Page 49 of Hidden Desire

Sage smirked. “I’ll be truthful. Stassi told me that she thought it was a great thing you were doing. I was fearful that maybe you would ultimately get scared that it wouldn’t work and back down. So, I might have casually said to her that she should really mention it to you, in passing.” Sage shrugged. “I’m pleased that she took me up on it.”

Lena nodded. “Well, I would say that you two make a cute couple.” She then looked around the cafeteria. “I probably shouldn’t say that too loud. The walls, they have ears.”

Sage didn’t care who knew. The fact remained that she loved Stassi, and if anyone wanted to balk at that, they could shove it. She didn’t care what they thought because she knew that how Stassi and she felt about one another was truly all that mattered.

“So, where’s Stassi today?”

Sage smirked. The way she asked the question insinuated a lot, her voice shifting in a curious way. “She is off. Probably at my place deciding on another delicious meal to make.” She grinned. She almost felt like a user, but Stassi enjoyed being there, so it didn’t quite feel so bad.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time together, haven’t you?”

Sage nodded. She opened her mouth when she spotted Linda walking in their direction. Her eyes appeared red, and the closer she got she realized they were bloodshot. She caught Sage staring and quickly looked away.

“Linda!” Sage jumped up, blocking her way. “Is everything alright?”

Linda sighed and shook her head. “I wanted to avoid people. At least for a little bit.” She shook her head. “Just got done talking to HR. I had some vacation that I planned on taking for a couple of days. But she said that she ran my benefits, and my days are gone. I know I have at least two days. I’m sure they trashed them. There’s no other explanation.

“That’s crazy.” Lena glared. “How can they do this?”

“They just don’t care,” Sage mumbled.

“Exactly!” Linda shook her head. “They know that the senior employees won’t do anything about it because we’re nearing retirement, but I’m not the only one who’s noticed my vacation time is missing.” She sniffed and looked down at her clenched hands. “I heard there’s talk about a union, giving the employees a voice. Where can I sign up?”

“Actually…” Lena grabbed the clipboard and pen and pushed them towards Linda. “We aren’t quite there with the signatures, but we’re getting there. With word of mouth, we’ll get there faster.”

“I can assure you that I will let everyone know.” She gave a slight wave, and Sage turned to Lena.

“That should make you feel better. This is all worth it. Everyone knows that.”

Lena grinned and looked over the names. Sage sipped on her water and thought about how she was ready to get out of there and get home to see Stassi. Just a few more hours and she would be free.

When Sage entered the apartment, she took in a whiff of marinara. It was some kind of pasta cooking, and it tingled her senses. She made her way to the kitchen, and Stassi looked over her shoulder.

“I didn’t hear you come in.” She walked over and kissed Sage. “How was work?”

“Exhausting,” Sage said.

Stassi helped her to a seat, and Sage sat down and propped her legs up onto the chair across from her. “Just relax until supper is served. I have a surprise for you, and I need you all rested up.”

Sage laughed. “What is it?”

Stassi shrugged. “If I tell you now, there will be no need to hold onto the anticipation.”

Sage stared at her, curiously. If she continued to pry, it wouldn’t give her any more clarity. Stassi wasn’t the type to break. “Food smells delicious, as always.”

“Thank you, Babe.” Stassi picked up Sage’s feet and took a seat, then rested them in her lap. She massaged them as Sage groaned, leaning back in her chair, deliriously exuberant over the touch of Stassi’s hand on her feet. She expertly kneaded at them. “Tell me about your day.”

Sage sighed. “Not much to tell. There is more work than bodies to complete the tasks.” She released a groan. “I wish you were there at registration, though. They brought a temp up from medical records, and she was all fingers, fumbling around like she didn’t know where anything was.”

Stassi rolled her eyes. “Technically, I’m sure she didn’t. That’s what they get for cutting back labor. And I barely make any money, so I’m not sure what they thought they were gaining by taking my hours away.”

Sage scoffed. “Perhaps they are just grasping at straws, thinking that cutting back the hours of those who work the hardest will somehow save them money in the end. If anything, it’s liable to work in the opposite direction.”

“Well, I guess we’ll see how it works out for them. Maybe they’ll find a way to better manage the finances.”

Sage closed her eyes and allowed Stassi’s fingers to dig into her feet. “I don’t want to talk about work. It stresses me out.”

The timer on the stove began to beep, and Stassi slowly dropped Sage’s feet from her lap and jumped up. Sage groaned, eliciting a laugh from Stassi.

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