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Wow. I want to hear all about this.
See you soon.
I’m stunned to hear him say—so cavalierly—that he might sell his company. He’s worked his ass off to build it from nothing. He and a partner started the company in Gage’s living room when he and Natasha were newlyweds. Gage told us once how the partner got bored with the grind of business ownership. Gage and Natasha had to get a second mortgage on their house to buy out the partner, which was a huge risk at the time since they had no clue yet if the business would be successful.
The gamble paid off, and now he’s thinking about selling it. I’m stunned by this news, and I can’t wait to talk to him about it.
I spend the next half hour soaking in the tub, trying to relax and transition from mom mode to girlfriend mode.
Girlfriend…It’s been so long since I dated anyone but Mike that I’ve probably forgotten how to do it.
I can’t stop thinking about the things Gage said about how he feels when he’s around me or how great he was with Tyler this week. I was brought to tears watching my little boy hang on Gage’s every word and soak up the attention like a hungry sponge as they completed the model. He was so good about letting Tyler do most of the work while he supervised, and if I hadn’t already been on my way to falling in love with Gage, watching him with Tyler would’ve certainly put me there.
In a week that should’ve been a complete disaster, Gage provided the moments of light that I badly needed. Mike and I became lovers long before we were friends. It’s the opposite with Gage. We’re starting from a place of deep friendship and common experience, and the difference is remarkable to me. The friendship makes everything between us more intimate than it would’ve been without it.
I spend more time than I have figuring out what to wear and settle on a black wrap dress with the sexy black velvet boots that my sister gave me for Christmas last year that I’ve never gotten to wear. For the first time in ages, I put on a bit of makeup and perfume before inspecting myself in the full-length mirror Mike hung for me on the back of the bathroom door.
“Not bad for a gal who’s had three kids in the last seven years.”
I laugh at my own silliness and head downstairs to wait for Gage.
I can’t wait to see him.
GAGE
Today has been surreal.I accepted an offer to sell my company. The deal will ensure that I never have to work another day in my life if I don’t wish to. It’s enough that I can give life-changing bonuses to my hardworking team on my way out the door, and I’ve ensured they’ll be retained by the new owner.
It’s a win-win all around, and I already feel lighter and less burdened than I did before the deal was finalized with remarkable ease. After fifteen years of stressing out about every aspect of the business, now it’s going to be someone else’s problem.
I pull up to Iris’s house, excited to see her, to celebrate my big news, to hold her and love her and sleep with her. I’m looking forward to everything with her, and that’s an amazing development when you consider the pits of despair that have marked the last few years.
Iris greets me at the door, looking so sexy that my eyes nearly pop out of my head. “Holy smokes, woman.”
“You like?” She does a cute little spin on a high-heeled boot that makes me instantly hard for her.
“Yeah, I like.” I reach for her and hold her close enough for her to feel my reaction.
She rubs against me shamelessly. “That’s a terrible thing to waste.”
“He’ll be back later.”
Her giggle makes me smile. Everything about her makes me smile.
“I can’t believe you dropping that bombshell about the company on me like it’s not a huge, big deal.”
“It is a huge, big deal.” I pull back so she can see me waggle my brows. “Huge-mangous, as Ivy used to say.”
“Congratulations, Gage. I’m so happy for you. You’ve worked so hard.”
“I have, and it’s exciting to see it pay off this way.”
“I thought you loved your job and the company.”
“The joy went out of it for me after I lost Nat and the girls. I kept waiting for it to come back, but it never did.” I shrug as if losing my joy for the job wasn’t another excruciating loss on top of all the others. “The buyers will protect my team, which was critical to me, so it’s all good. The timing feels right to move on to something else.”
“What’s that going to be? Do you know yet?”
“I’ve been thinking about writing a book about the experience of losing my family and the journey I’ve been on since. Taking the material from the Insta account and turning it into something more.”
