"Just let me know when you need it," Ian said.“Sure!” I replied casually, and continued playing with him for another half hour. Then, I placed my hand over the screen.“Jen?” he looked up, puzzled.“We should give our eyes a little break.” I moved my hand from the screen to cover his eyes instead. “Close your eyes for a bit, then we can look out the window for a while.”He obediently followed. After a few minutes, he asked, “Can I open my eyes now?”“Go ahead!” I took the iPad from his hands and set it on the desk, gently placing him on the ground.Ian went over to the window, gazing into the distance. While he was occupied, I quickly pulled up a video of eye exercises on my computer, planning to have him try it out.Once we finished the exercises, I handed the iPad back to him. To my surprise, he powered it off.“You’re done playing?”He pointed to his smartwatch. “It’s time, just like we agreed. I want to be a kid who keeps his promises!”Whoever said he was a little devil
“Doggo!” I called, but he ignored me completely, too excited to see Goofy. He bolted over, circling his long-lost friend with joy. Goofy, equally happy, gave Doggo a nuzzle and barked in response, his tail wagging even faster.“Sorry to bother you,” I said, quickly avoiding Luke’s gaze when he looked over. As I bent down to pick up the leash, a large hand reached down first, handing it to me.“Thanks.” I took the leash, intending to leave with Doggo.“So, now that you’ve left the company, we can’t even be friends?” Luke asked.“Mr. Walker, you don’t need a friend like me.” Unlike him, I couldn’t just control my feelings so easily. I was completely, hopelessly in love with him. But he had a fiancée now, and the only way I could restrain my feelings was by keeping my distance, avoiding any contact.“Jen…”“I’ve already finished walking Doggo, so I’ll be going.” I picked up Doggo, who was clinging to Goofy, unwilling to leave, and turned to head home. Doggo struggled in my arms, w
The show had a great vibe. Penelope worked hard and kept things smooth with her quiet, reliable demeanor. Since it was the first episode and the guests were still getting to know each other, she would chime in occasionally to ease any awkwardness. By the end of the episode, the audience’s reviews of her were overwhelmingly positive. While some trolls tried to flood the chat, other viewers quickly told them to be quiet.The show was about an hour long, and after watching the premiere, I sent Penelope a quick message: "The show was great!"A moment later, Penelope called me. She sounded hesitant, as though she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to start.“I’m at One Entertainment now, and the work atmosphere is nice,” I said, guessing what she was curious about. “Mr. Walker and I have always been friends; leaving JL Capital doesn’t change that.”"Mr. Lloyd is quite a gentleman—a good boss,” I added.“It’s only the first day working with him, but he’s not overly picky. The j
"What do you think makes someone badly behaved?" I asked.He pondered for a moment, then replied, "Bullying others, stealing, lying—stuff like that."It was reassuring to hear he understood bullying was wrong, which made me doubt he'd actually harass his classmates. But why did everyone keep bringing up his pranks? I wanted to ask if he really put frogs in desks and backpacks, but I didn't want to spoil our rapport."That's exactly right! Let's get dinner first, then we can check out the games arcade.""We're really going to the arcade?" His face lit up as he practically jumped with excitement.I quickly pressed a finger to my lips. "Shh! If anyone tells Mr. Lloyd, we won't be able to go tonight."He clapped his hands over his mouth, glancing around with an adorably mischievous look. I ruffled his hair as we walked to the elevator."What would you like for dinner?" I asked as we descended."Spicy food! Let's get spicy food!""Can you handle hot food?""I'm tough! Spicy is not
Luke...I froze for a moment, struggling to maintain my composure while discreetly glancing at Emily sitting across from him.The restaurant was warm against the cold outside, and my eyes suddenly blurred with steam.I quickly looked away, putting my phone back in my bag and picking up my fork to eat the steamed pork on the table.What had tasted delicious and tender just moments ago now felt impossible to swallow.I forced myself to chew and swallow a few bites, but even the soft meat felt rough against my throat.Between my lost appetite and Ian not being able to handle the spice, I decided to pay and leave."Why aren't you eating anymore?" Ian asked."No time like the present - let's go get that fried chicken now."After a week, I'd thought I could handle seeing Luke normally. But just being in the same space with him, one look was enough to break down all my defenses.Afraid I might lose my composure, I quickly gathered our things."Yay!" Ian put his notebook back in h
Not bad for a "seasoned gamer" who had already played dozens of games at such a young age!Ian was clever - after a few tries, he quickly figured out the trick to the claw machine.When he successfully caught a plush toy, I held my breath, afraid any movement might break his concentration.Seconds later, when the claw released and the toy dropped down the chute, we locked eyes and excitedly grabbed each other's hands."I got it, Jen!”He pulled out the toy and handed it to me."You're amazing!""Let's do it again!"Ian was on a roll, getting better with each try, and soon my arms were full of plush toys.The couple from earlier had terrible luck, and they stopped to watch Ian.After he won another toy, the girlfriend lost it, complaining, "You can't even do better than a kid!""His machine must be easier!"The boyfriend hurried after her, trying to explain."It's just that you're terrible at it! Even with ten different machines, you'd still fail!"Their argument was soon
Ian quietly stayed by my side as I stood there in a daze.When we reached the main street, he reminded me, “Jen, your car is still in the parking lot."I stared at the busy traffic, feeling completely lost."Jen..."Ian tugged at my sleeve. I looked down at him as the scene from the arcade entrance played in my mind like a silent film.Of all the toys he'd won, only one remained in my hand. I apologized to him.He shook his head."I'm already so happy you took me to the arcade!" Ian looked up at the second floor where the arcade was. "It's nothing special anyway. I won't miss it!"His words and expression made me laugh. "You don't like the arcade?"How could he lose interest after trying just one game when he loved gaming so much and there were so many different ones to try?"I prefer playing games quietly, not with people watching. The arcade isn't for me."He seemed wise beyond his years, probably aware of his sensitive status and carrying burdens no child should have to b
Ian let go of my hand and watched the dancers in front of us intently.Though his moves weren't perfect, you could see how hard he was trying.Soon enough, he caught the rhythm and was dancing quite well.Seeing me still standing stiff as a board, he gave me an encouraging look. "Let me teach you, Jen!”His smile was as bright as spring flowers, and I couldn't disappoint his enthusiasm, so I started moving with him.Ian had an amazing memory - within minutes he'd learned all the moves. While pointing out my mistakes, he kept praising my dancing. I almost got lost in his endless compliments.He loved the plaza dancing, quickly becoming part of the group.His excitement was contagious, and I tried my best to keep up with the beat.If I hadn't been building up my stamina lately through training, I wouldn't have lasted this long.By the time the dancing ended, it was nearly ten.I checked my phone to find four missed calls from Mr. Lloyd.The loud music had drowned out my ringto