Page 187 of Play of Love
I shrugged sheepishly, and Lucy laughed again.
"Don't worry." Lucy smiled. "I won't grill you too much."
* * *
We enjoyed a lovely day in Tuscany and Florence where they saw some of the grand landmarks like Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza del Duomo, Della Signoria and del Campo. We also visited the Siena cathedral and finished up with a scenic walk through the historic center of San Gimignano where they went shopping and had a perfect dinner of the best ravioli I had ever had in my life.
We had a good time together. It reminded me of how we were when I was younger, and as promised Lucy didn't ask too much about Gage.
It was more like she allowed me to tell her what I was comfortable with, which wasn't a lot. She did, however, manage to get me to confess that I liked him, which I supposed was enough details to tell her everything.
When we got back, we resumed our calls, and when Lucy retired to bed, Gage took me out on to the terrace.
It was a cool night, and the stars were bright, filling out the sky with their beauty.
"What's this?" I asked looking at the candlelit table between the wooden bench. It had rose petals slashed across it and in the middle were steaming mugs of hot chocolate with a swirl of whipped cream and pink marshmallows dotting the top.
After I'd tried it the other night and loved it, Gage had taken to making it for me every chance he got. Usually inside the house. This setting was very different.
"It's the prelude to our first date." He smiled.
"Prelude?"
"Yes, because I have to ask you properly if you'll go out with me."
I gazed up at him and couldn't help the smile that played on my lips. Gage Montgomery was asking me out. It was funny. The quarterback was asking the music geek out.
"You're asking me out?"
"Yes, I am Miss Evie. I am asking you to go on a date with me. Will you?"
My smile widened, and I was just about to answer when I saw Giselle's blonde head approaching from the steps leading up to the terrace.
"Hi." Giselle beamed brightly giving Gage a dazzling smile that displayed her super white teeth. She was wearing one of those halter-neck tops that showed far too much cleavage and a pair of gold short shorts. Her blonde hair was pinned up on top of her head, and her eyes were enhanced with heavy eye make-up. She looked like a walking advert for a high-end designer like Dior or Chanel.
We'd been here for over a week now, and until now she hadn't spoken to me. I'd seen her a total of six times now, and never gave any regard to her. The same way Giselle overlooked me and focused entirely on Gage.
"There's a massive party on the other beach, and I came to see if you'd like to come." Giselle beamed. Her eyes were on Gage, not me. An obvious indication that she'd come to see him, and the invitation was only for him.
I was used to women like her. It wasn't that they looked at me and thought they were better. It was more that they looked at me and tried to be better.
It was Lucy that had pointed that out to me once after a particularly awful incident in high school where the head cheerleader played a nasty prank on me that was aimed at crushing my self-confidence.
Since that day I knew I could hold my own because I was no less beautiful, or whatever there was to compare.
"That sounds great Giselle, but we're actually on a date," Gage replied, surprising both me and Giselle.
It was only then that Giselle looked at me, and narrowed her eyes at me.
"Oh, right. I didn't realize you two were together."
"Yes, we most certainly are." Gage looked over at me and smiled. "Twenty-five years and counting."
Giselle looked peeved. Obviously she'd had her sights set on Gage.
"Okay, well. See you around." She left, looking quite put out that Gage didn't even look back to her to say goodbye. I guessed it was probably because she wasn't used to being told no.
I continued to look at Gage and held his gaze. "You could have gone with her if you wanted to."
