Babes Stripping For Love

It has been six weeks since Gage was released from the hospital. He received his result, his tumor was benign and his team of doctors had managed to take it all out. Now, he was struggling with his memory loss. His parents, especially his mom insisted on staying at his place for the first few weeks and even went far as taking Duke with her to let the dog give him more comfort in Gage’s daily life.

Edith had read somewhere that a family pet can reduce stress from memory loss. Gage had been seeing his neuropsychologist, he had done a full evaluation for Gage’s cognitive rehabilitation. He had endured a series of interviews and psychological tests, some his parents were there to take part and helped his neuropsychologist learn about his behavior before and after the tumor surgery.

Gage would sometimes still have problems concentrating, and miraculously his brother Marvin had been stepping up to help him with his businesses. He has been very patient with his brother, Marvin had been helping him organize his daily tasks, writing down Gage’s plans and appointments, and making sure all of his daily to-do-list were on track.

Marvin had been feeding Gage’s assistants with his last-minute changes and he went to Gage’s business meeting with him and filled him in on the information should his brother forget about some important points of the business discussed in the meetings.

Marvin did not treat him as if he was a disabled person and Gage had a new kind of appreciation for his brother. The one thing he remembered about Marvin was the lack of work motivation from his side since his brother’s last love life went poof just before his eyes.

Meanwhile, Bree was hurting on the inside every time she looked at Gage talking and flirting with Jade at the club. Bree didn’t want to be there, but Gage’s mom and even Marvin had told her to be patient with him. So she kept on trying to do just that.

“He still doesn’t remember you, Bree, I can’t imagine how it must’ve felt to be you. But I saw how happy he was when he first introduced you to us.” Marvin was sitting in front of her while she was busying herself with more administration stuff. She’d rather not hear about Gage, but his mom also insisted that Gage needed her when the time comes.

“I’m sorry if I was a jerk back then, my personal feelings towards women in general were to blame, but I hope I’m a better person than I was back then,”

Cassidy entered her office as it was time for their coffee break before she started to get ready for her shift. It was still early and it was the only time her girls can make time for her before their routine schedule.

“You are better Marvin”, Cassidy decided to add, “especially now Bree is no longer working the floor, am I right?” her bestie was still on edge with him, thinking all girls who strip in his eyes were gold diggers just like his ex.

“Look, I’m trying to be a bigger person here, Cass…”

“I know, I’m just saying you can do it earlier in the days…”

“Cass,” Bree warned her to back down and the med student sighed and asked if she was ready for their coffee break.

“Yeah, I got to pick up Hazel after that, is Gage still…” Cassidy nodded when she opened the door, she knows what Bree was asking without even finishing her sentence. It has been a few weeks since Gage was back at Babes and suddenly in those few weeks, Gage was back to getting chummy with Jade.

Though Marvin had reeled him back to his office to do actual work, seemed that Jade’s allure was too strong for Gage to resist. All of her friends told her because he was still stuck in his memory and Marvin also told her that his therapist said that patients would most likely retreat to the people they most felt comfortable within their state of mind, which was his memory of Jade.

“Bree, they broke up, surely if it’s meant to be…” Marvin started but then realized where Bree’s mind would conclude his words.

“Shit, Marvin, don’t finish it. Look, Bree, what he’s trying to say is, if your future is with Gage then it’ll happen.” Cassidy cut his words and waited on Bree’s side until she gave up and turned off her computer then gathered her stuff to end her day at the club.

“Let’s go out the back.”

Bree followed Cassidy but not before seeing Gage put his hand on Jade’s waist as they laughed by the bar. Her eyes sting with her unshed tears and with just her luck she stumbled on a console table making a ruckus that made their eyes meet and Cassidy cursed and start dragging Bree by her arm out of the back door of the club.

But Gage saw her, he didn’t know what he thinks of the fragile woman. Since his mom showed his ring on her and told him that she was his fiancee, he had been racking his brain and hated that he couldn’t remember anything about her. He could see her glassy eyes, he realized that he had hurt her. Gage knew that she was about to shed her tears and he quickly pulled his hand away from Jade’s waist when he saw that was where her eyes darted when she saw them.

“I should go back to my office, I need to get some work done,” Gage said when he quickly excused himself.

Jade gave him her smile, the woman was flattered that Gage was back to being friendly with her, although she had no intention of getting back with him the notion of another man wanting her had flattered her. It had been so long and she missed having his full attention on her, Gage was one of the relationships that she wanted to happen but knows she couldn’t. She had tried and failed.

“She saw me didn’t she?” Gage asked his brother the second he came into his office. The older brother saw that Marvin was getting out of the small back office that Bree shared with his other employee, Jojo. Gage had talked to Jojo when he first came back to the office, he knew and remembered that he trusted the woman. He had asked her what she thinks of him and Bree and her answer just made him feel guiltier. Jojo told him that she never saw two people in love with one another, and she hoped that Gage would get her memory back with his therapy.

“She did, but this is the process, right? you do what you do to remember and Jade is part of your past, these are exercises in your therapy…”

“I know, I know, but I can’t stop feeling the guilt. I’m fucking hurting her, Marvin!” Gage ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, then he decided to pour himself a drink. Marvin looked like he does not approve, but Gage couldn’t give a damn and instead of telling Marvin to fuck off the big brother poured Marvin a glass of his finest malt and told him to sit.

That afternoon Gage talked out his frustration with Marvin and once again his little brother was stepping up. This time he listened, and just quietly take in all his big brother’s frustration.

“You can do this, Gage. You’re the strongest person I know and by her sadness I know Bree loves you and right now, she’s giving you space to get better.”

Gage nodded, he truly hoped that Marvin was right because Gage was getting tired. He wanted his life back, whatever life it was. But deep down he knew that Bree somehow played an important role in it and Gage knew he had to act on it.

Amidst his memory loss, he did remember Jade, he recall that they used to be intimate with each other. Not that he wanted to reconnect with her. But Gage realized that it just feels nice to talk to someone aside from his family, and talking to Jade was easy. She made him feel comfortable with himself.

Now, if only he can remember the other woman, life can be better. His gut tells him so.