Some cool office shoes sale images:
Wonderful office shoes sale:
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Rain boots.
Mark was a quiet father. When he spoke, he had an unassuming nature within his voice — flat and even toned. It was unique in its own unremarkableness; he talked about his extended unemployment and unborn daughter, which was due any day now, with the same intensity as when he talked about the mail that arrived that afternoon or the weather report.
The three of them – his pregnant wife, himself and their twelve year old daughter, Issy – were having dinner. Steaks, salad, and coffee. Mark wanted steak that day, so he took a side trip to the grocery store after dropping Issy off at school. It was only a fifteen minute walk for her, but since it was snowing and since he was home, he woke up early to take her.
Besides the employees, the grocery store was empty when he got there. He ordered three cuts of rib eye from the butcher and asked the butcher to make the last one extra small. "It’s for my daughter. She doesn’t eat much”, Mark said.
He bought a new bag of coffee while browsing for sale items. The bag said that it was a special San Francisco roast and was packaged in a red bag with an illustration of the Golden Gate Bridge across the front.
Mark missed San Francisco. They went together three months ago, just before the third trimester of Vanessa’s pregnancy, before it came too risky to travel far or by flight. They flew in from their home in Ontario and stayed at his brother’s place in The Mission. Mark’s brother had a home right across from Dolores Park. They went to the Museum of Modern Arts, shopped at Haight and Ashbury, bought books at City Light and took the BART to Berkeley, had dinners in North Beach and Chinatown, walked along Crissy Field and so many other things in those two weeks. Issy enjoyed it the most and she cried the morning they had to leave. "Let her stay, come on Mark. Summer’s going to be over, what does a few days of school matter in the end, she’s going to end up missing some anyway right?" But there was no way he’d allow Issy to fly back on her own. She was only twelve.
He passed by the diaper sale and bought another box. They only got one the last trip here since it was one per customer. He found an abandoned cart in the vegetables section (he came in without one, not expecting to buy much) and texted Issy. "Psst. I’m at the grocery, you want anything?" He maneuvered around the store while waiting for her response. He’d figured she was smart enough to reply without getting her phone taken away.
"Snickers,” it came.
So he went into the candy aisle and grabbed two king size bars of Snicker. Got half way to the check out lane, paused, and turned the cart up towards the liquor aisle. How long had it been since he last had scotch? Never mind. He scratched the back of his hand, grabbed a few Kit-Kat bars instead and was on his way.
"Oh Mark! How are you?" the cashier woman said. Her name was Julie and she lived down the street from their home. Mark use to carpool with her husband, Gavin, when they were working together. And Issy had walked to school together with their daughter, Beatrice. They were all friendly back then. But that was months ago. Then Mark lost his job. Then Issy called Beatrice a bitch.
Julie had made a big fuss about it at the time it happened. It was in September, just after they got back from their trip in San Francisco. Mark tried not to laugh as Julie complained over the phone. It was on the same day that he was suppose to leave the office. Just hours after. All the boxes were jammed into the backseat and trunk of the car. Mark listened to Julie tell him how rude and uncontrollable his daughter was that morning while he waited at the stoplight a few blocks away from his office.
Instead of going home, Mark went to the shopping mall, bought an extra large smoothie from the food court and wandered around. I could use some new shoes, he thought. He had worn the same pair of dark brown Oxfords for the past year. He had other shoes, but this one was his go-to pair. Now it was time to replace them. He looked at a pair of Mephistos. They were also dark brown, but looked thinner and more sleek. If Vanessa was here she would say that it made him look sharp. He tried them on and they were comfortable too. These would be good for work. He stood for a second while looking at himself in the mirror with one new shoe on. He sat down and boxed them back up, instead of waiting for the sales person to get them, he left it on the seat and left the mall.
Mark surprised Issy by appearing in front of her school parking lot, in plain view of the front gate where the students exited. It would be impossible to find a spot this good at three in the afternoon, so he got there at two and waited the hour in his car reading the new book he borrowed from the library on the way there, Nemesis by Philip Roth. It was about school kids being paralyzed with polio. Looking at the school buildings now, he felt rather gloomy and put the book away. There was only fifteen minutes left, he got got out of the car, crossed his arms and leaned against the car with his back against the passenger side door.
"Aren’t you suppose to be at work?" Issy said. She said this matter-of-factly, but not in a mean or spiteful way. She spoke this way to everyone. About everything.
"Nope, we’re going to McDonalds. Get in." He opened the car door for her. "You’ll have to put your backpack by your feet. The car’s a bit full in the back."
Issy looked into the backseat.
"Did you get fired?"
"Something like that. I was let go. Don’t worry though, we’ll be fine."
"I’m not worried. Have you told mom?"
"Not yet. We’ll tell her after McDonalds."
Mark turned the radio on and they drove to the McDonalds across the street from the school. Issy waved at some of her friends who were walking home. They were crossing the street on the other side of the intersection and were waving back. Mark drove extra slow as he made the u-turn.
"What do you want?"
"A Big Mac."
"You sure that’s not too much? Maybe you’d better get some Chicken Nuggets."
"No. It’s snowing, I’m done with school, it’s a Friday, and I want a Big Mac."
"Don’t blame me if you can’t finish it then. Go find somewhere to sit." As Issy walked away, Marked turned around. "Not in the play area either," he said. She didn’t reply and sat down by the window as Mark waited for the order.
Mark didn’t get anything for himself besides a Coke. He realized he hadn’t eaten anything all day but he felt fine. He could still feel the fruit smoothie like a lump of meat in his stomach. He looked Issy’s face. She resembled her mom more, though he was proud to know that they would eventually share the same eyesight, once her eyes stabilized. She had the same astigmatism, the same irregularly shaped cornea and lens, that caused her nearsightedness. And she was already wearing the same kind of thick rimmed glasses at the same age he started wearing them, though during his time, it made him a target for bullies instead. And her hair, unlike her mom, which was straight and thin, came down in thick waves that curled gently around at the middle of the strand like his.
"What are you staring at?" Issy said.
"You."
"Why? You’re creeping me out. You’re not emo now are you because you lost your job?"
"Definitely not. I got a call from Beatrice’s mom today. She wasn’t happy…now don’t roll your eyes yet…–"
"But!"
Mark put both hands in the air, palms forward and then put them back down. Issy put her hand over her mouth to stop herself.
"But…you shouldn’t call someone a bitch unless they really deserve it. Now tell me. Why did you?"
Issy took a big bite out of her Big Mac. She made an elaborate show of chewing and then swallowing.
"Here, wash it down before you start talking," Mark said. He set her soda down so that it was closer to her left hand. She was left handed like Vanessa after all.
Mark put his elbows on the table and locked his fingers together. He set his chin on top of them and waited. He realized he had been taking less care to shave ever since he got his notice two weeks ago. His stubble was long enough that it actually bent before his chin touched the back of his hand; he never noticed this before, but maybe it was always like this.
"She kept talking about how nice her rain boots were and how expensive they were. Dr. Martens this and Dr. Martens that. I got sick of hearing it. I mean she was talking about it yesterday morning too. I hate show offs so I told her, ‘You’ve been going on about it all morning, just because you have Dr. Martens now, doesn’t mean you have to be a bitch about it’. That’s all, I swear," Issy said.
"You did. Literally." Mark reached across the table and tussled the hair at the top of her head. He squeezed her scalp with his fingertips in a massaging motion. "That’s not a good reason dear. Don’t let it happen again hm?". Mark frowned. Issy’s face softened every time he frowned.
"Are you going to make me call her mom and say sorry?"
"No. Why would I do a thing like that?"
"I’m good. Thank you for asking," Mark said. He pretended to be busy with reading the headlines of the tabloid magazines instead of looking directly at Julie. To do so, would invite more conversation and probing and he didn’t want that. She was the kind of person that irritated him because he knew that whatever he told her, it’d make its way to everyone else on the street. The whole thing with Beatrice had turned Issy into the black-sheep of the block after Julie made her rounds, which Issy seemed to enjoy. But Mark knew this was not good for a twelve year old or his family.
Already, upon seeing him, he felt stupid for not changing before he came out. Then again, he hadn’t planned to come here at all. And why should he change for something as routine as this. But, grocery shopping at eight in the morning in his pajamas and baseball cap, with nothing but a thick trench coat over it was an obvious tell however he spun it. Not to him, but to outsiders. Like Julie. He felt her eyes scan over his shabby appearance.
"How’s Issy and Vanessa?"
"They’re good too. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"That’s great to know, she’s due isn’t she?"
"Issy? There’s still a few days left until holiday."
"No of course not. I mean Vanessa and the new baby."
"No. I’m fine. So is Vanessa, due any day now," Mark smiled. He walked to the edge of the lane and began bagging the groceries before Julie had even started ringing up the candy bars.
"Listen Mark, I say this to you as a dear friend, if you ever need any help or anything, just let me know." Julie put her hand on his shoulder. It reminded him that their families use to be close, he didn’t like this. "Gavin and I, we’re not well off, but we’re doing alright considering things. Don’t hesitate to let us know whatever it is." She looked directly into his eye and the only thing Mark could think of were Dr. Martens; yeah, you’re doing aright.
"No, everything’s fine." Mark smiled again, "Thanks for asking though. I’ll tell Vanessa you said ‘hi’. How much is it?" Mark said.
"It’s .57."
"Thanks."
"Credit or debit"
"Credit."
"Take care. Remember what I said. Don’t hesitate to let us know," Julie said.
Mark grabbed the handle bars of the cart and rolled it outside without looking back. The snow made it too thick to get to his car at the back end of the parking lot so he took the bags out and walked. Then he came back and took the diapers.
After getting home, he spent the rest of the day sending his resume and cover letter out while Vanessa stayed on the sofa watching re-runs of Friends on DVD from the sofa. It was better that she keep occupied and focused on the lives of Chandler, Phoebe, Monica, Rachel and Ross than on when the baby was coming and his job status. He hoped it would come soon too. Everyone was stressed.
Occasionally, Vanessa would drift into periods of sleep as she always did in the afternoons. She was on leave for the month and they now spent a lot of time alone together with Issy at school. They didn’t realize how little of it they had before and now, except for the sound of his typing and the drone of the TV, they were silent. It was a peaceful quiet. It was too bad she was pregnant, he thought.
He paused the DVD so that when she woke up she wouldn’t miss anything. During these times, he looked at her stomach. She had grown so large that he had to think hard of how she looked before all of this. He cupped his hands and put his ear to the surface and tried to listen. It was always the faint sensation of hearing the wind from inside a cave or tunnel. "You better be worth it," he kissed Vanessa’s belly button, "because I’m going to go crazy. Give my wife back to me." Then he went back to work.
Vanessa woke up with a start after an hour and wiped the drool from her mouth with the back of her hand. She didn’t care anymore. She rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"
"It’s 2:30," Mark said, "Don’t worry, I’ll pick her up soon."
"How’s the job search?"
"Nothing new."
"I don’t understand why they let you go instead of Gavin. You’re talented. Everyone likes you. You’ve been there longer and you’re a better writer than he is. You don’t have to be nice about it anymore either. You’re better. I’ve read Gavin’s stuff before. Fuck. You got Gavin his job."
Vanessa woke up in a bad mood. Mark could tell. It happened once in a while.
"Gavin’s a friendlier person. The boss likes him and he has his masters degree. You know how it is."
"Still, it’s not right. If it’s as big of a deal as you make it sound then why don’t you get one yourself instead of using it as a crutch."
Mark got up and began tidying the things around the desk.
"Never mind baby. Just go back to sleep hm? I’ll get ready and pick up Issy. Besides, maybe it’s better that I’m home with you for now while you’re like this." He released a small laugh that resembled a sigh.
"Like what? I’m sorry if I’m a bitch to you but this baby -"
"I mean, home with you when you’re…," Mark made a crescent moon shaped motion over his stomach.
"I’m sorry." Her self-awareness returned.
Mark put his netbook on the coffee table, put his baseball cap on and took his coat off the hanger. "It’ll be fine. Just rest. We still have savings for the next few months and you still have a job. We’ll be fine."
Vanessa had been delirious. The baby was due yesterday and the unfulfilled expectation of having it due yesterday but not arrive(it was never an exact science, they knew this, everyone knows this) put Vanessa on edge. They were getting antsy. The bills contributed to this feeling. They hadn’t even started on Christmas gifts. No one even mentioned it. She unpaused the DVD. "Thanks babe. I’m just worried," and continued watching. She was on the episode where Ross was trying to put his leather pants back on but they didn’t fit. She laughed out loud on the sofa and Mark was able to smile, sincerely this time.
"I’ll make you a nice steak for dinner tonight. Maybe it’ll push the baby out." He thought it was strange that they still referred to their second daughter as "the baby", as if she was something abstract and outside of them. Soon, it would only be Lorelei.
Issy took her coffee with two cubes of sugar and had the habit of having to drink it down before even touching her foot. "Shouldn’t you be drinking that after you finish?" Mark asked her once.
"No. I need energy to eat," she said. Mark didn’t bother asking after that. Without saying so, he agreed.
"God. Issy, what’s your problem? Your food would get cold," Vanessa would say. Or something to this effect.
"Nothing."
"You’re being weird."
"Yeah."
"Suit yourself then. Don’t blame me if you get a stomachache."
The rainy season had just started and the winds shook the windows of their house. "I’m going to open it just a smidge, is that okay?" Mark looked at his wife. This would ease the impact as it buffered up against the glass. It was so strong he worried that the window behind of the kitchen sink, where he stood in front of while washing the dishes, could shatter. It had picked up out of nowhere on the way home from school.
"How was school today?" Vanessa said. She was hanging out in the living room with Issy.
"It was good. I’m behind on my school work but I’m getting better. Mr. Long, my English teacher hasn’t come to work the whole week and we’ve had a substitute. All we do is watch the movies. Today, we watched Starship Troopers and he asked us if he could forward through all the boring parts to the action scenes."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow and looked over at him. Mark pretend coughed.
Last week, Issy had came down with the flu. whenever she talked, her voice sounded as if she had been smoking for the last four years of her young life. She missed half a week of school and spent the time reading Mark’s book shelf instead of doing her homework. "What does a few days matter anyway, she’s going to miss them anyway?" Mark remembered his brother’s words.
Though the fevers and coughs subsided, her voice was unchanged. It made Mark laugh. He brought in the voice recorder after dinner and set it on the coffee table in the living room, "Alright! I’m ready to hear about your day at school," he said triumphantly, arriving from the kitchen. Instead, he was greeted with a sofa cushion flying towards his face. Issy turned and stuck her tongue out at him, "You don’t throw stuff at people with glasses," he said. And threw it back. It hit her feet and fell to the floor. She was laying on her stomach across the love seat with her feet kicking back and forth in the air.
"Issy? Are you okay babe?," he said. She ignored him and went back to reading her book, The Great Gatsby. "I read that when I was in school too. It’s great isn’t it?"
"Yeah I like it a lot."
"Whose your favorite character?"
"Jay."
"Why?"
"Because he’s The Great Gatsby."
"Hm. I see. That’s very thoughtful. Aren’t you too young to be reading that by the way?"
"No." Issy lowered her book and turned back to look at him. "Mr. Long said it’s never too early to read a good book."
"Hm. He could be right."
Mark went over and kissed the top of Issy’s head. "You don’t stay up too late." He picked recorder up and went back to the bedroom. Vanessa was laying on her back with both hands across the top of her exaggerated stomach. With her silver night gown on, it looked like the crest of a sand dune at night. He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed it. It was smoother than remembered.
"How’s Issy?"
"She’s fine. She still has a sore throat though."
"Poor thing. It must be the weather. We should get her some new scarves. And the coffee…Mark."
"Don’t worry, she’s a smart girl. It’s Winter and kids get sick. It comes and goes." Mark clicked the TV and light off from the edge of the bed, "Let’s see what happens tomorrow. She’ll be fine when the baby comes."
"How do you know that?"
"I do. She may look like you but she’s more like me."
"What about the baby?"
"Who knows. I hope she’s like neither of us. Kidding."
"We haven’t decided on a middle name yet."
"How about Jay?"
"But that’s a boy’s name."
"Why not?"
"Let’s talk about it tomorrow. I’m tired now."
Mark could feel another one of her moods setting in.
"We should go out tomorrow, it’s better than staying home all day like this. I want to buy Issy some new shoes too."
"Only if it stops raining tomorrow."
Wonderful office shoes sale:
My Office, 1
Image by coffeechica
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