been asking my dad for these. I didn't think I was gonna get them.”
Dillon looked up at Grace. “These have made my night.”
Grace's heart melted upon hearing Dillon's announcement. She couldn't tell if it was practiced gratitude or sincere appreciation but his words made her tingle a little. The idea that she could make this lonely boy's night special satisfied something in her that she didn't even know existed. She could feel herself glow from it.
“Is someone staying with you tonight?” Grace asked looking around at the seemingly empty house.
“Yeah, Mrs Fernando. She's our housekeeper.”
“Where is she?”
“She's watching TV in her room. Did you want something to eat? I can get her.”
Grace looked at the boy wanting to experience more of him and hence knowing that it was time for her to leave. “No, I just wanted to make sure that you weren't here by yourself.”
“No.”
“Did you two do something special for your birthday?” Grace asked worrying about what he would say.
“No. She doesn't know,” Dillon said losing the fight to hide his feelings.
Grace's heart broke staring at the gentle young man in front of her. “I'm sorry.”
Grace's apology only withered Dillon more.
“You know what? I've been known to play a mean game of ‘Gears of War.’ I bet you that I can take you two out of three times in any one of your new games. It can't be any that you have practice in. We have to start on a level playing field.”
Dillon's eyes lit up. “You play video games?”
“Of course I do. Do you see which games I chose? What, you think I asked the sales clerk which ones to buy?”
Dillon looked down at the games again. He knew he was holding all of the best. “OK, two out of three,” he said running to the huge flat screen TV in the living room.
Grace followed Dillon watching his exuberance. It made her smile. She liked Dillon. He would have been exactly the kind of boy that she would have fallen for when she was 14, except she was sure that Dillon would have been to mature to like her back.
Dillon set up the first game and both played. Two out of three games turned into three out of five after Grace won. And after switching games didn't bring Dillon a victory, he demanded a rematch.
“Another time,” Grace pronounced knowing that it was past midnight.
Dillon got silent for a moment. “You're very pretty,” he said bringing a surprising blush to Grace's face. “Do you think the next time my dad goes out of town, you could come by and we could play again?”
Grace was hesitant to agree feeling the slight tingling again. But he was so cute and so sweet that she couldn't resist. “Well, if it's OK with your dad I will.”
Dillon smiled the biggest smile of the night in reply. “I know it will be,” Dillon responded before becoming much more serious. “This has been the best day I've had since…” Dillon's eyes filled with tears but he refused to let them fall.
He didn't have to finish the sentence though. Grace knew what the end of that sentence was. It was his best day since his mother died. Dillon didn't have to say anymore that night. Grace knew she was hooked. After Grace concluded the night with a hug, that beautiful boy was the only thing that she could think about for the rest of the night. And when her boss finally traveled again, she was immediately back.
It was Grace's devotion to Dillon that captured his dad's attention. The secretary and boss didn't have a very passionate relationship, but the executive did know that she would make a good mother, so their relationship endured.
When Grace began sleeping over she noticed how Dillon would subtly compete with his dad for her attention. In truth, she found it very flattering. And when she became the one that babysat him when his father traveled, she was surprised to learn how supportive he could be as well.
“Is my dad the type of guy you imagined yourself with,” the 15-year-old Dillon asked.
“Can you keep
Dillon looked up at Grace. “These have made my night.”
Grace's heart melted upon hearing Dillon's announcement. She couldn't tell if it was practiced gratitude or sincere appreciation but his words made her tingle a little. The idea that she could make this lonely boy's night special satisfied something in her that she didn't even know existed. She could feel herself glow from it.
“Is someone staying with you tonight?” Grace asked looking around at the seemingly empty house.
“Yeah, Mrs Fernando. She's our housekeeper.”
“Where is she?”
“She's watching TV in her room. Did you want something to eat? I can get her.”
Grace looked at the boy wanting to experience more of him and hence knowing that it was time for her to leave. “No, I just wanted to make sure that you weren't here by yourself.”
“No.”
“Did you two do something special for your birthday?” Grace asked worrying about what he would say.
“No. She doesn't know,” Dillon said losing the fight to hide his feelings.
Grace's heart broke staring at the gentle young man in front of her. “I'm sorry.”
Grace's apology only withered Dillon more.
“You know what? I've been known to play a mean game of ‘Gears of War.’ I bet you that I can take you two out of three times in any one of your new games. It can't be any that you have practice in. We have to start on a level playing field.”
Dillon's eyes lit up. “You play video games?”
“Of course I do. Do you see which games I chose? What, you think I asked the sales clerk which ones to buy?”
Dillon looked down at the games again. He knew he was holding all of the best. “OK, two out of three,” he said running to the huge flat screen TV in the living room.
Grace followed Dillon watching his exuberance. It made her smile. She liked Dillon. He would have been exactly the kind of boy that she would have fallen for when she was 14, except she was sure that Dillon would have been to mature to like her back.
Dillon set up the first game and both played. Two out of three games turned into three out of five after Grace won. And after switching games didn't bring Dillon a victory, he demanded a rematch.
“Another time,” Grace pronounced knowing that it was past midnight.
Dillon got silent for a moment. “You're very pretty,” he said bringing a surprising blush to Grace's face. “Do you think the next time my dad goes out of town, you could come by and we could play again?”
Grace was hesitant to agree feeling the slight tingling again. But he was so cute and so sweet that she couldn't resist. “Well, if it's OK with your dad I will.”
Dillon smiled the biggest smile of the night in reply. “I know it will be,” Dillon responded before becoming much more serious. “This has been the best day I've had since…” Dillon's eyes filled with tears but he refused to let them fall.
He didn't have to finish the sentence though. Grace knew what the end of that sentence was. It was his best day since his mother died. Dillon didn't have to say anymore that night. Grace knew she was hooked. After Grace concluded the night with a hug, that beautiful boy was the only thing that she could think about for the rest of the night. And when her boss finally traveled again, she was immediately back.
It was Grace's devotion to Dillon that captured his dad's attention. The secretary and boss didn't have a very passionate relationship, but the executive did know that she would make a good mother, so their relationship endured.
When Grace began sleeping over she noticed how Dillon would subtly compete with his dad for her attention. In truth, she found it very flattering. And when she became the one that babysat him when his father traveled, she was surprised to learn how supportive he could be as well.
“Is my dad the type of guy you imagined yourself with,” the 15-year-old Dillon asked.
“Can you keep
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