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“Yes. Go right in.”
     
    Tim did just that, knocking once before letting himself in without waiting for a response. Marx looked up from his computer and Tim took the chair opposite him leaning back and regarding the ceiling.
     
    “Singleton. And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
     
    Tim raised a brow, his eyes still lazily on the ceiling. “Dinner, Saturday, you and your wife. We’ll begin with a round of golf at your country club. After dinner we’ll have some drinks, casual conversation, then I’ll go home and you and Elaina will leave me alone for another month.”
     
    Jakob regarded his friend. “Elaina’s going to want to introduce you to a ‘friend.’”
     
    Tim’s eyes moved to the man that had been his best friend for the last 25 years. “Absolutely out of the question.”
     
    “Elaina calls you a ‘wonderful man’ and she has a ‘wonderful friend’ and thinks that you two will have a ‘wonderful time’ getting to know each other. I’ve tried very hard to convince her that you are neither wonderful…nor even very interesting.” Jakob hid a grin as he spoke. “But for some odd reason she’s convinced that you actually are worthy of her attention.”
     
    Jakob stood, he wasn’t nearly as tall as Tim and where Tim was brawny, Jakob was more athletically built. Once upon a time Tim had cared about such things and he felt a moment of shame that he’d allowed his once toned body to soften.
     
    Jakob seemed in deep concentration as he paced. “Now the female in question does actually fit into the arena of ‘wonderful.’” At this he peeked at Tim who at least continued to watch him. “However, I wouldn’t think that sitting down at dinner with her constitutes any pressure for…dating.”
     
    Tim almost gagged as he straightened in his seat.
     
    “Not the D-word. I don’t want to fucking hear the D-word.”
     
    Jakob held up his hands innocently. “I said there is no pressure in that direction. Dinner, a few drinks after, along with some casual conversation.”
     
    The muscles in Tim’s jaw clenched. It was more reflexive than anything else and once he realized he was doing it he relaxed. “Remove golfing at the country club, and just dinner with…Miss Wonderful present and we have a deal.”
     
    Jakob stood before him, staring down in disapproval. “Have you thought about hitting the gym?”
     
    “What are you saying? That I’m fat?” Now he was becoming offended.
     
    “No. But you will be in about another six months at the rate you’re going.”
     
    Tim scowled and muttered something about plans to hit the treadmill, and then he stood and left.
     
    “Seven sharp, Saturday.”
     
    Tim raised his hand dismissively before disappearing into the elevator.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 5
     
    The next day Jane carried her book to work. She planned to go outside and sit in the pavilion and read aloud to herself. Something moved through her that caused her to frown briefly. Why should she have to sneak away just to read a book of poems? Why should she be afraid that one of the sister’s would see her? She couldn’t wait until she had the money to leave that place that was beginning to feel more and more like a prison!
     
    She arrived at work at 7:30. Jen and Tim hadn’t yet arrived and other than the receptionist, no one else was present on the floor. She liked the quiet and quickly started the coffee brewing. The smell was intoxicating and it alone perked her up. The smell of coffee is one of the few things that she did remember from her life befor e the school and the nuns. Why, she didn’t know. Only that the smell of it had always soothed her.                                                         
     
    She wasn’t sure what she should do to occupy her time until she was given her daily duties so she began with the file cabinets, checking to make sure that everything was