Tagged for Life

by Sam Destiny

  “Hold on a second,” Evangeline said, then he heard a door closing and a lock being turned.

  “Fuck, Evy, give me back that damn phone!” Tessa sounded seriously angry and Jazz wondered what was going on.

  “I’m okay. Jazz, promise me that you won’t stop seeing her no matter what she tells you. That girl fell for you like a little boy falls from a tree: hard and fast. She needs someone like you in her life, Jazz. She needs to be reminded that she is awesome and you seemingly did a pretty good job of taking care of her. I know why she originally took this trip, but sometimes destiny takes us a different path than the one we set out to walk on. I know her, I do. She’ll tell you that her girls need her more than she needs you, despite the fact that she cannot stop thinking about you. For that though Aims and I got her a Jazz-phone!”

  Jazz had no idea what the hell that was supposed to mean, but he still laughed. She had fallen hard and fast for him. That was probably all he actually had heard from Evangeline’s words. “I didn’t plan on letting her go that easily,” he finally replied and then heard Evangeline sigh in relief. Those two girls sure were something else. He couldn’t help but totally admire them though for their readiness to cut back for the other one.

  “Okay. I’m gonna hand you back to her now. See you tomorrow night, Jazzy boy,” she said and Jazz told her bye, holding onto his phone while wondering if this was really happening.

  “You and I will talk about this later,” he heard Tessa hiss on the other side of the line, then she came back on.

  “Whatever she said, I’m sorry, and it was probably only half true and…”

  “She said you have fallen for me,” he teased, still holding his breath while waiting for her answer.

  “Yeah, well … she talks a lot, our Evangeline, and I think I might need to commit murder. You can get weapons, right? I need something painful,” she mumbled and he chuckled, knowing that this was as good as admitting it outright.

  “Good, because I think I kind of fell right alongside you,” he gave back, knowing there was nothing worse than one-sided affection.

  “Jazz, I’m calling because I…”

  “I know why you’re calling,” Jazz interrupted her and then bit his lip for a moment. “I need to work during the day anyways. How about I just come and pick you up tonight after your girls go to sleep? We can spend some time together, talking or whatever,” he offered and she took a deep breath.

  Fearing the rejection that was coming, he closed his eyes. “Talking, huh?” Tessa inquired, her voice having gone incredibly gentle.

  “I just want to see you,” he gave back and she laughed softly.

  “I think I died and went to heaven. You truly are a charmer, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Just shut up and use your Jazz-phone to text me once they are asleep,” he replied with a laugh while she groaned.

  “She did not call it that, right? Ugh, this is very embarrassing,” she grumbled. “I’ll see you tonight. It might be late though,” she explained.

  “Just text me and either I answer or I don’t,” Jazz gave back, knowing he’d turn his phone extra loud in case he fell asleep.

  “I’m … okay.” She sounded disappointed at the possibility of him being asleep. Tessa was seriously too damn adorable.

  “I have to get back to work. I kind of have to make a confession still, too. Tank won’t like that I promised we’d take you to the Halloween-party without talking to him first … so I’m gonna text you later,” he said and she told him she’d be waiting for his message, then she hung up.

  “Dude, you are making me sick. You have balls. You are a guy. You don’t think about anyone. You might think about fucking her, but other than that? Man up. You are ruining the tough-soldier-reputation,” Tank grunted as Jazz joined his best friend again.

  “How did we end up being so close friends? I don’t have the impression we’re a really good match,” Jazz grinned, feeling better than he had in months. Sometimes a little love could work wonders.

  “I’m being serious. What do you think will come out of this?” Tank asked and Jazz shrugged.

  Best case? He’d have three amazing weeks with a sweet girl. Worst case? She’d tell him to move on after only a week because she wasn’t that sweet after all.

  “I told her and her friends that we’ll take them to the Halloween ball tomorrow,” he said casually, leaning back over the motor of the car.

  “You did what?”

  Jazz had guessed Tank would be pretty angry, but he knew that he wouldn’t use his plus one anyways. In fact, Jazz wasn’t even sure Tank had planned on using his ticket at all.

  “Please,” Jazz just said and Tank groaned, rubbing a hand over the short-cropped hair on his head.

  “If you don’t get laid tomorrow night, I’m never ever gonna talk to you again,” he growled and Jazz decided to let that comment slide. There was no lying that he wanted Tessa, but it wasn’t all he wanted. He liked how he felt when she was around. He even liked how she looked at him; as if she couldn’t believe he was real. It sure could make a guy feel good about himself. “What happened last night anyways? When did you come back?”

  “Some time around four. Tessa picked up her best friend from the airport. Man, that girl is seriously damaged. She’s pregnant and the father of her child is actually blackmailing her about her job. He’s her boss. It took forever until she stopped crying. And she’s skinny. Damn, she’s so skinny.”

  He shook his head and Tank picked up a brow. “She’s got no one who looks after her?”

  “Tessa does, or better she promised her she’d try.”

  “A girl can’t keep a douche in line. Does she have a brother?” Tank wanted to know and Jazz moved in surprise, hitting his head on the hood.

  “Wait, you don’t know her. You know nothing about her. And you worry about her?” Jazz sure was missing something here.

  “A girl should not have to fight through something like a pregnancy alone, especially if it was unplanned. I’m just asking, nothing more,” Tank answered.

  Even that surprised Jazz. Tank never cared about anything but his personal well-being.

  “You’ll meet her tomorrow and you can ask her for her whole life story. Of course, you won’t mention to her that you know or I’m gonna make sure you will stay E-3 for all your life. And you won’t ever be happy in the Army again. I might go around and tell people you’re gay if you mention it to any of the girls that I told you about Evangeline’s troubles,” Jazz threatened casually. He wasn’t worried about Tank running his mouth and he was his best friend after all, so sharing came almost naturally, yet the sudden interest Tank had in a girl he didn’t even know irked Jazz.

  “Yeah, I’m a chick and I like to gossip. Shut the fuck up, Jazz. I’m not gonna talk to her or any of those girls. I’m going because I’m your homeboy, but at that party I will find myself a nice little lady in an ultra-cheap costume and have a good time with her. I just wondered, okay? Nothing more. I’m never gonna do it again,” Tank replied, shrugging it off with an angry expression. “Who else are you gonna force to take a girl?” his best friend wanted to know.

  “Paul and Seb,” Jazz answered and Tank nodded.

  “Paul and that one chick, the dark haired one; boy, they were on it yesterday. I swear, I got hard watching,” Tank told him. Jazz decided to ignore that comment and just be glad that at least one guy would be willing to go with them. He knew they wouldn’t leave him hanging, but he could understand as well that they maybe wouldn’t be too excited to realize he had simply planned out their evening.

  “It’ll be fun,” Jazz commented, not even really remembering what they had just talked about a minute.

  “Did you even listen to me, dude?” Tank wanted to know and Jazz started humming.

  “Oh man, I hope that girl leaves again soon. I want my buddy back,” Tank mumbled. Jazz didn’t share that hope at all.

  “Are you being serious? Sven? I am Sven from Frozen? A reindeer?” Hilar
y held up the costume and Tessa bit her cheeks in order to not start giggling. “Why?” Hilary’s whining finally made Aimie, Evy and Tessa burst out laughing.

  “Because it’s funny. Come on, it’s still kind of of sexy, especially with those heels,” Aimie tried to explain, but she, too, had a hard time to hide her grin.

  “I can’t decide if I should be glad I’m Olaf or not,” Emma announced and Hilary instantly reached for the Olaf – costume, but Emma snagged it away before her hands had even touched the material.

  “Put them on so we can see them,” Tessa ordered and Hilary looked down on herself.

  “You said we’d make a PJ and TV afternoon. I don’t want to change! Besides, why do we have to change? Why don’t you?”

  “Well, Aims and I already tried the costumes on and they worked,” Tessa replied matter-of-factly, deciding then that she’d go and change as well. And maybe sneak some messages in.

  “Okay, if not, then I’m gonna change into my PJ’s as well,” she announced while the rest of the girls already settled on the sofa.

  “Tell Jazz hi from me, too,” Hilary called after her, a smug smile on her face.

  “Funny,” Tessa mumbled, but the girls on the sofa started laughing, obviously having heard her.

  She went into her room, hanging up her dress. She still loved it to pieces, but the more she looked at it, the more she worried. Maybe she’d feel better if she simply refused to eat tomorrow. It wouldn’t help much, but at least her stomach would feel flatter to her.

  Debating for a few moments about texting Jazz, she realized that she had no idea what to say. She was embarrassed enough about Evy having interrupted her conversation, even if she hadn’t forgotten that Jazz had told her it was the same way he felt. She definitely had a major crush on him, but if she texted him now, would she appear too clingy?

  Tessa couldn’t decide, either, if she hoped he’d still be awake once the girls went to sleep or not. Did she want to see him? Actually she didn’t even need to think about that long because the answer was ‘yes’.

  With a secret smile she thought back to the night before and the hour-long goodnight kiss he had given her. Man, she had missed being kissed by someone. Now she just missed being kissed by Jazz.

  For a moment she wondered why it hadn’t been possible for her to find a guy like him back home. Sure, she didn’t know much about him, but he did everything to make her feel good about herself. Plus, the way he had acted the night before had melted her heart. He had been ready to sit in the car while they talked outside. What guy was ready to that for a stranger? What guy was ready to do that for his girlfriend? She sure couldn’t think of one.

  “Are you done sexting?” Hilary called up the stairs.

  “Shut up!” Tessa could hear the outrage in her own voice, but she just couldn’t believe how casually Hilary mentioned something like that. Tessa wasn’t the type to talk about it so openly.

  “I’m coming! And just FYI, I didn’t text him at all. I don’t want to bother him,” she explained, joining her friend at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Tell him you wear Snoopy – pajamas. And then, two minutes later text him you wear a black lace thong underneath them. That boy won’t be able to think about anything else for the rest of the day,” Hilary suggested and Tessa stared at her in disbelief. “What? We need this boy to remember that he has a seriously hot girl here,” Hilary added and Tessa shook her head.

  “I’m not gonna do any sexting with him. I wouldn’t know what to say. Plus, I could never ever look at him again. That’s just not me,” she said quietly, staring down at her hands.

  “You know what the most amazing part about this is? You can be whoever you want to be. You feel like being a damn sexy beast, twisting him around your finger just the way you want it? Go and be one,” Hilary said, taking her hands.

  “She’s right. It’s three weeks. You’ll never see that guy again after then. He doesn’t know who you usually are. He doesn’t know what your insecurities are. Take one for the team and go out there, acting like the hottest thing in town and I promise, you will feel like it, too. Have hot sex with a hot soldier. Be sexual. Be something you normally aren’t. Girl, you’ll see, once you go back, you won’t be the same, either. Just try. What do you have to lose? We’re here no matter what,” Emma encouraged her, too, and Tessa blinked.

  “I can’t, I…”

  Hilary didn’t let her finish, grabbing her hand. “Repeat after me: I’m a fucking sexy beast.”

  “Do you mean fucking as in the action, or…”

  “Tessa Rowan, repeat it now!”

  “I’m a fucking sexy beast?” Her tone held nothing of the conviction Hilary’s voice had displayed, which prompted her friend to repeat it.

  “Okay, okay,” Tessa finally laughed, repeating it just the way Hilary wanted to hear it.

  “Can I be a sexy beast, too?” Aimie asked and Hilary turned to her.

  “No, you’ll be a damn hot man-eater. You pick a guy and we’ll get him for you tomorrow night. What happens in Monterey, stays in Monterey, girls,” she said and Tessa couldn’t help but like that idea.

  For once, she wouldn’t be shy. For once, she wouldn’t find anything to dislike on her body. For once, she’d take what she wanted. And in this case it was Jazz she wanted most.

  Chapter Six

  The girls went to bed a lot sooner than Tessa could have anticipated and Jazz had answered the moment she had texted. He told her that he’d be over in twenty minutes and she had reminded him to drive carefully because she wanted to get him to get there in one piece.

  She thought about what to wear and decided for jeans and a top. After all, the sexy outfit was planned for the night after and she really wanted him to like her in her normal attire and the sexy surprise she had for him.

  In front of the hallway mirror she paused. “Hi,” she said with a smile, figuring it was too sweet.

  “Hi,” she said in a sultry voice, drawing the syllable out way too long.

  “How’s it goin’?” Nah, she decided against that, too.

  Cool, calm, collected, that’s how she’d react once he came. She’d walk up to him, give him a lopsided grin and then she’d lean against his car and…

  She didn’t even finish that thought as an incoming text announced that Jazz had arrived. She pulled the door open and then stepped outside, careful to not let it fall close. He had just gotten out of his car when she found herself in his arms before she had made a conscious decision to run to him.

  He held her tight, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

  “Hi,” he said once he put her down on her own two feet. He had just the right intonation, sounding excited and yet totally calm.

  “Hi,” she squeaked and then slapped her hands in front of her mouth. He just laughed, pulling her against him again.

  “I’m so glad you finally texted. I thought your friends would never leave you alone,” he grinned and she felt all warm inside. He had waited for that just as much as she had.

  “It’s barely eleven,” she giggled. “What do you want to do?” she was prepared for whatever came next.

  “First, I want a kiss,” he announced and then drew her in. He wrapped his arms around her, while she cupped the back of his neck. She loved the way his tongue teased hers, making her skin tingle. Obviously someone else had set out to leave an impression. Almost breathless, she pulled back, kissing his nose.

  She led him inside, making sure they stayed as quiet as possible. She actually moved around, lighting only two or three smaller lamps spread throughout the living room. She didn’t need to see him to know that she wanted to be close to him, or found him to be one of the most attractive men she had ever seen.

  He didn’t even give her a chance to sit far away from him, simply pulling her onto his lap, close to his body.

  “London … you don’t sound British. I kept wondering about that since you mentioned it at the airport,” he instantly started, making her glad that she d
idn’t have to think about a topic to start with.

  “I’m not from the UK. I’m originally from Germany, but a year in the US made me love the English language so much, I needed to move closer to it. London was the most reasonable answer to start. I’ve been working there for a radio station… I totally love it, but they started restricting me a while ago. You know, I’m allowed to do only the gossip stuff and no more news. I always enjoyed being behind the scenes, writing up and collecting news, or sometimes doing the weather report. Gossip is not my thing. I went looking for another job, but so far nothing in the radio direction was free or offered to me. I trained to be an office accountant, so that’s what I’m doing until I find something different,” she explained and closed her eyes as he gently caressed her back.

  “I wish you were still on the radio. It would give me something to listen to,” he whispered and she shrugged.

  “I made some podcasts a while back. You might be able to find those,” she told him, loving the way he so casually touched her. There was nothing embarrassing or weird about this. Being with him felt natural.

  “And you? Army brat?” she wanted to know, but he shook his head.

  “Actually, no. I know it’s the most common thing, but my family was never in the military. When my dad left my mom, I wanted to be able to support her and my sister, so I enlisted and trained to be a mechanic. It didn’t take me long to figure out that my mother could very well support herself, and second that I loved the Army. It was exactly what I want and need. I love being home, I do, but my mother and my father never were the most disciplined people.” He sighed, making Tessa realize that she probably was more like his parents than him. She had a hard time keeping herself organized.

  “What? Does that worry you?” he asked and she looked at him, surprised.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Tessa replied, giving him a reassuring smile, but he just touched the tip of his finger to her nose.

  “You didn’t have to. You wrinkled your nose as if you smelled something you didn’t like,” Jazz teased and she lowered her eyes.