Last Call

by Michele G Miller

  "I…yeah, I'm ready. You know what kills me, Gage?"

  "What Savy?"

  "I love it when you call me that," I admitted; sucking his fingertip into my mouth as he traced my lips.

  Dragging a heavy breath into his lungs, he pressed his hips into mine.

  "What kills you?" he reminded me softly.

  "That while I now know the type of person Daniel has become, and it isn't pretty, what happened between us still hurts."

  "Yes, that's first love for you. It makes you stupid."

  A peal of laughter escaped me. "That it does."

  "You know what kills me, Savannah?"

  "Hmmm, what?"

  "Your sexy half-naked ass lying in bed with me at your parents' house." He groaned. "I want you to stay here tonight, but I can't do it. Not in good conscience."

  "You can't do it?" I asked.

  "No, dirty girl. I meant I can't let you stay here. I promised your father I would respect you, especially while under his roof."

  "So then there’s no doing it," I frowned playfully.

  "Nope, sorry love."

  "Then why did you tease me and pull my shirt off?"

  Quick as lighting, he pushed me to my back and rolled on top of me. Sitting across my hips, evidence of his body’s desire of me plain as day, he pulled off his shirt and then lowered his body down to mine until he was hovering over my breasts. My heart skipped in anticipation of his skin touching mine.

  "Because I can't help myself," he replied.

  "Oh," I hummed as his lips touched my collar bone.

  I closed my eyes and rode the waves of desire as his mouth and hands began to explore my shirtless top. He pulled me into a sitting position after a few minutes, my legs straddling his.

  "Is this you pampering me?"

  "Sure is," he laughed; his hands rubbing my back as his tongue drew circles along the tops of my breasts.

  "Gage," I breathed out when his fingers went to the clasp of my bra.

  "Yeah baby?" he said raggedly.

  "If you undo that, we are so not going to be honoring my father’s wishes."

  "Hmm?" His hand was working at the clasp and his hips were moving with mine as his tongue traced the edge of my bra cup.

  "We need to stop unless you're ready to make love to me, because honestly, I don't have the same willpower from last time. I want you too badly."

  He growled deeply, capturing my lips in a long, wet kiss. His hands left my bra intact and went to my hips instead, and then started to slip into the waist of my pants.

  "Shit," he moaned. "Sorry. I'm stopping," he said, suddenly picking me up off of him and setting me upright on the bed beside him.

  I noticed that he was walking a bit awkwardly when he stood up and grabbed my shirt from the floor; unraveling it and then holding it up for me. "You need to leave the room now."

  "You're kicking me out?" I pulled my shirt from his hands and back over my head.

  A smile crossed my face when I saw Gage's very serious expression.

  "Yep. Get out, you wicked temptress," he hissed, pulling me up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist and picked me up to carry me to the door.

  "Oh my God…seriously? You're totally kicking me out? What are you going to do now?"

  "Baby, I'm about to go take a cold, cold shower."

  A giggle escaped me as he opened the door and set me outside.

  "Goodnight, gorgeous. Sleep tight." He shut the door in my face; the click of the lock letting me know he was serious.

  "Damn it," I muttered as I walked away. "Cold shower…hell, I need an ice bath to stop the sizzle down there."

  Saturday - June 15, 2013

  The Reception

  After the wedding ceremony, the party continued in a large tent out on the lawn of the country club. The beautiful white tents were air conditioned - a must in the south in June - and huge. The large poles that held up the ceiling were wrapped in bouquets of fragrant flowers and bows. Huge, elaborate centerpieces decorated every round table, and crystals and candles sparkled everywhere. No expense was spared and it was beautiful…if you liked gaudy, that is.

  The new couple was formally introduced to their guests, and I found a way to keep my eyes averted when Daniel and Mary Anne danced their first dance. I wasn't jealous anymore, but I still had a hard time being happy for them. I really hoped that someday I could get over those feelings.

  An almost happy smile did cross my face as I watched my Uncle Grant dance with Mary Anne for the father and daughter dance. Uncle Grant had always been good to me through the years. I remembered when Daniel and Mary Anne first started dating, and he spoke to my father and told him how sorry he was. I tried to pretend like it never bothered me, but obviously even then, everyone could still see through my façade.

  I couldn't help but wonder if his joyous smile as he danced with his only daughter was because he was finally unloading her into someone else's care.

  When the floor opened up to all dancers, I was surprised to find my father tapping my shoulder for a dance. The sweet melody of an old Allison Krause song began to play as my dad danced with me.

  "You dodged a bullet, baby," he murmured as we smiled for the cameras that kept clicking to catch those ‘magical’ moments.

  "How do you mean?"

  "Daniel. He was never good enough for you," he informed me, spinning me around. "Mark my words - the Livingstons never made him work for anything, and he’ll crumble at the pressure and be begging your uncle and I for a job in a few years."

  "Shhh, dad," I chastised him.

  "It shows your maturity that you came to this blasted wedding in the first place. I'm proud of you."

  "I'm fine, Daddy."

  "Do you want to tell me more about Gage? I like the way he looks at you."

  My father had never once said a nice thing about Daniel in all the years he'd known him. The compliment caused my smile to grow wider and I looked past his shoulder to where I saw Gage standing on the sidelines of the floor watching us.

  Pulling my reluctant gaze from him, I looked at my father. "How does he look at me?"

  "The way a man should look at my daughter. Like you’re precious. Which you are, by the way." His voice was heavy with emotion and he kissed my cheek as a deep voice interrupted us.

  "Would you mind if I take over?" My father graciously handed me over to Gage as a new song began to play.

  "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he asked; taking my right hand in his and bringing it up and between our chests, while his other hand inched around my back. I fought the urge to place my head on his chest and we swayed gently to the beat.

  "You have, actually," I teased him softly.

  "Well not enough," he insisted, bringing our entwined hands up to his lips and lightly kissing my fingers. "You are stunning. I'm sorry I interrupted your dance with your father, but I was watching you and couldn't stop thinking about how gorgeous you looked, and…" he trailed off. His golden eyes looked up and scanned the crowd around us.

  My hand was resting on his upper arm, but when he stopped speaking I slid it up over his shoulder and onto the side of his face, pulling him back to me. "You've just called me beautiful, stunning and gorgeous in the span of one minute. Please, go on," I urged.

  When he focused back on me, I saw something different in his face. My heart leapt at the tenderness I found in the warm pools of his eyes as he continued. "I thought you looked so gorgeous and I wanted to get to you. I wanted to be the man dancing with you, Savannah. I wanted everyone to know that I was lucky enough to be the man that you’re with."

  Dying. I'm dead. No words would form as I watched this beautiful man spill his guts to me.

  "I know there were some demons you needed to exorcise this weekend, and I hope you have."

  "I'm sorry, Gage. I know I should have told you about everything from the past. It wasn't fair of me to bring you here without the background story," I admitted, and then gave in to the desire to
press my cheek to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

  "No, you don't owe me anything, Savannah. Not yet," he spoke into my hair and rested his cheek on my head. "I'm ready to move forward with you, though, and I feel like you’re ready for it too. I have things I need to tell you and I'm sure you have more things to tell me, and we’ll do all of that. But I can't keep doing this tentative thing with you. It's driving me crazy. I want so badly for you to be mine."

  Wow. "I'm…." Floored. Shocked. Rendered speechless. For him to lay it out for me the way he had, I was scared as hell that I would say the wrong thing. What did I want? my head screamed at me. Don't be an idiot, Savannah. Say something! Gage made me feel something I didn't think I would ever be able to feel again. When I thought about him, I knew it was more than I'd ever felt before.

  What was wrong with me that would prevent me from reaching out with both hands and saying yes? I was suddenly overwhelmed, and pulled back slightly from his arms. "I'm sorry - you know what? I need a moment. Excuse me." He dropped his arms and stood there as I walked away. He was pretending not to care, but I saw the look of disbelief cross his features before he steeled them to show nonchalance.

  "Shoot," I muttered to myself as I walked away; the same old fear creeping back up in me. Fear that I was making a huge mistake by leaving him on the dance floor. But I was having a hard time reading my own thoughts, and needed a moment of peace. My father's words He looks at you like you’re precious rang through my head.

  Was Gage in love with me? Surely not. This couldn't be love. Not yet, anyway. He wanted to be with me though, that much was clear. Was it lust or did he truly want something more?

  Making my way to the building where the restrooms were located, I walked slowly along the lantern lit path; the thick muggy evening air stealing my breath much as Gage's words had.

  "Savannah?"

  I stilled at the familiar voice. "Spence?"

  "Can we talk for a moment?" he asked softly. He walked up to stand next to me; uncertainty making itself known in his awkward body language.

  "Spencer, we don't have anything more to say. I told you that I've moved on."

  "Savannah, I have regretted the moment I said goodbye to you since the moment I did it. Can't we just talk?"

  "Why? It won't change the fact that it happened."

  "Your mother has hounded me since I came back to Charleston, and everywhere I go I see the places I spent time with you. You haunt me here. I miss you."

  "I'm sorry but I can’t, Spencer. You don't know how much it hurt me when we ended. It wrecked me Spence, even worse than my relationship with Daniel did."

  A pained look crossed his face. "God, I'm sorry. I was so stupid." He pulled me into a hug, and I allowed him to touch me because I knew what he was feeling. When I looked at his handsome face, I felt it too. The memories of what we shared one long, hot summer three years ago. It was special to me, and until a few weeks ago, I'm pretty sure I would have jumped at the chance to renew our relationship.

  "Spencer," I inserted, pulling back a little. "I'm sorry. I wish things could have ended differently but they didn't. It's been three years."

  "You’re right - three long years, yet I’m still not over you. Things can be different," he insisted. He quickly leaned in and kissed my lips. For a moment I thought he was going to just give me a quick peck, but then his hands braced my back and he put pressure on my lips as he tried to force my mouth to yield to him.

  The old memories of his lips on mine rushed in for a moment and I forgot where I was. I allowed my hands to move up his chest of their own accord. I was lost in the moment, yet a small voice was nagging in my ear.

  "Savannah, Spencer is finished with law school and he's going to be taking over his father’s practice in a few years. You would have the perfect life here at home where you belong." It was my mother's voice, and it was full of all of the ideas she'd been trying to force down my throat for years.

  Remembering that we were standing in the middle of a walkway on the way to the club, I lightly pushed Spencer away. "No."

  Stepping back, his face a mask of desire and sorrow, Spencer watched silently as I spun on my heel and hurried into the building.

  I cursed myself for allowing that moment of weakness to happen in the first place. It was like I was being tossed about in an angry sea of waves. Spencer's face entered my mind and immediate confusion swept through me when I touched my lips. They still tingled from his kiss, and I tried to focus on that feeling. The memory of being in his arms again. How it felt to kiss his lips after so long.

  But no matter how hard I tried to focus on Spencer, it was Gage who kept coming back into my mind. Gage, with his dimpled smile, always pushed the others away from my vision…and then it hit me. I was over Spencer. I was over Daniel. I was ready to move forward with someone, and I was one hundred percent sure that someone was Gage. I was scared as hell that I would make a mistake and screw it up, but I had no choice. It was Gage that my heart wanted.

  Excited at the revelation, I quickly freshened up my lipstick in the sitting room mirror. I was about to push my way out of the restroom when the door swung in and my mother entered.

  "There you are, darling. How are you taking it all in?"

  Being forced to have this conversation with my mother, again, exasperated me. "I'm fine, mother. It was a lovely wedding and I'm happy for them."

  She rolled her eyes like she thought I was crazy.

  "What, mother? Why is that so hard to believe, huh?" I shot out, tired of her theatrics.

  "Savannah Rose. There is no need for you to sound so short with me," she huffed. She raised a hand to pat her hair as she spoke, "I know how hard it was for you to come here and take part in their happiness. I was worried about you."

  "Mother, I’m fine. I have Gage." Saying it aloud was so right, and I smiled at the truth in the words.

  He had been a rock for me throughout the entire wedding debacle. He’d sat beside me with his hand around my shoulders; his fingers lightly teasing my bare shoulder and causing chill bumps to appear.

  Several times he leaned in and whispered funny little comments about one of the ladies hats, or another's putrid purple dress. When I found myself struggling to hold back tears when Mary Anne walked into the room, Gage lightly stroked my fingers and whispered in my ear.

  "It's very emotional watching someone give up their dating freedom, isn't it?" I slapped my hand over my mouth as a giggle welled up in my throat. "I mean, think of all of the wonderful dates they’re losing out on. All of the songs that won't get a name put with them."

  Holding tight to his hand, I turned towards him with gratitude. "I'd take the song game over this any day." I meant that I would take him over Daniel, but I don't think he understood that.

  He leaned towards me like he was going to kiss me right there as Mary Anne walked down the aisle, and it was only the slight cough of my father to my right that pulled us out of our bubble.

  Wanting to hurry back to him I pulled open the door to leave my mother, but she stopped me before I could escape.

  "Savannah, honey - I'm sure that he’s very nice, but what type of a future would you actually have with someone like him?"

  "Someone like him?" I asked, playing stupid. At some point since arriving in Charleston my father had filled my mother in on Gage's job, and I knew she wasn't happy that he was a bartender.

  "Don't try to make me out to sound like the bad guy here, Savannah. I mean Gage is gorgeous, honey, and I can see why you brought him. He has certainly been turning heads the past few days. But he's no Daniel, no matter how handsome he is. You deserve something more, darling. You deserve the fairy tale too, if not more, than Mary Anne."

  "Yes," I rolled my own eyes in defeat. "I brought him just so I could make all of the country club cronies pant after him. So that everyone who saw me get thrown to the side by Daniel could see that I was having a ball with my sexy new boy toy."

  "We only
want you to be happy, darling," my mother exclaimed.

  "I had my chance at ‘happily ever after’, remember? The upstanding young lawyer with the trust fund was all in the bag until the beautiful bride came and stole him." My words tasted bitter as they poured from my mouth. In truth, I wanted to thank Mary Anne for taking Daniel off of my hands all those years ago. It may have hurt like hell back then, but I was so much better off for it now.

  The sound of footsteps, a small commotion and a male voice pardoning himself pulled me from my conversation with my mother. Realizing that we'd been speaking with the door open, I quickly stepped out and looked around. The glass door leading out of the building was slowly clicking closed, and I saw a tall figure swiftly making his way down the steps outside.

  The lady that he must have bumped into stepped around me as I stood there in shock. I recognized her as a friend of my parents’ from the club.

  "Dear, that is some accent your guy has." She winked and then fanned herself over dramatically.

  I rushed out of the building upon understanding that it was Gage who had overheard our conversation. Ahead of me was the large outdoor tent where the wedding reception was taking place, and to the left were lit paths that would bring guests to the tennis courts and pool area. To my right were pathways leading around the club and towards the golf course. Scanning the area frantically, I searched for my handsome date in his dark suit. I spotted him to my right and immediately took off after him.

  "Gage?" I exclaimed after the silhouette began taking long strides across the lawn of the country club ahead of me. He was walking quickly away from the building and my heels dug into the grass; tripping me as I tried to catch up with him. "Gage!" I shouted louder, panic beginning to clutch at my chest.

  The light of the almost-full moon provided all of the lighting this far from the clubhouse. I found him stopped under a large tree with his hands stuffed into his pants pockets, and I placed a hand on his bicep once I finally reached him. Panting from the exertion of racing to catch up to him, I tried to turn him around to face me by tugging on his arm, but he stalwartly resisted. I stood behind him for a moment trying to find the right words to say. When I leaned into him and placed my cheek against his back, he finally spoke.