Billboards and Benches

Chapter 1

She exits the building. After two and a half hours of a meeting Shes tired and just wants to go home. She was supposed to have dinner with her parents but she canceled. She had to cut her meeting short because her body is tired. She can't handle the long meetings and interviews anymore the pregnancy is taking everything out of her. She got her car brought around to the back so that she could just head straight home. She needs to get to bed. She'll call her boyfriend tomorrow and she'll see her parents later but she can't keep working under so much stress. She can not constantly be expected to maintain the same lifestyle that she did. Her baby boy is going to change that and she's never been more excited about something. She knows eighteen is going to have a baby but her and Gerald are ready. Geralds older anyways he'll be able to handle that and she loves knowing that he can. He already canceled most things he had lined up for after the baby's due date and his manager is waiting for the word to cancel his tour. She doesn't want him to but he's insisting. "Spare some change?" She looks over at a man who has barely noticed her yet. A man who can't be much older than her asking her security guard if he has any loose change he could spare. He looks down slightly shivering in the autumn breeze. She hates that he's sitting out here. She hates how cold it is and that he's just sitting hoping someone can give him ten cents. "Spare some," he looks up but stops as soon as he sees Dylan. He's quick to try and stand to move though she won't let him. He's worried he'll get arrested for even being this close to her.

"Hello!" She smiles sitting next to him. His jaw drops open. He's seen her on billboards and in old magazines before. Why on earth is she sitting down next to a homeless man. He barely has the courage to wave at her let alone maintain a conversation.

"Hi," he whispers as she looks him up and down. He doesn't know what she could possibly want or what she's doing sitting on the ground next to him but he wants nothing to do with it. She has three six five three hundred pound security guards staring at him. She's so much smaller than he'd imagined. Her dirty blonde hair falls just below her hips and her gentile blue eyes stare into his soul. She stands at about five seven but her figure is so petite. She is so much smaller than he knew possible.

"Are you hungry?" She whispers but he refuses to answer. She knows the answer but he isn't going to say a word. He doesn't want her to do anything for him he doesn't need anything from essentially the most powerful woman in the world. He hates that he ended up here and that she found him. He wishes she hadn't. "Come on you can tell me, I won't bite. I was just gonna take you out for dinner." She nudges him gently. He jumps away and she chuckles. "Come on let's go get dinner." She nods standing and extending a hand to him. He doesn't want to take it but the way her dainty little fingers stretch for him to be able to grasp is just so intriguing he can't say no.

"I-I don't want to inconvenience you. I ate last week I'm okay for a while." He nods slowly and she gives a gentile pout.

"No you aren't okay you're coming with me for dinner. What kind of food do you like?" She opens the door to her car. The security push him to the front seat. One of the guards sits in the backseat and the other two take their car. "You have to have some preference." She shrugs. He shakes his head. He's not going to ask her for anything. He doesn't have the heart to ask her for anything. The fact that he's sitting in her car right now is a big deal. He hates that she's trying to feed him. "Fine we'll go here." She smiles at the little restaurant in the corner of a strip mall. She leads him out of the car and towards the restaurant. "For five." Dylan smiles while her security guards follow her in. "Order anything you want." She smiles and yet again he looks mortified. He can't afford to be in this restaurant let alone order food off of the menu.

"N-no it's alright. I-I'm good." He nods slowly and she rolls her eyes. She places her hand on his and he jumps. She chuckles at him gently but looks straight up and into his eyes.

"I am going to buy you dinner. And I'm gonna do the same the next time I see you. You don't deserve to be out there alone in winter. The least I can offer you is a meal every once in a while." She smiles looking over the menu quickly. Her baby boy starts to move around. She's excited to feel him and hold him. All she wants is to hold her baby boy in her arms.

"I-it's okay. I-it isn't that bad." He shrugs and she smiles slightly while the waiter comes back. "I-I'll just take a water." He mumbles and she giggles.

"He'll also have the 24oz steak and the salad. I'll take the lobster and a salad as well." She smiles letting the people around her order for themselves. She has a good relationship with her security guards.

"I-I don't want that!" He gasps at her and she smiles.

"You're skinny and malnourished. Take it even if it all goes out the door with you in boxes." She nods as does he looking at the table. He's never seen such a nice looking table. He's never seen woods like this especially not polished this way. He's never seen a table with a hand carved design or one thats been painted but only around the edges. The designs give him headaches but he was never looking at it anyways. It's art it's supposed to be beautiful. Yet the only thing he finds himself doing is staring at the gentile woman who offered the homeless man a meal. How did she know she could trust him? How was she not horrified riding in the car next to a flight risk. He could do anything at any point in time and she has not a single worry in the world. She has a kind smile glued to her face while she laughs with her security guards. This restaurant is so high end and so fancy that there are very few people inside. Very few people can afford to eat here and though he hates it he likes sitting here with this sweet woman. The windows are darkened so no one can see in and the security at the front door assures that no one gets in unless they plan on dining.

"T-thank you," he pauses looking her in the eyes for a moment before biting down on his lip. "You never told me your name?" He whispers. She gets all giddy again and though he can't explain it he thinks it's the most adorable thing in the world. He's never say that out loud he'll he barely wants to speak to her she's terribly intimidating and the fact that she walks around with security makes it all worse.

"Oh, I didn't tell you my name did I?" She smiles playing with her fingers. "I'm Dylan. Dylan White." She smiles and he nods gently looking down at his hands.

"M-my names Shawn. If you care." He mumbles. He hates himself for saying anything. He should've let her have the last word his words were stupid. He might as well just walk out now she'll probably end up kicking him out sooner or later.

"It's very nice to meet you Shawn!" She gives him a smile shaking his limp hand. "It's been a while since I've gotten to introduce myself. Thank you for that." She smiles looking at the boy in front of her. He can't be much older than she is and he's quiet. Next to him in these past five minutes she feels more like a person than she ever does with Gerald. He introduces her everywhere she never gets to speak to anyone. He answers all of the questions and does all of the talking. She can barely have conversations with people without him inserting himself and taking over. Shawn is different he's kind and gentile and appreciative. Though he's also anxious and jittery and nervous but when he speaks it's barely noticeable. "So tell me about yourself Shawn!" She smiles resting her chin in her hands. He's worried he'll disappoint her with his story but he'll tell her anyways. She asked him and she was nice enough to take him out of the cold for this long. The least he could do is tell her why he sleeps at the bus stop outside of her office.

"I was put up for adoption,"