The boots he handed me were. . .well, they were perfect. They were a red leather, with similar tooling to the boots I held in my hands, but they were long and had a zipper up the side. They had a three inch broad heel. They were also obviously women's boots.

---

I slipped into the store, which could be best be called a boutique, just as the proprietor ushered the previous customer out.

"You haven't heard the last of me! I'll sue you over this!"

"Sir, please, this just isn't becoming."

"But the shoes don't fit."

"If they were purchased in this store, then they always fit. Have a nice day."

I startled a bit when the door was slammed, well as much as a door on a hydraulic hinge can be slammed. The bell was loud at least.

I took a deep breath and sighed. "Maybe this store isn't for me."

What was I doing? A friend at the law school had suggested that I come in here for a pair of boots. He'd told me that they had the most wonderful fit, and wearing them just brought out a sense of personal. . .wholeness. Well that's how he described it.

I looked around the store and wondered if I had the right place. The boots all seemed to be in women's styles, so I walked outside, and, sure enough, the sign read Henry Harrelson's Custom Fit Boots.

The older gentleman stood there looking at me expectantly. Taking a deep breath I stepped forward. "Mr. Harrelson I presume?"

"Oh, so formal. Henry is fine, dear."

"Um. . .I'm a guy." I'd gotten this confusion a lot recently. I don't know why everyone else assumed incorrectly, but I could tell who I was when I looked in the mirror. Well, it was obvious to me. It's also part of the reason I'd taken to wearing a two day growth of stubble on my face.

Unfortunately I'd shaved this morning.

"So sorry, it's just. . ." He looked around the store, as if trying in vain to see a pair of men's boots.

Well, that's what I was doing.

"My friend suggested I get a pair of boots here."

"Yes, Robert was a joy to fit. Don't get many like him in here, but there aren't many like him, are there? I understand he's quite a catch. You should consider yourself lucky."

"Um. . ." I blushed bright red. "I'm not gay."

"I never said you were, dear. I'm so sorry. I usually don't get so ahead of myself. My wife tells me I need to be more circumspect in my dealings, but it is just so much fun here."

The smile he gave me was so beatific that for a moment I thought I saw a halo of light surrounding his head. I blinked and it was gone. Just a trick of the light, I'm sure.

"So, Andrew, what will we get for you. . .You know, I do have the perfect pair of boots for you, but if you're not ready for them, then they could. . ."

"The perfect pair?" I was a little skeptical that there could be anything in this world perfect for me.

"Like I said, if you're not ready. . .that's my concern. Let's step back here a ways, and yes, here we are. I pride myself on a perfect fit. Unfortunately you don't seem like the perfect fit type of person."

He handed me a very nice, manly, dress boot. It had some tooling on the side, and a low heel. For a moment I found myself wishing that the heel were a little higher. I'd always thought that 5'3" was much too short, and not just because I was a man.

"It fits perfectly." I said after I'd slipped them on and walked back and forth a bit. I'd never had a pair of boots, or even shoes, that felt the way that these did.

"I never said I couldn't find a pair of boots that fit your foot perfectly, dear. I simply said you weren't ready for the boots that fit you perfectly."

"What's the difference?"

"Come back over here, and I'll let you try on the perfect boot for you."

The boots he handed me were. . .well, they were perfect. They were a red leather, with similar tooling to the boots I held in my hands, but they were long and had a zipper up the side. They had a three inch broad heel. They were also obviously women's boots.

I'd never seen a pair of boots I wanted to try on more, and almost before I knew what I was doing I had both of them on and zipped up.

I stood up and walked around in them a bit. I was 5'6" for a moment. It was beautiful. They boot was so comfortable that it almost felt as if it weren't there at all. It completely supported my calf, and even thought I was almost on tip toe, or so it felt, I didn't feel the pressure pinching my feet.

A smile spread across my face, and I almost pranced back and forth in the store getting the feel of the boot.

The smile vanished all too quickly from my face, however. They were women's boots.

Sadly I took them off and handed them back to the shopkeeper. "I'm sorry, Henry, but I can only afford one pair of boots."

"You haven't even heard the price yet."

"Robert said you charged him about two hundred dollars."

"Ah, but he purchased a different pair of boots. Both of these are only a hundred dollars each. And I happen to be having a two for one special right now."

"Oh but I couldn't." I looked longingly at the red boots. Maybe I could get away with wearing them. They were so comfortable feeling. Maybe once in a while. . .

"I'm not sure." I felt the normal indecision falling over me.

"That's the best reason for the two for one sale. You don't have to choose now. Get both pair of boots. Some days, if you feel like the one, wear it, and some days, if you feel like the other wear that."

I paid for the boots.

"Would you like to wear one of them out of the store?"

I looked longingly at the red boots. They fit me so well, but I went with the others. They fit well enough, I supposed.

I looked at the time and rushed out of the store with a passing, "Thank you, Henry."

I'm not sure if he answered me.

I tossed the red boots in the back seat, and drove to the campus. All the way there, I kept looking at the boots on the rear seat.

What would it hurt? They were just boots after all. I was wearing jeans, and they would easily cover most of the boot. I could get away. . .

No, I'd know. It was a women's boot. I was a man, or at least I tried to prove to everyone I was.

But they felt so good. . .I almost crashed into the back of a truck stopped at a red light just outside of campus, so I decided to make the rest of the drive with my eyes on the road.

I tried not to think of the sirens in the back seat calling to me, but I couldn't help it. They were so. . .pretty.

I smiled at the thought. I'd never been considered pretty, and wondered if I could pull it off. Wait, it was the boots that were pretty, not me.

I knew that they'd go with my outfit. I usually wore neutral colors, trying to avoid attention, but those boots would draw attention. And I would be 5'6". Sure, that's still short, but. . .

I'd made up some time, and was not nearly as behind as I thought. Before I could stop to think about it, I threw off the other bots and slipped on the red ones. I felt a thrill as I zipped them up, and then I slid my pants leg down over them.

For the first time this semester, I smiled as I entered the law school building. I walked looking around at people, and I heard a number of classmates call out to me. I answered them, still smiling. Had they always been this friendly, and I'd just never noticed.

I waved at acquaintances and generally strutted down the hall. Either no one noticed I was wearing women's boots, or they just didn't care. My confidence built as I continued down the hall to the classroom with my first class of the morning.

The teacher had a novel approach to teaching, and expected us to sign in at the front of the room. I wasn't used to the added height, so I bent over a bit to look for my name, and sign.

"Who's the hot new girl?" I heard one of my classmates say from behind me as he waited his turn.

"I don't know, but she has one fine ass." I heard a familiar voice say.

"Robert!?" I said in shock as I turned around.

"Andrew? Oh god, I'm sorry. It's just you were. . .I mean it looked like. . .man, I'm sorry."

They were both blushing furiously.

"Look, guys, I understand. I'm short, and petite, and I do have slight features. Don't worry about it. I don't think anything can ruin my mood today."

I finished signing and went to take my usual seat in the middle. Something in me wouldn't let me sit down, however. I went back up to the front of the room and sat down. I'd always preferred being 'right in the action' so to speak. The problem was I'd been afraid of people behind me looking at me while I answered questions. I did a lot of that.

Always before the middle of the room was a compromise.

I figured something needed to change. I didn't need to hide from attention, and I would have people looking at me every time I went to court. "time to get over your insecurities, Andy."

I'd stopped using that nickname in high-school, because I'd been afraid of its gender ambiguity. I thought I could probably handle it now.

"There's something different about you, Andrew."

"Look, Robert, we've known each other for a long time now. Call me Andy. It's easier."

"But I thought. . ."

"People change. I had a very interesting morning, and figure it's time for me to make a change."

"Ok, Andy. So, what happened this morning?"

"I stopped by Henry Harrelson's"

"Really? That's so cool. So, did he get you the perfect pair of boots?"

"I think he did." I blushed as I said it.

"Really, can I see it?"

"Sure. Let's have lunch after class and we can talk about it."

***
We drove in Robert's car to a local bistro and for a moment I found myself wondering what it would be like to be on a date with him. Once again I fought down the feeling. I'd just have to find a girl who could deal with a shorter guy. It's not like Robert would ever. . .

I sighed and got myself out of the car. We chatted as we went into the restaurant, and he held the door for me. I blushed even though we sort of did that for each other. It just felt different this time for some reason. More. . .personal? I guess that's it. More personal.

"Robert. Andrew. Classes out for the morning then?" Mary had a smile for us as usual. We came in here a lot. I can't tell you how many times they had to kick us out at the end of a long night of studying.

"Yes, Mary, and if you don't mind, I've decided to give Andy a try for a while."

"Of course, Andy. There's something different about you, but I can't place what it is."

"I did shave this morning."

"I noticed. . .but it's something else. No matter. I'm sure I'll get it eventually."

We were seated at our normal corner booth, and the waitress, Lisa this time, got us our usual mid day drinks, water for me and a lemonade for Robert, and went to get our meals.

It was a Thursday, which meant that I would have the steak and garlic potatoes, with a nice side salad, and Robert would have the Salmon. Most of my steak and potatoes would go home with Robert, as usual, but I didn't mind. It was more about the company and atmosphere than anything esle.

"So, about those boots. . ."

I unzipped one of them and slipped it off. I handed it to Robert with a slight smile.

He had a shocked look on his face. "Those are. . ."

"Women's boots? Yes, I know."

"No, what I was going to say is those are the boots that I saw in the window of the shop. Those boots are the reason I went into the store in the first place. I told Mr. Harrelson that I wanted to by those boots for a friend but we wouldn't sell them to me."

"Why not?"

"He said that you can't buy someone else's boots for them. They have to make their own decision on fit."

"So, why did you send me there?"

He blushed bright red and wouldn't look at me. I took this opportunity to put the boot back on. I felt naked without it.

I had zipped up the boot, and adjusted my pant leg, and was looking at him expectantly when he finally started speaking.

"Remember the first time we met?"

"Of course I do. You walked up to me a kissed me full on the lips, saying something about being dared to kiss the most pretty girl in the class. Something I might add that your other friends all deny ever doing."

He blushed, but not as br4ightly this time.

"That was a couple of weeks after I first saw you. We were still in our first semester of our first year at law school. To me, you were the most pretty girl in the class, even with your boyish haircut."

"Dude, I was a boy. I mean I am a boy."

"I know that, now, but I couldn't help it. I developed a crush on you. I still have a crush on you."

"Wait. . .what?"

"Hear me out. You don't act like one of the guys. You have great fashion sense, and you are so easily startled. You always hold to the background and support the decisions of others. You are emotional and caring and one of the sweetest people I know."

"This still doesn't explain. . ."

"I'm getting to that. I'd told myself that I just needed to go over and talk to you, get you out of my system, and I could move onto another, more approachable girl."

"I'm not unapproachable."

"You had the nickname of ice princess, before we all realized you were a guy."

"Oh. . ."

"It's not that. It's just that you were so collected, or at least seemed so from our perspective. You kept to yourself, and seemed in your own little world ruled by you."

"I was just so shy. . ."

He put his finger on my lips in a shushing gesture. It was one of the more intimate contacts we'd had, and I blushed and pulled away.

"Andy, let me finish, okay. I know the your story, I need to let you hear why. I decided that you were going to reject me, since you weren't dating any of the guys in the school and we figured it was because you were just focused on school."

I opened my mouth to speak, but he reached out his finger again. I closed my mouth and intercepted his hand with my own. I would be good, but I kept holding his hand to keep him from putting a finger to my lips again.

He covered my hand with his, and it felt good to just let him hold my hand.

"Since it would be my only opportunity, I figured it was then or never. I wanted so much to feel what it was like to kiss you. It would be a memory I would cherish for the rest of my life. It is a memory I cherish."

"I gathered up my courage, I walked over to you, and I kissed you. I know you kissed me back, because I felt you melt into me."

"I was just so surprised."

"I know. I kissed you because I was falling in love with you, and I'd never once talked to you."

"Robert. . ."

His smile faded and he continued, "I know. You're not gay. Neither am I. When I saw those boots, they reminded me of the girl I'd seen. They reminded me of the ice princess, but not that the same time. I thought of fire when I saw them, but you don't call someone a fire princess. . ."

"Oh. . ."

"Yes, I wanted those boots for you. For the memory of you that I carry with me since that first day that we kissed. I couldn't ever forget. . ."

In that moment, seeing him look like that, I couldn't help it. My heart melted and I did something I never thought I'd do. I kissed him. He kissed me back.

"Took you two long enough."

We pulled apart, and I blushed furiously. "We're not, I mean I'm not, I mean. . ."

"Girl, you've been making eyes at this man since the first day I saw you two in here."

"Lisa, but I'm a man."

"I know you keep saying that, but you're the only one who believes it. Let me tell you a little something about myself." What happened next was the strangest thing in my life. The voice coming out of Lisa was hers, but not the one I was used to hearing, and the disconnect between what I saw and what I heard was jarring to say the least. "I was born Peter."

Robert's jaw dropped open, which I could see because I'd looked over at him at this revelation. My jaw was on the floor as well.

Lisa continued in her normal voice, "You two keep circling each other, which I think is sweet, but you really need to get over your preconceptions. Robert has been in love with you forever, even if you seem unsure whether you want to be loved by him."

She turned to Robert, "Andy is in love with love, and has some strange ideas on who she should be with. She thinks society will look down on her if she admits that she wants to be in love with you."

Robert put his arm around me, and I couldn't help it, I cried. I grabbed onto him and just cried. They weren't tears of sadness, however. They were tears of relief and joy and a comfortable pair of boots.

***
It's good to go back and read your own diary once in a while. I like to write my entries as if they are stories, since it is easier for me to read them weeks, months, or in this case, years down the line. I still go by Andy, but it's short for Andrea now. That was the real turning point in my life. It let me know something about myself that I just didn't want to accept.

Lisa gave me a card for a good psychologist who I still see periodically today. He helped me to understand who I was, and I have to say the boots helped. Every year I go back to Henry's shop, and buy another pair of boots on my birthday. No, not the actual day I was born. The day I got my first pair of boots.

I would like to say that everything between Robert and myself was perfect, but unfortunately life isn't a story. We've had our ups and downs, and he even left me once for another woman.

But we've been married now for ten years, and we have three beautiful children, all adopted of course.

And all of this is because of a red pair of boots.