Chapter 7

Gage busied himself in the kitchen, expertly brewing a fresh pot of coffee. Nicole sat at the counter, watching him with interest. As he worked, she asked him a question, her voice casual.

"Have you ever done it with your girlfriend?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Gage looked up, a hint of surprise on his face. "What?" he repeated, his voice low.

Nicole's smile was mischievous. "Sex," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gage's expression turned thoughtful, and he nodded slowly. "Yes," he said, his voice measured. "Why, haven't you been with your boyfriend?"

Nicole's laughter was sudden and unexpected. "No, I am not going to sleep with anyone like this," she said, her voice firm. "I want to do it with someone I feel comfortable with, someone I trust."

Gage's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression intrigued. "Oh, so you're looking for someone special," he said, his voice low.

Nicole shook her head, her hair rustling softly. "No, not at all," she said, her voice firm. "I'm just looking for the right man. I'm not looking for someone special. In fact, I don't want to get married, but yes, I want to have sex."

Gage's laughter was deep and rich, filling the kitchen with a warm, joyful sound. "You're looking very desperate," he teased, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Am I safe?"

Nicole's face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she slapped his shoulder playfully. "Shut up, Gage," she said, laughing.

Gage grinned, handing her a steaming cup of coffee. "Here's your coffee," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Nicole took a sip, her eyes closing in appreciation. "Hmm, nice coffee," she said, her voice soft. "You're right, you do make very good coffee."

Gage smiled, looking pleased with himself. "I told you," he said, his voice smug.

As they sipped their coffee, Gage turned to Nicole with a thoughtful expression. "Well, I need your help too," he said, his voice low. "I need someone to help me arrange the books in my little library."

Nicole's eyes lit up with interest. "Okay, by the way, I love books," she said, her voice enthusiastic.

Gage's smile was warm. "Maybe that's why we're good friends," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Writer and reader, a perfect match."

Nicole laughed, feeling a sense of connection with Gage. "Of course," she said, smiling.

Nicole's eyes scanned the bookshelf, her fingers trailing over the spines of the books. She stopped at a familiar title, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Hey, this is the book of the same anonymous author," she said, turning to Gage. "Are you also his fan?"

Gage looked up from the book he was arranging, a hint of surprise on his face. "How do you know that?" he asked, his voice low.

Nicole's smile was radiant. "I love his poems very much," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "He writes very beautifully. There's some magic in his poems."

Gage's expression turned thoughtful, and he raised an eyebrow. "By the way, you're praising another writer in front of one writer," he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

Nicole's laughter was musical. "Why are you jealous?" she teased, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

Gage's smile was warm. "No, I'm not," he said, his voice low. "But I have to admit, I'm a bit curious. You haven't read anything written by me so far, so how can you praise someone else's work?"

Nicole's grin was mischievous. "When your book is completed, I'll be happy to read it," she said, her voice playful.

Gage's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "When my book is completed, I'll give it to you in the first copy," he said, his voice filled with promise.

Nicole's eyes lit up with excitement. "Thank you very much," she said, her voice sincere.

As they stood there, surrounded by books, Nicole's thoughts turned to the anonymous author. "Well, I don't understand why the author wants to keep his name anonymous," she said, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "He can be very famous. His writing is very unique."

Gage's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe he likes a life of anonymity," he said, his voice low.

Nicole's eyes widened in surprise. "People do so much to be famous, and the one who has so much talent still doesn't want to come in front of the world," she said, her voice filled with incredulity. "He should come in front of everyone and show what he is."

Gage's smile was gentle. "Everyone has their own choice," he said, his voice soft.

Nicole nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yes, you're right," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have to go. Your work is also over."

Gage nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. "Okay, see you later," he said, his voice low.

Nicole smiled, feeling a sense of connection with Gage. "Sure, bye," she said, her voice soft. With a wave, she turned and left, leaving Gage to his books and his thoughts.

As the days went by, Nicole and Gage's friendship continued to blossom. They spent countless hours together, exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and engaging in deep conversations. Their connection grew stronger with each passing day, and they found themselves feeling more and more comfortable around each other.

Ashley, who had been observing their friendship from the sidelines, couldn't help but notice the strong bond between Nicole and Gage. One day, as they were all hanging out in the living room, Ashley turned to Nicole with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Ashley walked into the living room, where Nicole was sitting on the couch, scrolling through her phone. Ashley plopped down beside her, a curious expression on her face.

"You and Gage seem to be getting along really well," Ashley said, raising an eyebrow.

Nicole looked up from her phone, a hint of a smile on her face. "Yeah, we do," she said, nodding. "We have a lot in common."

Ashley's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I can see that," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You two are practically inseparable. Friends are not usually that close, Nicole."

Nicole shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "We just click, I guess," she said, trying to downplay the situation.

Ashley leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "Then why don't you lose your virginity with him?" she whispered, her words sending a flush to Nicole's cheeks.

Nicole's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly looked around the room to make sure no one was listening. "Shut up, Ashley!" she hissed, her face burning with embarrassment.

Ashley burst out laughing, her eyes shining with mirth. "Oh, come on, Nicole! I'm just joking!" she exclaimed, holding her sides as she laughed.

Nicole's face remained red, but she couldn't help but laugh along with Ashley. She playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying to brush off the embarrassing moment.

****