This story is written by David, please send comments and appreciation to voondave@yahoo.co.uk

THE MIRROR     Part 7.    by  david.

In the capable and expert hands of my new employers,Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,I was like a soft,unresisting,and malleable putty,that they could mould,shape,and configure exactly to their desired specifications,and,like 2 supremely gifted sculptresses,my manipulating Mistresses,in an ongoing process,gradually removed my flaws and imperfections,and smoothed away my rough edges,as they strived to fashion the perfectly finished model,to serve their purposes.I was ‘purpose built’,as it were. I was their creation.The result of their ever continuing endeavours,to create the perfect foot servant,and a living testament,to the efficacy of their tutelage and instruction.

By the Friday of the very first week that I had been reporting for duty,in my capacity as trainee pedicurist at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,my journey to work had,for me,taken on an almost holy aspect,of a daily pilgrimage to my own personal Mecca. A Mecca,where I was the humble,servile,subservient,and devoted foot servant,of the proprietresses, Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,and also of the vastly superior female beings who visited and patronized ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,to receive the dutiful devotions and services for which they came.

At ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,I listened rapturously and rhapsodically, to the daily sermons and ‘commandments’ of my employers,who were the High Priestesses of my,in a manner of speaking, ’fundamentalist’ religion. One of the main tenets of their doctrinal teachings,was that I must extend the worshipful, devotional, obedient respects, of which I so reverently accorded to them,to every female who set foot inside ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon. In essence, my place, was to treat them,one and all,as my Foot Goddesses. Surely,never,in all the annals of Foot Servitude,could there ever have been a more willing student wishing to learn all of the sacred arts of the Pedicurist,and I greedily absorbed their brainwashing indoctrinations,which formed the basic essentials of my training,as readily and uncomplainingly,as a schoolgirl’s white sock,soaking up her foot odour,and her sweet,stinky foot sweat.

Now,as a direct result of Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer’s ‘conditioning’ of my thought processes,my ‘mindset’ was such,that when any female entered ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,it was,to me,as though that girl or lady,ceased to be,just a girl or a lady. In my eyes,she she became,upon entering the Pedicure Salon,so elevated in stature,to something more,and higher,than even a Royal like status,and she became a female of such presence,of such an exalted personage,and having about her such a wonderful, magical aura, that, to me,she was like the apparition of a Goddess, just by the very simple fact that she had set foot inside of the Pedicure Salon,to avail herself of the services at her disposal,at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure salon.

In my capacity as a trainee pedicurist,these were the females at whose feet I had the honour and the privilege to be of such humble service to,and to worship,and at whose feet I would continue to serve and to worship,for as long as they granted me that sacred privilege,and for as long as they deigned to accept my unworthy, humble, worshipful, and dutiful devotions to them,at their glorious feet.

Quite often,when a female entered ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,quite unable to help myself,for,such was the measure of Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer’s success with my training and conditioning, I would find myself in the powerful grip of a profoundly pathetic and tragic sort of ‘love at first sight’. For,in one so lowly and unworthy as I,their humble, slavishly obedient foot servant,it was a love that should not,could not,and would not,ever be requited. For it was a wholly irreverent sort of love,a love that would offend and impinge upon the sensibilities of the Goddesses, and I would not have been the least bit surprised, to have been struck down there and then,by a bolt of retributive lightening,by the instant meting out of such a righteous punishment, for,one such as I had not the right to aspire to the love of such divine angels as these,the exalted clients of ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,but to wish for no more,and to desire no more,for my cup already runneth over,but to pledge myself as their obedient servant,and to be allowed by them,to perform my most humble, devotional, dutiful services, at their precious feet.

This,my first Friday,was to be no less full of excitement and incident than the preceding days of my first week, working as a trainee pedicurist,at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon. Not least,because I was to discover a new, exciting,and fascinating, but also a perilous dimension of ‘The Mirror’.

Upon my arriving at work,the door to the Pedicure Salon had just closed behind me,when,urgently,and without even her usual greeting,Miss Sharon ordered me,bossily,”david,here is some money.Go to the Supermarket for me,quickly now,and don’t dawdle, and buy some tea,milk and sugar.Hurry up,david! I want you back here before our first client arrives,or I shall be very cross with you.She has booked our new ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service.Go on,david! Off you go,then! Quickly! Quickly,now!”,Miss Sharon clapped her hands,sharply,as her means of conveying to me,the urgent emphasis of my errand,and to galvanize me into moving with the greatest possible alacrity. “Yes,Miss Sharon ”,I replied,obediently,and I hastened to the Supermarket,with my excitement already building,at my anticipation of performing the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service on our first client of the day. My chest swelled,with pride and pleasure,as I recalled what Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer had said,that I was “uniquely qualified”,to perform the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,and that it was my “area of expertise”.High praise,indeed!

Wearing my white ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon uniform T shirt,which depicted bare,female feet,in various exciting poses,such as scrunching,splaying,etc,along with the ‘Tootsies’ company logo,and my name,’david’,on front and back,the responses from passers by in the street was varied.Though mostly,I was openly scorned and ridiculed,by both male and female pedestrians,and,it seemed to me,that the curiosity of all the passengers looking out of the windows of cars and buses was exclusively focused on me,as I hastened,and all but ran,to the Supermarket. Many of these window seat bus passengers,would nudge the person sitting next to them,whether they knew them or not,it seemed to me,to alert them,as though they were tourists,and point me out to them,as if I was an item of interest on their tour bus itinery,and as such,would have been such a shame to have missed. I quickened my pace even more,so ill at ease was I,in this ‘limelight’,of being the subject of such open and blatant curiosity,of the hoi polloi.

But,if I had entertained the thought that reaching my destination of the Supermarket would afford me some relief from the curious scrutiny of the general public at large,I could hardly have been more mistaken.Shoppers stopped pushing their trolleys,and they stood staring at me,in my ‘Tootsies’ uniform T shirt as I passed them,and then gossiped about me,like old ladies standing on street corners.

As I queued up at the till with my purchases,there was a murmur of gossipy conversation among the other shoppers,and I knew,from overheard snatches of chat,that most of it,if not all of it,was about me.Then,the checkout till girl,upon seeing me,exclaimed,”oh! Fancy seeing you here,david”.At the till girl’s familiar remark,a curious hush fell over the queuing shoppers,and,upon my seeing her face and her name tag,I then recognized the till girl as Petra Potter,who had visited ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon on Monday,during her lunch hour,and had availed herself of the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,as a special treat to herself,it being her birthday that day.

“Hello,Miss Petra.How are you,Miss?”,I enquired of her,respectfully and politely.Miss Petra,oblivious to all the queing,curious shoppers behind me,and at other tills,replied,nonchalantly,”oh,I am a lot better for my ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ at ‘Tootsies’ on Monday,david,after 30 minutes of having your tongue working on my poor feet. I couldn’t believe how great it felt! It was amazing! It was just so awesome!”.This shining testimonial from Miss Petra on the merits of my performance of the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,was received,initially,with looks of astonishment by some,and with derisive snorts and sniggers by others,as Miss Petra continued,”oh,I enjoyed it so much,david,that I have been trying to get some of the other girls at the Supermarket to form a ‘Foot Club’,and your bosses,Shaz and Jen,have promised me,that if I can get a minimum of 4 of us girls to sign up and form a Supermarket girls ‘Foot Club’,that I can visit ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon once a week,and have you perform the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service for me,david,compliments of ‘Tootsies’,for as long as our ‘Foot Club’ contract lasts”.

“I wish you every success then,Miss Petra. It is a great honour indeed,and a special privilege,to be allowed to serve at your very beautiful feet.To help your colleagues to make up their minds,and to secure your commission of a complimentary weekly ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,may I give you some special ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon leaflets to give to them,that will tell them all about our services,and that also have attached,special coupons that will entitle them to a 50% discount introductory offer?”. “Oh,yes! Give them to me,david!”,ordered Miss Petra. Then,as I was leaving the Supermarket,it was apparent that some of the female shoppers had changed their original opinions about the purported merits and joys of ‘Tootsies’,having listened to,and been won over by Miss Petra’s glowing tributes,as I was rather roughly accosted by prospective ‘Tootsies’ clients. “Give me one of those lealets!”,demanded one lady shopper. “I’ll have one as well!”,asserted another. “I’ll take a leaflet too!”,said another lady. “I want one for my friend,too!”,said yet another. By the time I had left the Supermarket,I had given out all of the 20 leaflets that I usually carried on me,just for this purpose. Oh! Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer were going to be very pleased with me!

Now,remembering Miss Sharon’s order to “hurry up,david!”,I hurried back to ‘Tootsies’ with my Supermarket purchases,and I had just made my employers a nice cup of tea,when our first client of the day arrived. Upon hearing the door bell,I immediately went to welcome and to attend our client,and,upon seeing her,I was in no doubt that I was looking at a lady of quality and sophistication.She was a picture of elegance and refinement,and when she spoke,her clear,commanding voice seemed to me,to be infused with an inherent,natural authority,that only the foolhardy would think to defy,and,for long moments,I just stood and stared,at this mature,attractive lady,who I estimated to be aged about 40,and I found myself unable to speak,and quite in awe of her,and I would be severely scolded later,I knew,by Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,for my behaviour,which could so easily be construed by a client as rudeness,and for my failure to welcome a client warmly and respectfully,as they had so meticulously and painstakingly trained and conditioned me to do.

After disdainfully regarding my ‘Tootsies’ uniform T shirt for some moments,she addressed me in her highly cultured and supremely superior voice. “Good morning,young man. I am Martha McArthur,and I have a pedicure appointment,for 9 – 30. And,may I be so bold as to ask,who you are?” “I am david,Madam”,I replied,upon finding my voice,and pointing helpfully to my name on my ‘Tootsies’ uniform T shirt,”trainee pedicurist here at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,and I am pleased and proud to be at your service,Madam”. After helping Madam out of her mink coat,I was at great pains to try and make up for my initial apparent rudeness,though,in fact,I merely performed my routine,standard service procedure. “Please,Madam,won’t you sit down and make yourself comfortable,and allow me to take off your shoes for you,for your greater comfort?”. “Yes,david,you may take my shoes off for me”,replied Martha McArthur,majestically,and condescendingly,when she was comfortably ensconced in one of the pedicure chairs.

I felt myself being overcome,by a trembling excitement,as I got to my knees before her,when she held out one of her feet to me so that I could remove her very expensive looking,black court shoe. I reverently took hold of her shoe with both hands,and,when it would not budge when I tried to remove it by gentle means,Martha McArthur encouraged me,seemingly having some inner knowledge and understanding of my nervous agitation,in her presence,”don’t be frightened,david”,she murmured to me.Which may have seemed like an odd thing to say,except that I was,somehow frightened. Kneeling at the feet of this refined,majestic lady,so in awe of her was I,that I was trembling with an excitement so intense,that it bordered on trepidation,and Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer seemed to sense my unease,the sort of unease,tension and awe,which was the measure of my profound respect,that they themselves,had inspired in me,to show their clients. As I knelt at the feet of Martha McArthur,like a worshipper before his Goddess,Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer looked on,as professional observers,and viewed the proceedings with analytical interest,being otherwise unoccupied at the moment,there being as yet no other clients in the Salon.

So tight fitting,were Martha McArthur’s court shoes,that I almost giggled aloud,at the fanciful notion that her feet were vacuum packed,and,when I did succeed in pulling her shoe free,there was a whooshing sound,as though pressurised, hermetically sealed air was being suddenly released,and then I saw her bare foot,revealed to me in all it’s glory,shapely and beautiful,and every bit as lovely as Debbie’s Mother Doris’s precious feet.For long moments,I could only look at her bare foot,in awe and wonder and adoration,until she presented me with her other foot.Having the measure now of what was required to remove her rather tightly fitting court shoes,completing this task was a formality,though I performed it with equal reverence,and I received equal pleasure,from seeing what I revealed.Still on my knees,at Martha McArthur’s beautiful,mature feet,I now asked of her,”may I make you a nice cup of tea,Madam?”.Looking down at me,like a magnificent Queen looking down from her throne,,she replied,”yes,david.You may make a cup of tea for me. I take 2 sugars in my tea,david,and make sure that you stir it properly”. “Yes,Madam.Certainly,Madam”,I replied,obediently,and I went to make her tea,exactly as instructed.

After drinking her tea,Martha McArthur lay on her front on one of the padded pedicure treatment tables,with her feet protruding over the end,and with her toes pointing at the floor.Now,I took up my service position,kneeling on a padded rubber mat,directly behind her,at her feet.As soon as I was in the service position,Miss Sharon pumped a foot pedal,which elevated the pedicure treatment table to the perfect height for me to perform the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service. How time flies! As I licked and sucked Martha McArthur’s bare,shapely,mature feet,like a man possessed,the regulation 30 minutes for performing the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,seemed to fly by in about 3 minutes,as I lost myself in serving at her beautiful feet,and it needed at least one of my employers to attend me,to ensure that I kept my discipline,and that I performed the service correctly,and to prevent me from getting carried away with my own wild,instinctive desires,of kissing those wonderful feet,for,so deep was I, in the transport of my own ecstasy. I still had a lot to learn,Miss Sharon would tell me later,and Miss Jennifer would tell me also,that I must always remember the golden imperative,that,the clients were not here for my pleasure,but that I was here,to serve them.

After putting Martha McArthur’s shoes back on for her,I admired her,while I listened to her talking to Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,while she paid for her pedicure treatment,at the till. “Well,I simply must say,my dears,one can certainly recommend your ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service to one’s friends,in the certain conviction,that they will be quite,quite satisfied with it. It is so absolutely delightful,to have such marvellous attentions paid to one’s feet.But,do you know,my dears,it seems that when one reaches a certain age,one’s feet seem to require rather more,in the way of care and attention,to prevent the skin,particularly on one’s heels,and on the balls of one’s feet,from drying out,and from hardening too much”. In response to Martha McArthur’s observations with regards to her foot care concerns,Miss Sharon,with her typical inspirational business acumen,exclaimed, ”oh! You are SO right,Madam! But,now that you come to mention it,it is not just ladies of a certain age,Madam,but also girls and young women too,who,for one reason or another,find themselves on their feet a lot.For instance,barmaids,waitresses,hikers,and dancers.” Now,Miss Jennifer was quick to see where her business partner was leading,and,right on cue,she put in her sales pitch contribution. “I shall make a new poster for a brand new service,Madam,and I will put it in the window today.We will call it the ‘Luxury Foot Soak’ service,where our trainee pedicurist,david,will concentrate his attentions,for a regulation 30 minutes,as specifically directed by the client,on those areas of the feet requiring these extra,necessary considerations,of david’s special talent. I am sure that this brand new service,the ‘Luxury Foot Soak’,will be very popular with many of our clients,and it will be available from Monday,Madam”.

At Miss Jennifer’s remarks,Martha McArthur exclaimed,”you are going to start your new ‘Luxury Foot Soak’ service from Monday,did you say? Oh,my goodness,how delightfully serendipitous! It just so happens that it is my turn to host the little soiree, the cosy little get together that myself and some of my lady friends attend on the first Monday of each month,to enjoy a glass of wine amongst congenial company,and to discuss the books that we have read recently.We are all avid readers,you know,my dears,ladies of about the same age,and we do so look forward to our little meetings.Well,as it happens,this coming Monday is the first Monday of the month,and I shall have 3 of my friends coming to my house for our little meeting,and I was wondering if david is available that evening,between 8 – 10 pm.,to attend us,and to perform your brand new ‘Luxury Foot Soak’ service for myself and my 3 friends,for the standard 30 minutes each. One quite understands,of course,that it would cost one more,per hour,for david’s services,outside of normal working hours,but,having already experienced the delights of the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,one is more than happy to pay the premium rate,my dears,just to see the astonished looks on the faces of one’s dear friends,when they find out what a ‘novel’,ha ha,entertainment that one has provided for them”.

Before Martha McArthur had finished speaking,Miss Sharon was already writing the relevant details in the Client Appointments Book. “Yes,madam,david is not already booked out on that evening,and so he is still available to you for Monday evening,and it will be our pleasure to have him report to your house,to attend you and your friends,between 8 – 10 pm. As for the hourly rate,Madam,I am very pleased to tell you,that,as we pay david a fixed weekly wage,the hourly rate that we charge our clients for his services remains the same,even for evening and week end service,and we are delighted to be able to pass the benefits of these savings on to our very valued clients. In fact,Madam,as your book reading meetings occur on a regular monthly basis,why not sign up to a 12 month ‘Foot Club’ contract? Not only does ‘Foot Club’ membership represent better value,Madam,and entitle all ‘Foot Club’ members to generous discounts on all of our other services,here at ‘Tootsies’,but,if you are prepared to sign a 12 month ‘Foot Club’ contract right now,Madam,on behalf of yourself and your friends,we would be prepared to offer you david’s services,completely free of charge,for your first monthly book reading meeting,this coming Monday,compliments,of ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon.And,of course,Madam,signing up to a 12 month ‘Foot Club’ contract,will also have the added benefit,of peace of mind,by ensuring that david will always be available to you,’pre booked’,as it were,to attend you and your friends,at your monthly Monday meetings,Madam”.

“Oh! I must say,really,this is absolutely splendid,my dears!”,said Martha McArthur,with sincere approval,as she signed the 12 month ‘Foot Club’ contract.Then,she said to Miss Sharon,”actually,on second thoughts,my dear,on occasion,it has been known for as many as 10 or 12 ladies to attend our monthly Monday meetings. I know I should have mentioned it before,my dear,but,would there be a problem with changing david’s regular service appointment with us,from 8 – 10 pm.,to 7 pm – midnight,instead?”. “Absolutely no problem at all,Madam”,assured Miss Sharon,as she made the alteration in the Client Appointments Book. “Consider it done,Madam”,she said.Now,as Martha McArthur prepared to leave the Pedicure Salon,she turned to me and said,”well,I shall very much look forward to seeing you again,on Monday evening,david”. “Yes,Madam.Thankyou,Madam”,I replied,respectfully.Then,I asked her,politely,”may I help you on with your coat,Madam?”.

Saturday,is without doubt the busiest day,at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon. All of the appointment slots are always fully booked up,mostly with the girls and ladies who,due to their working hours of Monday – Friday,are only able to attend the Pedicure Salon on a Saturday.There is an altogether lighter atmosphere,too,in the Pedicure Salon on Saturdays,as,for most of the clients,work is over for the week,and I would listen with great interest,as the girls and ladies chatted openly and happily,and without reserve,about their plans for the week end,about going to their favourite pubs and clubs with their boyfriends,or maybe with their female friends,looking for ‘hot guys’,or just simply getting drunk,and enjoying themselves. I learned that there are many ways and methods that females use,to ‘let their hair down’.Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,no strangers to a bit of fun themselves,would laugh along,with their fun loving clients,fully participating in this saucy female badinage,as they openly talked about their plans,or brazenly boasted about their recent and past sex exploits and conquests,and,in some cases,about the guys who had conquered them.Laughing,and giggling,they exchanged their saucy,salacious stories,and their colourful language would cause me to blush to the roots.Not that they,the clients,would notice me,especially.And,why would they? To them,I was just a part of the Pedicure Salon furniture,and as such,quite rightly,and quite naturally,I was not worthy of their conscious notice or regard,any more than was a pedicure chair,or a treatment table.But,I was not offended in the least,by their casually dismissive demeanour towards me.Quite the contrary. I perfectly knew and understood my humble place,and I had no desire or ambition to rise above my lowly station. Oh no,not I! I found it incredibly exciting,to be so disdainfully ignored by the clients,as they chatted animatedly amongst themselves,and with Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,as though I was not even there,as I listened,often with excitement and sometimes with amazement,to their conversations,and to the naughty stories,that they so laughingly and so gigglingly told to each other,and the sound of their laughter was like a rich,wonderful music,in my ears. I was,I felt,in a rare and supremely privileged position. I was like the proverbial ‘fly on the wall’,to be able to listen in on their uncensored and unabridged ‘girl talk’.This was the kind of talk,that never took place when any man was present.Of course,they did not think of me as a man,but only as their foot servant,their foot creature,of so lowly and so humble a station,as to be of no consequence,and quite beneath their notice, and,unless I was attending to them,they would pay me no more heed,than if I was a sleepy dog lying at their feet.

Now,at close of business on Saturday at 5 – 30 pm,I had just about finished washing up all the cups and saucers that had accumulated during the very busy day,when Miss Jennifer shouted,impatiently,”what’s taking you so long,david?. It shouldn’t take you so long to wash a few cups! We are waiting to close the Salon!”. “I’m sorry,Miss Jennifer”,I apologised,”but,I have been so very busy today,that I have not been able to keep on top of all the washing up,as I usually do”.Now,Miss Sharon said,soothingly,”that’s ok,david. You will improve in all aspects of your duties,with practise,and with our continued guidance. In fact,Miss Jennifer and I have been so very pleased with the way you have worked for us during your first week,david,that we wondered if you would like to sign a binding contract of your own,to commit yourself to working for us,here at ‘Tootsies’,for the next 10 years. Well,what do you say,david?”.Struck quite speechless,by their amazing,fabulous offer,I could only show my acceptance and my gratitude,by going to my knees before them,and by gratefully kissing the tops of their slightly dirty,flip flop clad feet,over and over,until Miss Sharon said,”we can take that as a ‘yes’,then,can we,david?”. I looked up into their smiling faces,the faces of the angels who had delivered me into my Heaven. “Oh,yes! Thankyou,Miss Sharon! Thankyou,Miss Jennifer! You have made my dream come true! I will never forget your kindness”. Miss Jennifer promised,”oh,don’t worry,david.We won’t let you forget” .Miss Sharon said,”that’s right,david.You have also made our dream come true”.

Now,Miss Sharon,assuming a more business like attitude,said,”sit down then,david,and take your chance to give yourself to us,to pledge yourself to our service,and sign your binding, irrevocable employment contract,committing yourself to us,for the next 10 years,after which time,we retain the options to either extend your contract,sign you over to the owners of another Pedicure Salon,or to secure your pedicure services,on a rental basis,to any Office,Business,Factory,Hotel,Private Residence,or any other rental outlet that we see fit to loan you out to. Once you have signed,we have something to give you,david,something that will proclaim your abiding loyalty to us,and that will let everyone know who you belong to”. Then,with incredible awe,and with no thought to any possible future consequences or ramifications,only thinking of the here and now,I signed my binding 10 year contract,without bothering or concerning myself with such tiresome and mundane matters,as actually reading any of the dry,printed words,that would rule not only my next 10 years,but also beyond,should Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer choose,(as they surely would,for it would guarantee them a secure future income,even if they were then not still directly involved in my supervision),to exercise their contract extension options. Now,together,they possessively took hold of my right wrist,and they placed over it,a 2 inch wide chrome plated bracelet and chain.Then,upon seeing the single word that was stamped into the chrome plate of the bracelet,I broke down,and I wept tears of such immeasurable gratitude and pride,as Miss Sharon held my bracelet still,while Miss Jennifer secured it to my wrist with a tiny padlock,and then she put the tiny key away in the safe. “Oh! Thankyou!,thankyou”,I repeated,over and over again,like a prayerful litany,in my broken,emotion filled voice,as I stared,as though rapturously mesmerised,at the sight of the single,all encompassing word that was stamped into my chrome plated bracelet,which was ‘Tootsies’.

I could not keep the marvellous,monumental pleasure and pride that overwhelmed me,to myself,and I decided that before I went home,I would go and share my amazing,momentous news with Debbie and Doris. At their house,Debbie let me in,and she gave me a light,welcoming kiss on the cheek. As soon as I was in the living room,in keeping with the familiar and established routine,I knelt at Debbie’s Mother, Doris ’s feet,and,without the need to wait for her instructions,I began my dutiful ministrations,and I began to massage her shapely,mature feet for her. After the bitter argument that had raged between them,the last time I was here,I was very happy to see that their mutual love and affection seemed to have been restored.But,alas,this happy and serene state of affairs was to be only a short lived interlude,before their acrimony resurfaced,and,at the first mention of the vexed subject of my foot fetish,their flags of truce were lowered,and their battle colours were hoisted once again,and open hostility recommenced afresh.

With a blissful sigh,Doris relaxed back in her chair,and enjoyed the ever improving technique of my massaging skills,which was the result of the reflexology lessons that Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer had instructed me in,and of which Doris was now reaping the benefits of,as I put what I had been taught into practise,on Doris’s beautiful bare feet. “Oh! Do you know,Deberah,this has become my favourite time of the day,when david comes here,to massage my feet for me”. “Well,Mum,I hope there is another reason,why david comes here”,replied Debbie,only half jokingly. Doris was becoming quite adept at picking up on the little and the not so little tell tale signs that gave away the fact that Debbie was becoming annoyed,with her Mother’s monopolization,and with her humiliating treatment of me,and I could see that Doris was now looking out for them,as she tested the limits of her daughter’s tolerance. Doris complimented me,on my vastly improving massaging skills,though I knew she hated to,as she had learned that occasionally throwing me the odd titbit of a compliment would keep Debbie sweet,and the longer she could keep Debbie sweet,the longer she could keep me on my knees,at her feet,exactly where she liked to have me,I knew.But,before long,Doris,unable to help herself,would usually succumb to her true,sarcastic,sniping nature.

Now, Doris said,pleasantly,”david,Julia Davis tells me that she is really looking forward to you reporting to her office next week,to perform the ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service,on herself,and all of her office girls. Julia tells me that all of her office girls too,are very much looking forward to it.They told Julia,that when they told their boyfriends and husbands about it,that they had the biggest laugh,that they have had for ages!”. “Mum!”,warned Debbie. Doris ,though,quite unperturbed,continued in the same vien,”Julia says that it will be the first time that you will have ever done anything even remotely worthwhile,in her office,david”. “Mum!!”,shouted Debbie,angrily.Sensing now,that Debbie’s patience with her was wearing very thin,Doris,with her recently acquired diplomatic skills,instructed me,”that will do for now,david.You may go and sit on the couch,with Deberah”. “Thankyou,Doris”,I replied,subserviently.Hearing me so humbly thank her Mother,just for allowing me to sit next to her on the couch,infuriated Debbie even more,and she was just on the point of shouting at me,when she happened to notice,for the first time,the chrome plated bracelet,on my right wrist. I was saved from the ear bashing of Debbie’s decibels,by the fortunate fact that for the moment,she was thrown into a state of confusion,puzzlement,and curiosity,which also stopped her from asking me outright,about my strange new bracelet. I had always before,refused to wear a bracelet,even one that she herself had bought for me,on the grounds that I found them irritating and uncomfortable. And,here I was now,wearing a shiny new bracelet,that she knew nothing about! So,she was naturally curious as to the sudden appearance of this strange new bracelet,but,she at first skirted around the issue,as she considered it,bringing up other matters,instead.

“david,how would you like to take me to the cinema,tomorrow afternoon? There’s a film showing that I have been looking forward to seeing,for ages”. I  replied,apologetically, “oh,I’m sorry,Debbie,but I can’t. I’m working,then. I’ve got an appointment to report to Katie Carter’s house on Sunday,at 3 pm,to perform a ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ service for her. Oh,her poor feet hurt her so,Debbie,after working as a waitress at a restaurant,and her feet get so hot and tired and sticky and stinky and sweaty and smelly,from wearing her pumps,and from all of the constant walking about that she has to do,so her daughter,Collette,says”.Debbie did not seem too happy,to have to take second place to my ‘Luxury Foot Bath’ appointment,as she retorted,”Oh! It is absolutely intolerable,david,that this ridiculous job of yours is allowed to interfere,and take precedent over our private life,like this! Oh,well,I suppose it will just have to be Monday evening then,david. That is the last showing of the film”. “Oh,I’m very sorry,Debbie,but I can’t,I’m working then,too. All evening,from 7 pm, to midnight”,I informed her. “What? You can’t be serious,david! What will you be doing then,for goodness sake?”. Now,Debbie became angry,and speechless,and Doris at first chuckled happily,then cackled,maliciously,as I told them both that I would be reporting to Martha McArthur’s house,to attend her and her friends,at their regular monthly Monday book reading meeting,to perform ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon’s brand new ‘Luxury Foot Soak’ service,for them all.Debbie said nothing,as though she could not find the words that would even come close to expressing what she felt. She looked ready to explode,at any moment.

Then,unable to put off the question that she really wanted to ask,any longer,Debbie suddenly demanded,”david,what is that bracelet,on your right wrist?”. Now,freed from the distractions of massaging Doris ’s shapely,mature bare feet,and from Debbie’s impossible requests and searching questions,I remembered that I had the most wonderful news to share. “Oh,Debbie,you won’t believe it,but Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer have made me the most amazing offer!”. At this statement,Debbie yelled at me,angrily,”david!! I have told you to stop calling them that! As if they are members of the Aristocracy,or something.They are pedicurists,david,just pedicurists,that’s all”.Shocked into silence,by Debbie’s irreverent,and,to me,almost blasphemous statement,as directed by her at the 2 High Priestesses of my sacred vocation,,I further annoyed Debbie,by her having to prompt me. “I just asked you a question,david. I want to know,what is that bracelet,on your wrist?”. Finding my voice,now,in the excitement of my news,I replied,”oh,Debbie,I have got the most amazing,wonderful news to tell you! I have signed a 10 year employment contract,at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,and this beautiful bracelet,is a symbol of my abiding loyalty,and of my belonging to them.Here,look,Debbie!”,I urged her,proudly,so that she could share in my pride,and so that she could clearly see the single,glorious, stamped word,on the chrome plated bracelet,’Tootsies’,and also the symbolic,tiny padlock.

Now,Debbie was again momentarily stunned speechless,with shock and disbelief. Doris,upon seeing the building fury on her daughter’s face,came over to the couch,to see for herself what all the sudden commotion was about.Now,I was not quite so certain of Debbie’s pride and approbation,at the news of my great,good fortune. In a tone of voice that I had never heard from her before,Debbie hissed,dangerously,”and,what about your abiding loyalty to me,david? You belong to me,david! To me!!”. Now,Debbie commanded me,quietly,and the soft,quietness of her voice,only served to make it sound more threatening,and frightening,and ominous. “Take that bracelet off,david. Now,david!”. But,I could only reply,equally quietly,and quakingly,to Debbie’s doom laden voice,as she sat beside me on the couch,within easy reach of me,almost visibly smoking,it seemed to me,like a catastrophic explosion just about to happen. “I can’t take the bracelet off,Debbie. It’s locked,and the key is in ‘Tootsies’ safe”.Now,and at my very mention of the word ‘Tootsies’,there was a portentous,terrifying glitter,in Debbie’s eyes,that left me in no possible doubt,as to my imminent peril.Then,as though clutching at the only straw that was left to me,though I knew that it would more likely drag me down,like a concrete overcoat,than save me,I hurriedly produced a document from my pocket,which was my copy of my 10 year contract with ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon,which I had not read,either before or after signing it,though of course,I was aware of some of the basic criteria contained therein. Now,I anxiously looked on,with a growing fear and trepidation,as Debbie and Doris both held the document,as they carefully scrutinized it’s contents,and the many clauses contained within my 10 year contract. Then,her shock and disbelief,far surpassing all previous levels,Debbie exclaimed,”david,it says here,that you are paid a fixed weekly wage,with no extra pay,for overtime!!”. Then,as they further scanned the document,and Debbie,emitting gasps of disbelief as she discovered more of the details pertaining to my 10 year contract,I took to my heels,and fled for my very life,when Doris pushed the plunger of Debbie’s demolition charge of white hot,super nova bright fury,when she said,”this is the best thing that could have happened,Deberah”.

When I got home,I looked forward to spending the rest of my evening,sat in my most comfortable chair,in front of ‘The Mirror’,with a nice cup of tea. ‘The Mirror’ no longer held me in it’s mesmerising reign of captive enthralment,as it had done,before I restored it to it’s former glory,after Debbie had smashed it to pieces,with her Mother’s birthday present. This was,I fully realised,wholly due to the fabulous fact that I was now getting my absolute fill,of satisfying my hungry,craving senses,for the sight,smell,touch,and taste of female feet,in my new employment,in my capacity of trainee pedicurist,working for Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer,at ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon.Not to mention,my ‘overtime’ assignments,when I would be working evenings and week ends,when I would be performing my mobile pedicurist duties,often,at the home of the client,and of which every assignment was like a new,and exciting adventure,and,I did not care,that all of the money,after taxes,that ‘Tootsies’ Pedicure Salon charged,for my evening and week end ‘overtime’ assignments,went directly into the pockets of Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer. I did not care about the money,for I felt that I was being paid ‘in kind’,as it were.But,I was proud,and thrilled,to be assigned these extra opportunities of ‘overtime’,and that Miss Sharon and Miss Jennifer were getting rich,as I felt that I was in some small way paying them something back,for all that they had done for me. Also,I realized,that as long as I worked at ‘Tootsies’,that the tables I had turned on ‘The Mirror’,would stay turned,and I would remain Master of ‘The Mirror’. Or,so I thought,then.

All though ‘The Mirror’ was deprived of it’s power to enslave me to it’s addictive presence, I was,nonetheless,still hooked to watching the amazing and fabulously exciting ‘programmes’ that it entertained me with. Watching ‘The Mirror’,or ‘Mirror TV’.,as I thought of it,was like living under a dictatorship,where ‘The State’ controlled the airwaves,and allowing it’s subjects to watch only what it wanted you to watch,which,ironically,was always what you,yourself,wanted to watch. But,’The Mirror’ was far better,and ultimately superior,to any conventional TV,no matter how many hundreds of channels it may have access to. ‘The Mirror’ only had one channel,at least as far as I was concerned,the channel it chose to show me,but,I would not have wanted to change the channel,even if I could. ‘The Mirror’ may only have been a ‘one trick pony’,but,oh,what a trick! Besides,I held the firm belief,that ‘The Mirror’ was equipped with the capability to tune into unlimited channels,according to the tastes and proclivities of it’s owner,to whom it would cater to,in it’s amazing,and inimitable fashion.

As I raised my right hand to sip from my cup of tea,I enjoyed the sight of the light glinting on my new bracelet,and again,I was suffused with the glowing pleasure and pride I felt,every time I saw that single word that was stamped into the metal plate,’Tootsies’,that Debbie had,for some reason,seemed to have disapproved of,and taken a great exception to. Oh! What a frightful hullabaloo it was,that erupted at Debbie’s house earlier,and I had just got out in the nick of time,too! I can always tell,when Debbie is in ‘one of her moods’.

But,wait! Aha! Wehey! The ‘screen’ is ‘firing up’,here we go again! It’s show time!! As I watched ‘The Mirror’,a beautiful young blonde woman who was wearing only a very skimpy yellow bikini,and who had the most amazing tan,was sitting on the edge of a bed,while she untied the straps on her gorgeous looking high heeled strappy sandals.When she was barefoot,she left her sexy sandals by the bed,and she padded to the shower stall,which I could plainly see,and I wondered,was she in a hotel room,or something? In a matter of seconds,she had divested herself of her scanty little yellow garments,and the soles of her sexy,tanned feet flashed at me,first one,and then the other,as she stepped into the shower stall. Then,I was relieved of my temptation to take advantage of the situation,by staring at her beautiful bare breasts,when my moral conscience,to be ‘a gentleman’,was kept intact,by the glass walls of the shower stall steaming up. It occurred to me,then,that,as I had not cleaned ‘The Mirror’ since I had restored it,about a week ago,now would be a good time to perform that small task. I positioned the glass cleaner spray bottle about 5 inches from the surface of ‘The Mirror’,and sprayed. I was about to wipe the surface of ‘The Mirror’ with a clean cloth,when,although I had clearly seen the spray come out of the spray nozzle,I could not see any of it on the glass surface of ‘The Mirror’. How decidedly odd,I thought,as I sprayed a second time. This time,I watched more closely,as the misty spray from the bottle came out,as I sprayed at ‘The Mirror’ 6 or 7 times. Then,I stood there,totally perplexed,for I could not see a single drop of the window cleaner spray,anywhere on the surface of ‘The Mirror’.

Imagine,then,my profound shock and excitement,when I put the cleaning cloth to the glass surface,only to see my hand disappear,inside ‘The Mirror’! And then,when I tested ‘The Mirror’ with my foot,and I saw my foot disappear,too,and feeling,to my amazement,what felt like carpet,on ‘the other side’! And then,when I put my head through ‘The Mirror’,to discover that I could see everything in that room,as if I was actually there,present in that room! And then,when I physically stepped through ‘The Mirror’,to find that I was,actually there,that I was,actually present in that room!

But,all that was as nothing,compared to the shock that I got,when a man suddenly emerged from the door to another bedroom,and he himself,was in shock for a moment,as he stood immobilized on the threshold of the bedroom,as he took in the astonishing sight of me,ecstatically licking and kissing his wife’s high heeled strappy sandals,and still wearing my ‘Tootsies’ uniform T shirt. The man was tall and muscular. He also was very tanned,like his wife,and he bared his very white and very even teeth in an angry,furious snarl,and a lock of his dark hair fell over his forehead,like ‘Superman’s. Even when ‘Superman’ eventually found his voice,all he could say,was,”what the…..?” His wife,who was just then stepping out of the shower stall,as naked as the day she was born,said,”you say something,Chuck?”. Then,following the angry,outraged gaze of ‘Superman’ / Chuck’s eyes,she saw me,with her high heeled strappy sandals in my hands,and she,being rather quicker on the uptake than her husband,immediately grasped the true essence of the situation. “Foot pervert!”,she yelled. “Get him,Chuck! Get that son of a bitch! Don’t let him get away,Chuck! I wanna piece of his ass!”. Immediately,like an obedient and well trained attack dog,’Superman’ / Chuck obeyed his wife’s command,and,his hackles well and truly up,his violent intentions were plain to see,as he advanced,menacingly,towards me.and I saw the exact,unmistakable moment,when he prepared to pounce,and to launch himself at me. As I did not have a chunk of kryptonite handy,with which to defend myself,and with which to ward off ‘Superman’ / Chuck,and that I was surely in a decidedly uneven contest in which I had no strategy for,and that there could be only one possible outcome,I acted on the only option open to me,and I hurled one of his wife’s high heeled strappy sandals at his head,before making a run for it. It was a lucky shot. For me,that is. Not for Chuck. The metal tip on the heel of his wife’s high heeled strappy sandal,struck him in the mouth,right between his 2 front,very white and very even teeth,chipping them,and ruining their pristine perfection forever,and also the voice that could melt women’s hearts.

Now,Chuck was more angry than ever,as he glared at me. “Bathtard! I’m gonna have a pieth of your ath!”,he lisped angrily,after me,through his newly chipped teeth,the result of the ‘dental operation’, that I had just presided over,as I threw myself out of the door,in my desperate attempt to escape. But,despite the dire emergency of my escape,I stood rooted to the spot,in shocked amazement,as I stared at the blue expanses of open sea,that greeted my eyes,as it then dawned upon me,that I was sailing on the ocean,that I was aboard a cruise ship! Oh,my God! How on Earth was I going to get myself out of this fine mess? As it was still broad daylight,here,I knew that I must be a long way from England . A long way from home. A cheery yellow flag with blue lettering fluttering in the warm sea breeze,identified the cruise ship as a ‘Club 18 – 25 liner. Looking about me,I saw lots of beautiful girls and ladies lying on sun loungers,some of them waving their feet languidly in the air as they lay on their fronts,lazily crossing their ankles,as they whiled away the day,topping up their tans. But,now was not the time to enjoy those splendid sights,as Chuck’s wife now appeared behind me in the doorway,barefoot,with one of her high heeled strappy sandals in her hand,and with a white towel wrapped around the top of her head,like a turban,with Chuck right beside her,with his fingertips gingerly exploring the brand new gap between his 2 front teeth,his face like thunder,and,for all the world,looking like a human Doberman Pinscher,barely restrained on his leash,by his wife / owner. “I’m gonna have a pieth of hith ath,Thally”,Chuck promised his wife,Sally.

Now,Sally sounded the general alarm,to enlist the sunbathers in their pursuit. “Hey! Stop that guy! He’s a pervert!”. Chuck,with reasons of his own,loyally backed up his wife’s own allegation,shouting,”yeth! He’th thum thort of thyoo kithing thicko!” When I saw some superbly tanned young people vacate their sun loungers,no doubt seeing it as their moral and civic duty as good citizens to aid in my capture,or maybe they were just bored from soaking up the sun all day,and were glad to participate in this small diversion,as a means of relieving their monotony,I ducked into the first corridor that I came to,and then I went into the first room that I came to,only to find myself trapped! I had blundered into the cruise ship’s keep fit gymnasium. At first,I thought that there were over 20 young ladies in the gymnasium, who assailed my ears with their angry and indignant shouts,for so rudely bursting in on their aerobics class. Then,I realised that it was due to the fact that all the walls were lined with mirrors,that caused this illusion,due to all the reflections,and that in reality,there were no more than a dozen young ladies in the gym. They soon fell silent,however,when Sally and Chuck,followed by the posse of young and superbly tanned young people,entered the gym after me,in hot pursuit.

“Now, we’ve got him!”,exulted Sally,with her high heeled strappy sandal,still wielded in her hand,like a deadly weapon. “I’m gonna have a pieth of hith ath!”,promised Chuck again,somewhat unoriginally,and I fearfully retreated,from the press of all these enemies,but,I feared Sally,more than Chuck,more than the rest of them combined,for I knew instinctively,now,to use their own vernacular, that my ass belonged to her,and I was surrounded and trapped,with nowhere to go. “Wait,Chuck!”,commanded Sally. “I want my turn at this little jerk off,first”,she told her husband,with vast authority.To save face,Chuck proudly informed the watching mob of outraged and affronted citizenry,”nobody metheth with my wife! You’ll thoon thee!”. “That’s right,Chuck,and don’t you ever forget it!”,agreed Sally,as she advanced upon me,menacingly,and forcing me back still further,her eyes glinting,full of her promise of the painful retribution,and the humiliating punishment,that she was intent upon visiting upon me. “This is the end game,sucker,and now I’m gonna finish your ass”,promised Sally.

Now,savouring her moment,savouring her power,and savouring the glorious sight of me cringingly cowering before her dreadful,relentless advance, Sally said,somewhat dramatically,as much for the benefit of her rapt,admiring husband,and her excited,anticipating audience,as much as for my benefit,”so,you little foot freak. You like my shoes,then,do you? Well,let me tell you something,you shoe kissing pervert,you shoe licking little jerk off.Before I hand your sorry ass over to the ships Captain,I’m gonna give you a good taste of my shoe,that you aint gonna like so much,sonny. You see what you have done to my Chuck’s teeth,you son of a bitch? Well,that’s what I’m gonna do,to your stupid,pathetic,shoe kissing,shoe licking,jerk off little head!”. Chuck shouted,excitedly,”yeah,baby! Go girl! Let him have it,Thally!”. Thus encouraged,Sally threateningly raised her high heeled strappy sandal,announcing her intent,and then she launched herself at me,delivering her violent promise. I braced myself,against the retributive blows that Sally would now rain down upon my head,with her metal tipped,high heeled strappy sandal, while her mob audience would surely shout and yell their approval and encouragement,as they watched Sally’s merciless flurry of blows shower down upon my head.

Now,in my almost bowel loosening panic and terror,I backed away further,and I could see in Sally’s eyes,that she knew she had me now,at her mercy,with nowhere to run,no escape,trapped! Now,with stunning force,Sally brought down her shoe,the shoe that I had so recently worshipped,powerfully,and viciously,and accurately,and cruelly,and I thought that Sally was going to crack my skull,with her high heeled strappy sandal,as easily and as surely,as she would crack the shell of a boiled egg with her breakfast spoon. Sally’s eyes shone,with a triumphant,vengeful glee. Now,with nowhere left to run,Sally had forced me back,cringingly,to the mirrored wall of the gym,and,as I watched the metal tipped heel of her high heeled strappy sandal descend towards my skull,with great velocity and power,I suddenly found myself thinking,what is Debbie going to say? Then suddenly,and inexplicably,just before Sally’s dreadful blow could reach it’s target,I found that there was now nothing at my back to stop me,to support me,and I found myself falling backwards,as if through space,and then I landed with such a thud,that knocked all the breath out of me,right back in my own living room!

I had come back,I now realized,through the mirrored wall of the ship’s gym,which seemed to have served as some kind of portal. Stunned,and shaken to the core,I sat on my living room floor,and I looked at ‘The Mirror’. I saw a lot of puzzled,perplexed people in the ship’s gym. Not least of which,was Sally,so mysteriously denied of her vengeance. “What the hell,Chuck! Where is the little jerk off?”. “Thyuckth! I dunno,Thally! There’th no thign of the thyoo kithing lother!”,replied Chuck.

I curled up on my living room carpet,foetus like,sweating and trembling in the aftershock of my harrowing experience. I solemnly told myself,that I had been very foolish,that I had been very lucky,that I had just had a very narrow escape,and that,above all,that I would not step through ‘The Mirror’ again. No,I would not. Not ever. But,I knew,even then,that I was kidding myself.

THE MIRROR continues,in Part 8.