Page 8 of The Flame of Carson
Shauna walked over, setting the broken-down box on the pile of others.“What do YOU want to be with Gage?”
“I don't know Shauna,” Stacey replied, pulling out picture frames from the box.
“Okay, I'm calling bullshit.”Tiffany argued, “You and Gage have been together for nearly two years now, right?”
“Yeah, but what's that...”Stacey started to argue.
“And, in that time have you been with another guy?Dating or otherwise?”Shauna asked.
“No.”Stacey said.
“Well, I haven't seen Gage out with any other women, and believe me, Ethan would have said something.”Krista added, carrying a stack of books to the bookshelves.
“What are you guys saying then?”Stacey demanded.
Tiffany giggled.“What we're saying honey is, it sounds like you already know what YOU want.”
Stacey released a slow breath.Yes, she did know.“And if Gage doesn't want the same thing?”
“How did he react when he saw you?”Krista asked, turning from the bookshelf.
“He seemed happy.I mean he picked me up and kissed the ever-loving hell out of me.”Stacey answered, unable to stop the sigh of pleasure as she recalled his kiss.
“There you go then.And from what Krista's told us, he often asks her about you whenever he’s around her or Ethan.”Shauna pointed out.
Stacey stared at the women around her.Was it possible they were right?“You guys really think he wants the same thing I do?”
Krista walked to her and draped an arm over her shoulders.“Hon, if I had to bet?I'd place my money on yes.”
“Thanks.All of you.Okay, enough of this sappy shit.”Stacey said, making everyone laugh.“Let's get my house unpacked, then I got a dinner to get ready for.”
“All right ladies, you heard her, let's get to work.”Tiffany ordered in a motherly voice, causing more cachinnation around the room.
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Stacey exited her bathroomwrapped in a fluffy bathrobe her mother had given her the previous Christmas.With the help of Krista and her friends, her house had been unpacked and mostly situated in about four hours.She stood at the foot of her bed and studied the two choices she had picked for her dinner with Gage.While he had been shocked when she had shown up at his office, she herself was still coming to grips with the fact that she was now in Austin and no longer did they have that distance barrier between them.She hadn’t been lying when she told the girls that she worried that Gage didn’t want the same thing that she did, regarding their relationship.
“Oh, get a grip girl.”She chastised herself out loud.“You’re just being ridiculous now.”
After all, when he had kissed her in his office, it was a kiss that showed he was genuinely happy that she was in Austin and living here permanently.After a few more moments, she made her outfit choice.She hung the navy-blue dress back in her closet and set about getting ready for dinner.Fifteen minutes later, pleased with appearance, Stacey left the bedroom and headed downstairs.As much as she loved her Ducati, she knew it was impractical to ride in dress and heels.Picking up her purse from the table in the foyer, she fished out her keys and walked outside.Fall was in the air, and it excited her.Moving to her car, she was already thinking of what she would do for Halloween decorations.Tonight, one way or another she and Gage would know exactly where they stood with one another and roughly where their relationship was heading.
