The two women proceeded to the order counter. One of them blew him away; he couldn't take my eyes off of her. Soon they claimed their food and passed by Duke Shannon on their way to a table. He tried not to stare. He finished his lunch but he couldn't get her out of his mind. As he walked slowly and deliberately out of the eatery he finally spotted her sitting with four other ladies. "Excuse the interruption, but I must speak with you now because the risk of never seeing you again is just too grim to contemplate." Duke Shannon had a thriving restaurant business, lived in a million-dollar, high-rise apartment, and drove a Mercedes. He was a published author, traveled the world, and enjoyed near-celebrity status - doing exactly what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it. He loved the company of beautiful women but had no interest in matrimony. His lifestyle and total independence suited him nicely. Love was a word he never used and didn't want to hear. It made him very uneasy. And Carla Callegari made him rethink everything.