properties and the old guy is getting a beautiful young woman to boot."
"Even that I think I could kind of understand. But there was something else, some under-current between them."
"Hmm." Tina's brow furrowed.
"I'm sure I read the whole thing wrong, since I was so shocked. I mean, there was nothing for him to base a proposal on. To this very moment we've never even kissed or held hands or, or anything."
"Yeah, well, Sage, let's be practical here. You don't want to lose your Aunt Victoria's land, it appears that everything you thought she had is gone in bad investments. You've sold off all the cars except that awful limo because you can't find a buyer, you've had to dismiss the domestic help."
"Yes, Tina, I know all of what I've had to do."
"I'm just saying, don't you think the wise route would be to marry... dare I be familiar?... Anthony?"
"Wise? But Tina, I'm not in love with him."
"Well, that settles that! No weighing things out. No sleepless nights trying to make the best, the most practical decision."
"I did try to give it some serious thought, Tina, but it's just no-go. If I can't do it, I can't do it!"
Tina studied Sage's impassioned expression. "You're going to have to face him sooner or later. He's enough of a gentleman not to harass you during your grief. And he won't either at a party he's throwing."
"You're right. He calls me once a week, and we have polite little five-minute chats where neither of us says anything. I know he's concerned about me. He tried to get me to let his cook to stay at my place. I always say no thanks, but every couple of days there's a food package by my door. In his heart he is a dear man."
"A dear, good-looking, wealthy man, who is probably head-over-heels in love with you. But don't worry, don't give it a thought. You don't love him."
"Well, I don't."
"And you couldn't, wouldn't, will never love him."
"I don't know, Tina. I only know how I feel now. And I'm not going to make a life decision based on stress in the middle of a life crisis."
"It might be easier to let him know how you feel – or don't feel – about him, at his party. It's better than just letting him hope for something that will never be."
"Perhaps you're right. Anyway, if you're there I'll feel more confident."
"See? I am good for something! Now I'm going to get serious about this food before my peach shake gels."
Chapter 5
"W ell then, wear something of mine," Sage said to the extremely disgusted reflection of Tina in the mirror. "But, really, that dress is very cute."
Tina, in a pink cotton summer dress, turned to grimace at Sage in a floor length white sheath, with black beading across the shoulders and down one side where a slit in the skirt revealed a well-turned thigh.
"Cute, Sage?! I look like your handmaid."
"I'm probably over-dressed," Sage turned to look at low back of her dress.
"The riddle goes, when is an over-dressed woman under-dressed?" Tina said.
Sage turned around, smiled and put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Come on! Let's raid some closets!"
"No, we'll be late."
"I don't care about that, I don't even want to go!"
"I do though. But not looking like this!" Tina squinted at her reflection. "Ugh! Nothing helps. What was I thinking? What does semi-formal mean to me, anyway?"
"Relax, Tina." Sage pushed her to the walk-in closet. "I guess you're a size or two smaller than me, but I bet we can find something."
"I've always been partial to the blue velvet."
"I just wore that thing."
"When?"
"You remember, that opening I went to, when the motorcycle gang scared me to death."
"That was three weeks ago!"
"Yes."
"To me, 'having just worn something,' means it still has body heat in it."
Sage laughed.
"I'm serious, Sage!"
"But with formal things," Sage pointed out, "I don't like to be seen in them more than once a season, if that much."
"Okay, fine. You don't have to wear it again this season. With me in it, no one will recognize it."
"I don't
"Even that I think I could kind of understand. But there was something else, some under-current between them."
"Hmm." Tina's brow furrowed.
"I'm sure I read the whole thing wrong, since I was so shocked. I mean, there was nothing for him to base a proposal on. To this very moment we've never even kissed or held hands or, or anything."
"Yeah, well, Sage, let's be practical here. You don't want to lose your Aunt Victoria's land, it appears that everything you thought she had is gone in bad investments. You've sold off all the cars except that awful limo because you can't find a buyer, you've had to dismiss the domestic help."
"Yes, Tina, I know all of what I've had to do."
"I'm just saying, don't you think the wise route would be to marry... dare I be familiar?... Anthony?"
"Wise? But Tina, I'm not in love with him."
"Well, that settles that! No weighing things out. No sleepless nights trying to make the best, the most practical decision."
"I did try to give it some serious thought, Tina, but it's just no-go. If I can't do it, I can't do it!"
Tina studied Sage's impassioned expression. "You're going to have to face him sooner or later. He's enough of a gentleman not to harass you during your grief. And he won't either at a party he's throwing."
"You're right. He calls me once a week, and we have polite little five-minute chats where neither of us says anything. I know he's concerned about me. He tried to get me to let his cook to stay at my place. I always say no thanks, but every couple of days there's a food package by my door. In his heart he is a dear man."
"A dear, good-looking, wealthy man, who is probably head-over-heels in love with you. But don't worry, don't give it a thought. You don't love him."
"Well, I don't."
"And you couldn't, wouldn't, will never love him."
"I don't know, Tina. I only know how I feel now. And I'm not going to make a life decision based on stress in the middle of a life crisis."
"It might be easier to let him know how you feel – or don't feel – about him, at his party. It's better than just letting him hope for something that will never be."
"Perhaps you're right. Anyway, if you're there I'll feel more confident."
"See? I am good for something! Now I'm going to get serious about this food before my peach shake gels."
Chapter 5
"W ell then, wear something of mine," Sage said to the extremely disgusted reflection of Tina in the mirror. "But, really, that dress is very cute."
Tina, in a pink cotton summer dress, turned to grimace at Sage in a floor length white sheath, with black beading across the shoulders and down one side where a slit in the skirt revealed a well-turned thigh.
"Cute, Sage?! I look like your handmaid."
"I'm probably over-dressed," Sage turned to look at low back of her dress.
"The riddle goes, when is an over-dressed woman under-dressed?" Tina said.
Sage turned around, smiled and put an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Come on! Let's raid some closets!"
"No, we'll be late."
"I don't care about that, I don't even want to go!"
"I do though. But not looking like this!" Tina squinted at her reflection. "Ugh! Nothing helps. What was I thinking? What does semi-formal mean to me, anyway?"
"Relax, Tina." Sage pushed her to the walk-in closet. "I guess you're a size or two smaller than me, but I bet we can find something."
"I've always been partial to the blue velvet."
"I just wore that thing."
"When?"
"You remember, that opening I went to, when the motorcycle gang scared me to death."
"That was three weeks ago!"
"Yes."
"To me, 'having just worn something,' means it still has body heat in it."
Sage laughed.
"I'm serious, Sage!"
"But with formal things," Sage pointed out, "I don't like to be seen in them more than once a season, if that much."
"Okay, fine. You don't have to wear it again this season. With me in it, no one will recognize it."
"I don't
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