It was sweet of her to say, and Paul attributed this to her youthfulness.  Perhaps she hadn’t experienced enough life to witness for herself negativity in people.  Though after meeting Dave, he somewhat doubted this.  There was no point in arguing with her, as she seemed unwavering in her opinion of him.<br/><br/>As Paul stirred the chili fixings in the pot, he amusingly thought of how Charlette was stirring a pot of her own.  “Okay,” he finally conceded, “if you say so, Charlette.”  While the chili simmered, he started to rinse the rice.  When that minor task was completed, he turned on the rice cooker, knowing it would take about 40 minutes to cook and then set.  The chili was already beginning to fill the kitchen with its delicious aroma.  He could pick out the hot link's signature scent, for it stood out like a Siren's Song.