Tell me about this friend, Candice, you’re meeting for lunch.
Tilly thought about how to describe Candice. To some, she was overwhelming; Candice liked to call herself an acquired taste.
I’ve known her forever. She’s always up, bubbly. Kind of a smartass, too, but she’s good. Always there when you need her. She does, however, have a problem with keeping track of time. But in this case, I’m okay with her being late. Are you supervising, again, today? ; )
Gage was leaning against his truck, watching the new guys, Kyle and Larry weeding the rock beds around the bushes. Dom was on the mower and Arty was following closely behind him, trimming the edging. Normally, he would be right in there, getting his hands dirty, doing what he enjoyed. But for the past three weeks, he’d been stepping back. He liked to tell himself it was to oversee the guys, the work they did without him. But he knew well enough that wasn’t the reason. The reason was the woman on the other end of the messaging thread.
Yeah, I’m watching them. Hopefully, soon I’ll be able to send them off alone, that’s my plan. The new kids are doing pretty good, can’t complain. It’s good to have a friend like that. Dom, the guy I told you about, he’s the same, always has my back. By the way… I’m glad she’s running late. ;)
The butterflies that had kept her company since she started talking with Gage never seemed to fade, and only grew in intensity as the weeks passed. She knew if Candice walked in at that moment, she’d see color on Tilly’s face and would know something was up because Tilly hadn’t felt this good in a long time. A part of her wanted to feel bad about that, but she wouldn’t let herself.
I’d like to see you supervising your crew. In my head, it’s a sexy sight. Impressive owning your own business. I wanted to own an interior design business, but life got in the way. I’m happy you have Dom, because, you’re right, it’s good having a friend like that.
Tilly wanted to add she’d like to be a friend like that to him, but she didn’t because that wasn’t completely truthful. Entertaining her fantasies, she wanted more than that, denying it was stupid, and she also knew she shouldn’t want that.
Gage read her message and grinned. There were times, even knowing they were wrong, like last night, when she said she was fresh out of the shower wearing a cotton night shirt, sitting on her couch, that had Gage thinking about how sexy she probably looked at that moment. He didn’t share that with her. He tried to refrain the best he could in flirting too hard. It was okay for her to do it, but he didn’t want to come off as the creepy dirty old man, although, that’s pretty much how he felt right then. Bringing up his camera, he held the phone up and off at an angle, smiled, and snapped a picture. He looked it over and saw the logo and the name of his business, Sutherlands. They hadn’t gotten as far as exchanging last names, but Gage didn’t care that she could not only see the name of his business but the phone number, too, which happened to be the very cell he was holding in his hand. He attached the image and typed out.
Not all as sexy as you might think. Hmmm… maybe one day, you can dabble in landscaping design. ;)
Tilly opened the picture first. The hand that held her coffee cup shook a bit. Jesus. In that moment, she knew she was in trouble. A picture shouldn’t have that kind of an impact on her. It did though. She studied him for a few minutes, all kinds of thoughts going through her head that she feared putting a voice to because, so far, it had been flirty but tame. What his image stirred in her was anything but tame. It wasn’t just butterflies; an ache formed that had her shifting in her seat. So distracted, she didn’t hear the door. Didn’t know that Candice had finally arrived. She replied with candor.
Sexier than I imagined.
“Who are you messaging?”
Tilly jumped and almost dropped her phone.
Candice’s one brow went up into her hairline. “Why are you all flushed?” She asked, yanked out a chair and dropped down on it, but her focus never left Tilly. “Is that Luke? Are you two sexting?”
At the mention of Luke, guilt replaced desire.
Tilly tried to brush off Candice’s comment. “Sexting? Please.”
Candice is here. It’s a great picture, Gage Sutherland. Talk later. And… it’s Tilly Forester. : )
Candice tried to grab her phone, but Tilly pulled it from her reach. “Who are you talking to?”
“Just a friend.” Tilly was impressed that she was able to say that so nonchalantly because her heart was still racing.
“A friend?” Candice sat back, her focus burning holes into Tilly. “A friend who makes you glow like that?”
She was glowing...still? Well, shit.
“A man friend I’m assuming.” Candice said before her interrogation was interrupted when the waitress stopped over. Lunch was ordered, and the second the waitress turned her back, Candice dropped her elbows on the table, glared and said, “How’d you meet him?”
Talking about Gage made it more real. They were messaging each other. Hadn’t talked on the phone, hadn’t sexted...though Tilly grew warm thinking about it...the idea far more appealing than it should be considering she was a married woman. She could fool herself to believe their whole relationship was nothing more than a fantasy...a dream you were experiencing while awake, but sharing him with Candice. That made him real. That changed things. Nerves made her grow cold, but she met Candice’s stare.
“His name is Gage and I met him through that game you told me about.”
Candice didn’t even blink. “And this Gage makes you glow like that?”
Tilly was tempted to brush off her question again, but instead said, “I don’t know about glowing, but I do enjoy talking to him.”
“What do you talk about?”
“Sex. Just sex, all the time.”
Candice’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding?”