It has been a week since Bree became a dancer at Babes. The girls love her, Jojo hasn't complained and Rocco said she's learning fast. But the boss man, Gage, was not at all pleased with her progress, he still couldn't quite shake off the feelings he had deep in his gut towards his new dancer. That early morning it was pouring hard after closing time when Gage heard a curse from the entrance of the club. It was Bree, and she was talking to Elvis about her car that won't start. Gage knows he should not get involved but he couldn't help himself and offered her a lift back to her place. Elvis looked a bit stunned, his boss had never done that before. And Gage was fully aware that he shouldn't have offered her. He could easily tell Rocco to drop her off but he was on vacation with his girlfriend, Dee.Gage didn't trust the younger bartender and all the other girls had gone home because she was held up by Jojo for administrative purposes. Bree looked real frustrated with her car, even El
Three days later Bree was still dancing at Babes, she still takes home a good amount of money and she managed to pay another bill. But she was stacking another debt at Babes for her car, though Jojo mentioned that she has six months of an installment payment to which she can absolutely manage to cover with what she makes at the club and still pay her other bills on time. But she really wanted to be debt-free, she liked the thought of saving her money for Hazel instead of thinking about what bill to pay first each time she gathered enough money for payment. Hazel was doing better, her fever had gone down but Bree still worries. She knows she needed money and she knows Mrs. Mancini was good at what she does. Bree made a mental note to give her a bonus in the next couple of weeks. She really needs to thank her for all that she'd done for both of them. But that same day when she was taking a break and talking to Jojo in her corner little office, Bree checked on her phone and her body s
The next day Jojo had rotated Bree's schedule, she managed to give her two days off and that's all she needs. She was still new, she didn't want to get cut because she was unable to work for two straight days. And those two days were all she needed since Hazel was discharged the next day.At least she was only paying for a one-day private room, her little girl was a bit cranky the next day saying she wanted to sleep in her bed. Late that afternoon after Bree signed off on her hospital administration and got Hazel's prescription, she saw Gage by Hazel's bed with another teddy bear almost as big as her daughter.No... Bree thought to herself, she didn't need to have Gage getting closer to her daughter. She didn't want Hazel to go through another separation process. Her little sunshine gave her thousands of questions when she realized her dad wasn't going to live with them again. The questions tire her already numbed feelings and she didn't need another one where Hazel might eventually t
The next morning Bree managed to pick up Mrs. Mancini before she goes to work in the afternoon. Lexie and Ivy, the other stripper moms had called asking about Hazel. They suggested her to stay at Lexie's when they heard the news. Bree was grateful for the offer, but she felt more at ease when Mrs. Mancini volunteered to babysit for her again. "Thank you again for doing this for me." She told Mrs. Mancini once they arrived at her new apartment. The older woman was busy complimenting her new place while Hazel quickly took her spot in front of the television playing with her teddies, sitting on the very comfortable sofa. Bree still couldn't believe that the apartment came fully furnished. "Oh, Bree darling, your luck is changing, I can feel it. That boss of yours is very generous." Bree blushed the second she mentioned her boss, Gage. She had told her about him, though she had said that he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart, Bree couldn't push the feeling that there might b
"Bree, look at me." Gage cupped her face, turning her to face him. He seated her on the kitchen stool trying to clean her scrapes and pick shards of glass from the broken car window embedded in her arm. It wasn't much but he needs to make sure the wounds won't get infected. The bruise on her neck looked worse, he put medical ointment to hopefully help it heal faster. He also put some on her exposed hip, then ushered her to change to his t-shirt and pajama pants.While Bree was in the bathroom, Gage had called Mrs. Mancini and told her to pack a few days' worths of clothing for both Hazel and Bree. "I... I have to get back, Hazel..." Bree said after she was back joining him in the living room."I've sent Elvis to pick them up and escort them here, I have a spare room." Gage thought that he should not offer, he has other apartments, and he could even put her up in a hotel. But deep down he blamed himself, after all, she was attacked in the parking lot of the apartment that he rented ou
Gage doesn't kiss on the lips, he didn't like to be kissed not when it means intimacy. Those were the small moments he used to indulge when he was with his late wife. But when Bree kissed him, Gage did not retreat, he didn't want to pull back from the kiss like he always does with other women. He realized that wanted her, god knows he did, and he felt like a manipulative boss who second-guessed himself whenever Bree was near. He kept assuring himself that he would have Bree just like Jade, everything worked out between them. Gage wanted Jade and he got her out of his system a couple of months later now both kept their professional attitude and she stayed working at Babes to support her kid while Gage helped whenever he can just because he wanted to. The man thought he could do the same with Bree. From the first moment he saw her and learned about her situation he felt the great urge to be her savior, he wanted to be there for her. Badly.The knock on his front door made him get up
Gage doesn't date because the last time he dated, the woman looked at the framed picture of him next to his late wife and told him that it was creepy the way he still holds on to his deceased family. But when Bree finishes cleaning herself and getting dressed in the small bathroom attached to his home office after their little sexy encounter, she found and looked at the picture of a younger version of Gage. He was wrapping his arm around a beautiful-looking woman and then Bree asked why he put the picture in the bathroom.Bree knew that he had lost his family years back from Cassidy. That girl gossips like it's her way of keeping herself sane between med school and stripping at Babes."Of course, you know about my family," Gage said without looking offended, knowing that his employees at Babes often talk about him. The man gave her a small smile and tried to shrug off her question, he was already anticipating when Bree would tell him to put the picture away.But instead, he heard her
It was a couple of days after the incident, and Bree was still staying at Gage's. Though she insisted that they move back to his vacant apartment, Gage had not been so subtle in delaying her moving arrangements, giving her some flimsy excuses about his place being installed with security cameras. And yesterday he declared that there was renovation in the backyard of the apartment assuring her that she has to stay longer at his house.Bree also hadn't been allowed back at Babes as Gage kept telling her that she deserves a couple of days off after the incident. He was telling her that he didn't want her to get triggered by any of her clients for dancing too soon. She relents when the logic sets in, not wanting to cause any scene and embarrassed herself at the club.But when Gage decided to fill her spare time by taking her on a date, she hesitated."What am I going to tell Hazel? oh god, Gage, I can't lie to her face. I'm such a bad mom, this is not going to work out. We should end this