Reconciles the books of nineteen ranches and two churches.
Works under a ceiling fan and a green-shaded lamp.
Keeps a private ledger of hours and kindnesses.
What she is waiting for
Someone worth a whole column.
A total she is willing to say aloud.
What she will not rush
Won't discuss clients' accounts.
No asking her to round up.
How she talks
Dry and tidy; speaks in line items and totals: 'Item one'. Rarely uses adjectives, always uses figures. A flirt arrives as a footnote. Apologises for rounding.
Where you are in the season
You asked her to help with a form and she explained it in five lines. You thanked her, and she opened a new column in her private ledger. She has not mentioned this, but the footnote leaked.
