Redwood, Maine.

Requiem raised an eyebrow at Corey as he took the paper and actually replied. She just kept on eating her pizza; and when they were done, she stood up. "Alright. Let's get going to the movies." she said.

-----------------------------------------

When they reached the cinema; Requiem looked up at the movie titles. "Hmm... we've both been wanting to see Sanctum right? But I dont know if I'm in that much of a suspense mood... what about Kung Fu Panda 2?" she said, grinning at him. she loved kid movies; that had cartoons and fun and comedy. She waited for his reply as the person in the ticket booth waited for them to answer.

Corey didn't even look up to see what films were on, he just looked at Requiem as she related the choices back to him. He smiled sincerely and nodded.

"Yeah alright," he said, "lets keep it lighthearted. Kung Fu Panda it is."

As he said the last part he looked at the box office attendant, who nodded and started printing off the tickets. Before Requiem could object, Corey pulled out the correct money for the tickets and slid it under the booth window.

"I'm pretty sure it's my turn to pay." he said to Requiem with a wink. Taking the tickets, he led her through the turnstyle into the foyer and looked around for the correct screen. As his eyes wandered they landed on a large ad for a new vampire movie, and it occured to him how much the actor in the advert looked like the strange man he'd seen on the way into school this morning. It wasn't the same person, clearly, but...stylistically they were similar. What was it that bothered him? And that guy had spoken of Damien...

"If you don't mind me asking," Corey said almost absentmindedly, "do you feel like you know Damien pretty well now? I mean, any idea whether he has family or anything like that? What he gets up to outside of school?"

Requiem walked into the theater, smiling at Corey and thanking him for paying as they walked into the foyer area and she made it way up to the concession stand, ordering two drinks and a popcorn. As they waited for it to begin, Requiem looked over at Corey as she asked about Damien.

"Sort of. He doesn't like to talk about about his family; I'm guessing there is something going on with his family or something. He doesn't really talk to me about thinks out of school; I think he is pretty calm, goes home and does homework and stuff." she shrugged and then took her drink and the popcorn, walking to the theater and waiting for Corey to grab his drink and follow her.

Corey walked after her, thinking to himself about what she said. He'd assumed Damien was only a mystery to everyone else...but it sounded like he was quite reticent with Requiem as well. Why would a guy put on all the moves with a girl and not tell her hardly anything about himself? Was it all part of the "mr smooth" act? But combined with what the strange guy this morning had said, it all felt a bit ominous.

"I see." he said, wanting to ask more question but supposing that it wasn't a good idea to sound too suspicious. Requiem was already pissed at Keisha for being aggressive about Damien. "Man if I had an apartment to myself I'd get up to a lot more than that. Still, each to their own I guess."

They took their seats in the auditorium, and as the lights dimmed Corey glanced across at Requiem. The darkness provided a rare cover for him to appreciate her beauty, and turning back to the screen he sighed. A part of him had found enough good-will to actually find out about Damien and maybe give him a chance, but after Requiem's reply, he couldn't help but trust him less...

As the movie went on, Requiem ended up leaning on Corey like she always did in the movies. She laughed; she cried. She felt like she could be herself around him as she drank some of her drink and then she looked back at the screen, sometimes glancing at Corey. Why was it... she suddenly wanted to him to hold her hand. Was it because she had the hope he would still make a move on her? She sighed and looked back at the screen.

Corey hadn't tried... why would he try now? She could only lean back and try to enjoy the movie.

---------------------------------------------------------

When the movie ended, Requiem looked at Corey and smiled. "Epic movie, eh? I always love kid movies." she said, smiling at him before she looked around to see people leaving and she leaned back in her seat before standing up and picking up the popcorn bucket. "You ready?" she asked, tilting her head.

Corey's attention had been on Requiem the whole time. She leaned on him in a way that, if it was any other girl, he'd have certainly felt that it meant something. But he'd been friends with Requiem for so long that it was just...normal. There was no reason to suppose it meant anything. Which again made him said. But he laughed when she laughed. He was just happy to be spending time with her.

When the movie was finished he stood up and stretched out the stiffness.

"Absolutely," he said with a grin, "I don't really think they make these movies for kids anymore, anyone younger than us probably wouldn't have gotten half the jokes."

He walked with Requiem outside, where it was already dark and a little wet.

"So I guess it's time to head back huh?" he said wistfully, "I shouldn't keep you up the night before you go studing. But that's in the evening right, you gonna be up to much during the day?"

She leaned on the wall outside as they spoke for a while, grinning at his comment at the movie before running her hand through her hair as the night chilled her skin lightly.

When he asked about tomorrow; her heart froze. If Corey found out she was going on a date with Damien, he would be so upset... Requiem put on a sincere smile. "I was thinking about going shopping. I haven't gotten to shop in a while." she said, smiling at him. "Maybe play some video games too, since I never have time for that anymore and dad will be watching Laura." she said before yawning a bit and she looked around as she saw other people walking to their cars or walking away from the theater.

"What about you?" she looked at Corey.

"Cool," Corey said with a nod, "well must admit I've been thinking about picking up a new pair of trainers for a while, these ones are pretty beat. Maybe I'll bump into you around town? Like, accidentally on purpose you know?"

He nudged her shoulder with his playfully, trying to keep the mood light and airy. He was glad to hear that for whatever reason she wasn't spending all her time with him. And hey, Corey had just had a nice evening out with her...what more could he have asked for? Perhaps a kiss goodbye before heading home....but this wasn't a date. That ship had sailed, he thought to himself.

"It's getting cold eh?" he said in a quiet voice. "I'll walk back to your house with you OK? Don't want you being jumped by ghosts, ghouls, vampires or ninja peacocks do we?"

He held him arm out good-humouredly for her to link arms with him. A harmless gesture, something they'd done plenty of times before.

~~~~~~~~~

From the cafe across the precinct, Damien sat at an outdoot table in the least well-lit corner of the awning. He watched the two of them walk off arm in arm, and the edged of his mouth twitched into a half-smirk, half-grimace. He wasn't worried; he knew he could out-gun Corey on any kind of "date" set-up; more expensive restaurants, offering to buy new outfits. But somehow it wasn't just the threat to his plan - which was minimal - that was bothering him. He simply didn't want that boy to be touching Requiem. Requiem was to be Damien's.

Don't blow it over a rediculous human emotion, Damien told himself. She's going to be your bride for eternity, long after Corey's passed away, old sad and lonely.

"Maybe. You could help me shop if you wanted. I'd like a boy's opinion but we all can't be free all the time, eh?" she smiled at him before he talked and she smiled at him sweetly.

Requiem laughed at Corey's remark and then she slid her arm into his, smiling at him. "You're very sweet Corey... thank you." she walked down the street with him, which her house wasn't that far. She leaned on his shoulder, her mind at bliss as she looked down at her shoes, watching how they moved on the sidewalk and then when they got to her house, she turned to him and smiled.

"Thanks for coming to the movies with me. I had a great time." she leaned over, kissing his right cheek and then his left... and then she softly pecked him on the lips as her stomach sparked. She smiled at him and she ruffled his hair playfully. "Drive safely, okay?" she walked inside, closing the door before smiling at him again and she vanished inside the house.

"Hey I'd love to help." Corey said with a grin. "And I think we all know a girl's opinion for a guy is more important than a guy's opinion for a girl!"

As they walked arm-in-arm, he felt more at ease with Requiem than he ever had. The warmth between them was as much as, if nor more than, it had ever been before. What if he'd assumed wrong? What if the kiss between Requiem and Damien had been a one-off, heat-of-the-moment thing and that they weren't actually 'together'? It didn't make him feel much better about her having that 'study date' with him tomorrow...and if anything it made him feel even more urgent about not letting the ship sail on his chances with Requiem, if it already hadn't.

But by the time he was done thinking about what all this meant, they were at Requiem's house and the night was over.

"Don't mentioned it," he said softly, "I had a great time too. Good movie choice, I wouldn't have thought to try it myself!"

The trio of kisses he recieved next send his pulse into overdrive, especially the last one on the lips which caught him entirely by surprise. It was only a glancing peck, beck every fibre of his being urged him to lean into it and turn it into a romantic, lingering kiss, after which he'd take her into his arms and make him his own.

But some other force clawed at his back and willed him not to. So instead he found himself simply standing before her, saying goodnight and watching her go. Once again.

With a sigh he turned and made his way back to where he'd left his car.

Requiem woke up to her alarm clock; and she sleepily moved her hand over to the clock, slamming it down as the beeping stopped ringing in her ears. She closed her eyes for a moment before she burst up, remembering today was the day she was going to go shopping for an amazing dress and then had her date with Damien. She ran to her bathroom, brushing her hair and gurgling water before she walked over to her closet and put on a pair of longish black shorts and a tight t-shirt that had a skeleton animal on it. She then threw on her sweatshirt with the gray background and Gir on the front. Changing was easier when you had shorts on and a simple shirt.

She grabbed her book bag and then she walked out of her room, sliding on her flip flops and pulling out her phone. She walked downstairs to see her father sleeping on the couch, a big jug of water sitting on the table. At least he wasn't drinking. She smiled at him as he slowly opened his eyes, and sliding on his glasses. You wouldn't expect a man like him, tall and slender with black hair and nerdy glasses to be a drinker or a truck driver. "Hey, Requiem. You're up early." he said, yawning.

"Well; I'm going out shopping today... I'm going on a date tonight." she said, smiling. Her father smirked slightly.

"Oh? Well, I hope you have a good time. What's his name?" her father asked, taking a large gulp of his water.

"Damien. He's really sweet. He took me to La Tasca a few days ago." Her father's eyebrows went up.

"Wow... rich boy. Well; if you need me to pick you up, give me a call. I'll watch Laura tonight. You go out and have a good time." her father said with a soft smile. Requiem walked over, giving her father a kiss on the cheek. He was being really nice. "I noticed all the work you've been doing around... and Laura's baby sitter told me too. You've really been doing more then you should. You deserve a night out." he said, smiling and Requiem grinned.

"Thanks dad. I'll see you tonight." Requiem smiled at him and grabbed her car keys, walking out the door and into her car. She started it up, pulling out of the driveway and she made her way towards the small mini mall.

---------------------------------------------

When she got there; Requiem went to every store, trying to find the best dress possible. She walked into a store called Debs, a place she usually would never shop at and she walked towards a dark red dress covered in silver and black sparkles here and there. She tilted her head at it; it as sleeveless and had two small straps that would go over the shoulder and it was low cut and went down to her mid thighs. She tilted her head and then she picked out her size, taking it to the dressing room.

When she stepped out, she looked in the mirror. She did like the colors; and how it clung to her hour glass curves. She looked into the mirror more, turning sideways as one of the girls from the store looked at her and walked over. "Oh; that's simply stunning on you... going on a special date tonight?" the girl asked with a smile.

"Yes." Requiem grinned and looked back into the mirror.

"Well; the dress has a matching pair of shoes. Would you like to try those on?" Requiem remembered Damien gave her permission to buy whatever she wanted no matter how expensive it was... but she would feel bad. Requiem nodded at the girl and she smiled, walking off as Requiem changed out of the dress and put it on it's hanger.

When the girl returned; she tried on the shoes which were black high heels with a black jewel on the front, and she put them on the counter as the girl asked her how she'd be paying. "Well; it's under the name Damien Blacke." Requiem told the woman what Damien told her to do;and pretty soon, Requiem was walking out with her bag that had the dress and shoes inside of it. She smiled as she walked towards the jewelry store... but then she turned away. She wasn't going to spend any more money.

Corey had scarcely slept a wink. Shortly after midnight he'd woken from a dream...a dream about the strange man he'd met on the way to school, and the things that man had said. "Such a promising life down the drain. Literally down the drain out in the woods by the school I fear." What on earth had that meant? It sounded so ominous.

So much about the situation lately made him feel almost sick to his stomach, he needed to get out. So out he was, taking a walk through the woods by the school. Why here? Perhaps he just wanted to prove to himself that the man's words had meant nothing. Probably talking utter nonsense. He'd never heard of 'Alexis Powell'. But the man had obviously known Damien...

As he walked along his mind wandered to the way he'd parted with Requiem last night. That kiss...he'd wanted it to be so much more. Alone in the woods, the circumstance seemed so distant and disaffected. Maybe there was still time? What if he were to just tell Requiem how he felt? Would it be tactless to do that just before she went to spend an evening with Damien? But if he waited until afterwards...it could be too late...

Then something caught his eye as he neared the stream. A storm drain. A strom drain where the water rushing out seemed to take an unnatural course, almost as though some obstruction a little way in was parting the flow.

For a moment Corey's blood ran cold. Surely not....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damien stepped out of the opulent double doors with a smug grin on his face. The manager of the hotel had been most obliging as soon as Damien had mentioned the right names and placed the right amount of cash on the desk. This was a plan that would be sure to impress Requiem far above and beyond anything any of her schoolmates could hope to do. He had the big guns in play now.

Looking at his watch, he smiled. No doubt Requiem would be out shopping about now. He tried to envisage what sort of thing she might choose. He would have imagined her being somewhat conservative in her choice of dress...if he had not seen her looking stunning on Wednesday night. He savoured the thought of having her all to himself...not just tonight, but for all eternity...

Requiem was driving home in her car; with her clothes in the back seat as she made her way down the road. She hoped Corey was alright; he was probably still sleeping. Requiem pulled out her phone, checking for texts as she pulled up to a stoplight. She then felt something hit her in the back, her car rolling forward slightly as Requiem's foot slammed onto the breaks and she was hyper ventilating.

She looked in her mirror; and saw Bryan and his friends in the car behind her, laughing and grinning at how they might have dented the back of her car. Her face grew cold as she sped away down the road when the light turned green and she pulled into her driveway, leaning against the chair as Bryan's car pulled up on the side of the road, just sitting there.

Requiem glared as she reached into the back of her seat, pulling her bags out and she slowly stepped out of the car. She also pulled a knife out of the glove box, keeping it in view as she watched the car the entire time. Why was he stalking her? She could only run inside the house, locking the door tightly as her heart race sped up.

Her father was already looking out the door with squinted eyes, when Requiem went to tell him. Her eyes went slightly wide as he grabbed his pistol and stepped outside. She heard yelling, and one gun shot before the car sped off and her father came inside, his face calm. "No boy is going to mess with my daughter." he said, smiling at her. Requiem hugged him tightly.

"I think they dented the back of my car..." she said.

"What?!" Requiem's father pulled the door open and she ran out after him, and his face was pure rage when they saw a dent on the right side of the back of the car, luckily they hadn't hit the licence plate. She sighed and rubbed her temples as her father looked down the road. "God damn assholes." her father said and then looked at her. "Do you have your knife?" he asked her.

She nodded, pulling it out and he put it into her glove box for her. "Make sure you always have that on you. I am not taking this as a practical joke. Why would that jerk be trailing you?"

"I turned him down." Her father grinned and patted her back.

"That explains it. The spoiled brat can't get enough. Come on; let's go inside. Laura was playing a game with Cindy." Requiem walked with her father inside, glancing back at her car. She hoped Bryan would just fuck off and leave her alone.

-------------------------------------------------------

Requiem was standing in the mirror. The dress clung to her curves; and it looked splendid on her. She had on the matching black heels which made her stand a bit taller; and she wore her mother's hold necklace, a silver chain with a onyx jewel on the front that went just below her collar bone. She wore a studded bracelet on her right arm and her hair was long and wavy, brushed and washed three times over and its natural volume showed. She ran a hang through it.

She wore a light cover of black eye shadow and black eyeliner; a touch of mascara lengthening her eyelashes and she had a light coat of strawberry lip gloss on. She tilted her head as she smiled in the mirror and grabbed her purse, making her phone was inside along with her wallet that had money inside, with lip gloss and cover up in case she needed it. She looked in the mirror again before walking out her bedroom door. Damien was picking her up soon, and as she walked down stairs her father looked up and smiled.

He didn't really say anything. He just looked down at the onions he was cutting up and she tilted her head. "Dad? You okay?"

He could only look at her and stare for a while. "You look alot like your mother, Requiem. You're like a mirror vision of her." he said, smiling at her before going back to cutting. She smiled lightly and sat at the dining room table, looking at the front door as her foot tapped with excitement.

Damien was absolutely full of himself after the sequence of achievements he'd made that day. He'd pulled out all the stops to make sure tonight was going to be a roaring success; he would wow Requiem with an experience unlike anything she'd ever had, or probably ever would have had otherwise.

He quickly glanced in the car mirror; he'd set his hair slightly differently according to more modern styles, and was looking decidedly trendy in a blue designer shirt, black trousers and shoes. He wasn't much of a one for dressing formal, but tonight was a special night, and he knew he'd have a beautiful lady at his side to whom he'd need to do justice with how he looked.

Satisfied everything was as it should be, he stepped out of the car and took a deep breath. Why...did he do that? Was he nervous? Why would an immortal being get nervous about a date? Was it because so much of his destiny hung on the outcome? Or was it the same thing he'd felt Wednesday night...a certain weakness based on feelings he was truly starting to develop...

He pushed the thought from his mind and tapped the front door confidently, flashing Requiem a broad smile when she opened the door. For a brief moment he almost didn't recognise her. It wasn't as though Requiem wasn't a looker most of the time, but the girl in the doorway was so disarmingly glamorous and gorgeous that it took him aback completely. He was so stunned that he actually let out an awkward chuckle and shook his head in amazement.

"My goodness Requiem," he said, "I can see that your time today was extremely well spent. You look absolutely dazzling."

He stepped to the side and beckoned her out, walking alongside her down to the car. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, as he began to give her a taste of the evening.

"I'm afraid there was a little bad luck." he began, feigning graveness, "There's a restaurant in a very exclusive hotel that I was hoping to take you to, but unfortunately it turns out Friday nights tend to be booked out weeks in advance. But, the good news is that I spoke to the manager and had him accomodate us with something a little extra special."

He threw Requiem a wink as he held the door of the car open for her.

Requiem ran the door with excitement when she heard the knocks. "Requiem! Do you have your pepper spray?" Requiem looked over at her dad with a look of "The Fuck?" Her dad chuckled and then went back to cooking and she smiled.

"Love you dad." She smiled at him before she opened the door and she smiled at Damien. She could tell he was shocked; and it only made a grin form on her lips as she looked down at his outfit. He was gorgeous as always; and she could only keep grinning and blush slightly. "Thanks. I tried my best. I found the dress in a store I don't even like." she said as she walked outside with him, smiling at him before running a hand through her hair.

She frowned when he started to talk again... booked? That wasn't cool. But when he said something special was coming up, she smiled again. "Well; I'm glad it wasn't canceled." she slid into the car, smiling at him before glancing over at her own car. She sighed at the dent before looking down at her lap and waiting for Damien to get inside.

Damien followed Requiem's glance to her car, and noted the dent on the side. That hadn't been there the last time he'd been past her house. It must have just happened today. Humming to himself quietly in bemusement, he went around to the drivers side and got in.

"Someone blind-side your car?" he said casually as he belted up and fired up the engine, "You should see the way people drive on continental Europe. Maniacs the lot of them."

He drove the car as if going into town, but just before turning towards the precinct he made a left instead of a right, heading out of town. The place they were heading to was about fifteen minutes drive away; an extremely prestigious hotel with a restaurant owned by a famous chef.

As they left the town behind them Damien smiled over at Requiem.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "I'm not kidnapping you. But sometimes for real quality you have to go a little further afield. It's just a short drive down the freeway."

Requiem looked over at him as she sighed and then cracked her knuckles in a bit of a nervous way. "Brian and his friends rear ended me on purpose at the last stop light before my house.." she looked out the window. Stupid jerk; getting all worked up because one girl rejected him. She then laughed as she looked at him. "Then you must be a pretty good driver if you had to deal with those people." she looked down at her lap before she saw they were heading out of town.

Before she could say anything; he answered it for her. She smiled slightly at him. "Alright. This truely is a surprise then." she said, looking down at her legs that gleamed slightly and she looked out the window, holding onto her purse as trees flew by. "Damien; you haven't told me much about your family... or your life before you came here... do you think you could share some with me?" she remembered Corey asking her if she knew anything about Damien or his family and past.

"I'm just curious is all... I'd like to know you more."

Damien chewed on his lip as he listened to her. Another bit of competition? 'Brian'? Still, he was no doubt less of a threat than Corey. He was hardly going to endear himself to Requiem by denting her car.

"Well that sucks." he said flatly. "I'm sure he'll get his being an idiot like that."

The road became dark as they moved into a rural route, but as they rounded the bend the hotel complex became visit up ahead on the right, visible even though it was still five minutes drive away.

"My family huh?" Damien said with a nervous grin, "Well my family is well connected shall we say. Influencial in a way nobody cares about anymore. My elder brother caused some trouble for us some years back, let the family down. Now I'm out here hoping I can do a little better for us."

He looked across at her and smiled. "It's difficult to put into words what it's like back home. I very much hope that I will have the opportunity to show it to you one day. I think you would like it."

He took an off-ramp from the freeway, taking the car down towards the hotel, which was lit up in opulent lights and lined on all sides with expensive cars.

Requiem listened, her fingers playing with the handle of her purse as she stared out the window. She looked over at him... obviously there had been some drama and he was a bit sensitive about him and she smiled a bit. "I understand." she looked back out the window before she saw the hotel coming into view, the sparkling lights and the cars of expensive value showing in the distance.

She looked over at Damien. "This place looks pretty classy.... good thing I did dress up. They'd think me a freak if I walked in with jeans on." she said, laughing a bit before running a hand through her hair again.

"So... what's the surprise?"

“I daresay you’d make sack-cloth look glamorous Requiem, but looking as you do I don’t doubt that you’ll surpass even the standard of a place like this. And once again”, Damien side with a wry grin, “the surprise is something else that is better seen than described. Let us just say that from the ashes of misfortune a great phoenix has arisen...after a little persuasion on the hotel manager of course.”

He pulled into the hotel car park and slid it into a fairly discreet space. He got out and opened the door for Requiem, leading her around to the reception area, where the hotel manager greeted them personally.

“Mr Blacke,” he said genially, “it’s a pleasure to welcome you here tonight, and your lovely lady companion. Everything has been prepared as per your request, if you would just like to follow me this way.”

Damien nodded in thanks, and took Requiem’s arm as they followed the man as he led them through the restaurant area. It was packed to the brim, there was not a single empty seat in the large hall. And Damien noted how as they passed through, dozens of heads turned took look at the stunning young woman he had on his arm. He grinned in particular as one woman jabbed her date in the arm for gawking at the redhead at his side.

On the other side they passed through an arch and into a vestibule where the manager summoned the elevator. Damien kept silent, a small smile on his lips as he tried to imagine what Requiem must be thinking. He enjoyed keeping her guessing.

They stepped into the elevator, and inside the manager inserted a key into a slot on the control panel, and then pressed the top button, marked “Presidential Suite”, and the elevator took a good amount of time rising up the requested level. But once they arrived the doors slid open to reveal an enormous, luxurious room with a four poster bed in the centre, a dividing wall behind which was a large hot tub, and on both sides of the dividing wall there was a huge plasma television. But what stood out most was the fact that in the sitting area of the room, the sofas seemed to have been replaced especially for the occasion with a large, carved oak dining table, two chairs, and set with silverware and two menus.

“Please,” the manager said, holding his arm out, “make yourselves comfortable, and one of our waiting staff will be along shortly to take your dinner order.”

They stepped out of the elevator and Damien leaned in slightly.

“So how about this?” he said, “Just because the dining area is booked up, doesn’t mean we can’t eat at the hotel.”

As Requiem looked towards the hotal that was coming closer, she smiled with a large grin when they pulled up into a space in the packed parking lot. She smiled at him as he parked and got out, coming around to open her door and she slid out smiling at him as her eyes sparkled like emeralds. Her heart was pounding as she grew more excited with each step they took as he took her arm.

They greeted the hotel manager, and her arm was linked with Damien's tightly as they followed the man inside the hotel. She saw so many people packed inside the dining hall; elegant, rich, of different types and sized. She blushed and looked down at her shoes as people kept staring at her and she almost felt like she looked too good, to be honest with herself. She walked to the elevator and stepped inside, hanging on Damien's arms as they started to rise.

She kept quiet, leaning on Damien slightly as the elevator door opened, and then her mouth instantly dropped. This suite was gorgeous... elegant... simply amazing. She took one step, letting go of Damien's arm as she looked around with wide eyes and a shocked face. She stared at the elegant dining table, the beds, everything was just beautiful.... and then it popped into her head. This must have cost a fortune.

When Damien leaned down and spoke, she looked at him with wide eyes. "Damien... this is simply amazing. How did you do this?! This must have cost so much!" Her excitement poured out, and she jumped slightly, holding onto his arm as she smiled at him with an excited grin.

Damien watched with delight as Requiem took in the suite and the arrangement. He walked further into the room and eyed her as she beamed happily and bounded over to him excitedly. He laughed when she asked about how he'd done it.

"What's a dollar bill worth," he said, turning to her and pulling her in by her waist, "when the better things in life which money can't by seem to come so readily."

For a moment he gazed at her with a slanted smile, and then added, "This is something you learn much about in my family's circle. I hope you will have opportunity to learn more of it one day too."

He kissed her on the forehead and then his face lit up a little more.

"So," he said, "would you like to take a look at the dinner menu?"

She felt his arm curl around her waist and pull her closer to him; making her eyes glitter and her stomach flutter with butterflies as her heart started to pound. He had this effect on her; and each time she saw him, it grew bigger and bigger. She looked up at him, tilting her head slightly as she listened and then she smiled slightly.

"Well, thank you for doing this. This is amazing... I've never been inside something this amazing before" When he leaned down and kissed her forehead, her cheeks were a bright red as she looked down at her shoes. When he asked her about the dinner menu, she nodded.

"Yeah. I'm really hungry." she said with a laugh as her stomach growled slightly, which made her blush even more as she looked at him.