Free Silicon Valley Sweetheart by Alyssa St. Claire

anything fun. I thought we could go up to the city and spend some time in Golden Gate Park.”
    “You’re right. I haven’t been out to do anything since I got here.”
    “Would you like to go with me to San Francisco today and let me show you parts of the city?”
    “But what about my homework?”
    “You can study tomorrow. Today, you deserve some fun.”
    It felt like the textbooks sitting on my table were taunting me. I really shouldn’t even consider doing anything today other than study. But, before I realized what I was doing, I opened my mouth, and said, “Sure. I can study tomorrow. And, I’ve been keeping up with my schoolwork pretty well, so it shouldn’t take me too much longer to study for my test.”

Chapter 11
    “ Y ou’d better grab a sweater ,” Mark said, “It can get chilly in the city.”
    I pulled a sweater out of my closet and picked up my purse. We walked out to Mark’s Audi convertible. “I’m going to take the scenic route,” he announced. “They say the 280 is the world’s most beautiful freeway.” We went north on the highway for a while before coming to a two-lane road. The narrowness made me a little nervous, but the view of the ocean was breathtaking.
    “Would you like me to take your top down?” Mark asked with a sly grin.
    “What?” Was he actually asking me to take off my shirt?
    “The car. Would you like me to take the top down?”
    “Sure.” I could have sworn he asked about my top, initially. Ever the charmer...
    We finally made our way to the park. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I was surprised how crowded it was. There were people riding bikes, children playing, and couples strolling hand-in-hand.
    “Do you mind walking a bit? I want to show you the Conservatory of Flowers.” Mark smiled. “They close the roads inside the park on Sundays.”
    “It’s nice out. I’d love to walk.”
    We strolled through the park together. I would occasionally stop to admire a tree or flower that I liked. It wasn’t long before the Conservatory of Flowers came into view, its beauty stopped me in my tracks. The well-manicured lawns surrounding the walkways leading to the building were filled with dazzling pink flowers. It was breathtaking.
    When we entered, the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks. Everywhere I looked, there were beautiful plants and flowers. I wished I had brought my camera.
    “The butterfly exhibit is here. My mother used to say luck would come your way if a butterfly lands on you. If you’re really lucky,” Mark grinned, “one might find you.”
    We walked into the conservatory’s Highland Tropics gallery. The coolness of this room was a vast contrast to the humidity of the room we were just in. The orchids were breathtaking. A brilliant white flower dotted with vibrant pink caught my eye. As I was pointing toward it, a beautiful black and yellow swallowtail butterfly landed on my hand. Its wingspan must have been 5 inches.
    “See, you are lucky,” Mark smiled.
    I smiled. The butterfly tickled a little bit. I flinched, causing the butterfly to fly away.
    “It must have been great growing up here,” I said.
    “It was when my mother was alive. My mom used to bring me to the park all the time. We lived in Saratoga, but if my mom would have had her way, we would have lived in the city. The Exploratorium was one of my favorite places to go as a kid. My dad used to work seven days a week. Some nights, he’d even sleep at the office. He was even proud of it! Rarely would he take any time off, so my mom would bring me here to get away.
    “My dad took my mom’s accident hard. I never saw him cry, but I know it tore him up watching my mother in the hospital just lying there. He’s almost always in control, and there was nothing he could do to help her. Even worse, they never caught the hit and run driver who caused the accident.”
    Grabbing his hand, I asked, “Did he spend time with her after the accident?”
    “He did. My dad doesn’t