Grace Sheffield was born into money. She has always had everything anyone her age would ever want,
except for having a mother. She was just three years old when her mother had died and her memories
of her mother were very sparse. She had been so bad when she was young that her father kept her
psychiatrist on speed dial.
Then one day a lady came into her life named Fran Fine. She was just six years old and this was the only
nanny that had ever come to stay at their home and had stayed. In fact, she married Grace's father after
over five years and gave her two more siblings. She thought of Fran as her mother, even though she
loved and missed her birth mother very much. Many years before she had come to terms with how she
handled her feelings for Fran and the lost feelings for her birth mother Sarah. Her father had always
told her that all her mother had wanted was for Grace to be happy.
Grace had two older siblings Brighton and Maggie. They remembered their mother because they had
been much older than she was when she had died. Grace loved all her sisters and brothers with all
her heart and spent as much time with them as she could even though she was now twenty-two years
and old and had just graduated out of Berkley. The last time the whole family had been together
was at Christmas time and she really hoped that they would get together again. Now that she was
going to work in San Francisco she would have to have them all to her house sometime, once she had
settled down.
Grace had become a computer software engineer and landed a good job at the prestigious firm of
Johnson Salves and Connors. Even though she had the money to do whatever she wanted with
her life. She had chosen to take the path of working and making her own way in life.
The job was to be in San Francisco , just a two hour plane ride to her parents. Close enough to keep
in touch with them, but far enough to have her privacy. Her father had promised to make sure that
she was financially secure as he had been for her sister and brother, she was very lucky. She vowed
that any money that he gave her she would pay back or put to good use.
Grace and Fran had gone to San Francisco together to look at a house or condo for Grace to buy. Grace
wanted a condo near her work and near the water. Grace had moved with her family to Malibu when
she was just a teenager and liked the water very much. Her dad had made an appointment with a
realtor and Fran and her went out looking.
Jim Barnes was pleased to meet the two women who were to buy an exclusive condo somewhere near
the water possibly the docks in downtown San Francisco. Real estate in that area started at over one
million dollars and this was going to be a good sale.
Fran looked at Grace and smiled. Gracie had become a woman, a nice smart woman who she knew
would make it on her own here in the city. As they pulled into the realtor's office, she checked her
make up and the two of them went into the office together.
The first condo that the two of them looked at was a three bedroom two bath with a gorgeous view of
the water. It was on the eleventh floor and you could see the wharf and the ships as they came and
left the city each and every day. The condo had a formal dining room and full Concierge service and
a security guard who sat in the lobby twenty-four hours a day. Money had never been a question for
either of them, but Grace asked. The asking price for this condo was 1.8 million dollars with a six
hundred dollar maintenance fee monthly. The price was good. Grace would have liked to have all
of the rooms have a balcony overlooking the ocean though, and there was no place for a washer and
dryer inside the condo.
Jim Barnes was happy that neither one of them showed emotions when he told them the price. He
thought that they might be willing to go a little higher. He had another condo in mind . It
was a three bedroom apartment with a full dining room and a family room. This condo had a laundry
also. It had a great view of the water from every room but it was further from the water. It sat tall
on one of the many hills of the city and was on the tenth floor also.
As Fran and Grace rode to the next condo, they looked at all of the views and the neighborhood that
they were being taken to. It was a busy neighborhood with many shops within walking distance. To
Grace's surprise the cable car stopped right outside of the building and she would have to walk just
a very short distance to work from there. But it was about three miles from the water and Grace liked
the idea of smelling the sea when she opened her bedroom doors.
As they walked in they were met by the security guard that sat there all day. There were three other
security guards on twenty-four hours a day also. They walked the building checking each condo at
least once an hour. They took the elevator up to the condo and looked at the brightly lit hallway with
the nice doors and carpet.
As they entered the condo they entered a foyer with a high ceiling and a stairway to the right. When
you went straight ahead to the living room to the left. It was a large room that had been completely
wired for stereo either for the television or other media. It had a large sliding glass door leading to a
large patio that overlooked the bay. As you walked through living room you came to a large formal dining
room with a built in hutch. The dining room had two large windows that also overlooked the bay, making
the view a pleasure to everyone sitting at the table. To the right was the kitchen. The kitchen was a
good size with granite counter tops and a six burner gas stove. It had all the gadgets that Grace would
need already built in. Off of the kitchen was a huge family room that went the entire length of the condo.
It was set up so that you could see the bay clearly from the kitchen and also talk to the people who were
there to visit, both in the dining area and the family room. As you left that room there was a large full
bathroom to the right, with double sinks. Upstairs there were three large bedrooms and two more baths.
Every room overlooked the sea. When Fran opened what she thought was another closet she found a washer
and dryer. just as Gracie had requested.
Fran could see by Gracie's face that she wanted to sign of the condo right there. It had everything that she
had asked for and more. There was twenty-four hour Concierge service there also, one person on every
floor. Fran wanted to know how much this condo was going to be. She thought that this was going to be
very expensive and she was right. The condo fees were twelve hundred per month and the asking price for
the condo was 2.3 million dollars. Grace took a step back, that was a little higher than she wanted to pay
but she could stay here for life if needed. It had a place for company and a place for her to work from home
and her washer and dryer.
The next condo that they were shown was in the same building. It was on the tenth floor but only had two
bedrooms. Gracie walked through it with Fran with a smile, but she had already made her mind up. She
wanted the other condo, so she called her dad.
Maxwell Sheffield had been working on some of his productions when Grace had called. He knew that he should
have gone with them to hunt for a condo. The prices in San Francisco were extremely high and because of
Grace's age and Fran's lack of experience they could be taken for a ride. He decided that he would get on the
next plane to San Francisco and look at this fantastic condo that Grace wanted.
As Max got off of the plane and was greeted by Grace and Fran he smiled. Fran was the love of his life and he
had not had one dull day since she had come into his life. She was a breath of fresh air that his family had
so desperately needed and because of her everyone was happy.
"Dad you did not have to come. The place is just what I want. It has everything that I could ever possibly want
I could live there for many years.
"Well then let's go see it." he told them with a smile.
When Max saw the condo he could see why Grace wanted it. The condo did have everything that she wanted and
it was perfect for visitors. She also might like to get a roommate sometime. It could be lonely sometimes in the
big city. He turned to the realtor and told him that he was going to offer two million. He knew that the offer was
low but it was serious money and he wanted to see how low the price could go and how anxious the seller was. The
market was pretty solid, but a condo at that price had to find someone who wanted it and someone who could afford
it. It could be a hard sale and Max knew it.
The sale went as had been expected and Grace got it for 2.1 million. Now it was time for getting some furnishings.
This was Fran's favorite thing to do shop . So shop they did. Grace bought a king sized sleigh bed with a large
bureau and two night stands. Her couch was a large one with four recliners. There was the Boston rocker and
the two big screen televisions. It took them a few days but the house was going to look great. Grace could buy
other things as time went by. But for now the condo was no longer empty.
That Sunday Grace said good bye to Fran and her father and sat down to relax. She loved both of them with all
of her heart, but tomorrow she started her new job and she needed to look relaxed when she came in. The
condo was large and empty she found herself a little lonely. But then she went out on the patio and enjoyed
watching the workings of the wharf. Yes she could smell the ocean, it was a good place.
The next morning Grace went to her new job by taking the cable car. It was a large office with many employees
who seemed to know their job well. She was greeted by Mrs. Green who showed her to her desk and she was
given her duties. She would be working on programs that designed products for the gaming network. It was
something that she had studied for the past four years and she was prepared for the job.
The day went well and Grace went back to her condo happy and hoping that this was going to work out. When
she went by the nail salon she decided that it was a good time for a pedicure and a manicure. Fran and Grace
had always done their nails together but now she was alone. It was a man that did the pedicures and Grace
thought how strange. He was a very good looking man around her age with dark curly hair . She thought that
she should get to know him better.
Each day Grace went to work and stopped by the shops in her area. The condo had been a good choice. When
she went by the nail salon she would wave to Hal the man that had done her nails.
Hal looked out of the salon watching the lady that he had met just the other day. She was not extremely pretty
but she was very far from ugly and she had such a soothing voice. She was friendly and quite talkative. He
would like to get to know her better. But he did people's nails for a living and she lived in a multi million dollar
condo. He was sure that she would not be interested in him.
It was the next week that Hal had stopped at the local coffee shop to get himself a coffee and a pastry when
he had run into the lady named Gracie "Hi" she told him.
"Well hello. It is a surprise to see you here." he told her with a smile.
"I am on my way to work just down the street and sometimes if I have the time to I stop here for coffee and one
of their delicious pastries." She told him.
"Maybe we will see each other again soon" he told her with a smile.
Gracie smiled at him and said "Well I will definitely ask for you the next time I get my nails done." and then she
went off to work.
Work was a little more challenging than Grace had expected and that day she was having a problem with one of
the programs. She ended up working until after seven that night. She arrived back at her building at seven thirty
just after the nail salon closed that day. Hal was locking the door as she went by and she said "Hi Hal."
"Grace I thought you were home by now. This is indeed a pleasure running into you twice in one day." he told
her.
"Yes I had to work late. I was having a problem with one of the programs. But I figured it out and tomorrow should
go quickly." Grace told him with a sigh.
"Well, I was on my way to grab something to eat across the street. Would you like to join me?" Hal asked
Grace thought about it. He was a very nice guy and yes she would go with him. It was just across the street so
she smiled up at him and said "I would be honored."
The two of them walked across the street together. Now that was not an easy job. The street was a very busy
street and the cable car ran on it also. Once they managed to cross the street they went over to the café and
took a seat. There was a beautiful view of the city from the window that they sat at and this is when their love
truly began.
Hal was twenty-five years old and lived just two miles from her condo. He had started the nail salon two years
ago after he had graduated from the bay college. He had built it up from just two workers to a crew of twelve
and had just moved to the larger studio six months ago.
Grace told him about herself and her new job. She knew that he was aware that any of the condos in her building
sold for over a million dollars and so there was no point in pretending that she did not have money. It was one of
the problems of being rich, you had to be careful sometimes with who you associated with. There were people
out there that would take her for a ride if they had a chance. She would take it slow.
The supper had gone well and Hal had taken her phone number and she had taken his. They would talk on the
phone several times over the next few days. Work was going well, and Grace was starting to adjust to her new
job and life.
Thursday Hal had asked Grace if she would like to go to the wharf and have a dinner together that night "We can
take one of the boats out on the water. It is a beautiful scene and we can eat right there on the wharf if you would
like to" he asked her.
Grace was pleased with what he had asked her to dinner on the wharf. She had not been there since she was a
young child and had wanted to go there since she had moved to the city. Dinner would be great . "What time
would you like to pick me up?" Grace asked.
Hal picked Grace up that night right on time. As soon as he closed the shop he went up to her condo. He had
seen some of the condos but was impressed with Grace's. It was decorated with taste and it had fantastic views
of the bay from every window. She was a lady a lady with money. He hoped that would not hurt the relationship.
He did not care really, and she seemed to be all right being seen with her.
They walked to the wharf and the lights had just begun to come on. The lights lit each side of the wharf and you
could still see the man with the monkey and the seals on the rocks. It was a beautiful site and straight ahead
was the place where Hal had reservations for the both of them. As they took their seats Grace looked around
at the sea and the life on the wharf. It was a wonderful scene. She knew that Hal was not as wealthy as she
was and saw by the prices on the menu that he was spending a lot of money for them. The dinner was great
and as Grace sat and had her shrimp meal, Hal enjoyed his meal of fried clams. They had a great desert bar
and the food was excellent.
Once the meal was finished they walked the wharf together and stopped by one of the boats that were going out
on a night cruise. Hal and Grace took to the top of the boat so that they could take on the full view. Grace had
her cell phone on her and wanted to take many pictures of them that night. She would send the pictures to
her dad and Fran to let them know that she was having a great time at her new home.
The ride was slow and romantic and Hal put his arm around her. They sat in their seats for a while and Grace
took many pictures. After a while the two of them got up and stood at the rail watching the stars and the
moon. The lights from the city played on the glistening ocean water. Grace loved the smells of the cooking
food and the sea. She breathed a deep breath in and smiled up at Hal. He had his arm around her shoulder
and there he pulled her close for a long and passionate kiss.
Grace had not been kissed for a while and she was taken back by the taste of his lips and the feel of him as
he held her close. She felt great comfort in his arms and as they both looked upon the water she smiled
and buried her head in his arms.
Grace and Hal continued to speak nearly everyday and he was becoming a fixture at her home. She had
even given a try at a meal for him. She had learned to cook from Niles, and although he would not have
believed it he had taught her a lot. Because she had been brought up in the lap of luxury and had always
had cooks and a butler she had never needed to learn to cook. But, she had watched and found out that
she could cook many things.
Hal liked Grace in fact he was afraid that he was beginning to fall in love with her. She had such poise and
grace, she was given the right name. She was the type of woman who did things with grace and did them
quite naturally. She never put him down and was interested in the problems of the time and of his business.
She listened intently and gave off a little laugh when he told her of some of the things that his customers
had done that day.
What surprised him was how hard she worked at the software company. She did not need the money of that
he was sure, and yet many nights she would work past seven or eight o'clock and more than once she had
gone to work on Saturday, the day her business was closed. She was an amazing lady.
Hal had been nervous the first time that Grace had come to his apartment. It was a small one bedroom over
looking nothing on the third floor. The building did not have an elevator either. She had made herself right
at home and had insisted on making dinner for him that night. As the two of them had sat down to watch a
television show he had held her in his arms almost the whole show. But as the two of them came closer and
closer to each other she became a fixture there as he had become a fixture at her condo.
Grace was starting to feel as though she and Hal were quite a couple. She enjoyed him immensely and when-
ever she and he could be they were together. They both had separate lives but had managed to find each
other here in the large city of over a million people, maybe even more.
When her dad had called and told her that he was going to be in San Francisco the following week, she knew that
he and Fran should get to meet him. They were always worried that she would be lonely there all alone. She
had kept up with them through social media and they had seen his pictures.
That night when Hal came over Grace approached the subject of him meeting Fran and her dad. "Fran was once
my nanny but my dad and her have twins and have been married for nine years now. The twins are away at
school right now, but you can meet them later." Grace told him.
"It would be an honor to meet your family. My family is from Chicago and I rarely see them at all. I moved here
seven years ago to go to college and have been back to see them only three times. They have made it to see
me four times, so it seems that we only get to see each other about once a year. It is better now with the social
media. I send them pictures from time to time and we talk a lot too." Hal told her and with that he leaned over
and gave her a gentle kiss.
Max and Fran were on the plane when Fran laughed "I think that Grace has found herself a man and we are going
to get to meet him. If I had my way we would have met him a couple of months ago. But, no you wanted to
make sure that they remained together. Not everyone takes years to let their feelings be known, you know" Fran
told her husband Max.
"If he is good enough to catch Grace's eyes he must be some man. Grace has been very careful of any man that
she has ever been with, and very particular. She says that he owns a nail salon. I would guess that you are going
to need to get your nails done while you are here." he laughed and then leaned over and gave his wife a kiss.
Grace was there to meet them at the airport and as the three rode to her home, the chatter was light and of
course mostly about her new friend Hal.
"So young lady how has work been?" Max asked his daughter.
"I love it. The hours can be long and the work can be challenging, but I love the work." Grace told them. "I have
managed to make a few friends there too." she told them.
When Max and Fran walked into Grace's condo they were impressed by how nicely she had kept it up. The rooms
were clean and she had added a few of her own personal touches. When they went upstairs their room was fresh
and clean and the windows going out to the small porch had been left open to allow the fresh salt air to enter into
the room. It made is have a homey feeling to it. They were impressed.
Hal usually closed his shop at seven and then he said that he would be right up. He was a little nervous meeting
the great Maxwell Sheffield. He was a big Hollywood producer and quite famous. But, he was Grace's father and
if he was anything like his daughter he knew that he would like him. Her mother was her step mother but Grace
had a made a point of making sure that he knew that she considered her to be her mother. He looked once more
in the mirror to make sure that he was neat and locked up the shop.
Fran and Max were seated in the living room when Hal came in. Fran took a long look at him and was impressed.
The pictures that Grace had sent them did not do him justice. He was very handsome and when he took her hand
and shook it she noted that it was strong but gentle, a good handshake.
Max took his hand and shook it. It was a good solid shake and the eyes gave away his feelings for Grace as the
two of them had walked into the room together. Max had checked him out. He was a single man who had built
the nail salon up on his own. He had a solid financial standing and had a good reputation around town. The salon
did a good business. Having the salon in such a wealthy neighborhood had been a good choice.
The four of them took their seats at the large dining room and Grace served them beef wellington. Max could
not believe that Grace knew how to cook such a thing. But as he had come in he had smelled it cooking and as
she served it he could see the pride in her face.
The food was good and the view unbeaten. The next night Max wanted to take Grace and Hal if he would like
out to dinner on the wharf. He had seen Grace's pictures and thought that a cruise around the bay would be
a wonderful idea. But, he would take them out on a private yacht. This would be his treat and he wanted
everyone to have the privacy that he wanted.
The night went well and ended with Hal going home around ten o'clock. Max and Fran had been very impressed
with the young man that Grace had chosen. He seemed to genuinely care about her.
Hal could not believe that Max wanted them to go out his treat to their favorite restaurant and then take a private
yacht onto the bay. He had never been on a yacht in his life. This really made him nervous but knew that he
might as well get used to things like this if he was going to continue dating Grace.
Grace spent the day with her dad and Fran and they enjoyed the sites of the city. They went to Chinatown and
went to the famous market street. They even rode down what was said to be the most crooked street in the
world. They had a great time and arrived back at the condo at four that afternoon. They had reservations for
seven and should leave by six thirty.
Hal closed his shop at six that evening and headed right up to Grace's as soon as he had gotten into his suit. It
was now becoming habit for him to keep a suit in his office for anything that came up unexpected with Grace and
now that her parents were here he had brought it there just in case the day before.
Grace smiled when Hal knocked on the door and stood there all dressed up for the night. She knew that he was
not in the habit of wearing a suit, but when her father and mother were around a suit was a big necessity. Fran
always wanted to go to the best places in town and always dressed up for anything. She did tend to dress a little
wild sometimes, but this evening she had on a low cut blue dress. But over that she was wearing a jacket 'thank
god" Grace thought to herself.
The four of them went to the wharf together and had a great dinner. The view and the ocean was just a wonderful
place to sit and Fran played with the man that had the monkey and the organ. As they approached this large ship
and Hal realized that this would be the yacht that they would be taking around the bay and a short way out to
the outer sea.
Hal went up to the top of the ship with Grace and smiled. He leaned on the rail and put his arm around her. He
looked over and could see that her parents were paying little or no attention to them as they were busy with them-
selves . Hal and Grace watched the seals and the lights once again, but this time in the quiet and the privacy of
the yacht. There was several differences between riding the public cruise and taking a private yacht. One of them
being the champagne that flowed freely and the waiters that were ready to give him whatever he wanted standing
just a few feet away.
The four of them enjoyed the cruise that ended shortly after midnight. Hal had enjoyed his time with Grace's
parents. They were nice and loved Grace very much. Both of them would be going home the next evening
after Max finished the meeting he was there for, but Fran and Grace would have the day together.
Fran and Max smiled as they headed to their room. Hal had been a wonderful person and they were both
pleased with Grace's choice.
The next day was a day for the girls, and as Fran and Grace got out of bed at ten and then got dressed and
got their nails done, of course at Hal's. They got the works and walked out with their feet in those paper
feet and went up to the condo once again. Hal treated Fran like a queen, and she fell in love with him. She
thought that he would make a great son in law someday.
Grace was proud of the way that Hal had taken care of her and Fran . He had treated them like they were
both his queens and she wanted to hug him right there. But it was his shop and she had no place acting like
that in front of the people that he worked with and was their boss.
As Fran and Max told Grace good-bye Fran cried. She did not like leaving Grace here alone. Yes, she had
found a good job a good house and a good man, but she was going to miss the little girl that she remembered
and took care of so long ago.
Grace sat down to relax once her father and Fran had left and woke to the sound of the doorbell. At the door
was Hal the man that she loved. It was a good life.