“Okay.”
“What about you?” Gage asked.
“Oh. Yeah, I only want one person. I’d like to get married, but it’s a piece of paper, so it’s not a requirement if the person I’m with doesn’t want it.”
“Okay. Good. Well, that’s settled. Question two?”
“Oh, you’re eager now, huh?” Carrie laughed. “Have a timer going in your head?”
“No, actually, I don’t.”
Gage smiled and shook her head.
CHAPTER 29
Gage
“We already answered this one,” she said and held the card up to Carrie, who was lying on the bed next to her.
“Where do you want to live in the future? We didn’t answer that,” Carrie argued.
“Yes, we did.” Gage laughed. “You’re just too tipsy to remember.”
“Okay. What did you say, then? Because I forgot.”
“I said I wanted to live in the city and live in a condo, or at least, near a big city. Like, thirty minutes away is as far as I want to be. It could be helpful because most of my customers are in the burbs, obviously, but I’ve got a few in the city, and I’m trying to expand into more commercial spaces, too.”
“How have you done all that at twenty-five?”
“I guess we haven’t gotten to that, huh?”
“Not yet. Unless I forgot that, too.”
Carrie smiled widely at her, and for the first time this week, Gage wasn’t thinking about having sex; she was actually enjoying the hours they’d spent talking. While she knew she would also love to sleep with Carrie, it wasn’t about that tonight. She understood that and was okay with it. This was also the first time since this trip had begun that she was happy. Even sex that first night couldn’t compare to this. That was why she was tempted not to bring the mood down, but Carrie had asked her,and she wanted to be honest, so she cleared her throat, looked over at the beautiful woman lying beside her, and decided that if she was going to truly give this week a chance, she should tell her.
“My parents were killed in an accident. There was a lawsuit. I ended up with some insurance money, and after taking care of them, I used it to start my own business. So, there.”
“Gage, I’m so sorry,” Carrie said.
“Yeah… It is what it is.”
“When did it happen?”
“I was seventeen. I finished high school but didn’t feel like going to college. I’m not great with authority, so joining the military wasn’t an option, and I’d worked on pools as a summer job as a teenager. It seemed like something I could do, so I started doing that full-time, got certifications, and worked hard. Then, when I was twenty-two, I went all-in on myself. I got the office and just expanded into retail sales this year. It’s been going well so far. Some months are worse than others, but that’s business. I’m not going to be a millionaire or anything anytime soon, but I’ve hired a great crew, and they do good work. We’re building a reputation, and things are starting to take off for me.”
“That’s great,” Carrie replied. “Are you an only child?”
“I’ve got an older sister. She’s five years older than me and took me in until I graduated high school. We split the money stuff fifty-fifty. She’s not a huge fan of the gay thing and had a baby about two years after our parents died, so I took that as my cue to go. I got my own apartment and got a better one later. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s good enough for now. I’d like to buy a place one day, but I’ve put everything into the business, so it’ll be a minute.”
“Yeah, I get it. I’ve been trying to save for a place myself, and it’s hard. I’ll put a little away, but then, something comes up, and suddenly, I’m starting all over. I shouldn’t even be here, withhow expensive it is, but I applied not thinking I’d go through with it, and now, here I am.”
“Why did you come here?” Gage turned on her side to face her, bringing her beer bottle with her and taking a sip. “I know to find love, but there’s more to it than that, right?”
“You really want to know?” Carrie asked.
“Yes,” she said and meant it.
Carrie was beautiful. She had long blonde hair, and Gage would describe her blue eyes as ice blue, but that didn’t seem right because ice blue eyes were something people associated with hard or cold people, and Carrie was anything but that.
