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
"Morning." Gage greeted the beautiful woman lying next to him by kissing her forehead softly. "Ugh, is it morning already?" Bree groaned from her side of the bed, then she took the comforter with her and continued seeking warmth by burrowing under Gage's arms.The man smirked, amused by her little quirks as he had been watching her for the last hour since. Bree had taken over the cover, bundling herself, keeping herself warm like a cozy burrito while leaving Gage naked and a bit cold from the morning air. He put on his pajama pants and got out of bed. "I'll fix us some coffee. I don't know what time Hazel usually wakes up but I'll go check in on her also." "Oh, my...Hazel!" The mentioning of her little girl's name made her eyes wide open, body alert, and quickly sit up, but then shriek finding her naked body under the cover. Then she gasped when she looked at half naked Gage, though she stopped for a second to admire his physique."Oh, god...I'm naked!"Gage laughed and gave her o
"Hazel, honey, Gage has something to say. Are you finished with your breakfast? Do you want more toast?""No mommy, I'm full." She looked at Gage smiling, waiting for him to speak. "So, your mom and I have been talking, the last couple of days we've been getting closer. Friendlier. And I wanted to get to know your mom better, date her, and get to know you better too. Would you like that?" "You want to be mom's boyfriend?" Gage was a bit startled when the four-year-old girl knew about the concept of boyfriends. But he put himself together and replied calmly. "Yes, but only if you agree." "I like my mom happy, so only if you promise to make mommy happy. My daddy didn't make mommy happy." The little girl adoringly bit her lip and looked at her mom. "I'll try my best to make her happy and you can keep an eye on me, how's that?"She giggled and told him that he was silly. "Okay, now, can we go swimming?" Her cheeky smile was contagious, her eyes widening in excitement making Gage pick
The next day Bree called Cassidy, she was lonely, Gage was working and Hazel was taking her nap."How old is Gage anyway?""What? What happened? Tell me? Why are you interested in his age?" Cassidy bombarded Bree with her questions. "And when are you going back to the club?""Cass..." "Alright...he's thirty-seven. Now, tell me." "Gage told me to take a couple of days off, I'm sure you heard about the incident. And Hazel is still recuperating from her sickness, so I guess I'll wait for further instruction from the boss." Bree tried not to lie, instead, she hid some information from the struggling med student. "Uh-huh," and just as she expected Cassidy was not buying into her bullshit, but she didn't ask further instead she continued talking about Rocco and Dee on how the couple was being sickeningly sweet to each other, then fill her in on how the last bachelor party went rogue at Babes.Bree ended the call when Hazel woke up from her nap. She ushered the toddler to the sofa to play