I look over to Isaac for his answer, but he’s looking to me for mine.
“I love lasagna,” I tell him and he grins.
“Well then, let’s go have some lasagna.”
***
“Whoever made this is a genius and we should go thank them personally,” Isaac says, as he takes the final bite of his food.
“I told you. I don’t know what it is but they do serve good food. None of that hospital food mess you’d think.”
Jean is sipping on a cup of coffee and swaying a bit to the music coming from the small room to our back, where the band is set up for dancing and enjoyment. There are many people inside watching, and just as many dancing together. They’ve forgotten about all their worries and are enjoying the moment.
“So, Sawyer, Isaac tells me you’re a teacher?”
“I am. I teach English over at Sunnyville High.”
“How do you enjoy doing that?”
“I love it. I grew up wanting to teach, and I always had this passion for literature. It seemed like the perfect fit for me.”
“And you handle those rowdy teens all right?”
I wave my hand like it’s nothing. “I’m meaner than they are. They know better than to mess with me.”
She laughs and reaches over to pat my hand. “I like this one, Isaac.”
Isaac has been watching Jean and I converse with a smile on his face. He didn’t contribute much unless he was directly asked, and I think that was intentional. I know, even if he wasn’t nervous today, introducing me as his girlfriend to his Grams was a big step. It holds a lot of weight and I am taking that very seriously.
“I like her too, Grams. A lot,” he says the words while his eyes are on me. The butterflies that have permanently resided in my belly since the moment we met begin to flutter wildly.
“Excuse me, Miss Black?”
We all turn to see an adorable older gentleman with khaki pants and a blue polo shirt tucked in. A pair of gold, wire-rimmed glasses are perched on his nose and there’s a tuft of white hair on top of his head.
“Oh, hello, Samuel,” she says happily, with her face lit up like the Fourth of July. “I was hoping you’d be here.”
“You know I never miss the jazz,” he says with a chuckle.
It’s obvious to me immediately what is going on here, and I think it’s so fucking cute.
“No, you never do.” She smiles up at him. “Let me introduce you to my grandson. Samuel, this is Isaac and his girlfriend, Sawyer. Isaac and Sawyer, this is Samuel.”
Samuel reaches out and shakes first Isaac’s hand and then mine. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’ve heard a lot about you, Isaac.”
“All good things I hope,” he replies.
“Ah, well, that I’ll never tell. Pillow talk is private talk.”
I cough at that, nearly choking on my water. “I’m sorry. Wrong pipe.”
Isaac rubs my back. “Are you okay?”
I reassure everyone I’m fine before Samuel turns his attention back to Jean.
“What do you say I take you for a spin around the dance floor? We’ll take it slow and easy. That is, if you don’t mind me stealing you away for a few minutes.”
“I’d love that. Isaac, why don’t you and Sawyer join us?”
Isaac and I exchange a glance. “A dance doesn’t sound half bad. Sawyer?” Isaac asks, offering his hand.
“Don’t step on my toes, Black, and we’ve got a deal.”
When we make our way over to the next room and onto the small, makeshift dance floor, Samuel and Jean have found a spot on the edge, while Isaac has pulled me to the middle and wraps me up in his arms. We sway gently to the music, his hands cradling me at the small of my back, and my arms around his shoulders.
“You and Grams are hitting it off.”
“She is ridiculously fun, and pretty smitten over Samuel there.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on. You’re not that obtuse, are you? Look at them. She’s got the hots for him and I am pretty sure the feeling is mutual.”
He looks over my shoulder, presumably at the pair of them then shakes his head. “Nah, no way. They are just friends.”
I arch my brow. “Did you miss that pillow talk comment?”
“I tried to ignore it,” he admits.
“Well, sorry to break it to you. Grams is still getting it.”
“Congratulations. I’ll never get hard again.”
I bury my face in his chest to laugh. “The horror.”
“You joke about this, but that’s my grandmother we are talking about. She is sweet and adorable. She isn’t supposed to be... wanted by someone like that.” He shivers dramatically.
“Hey, she may be elderly, but people are still sexual very late in their lives. Sometimes as late as their eighties. I took a human sexuality class in college. Read all about it.”
“Maybe that means I’ve got good genes and I’ll still be wanting to bone in my old age.”
I shake my head at him and smile. “You’ll never want to stop doing that. I am starting to see that you are quite insatiable.”
“Maybe that’s just with you. You’re pretty incredible, you know?”
I can feel my cheeks heat at his compliment. “Thank you. I’m just... me.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Sawyer. You’re a wonderful person. Everyone in my life is drawn to you. Anyone who you’ve come in contact with in my circle adores you immediately. I’ve yet to find in single flaw. Sometimes I worry this is all a joke and I’ll wake up one morning to see it’s not real.”
My body and mind instantly want to reject every compliment he’s just given me. My head even begins to shake back and forth, physically saying no to every word. “I’m full of flaws, Isaac.”
“Your flaws are perfection to me.”
The residents of the senior community, still paired up and dancing to the slow music shift out of focus for me, and the world hones in on Isaac Black. On the stunning color of his eyes, and the barely noticeable scar on
