10
Sage
“You said what?”
Charlotte, Jane, and Frankie are sitting on my couch, staring at me, open-mouthed, but Frankie’s the first one to speak. “Tell me you’re joking.”
My head falls into my hands as I drop onto the couch in front of them. “Oh, God. I wish I were joking,” I mutter through my fingers.
“What did he say?” asks Jane.
“Nothing.”
“He must have said something. What did his face look like?”
Recalling the dreadful event, I moan. “Like someone told him he has to jump into a freezing lake with sharks.”
“Sharks don’t live in lakes,” says Charlotte.
“That’s not the point,” I mutter. “How am I going to face him at the party tonight?”
“How did the date end?”
Cringing, I rub my face to hide my embarrassment. “Well, he passed me my clothes and drove me back to my place. He kissed me sweetly on the cheek and said, ‘See you tomorrow.’ Then left me on my doorstep.”
“That’s it?”
I nod. “Yep.”
“Well, that was rude,” continues Frankie. “You just had sex, and he pretty much just gave you the brush off.”
“I don’t know about that,” says Jane, defending her brother-in-law. “I think he was just taken aback by Sage telling him so soon. He’ll come around. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Sage. Casey does like you.”
“I agree,” says Charlotte, crossing her arms as she sits back on the couch. “Just be cool at the party tonight. Act like your usual nonchalant self and keep it light.”
“But, Charlotte, you know that’s not me. I like to talk things over in relationships. It’s important to be honest.”
“I think you’ve been a little too honest,” says Charlotte. “A guy like Casey doesn’t like that sort of pressure. Let him come to you.”
“What do you think, Jane?” asks Frankie. “You know him best.”
Jane shrugs. “I don’t really know him that well. Casey and Austin haven’t had much quality time since he went to the Majors. So, I don’t know.”
I sigh. “My heart is conflicted.” Looking up at the ceiling, I recall Casey’s face as we made love. “I’ve dreamed of this man for years. I guess in my head, I’ve known and loved him forever, although he only just met me. I can understand how that would scare him. “Okay,” I say, coming to a decision. “I’ll play it cool for now. Give him space to catch up to where I’m already at. We’ll chat on the phone for the next couple of weeks before I ask him how he’s feeling about us. Does that sound good?”
Frankie shrugs. “Sounds more than reasonable to me. I would probably be asking him to marry me by now.”
We all laugh because with Frankie that can be true. I almost expected her to run off and marry that guy in Vegas, and who knows maybe she would have if he was older. But, while I’mspontaneous, I can acknowledge that things are moving quickly, and Casey may want to slow things down.
“So, what are you wearing to the party?” asks Charlotte. “Your white lace dress is beautiful.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s way too see-through and I don’t need Casey’s mother making another comment.”
“Oh, don’t worry about her,” says Jane.
“Easy for you to say. You’ve already won her over.”
She rolls her eyes. “Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy.”
