Operation Valentine Read Online Free PDF

computer, biting her fingernails as it loaded up. There was no escaping it now.
    She needed that date for Valentine’s Day.
    And not just with someone she could fall in love with.
    But someone Mr Penwick could fall in love with too.
    Someone Andrew Whenam could fall in love with.
    Someone with high moral standards and family values.
    Where could she go to find a man with such a specific set of criteria?
    She closed her eyes as the answer presented itself. Whipping her phone out of her pocket, she typed a text message addressed to both her friends.
    All right. Operation Valentine. I’m in. When can we get started?

Chapter 4
Week 1, Day 2: Profiling
    The beauty of owning The Blue Saloon was that Owen could pick his own hours. Most weeknights, he liked to go home early enough to spend time with his daughter – make sure she did her homework, find out how her day went and, God forbid, discuss her upcoming puberty-related shopping excursions. However, this particular Friday, just as he finished the handover to his night shift manager, Sarah Dubert walked in.
    She was wearing a dark green, sleeveless dress that was cut for business, which hinted that she had come straight from work. It was neither too short nor too snug, but its understated suggestiveness was like an unspoken challenge to every man in the room.
    Not that he intended to answer that call, as tempting as it may be. He waited for her to approach the bar, but instead she went straight for a table by the window. The expression on her face suggested she was preoccupied, like she was there to work, not play. As if to add proof to the pudding, she took an iPad from her handbag and immediately became absorbed in whatever was on the screen. Head bent low, her fingers played with a few strands of hair that had come away from the loose knot at the back of her head. Her thin-rimmed metal glasses, which she hadn’t been wearing yesterday, lent an air of seriousness to her project. He eyed her in mild amusement.
    What was she doing?
    Online shopping?
    Watching Foxtel?
    Reading Fifty Shades of Grey ?
    Whatever it was, it certainly took her complete and undivided attention.
    She clearly didn’t notice the three men on the couches who had simultaneously lowered their beers to eye her.
    He frowned.
    Now was probably as good a time as any to give her back her jewellery box. Though, from the looks of her, she hadn’t even missed it. Reaching under the bar, he retrieved the silver-plated item from where he had placed it yesterday for safe keeping. He smiled at the sight of it.
    This is going to be fun.
    He went over to her table and sat down opposite her. She didn’t even look up before saying, ‘So glad you’re finally here,’ as she tapped wildly on her screen. ‘I’m nearly finished. This questionnaire has taken me ages. But only a couple more questions to go before my profile is done. Then we can start going through potentials.’
    â€˜Potentials? Potential what?’ he asked bemused.
    She gasped at the sound of his voice and looked up in horror. He used her stupor to lean forward slightly and read the webpage she was looking at.
    â€˜Soulmates.com. “A pathway to your happily ever after.” What the hell ?’
    She hastily switched off the screen. ‘What are you doing here?’
    â€˜This is my bar.’
    â€˜I mean, at my table.’ She frowned. ‘I’m not looking for company.’
    â€˜Well then you shouldn’t sit by yourself.’
    â€˜Didn’t we establish yesterday that I’m not your type?’
    â€˜Completely and absolutely,’ he said with a firm no-nonsense inflection in his voice.
    â€˜Then what do you want?’
    â€˜I think I have something that belongs to you.’ He lifted her box from his lap and placed it on the table between them.
    Colour spread through her face like pink dye tipped into fairy floss. ‘How did you get that?’
    He tilted his head