Labeled

by Jenni Linn

  "B." This time she definitely said B. "I think you should...go…get us...some more beers."

  "Baby, I think you've had enough," Wes cuts in. She pouts, "No, you husssh," and puts her finger to his lips. The corners of his lips twist upwards, and he gently removes her hand, placing it in her lap.

  I stand up, and Taylor yells, "YAY!" Wes is right, she's had enough, but I think I'm good for one. Taylor cheers. I giggle as she claps her hands; the clapping continues as I move towards the keg and start to fill a cup. I scan around keeping an eye out for my brothers. Half the people here are underage, but they still give me shit about drinking. What they don’t know won’t hurt them right?

  "V, what are you doing?" A very deep voice asks eerily close to my right, causing me to jump and spill beer all over my hand. I skirt back as it just misses my shoes.

  "Dammit, you just made me spill my beer," I pout, staring longingly at my empty cup. I look over at the dick who I now hear laughing. Laughing. The nerve. I drop my cup when I take in his handsome face, recognizing him instantly, and without thinking, I throw myself at him. I manage to form a half gurgled, "OHMYGOSHCHASE!" My arms wrap around his neck and squeeze him in a massive hug. I feel his arms wrap around my back, embracing me. I’m instantly warm, his chuckle in my ear.

  "Now you really spilled your beer."

  We both pull away after embracing for a bit longer than normal. I take him all in. Really take him all in. He looks older...maybe not older, but more filled out. His skin is golden, and his dirty blond hair is buzzed. It fits him. The Army was definitely good on his body. He's bigger, broader, and his arms are straining against his T-shirt. Holy crap, Chase is fucking hot. I mean, he was always good looking and now I am blatantly checking him out.

  "Since when do you drink beer?" He asks me, thus snapping me out of my ogling.

  "Oh. I'm not. I don't. This is for Taylor," I quickly lie. Afraid he’s going to tell my brothers.

  "Uh, huh. So why isn't she getting her own drink?" He asks. Oh, he knows.

  "She can't walk." That sounded bad, and I cringe. Shit.

  "Are her legs broken?"

  "She's just... tipsy."

  "So, let me get this straight…your friend is drunk. She can't walk, and you're getting her more beer?" He easily raises an eyebrow because he knows he's got me cornered. "Damn you, Chase Daniels!" I raise my voice, frustrated. He only laughs, grabs a new cup, and fills it up for me. "Here, I'm just kidding."

  "What? Is this a trick?" I look around for my brothers.

  "No, I swear. But don't let your brothers know I did this. I may not be a fool to think you don't drink but..." He trails off.

  I just stare at him and take the cup from his hand. "Thank you?" It's more of a question than a statement. He laughs and smiles exposing a dimple in his cheek. Have I mentioned that I love dimples?

  "Heeyy, what's going on here?" An arm wraps around my shoulders, jolting me, causing me to spill my new and freshly poured beer. I look at the drunken douche.

  "What the hell Bobby?!" I push his arm off my shoulder. I officially smell like Bud Light.

  "Damn V, you're so hot! Let's go to my truck." Bobby places his arm back around my shoulder.

  "Um, no thanks." I push his arm off me once again.

  "C'mon, don't be a prude!" This time he grabs me and crushes me against his chest; dropping my cup at our feet. Damn it.

  "That's enough Bobby. You're drunk, and she said no." Chase cuts in, a clear warning in his tone, but I don't think Bobby gets it. "Chase, buddy! When did you get here?" Bobby stumbles towards Chase, causing me to stumble because his arm is still around my shoulders. Chase removes Bobby's arm from around me, pulls me to him.

  "Oh c'mon. We were just about to go to my truck."

  Chase doesn’t try to pull away as I continue to hang onto his arm. "No, Bobby, Veronica's not going with you,” he warns.

  "Don't be a cock block, Chase."

  "You need to go back to your friends and leave her alone. Drink some water, and sober up before getting in your truck."

  "Man, you used to be fun!" He's swaying on his feet like a little kid that just got off the tilt-a-whirl. "What's going on here?" Vance asks as he joins us with a girl on his arm and a couple of girls behind them.

  "Vance!" Bobby shouts at the appearance of my brother, "I was just telling your friend here, he needs to be more fun. He used to be fun,” he shifts his attention back to Chase, “You changed man." He shakes his head, almost falling as he turns away, then stumbles off. I feel Chase physically relax, but keep a hold on his arm.

  "V, I think Chase would like his arm back," Vance says.

  "Oh. Yeah. Right. Well, here." I push Chase's arm to him, "That's yours."

  He chuckles. "Thanks."

  "You drinkin' V?" Vance eyes me.

  "Me? No." I shake my head back and forth. "Not, I."

  "She was just grabbing Taylor a beer...which is now on the ground," He grabs another cup and fills it up. Again. "Here, before she comes looking for you." He gives me the cup with a wink.

  "Thanks." I quickly turn and rush away from them before Vance stops me. When I approach the log, Taylor is fast asleep on Wes. I shake my head, a smile on my lips, and sit down next to her. I can finally focus on my thoughts about what just occurred. I raise the cup to my lips and take a sip. Was Chase flirting with me? No way, right? There’s no way. Chase used to run after me with gross bugs in his hands while I ran away screaming. Vance and Chase use to torture me. Mom made them stop after they’d officially traumatized me. When I was thirteen my little crush on him grew to epic proportions. My heart broke when I met his girlfriend for the first time. I hated him that summer and finally realized he would be nothing more than another brother. That childhood crush seems to be rearing its head again.

  Damn Shame

  Whoa. What. The. Fuck.

  In my time away, Veronica has turned into a goddamn supermodel. She was always pretty, but in a ‘cute little sister’ way, not a ‘I want to fuck you seven ways from Sunday’ type of way. I wasn't even sure that it was her standing at the keg. I watched her concentrating on pouring the beer into the sideways cup; keeping the foam to a minimum. This knowledge confirms she comes out here a lot. Pulling beer from a keg takes practice. I approached slowly, taking in all her features. Her dark brown hair was always long, but now it nearly reaches her waist. Her legs looked a mile long, even in jeans, which led to an amazing ass. Yes, I checked out her ass, and I don't even feel slightly sorry for it. It's an ass that deserves to be looked at.

  When she turned to face me, it was almost like I was seeing her for the first time. I guess I was because I was seeing her in a completely different way. She was slightly taller, reaching my chin, now. Her shirt dipped low in the front, showing a small amount of cleavage. It wasn't until she tried to come up with a lie about the beer, forcing her to look away that I was able to notice her. This has taken me by surprise, and I'm barely listening as Vance is introducing me to this blonde chick standing next to me. I grab a cup, fill it up, and take a hefty chug.

  "Whoa dude, you okay?" Vance asks me.

  "Yeah, man. I'm good, just thirsty."

  I'm totally hot for your sister.

  I steal a look towards the way Veronica went. She's sitting with a group of friends, and a guy on her left with his arm around her shoulders. I'm feeling a bit possessive. I almost want to walk over and wrap my arm around her; protect her and twist that guys arm around his back...which is something I have no right doing. After all, this guy could be a boyfriend that her brothers have failed to notice. The revelation stings more than it should. This would be a good thing--for me. I don't mess with another guy's girl.

  I feel cold hands crawl up my arm, which snaps my attention to a blonde with her tits pushed up against me. She reaches my bicep and caresses my skin. I vaguely remember being introduced to her earlier in the night. Sharon? Shannon?

  "Me too," she says in a voice a little too high for my liking, then grabs
my cup out of my hand, immediately taking a drink. She licks her lips suggestively. She's pretty, but in a ‘Hollywood Glamour’ way that’s not exactly my thing. She has glitter all over her eyes and I know it won’t look like that in the early hours of the morning, after a late night with me. It's been so damn long that I consider the possibility that I won't care what she looks like in the morning, or that she’s not my type. I can't help but also think it's a shame she's not a brunette.

  A real damn shame.

  Conflustered

  On Friday, I’m clocking in some hours working at the garage, and only have a half hour left before closing time. Right as I’m finishing up some invoices; I hear it. A very deep, distinguishing rumble that echoes louder and louder the closer it gets. I jump up from my seat and hurry into the garage to get a look at the approaching car. A silver Nissan 350Z rolls to a stop at the open bay door with tint so dark I can't make out the driver. The car is as beautiful as it sounds. It sits so low to the ground it'd scrape roadkill off the streets. I anxiously wait for the driver to get out; silently hoping it isn't a car chick, but maybe a possible friend of Vance's instead. I am practically drooling, and if I had a penis I'd surely have a hard on right now.

  The car shuts off; killing the deep idling. Shortly after, the door opens, and my breath hitches when the driver appears. They’re wearing a black hat and shades and I notice the very broad muscular chest right away. I hang back, waiting for the driver to reveal themselves. He finally looks into the garage bays, and the butterflies immediately take flight in my belly. My heart frantically beats faster at the sight of him. It’s Chase. A big smile takes over his face, nearly knocking me on my ass when he looks my way.

  "Vern!" he shouts as he removes his sunglasses. Damn. That one nickname. I sigh. The butterflies just died. I release the doorframe and saunter towards him. When I was a baby, Vance couldn't say ‘Veronica’, so it came out as ‘Vern’. After that, for years, I was Vern. They teased me relentlessly in middle school...them being the cool high schoolers and all. He pulls me into an embrace, leaving my arms to my side while he squeezes me to his chest. My face is smashed to his pecs--very nice pecs, I might add. I breathe him in, taking in his distinctive scent.

  "Dingleberry," I retort, and I feel his chest vibrate in laughter.

  "How original, Vern." He releases me, and I take a step back.

  "Well, you know..." I rub my nails on my shoulder. "I'm a pretty original girl."

  He flashes another megawatt beautiful smile. "That you are."

  I purse my lips. I’m not quite sure if he means that in a good way, so, instead of prying I brush it off.

  "Whose car is this?" I walk around him and towards the silver beauty.

  "Mine."

  "When did you get this?"

  "Right before I left. Vance found it online and it was too good of a deal to pass up."

  "It's beautiful!" I walk over to the driver’s side door. "May I?" I ask while gesturing to the door handle. When he doesn’t respond instantly, I glance up and find him staring at me.

  "What?" I question self-consciously. Do I have something on my face? He shakes his head and smiles. "Nothing. Yeah, sure, check her out!"

  I open the door and sit inside. The leather’s a little warm yet, lingering from the body heat he’s emitting. It smells like him, mixed in with the leather. I inhale deeply, wishing I could bottle this scent. I could call it ‘Leathered Chase’. HA!

  I take in the interior. There’s a gauge pod with four gauges that line the frame by the windshield, and a touch screen that was installed nicely. The trim on the dash is all carbon fiber, and very clean. It is very well done.

  "Nice work." I tilt my head up in his direction but instead find him kneeling close to my side.

  "Thanks." He is staring at me again, and I can’t bring myself to look away this time. It feels intimate. Maybe it is just me, but the way he is looking at me is like I am something more than his friend's little sister. I like it. A lot. It’s this exact moment when Vance decides to make his appearance.

  "Yo Chase!" He jogs over, and Chase stands up to greet him with a smack of their hands. “Hey man.”

  "Let me pull out this van, and you can bring her on in." Vance turns and walks to the van, climbing inside.

  "What are you guys doing?" I remove myself from the car. Chase remains where he was, which puts us very close together.

  "I want to go bigger!"

  "That's what she said," I snort.

  "Ah!" He laughs. "That was a good one."

  I giggle and do a slight curtsy, "Why thank you."

  Suddenly Chase is real serious; stepping forward into my space. "But you know..." he takes another step. Then another. His chest brushes mine and causes my body to break out in goosebumps. He grins while cocking his head to the side--then steals a quick glance at my lips. His blue eyes find mine. "That's something you won't ever say to me...."

  I suck in a breath. He, ever so slowly, moves away--never taking his eyes off me--a sexy smirk playing on his lips.

  "Pull her in!"

  Vance’s yell snaps me out of whatever trance I was in. I move away from Chase with shaky legs, exhaling deeply. Whoa. I quickly walk into the bay, the sound of the engine starting up behind me, and keep moving into the office. I am completely speechless, and my brain is all over the place. What was that? What did that mean? I mean, obviously, he thinks he has a big...package. Is that information he wants me to know? Holy balls. I’m flustered and confused. I’m conflustered!

  The clock on the office wall tells me it’s well after closing now. I quickly turn off the outside lights and lock the door and everything else follows. Grabbing my purse from the desk drawer before hitting the office lights, I lock up the door leading to the bay and close the door behind me. Taking a breath I slowly turn around. The hood of the Z is open. Vance's hands are moving above the engine bay, and Chase is nodding with whatever he’s saying.

  "Hey, I'm leaving," I call across the bays. Vance glances up and waves, "Yeah, okay!" then continues talking, but Chase’s intense gaze is on me. He’s giving me attention I find unnerving and, yet, extremely wanted. His body is facing my way, and his arms are crossed over his chest, making his biceps bulge. A wicked grin forms on his beautiful lips, and then he winks. It’s a simple gesture that hits me in my core and spreads warmth throughout my body. Good lord. I need to get out of here. As soon as I’m in my car I dial Taylor. I need to talk to my best friend about this.

  Feelings

  I've avoided Veronica all week. I told myself I couldn’t let anything happen between us. I cannot--should not--have a thing for my best friend's little sister. That's definitely some kind of unspoken rule. I even went out with a redhead Vance was pushin' my way. He was claiming she was so hot and down to get in between my sheets. I wouldn't know…I couldn't focus on her. A particular brunette has been running amuck in my thoughts. I made plans to meet up with Vance this week to look over my car. I wasn't sure if Veronica would be there. If I really didn’t want to see her I would've asked if she would be working. I decided to leave it up to fate.

  As it seems, fate might be on my side-- or not. Depends on how you look at it. When I pull up and Veronica comes out of the office, I can't stop the smile that forms on my face. The fact that she's so into cars is extremely sexy. She was always a bit of a tomboy, but that would happen with four brothers. She may still be that tomboy, but she definitely grew into her own. Her face is lit up in awe, over my car, and I can’t help but feel proud. That's right! This beast is mine. Love me now.

  When she catches me staring the first time, I admit, I’m a little embarrassed. When I do it a second time--not at all. During our little chat-- and her little ‘that's what she said’ dig--I can’t push aside my instincts to flirt with her. I want to pin her against my car and ravage her mouth. Just thinking about it makes my jeans feel tighter. When she leaves, I’m bummed, yet relieved. Such conflicting reactions, but I can't focus with her around. I keep watching
the office door, wanting to see her. She is becoming one of my favorite things to look at. When she is here, it’s like nothing else is happening. All I see is her. My mind is still on V while Vance prattles on about something or other, and an idea pops into my head.

  "Yo," I interrupt Vance, "We should hit the lake next weekend!" He looks at me quizzically because it seems to come out of nowhere. "Yeah, sure," His response seems more like a question rather than a response. "The whole gang!"

  I'm getting excited at the possibility to be around Veronica. In a bathing suit. "Invite the brothers. V, even."

  "Okay. I'm in. I'll let everyone know."

  A rumble is heard from down the street and shortly Vin's black beamer pulls up in front of the open bay door, where he joins us at the front, "What’s good?”

  After some small chit chat, we spend the next hour planning out what parts I need to make this overhaul happen. "Dude, I'm excited! This is going to turn out nice!" Vin praises the car.

  "I know man, me too! Thanks for helping out!"

  "Anytime dude. You planning on comin' out to the track tomorrow night with us?"

  "Yeah, definitely! I want to get a good run in before we do this overhaul."

  He nods, "Yeah, that's a good idea.”

  “You wanna hit up the field then afterward?" Vance yells from the basin, washing his hands. I slightly cringe. Going back there the night I came home wasn't quite the same. While we were in school, it wasn't a question. We were always at the track, and then partying at the field. The track is for everyone of all ages. Young, old, parents, teachers, grandparents; it didn't matter. The field was a little different. It seemed that there weren't too many people our age at the field that night. I didn't realize how much things can change in a year, but V's a prime example. The crowd was a bit young; some too young. Being there again..it made me feel old, which is depressing because I'm not old!