Martin put the off-white china mug to his thin lips and took a long drink of his rapidly cooling coffee. His eyes scanned over the classified ads for the hundredth time but, once again, there was nothing. Nothing in his field, nothing in his area, nothing, nothing, nothing. The pen poised in his right hand tapped against the page angerly and he took another mouthful, swishing the lukewarm liquid between his cheeks.

"Good morning, pumpkin." Candice's bare feet padded along the bare hardwood behind him, and Martin soon found his girlfriend's arms wrapped tightly around his chest, her face buried into the nape of his neck.

"Good morning, pidgeon." The smile crept to his lips as he set down the mug and turned his face toward hers. God, her hair smelled amazing.

"No luck?"

"Not a damned thing." He grinned at her anyway and pulled her into his lap.