The next morning, Aaron and his parents entered Summers Shoe Store. A large, brightly lit store, with shoes and boots of various styles and heel heights displayed on shelves lining the mirrored walls.

Comfortable black leather stools and couches were spaced at regular intervals along the white tiled floor for customers to sit and try on shoes.

A young brunette sales woman in a black skirt suit, pantyhose and black leather chunky-heeled pumps similar to those that Annabelle had worn looked up as they entered.

"Welcome to Summers Shoe Store I'm Kate Summers the owner, please call me Kate," she greeted them politely.

"Good Morning Ms. Kate. I'm Aaron Zakhrov. Ms. Annabelle, a waitress at Tuscany Cove recommended your establishment." greeted Aaron. He grabbed Annette's hand and pulled her forward.

"We are here to broaden my mother's horizons. She believes high heels are symbols of oppression towards women, and I wish to challenge that belief," he explained to a bemused Kate, while Annette grew red with embarrassment.

"What an interesting and thoughtful young man!" giggled Kate. She had been taken aback by his cold demeanor at first, but quickly recovered and looked at him with interest.

"You didn't have to be so blunt about it!" grumbled Annette, already regretting making this deal.

"Well, he does seem to be quite passionate about challenging your opinion Mrs. Zakhrov." chuckled Kate. She turned towards Aaron again.

"You've explained your mother's views. What about your views Mr. Aaron?" she asked him.

"I believe they are the epitome of elegance, sophistication and civilized society. They elevate women to a new level of elegance and sophistication," said Aaron with a firmness that felt too mature for his age.

"My. My, what a bold and mature statement! A gentleman after my own heart!" exclaimed Kate happily.

Annette's jaw dropped open in disbelief at hearing Aaron's viewpoint. She rounded on Ivan.

"Did you encourage that opinion?" she demanded of him.

"Of course not!" shot back Ivan. They both looked worriedly at Aaron as he looked around the shop.

Annette pulled Kate to one side: "I'm trying to educate Aaron that high heels can be uncomfortable and harmful to your feet. Please cooperate with me," she whispered.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. My business is to sell high heels, not campaign against them," replied Kate.

Annette, opened her mouth to argue back, but was interrupted by Aaron's return.

"I would like you to try these, Mother." he said, holding a pair of black patent leather pumps with pointed toes and 8-centimeter high metal stiletto heels.

Annette stared wide-eyed at them.

The heels were long and sharp, looking more like daggers than anything else.

The black patent leather and the silver finish of the heels made them glitter menacingly in the bright lighting of the store.

Just looking at the steep incline of the vamp made Annette's ankles quiver in protest.

"May I ask why you picked those particular shoes, Mr. Aaron?" asked Kate curiously.

Aaron regarded her thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if I can explain it, Ms. Kate. I saw them and just felt they looked powerful," he said.

"You have excellent taste, but I think those would be a little too much for your poor mother, Mr. Aaron." chuckled Kate.

"I suppose you are right." sighed Aaron, placing the shoes on a nearby stool.

"I shall defer to your judgement Ms. Kate," he told Kate, gesturing to her to take the lead.

"Alright give me those!" growled Annette, her anger at being told she can't handle something overcoming her dislike and apprehension for those heels.

Annette sat down and removed her comfortable blue sneakers while Kate brought a pair of the pumps in Annette's size.

With Kate's help, she slipped on the shiny and elegant shoes.

Ivan came to Annette's side and held out his hand to her. "Stand up slowly," he instructed.

With Ivan's help, Annette slowly stood up and looked at her reflection in one of the store's full length mirrors.

Aaron watched intently as his mother stood for the first time in high heels.

Despite wearing a simple and comfortable white sweater with a pair of faded blue jeans, the heels added a layer of sophistication and slight intimidation to Annette.

She stood taller and straighter, with a more pronounced arch to her back that emphasized her femininity. The 8-centimeter heels enhanced her already statuesque height, almost matching Ivan's own 195 cm height.

Ivan could not help but let out a low whistle. "Wow, you look gorgeous." he whispered.

"Don't you dare encourage this further, Ivan! This is as far as I'll go," growled Annette in reply, her feet already tingling.

"What do you think now young sir?" Kate asked Aaron.

Unbeknownst to Annette and Ivan, Aaron's cold blue eyes had flashed with excitement. "It makes her look taller and perhaps a bit more refined. I expected her to look more powerful, but she looks more uncomfortable than anything else," he said.

Kate nodded. "An astute observation, what matters is how you approach the heels. If you think they look good, they will make you feel good and powerful, but if you're already intimidated by them, then they can't completely offset your fear and discomfort," she explained.

"Thank you Ms. Kate. This was a very informative experience," said Aaron.

"Do you want to try walking?" asked Ivan, still holding Annette's hand as she stood in the heels.

"Absolutely not!" snapped Annette, sitting back down to remove the dreaded heels.

"Alright young master Aaron, let us not overburden your mother. Would you like me to show you how a girl walks in those heels?" asked Kate before Annette could call a halt.

Aaron nodded, and Kate slipped off her sturdy black leather 6-centimeter chunky-heeled pumps and slipped on a pair of the 8-centimeter black patent leather stiletto heeled pumps that Aaron had selected in her size.

Aaron watched carefully as Kate walked around the shop in the heels. She took smaller steps, put a swing in her hips and arched her back. The heels enhanced the sleek cut of her skirt suit giving it a sensual and more dominating appearance. She looked more like a no-nonsense businesswoman than a simple shop-floor saleswoman.

The heels made a rhythmic clicking sound on the shop's tiled floor as she walked.

"What do you think?" she asked Aaron as she pranced around him.

"It makes you look taller, walk in a more elegant way and gives you a very imposing presence," said Aaron, oblivious to Annette's growing fury.

"An excellent assessment Mr. Aaron. Pick out another one for us," said Kate.

Aaron carefully looked around the shop while Kate looked on with interest. His fascination was unlike what most boys felt when they hit puberty. It seemed analytical, yet had a strong undercurrent of something deeper than just hormone responses.

"I think that's quite enough. Come on Aaron, let's go" said Annette, back in her sneakers and ready to leave.

"Not yet, Mother." said Aaron, still looking around the shop.

Annette took a step forward to pull Aaron away, but Ivan held her back.

"You want him to stop bothering you, then let him finish." he told her in a low voice.

"Fine, but if this goes too far, you're both in big trouble with me." growled Annette.

Annette's jaw dropped as Aaron pulled a pair of black patent leather over-the-knee boots with pointed toes and 10 cm metal stiletto heels off a display shelf.

"Absolutely not! Now let's go!" said Annette.

"I think it's a little too late for that, now that he's got his hands on those," said Ivan, torn between fascination and concern.

"Aaron Zakhrov, you put those things down and come here this instant!" demanded Annette.

Aaron just held the boots tighter to his chest, as a vein throbbed in Annette's temple. She shifted her gaze from Aaron and glared at Kate.

"What are you thinking putting something like that right here in the main part of your shop?" she snarled.

"I'll have you know that those are high fashion boots made from genuine leather and the highest quality of materials," said Kate. She turned to Aaron and gave him a gentle smile.

"I'll take those and show you how they look, OK?" she asked him gently.

Aaron nodded and held them out to her.

Kate slipped off the black leather pumps and pulled on the boots.

Aaron's cold countenance cracked for a second, and he let out a whispered "wow" as Kate stood up in the boots.

The black patent leather boots gave Kate's legs a shimmering appearance under the lighting of the store, they made her skirt suit exude a hint of severeness, the high heels made her look almost towering in stature.

The way the boots clicked against the tile floor and changed her gait, made her look and sound powerful, confident, and elegant all at once.

Kate stopped in front of Aaron, towering over him in the thigh high boots. He met her gaze with his cold stare.

"What do you think?" she asked him, trying to match his cold stare with a stern one of her own.

"I think you look very poised, Ms. Kate, I think you'd get more sales if you wear these boots rather than those chunky things you had earlier," said Aaron looking up at her.

Kate let out a tinkling laugh. "I'll take that under advisement, Mr. Aaron," she said.

"Aaron Zakhrov, I don't care if you haven't had enough. I'm calling a halt to this!" said Annette sharply, glaring furiously at Kate.

Ivan, who had watched Aaron and Kate's interactions with awe and amusement, took charge, sensing his wife's fury.

"Come along buddy, let's give the ladies some privacy" he said, taking Aaron by the shoulder and steering him out of the shop.

"Thank you for everything Ms. Kate. I learned a lot," said Aaron, inclining his head at her before he was led outside the shop by Ivan.

Kate watched Aaron go feeling even more intrigued by him. Despite Aaron's youth, his Stoic demeanor and analytical gaze had been captivating.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" demanded Annette.

Kate turned to look at Annette. Still wearing the thigh high boots Aaron had picked out, she easily matched Annette's 180 cm stature.

"Your son is extremely intelligent for his age, and he has an excellent taste in footwear," she told Annette.

"Excellent taste in footwear? How dare you! They are vile and subversive tools of control and oppression marketed as empowering! Your offer to model those kinds of boots for an impressionable young boy like him was completely inappropriate! As an adult you should know better!" raged Annette.

"Inappropriate? I'm standing here in those boots, and I don't feel oppressed, submissive, or objectified. Your son came in with a clear and respectful point of view, and you expected me to lie to him to conform to your brand of feminism. That's not how I do business. Maybe next time, settle your family conflicts before stepping into someone else's store." said Kate, struggling to remain professional.

"With pleasure! My efforts to educate Aaron about the harmful effects of high heels have gone down the drain thanks to your misguided encouragement!" shouted Annette as she stormed out of the shop.