Lacy Cunningham sat down on her bed in utter frustration. "I don't have a single thing to wear to the party!" she said aloud. This was going to be the first real office Christmas party she had ever attended and she had nothing suitable to wear!

Lacy had been working for the investment firm Matheson and Grable for almost a year now, having left her previous company when they wouldn't entertain the idea of advancing her.

Lacy had all the prerequisites for becoming a Certified Financial Planner–she had gotten a Bachelor's degree in college and had been working at her past job for three and a half years as an intern.

But when she approached the head of the company about getting her license, he would always blow her off or tell her there weren't any openings for another CFP at the office just then.

Finally, she realized that she wasn't going to advance at that company so she left and came to work for M&G.

While she still hadn't gotten her license yet, her supervisor at M&G had at least promised her a shot at it and the whole office was a lot more supportive and helpful than her last employer.

And in January she would go in to take the exam for certification. If she passed, she would become a Certified Financial Planner and get a healthy promotion and pay raise.

But for now, she just wanted to go to her first office party. Last Christmas at her old company there was an office party around Christmas, but being just an intern, she hadn't been invited.

So this year she was very excited about getting to go and mingle with everyone and feel like a real part of the firm. Only she didn't have anything to wear!

She looked through her meager clothes closet but nothing she had was suitable for a fancy office Christmas party. "Let's face it, Lacy," she said to herself, "you dress like an intern!"

She knew that if she was going to be taken seriously at this, she needed to look the part. She closed her closet doors and went into the dining room. She'd figure something out, she just HAD to! 

She got her dinner started–baked chicken, baby red potatoes, and steamed broccoli–and then sat down to go through the mail while waiting for dinner to cook. As she thumbed through it, mostly just junk mail and a couple of bills, she noticed an advertisement for a credit card.

As she read the information she found out that this card had no annual fee, it had a zero percent introductory interest rate for the first twelve months, and after that, it was the regular twelve percent.

And what really caught her eye was that she had been pre-approved for this card! All she had to do was fill in some personal info, sign it, and send it back in their postage-paid envelope!

Lacy sat there at the table playing with the sample card that came with the promotional brochure. She knew she shouldn't do it, but it would be an easy way to get the money she needed for a new outfit for the party. This party might be a way to network with the people that could put her career on the fast track to her future as a CFP.

She knew that she didn't have the money right now for a new dress, and her father had always been a vehement opponent of buying anything unless you had the money in hand for it. The only exception to his cash-in-hand rule was buying a home.

But Lacy reasoned that her father lived in a different time with a different set of values. Nowadays, you needed to be seen with the right people looking the right way if you expected to be taken seriously. It was all about appearances and the impression you left. And she wanted to leave a good impression on this group.

She decided to do it. Against what her father had tried to instill in her about the "evils of credit cards", she needed that dress and this was the only way she could think of to get it. So after spending a couple of minutes filling out the forms, she sent the application off, eagerly anticipating the shopping yet to come.

A few days later she received her brand new plastic friend. She couldn't wait to go shopping after work tomorrow! She called up her best friend and they planned to make an afternoon of shopping and dinner together afterward.

The next day after work, Lacy ran home to change out of her work clothes and then drove over to her best friend's house to pick her up. 

"Hi, April! Are you ready for some shopping?" Lacy said when April answered the door.

"I sure am! Just let me grab my purse!" she said. April got her purse and locked the front door and the two of them headed for the Brookstone Plaza, the biggest shopping center in town.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the Plaza from April's house, and they chatted along the way.

By the time the girls arrived, they were buzzing with excitement. Lacy found a parking place fairly close to the big glass doors of the Plaza and they went inside. Just inside the front doors of the Plaza was a large pedestal directory that showed the location of all the shops in the multi-level Plaza.

This was a huge place and a one-stop shop for everything from housewares to auto parts to toys to sporting goods... just about anything you wanted could be found here.

But the girls knew what they were after and they knew the boutique they wanted was on the second floor. So they made their way to the escalator and rode it up to the second level, then walked down the hallway to Elegance, the clothing boutique they were headed to.

Both girls had been in Elegance before, window shopping, so they knew what kinds of clothes and accessories they carried. Lacy had stopped by just a couple days earlier to see the latest offering and noticed a sexy red floor-length dress she wanted another look at.

She had secreted the dress away behind some other clothes and hoped that no one had noticed it there. She went right to where she had stashed it. "Here it is! It's still here! Can you believe it, April!" Lacy said excitedly. "Isn't it just a dream dress?"

"Ooh, it does look nice! You have to try it on, let's see how it looks on you!" April said.

Lacy took the dress into the changing room and tried it on. She came out to show April and get her opinion of it. "Well, what do you think, April?" Lacy said.

"Oh, honey! You look... amazing! This is your dress, Lacy... it looks like it was made just for you! It's gorgeous!" April said excitedly.

"I think so too! Oh, April, I'm going to get it!" Lacy said. "I know it's more than I should spend but I want to look extra-special at the Christmas party–after all, I will be bumping elbows with the people who can really boost my career up!"

"Yeah," April agreed. "Now how about shoes, do you have any shoes that work with this dress?"

"No, I'm afraid the only heels I have are my black ones and they wouldn't work very well with this dress!" she said.

"That's your next stop then!" April said with a big grin.

The girls took the dress up to the cashier and Lacy laid down her brand new credit card to pay for it. After they had finished, they took their purchase and walked down the Plaza to a shoe store to look for heels for her dress.

The girls looked at several styles and types of shoes but nothing really seemed to be perfect. They were starting to get discouraged when the owner of the shoe store, a kindly old man, came out to see if he could help them personally.

"Ladies, may I be of assistance?" he said as he came out from the back of the store.

"Yes, please. We have looked at dozens of pairs of shoes, but can't seem to find anything we like that would go with this dress!" Lacy said, the frustration obvious in her voice.

"Karen, I will handle this," he told the girl that was helping Lacy and April. She went out to see if she could help another customer leaving the girls in the owner's care.

"My name is Thomas Brinkman, and I am the owner of this store," he said introducing himself.

"Hello Mr. Brinkman, My name is Lacy and this is April. I have a Christmas party coming up and it's very important I look my absolute best.

The people at this party can make or break my career and I have to make a good impression on them if I am to advance in my job. So I need to find the perfect shoes for my new dress but I can't seem to find anything. Please say you can help me!" Lacy explained.

"I see. Well, I am sure that Karen has done all she could to help you, she really is very good at her job. I'll tell you what, I have one pair of shoes in the back that I think might just be what you are after. Let me go get them and we'll see," he said.

He went into the back room of the store and came out with a box a couple of minutes later.

"These are very special shoes... the only pair I have. But I think they will work for you," he said. He opened the box and Lacy and April saw the most beautiful pair of red peep-toe stiletto heels they had ever seen!

"Ooh!" the girls said in unison. "They are gorgeous!" Lacy added.

"Oh, I hope they fit you, Lacy!" April said anxiously.

"Don't worry about that. These shoes have a special ability to fit whoever wears them," Mr. Brinkman said. Lacy took a seat in a nearby chair and Mr. Brinkman got the shoes ready for her.

He slipped the shoes on her feet and Lacy stood. Sure enough, the shoes fit like they were custom made for her!

"How do they feel Lacy?" April asked.

"They feel... like I'm not wearing heels at all! They are more comfortable than my slippers at home! Oh my god, these shoes are amazing!" Lacy said.

"Well, they sure look amazing!" April said.

"I'll take them!" Lacy announced, and she took them off to put them back in the box.

"I must tell you something about these shoes. They were made in a small town in the Satu-Mare region of northern Romania by a small shoemaker that lives there. They are one-offs, meaning this is the only pair in existence and they have... magical properties," he said.

"Magical properties? C'mon, you're joking right?" Lacy said skeptically.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not kidding. These shoes, when worn, will make you irresistible to anyone who sees you with them on. Male or female whoever sees you in these shoes will be uncontrollably attracted to you.

"So you'd better be sure that you want these shoes, and if you do decide to get them, be very careful who sees you in them!" he said.

"Well I've already tried them on and nothing happened," she pointed out.

"That's because you haven't bought them. They don't know that they are yours yet. Once you buy them–if you do–and the shoes realize that you own them, the magic will take effect and you will become irresistible in them," he explained.

Lacy and April looked at each other. "That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! But I love the shoes, so I will take them," Lacy said.

The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders and went about putting the shoes back in the box and ringing up the sale. Lacy and April left the store afterward, with the shoes in hand. 

At dinner a few minutes later, they talked a bit about the shoes and what the shopkeeper had told them. "Do you believe what that crazy old shoe salesman said about your shoes, Lacy? Have you ever heard of such nonsense?" April said.

"Yeah, it's right out of one of the fairy tales we used to read when we were younger. Real Cinderella stuff!" she giggled.

"Well if it's true, then that will work in your favor... you haven't exactly been burning up the dating scene lately!" April said.

"I know... it's just that good guys are so hard to find anymore. And I'm getting real tired of kissing toads looking for my prince!" Lacy sighed wearily.

They chatted about the upcoming Christmas party and what Lacy hoped to accomplish by talking and socializing with the bigwigs at the corporate party.

She told April of her plans to take the exam and if she passed how she would become a Certified Financial Planner–her goal for her career.

"Well, of course, I hope everything works out for you, honey. You deserve to get all you reach for. You have been a good friend for a long time, and I can't think of anyone who deserves this more than you!" April said.

"Thank you, sweetie," Lacy said, hugging her friend tightly.

It was a week and a half later and the day of the big party had arrived. Lacy was all aflutter the whole day long waiting for the evening to hurry up and get here.

The party was supposed to start at 8:00 pm and was being held in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency, one of the newest and fanciest hotels in town.

That morning she got up and took a shower making sure she shaved her legs and underarms perfectly smooth. She had made an appointment for her hair and nails to be done at the local beauty salon so that was her next stop.

When she got to the salon, she looked through fashion magazines, particularly at the hairstyles. She knew she wanted some kind of "up-do" to make her seem more glamorous and sophisticated.

With her long black hair, she also wanted a tiara hair accent... nothing too big or gaudy, just something to add a little flash to her hair.

The girl at the salon knew just what she wanted and set about to make Lacy the "Belle of the Ball"!

 After a couple of hours of primping and polishing, Lacy's day of beauty was finished. Annie, the beautician taking care of her, turned Lacy around and she was completely blown away at how she looked.

"Oh, Annie! Is that really me?" she said, not recognizing the gorgeous person looking back at her in the mirror.

"That's you, honey, what do you think?" Anie asked.

"Oh my god... I-I look like a princess!" she gasped.

"You ARE a princess, Lacy. Now you go to your Christmas party and you knock 'em dead!" Annie said. 

"Thank you, Annie, thank you for everything. I will!" Lacy said as she left to go home.

Soon it was time to get dressed and ready to head to the hotel for the party. Lacy put on her skimpy red bikini panties and her best pair of dark brown thigh-top stockings.

She thought about wearing a bra but with the deep plunging front (it dipped down nearly to her navel) she thought a bra wouldn't work. Besides, she thought a little nipple bump might just add that wow factor she was after!

Once she was dressed she stepped into the bathroom to put on her makeup. Annie at the salon had given her some tips about evening makeup and what would look good on her in this situation and with her dress.

She suggested dark eye shadow, darker on the outer eyes with a lighter shimmering silver towards the inner corner, mascara, and a thin hint of dark color under her eyes to make them pop. Some red glossy lipstick and a bit of blush to color her cheekbones and she was ready. She went into the bedroom and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She looked devastating. 

Her red dress fit her like a glove. The deep plunging front accentuated her full, firm breasts and the racy slit from floor to her hip was sure to attract the men's eye. The dress had a deep scooped back down to the small of her back.

"Oh my God!" she gasped aloud as she surprised herself with how good she looked. She glanced up at the clock; it was time to head to the hotel. She slipped on her shoes–the "magic" shoes that the shopkeeper had sold her–and headed to her car.

She drove to the Hyatt Regency Hotel and parked her car in an empty space. She walked towards the lobby of the hotel and just as she got close to the door a man walked out. 

The man, older than her by a few years, noticed her right off and he walked past her, unable to take his eyes off her. She heard a noise behind her, and turned to see that the man had walked into a pole holding up the hotel entrance canopy!

Lacey smiled to herself, thinking it was just her dress or her looks that caused his inattention. She walked on into the hotel lobby and it was then that she noticed all the men (and some women) around her had stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

Conversations between hotel guests were put on hold, people walking by stopped in their tracks, even the elevator operator held the door open so he could watch her! The attendant at the front counter didn't hear the ringing of the phone he was so enamored by her and taxicabs didn't move from the front of the building as the drivers hoped to get a longer glimpse of her.

All this attention was starting to become a bit unsettling for Lacy. Sure, she wanted to make an appearance and wanted to get the attention of those who might be able to fast-track her career, but this much attention and gawking was just unnerving!

She moved quickly through the hotel lobby and down the hallway towards the ballroom following the signs posted. She reached the door to the ballroom winded and had to take a couple of moments to gather herself before going inside. Fortunately for her, the ballroom was at the end of a rather long hallway with a couple bends in it so she was able to avoid most of the onlookers.

When she had recovered and composed herself, she opened the door to the lavishly decorated ballroom, a large open room with a very tall ceiling and huge hanging chandeliers.

At one end of the ballroom was a ten-piece band, playing different styles of big band, jazz, and swing music. Along another wall was a long buffet table and bar at the end. There were several couples out on the huge dance floor and others milling about on the edges.

Lacy stepped into the ballroom and was looking around at all the beautiful people with their fancy dresses and clothes. This was everything she dreamed it would be–her first formal Christmas party! As Lacy took it all in, the music suddenly stopped and all eyes turned to her.

Men and women stood slaw-jawed as she fidgeted nervously under their stares. Finally, after what seemed to her like ages, a man came up to her and, without saying a word, reached out and offered her his hand. She took it gratefully and the music started again and things began moving again as if the "freeze" button on the evening had been lifted!

The man escorted Lacy to the middle of the dance floor and gave a nod to the band who started a slow song for him. They began dancing with him holding her close. He was a very good dancer and Lacy noticed he was also quite handsome as well.

However, she didn't recognize him for the life of her! Who was this man, her rescuer turned dance partner? She thought she knew everyone from the company, at least the people in her office. But she had never laid eyes on this man... she would have remembered if she had!

Lacy wracked her brain trying to figure out the puzzle as she danced, not saying anything for fear of saying something foolish and ruining the moment. She didn't dare ask him his name, as that would have given her away. All she could hope was that the dance would pass without having to speak.

"You are Miss Cunningham, am I right?" he said as they danced.

Oh shit! He knows who I am! she thought. "Y-yes, Sir. Lacy Cunningham. But you have me at a disadvantage... I do not know your name Sir," she said.

"That's understandable. I don't get to the branch offices very often–unless there's trouble. My name is Richard Matheson," he said.

Richard Matheson? she thought. And then it hit her. OH MY GOD! I'm dancing with the head of the company!

Lacy pulled back to look at him with an incredulous look in her face. He chuckled, "Yes, that's right I'm the big bad boss man!"

Embarrassed and red as her dress, she pulled him close again putting her head on his shoulder so he wouldn't see her red cheeks and wide eyes. "Oh My God" she mouthed to herself.

"I must say, Miss Cunningham, you are looking particularly stunning tonight. I noticed you the moment you came through the door and I said to myself 'Richard, you have to dance with the most beautiful creature at the party–after all, it's your privilege as the boss!'" he whispered in her ear as they danced.

Lacy could feel her knees get wobbly at his words and she clutched him all the tighter for fear of falling. He responded in kind, holding her tighter around the waist as well.

She melted into him, so taken with him and with the circumstances of their meeting. He thinks I'm the most beautiful woman here! she thought smiling, still in awe of who this man she was being held by.

She came to the party to network with people in the office that could further her career. She wanted to move up the company ladder, to be one of the people who others looked up to. She was tired of being someone's secretary–she wanted to have her own secretary! She wanted someone to fetch her coffee for a change!

But now she was dancing with the head of Matheson and Grable, Mr. Matheson himself! And he thought she was the most beautiful woman at the party! It was almost more than she could comprehend!

The music ended and the two took a small step backward, joining the rest of the room in applauding for the song. "Miss Cunningham, could I get you something to drink from the bar?" he asked. 

"Please call me Lacy, Sir. And a mimosa would be nice, Thank you," she said. 

"Tell you what... I'll call you Lacy if you call me Richard. If we are going to be on a first-name basis, it has to work both ways. Deal?" he said, holding out his hand.

Lacy smiled softly and took his hand, shaking it. "Deal... Richard," she said.

"Good. Let me get that mimosa for you now," he said. As he stood up he put a hand on her shoulder lightly. "Don't go anywhere, gorgeous!" 

Lacy was thankful that he walked away without turning back... he would have seen her fall apart at his compliment!

By the time Richard returned she had somewhat gathered her wits about her again. They sat there at the table talking as they sipped their drinks.

Richard knew he should be mingling with the others at the party, it was his responsibility to at least socialize with as many people at these parties as he could. But he couldn't seem to tear himself away from his very attractive companion.

Lacy was perfectly happy sitting there talking with Richard as well. She had worried that once she got to the party she would be a wallflower of sorts, just sitting there waiting for someone to come up and talk to her or ask her to dance.

She wasn't all that well known, especially by the people that counted, and so she figured she would be relegated to the "working class", the secretaries and office staff. That was where she was now, it was not the step up she was after tonight.

But here she was talking and having a good time with the head of the company himself. And she was able to talk with him on a level that impressed him too, he didn't feel like he was talking to some mere paper-pushing file girl. He was enjoying the conversation just as much as she was.

The night wore on and Lacy and Richard danced several more dances, had a few more drinks, and talked most of the evening away. Neither was in any hurry for this night to end. Lacy was in awe of Richard and hung on every word he said. Richard was equally captivated by the lovely and intelligent Lacy.

As the evening began to close and a handful of people called in a night and began leaving, they came by to say goodnight to Richard. They pretty much ignored the young woman who had stolen the boss away from them, but Lacy couldn't care less–she had Richard's full attention and nothing else mattered.

Just as they finished the drinks they had been working on, Richard sucked in a deep breath, as if he had something important to ask. "Lacy, I have had a wonderful time talking and dancing with you tonight. So wonderful, in fact, that I don't want it to end. I know this breaks all employer-employee protocol, but would you consider coming back to my hotel and... spending the night?" he asked cautiously.