Gage

by Paula Ridge

  The three of us wait patiently and I look at Gage to see this beaming smile on his face. The numbers come in and I fall short by one vote. The young kid takes it, but she graciously gives me a nod of congratulations for testing her abilities.

  I come in second and I feel grateful for the chance to compete again.

  I walk over to Gage, with that bombshell still fresh in his mind.

  “You really do have a fire inside of you. I was speechless. That was impressive,” he praises, but the only thing I can think about is duplicating the experience we had on the beach.

  “Come with me and don’t say a word. I forgot how I feel after competitions. There’s usually this pent-up adrenaline during the aftermath of a competition. I have a better way than running it off.” I grab his hand and we walk away until I find this grotto.

  I dive into the water and he follows until we emerge in this cave. I climb up to the rocky ledge and lie back to admire the way that he slowly, in my mind, gets out of the water. It really is a slow-motion sexual tease.

  I quickly attack his cargo shorts with his shirt flapping in the breeze. I surprise him with a kiss followed by dueling tongues with my hand finding its way into the opening I have created in his cargo shorts. I stroke his length and feel the reward in my fist pumping with revitalization.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you,” he mutters with my tongue currently busy circling a spot on his neck to make him shudder in response.

  I place my finger to his lips and stand on that flat rock with my bare feet planted firmly. Frantic is a good word to describe the way that I take off the skintight wetsuit. He gives me that look, and I have no other choice but to sit down on his prized stallion. The large, encompassing head pushes past the blooming flower of my excitement.

  My knees are on both sides of him and I can feel every inch sampling the pleasure that I am inflicting him with. I move in increments of an inch at a time to let him feel the pleasing sensations of those walls closing in on him. I love the look of surprised euphoria on his face and I feed on his enthusiasm until I am bouncing, unrestrained, in his lap.

  “This isn’t fair. How can a man resist someone like you? You make me believe in fairy tale endings.” He has his hands on my hips and we are working together to bring about that moment of sweet release in both of us.

  I begin moaning a little louder with every thrust that he manages to make underneath me. I twist in a grinding motion with every inch impaling me. The base rubs me the right way and I feel that burning desire to make him the prisoner of my hungry infatuation. The feeling is right there on the surface waiting for that extra little stimulation to send me over the edge.

  This comes in the form of him pressing my breasts together and sucking both nipples at the same time. A light bite causes the spark inside of me to turn into a flame. My body responds with wild gyrations and screams that echo in his ear hotly. I’m still riding high from the competition and this only prolongs the adrenaline rush running through my veins.

  I’m facing him and seeing how his expression changes from shock and confusion to this pleasure-infused smile that is hard to ignore. My orgasm intensifies for the next thirty seconds and I see in his eyes he is about to give me a sizzling reminder of his lust.

  His length and thickness grows, with the inflamed head pulsing with a life of its own. The heat of his hot cream is running in a straight line through those veins. We are staring at each other in complete denial, with everything forgotten for the time being. Pleasurable shockwaves go through us at almost the same time. I can feel his lust contained inside of me.

  He grunts and then bites my shoulder, initiating a little bit of pain with my pleasure. I hold him to my chest, muffling his outcries of delight until I finally come back down to reality. We come to an abrupt stop with our bodies sticking together after this exchange of mutual pleasure. Our bodies have done the talking for us.

  I slowly lift myself from his impressive equipment, which is still stained with my loved juices. A deep breath has me sitting there wondering how to bring it up in conversation.

  It’s a breathless minute where I can’t think straight. It’s time to see where his head is at. I hate to extinguish the light in his eyes by bringing up a difficult subject for him, but we really don’t have time to run around in circles. This is the last time we can say what is on our minds. I’m not going to waste a single moment with regrets.

  “I can’t even begin to tell you what I’m feeling. That was amazing. There’s just something about you that makes me do insane things in the spur of the moment.” He places his hands around me and I let him feel my body heat until I come to my senses.

  “Are you ready to talk about my kid? Nothing has changed. Can you accept the entire package?” I don’t want to put him on the spot, but I have to think about the future.

  He shuts down and leans back against the rocks with this unexplained faraway look in his eyes. He tries to say something, but nothing comes out. I see the truth written plainly on his face. It doesn’t look like anything is going to change his mind.

  I can’t bear to hear his rejection. Diving into the water unexpectedly is my only answer to get some distance. My flight leaves in an hour and I’m going to be on it.

  Ch 6 – Gage

  It’s not hard to understand why she didn’t want to give me the benefit of the doubt. Hearing the words and fully digesting them took me a few days. She has a child. It doesn’t matter how many times I say it over and over again; there’s no way I can possibly wrap my head around it. Everything stemmed from showing up at her competition to give her my heart, but it sure didn’t go the way I had envisioned it.

  She wanted to talk about it again, but I couldn’t even force a word out. I sat there flummoxed, unable to move. Now, her words are dust in the wind, and I don’t even know where to start. I know what she wants to hear, but I don’t know if I’m ready to say those words.

  That was three days ago, and I’ve come to some painful conclusions during that time apart.

  Driving through the neighborhood searching for the right address is making me crazy. The GPS has sent me around in circles, but I’m certain it will get me to my final destination eventually. I’m not sure what I’m going to say when I get there. The only thing I know is that I have to see her again.

  My friends tried to talk me out of it, but I wasn’t hearing it.

  It’s easier to drive myself instead of relying on someone that knows the area better than I do. I have this excess energy with my fingers shaking on the steering wheel at the prospect of seeing her again. I don’t even do her the courtesy of calling before showing up unexpectedly.

  It was impulsive to jump on a plane, I know that, but I can’t help feeling there is something left unsaid between us.

  This is my way of taking the initiative. Sitting alone thinking about it hasn’t done me any good. Waiting any longer is risking losing her to somebody else. I don’t want to fight with her. I’m just not sure what I’m going to say when she opens the door. This is assuming that I actually find it before somebody calls the cops about a suspicious vehicle driving around in circles in broad daylight.

  I have everything I need to make a grand gesture in a way that will hopefully take her breath away. The house is right there, at the end of a residential area surrounded by trees and with a tire swing in the front yard.

  The white house with green shutters is a split-level with a driveway that leads to a steep incline in the backyard. Stopping the car at the curb has me getting out and collecting the supplies I’ve brought, including the boom box. It’s a little cheesy but I think I know what will get her attention.

  I grab the tan trench coat and put it on, with the boom box over my head as I’m walking toward the door. It’s turned on with the volume playing an old country tune. The artist is her favorite. Shania Twain is singing ‘whose bed have your boots been under’.

  I drop to my knees with the boom box over my head, mimicking a favorite scene from one
of her cheesy eighties movies. The neighbors are starting to come out of their homes, mumbling underneath their breath and staring at me on the front lawn acting like an idiot.

  People are taking photographs and videos to upload. I’m not sure what came over me to do something like this, but it has to be something big to prove to her that I’m not the same man she remembers.

  Only a few days have gone by and thinking about her has become an obsession.

  “It’s so romantic. She would be a fool not to accept his apology.”

  “I wish my husband would do something like this for me when he’s in the doghouse.”

  “I thought this only happened in the movies.”

  Several people are saying nice things about the sentiment, but I’m only interested in one person’s opinion.

  She’s mortified and peeking around the curtains until I can see that she’s going to come out. It’s not my intention to embarrass her. This is the only way I can get her attention.

  April opens the door and stands in the screened-in portion, looking at me with her arms crossed. She doesn’t look entirely pleased by my gesture. There’s no smile on her face, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t affected by how I’ve come all the way here.

  “Do you want to tell me what this is about in three words or less?” she implores with a little boy holding onto her leg who has the same platinum blonde hair.

  I lower the volume but stay on my knees, groveling for her acceptance of my apology.

  “You gave me a lot to think about. I admit that I’d never wanted to have children. It’s no secret that my childhood wasn’t a bed of roses, but we all have crosses to bear. I can’t forgive myself for letting you go without expressing how I feel. You have to admit you did say a lot with those few words to stun me into silence,” I reply with a swallow of indecision, wondering if maybe I made a mistake by coming here.

  “You can’t just show up like this and act like a complete idiot. You’re making a scene,” she says with her arms still crossed, looking at me with this steel gaze to freeze me in my tracks.

  “I went to all of this effort to show you how much you mean to me. Do you know how hard it was to find a boom box? I thought about it very hard and had my friends around me to give me their wise counsel. They all had their own opinions, but I came to one irrefutable conclusion. I can’t live without you,’ I say with my heart on my sleeve.

  “What do you want?”

  “I want us to start over with no secrets. I know you have a child. We can take this slow and see where it goes. I make you my solemn promise to have an open mind. We can do the long-distance thing, but I did see a house a few blocks away for sale and my job doesn’t require me to be in any particular place.” I’m saying in a roundabout way that I’m willing to separate that expanse by building a solid foundation in the very same neighborhood.

  “What are you trying to say? You made your feelings abundantly clear about having children. I understand, but maybe you need to think about your future instead of the past. I seriously doubt you will be the same kind of father that ran out on you and your mom. Set your own path,” she states, and I am compelled to take a few steps closer at the risk of being rejected.

  I raise my hands. “This thing between us is something I wasn’t expecting. I don’t think either one of us was interested in finding a relationship, but here we are. There’s no denying my feelings for you. I want to make this work and I’m willing to do anything to prove it to you,” I plead with the crowd getting bigger, all drawn to the soap opera that is playing out in their neighborhood.

  “I can’t stop you from buying that house; that’s your decision and has nothing to do with me. We can try this on a trial basis. You can call it probation. My child will always be number one. I don’t want to bring this drama into his life unless it’s for the right reasons. That’s the best that I can offer you. I will set up a play date for the three of us.” I hug her and we share a soft kiss in front of a chorus of applause.

  It’s a start and I’m willing to build on that.

  Epilogue – April

  The last few months have been spent getting to know him. I thought we were deluding each other but something clicked between us. He gets along with my son and they have fun playing video games and doing things outside. Gage won him over.

  Hiking has become important to us as an extended family. It’s the best way for us to get exercise together. I’m amazed there are so many hidden places just a few short minutes away from the house. I bought a book with hiking trails and waterfalls that we have been exploring. It’s nice to see these hidden gems being enjoyed through the eyes of a child.

  He’s at a sleepover tonight, but it’s not for romantic reasons.

  I bring in the coffee, still steaming, to our guests. Jake and Chloe have arrived for an extended visit without their baby. He’s spending a few nights with Shane and Amber. I’m betting it’s a trial run to see if they’re ready to have children.

  They sit there on my black leather couch with Gage sitting in the matching leather chair. They’re talking about mundane things like sports and the weather.

  I sit down across from them in a white summer dress with colorful flowers blooming across the fabric. The purple roses are my favorite.

  They look tired, and I know from experience what a newborn baby can do to a relationship. Sleepless nights and no intimacy can lead to harsh feelings and words said in anger. There were some days that I didn’t even want to get out of bed.

  Being a mom means never giving up, and it means showing my child how to rise above the noise. Strength comes from within. I have learned through my relationship with Gage that compromise is the key in any relationship.

  “We don’t mind getting a hotel room. There’s no reason to go to this much trouble. We plan to stay for a few days to take in the sights. It’s nice of you both to be our tour guides. That brings me to the reason why we wanted to meet with you today.” Jake gently takes Chloe’s hand in his and they share a knowing glance with a deep breath.

  I’m not sure why they called this meeting. I think it’s because they want to talk about my relationship with Gage. I’m not interested in any kind of intervention to make me see him differently. He has proven to be a good man with values I can be proud to pass on to my son. What better role model can there be than a hero willing to do what it takes to make the planet safer for all of us?

  He’s not in the military, but he still goes to these places overseas. I worry about him when he’s not here, but I have been assured by his friends that they are looking out for him and vice versa.

  Gage did buy that house a few blocks away and we have been talking about moving in together. Nothing concrete has happened, but at least the conversation is heading in that direction.

  “We should probably tell you that we have been watching you both for the past couple of months. It’s become clear that you are good together. It’s been a debate, but we have come to a decision. We want you to be the godparents to our baby boy,” Chloe asks as she moves a little closer to the edge of the couch.

  “I can’t speak for April, but I gratefully accept.” Gage makes his feelings clear and turns to me to see how I’m going to respond. “Before you answer them, I have a question of my own to ask you. I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I don’t want to live without you. Every day makes me realize how lucky I am to be a part of this instant family.” He produces a ring box and I become faint, but somehow remain focused when he opens it.

  I look with great anticipation and inside is a...key.

  It’s a plain-looking key with no distinguishable marks. It’s definitely not what I was expecting. Somewhat disappointed is a good way to describe what I’m feeling. I thought we were on the same page, but maybe he doesn’t feel the same way. I’m not sure what to say. I’m going to need some kind of clarification about what this means for the two of us.

  I look at him and he’s dangling an engagement ring on the end of his little finger
.

  “I want you to marry me. I don’t care if it’s a big ceremony or something private. This is your day and I want it to be something special. The key is to ‘our’ new place and it has two extra bedrooms. I know you don’t have any emotional ties to this place, so we can make a new start.” It’s a lot of information to process but I don’t have to think about it.

  My place is falling apart, and besides it’s only a rental. It needs tender loving care and the owner refuses to do the work. It’s a safety hazard. Gage has done his best to make it livable by rolling up his sleeves and doing some of the repairs. I’m glad to get rid of it with only three days left on the rent.

  “I guess people do come into our lives for reasons that are not entirely clear at the time. I will marry you and we will move in with you. Just don’t expect me to be Molly maid,” I tease, knowing full well that he can do his own laundry.

  “This has been a very eventful day, but you still haven’t answered the question,” Jake’s words sound hollow and then I realize I have left them hanging.

  I’m staring at the ring on my finger when I suddenly become aware that they are still waiting for me to say something. “Of course, I will be the godmother.” I can’t put into words what I feel after getting engaged and finding a new place to live at the same time.

  I snuggle up to him on the couch, and we share a kiss with them whispering behind our backs about getting a room.

  THE END

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