The Fate of a Romancer • Complete ✔

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"Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze."
~ Carolyn Gold Heilbrun ~

It is that golden haze that proved to be my biggest problem. I get so lost in the golden haze, that I lose track of reality. So often, that I can't tell between reality and castle-building. Real world and fantasy.

I have no luck with men. Zero. I have yet to meet one that can live up to my daydream. I probably never will.

And that is why I have long since given up on romance. The only love I invest in now is my love for expensive heels. Every Valentine's day I go to my favourite boutique and treat myself to one pair of heels. It's a tradition. And probably the only thing that has kept my romanticism from breaking my heart. Besides, let's face it, the heels will outlast any relationship these days. Swiping plastic is, by far, more satisfying than swiping right.

I sat on my bed and stared at my collection with a sense of pride. Each pair fervently courted through months of longing stares and meticulous saving. A teacher's salary isn't big, but I made it work. I had to.

My first pair was from the Prada collection. Then Saint Laurent's, Balmain's, Gucci's and Jimmy Choo's. I couldn't believe my luck when I found the same Malono's Carrie wore in the Sex and the City series. And they were followed by Louis Vuitton's, Louboutin's, Tom Ford's and the most beautiful Gianvito Rossi's.

This year I have my eye on a pair of Valentino Garavani's. Beautiful, red, rockstud pumps in polka-dot calfskin. Oh, I can almost feel them hugging my feet. They are the perfect heels for this year's Valentine's ball. I can't believe how easily Sabrina roped me in to being a chaperone.

"Niki? Niki? Are you up here?"

Speak of the devil.

"Yes, Bree!" I called back, "And it's Nicole, not Niki. You know I loathe being called Niki."

"Seriously? Why don't I just call you Miss Grant and get it over with?"

I stuck my tongue out at her, as she rounded the corner and entered the room. Sabrina, naturally, returned the gesture. Her large brown eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Let's get this day started," she sang and pulled me up off the bed.

"Aren't you a bit overdressed for shoe shopping?" I asked as we spun around together laughing. She looked really good in that dress. Green was definitely her colour. I couldn't help but admire the way it clung to all the right places. The way her long, blonde hair hung loosely down her bare back. I tugged at the bottom of my blouse. An old habit when comparing my slightly larger figure to the tall lankiness of my best friend.

"No, NikNaks," she responded tapping my nose with her finger, "You are underdressed."

"I'm not," I uttered in defence as I glanced in the mirror. I don't look bad. The turquoise blouse covered my love handles effortlessly, while the black skirt flared just enough to hide, what my mother used to call, my thunder thighs. The heels weren't a pair out of my collection, but they still matched the blouse perfectly.

"Yeah, you look perfect if we were actually going shoe shopping," she laughed and opened my cupboard, "I'm the only one with a car or a drivers license, and this year we're doing something else first. Did I forget to mention that?"

I saw my mouth move in an effort to respond. However, I couldn't think of a response before Sabrina threw a dress into my arms and unceremoniously ordered me to change.