She’d been a whirlwind, arrowing in on vendors who welcomed her with genuine warmth. Not that he’d blame them. Marlowe was a woman who brought out the best in everyone. There was an easy way about her. An infectious smile, an outgoing personality, quick laughter. She negotiated well and, putting him to shame, did manage to get the best price without any hard haggling.

Her tactics worked. Unlike his way of doing business, which was more 'search and destroy', hers was completed making everyone feel as though they had won.

The more time he spent with her, the more his attraction grew, although he’d never let her know that. He didn’t have the time or the inclination for a woman in his life, no matter how tempting she was.

He liked women, hell, he loved women, but he purposely kept his selection to those who didn’t mind fast affairs without complicated ties. If a woman decided she liked him more than he liked her, he ended their relationship without preamble. There was no way he was going to end up like his father. A promise he’d made to himself when he was still a child.

He’d settle for a loveless life in favour of one filled with hate any day.

“Okay, I’ve got everything and ordered delivery. I have an hour before I have to cook for the kitchen lunch crowd. Feel like breakfast? I know this little hole in the wall that makes the best bacon and eggs. They have good coffee too,” she said.

He checked the time. Seven. Still early. His next appointment was at nine and he was hungry. Even so, he hadn't planned on being here so long. If he went for breakfast, he'd have to spend more time with her and that was something he didn't want to do. "No thanks. Can you send me the cost of the product you bought? I'll start up a spreadsheet."

She shook her head, “After the kitchen, I have to start my shift at Sophia’s. I won’t have time to go through anything today. I’ll do it in the morning. Tomorrow.”

A frown pushed at his forehead, "You're working in the kitchen and at Sophia's after being here all morning?"

“Yup. It’s a full day today,” she said.

He did a quick calculation in his head, “This will be the ninth day in a row you’ve worked.” Not including all of the hours she was putting in.

Her eyes widened, “Wow. You take note. It’s not usually my day to work at Sophia’s, but I’m covering someone’s shift. Just helping out, you know? Besides, at this time of year, we get the office Christmas parties coming in day and night. It’s busy. All hands on deck.”

He knew about helping people out, and a busy Christmas period, but this wasn’t the first time she’d mentioned she was covering extra shifts, “Are you covering shifts for the same person?”

The stare she gave him told him it was, “It’s OK. I can do it. They’re just going through a hard time right now.”

More than likely they were taking advantage of her good nature. She was in for a mammoth day that would make him tired. He sat at a desk and wasn’t going to be on his feet all day either. “Come on. Let’s have breakfast and I’ll help you put the receipts into a spreadsheet as we eat.”

“You would?” Unexpected happiness shone on her face and his heart did a little flip at the look of gratefulness she gave him. A blanket of warmth swirled around his heart at her appreciation. He would have helped her even if she wasn’t grateful, just for the fact that he’d help ease her day a little, but her obvious appreciation humbled him.

“Let me get my computer out of my car,” before I tell myself how stupid I am not to get the hell away from you, he wanted to add but didn’t voice that out loud.

“Thank you! I’m not really good with computers,” she said.

“It won’t take a moment,” he said. One thing he was good at was numbers. That was his gift and he used it to maximum advantage. It was the main reason he was the best buying and disassembling business for a mean profit. A little thing like tallying up receipts he could do in his sleep.

“Thank you so much. It’d take me hours,” she groaned. “I’m much better with food than with numbers.”

In a few short minutes, he’d gathered his computer and they made their way to a restaurant he’d nearly walked right past. She was right. The restaurant was a little hole in the wall, barely seating eight people in its narrow confines. The counter ran lengthwise down one side, with the benches and tables built into the other.

The floor was faded, the seats were a little ripped, but the place was clean and his stomach rumbled with the heavenly smells coming from the cooktop. They settled into one of the beaten up stalls.

"Hey, Marlowe. How are you doin’ this mornin’?” A rather burly man behind the counter greeted Marlowe.

Marlowe’s smile was quick, “Hey Joe. How are you?”

“Doin’ fine now that you’re here. Want the usual?”

“Two please,” she grinned.

“Comin’ right up,” Joe turned his bulk towards the cooktop and cracked eggs with a deft hand.

The sizzle and smell of frying bacon make his stomach grumble. She raised a sleek brow at the sound. She took off her woolen cap and gloves and ran her hands through her hair, teasing out the kinks and knots from her beanie. In this light, her hair was more auburn than red as he’d originally thought. Less frizzy, and more defined and wavy. It settled around her face, hollowing out rather delicate cheekbones and making her lips look swollen and kissable. Who was he kidding? She could be wearing a sack and those lips would still look kissable.

He shuffled in his seat. He didn't want to think kissable or swollen or notice her hair. Instead, he opened his computer and fired it up, concentrating on the windows logo. "Got those receipts?"

“Right down to business, I see. Coming right up.” She opened her bag and rummaged around for the stack of papers.

He caught her quick smile from the corner of his eye. She smiled a lot and it seemed he was the cause of some of them. Exhaling, he set about creating a simple spreadsheet. He moved the computer so she could see what he did, “Okay, I’m setting up a simple profit and loss statement and we’re going to also include cash flow.”

“You’ve already lost me,” she said.

“Okay, profit and loss is a summary of income and expenses so you can see where your business stands at any one time. What your income is and what your costs are. It’s a necessary all-rounder. A cash flow statement will show you the money coming and going out for a set time period. We’re going to create a fortnightly sheet. This is where we put receipts, all expenses such as wages, electricity and what is to be and has been invoiced. It will show if and where you’re running out of money.”

“Where the soup kitchen is running out of money?” she asked.

“If it is, and where we can shave costs,” he said.

“As long as it isn’t at the expense of fresh ingredients, right?” Marlowe asked.

David inhaled deeply, “I think you’ve proven your point this morning. I’ll look at other things we might do. Maybe increasing meals by fifty cents might do the trick.”

“That’s okay, as long as the homeless aren’t going to be affected if we don’t sell as much,” she said.

He studied her for a moment. There was such a caring essence about her, it poured from her. She’d probably been taken advantage of all her life without her even knowing it. Taking other people's shifts when she was clearly overextending herself, for example. “I’m doing this so we can do more for the homeless, Marlowe. The people who work in that area can afford to pay a little more for quality food.”

Her smile took his breath away. It was large and genuine and went all the way to her eyes. How long had it been since he’d seen a smile like that? He couldn’t do anything but stare at her and feel his resolve melting until there was nothing there but a puddle.

If it was possible, her smile grew wider, "You look like a different person when you smile, David." Her voice held all the wonder of a five-year-old.

He blinked in surprise and found he was smiling back. At her. Like a five-year-old. But he wasn't five. He was thirty-one and a confirmed bachelor and had chosen a loveless life because of a personal choice and a childhood of hurt. He didn't want a partner or a girlfriend, he didn’t want children or a domestic life of any kind. And he especially didn’t want to fall in love and have children and wait for his wife to leave him to be responsible for a child he had no idea how to raise except in a world of emotional pain. That he knew plenty about.

He also didn’t like the fact his resolve was falling fast with no more than a smile and a soft heart.