Head Over Heels

Part 5 - Foot in Her Mouth

Neil sat at the tall bar table across from Angie, leaning his hands on each of his knees. Angie couldn't help noticing that they were just about eye-level now.

"Wow, you're finally my height," she giggled and rolled her eyes, looking down at herself.

Neil scrunched his eyebrows and squinted in confusion.

"What?" he asked.

"You know... I'm just so little compared to you," Angie adjusted herself in her seat, looking down at the flats she still wore.

"Oh, I didn't realize my height was such a problem." Neil teased, his ears slightly flushed.

Angie was still glancing down, feeling self-conscious and tucking her feet under her chair.

She and Neil had walked together to The Cantina just a block from the office. She would have normally enjoyed the warmth from Neil's elbow as he brushed against her arm, walking side-by-side. If only she wasn't feeling extra short next to her tall, handsome date.

Suddenly aware of the silence, Angie looked up from the table.

"Huh? Oh no. You're fine... I on the other hand..." her voice trailed off as she rummaged through her purse, looking for her compact and lipgloss, feeling a little flustered after drawing attention to her vertically challenged stature.

Neil cocked his head to one side, waiting for Angie to return his gaze again.

"Busy day?" he asked.

Angie sighed audibly, then forced a laugh as she looked up from her handbag.

"You could say that," she said, finally finding her lip gloss at the bottom of her bag and looking into Neil's face.

His eyes were full of her reflection, looking back at her intently. Listening. Really listening.

Angie smiled, relaxing her tensed shoulders.

"I had a lot of running around to do for the meeting... My feet were killing me."

Angie winced thinking of her bandaged heel.

Neil noticed.

"You poor thing! Morris really runs you ragged, huh?"

Angie playfully sticks out her lower lip and nods, lapping up Neil's delicious sympathy and avoiding her admittance of an extra sprint back home to swap her painful heels.

Neil laughs, smiling with his mouth open.

"Looks like someone needs a foot massage later," he teased.

Angie's smile dropped and she reflexively pulled her flat-clad feet tighter under her tall chair. Then she jumped as she banged her bandaged heel against the bar under her chair, followed by lifting her knee in reflex to pull away from the pain, only to hit the underside of the table, jostling the water glasses and making Angie squint again.

"Whoa! You okay?" Neil asked, steading the table with his large hands on either side of it, leaning over to attempt a peek underneath.

Angie pulled her ankles under her chair again, careful of the bar this time.

"I'm fine," she barked with a squeak of panic. Her voice resembled that of a yapping dog.

"I'm fine," she said again, more controlled.

Neil's eyes were a little wide. Was that from confusion or shock, Angie wondered.

"I'm such a klutz, today," she tried to laugh it off.

Neil forced a smile.

"I'm sure you could use a drink after the day you've had," Neil said.

Angie nodded, then her rumbling stomach reminded her how little she'd eaten today.