CHAPTER 41
Gage
“Um… We get to skip the cards. That’s cool,” she said.
Carrie smiled at her and replied, “Yeah, cool.” She then walked over to Gage, who was standing by the bar, and asked, “Need a drink before we go?”
“I’m okay.”
“Really? You seem nervous,” Carrie noted, placing her hands on her hips.
Gage looked down and said, “This is the part I’m not very good at.”
“The standing by the bar part?” Carrie teased.
“The date part.”
“You were fine today on the hike.”
“We were with the others,” she said with a little laugh. “Not exactly a romantic date.”
“I don’t know. I thought it was pretty romantic.”
“We had to hold on to a rope.”
She looked back up and met Carrie’s eyes.
“Which we managed to do without yelling at each other, and we laughed a lot along the way. I call that a success.”
“Not romantic, though.”
“We had a picnic by a lake, Gage. You and I shared our own blanket, and I made sure to set it up several feet away from the others. I kissed you.”
“You did.” Gage smiled. “I remember.”
“I’d hope so; it was a few hours ago.”
Gage laughed and said, “I know. I’m sorry. I’m better at sex. I swear, I’m good at that part, at least.”
“You’re not bad at this part,” Carrie replied and cupped her cheek.
“How are you so good at this part? You’ve never done it before, right?”
“Dated a woman? No. And I don’t know. I feel like I got some of my nerves out of the way earlier in the week.
I feel pretty good right now, actually. I loved hiking with you today and having that picnic, too.
I liked when you walked me behind that tree, claiming that we were both going to pee in the woods, and we laughed before we made out, as if the rest of the group didn’t know exactly what we were doing.
That was romantic, Gage. That was a sweet, amazing moment that I’ll always remember about this week. ”
“Yeah?”
Carrie nodded and asked, “Now, do you want that drink to help calm those unnecessary nerves?”
“No, I think I have a better idea. Can we grab a couple of blankets and maybe some water and snacks?”
“Yes. But why?”
“We’re going outside. Maybe grab a sweater or something, too. It’s cold out there. I don’t want you to freeze.”
“Um… Okay,” Carrie replied.
Minutes later, they had their things in Gage’s backpack and in her arms because she insisted on carrying everything. Carrie laughed at that, but while Nia was preoccupied in the kitchen, Gage pulled Carrie through the front door and shut it quietly.
“What if Nia locks that door while we’re gone?” Carrie asked. “We don’t have our phones.”
“We’ll ring the bell, babe. It’s not like everyone’s going to sleep right now.”
“Right.” Carrie laughed a little. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere I spotted earlier when we were driving to get to the trail.”
“How far are we walking, exactly? I’m in flats.”
“You’ll be okay, Princess,” she joked. “It’s just up here.”
“Hey, you just told me to put on a sweater. No tennis shoes were mentioned.”
“I like you in those shoes and that dress,” she said and turned to Carrie. “Yeah, I really like you in that dress.”
“It’s a ruffle-sleeve mini dress. I got it online for cheap.”
“It’s a great dress. Five stars in that review you leave, please.”
Carrie laughed and squeezed Gage’s hand.
“Okay. We’re here.”
“Where is here?” Carrie asked.
“It’s an alcove in a tree grouping. Just beyond that is someone’s property, but there’s a no-trespassing sign about twenty yards back, which means this is either public property or we can’t get in trouble because there’s no sign here.”
“Are you sure that’s how trespassing laws work?” Carrie asked.
“It depends on the state. I haven’t looked them up for here, but we’d have plausible deniability because they usually include words like knowingly or unlawfully entered the property and stayed there even when told to leave, so I think we’re safe.
Besides, it’s after nine – almost everyone in this sleepy town is probably sound asleep already. ”
“Except at our house.”
“Well, yeah,” Gage said. “You just mentioned liking the hike earlier, and I remembered this.”
They left the sidewalk and made it into the grass. Trees and the dark would shelter them from the view of the street, and she looked up to see the night sky and the stars between the tall trees.
“It felt like it could be the perfect little pocket for us; away from everyone else.”
“It is perfect,” Carrie agreed.
“Let me put a blanket down, and we can sit.”
Gage went about setting up their space and set her bag down next to the first blanket before she pulled out the second one and placed it on top so that they could wrap themselves up in it.
Then, she pulled out the bags of snacks and bottles of water and motioned for Carrie to sit.
When Carrie did, Gage moved to sit behind her.
“Is this okay?” she asked when she pulled Carrie back against herself.
“Yes.” Carrie chuckled. “For someone who says she’s bad at dating, you sure do know how to plan a date.”
“If I’d planned it, it would’ve been better. I’d have my phone for music and maybe candles or something. We only have the streetlight and the moon, I guess.” Gage looked up. “It’s almost full.”
Carrie followed her gaze and replied, “This is a perfect first date, Gage.”
Gage smiled shyly and moved the sweater a bit so that she could kiss Carrie on her neck where it met her shoulder.
“I’m just… I’m really happy right now. I thought I’d come here and have sex, and if I got really lucky, a woman might want to go on a date with me after we left, but I wasn’t sure about that part.”
“And now?” Carrie asked.
“I’m here with you.”
“And?” Carrie laughed.
“I want to date you. I had a lot of fun today, Carrie. I haven’t had that much fun in, well, maybe ever.”
“You have a lot of sex. Isn’t that fun?”
“Hey, not a lot,” she returned and nipped at Carrie’s neck teasingly, which made Carrie laugh. “And sex is great, but I meant in life.”
“Why?”
“I work all the time,” Gage told her. “Like, all the time. I’m the boss.
I own it, so if something goes wrong or I don’t make enough for payroll, that’s on me.
I don’t have a backup plan, you know? This is it; this is my only plan.
I lost most of my family young, and while my sister is still around, she’s not someone I can rely on. It’s just been me.”
“Don’t forget about Sasha,” Carrie returned.
“Oh. Is someone jealous?” she teased and tickled Carrie on her abdomen over her dress.
“You’ve slept with her. She’s seen you naked. You are best friends. She gets to touch you and knows you, so, yeah, I’m jealous.”
“She won’t anymore if you don’t want her to.”
“What?” Carrie turned her head a little toward her.
“I told you: I’m a one-person person when I’m in a relationship. Sasha isn’t, but she’ll find others to date or sleep with. She has others already. That’s how she and her girlfriend prefer it.”
“I don’t judge anyone, but I don’t get that.”
Gage laughed and said, “Me neither. Sex is one thing, but if I’m with someone, I’m with them and only them.”
“Me too. But you’re really going to stop sleeping with her because of me? We just met.”
“I know. But I want to date you and sleep with you. If you don’t want me doing that with anyone else, I won’t, and that includes Sasha. She knows how this works for me. We respect each other, and we follow all the rules we both set.”
“Do you want to sleep with her, though? I don’t want to ask that of you. We might be on a date right now, but it’s a first date, and we have a lot more talking and other things to do before we probably get to the part where I can tell you that I only want you and talk about exclusivity.”
Gage nodded and asked, “Do you want to date other people?”
“I came here to meet someone, not multiple someones. I don’t even know how I’d date more than one woman at a time when I’ve never even dated one woman before.”
“You’re dating me now.”
Carrie turned around completely and let the blanket that had been covering her fall behind her.
“I am, huh?” Carrie smiled at her. “I thought this was just a date, not that we were dating – as in we’re doing this again and again.”
“I want that,” Gage replied. “I can’t describe it, Carrie, but I feel it. Is that bad that I can’t tell you in words how it feels to be with you?”
“No, but can you try? I’d love to hear it.”
Gage leaned back on her hands and said, “Okay. Um… It’s like I… I want to make you chicken soup when you’re sick.”
“What?” Carrie laughed a little.
“With other women, I wanted sex. That was it. I usually left right after unless we fell asleep, but that was all I wanted.”
“Okay.”
“I spent one night with you, and I guess one day today, too, but I’m sitting here, staring into your eyes, and I know I want to be there if you get sick because I want to make you chicken soup and check your temperature.
I want to tell you not to be stubborn and to take your damn medicine because you seem like the kind of person who might be stubborn about that stuff. ”
“Hey!” Carrie laughed.
“I call them like I see them.” Gage smiled at her.
“I want to take you on dates like this one and go home with you, but not leave. I want to still be there in the morning, and we also don’t have to have sex for me to stay the night.
God, help me, I think I want to binge-watch TV with you and get mad when you Netflix-cheat on me. ”
Carrie laughed loudly but then covered her mouth and looked around to see if anyone had heard her.
“I wouldn’t Netflix-cheat on you,” she said after seeing that the coast was clear. “I promise.”
“So, that’s how it feels. I’m not a poet or anything.
I’m a pool cleaner.” Gage shrugged. “Feelings aren’t something I deal with often.
Honestly, I kind of pushed feelings down and away when I lost my parents and again when my sister didn’t like the fact that I was gay, so I’m in unfamiliar territory here, but that’s how it feels. ”
“Gage?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you still want to sleep with Sasha if we’re dating?”
Gage shook her head.
“Then, I don’t want you to, either.”
“And you won’t be with anyone else?”
“I haven’t even been with you yet,” Carrie stated.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do. And no. I told you, I came here for one person. I’m good with that. I don’t feel the need to explore anything with multiple women. If I did, I wouldn’t be here, looking for love. I would’ve done that at home.”
Gage smiled and asked, “Will you lie back against me again? I really like that.”
“I can, but…” Carrie looked around again. “Um… We can…”
Gage swallowed, realizing what Carrie was suggesting they do instead.