“My Card Was Declined. She Bought Me the Heels—and Took Me Home.”

ENTWINED MAGAZINE Every Love Has a Story. CHANCE ENCOUNTER Some meetings are accidental. The love stories that follow are unforgettable. Two Broken Hearts, One Shoe Store, and a Secret Neither Woman Expected Sometimes a chance encounter begins with a smile, an unexpected conversation, or a helping hand. Occasionally, it begins with a declined credit card, a spectacular pair of high heels, and a woman crying in the middle of an expensive shoe boutique. At forty-two, Margaret "Mara" Ellison had recently ended a twelve-year marriage after discovering that her husband had maintained a secret relationship for five of those years. Elegant, financially independent, and successful in her own right, Mara had everything she needed to start over except the one thing money couldn't purchase: somebody she could trust. At thirty-two, Lucy Bennett had just discovered that the man who had promised for years to leave his wife and marry her had finally become available—and no longer wanted her. He had found another woman. A considerably wealthier one. For five years, Lucy had lived in an apartment he paid for, used credit cards he provided, and built her future around promises he never intended to keep. Now the apartment, the cards, and the promised future were disappearing together. Neither Mara nor Lucy knew the other's name when they first met. Neither had any idea that they had loved the same man. And neither could have imagined that the woman standing beside her in a shoe boutique would soon become the most important person in her life. Six months after that extraordinary meeting, ENTWINED MAGAZINE visits the couple at Mara's beautiful home to discover how betrayal, bankruptcy, a pair of magnificent heels, and one very unexpected evening led to a love neither woman had been looking for. MAGAZINE: How did you two meet? Lucy: (Blushing.) My credit card was declined. Mara: (Laughing.) That's a rather abbreviated version, darling. Lucy: Well, it was. MAGAZINE: In a shoe store, we understand? Lucy: Yes. A very expensive shoe store, actually. I probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. Mara: Oh, I'm extremely glad you were. MAGAZINE: Tell us what happened. Lucy: I'd had the worst week of my life. The man I'd been involved with for five years had ended our relationship, and I was trying very hard not to fall apart. He'd been paying for my apartment and most of my expenses, and I thought I had a little time to work out what to do next. Then I discovered he'd canceled the credit card he'd given me. MAGAZINE: You didn't know? Lucy: No. I found out at the register. I'd seen this beautiful pair of black patent-leather platform heels in the window. They had delicate ankle straps and these wonderful tall heels, and for some ridiculous reason I convinced myself that buying them might make me feel better. Mara: They were gorgeous. Lucy: They were also nearly six hundred dollars. MAGAZINE: What happened at the register? Lucy: The saleswoman ran the card, and it was declined. She tried again. Declined. Then I tried another card, which was also connected to the same account. That one didn't work either. I remember looking at the little payment terminal and suddenly understanding what had happened. He'd cut me off. Completely. MAGAZINE: How did you react? Lucy: I started crying. Not because I couldn't buy the shoes, although I certainly wanted them. I was crying because everything I'd been pretending wasn't happening suddenly became real. I didn't know how I was going to pay the rent, and I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. I'd spent five years waiting for a future that apparently no longer existed. And now I was standing in a beautiful shop, surrounded by women buying expensive shoes, without even enough money to purchase a pair for myself. Mara: That's when I noticed her. MAGAZINE: Mara, what were you doing there? Mara: Buying shoes, naturally. Lucy: (Laughing.) She was buying three pairs! Mara: Two, darling. The third came later. MAGAZINE: What caught your attention? Mara: At first, her appearance. She's a stunning woman, and I noticed her trying on those black platforms. Then I heard the saleswoman explaining that the payment hadn't been authorized. Lucy became very pale. She kept apologizing, trying to put the shoes back into their box, and I could see she was struggling not to cry. MAGAZINE: What did you do? Mara: I approached her and asked whether everything was all right. Lucy: And I told her it was perfectly fine, which was an obvious lie. Mara: She was trembling. I asked whether she'd like to sit down, and one of the saleswomen brought her a glass of water. Then I asked whether she was having a particularly bad day. Lucy: (Smiling.) And I burst into tears. Mara: Yes, rather spectacularly. MAGAZINE: Did she tell you what had happened? Mara: Not everything. She said she'd just lost her boyfriend, was having financial difficulties, and hadn't expected her credit card to be canceled. I could tell there was considerably more to the story, but I wasn't going to interrogate a stranger in the middle of a shoe boutique. MAGAZINE: So you bought her the shoes? Mara: Eventually. First, I asked whether she'd like to have coffee with me. Lucy: I thought she was just being polite. Mara: Then I told the saleswoman to put the shoes aside. Lucy: And when we came back from coffee, Mara paid for them. MAGAZINE: How did you react? Lucy: I nearly started crying again. I told her I couldn't possibly accept something so expensive from a complete stranger. Mara: And I told her that if an attractive woman couldn't buy another attractive woman a beautiful pair of heels occasionally, the world was becoming a terribly dull place. Lucy: (Laughing.) She really said that! MAGAZINE: Mara, were you attracted to Lucy immediately? Mara: Absolutely. Lucy: Mara! Mara: Darling, we're supposed to be telling the truth. MAGAZINE: And Lucy? Lucy: (Blushing.) Yes. Very much. She was so elegant. Beautifully dressed, perfect hair, wonderful perfume, and these absolutely magnificent legs. Mara: (Laughing.) Well, thank you, sweetheart. Lucy: And she was kind. She didn't make me feel foolish or embarrassed about the credit card. She just treated me like a person. MAGAZINE: What happened over coffee? Lucy: We talked for almost two hours. At first I was nervous, but Mara was so easy to speak to. She asked about my interests, the things I enjoyed doing, and what kind of work I'd done before. Mara: She told me she'd worked in event planning before leaving her job several years earlier. Lucy: I thought I was going to get married and start a family. My boyfriend wanted me to have time to travel with him, so I gave up my position. MAGAZINE: Did you tell Mara about your former boyfriend? Lucy: A little. I told her he'd made promises he hadn't kept and that he'd left me for somebody else. I didn't tell her he was married. Mara: And I told Lucy I'd recently separated from my husband after discovering he'd been unfaithful. MAGAZINE: Neither of you mentioned names? Mara: No. We'd both had quite enough of men for the time being. Lucy: (Laughing.) That was something we agreed on immediately. MAGAZINE: How did coffee turn into spending the evening together? Mara: Lucy mentioned she needed to start looking for somewhere to live. Her former boyfriend had been paying for her apartment, and she was worried about what would happen when the next rent payment came due. Lucy: I was ashamed of how dependent I'd become. Mara: There was nothing to be gained by making her feel worse. I suggested she take a few days to think about her options rather than panic. Then I invited her to dinner. MAGAZINE: At a restaurant? Mara: Initially, yes. But we were enjoying one another's company so much that I suggested coming back to my house instead. Lucy: I nearly said no. MAGAZINE: Why? Lucy: Because she was beautiful, sophisticated, and obviously wealthy, and I was sitting there with a shopping bag containing shoes I couldn't afford, wondering whether I was about to make another terrible decision. Mara: (Taking Lucy's hand.) But she came home with me. MAGAZINE: What happened? Lucy: We had dinner on the terrace. Mara opened a bottle of wine, and we talked about everything except our former relationships. Music, travel, books, clothes, shoes. Especially shoes. Mara: Lucy discovered my dressing room. Lucy: (Laughing.) It was unbelievable! Shelves and shelves of beautiful shoes. I thought I'd walked into a designer boutique. Mara: She wanted to try on practically everything. Lucy: I asked permission! Mara: Repeatedly, darling. MAGAZINE: When did you realize this wasn't simply two strangers having dinner? Mara: When I saw Lucy standing in front of my bedroom mirror wearing those black heels I'd bought her. She'd taken off her cardigan and let down her hair, and suddenly I couldn't stop looking at her. Lucy: Mara came up behind me and said I looked beautiful. MAGAZINE: What did you do? Lucy: I turned around and kissed her. Mara: Quite unexpectedly. Lucy: (Laughing.) I thought if I waited for her to make the first move, I might lose my courage. MAGAZINE: Had you been with women before? Lucy: I'd dated a woman briefly when I was younger, but I'd spent most of my adult life in relationships with men. I'd never really given myself the opportunity to explore that side of my life. Mara: I'd had relationships with women before my marriage, although I'd been married for twelve years and hadn't imagined starting over with anybody. MAGAZINE: What happened after the kiss? Lucy: (Looking at Mara.) She kissed me again. Mara: Naturally. Lucy: Then she asked whether I wanted to stay the night. MAGAZINE: And? Lucy: I said yes. Mara: I told her there was a guest bedroom available and that she was welcome to stay without feeling she owed me anything. Lucy: But I didn't want the guest bedroom. MAGAZINE: So you slept together that first night? Lucy: (Blushing.) Yes. Mara: (Smiling.) Yes, we did. MAGAZINE: Any regrets? Lucy: None. Mara: Not a single one. MAGAZINE: What happened the following morning? Lucy: I woke up thinking I must have dreamed the entire evening. Mara: (Laughing.) She was staring at me. Lucy: I couldn't believe I was lying beside this beautiful woman who'd bought me a pair of expensive shoes, made me dinner, and somehow made me feel happy again. MAGAZINE: Did you expect to see each other again? Lucy: I hoped so. Mara: I had absolutely no intention of letting her disappear without at least asking her to dinner again. Lucy: Then Mara asked what I was planning to do about my apartment. MAGAZINE: And what did you say? Lucy: I admitted I didn't know. The lease was in my name, but I couldn't afford the rent, and I wasn't sure how much money I had left. Mara: So I told her she could stay with me temporarily while she sorted things out. Lucy: I said I couldn't possibly impose. Mara: And I pointed out that I had four bedrooms, lived alone, and would rather have her around than spend another evening talking to the television. MAGAZINE: You moved in immediately? Lucy: Not officially. We went to my apartment the next day to collect some clothes and personal things. At first, I kept insisting it would only be for a few days. Mara: Then a few days became a week. Lucy: Then two weeks. Mara: And eventually her shoes started appearing in my dressing room. Lucy: (Laughing.) You gave me an entire shelf! Mara: Two shelves, darling. We're up to two now. MAGAZINE: When did you become a couple? Mara: I'd say almost immediately, although neither of us wanted to admit how quickly it was happening. Lucy: We were together every evening. We'd cook dinner, watch television, go shopping, and spend hours talking in bed. MAGAZINE: Did Lucy continue looking for work? Lucy: Absolutely. I couldn't bear the thought of becoming financially dependent on somebody again. I started applying for positions in event planning and administration. Mara: She was determined to get back on her feet. Lucy: I was grateful for Mara's generosity, but I wanted to be with her because we loved each other, not because I needed somewhere to live. Mara: And I wanted exactly the same thing. MAGAZINE: So when did you discover your extraordinary connection? Both women exchange a long look. Lucy: About six weeks after we met. Mara: And that was nearly the end of everything. MAGAZINE: What happened? Mara: My divorce attorney had sent over some documents. I'd left them in my study because I needed to sign them. Lucy was using the printer that afternoon, and one of the papers had fallen onto the floor. Lucy: I picked it up without thinking. It was a letter addressed to Mara concerning her divorce. And there, near the top, was her husband's full name. Victor Hale. I thought I was going to faint. MAGAZINE: That was your former boyfriend? Lucy: Yes. The man I'd spent five years waiting for. The man who'd promised me he would leave his wife. The man who'd paid for my apartment, given me credit cards, and then abandoned me when somebody wealthier came along. MAGAZINE: What did you do? Lucy: I sat down on the floor. I couldn't breathe properly. Suddenly everything made sense. Mara's twelve-year marriage. Her husband's affair. The timing of the divorce. MAGAZINE: Did you tell her immediately? Lucy: I wanted to. But I was terrified. Mara: I found her sitting in the study, crying. MAGAZINE: What happened when you asked what was wrong? Lucy: I asked Mara whether Victor Hale was her former husband. Mara: I said yes. Then Lucy told me she'd been involved with him. For five years. MAGAZINE: How did you react? Mara: I couldn't believe what I was hearing. For months before filing for divorce, I'd known Victor was seeing another woman, but I didn't know who she was. I'd discovered suspicious hotel charges, messages, and financial transfers, but he'd been very careful to keep her identity hidden. I'd never seen a clear photograph of her, and I knew her only from fragments of information. Then suddenly I was standing in my study looking at the woman I'd fallen in love with, realizing she was the same woman I'd blamed for destroying my marriage. Lucy: (Quietly.) She looked at me as though she didn't recognize me anymore. MAGAZINE: What did she say? Mara: I asked whether she'd known he was married. Lucy: And I told her the truth. Yes. I'd known. MAGAZINE: That must have been difficult. Lucy: It was the worst moment of my life. I told Mara that Victor had insisted his marriage was already over, that they were staying together only for financial reasons, and that he was waiting for the right moment to leave. For five years, I believed him. Or perhaps I wanted to believe him. Mara: That's the distinction that hurt. Lucy: I know. Mara: She hadn't been deceived about the fact that he was married. She'd been deceived about what the marriage meant. MAGAZINE: Did you blame Lucy? Mara: At that moment? Yes. I'd spent months imagining the other woman, wondering what she had that I didn't. And now that woman was standing in my home, wearing a dress I'd bought her, crying because she thought I was going to throw her out. Lucy: I started packing. MAGAZINE: You intended to leave? Lucy: Of course. I thought she'd never want to see me again. Mara: And for about ten minutes, I wasn't certain what I wanted. MAGAZINE: What changed? Mara: I looked at her suitcase. Then I looked at the little pair of black heels sitting beside it. And I remembered the woman who'd cried in the shoe store, the woman I'd held in my arms, the woman who'd made me laugh for the first time in months. I realized that none of those moments had been false. MAGAZINE: What did you say? Mara: I told her to stop packing. Lucy: I thought she wanted to shout at me. Mara: I did want to shout. But I asked her to sit down instead. I needed answers. And she owed me the truth. MAGAZINE: What did you talk about? Lucy: Everything. The first time Victor approached me. The promises he made. The apartment, the trips, the gifts. The times I'd asked him to leave his wife and the excuses he'd given me. I told her things I'd never admitted to anybody, including how ashamed I'd become of the choices I'd made. Mara: And I told Lucy what the last years of my marriage had actually been like. Victor hadn't been trapped in a loveless marriage. He'd been telling me he loved me, making anniversary plans, discussing our retirement, and behaving as though everything was perfectly normal. Lucy: (Wiping her eyes.) I didn't know that. Mara: I believe her. But believing her doesn't make what happened acceptable. MAGAZINE: Was forgiveness difficult? Mara: Extremely. I wasn't going to pretend that five years of deception could be erased because we'd fallen in love. And Lucy wasn't asking me to. Lucy: I told her I understood if she wanted me to leave. I also told her I loved her. That was the first time I'd actually said those words. MAGAZINE: What did Mara say? Mara: Nothing at first. I needed to think. Lucy: She went outside onto the terrace, and I sat in the living room waiting. It was almost an hour before she came back. Mara: And when I returned, Lucy was still sitting there. MAGAZINE: What happened? Mara: I asked her one question. "Do you still love him?" Lucy: And I said no. Not even a little. Mara: Then I asked her something far more important. "Did you know who I was when we met in that shoe store?" Lucy: God, no! I swear I didn't! I had absolutely no idea. Not until I saw his name on those papers. Mara: And I believed her. Because I had seen the shock on her face when she discovered the truth. She hadn't lied to me. She hadn't tricked me. Neither of us had known. The only person who had deceived us both was Victor. And I wasn't about to let that bastard destroy the best thing that had happened to me in years. And I realized that I loved her too. MAGAZINE: You told her? Mara: Yes. I said, "Lucy, I don't know how we're going to make sense of this, and I'm certainly not ready to pretend it doesn't hurt. But I love you, and I don't want you to leave." Lucy: (Smiling through tears.) Then she kissed me. MAGAZINE: Did you ever confront Victor? Mara: Not together, initially. My attorney handled most of the divorce proceedings. But Victor eventually found out that Lucy and I were living together. MAGAZINE: How did he react? Lucy: He was furious. Mara: Which was absolutely delightful. MAGAZINE: (Laughing.) Why? Mara: Because a man who'd lied to two women for years suddenly believed he was entitled to an opinion about their private lives. MAGAZINE: Did he try to interfere? Lucy: He called me and demanded to know what I thought I was doing. Mara: And she told him. MAGAZINE: What did you say, Lucy? Lucy: (Laughing.) I said, "Victor, for five years you told me your wife was an unreasonable, cold, impossible woman. It turns out she's the kindest person I've ever met. And unlike you, she actually keeps her promises." Mara: (Laughing.) I wish I'd heard that conversation. Lucy: Then I hung up. MAGAZINE: And his new wealthy girlfriend? Mara: No idea. Lucy: Nor do I particularly care. Mara: Although I sincerely hope somebody warns her. MAGAZINE: How are things between you today? Mara: Wonderful. Not because we've forgotten what happened, but because we've stopped allowing Victor to define our lives. Lucy: I have a new job. MAGAZINE: Congratulations! Lucy: Thank you. I work for a small event management company, and I love it. Mara: She's doing extraordinarily well. MAGAZINE: And your living arrangements? Lucy: (Smiling.) I still live here. Mara: Temporarily, apparently. MAGAZINE: (Laughing.) Still temporarily? Mara: That's what she said six months ago. Lucy: I haven't quite got around to finding somewhere else. Mara: And I'd be extremely upset if she did. MAGAZINE: Have you discussed making the arrangement permanent? Mara: Frequently. Lucy: Mara says I already live here, so there's no particular need to discuss it. Mara: Exactly. MAGAZINE: And what about the shoes? Lucy: (Laughing.) Oh, goodness. Mara: She's become quite a collector. MAGAZINE: More expensive heels? Lucy: Some. Mara: Some? Darling, your collection has practically taken over my dressing room. Lucy: That's not true! Mara: She now has an entire section devoted to black heels alone. MAGAZINE: Do you still have the original pair? Lucy: Of course! Mara: She treats them like family heirlooms. Lucy: They're special. They were the first thing Mara ever bought me. MAGAZINE: Do you wear them often? Lucy: On special occasions. Mara: Particularly romantic ones. Lucy: (Blushing.) Mara! Mara: What? I didn't say anything inappropriate. MAGAZINE: We suspect there might be a story there. Lucy: There isn't. Mara: (Grinning.) Oh, there's definitely a story. Lucy: Margaret Ellison! Mara: (Laughing.) All right, darling. I'll behave. MAGAZINE: Mara, did you ever imagine yourself falling in love with a younger woman after your divorce? Mara: Not particularly. The age difference has never been the important part of our relationship. Lucy makes me laugh, challenges me, and brings a warmth into this house that was missing for years. MAGAZINE: And Lucy, did you imagine you'd fall in love with a woman ten years older? Lucy: No. But Mara doesn't make me feel like a younger woman who needs looking after. She treats me as her equal. MAGAZINE: Even though she helped you financially at the beginning? Lucy: Especially because of that. She never made me feel indebted to her. She encouraged me to work again, make my own decisions, and rebuild my confidence. Mara: And she did. I'm enormously proud of her. MAGAZINE: One final question. If you could go back to that afternoon in the shoe store, knowing everything you know today, would you change anything? Lucy: I'd have been honest about Victor much sooner. Mara: And I wish I'd known what was happening in my marriage five years earlier. MAGAZINE: But would you still have bought the shoes? Mara: Without hesitation. Lucy: (Smiling.) Really? Mara: Absolutely. Although I might have bought the red pair as well. Lucy: (Laughing.) I remember those! MAGAZINE: What happened to them? Mara: I bought them for her birthday. Lucy: And they're even higher than the black ones. MAGAZINE: Do you have any regrets about your relationship? Mara: None. Lucy: Me neither. MAGAZINE: Even considering how it began? Mara: Especially considering how it began. I've learned that people can make terrible mistakes and still become better people. What matters is whether they take responsibility for those mistakes and what they choose to do afterward. Lucy: (Quietly.) Mara gave me the chance to become someone I'm proud of again. Mara: And Lucy gave me something I thought I'd lost forever. MAGAZINE: Which was? Mara: The ability to trust somebody with my heart. As our interview draws to a close, Lucy excuses herself to change out of her office clothes while Mara offers us another cup of coffee. A few minutes later, Lucy reappears wearing a beautifully fitted black dress and the original black patent-leather platform heels that brought them together. Mara looks up, smiles, and holds out her hand. Mara: Ready, darling? Lucy: Almost. Do you think these shoes are all right for dinner? Mara: They're perfect. MAGAZINE: Are you celebrating something? Lucy: Our six-month anniversary. Mara: Of the day her credit card was declined. Lucy: (Laughing.) You make it sound terribly romantic! Mara: Well, darling, it turned out to be the best shopping trip of my life. The women leave together, Lucy carrying a small evening bag while Mara slips an affectionate arm around her waist. Somewhere in the city, the man who once deceived them both is presumably continuing his pursuit of wealth, admiration, and whatever else he believes will make him happy. Meanwhile, the woman he married and the woman he kept waiting have found something neither expected. Each other. Sometimes the greatest revenge isn't getting even. It's finding a happiness that no longer has anything to do with the person who hurt you.