Page 23 of A Marriage of Anything But Convenience

Derek shoved his hands into his pockets. “How many design companies did you send them to?”

“Just one. The company I worked for in New York.”

“Maybe you should send them to more companies.”

Nara bit her lip. “I don’t think fashion companies welcome just anyone sending in drawings. Chelsea is different. I know her. She encouraged me to share my work with her.”

“But she doesn’t like anything?”

Nara sighed and wiped a hand over her forehead. “No.”

He was silent for a few heartbeats, and Nara glanced up at him. He scratched his chin. “Have you entered any contests?”

The question caught her by surprise. “No. How did you know there were contests in the fashion world?”

Derek shrugged. “I know stuff. Why haven’t you tried entering a contest? Can’t you get your foot in the door that way?”

A wave of insecurity rose in her chest, and she swallowed. If she couldn’t even get Chelsea to praise her for one sketch, how could she compete against a thousand other designers enough to stand out? Not once had Chelsea gushed over anything. Maybe she should take that as a sign.

She stopped and stared down at the sidewalk. “I guess I was trying the work-your-way-up-from-coffee-girl approach.”

“How’s that working for you?”

“It’s not,” she said, twisting the dime-store wedding ring Derek had placed on her finger.

He squinted at her, then reached out and lifted her chin. “You’re good enough.”

Those three words hit her like an arrow to the heart, and she blinked back a wave of emotion. How had he done that? How had he been able to see right through her, assess what she wasn’t saying, and counter with just the right thing she needed to hear?

“Thanks,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. She stood there, feeling strangely vulnerable for some reason.

Derek cocked his head to the side. “Do you hear music?”

She blinked, not expecting him to say that. “No.”

“Listen.” He held a finger up and Nara searched to find what he was listening to. And then she did hear it. Soft strains which carried on the wind.

“Carnival music?”

“Yes. I think so.”

Grateful for the change in subject, Nara bounced. “Well, we have to find it. Carnivals are my favorite.”

It took them about twenty minutes of walking and asking people, but they finally made it to the music. A street fair was set up around one city block. There were several rides that looked like miniature versions of the real thing. The Ferris wheel stood about one story tall and had only six passenger cars. Nara gasped. “Oh, look at the teeny tiny rides!”

“I guess this is just for kids.” Derek stopped walking.

“No way. I want to ride.” She tugged on his arm, but he planted his feet and didn’t budge.

“Hey, come on. Don’t you want to make your wife happy?” She batted her eyes at him.

A passerby motioned at Derek, his loud shirt proclaiming that he was a tourist like themselves. “Oh, go on. Make your wife happy.”

Derek cringed. “Do you know what she wants me to do?”

“No, but you’re on vacation. You can splurge a bit.”

He pointed. “She wants me to go on that Ferris wheel. For kids.”

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