settled comfortably in her chair and just enjoyed the speakers. After the strange events of both the drive and the morning, it was nice to simply set it aside and do what she’d come to the conference for— learn .
With her mind so pleasantly diverted, the morning flew by. Before Annie knew it, she was rushing to make it to the fashion show rehearsal before lunch. She managed to be the last in the room again and had to change quickly.
With her mind on getting changed and rehearsing, Annie didn’t notice the young woman from the day before until they were changing out of the fashion show clothing. Annie was about to say hello when the young woman slipped out of her jacket and Annie saw a large bruise on her bicep. Taking a step closer, Annie realized the bruise was clearly a handprint.
The young woman caught Annie’s look. “Oh,” she said, “it’s not what it looks like.”
“Was that from your boyfriend?” Annie asked.
“Yes,” the woman admitted as she quickly slipped on a cardigan, covering up the bruise. “But it’s not what you think. Max was never like that .”
Annie just looked at her skeptically.
The young woman sighed. “I got to thinking about what you said, and what my brother says all the time. I had supper with Max last night, and I broke up with him. I told him I ought to be treated nice, and if he couldn’t do that, I didn’t want to see him anymore. I told him about what your grandmother said about love and that I wanted to be treated like that.”
“And he hurt you,” Annie said quietly.
“Well, he got pretty upset. He said that we wouldn’t have had any trouble if people kept out of our business.” She looked up sharply at Annie. “He didn’t really mean you, I don’t think. He knows my brother doesn’t like him. That’s always been a sore point.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “Anyway, he was getting kind of loud, and I was embarrassed. I got up to leave him in the restaurant, and he grabbed my arm. I bruise real easy, but still—it’s like you said, I deserve better. So I just jerked my arm loose and left.”
“It sounds like you made the right decision,” Annie said gently. “I’m glad he wasn’t rough with you all the time, but it still sounds like he didn’t treat you the way you deserve.”
The woman nodded. “I really miss him though. Honestly, I thought he’d probably call me, but not one call. I guess he really didn’t care so much.” Her demeanor turned sad, and her eyes dropped a little.
Annie impulsively gave the young woman a hug. “Sometimes doing the right thing feels pretty bad,” she said.
The young woman nodded, but then she smiled. “Bad and good, though. By the way, I’m Cat Reed, and I’m glad I met you.”
Annie smiled back. “I’m Annie Dawson—and I’m glad you’re OK.”
“Yeah, I’m doing OK.” Then she straightened her back and held her chin up. “And I’m going to do just fine. Anyway, I should go find a restroom and fix my face before lunch. Thanks for everything—really. I’ll see you at the fashion show.”
As Annie watched the young woman pick up her things and head for the door, she suddenly had a horrible thought. “Cat?”
Cat turned with a smile. “Yes?” she said.
“What’s your boyfriend’s last name?” Annie asked.
“Lessing,” Cat said. “Why, do you know him? We don’t live far from here. I could tell by your accent that you probably didn’t either.”
Annie looked at Cat sadly. “No, I don’t know him. But I am afraid I have horrible news for you. I know why he didn’t call you.”
Cat stared at Annie for a moment, with a deer-in-the-headlights look. “Why?” she asked.
Annie walked over to Cat and gently suggested they go somewhere a little more private to talk. Cat looked even more alarmed, but she nodded and followed Annie silently from the room.
With such a crowded convention, it took a few minutes to find an empty room. They finally found a small room that
With her mind so pleasantly diverted, the morning flew by. Before Annie knew it, she was rushing to make it to the fashion show rehearsal before lunch. She managed to be the last in the room again and had to change quickly.
With her mind on getting changed and rehearsing, Annie didn’t notice the young woman from the day before until they were changing out of the fashion show clothing. Annie was about to say hello when the young woman slipped out of her jacket and Annie saw a large bruise on her bicep. Taking a step closer, Annie realized the bruise was clearly a handprint.
The young woman caught Annie’s look. “Oh,” she said, “it’s not what it looks like.”
“Was that from your boyfriend?” Annie asked.
“Yes,” the woman admitted as she quickly slipped on a cardigan, covering up the bruise. “But it’s not what you think. Max was never like that .”
Annie just looked at her skeptically.
The young woman sighed. “I got to thinking about what you said, and what my brother says all the time. I had supper with Max last night, and I broke up with him. I told him I ought to be treated nice, and if he couldn’t do that, I didn’t want to see him anymore. I told him about what your grandmother said about love and that I wanted to be treated like that.”
“And he hurt you,” Annie said quietly.
“Well, he got pretty upset. He said that we wouldn’t have had any trouble if people kept out of our business.” She looked up sharply at Annie. “He didn’t really mean you, I don’t think. He knows my brother doesn’t like him. That’s always been a sore point.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “Anyway, he was getting kind of loud, and I was embarrassed. I got up to leave him in the restaurant, and he grabbed my arm. I bruise real easy, but still—it’s like you said, I deserve better. So I just jerked my arm loose and left.”
“It sounds like you made the right decision,” Annie said gently. “I’m glad he wasn’t rough with you all the time, but it still sounds like he didn’t treat you the way you deserve.”
The woman nodded. “I really miss him though. Honestly, I thought he’d probably call me, but not one call. I guess he really didn’t care so much.” Her demeanor turned sad, and her eyes dropped a little.
Annie impulsively gave the young woman a hug. “Sometimes doing the right thing feels pretty bad,” she said.
The young woman nodded, but then she smiled. “Bad and good, though. By the way, I’m Cat Reed, and I’m glad I met you.”
Annie smiled back. “I’m Annie Dawson—and I’m glad you’re OK.”
“Yeah, I’m doing OK.” Then she straightened her back and held her chin up. “And I’m going to do just fine. Anyway, I should go find a restroom and fix my face before lunch. Thanks for everything—really. I’ll see you at the fashion show.”
As Annie watched the young woman pick up her things and head for the door, she suddenly had a horrible thought. “Cat?”
Cat turned with a smile. “Yes?” she said.
“What’s your boyfriend’s last name?” Annie asked.
“Lessing,” Cat said. “Why, do you know him? We don’t live far from here. I could tell by your accent that you probably didn’t either.”
Annie looked at Cat sadly. “No, I don’t know him. But I am afraid I have horrible news for you. I know why he didn’t call you.”
Cat stared at Annie for a moment, with a deer-in-the-headlights look. “Why?” she asked.
Annie walked over to Cat and gently suggested they go somewhere a little more private to talk. Cat looked even more alarmed, but she nodded and followed Annie silently from the room.
With such a crowded convention, it took a few minutes to find an empty room. They finally found a small room that
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