March 2nd, 2010.

The man was in a pitiful situation; Nadine found herself musing as she watched from the window of the bakery's kitchen. At first she had been at loss as to why he had been so familiar but it hit her after a while that he was the same person she had run over with her bike only two weeks before.

Clad in another expensive suit, he stood a few steps away from the bakery's entrance trying in vain to help a woman speaking rapidly in French. It was comical how desperate he seemed as he tried to tell the woman to calm down while also trying to look for anyone who spoke the language. A smile broke across her lip as she watched the woman throw her hands up in frustration; stopping for a moment to pull out what Nadine was sure was a French to English dictionary.

A quick look at the time, she made sure it was her lunch break then pulled her apron over her head. She immediately alerted her friend that she was stepping out for lunch then skipped out of the kitchen. Breezing through the corridor, she pushed the back door open and stepped under the busy Thursday morning sun.

"Sir please, I just need to find a way to Yorkshire Hotels. Every taxi I have entered has taken me to about three streets named Yorkshire and one even took me to a pub but still no hotel. I know you can barely understand but I am so frustrated." The woman was exasperated now, Nadine could tell. The more she spoke in French, the more the nice man shook his head but her dictionary did not seem helpful.

"Do you have a map on you?" he asked slowly. Letting each syllable roll off his tongue so she could catch a little of what he said. "A map. So you could point out the place and then I know what you are talking about."

"Yorkshire Hotel is on the other side of town ma'am." Nadine smiled as she pulled out her little note book from her back pocket and scribbled the description down in French and the hotels name in bold English. "Not an easy walk unless you are determined. You can give the paper to a taxi driver and he would know where to take you unless you prefer to walk."

The lady muttered her thanks and rushed to the road to hail a taxi, leaving Nadine to turn and smile at the grateful man. He was taller up close so she had to lean her head back a bit to look him in the eye.

"Thank you." He muttered, "It's a shock how most people here do not speak French."

She nodded, stuffing her hands down her jacket pocket. "Small town and people rarely leave or even visit so people would not always see the need to diversify their lingual skills."

The man looked behind her, taking in the building behind her with a thoughtful stare. "You come round here a lot? To eat, I mean."

"No, no." she replied with a nervous laugh. She shoved her fingers into the pockets of her shorts, looking back at the building as well. "I work here. They were nice enough to give me a job after I got into town and I usually cycle on my break, that's how I ran into last time."

A smile broke out across his face and she joined him, he had a bright smile. "Right. It is nice to be standing after meeting you though."

Her smile widened at his reference to their previous clash as she coloured with embarrassment. "Well to say I am sorry will not make up for hurting you. Did I hurt you though? I was so worried about your suit I didn't think to ask if you were hurt from the fall."

"Ah yes!" he remarked dramatically, holding his hand up as if to surrender. "My suit loved the attention you gave it and it was the only thing that got hurt from the hit. Your leg? Hope it is better now."

"It is indeed. Johnathan helped me dress it again after we got home. I realized though that we never got your name."

For some reason he looked hesitant to surrender that piece of information, he scratched the back of his neck and turned to look towards the road. A small frown flirted with the ends of her lips. Maybe she had been too forward, she did not know many people around the town but they did not all seem too comfortable with her or Johnathan. Nadine hated saying the wrong things, especially to strangers.

"I am sorry." She rushed out in a windy voice. "I only asked because you already know my name but you don't have to tell me. I'll just, I have to go somewhere."

"Wait. Wait." He held her wrist before she could walk away. She turned to find him laughing, strangely. "Please no. I um... I think you are reading this whole situation wrong. I have no problem giving you my name. It's just my name usually makes things weird for me so I am more or less reluctant to give it up."

Her smile returned, "Me too but you know my name and I still don't know yours."

"Dominic. You can call me Dominic."

Now her teeth flashed when she nodded with a laugh, shaking his outstretched hand. "Nice to me you again Dominic. It is also nice to know your name. Sorry but I have to grab lunch and head to work."

He smiled back as she walked away, raising his hand to wave to her.