He turned up the long drive to the resort and shifted into a lower gear. “I feel like I’m dropping you off at college,” he said. “Like I should tell you to study hard and be good.”

The word “college” hit an already raw nerve. “You wish you were, don’t you?”

“I wish I were what?”

“Dropping me off at college.”

“I don’t think that would be a bad choice for you. Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, gosh, I don’t know.” She wished she could light a cigarette. She hadn’t had one all week. Smoking in front of Arthur felt like smoking in front of a grandpa. “I’m sorry. I’m fine.”

“You’re perfect.” He pulled into the resort property and began to crest the hill. “Jeremy. God, I haven’t thought about that guy in years. He also gave me a tube of Toblerone chocolates. Have you ever had them?”

“Arthur,” she said, frustrated. “I can’t ever eat chocolate again.”

“You could quit. I’ll buy you all the chocolates you want.”

“Don’t you get it?” Suddenly the air in the car felt tense. “I don’t want to quit. I like my job. I love it, actually. I had to train for it. I have friends here. You make it sound like quitting is easy. But say I quit, then what? College is expensive. And everyone I know who went to college started almost two years ago.”

“That doesn’t mean your ship has sailed. College is still there. You can still go. I could help you apply.” The resort came into view and she saw it through Arthur’s eyes as silly, a diversion. She felt like picking a fight, rebelling. She’d never before had the luxury of rebelling against anything or anyone. What had gotten into her? “You have a problem with it, don’t you?”

“With what?”

“With my job. With me being a Bunny. You’ve had everything handed to you. You said so yourself. I don’t think you get to say what I should or shouldn’t do.”

Instead of answering right away he was quiet, thoughtful. “When I told you about stock options, you know, puts and calls, you picked it up right away. You calculated in your head my net return after taxes when I sold my gold. Not many people can do that.”

“So?”

“I’m not telling you what you should do. I’m just pointing out that you have other gifts that have nothing to do with how much you weigh. You could study finance or accounting. I’ve heard you play the organ. You hum all the time, you don’t even know that, do you? There’s always a tune in your head. You could study music, write compositions. It’s not just me who thinks so. Remember the glass beads you told me about? Your dad, he thought so, too.”