Dreaming Him Close: A Gifted Love

he night, I felt s

that lightly dressed man

osing m

nameless church to pray for my love life, this myster

ak. All I could do was lie there and watch as he stole my blankets, sprawled across my bed

perate measure from my mom to force m

wler's place and, halfway through the night, turned

s a d

y, I was be

na, she clapped a comforting hand on my

resist it, jus

spee

the man show

hat would send me back onto the floor. But instead, he reached

d firmly agai

wer

sol

but then I realized, some

he held me tighter, his v

y mu

't m

's when

started making

d anticipating the stran

ver I made physical contact

he dream wanted me to be...

ust check out his pecs, explore his abs, maybe invest

pt bothering

hin haze seemed to always hang over it, leaving me wi

is collarbone one night, only to find a l

ay

n seeing som

next desk leaned over

kly de

nothing l

me a know

– you're practically

g to cover my blush by b

d asked if I wanted to

ng at me to wake up, pulled me back into the wakin

nd swirled with thoughts abo

, Valerie lean

did you hear?

taken

t? W

to do with

hin

ent head and the one who kept

's taki

as

hired someone

er eyes gleamin

le bachelo

was probably mid

greasy, ove

office suddenly buzzed with chatter. I looked up to

quite make out his face, but the moment he introduce

containing her excitement. "Isn't Mr. Willis just gorgeou

aken, this new departmen

ame two tiny mo

aking glances through the

he build, th

o be some sort

rushing on Mr.

, wagging her

, denying everything wh

of tangled thoughts, and my

already past nine. Stretching, I noticed the

was stay

working overtime. No wonde

a while before he sh

, reaching out

g late. Had to

me

ize to me. I wasn't wait

time," my mind instantly fl

iberation, I a

any chance a direc

ame Wi

, then a low, resonant

ow

gu

ehow spending every night in my dr

d

anger wa

ssible. After all, if I could recognize him, it

ct was inevitable, especially when he called ev

a lowered voice and kept my re

d as if nothi

esk, Valerie

hat's with

bit of a s

ied qu

h a c

as

N

g like

n me. I looked up to see Greyson's

casually g

just a ran

myself I'd avoid looking his way fro

e that was closing just in time. I was about to count my luck when I glanced up

flus

Mr. W

up for

-hm

ply wa

tention of

around, facing th

few floors, more

oser and clos

arms," I managed a less graceful move – I tripped and end

caped above me,

Mr. Willis, I d

one bumped me from behind a

shoe right

are

eloped a deep af

in, Greyson placed a firm hand on my shoulder, stea

familiar it sent a chill down my spine,

here," he

are pretty

r, I apologized again and even o

it off. "It's

d to leave, he

beat, thinking he

fessional: "Hayley, your

e detailed version b

led in the elevator, he maintained an a

tly, that

ter all, ju

nd agreed

reyson was ba

ver and pat my head.

's wr

ask

ou're showing

some grou

me a puz

nd ru

to start wearing pajamas. Rul

ee: No t

ping my hand where it

incing if you weren't touchin

ted, I

move unless I'm

shrug, smi

ht, ag

nt, gentle, even considerate. Unlike those ini

ally shared between the two of us, or wa

you thinki

ask

ething up

g me I'm gaining weight and th

ry. You're

rep

uff

en know how m

e chuckled, low and lazy,

e stepped on

n't feel

up with

u're going

ed from outs

phone: almo

ng in my dreams, I'd been sleeping

and a piece of bread a

st night, "You stepped on me twice, and I

ve already recognized me in rea

ed yet. I sat down to revise my performance re

r, raising an ey

extra har

a bite

me to rewrite a mo

tall figure s

ngers

t's

rie

s office door

back to real

, resuming

d his jacket, settled into his ch

like nothing had

y tightened arou

me over or s

her regul

really been him? Or was I only ima

report in my hands, feeling strange

otioned me to sit, his express

for any sign of re

ort, asking a few

sitting right in front of me, my tongue felt t

, he looked at me

up to it today, you c

ent, my h

in my dream – was he nothing

even those two tiny moles

bconsciously reshapi

mbled, "Sorry," before q

I brooded over his professi

ou revise the

rie

odd

inte

rema

"intense" people who w

tely an inte

gre

or and glanced at us, his gaze lingering

and I we

st