Page 46 of Trophy
“That would be great. Thank you. What kind of crafts do you make?”
“Pottery. I’d love to show you sometime. What about you?”
“I make jewelry.” She felt a little self-conscious announcing it, since about ten other people were now listening to their conversation, but there was nothing strange or unusual about making jewelry. Most people weren’t like Arthur, belittling it as an unworthy activity.
“You didn’t make that gorgeous bracelet you’re wearing?” That was from a well-rounded woman in a clingy sundress who was sitting near her. Allison was pretty sure her name was Peg.
“I did,” Allison admitted, glancing down at the beaded cuff she wore.
Peg gasped and leaned down to examine the bracelet more closely. “It’s stunning. Those don’t look like normal Walmart beads. Where did you get them?”
“A couple of years ago I found a big tub of beads at a thrift shop in Charlotte. Some of them were just cheap plastic, but some of them were really valuable, and they were all thrown in there together and offered for almost nothing. It was an amazing find. All I had to do was sort through them all.” She remembered the days she’d spent trying to sort out all of those beads. Even that tedious task had been enjoyable, since she could imagine what she might make out of them after she was finished.
“It’s amazing,” Peg said. “You’re really good.”
“Thank you.”
“Stuff like that would do really well at the craft fairs,” Jeanie told her, nodding in a competent, no-nonsense way. “You should definitely get hooked up.”
“I will. Thank you.” She turned to smile at Rob, who was watching her with a strangely satisfied look.
Since the conversation had broken up, Rob asked her quietly, “How did your trip to the college go yesterday afternoon?”
“It was good,” she said. “I talked to a really nice lady in the financial aid department, and she helped me fill out all the forms. She said that in my situation a Pell Grant would cover a lot of the tuition.”
“So when do you start?”
“Their next session starts in a couple of weeks, so I’ve signed up for an online class then.”
“Good.” His eyes were very warm. “I’m glad.”
“I just hope I can do it on top of work.”
Peg, sitting nearby, must have heard that part of the conversation because she broke in, “I got my degree while I was working. It kicked my butt sometimes, but you can do it.”
“Well, that’s the plan.” Allison decided that going back to college wasn’t a really personal issue, so it didn’t matter if other people heard about it.
“Someone said you were married to a billionaire,” Peg said, after taking a few chips off the plate of the silent man who must be her husband.
Allison almost choked on her bite of burger. Once she’d gotten it down, she said, “Not a billionaire.”
“Some bigwig in Charlotte?”
“He’s an executive at an investment firm.” Allison didn’t want to talk about Arthur, but she also didn’t want to be rude.
“So how come you’re so tight on money, after being married to him?”
Allison was definitely uncomfortable now. In her previous circles no one had ever talked about money. Of course, everyone had had it in her old life, so things here would likely be different. She spoke carefully, making sure not to sound offended or annoyed. “We had a prenup. We had to be married for ten years before I got any real money. I left him after eight.”
“And you couldn’t stick it out for two more years, just for all that cash?” Peg’s eyes were completely sincere. She wasn’t being catty. She really wanted to know.
Because Allison recognized that, she kept the bitterness from her voice. “It was a bad marriage. And honestly, at the end of it I didn’t want to feel like I was bought and paid for.”
Peg’s face changed, as if she were thinking through the words. Then she nodded. “Makes total sense. A girl’s got to know her own worth—and that ain’t money.”
Allison was surprised and gave an appreciative smile. “Exactly.”
Rob had moved his hand so it was slightly behind her. He rubbed her back with the tips of his fingers very lightly. Anyone looking would probably not realize he was doing anything intentionally, but Allison felt it. She knew he was being supportive.
