It was a testament to the depth of her self-control--which she had not thought was very strong but was showing itself to be considerable in the face of $50,000--that she waited until he was out of sight to tear the book off her head.
It wasn't even really that she thought she might rather die than sit there balancing it on her head like--well, like a well-trained dog. She wanted to get a last look at it.
She ran a thumb over the cover, worn but never dusty. She doubted she'd let it get dusty once in thirteen years. The colors had seemed to bright when she first got it, although in truth it had been old even then. Old enough for her to taste the history in the pages. A book that felt like it had to hold magic, more than enough to give a little girl reason to live.
She could feel her eyes growing a bit wet, and blinked rapidly. She would not cry. She refused to. She wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction.
If she absolutely had to, she could wait until she was back home, replaying the pain in high definition. And comforting herself with money. At least she knew now that money could, in fact, buy happiness, because she was selling hers pretty readily. Temporarily, though, she told herself. Grit your teeth and bear it and it'll all be over. And maybe he won't be even a little poorer in the grand scheme of things, but she'd be a lot richer, and that was what counted.
She didn't hear him coming back, but she probably wouldn't have put the book back on her head even if she had.
He had cash in his hand, three bundles of what were probably one hundred dollar bills. Her throat felt dry. She was still at the age where money was something that existed primarily in amounts of one and five. Not least of all because her mother was a waitress, and no one tipped waitresses with $100s.
He said there was only $30,000, and to her infinite chagrin, her first reaction was to think that $30,000 would be good enough, because she hadn't sat on the floor and let him set a book on her and tell her to stay like he was balancing a treat on her nose, just to tell him to shove $30,000 up his ass.
That wasn't necessary, however, because he had a counter-offer to the last $20,000. A coin purse. A coin purse that clinked when it hit the ground. She didn't snatch it up; actually, she reached for it sort of slowly, as if she expected it to bite, or be a prank. She opened it similarly slowly.
That was, uh.
That was gold.
And um. Gems? Gemstones. Rings.
She was no appraiser. She had no idea if this stuff was real. She pulled out one gold coin and stared at it, turning it in the dim light.
Somehow, she was pretty sure these would turn out to be real gold. He'd probably just had a bag like this... around. Thrown some shit in it that he estimated to be worth roughly $20,000, because he hadn't had $50,000 in cash.
She decided she'd trust his monetary judgement. Because she had no idea what any of it was worth, or if it could even be sold. And because she wanted to leave before he started to think of other things he could afford to buy.
"I guess," her voice sounded hoarse, the tears she hadn't quite shed making her voice crack. She cleared her throat. "I guess this'll work, yeah. If I can sell any of it without people calling the cops..."
She was still on the floor, because it hadn't quite occurred to her to stand up.
It wasn't even really that she thought she might rather die than sit there balancing it on her head like--well, like a well-trained dog. She wanted to get a last look at it.
She ran a thumb over the cover, worn but never dusty. She doubted she'd let it get dusty once in thirteen years. The colors had seemed to bright when she first got it, although in truth it had been old even then. Old enough for her to taste the history in the pages. A book that felt like it had to hold magic, more than enough to give a little girl reason to live.
She could feel her eyes growing a bit wet, and blinked rapidly. She would not cry. She refused to. She wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction.
If she absolutely had to, she could wait until she was back home, replaying the pain in high definition. And comforting herself with money. At least she knew now that money could, in fact, buy happiness, because she was selling hers pretty readily. Temporarily, though, she told herself. Grit your teeth and bear it and it'll all be over. And maybe he won't be even a little poorer in the grand scheme of things, but she'd be a lot richer, and that was what counted.
She didn't hear him coming back, but she probably wouldn't have put the book back on her head even if she had.
He had cash in his hand, three bundles of what were probably one hundred dollar bills. Her throat felt dry. She was still at the age where money was something that existed primarily in amounts of one and five. Not least of all because her mother was a waitress, and no one tipped waitresses with $100s.
He said there was only $30,000, and to her infinite chagrin, her first reaction was to think that $30,000 would be good enough, because she hadn't sat on the floor and let him set a book on her and tell her to stay like he was balancing a treat on her nose, just to tell him to shove $30,000 up his ass.
That wasn't necessary, however, because he had a counter-offer to the last $20,000. A coin purse. A coin purse that clinked when it hit the ground. She didn't snatch it up; actually, she reached for it sort of slowly, as if she expected it to bite, or be a prank. She opened it similarly slowly.
That was, uh.
That was gold.
And um. Gems? Gemstones. Rings.
She was no appraiser. She had no idea if this stuff was real. She pulled out one gold coin and stared at it, turning it in the dim light.
Somehow, she was pretty sure these would turn out to be real gold. He'd probably just had a bag like this... around. Thrown some shit in it that he estimated to be worth roughly $20,000, because he hadn't had $50,000 in cash.
She decided she'd trust his monetary judgement. Because she had no idea what any of it was worth, or if it could even be sold. And because she wanted to leave before he started to think of other things he could afford to buy.
"I guess," her voice sounded hoarse, the tears she hadn't quite shed making her voice crack. She cleared her throat. "I guess this'll work, yeah. If I can sell any of it without people calling the cops..."
She was still on the floor, because it hadn't quite occurred to her to stand up.
The following 1 user Likes SolitareLee's post: Tindome
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All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-23-2017, 06:28 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by Tindome - 03-23-2017, 06:29 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by SolitareLee - 03-23-2017, 06:53 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by Tindome - 03-23-2017, 07:35 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by SolitareLee - 03-23-2017, 07:52 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by Tindome - 03-23-2017, 08:25 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by SolitareLee - 03-23-2017, 08:33 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by Tindome - 03-23-2017, 09:01 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by SolitareLee - 03-23-2017, 09:14 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by Tindome - 03-23-2017, 09:50 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by SolitareLee - 03-23-2017, 10:07 PM
RE: All That Glitters - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 07:35 AM
RE: All That Glitters - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 08:11 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 08:28 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 09:02 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 09:33 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 10:02 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 10:54 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 11:04 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 11:34 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 11:47 AM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 12:50 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 01:10 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 02:25 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 02:39 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 03:28 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 03:47 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 04:25 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 04:39 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 05:03 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 05:17 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 06:18 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 06:42 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 07:07 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 07:24 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by Tindome - 03-24-2017, 08:56 PM
RE: All That Glitters [Closed] - by SolitareLee - 03-24-2017, 09:14 PM