Chapter 49

Finesse was something Smith believed he was very good at. And this thoroughness extended to his work and romantic life. The reason—or one of them, aside from his lack of finances—which he did not have a lady to call his own was that he was too thorough with everything.

While it was not beyond him to get a warm body for the night and part ways with her the next morning, he believed a proper relationship was a bit more than that. A warm bed was just fine, but he needed more and ‘more’ was the problem.

His concept of more was a little too archaic, too unrealistic, and too detailed for any one person to embody, and this often left him feeling drained with the search. Hence, his resignation to fate and the life of a seasoned bachelor.

It was afternoon, and the pitter-patter could be heard on the roof; it was raining and had been for most of the day. At 3:05 p.m., the office was still not fully alive; some people were no doubt huddled in the hallways fighting over coffe