Roger pushed his cart through the store looking for something that would inspire him. He’d felt flat for months. Nothing pushed him to go for more, to want more. He wanted more than nothing.

Rounding a corner his cart collided with someone else’s. He stopped, ready to apologize when he saw a little girl, maybe eight, standing in front of him.

“Are you single?” she asked, glancing behind her.

Roger, amused and willing to play along, answered, “Yes. I’m single. But I think you might be too young for me.”

The girl swung shocked eyes back to him and shook her head. “No, not for me. For my mom. She’s beautiful and nice and smart and all those other things men say they like, but she’s single. You look like one of the guys she looks at on the computer. I just thought if you were single maybe you should go out with her.”

Roger stifled a laugh and wondered what the girl had found on her mom’s computer, figuring it might be best if he didn’t know. “I’m sure your mom is wonderful, but I might need to meet her first.”

“Oh, I know. That’s why I ran into you. She’s coming right now. You can get her phone number.”

“I’m not sure it’s that easy,” Roger began before he heard her.

Her voice stirred something in him that hadn’t noticed anything in a long time. It stirred something in his pants too, but he focused on the kid to settle that part. No way was he going to wander the grocery store sporting an erection. When she finally reached them, Roger couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her brown hair was cut short with the back even shorter than the wisps around the front. Her eyes were kind, but concerned, when she realized her daughter was talking to a stranger. But it was the curves of her body that drew him in. He knew it made him a bit of a pig to only care about a woman’s appearance, but most women he knew tried to hide their curves. This one proudly displayed them like they were something to be celebrated.

Roger agreed.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice wrapping around him and teasing his entire body. With a voice and figure like hers, Roger had no idea why the woman would need her daughter picking up men for her.

“Oh, no, it was completely my fault. I wasn’t looking where I was going. Please, let me make it up to you. How about dinner? Here. Then I’ll replace the items I damaged in your cart.”

He knew he was reaching, but the light in her eyes told him she was curious. She glanced toward her daughter, who gave her an encouraging smile, then wrapped her arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “That’s not necessary, really. I appreciate the offer though.”

Her daughter sighed heavily, her shoulders drooping with the effort. Roger knew exactly how she felt. He wanted to spend just a few minutes with the woman. In just seconds she’d made him care again. Made him want something more than emptiness.