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Chuckling, she agreed. “Those canned fruit pies can’t, in all sincerity, call themselves pies. Not to mention, nine out of ten of those pies also use frozen pie crusts. It’s disgraceful.”
His eyes lit up. “You made the crust from scratch as well? It really had a real nice taste to it. Some kind of kick to it—”
“You noticed!” she exclaimed excited. “That’s because I decided to add a pinch of mint extract—”
“Ok, look here, we are here to fix a computer glitch, not exchange recipes,” Dexter’s irate voice interrupted them.
Daniel made an apologetic face then quickly turned back to the computer. “No harm, Dex, you’re just on the preface screen. Just hit the LAUNCH icon and that will bring you back to the main page.”
Startled, Laura beamed inwardly but couldn’t help shooting a smug brow at Dexter who only scowled in return. “I’ll reme
mber for next time. Thanks Daniel.”
“Sure thing.”
When Daniel didn’t make for the door as pronto as Dexter would have preferred, he glanced up at the computer engineer and said, “That’s all. You can go now.”
Daniel shot his brows high, grinned, then sauntered for the door. “Nice meeting you, Laura!”
“You too, Daniel.”
When he left, she turned her amiable face back to the scowling man opposite her and sighed. Right, she reminded herself, time to switch gears. Daniel was so pleasant and refreshing, she almost forgot she had to be on her guard around Dexter’s brooding self.
Repressing her smile, she returned to her chair and presented him with her best somber persona. He shot her one more annoyed look, before returning to the computer program. Her eyes involuntarily shifted back to his face and sighed silently. A fresh grimace appeared on his face while staring at the screen, and Laura feared this time had more to do with her finances than the new computer program.
The habitual firm tautness of his jaw had her suddenly pandering how he would appear if he allowed himself to smile. If she were an artist she would take his likeness to the canvas and capture the image that disturbingly came to mind. A fiery little warmth unexpectedly shot down the arch of her back and had Laura instantly sweeping the image aside. Something about him she couldn’t quite put her finger on, aroused a sensation she was too ignorant to name. True, she plainly discerned his animosity, however, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what those long sinewy fingers pounding away at the keyboard would feel stroking her skin. She blushed heatedly at the unexpected vision,
“I'm creating a budget report based on the figures in your account book.” He glanced at her, paused, and then asked, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, why?”
“Your cheeks are all red.”
Of course this observation only made her cheeks grow even more flushed. “I’m fine. It’s just warm in here.”
“The air conditioning is on.”
Irritated, she sighed and gestured toward the screen, wanting to change the subject. “You created a budget report, you were saying?”
He studied her curiously for a brief second, then shifted his gaze toward the door Daniel had earlier exited. His eyes appeared to darken momentarily before he squared his shoulders, then turned his attention back to the screen and shifted all at once into his business persona.
“In the report, I’ve listed both your income and expenses. Of course, this does not include the donations you received at your charity event, but at the moment I entirely suggest you don't spend that money, instead invest the funds and produce as much return on the dollar as long as possible.”
His professional demeanor was quite effective in cooling Laura’s cheeks, for which she was grateful. It was humiliating at being caught fantasizing about the man. Drawing herself out of her musings, she focused on the importance of properly maintaining her accounting records.
From a nearby printer, he retrieved the complex document simply by selecting a key. Laura silently marveled at the intricate processing of the technical apparatus. Apart from the programs that were a requirement in university along with a Facebook page she hardly used, she knew very little about computers. Selecting the right icon for Dexter had been a fluke. They just had never been her strong suit. But in today’s day and age, with the use of the internet and instant access to data and facts, she knew really ought to. Maybe she could get him to teach her. Then she scoffed at herself. Right, he begrudgingly was teaching her how to administer her own bookkeeping, she doubted he could care whether she knew the intricate details of operating a computer.
He dropped a colored sheet in front of her, followed by another. “Here is a balance sheet summarizing both your assets and your liabilities. In other words, what you owe and what you own. To get a better understanding of your net worth, I designed this pie chart which will show you the percentage breakdown of your assets and liabilities.” He shuffled in his chair so she could get a better view. “As you can see, the difference isn't that great now. But I can guarantee you in a years’ time, tops, this red portion, which represents the liabilities to the house, will increase.”
“Unless I do something about it?”
He sat back in his chair and stared hard across at her. “You won't give up this absurd idea and close the shelter?”
“No.”
“You're going to lose your home—your father's home.”
“I won't. I'll never let that happen,” she boldly stated, entrusting the care entirely upon herself. There was no one else. She was alone in this world, and she better not forget it.
