In the two weeks that followed, Cassie had been to the studio a half-dozen times to mill about the exhibits, to the point that Alinda had invited her to sit with her students as she actually worked on a new sculpture. That day she chose a simple striped sundress, which revealed the supple curves of her bare shoulders but kept her most popular assets hidden. Her leather sandals complemented her relaxed but pretty look, and they made a slapping sound as she made her way to what Alinda called her 'work room.'

Some young men and women sat in dark oak wooden chairs arrayed in a lopsided circle around a...