Hannah poured her coffee and went downstairs to open the store. She was excited about tonight. She had already planned a menu. She knew Mark liked old fashioned cooking, so they were having pot roast with potatoes and carrots, green beans and home made cornbread. She unlocked the door and turned over the open sign. She had a few more things to try from the book.

Number 27: Show interest in his work. Listen intently as he talks.

Number 28: Wear something that makes people look at you...something you wouldn't normally wear.

She would ask him more about his wrestling career tonight, that seemed like it was something really important to him.

She had also decided to wear an outfit that would show off her assets. She had picked out a short black form fitting skirt and a white sleeveless low cut shirt, The shirt had drawstrings under the breasts to accentuate them and Hannah was well endowed in that area. She had black flats to go with it.

It was nagging her in the back of her mind that the book was kind of sexist in its tips, concentrating on doing nothing but pleasing a man, but it was working so she couldn't really complain.

The door rang and Hannah looked up to see her father.

"Hannah." Her father said looking around in distaste.

She didn't answer just looked at him.

"You have your mother so upset, she can't function." Bradley said.

"Father, I'm not doing anything to upset her." Hannah said and turned to open a carton of books.

"It's bad enough you hang out with that reprobate at the bike shop, now you have taken up with Callaway. We made your sister stop dating him and now you take up with him. Wake up girl, he has no interest in you, he's probably just using you for sex." Bradley said.

Hannah turned back to her father.

"Of course he couldn't like me, could he; I'm not pretty enough or smart enough for any man am I?" Hannah asked.

"I didn't say that Hannah." Bradley said.

"You might as well, I realize I'm no beauty queen, I heard it enough growing up, I'll never be as good as Justine, but I am a likeable person, I am smart and Mark likes me. I tell you what Father, just get out of my life, you, mother, Justine, I don't want anything to do with you anymore, disown me or what ever, that way I cant embarrass you anymore." Hannah said.

Bradley stood there just staring at her.

"I don't understand how you can be my child." Bradley said.

"Well maybe I'm not; maybe you should have a talk with mother." Hannah snapped.

Bradley lifted his hand and slapped her hard in the face.

"You should be ashamed of your self. From now on consider your self an orphan; I don't care to see you again." Bradley said and turned and left.

Hannah sank into a chair and buried her face and cried. His words hurt. Even though her family was screwed up they were her family, she didn't have anyone anymore. She didn't here the bell ring on the door.

Mark saw her setting in the chair crying her eyes out. He went to kneel in front of her.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Mark asked gently.

Hannah looked up surprised to see Mark kneeling in front of her.

Mark grasped her chin and turned her head to the side. He saw the red handprint on her face.

"Who the hell did that?" Mark asked angrily.

"Father." Hannah said and started crying again.

Mark pulled Hannah into his arms and held her while she sobbed. He was going to find that asshole Bradley and punch his lights out.

Hannah quieted down and Mark set her back in the chair. He handed her a bandana to wipe her eyes.

"Blow yer nose." Mark said.

Hannah did and looked back up at Mark.

"Want to talk about it, before I go beat yer dad." Mark said.

"Mark don't do that, I said something really nasty to him, that's why he slapped me. He disowned me; he said he didn't want to see me anymore." Hannah said tearing up again.

"I'm sorry honey." Mark said taking her hand in his.

"It's about me isn't it?" Mark said.

Mark knew in a town this size, it had probably got around that him and Hannah had been hanging out. He knew Bradley wouldn't like that.

"Yea, but I don't care what people say Mark, you're my friend, I like you." She said blushing.

Mark grinned and squeezed her hand.

"Well I happen to like ya too Hannah, and I aint going to let no one, yer dad included tell me we can't be friends." Mark said.

Hannah smiled at him.

"What did ya say to yer dad that made him so mad?" Mark asked.

"Well he said he couldn't believe I was his child, and I told maybe I wasn't, that he should go have a talk with mother." Hannah said.

Mark bit his lip to keep from laughing; he bet that really riled old Bradley up.

"Hannah I cant believe ya said that. I never heard ya say a mean thing to anybody." Mark said.

"Well he just made me so mad, but I shouldn't have said it, it just sort of popped out." Hannah said.

"Well lets forget about all this, I brought ya breakfast." Mark said.

Hannah got up and followed Mark to the counter.

"Fresh doughnuts?" Hannah said smiling.

"Yep, lets eat them while there warm." Mark said.

"Thanks Mark." Hannah said

Mark just smiled; he was fast becoming attached to this little girl. Days ago he had been down in the dumps wondering what he was going to do with his self. He woke up this morning jumping up, eager to go see Hannah. He was coming to the realization that he was attracted to her. Now the question was what the hell he was going to do about it?