Babes Stripping For Love

“How was the family dinner?” Dee questioned when she was seated in their seat. It was a warm Tuesday afternoon and Cassidy’s day off, that was probably why Dee asked her knowing the med student couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Not that Dee was much different, but she actually did keep it quiet when Bree asked her to.

Bree felt like she needed someone to talk to, someone who wouldn’t judge her for her life choices and she was glad that Dee was there for her.

“It was a disaster, as expected. His parents were great, but his siblings were not. His sister was the worst, I blurted out my disastrous life in less than five minutes shutting her up real good.”

Dee giggled and shook her head. “You should go slow, but hey… I like your approach. So, how did Gage take it? I see that he still couldn’t keep his hands away from you.”

Bree blushed adorably and told her they had the greatest sex afterward. The women’s laughter was making heads turn and Bree did not expect in a million years to see her only other ex sitting alone in the same coffee shop.

The man was Bree’s ex from college, she thought they were in love until one day Hayden just left without a word. Bree honestly didn’t think that the man would dare approaches her after what he’d done. But she was wrong. So wrong.

“Bree? oh god, it’s really you.” Hayden still looked handsome, a few inches taller but maybe it’s because he looked skinnier than when he was still in college. She didn’t think the man still plays football anymore.

“Um yes, it’s me.” She tugged her lips, not giving him her full smile since she was feeling awkward, but he went in anyway for a hug. Hayden had always been the warm hugs type of guy.

The situation was getting a bit uncomfortable for Bree but she managed to silently calm down and introduced Dee to him. The man took Bree’s good gesture and take it further as he took a seat, dragging on an empty chair from a nearby table. Bree cursed on the inside, she didn’t want old memories stirred back to life, she didn’t need this.

“I’m, sorry if I’m interrupting. But I feel like I owe you an explanation.”

“Look, Hayden, we were young. I don’t expect…”

“Bree,” Hayden paused to take her hand in his like no time had passed between them. Hayden had always been an affectionate man. “My parents passed away in an accident, then I dropped out of college to take care of my little sisters. I was the oldest I didn’t want them to go to foster care.”

“Oh…” the thought of her parents made her sympathize and Bree gently nodded letting him continue with his explanation.

“I’m sorry, amidst the panic I lost my phone, tried to call you, but I didn’t remember your phone number. Tried to find your number, but then everything spirals into one big mess of paperwork and siblings’ duties. Before I realized it was weeks later and I knew I had screwed us up, so I focused on my new life instead.”

Bree was sitting uncomfortably but Hayden just kept on talking while Dee was still looking at their entwined hands with a raised brow.

“I’m with someone now.” Bree let go of his hand and busied herself holding the warm cup of coffee.

“Oh, of course. I shouldn’t expect you to be… it’s just, damn… you look beautiful. Anyway, um… I should probably go.” Hayden looked disappointed, but Bree didn’t do anything but offered him a smile.

He got up and gestured for another hug, so she gave him one thinking it was the goodbye hug, for his closure. But then Gage walked into the coffee shop with Rocco and he saw them and Bree instinctively stepped back. It felt all too familiar that she winced from the feeling.

“Gage, hi…”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Bree,” Gage smiled confidently and lay a kiss on her cheek politely, though the man stake his claim on her by resting his hand on her waist.

“Hayden, this is my someone, my boyfriend, Gage. Gage, this is Hayden, my college ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh…” the understanding on Gage’s eyes told Hayden that she had told her boyfriend about him. But Hayden still shook his hand as Gage offered and nod and a simple greeting.

They parted and Bree was still tense when they got back to their table and Rocco was talking to Dee. She had probably filled him in on the situation. But Gage didn’t budge, his hand moved from her waist to entwined their fingers and he took them to rest on his thigh. A possessive claim and she didn’t know how to act but sipped her coffee and listened to Rocco talk about his newest cocktail concoction.

Hours passed and it was late in the evening when Gage was to her side after he spent another hour working in his home office. Hazel was tucked in bed and Bree was getting ready to go to bed. She was anxious all day after the meeting with Hayden, her mind had been working hard with all kinds of scenarios.

But one thing she knows was that she’s not ready to let go of whatever she has with Gage.

“Bree, I can practically see the lines forming on your forehead.” Gage handed her a cup of hot cocoa with milk and she curled her knees to her chest then rested her back on Gage’s side the moment he took a seat next to her.

“Everett… he always gets crazy jealous and he scares me sometimes. And this afternoon, the situation reminds me and I got a bit overwhelmed.”

Gage knew all about Everett and when he saw a man hug her he was jealous as hell. But the second he realized how fast Bree backed away from the guy, his jealousy changed to wariness.

He didn’t want her to be afraid of him. Gage need her to know that he would never hurt her not even in a jealous rage.

“I was jealous, but then you introduced me as your boyfriend, and then I’m all good.”

Bree didn’t know how to respond, so she sipped her hot cocoa as Gage wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her in closely.

“I’m not your ex-husband Bree, I won’t hurt you and I won’t abandon you.” Bree had told him all about Hayden weeks ago, about how he was suddenly gone and she was worried for days then weeks until she gave up when one of their friends told her that he had moved away without any explanation as to why.

That night Bree slept in his arms, everything seems to fall into place and she was content with her life. Though just like everything that had been going on in Bree’s life, the next day, the other shoe decided to drop.

That day was the day Everett walked into Babes along with his group of buddies for some sleazy entertainment.

Bree was covering for Jojo’s afternoon shift which should end just before midnight. Mrs. Mancini was looking after Hazel at Gage’s while the boss man was busy with a couple of late-night meetings in his office.

Bree was taking a quick break, having a conversation with Rocco at the bar. And that was when one of Everett’s buddies recognized her and her weasel ex-husband saw red. He was embarrassed that his ex-wife was somehow working at a strip club.

“Bree, what the fuck are you doing here? where’s our kid?”

Bree stepped back, but he was quick to grab her wrist, twisting her, pulling her close as he demanded his answer.

It was Rockford who saw it first, then Rocco shouted from the bar calling the guard to assist her while the beefy man was quickening his steps towards them.

“Sir, you need to let go of her wrist.”

“What? she’s my ex, the mother of my kid and she has no business in walking in this kind of place.” Everett looked furious while his friends smirked watching them.

“Sir, I will not tell you twice.” Rockford stepped closer, his size was supposed to intimidate him. But Everett was livid to the point that he tugged her wrist harder, to which point she bit her scream because she didn’t want to make a scene. Bree was speechless, all she could think about was that Everett was going to take Hazel away from her. And her tears somehow trace down her cheeks from the desperation.

“Rockford, did I not pay you enough to keep my establishment safe for everyone?” Gage’s voice was heavy with anger, he looked like he could kill someone and Bree was not expecting that from the man who she lets near her little sunshine. He looked more threatening than Everett who started to loosen his grip on her wrist.

“She’s the mother of my kid, stay out of this.” Everett tightened his hold and Bree winced from the pain.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Huxley. I’ll take care of this.” And with his words, Rockford roughly grabbed Everett’s other hand and twisted it to his back. The man whimpered like a girl and instantly let go of Bree’s wrist.

“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” Gage slipped a name card into Everett’s shirt pocket. “Bree is with me, and I will make sure my lawyer makes you pay for everything that you owed her.”

“The fuck?! no scum will mess with me, I will ruin you!” Everett was forced to walk away, his friends followed as two more security guys were called by Rocco.

“Let me put some ice on your hand, don’t worry Bree, you’re safe, Hazel will be too. I give you my word.”

Bree nodded, she wasn’t sure how to react. She wanted to be saved, she wanted everything to be okay. Bree just wanted to live a peaceful life but it seemed that the universe had more in store for her.