Steve's POV:

   I  saw the loveliest girl ever today.  Correction, she is a lady.

   Goodness, I had to go and make a fool out myself too. I tried to act all macho when I returned the umbrella to her in the rain. It was on account of the wind grabbing it out of her hand.

   I could tell she was soaked.  I would have offered to help her more, but my boss got the better of me.

    I mean he sent me a text that read, "Steve you better be here in the office in thirty minutes or you are fired."

   I knew he meant business.

   I  tipped my cap to the lovely lady in the red dress and bid her ado.

 I   hailed a taxi. Fortunately, I got to the office on time. Yes, thank goodness for that it is not much, but it does pay the bills.

  Ah, yes the stacks of bills seem to pile up more the longer my ill Grandma is in the hospital. 

   The only reason, I paid for her care is because the others either can not afford to or do not care about her enough to bother to make an offer. So, being the good grandson I am, and forever grateful she raised me after my father died, and my mother took off with some wild person from another section of town.  Yes, I felt I owed it to her. 

   "Steve!  Steve, are you even listening?" My boss glared at me in dismay.

   It seemed my mind had wandered off again.  Yes, it was another one of those daydreams of mine the time where I traveled the world and made new friends.  It was too bad reality was not as good to me.

   "Yes, sir.  I will make sure to have the  presentation on your desk by Monday."

    I sighed as he shook his head, grabbed up his Starbucks mug, and left my office.

   I got to work on the finishing changes of the said project. I could not risk it being late. Not again. Not after the last one.  No, I was determined this one would be on time and successful.

   I stuck the thumb drive in the side of my laptop as the storm got worse than earlier. Yes, I was almost done.  One more click, and save.

   I made sure the first copy was saved to my computer, and the second to the thumb drive just in case.

    Find out more as the story continues in Chapter 2

   til then,

bye-bye, little owlets!

-Summer out!

Chapter Published August 25, 2021

  Edits made November 5, 2021

  Additional Edits made January 7, 2022