1 Inch, 3 inch, 5 inch!

"This fuckin' sucks!"

Jim sighed and suppressed a smile as Tim barely kept his mouth closed with a look of surprise as Teresa came back into the office and stopped at the door, taking a moment to realize that Jim wasn't alone, and then uttered a meek apology. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. It's just that the vendors won't cut us a discount, claiming that the market contract is just too tight." She placed the notes onto the desk in front of Jim and ran a hand through her hair. "I swear, if I find out it's because of this office..."

Jim just laughed and nodded as she turned and walked back out. "I never met someone like that before, that's for sure." He looked back at his younger sister who just shook his head and turned back to looking at him. "So, anyway, you were mentioning?" The two of them were about to pick up their conversation when Tim's phone rang and he took the call, motioning and then moving to the small section of the office that overlooked the side-street, affording him some privacy.

While he waited, Jim pulled out the questionnaire and placed it on the desk next to his chicken caesar salad and read the question again.

9.) IF YOU WERE A WOMAN...WOULD YOU WEAR HIGH HEELS?

Jim looked at his shoes for a moment, the office attire was sneakers and non-skid shoes to help keep people upright on smooth surfaces, almost a necessity in a medical office, but he admitted that it wasn't something that would be nice or cute, dare he say, to match the outfits that some of his staffers would prefer. He knew some of them chafed at that, decorum was still needed throughout the office to present a professional image to their clientele, but he wasn't immune to hearing the whispers and discussions amongst the younger staffers that felt a bit of variety would be helpful in their interactions with their clients. Jim had brought it up with Robert and Gary, the two other doctors that were part of the clinic staff, and all three had agreed that they would seriously look into changing the footwear policy as soon as they could find the good balance between safety and professional image.

_As if that was something to really be bothered by..._he mused but then turned his attention back as Tim ended his phone call and came back and sat down. "Oh, you got another question? What is it asking now?" After he showed the page, he tilted his head to the side. "I mean, as a doctor's office, you can't exactly be wearing stilletos around but there's certainly nothing stopping you from some other types of shoes, right? Flats all the time would be kinda boring, right?" Tim shrugged and looked down at his own shoes. "I mean, I know why they aren't exactly the best things in the world..."

I would love to wear heels of all sizes, both at work and at home. Jim looked down at his own shoes, feeling at ease walking in 3 inch heels that he often wore during times when he first met with clients. It was something that was both impractical yet local and distinct to their practice, earning them a slightly ridiculous distinction as being a "well-heeled" operation. Jim recognized the pun in that but still couldn't help but wonder why doctors in their community couldn't be more creative. Gary just shook his head and muttered something about dipshits being allowed in med school. Robert just laughed it off.

****

Getting home, Jim finished by kicking off his heels and placing them next to his bags near the door, taking a few moments to stretch the kinks in his back before turning to his phone. Throughout the day, he and Taylor had been exchanging texts, just catching up on things, and it seemed a bit strange that he would have thought that the man he had grown up with had been married for years. As close as they were, it was hard to imagine that he would've done that (or where would she have been hidden, considering Mrs. Johansen ran such a tight household anyway, with 6 kids of her own, to let her eldest get away with it). Still, it was nice to catch up with the guy and as the evening progressed, Jim found himself continuously checking his phone and responding to messages.

As he got ready for bed, Jim turned to set his clock for an early departure, the clinic was closed as the three partners would be going off to scout for a new office location, the current building being put under renovation for asbestos-related concerns. Try as they might to like the location (which they did), asbestos was not something that should be lingering around a doctor's office. Each of them had taken a location to check out after the three had narrowed down potential relocation spots. Jim read up on the addresses he had pulled and smiled, noticing that one of them was only 15 minutes out from where his old home was located, much easier to take some time afterwards to hit up home and hang out with Taylor.

JUST FYI, I'LL BE BACK HOME TOMORROW FOR BUSINESS. CARE TO HANG OUT FOR DINNER TOMORROW NIGHT?

Seeing his email confirming the dinner, Jim was about shut off his phone when Taylor's last response caused him to smile a bit more.

IT'S A DATE!

10.) IF YOU WERE A GIRL...WOULD YOU WEAR A SKIRT?