sinister hiring plot, myself. We have Brandy, Mandy, Candy, Andy, Shandy, and Randy. That's why I insist on Sandra."
Becker laughed.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Sandra asked.
"Shoes for my...a woman I am..." Becker sighed. "Size 5s."
Sandra smiled. "Do you know what type of shoe?"
"Oh sure. Heels, ridiculously high heels, and anything that is bright, colorful, shiny and sparkly."
Sandra laughed. "Actually, Mandy and Brandy are probably perfect people to find that."
"They do remind me a little of Jess, but shes...special."
"I can see that. Well, we will find her a special pair of shoes."
"Here's an adorable shoe," said Brandy, she held a pair of black, shiny shoes, covered with bright, painted flowers. "Then again, Mary Jane's are always adorable, and these are heels, not all Mary Janes' are you know."
"I didn't know that. What's a Mary Jane?"
She laughed. "Sorry, shoe speak is foreign to men. I forgot. See this strap across the middle? That makes it a Mary Jane. What do you think?"
"It's...OK? I'm sorry. I don't know. It's so far out of my experience."
Brandy smiled. "Would Jess wear this?"
"Yes, but I want something...special."
"OK," she said happily, running off to the shoes.
"How about these?" asked Mandy.
"Tell him what they are!" cried Brandy a few shelves away, "he's a guy, so he doesn't understand shoes."
"Right. OK, this one is a wedge, see how the heel goes all the way to the toe? That's a wedge, and its bright pink! Pink just screams adorable."
"Yeah, but its not fancy enough. Sorry," said Becker.
"No problem," she said running back to the shoes.
"I think I get what you want. Something sweet, eye-catching, fun, and with a pinch of special," said Sandra. "I think I'll give it a go. I've only spent nearly twenty years selling shoes, after all."
Brandy next had bright blue shoes with pink and white polka dots. "This is a kitten heel, barely there."
Becker shook his head.
Mandy carried out pale yellow shoes with with a large bright yellow flower on the toe.
Becker shook his head.
Brandy showed him a sandal in red with black high heels, and black crystals on the toes.
Becker looked for a moment. "I can see those on Jess, but I don't know."
"They aren't special enough, huh?" asked Brandy.
Becker frowned and shook his head.
Mandy skipped out with silver metallic heels and an open toe.
"This is making me want to get new shoes," she said to Brandy.
"Those are cute," said Brandy.
"I know. I'm going to get me a pair," said Mandy.
"They're shiny," said Becker, "but not colorful enough."
Sandra came walking out holding a pair of bright purple shoes, covered in sparkling purple crystals.
Becker smiled. "Those are the ones," he said. "They're bright, shiny, and adorable. They're Jess."
Sandra smiled. "Good," she said. "I'll box them up for you."
"Sorry, but thank you so much for your help," said Becker to the young sales assistants.
"Oh, it was fun, and we found ourselves tons of shoes," said Brandy, as Mandy grinned and nodded next to her.
"Where to next?" asked Mandy.
"Um, stuffed animals?"
The girls jumped up and down, clapping. "Definitely!"
Sandra came back with a shoe box.
"I kept the tag out of the box for you," she said. "I thought you might want the box done up adorably too, so I put a big purple bow on it for you."
"Thank you, Sandra. If this goes well, I'll bring Jess in to meet you," said Becker. "Although, she probably already knows you."
Sandra laughed. "I do get a lot of repeat business. Please stop by, I would love to meet her."
Becker smiled, and pushed the cart after the two sales girls.
"Wow, that's a lot of stuffed animals," said Becker.
"We can rule out anything that isn't cute, right?" asked Mandy.
Becker nodded. "I was thinking of a bear."
"Classic," said Brandy. "Teddy bears are the go-to stuffed animal."
"Let's see," said Mandy, digging through the first shelf. "These are all bears. Here's a raincoat bear, a doctor bear, a bear in a fuzzy robe, an angel bear, a bear wearing a tie, and that's it. None of these say 'cute."
"None of these, over here, either," said Brandy. "They're just plain bears."
"It doesn't have to be a bear. Those dogs are kind of cute," said Becker pointing to some Dalmatian puppies. "Not the firemen ones though, I don't want to remind her of other guys."
Mandy scoffed. "Honey, looking at you makes a girl forget any other males exist."
Becker chuckled. "You're helping me shop for a girl, and still flirting with me. That's amazing."
Mandy smiled. "I am a champion flirt."
"Oh, oh, I found it!" Brandy exclaimed from the next aisle. She soon appeared, smiling, with a gigantic light brown bear wearing a frilly pink party dress and a matching bonnet.
Becker smiled back. "You did. It's perfect, Brandy."
Brandy smiled and put it in the basket.
"I'm kind of bummed she isn't wearing shoes," said Brandy. "If a bear gets done up in a dress and hat, shouldn't she wear shoes?"
Mandy laughed. "Maybe Sandy can find her some."
Becker chuckled. It was a good thing Sandra didn't hear her say "Sandy." "I could always let the bear wear Jess' shoes, for a little while," said Becker.
The girls gasped.
"Oh my gosh! That would be so funny!" cried Mandy.
"And adorable! You have to do that!" cried Brandy.
Becker laughed again. "Well, I think that does it. I'll order her favorite flowers from a shop by my home. They know me there. I always send my mom flowers from there."
"Do you know what kind?" asked Brandy.
"Duh, red roses, for love," said Mandy.
"Actually, I thought it would be more special to send her favorite flowers."
"Do you know them?"
"Yeah. Daisies."
"Aw," said Brandy.
"So I just need the last, big thing."
"What?" asked Brandy.
"Something that says...what I want to say to her."
"Oh, you mean, 'I love you?" asked Mandy.
Becker blushed and nodded. "I think there's only one thing that expresses that."
The girls smiled. Then in unison they said, "Jewelry!"