Tagged for Life

by Sam Destiny

  “She told him ‘no’ and he comes back with that line?” Tessa wanted to know, her anger obviously sky-rocketing.

  “I have an idea,” Jazz sighed, figuring he could make Tessa happy with doing Hilary a favor. “We’ll solve that little problem out front in less than three minutes. Want to bet?” he asked, starting to take off his shoes and socks before pulling his sweater and shirt over his head in one movement. Looking at Tessa he opened the button of his jeans, leaning in to kiss her. “I’m only doing this because she’s your friend and I worry about you cutting off his manhood. It would get you into trouble,” he whispered against her lips, having a hard time ignoring the staring girls.

  “I just…” His heart skipped a beat, as her eyes got wide with the sentence she hadn’t finished. “I just really love your social streak,” she quickly added, her voice suddenly high-pitched. He couldn’t deny that he would have loved to hear the ending of her original sentence, but instead of asking or reacting to it he simply kissed her forehead.

  Tessa tousled his hair, not meeting his eyes while he couldn’t look away. Her cheeks looked heated, but it was something he couldn’t focus on just yet. He had to save a poor girl from her douche ex.

  He walked out of the living room and into the hallway.

  “I heard the ‘l’-word coming on loud and strong,” Emma whispered behind him, but Jazz forced himself to not turn and check for Tessa’s reaction. Instead he moved to Hilary’s side, placing his hand around her hips.

  “Here you are, babe! Who’s that?” he drawled, looking Hilary’s ex up and down before kissing Hilary on the hair.

  She looked at him, her lips slightly parted, then she grinned. “He’s no one,” she answered then.

  “Well then, if no one wants anything, he can go and get it somewhere else,” he sneered, putting on his best macho-expression. “You heard the lady. You’re no one and I’d love to get back to where she and I left off. You comin’, baby?”

  “I’ll be right there,” she giggled and he kissed the side of her head again, squeezing her butt just the slightest bit, making her squeal. With a satisfied grin he walked away, knowing that the guy could still see him, so he aimed for the kitchen.

  “By the way, where’s the whipped cream? Still in the bedroom?” he called over his shoulder, hoping Hilary knew to play along.

  “Damn, yeah. I wanted to bring it down with the chocolate sauce, but I forgot,” she called back and Jazz made a beeline for the living room after being out of sight.

  “You … you have someone new?” the douche bag asked, his voice now a lot less sure than before.

  “So far it’s only sex, but there’s huge potential,” Hilary answered and Jazz watched how all of the girls looked at Tessa, who instantly blushed again.

  “I can still hear you, babe,” he called back, laughing. His eyes never left Tessa’s face.

  “Oopsie,” Hilary replied and Tessa came closer to him, mouthing a ‘thank you’. He loved feeling her hands on his bare chest, but he reminded himself that they weren’t alone. And that three other girls were still staring at him, so he started to dress again.

  “You fucking bitch! Just sex, huh? Don’t expect me to ever come back here if you let just any guy in. No matter how hot your stallion in there is, you’ll never find anyone like me,” her ex screamed and Jazz grinned at the girls surrounding him. This hopefully had settled the issue of the cheating ex.

  “That’s the plan, asshole,” Hilary snapped and then threw the door closed. At least that was what it sounded like. Just a second later she came into the living room, hugging him tight.

  “Too bad you are already dressed again, but that was … thank you,” Hilary gushed.

  “You’re very welcome,” he replied, tying his laces before straightening. “Ready, Tessy?”

  She swallowed hard and all of the girls gave her much-saying glances.

  Oh yes, he definitely planned on talking to her about that.

  Tessa had never been so nervous about sitting in the car than she was that moment, getting in after almost having thrown out an ‘I love you’ without any preamble. She knew Jazz had noticed it. He was observant like that. And he wasn’t stupid. To her utter relief he simply started the car, a knowing smile playing over his lips, no words coming out though.

  She hadn’t meant to blurt out the words the way she almost had, but his action had been exactly the right thing to throw off Hilary’s jerk of an ex. And Jazz had just done it without anyone needing to beg or ask. Hell, she’d even guess he had fun doing it.

  “So, you just…” he started and she moved down deeper in her seat, taking a deep breath. She tried hard to remember how she had ended that sentence back at Hilary’s, but she wasn’t sure any longer.

  “Err…” she started, but he moved his hand, placing it on her knee while effectively silencing her.

  “What if I told you I just, too?” he asked and she turned to him, wide-eyed. He was still watching the road, but her whole body was buzzing. Did he mean what she thought he meant? Could he really?

  “Does it scare you a little?” she wanted to know quietly, because there was still part of her that was terrified by it.

  He shrugged. “The problem is, even if it scares me, it doesn’t change what I feel. Does it scare you?” he wanted to know and she thought for a moment.

  “Scared, no. Overwhelmed, yes. It was sudden,” she then mumbled and he parked the car in an empty driveway, turning to her.

  “That’s what you think?” he asked and she met his eyes. No, it wasn’t sudden, she realized. She hadn’t fallen in love with him the very first second she saw him. In fact, she hadn’t even started to consider him seriously hot until he had taken off his sweater because she was cold. And then her stomach maybe had lifted a little whenever he had kissed her at the airport. No, that must have happened some time later. Maybe it had been after they hadn’t seen each other for a few days and she had gone out to see him. Maybe it had happened when she had stood in front of him at the gate and he had hugged her with a desperation she had never felt before. She didn’t know when exactly it happened, but it didn’t change the fact that she loved him.

  “In the end it doesn’t matter,” she finally admitted and he beamed at her. Leaning in, he took her face in his hands, letting his thumbs caress her cheeks before he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss unlike any they had ever shared. This one was intense, making a tingling start at her big toe and spread through her whole body. It was as if her body recognized this kiss as more than all the others before. It left her trembling, filled with a longing so sweet she wasn’t sure she could put it into words.

  “Ready for the movie?” he asked, pulling back. His voice was rough, his expression soft.

  She nodded, moving as close to him as the car would allow. She smiled to herself, enjoying his closeness and the warmth Jazz had left in her body.

  Tessa linked arms with Kris. The two girls had spent the whole night talking and enjoying the movie. Jazz shook his head with a grin.

  “And how hot was that dude? When he took his shirt off…” Kris made a gesture and some weird noise in the back of her throat.

  “Yeah, he looked awesome,” Tessa grinned, then looked over her shoulder at him, “but not as awesome as some others do.” It was ridiculous how happy that simple comment made him.

  “Wow, that girl is head over heels in love with you,” his mother said quietly, slowing down even more so the other two would be out of hearing range.

  “Luckily. I’d feel pretty stupid if I was the only one,” he admitted, pushing his hands in his jeans pockets and pulling up his shoulders. It was weird talking to his mother about a girl when a month ago he hadn’t yet known her. Maybe she was right and it was too soon, or too intense, but he thought that she had proven how serious she was more than once.

  “Jesse, I’ve never seen you like that. Remember that girl Paula you were so in love with in high school? She was your everything and you wanted to marry her,” his mot
her reminded him and there was no doubt that he had never felt for any girl what he was feeling for Tessa.

  “Mom, what I feel for Tessa it out of this world. When I look at her I can feel my lips pulling automatically in a smile. She’s just the right kind of sweet and tough, down to earth and yet dreamy. I certainly hope we’ll find a way to make this work. Would you be ready to support me no matter how hard it’ll be?” Jazz wanted to know and his mother stopped, turning to him.

  “Is that even a question? If I could, Jesse, I would make sure she could move here. But I can’t. And you know, she can’t do change her life that quick, either,” she pointed out. “I know by the way she looks at you, and you look at her, that you can do it. All the things: marriage, children, a house, maybe even a dog. But there is a lot of time between now and then, and there will be tears and doubts. There will be hurt and silence, fights and obstacles, but if you’re ready to do whatever it takes, I’m going to be there to give you just that extra push. I won’t lie though, son … it’s not just she who needs to make an effort. She might not have anything in your eyes, but that doesn’t mean that she can simply give it all up. Sacrifices need to be made, boy,” she explained quietly and Jesse heard what she didn’t say: Reaching his goals in the Army and reaching his goals with Tessa would be impossible if she wasn’t fully supporting him. After all, she’d be alone in a new country, far away from friends and family.

  Was he really ready to make that sacrifice for her? Especially now, since the next step on his career ladder seemed to be right within his reach?

  “What’s up with you two?” Tessa asked, obviously having seen them stop. She came back and he instantly reached out to tug her against his side, kissing her head softly.

  Just when he wanted to say something, his phone vibrated and he felt as if he had been doused in ice-cold water. Tank wouldn’t be calling him, and everyone else who could be contacting him was here. That left only one other party to call. He ignored it, knowing it would be going to his mailbox eventually.

  Tessa arched a brow and still he held his breath. And true, just a few seconds later it rang again. His mother and Kris instantly sobered as well.

  “Looking at all of you I’d say this call isn’t for fun. You should answer it,” Tessa told him. It was obvious that she was the only one who had no idea what this would mean.

  “I have to take that,” Jazz stated the obvious, walking away a tiny bit.

  “Corporal Connor,” he said into the phone.

  “Corporal, we know that you are out and about with your girl. Private First Class Michaels informed us about that fact, so we are sorry we need to interrupt that evening, but we need you back at the base for a brief talk. It won’t take long and you can bring her along because you might need someone after this. Can you manage to be here within twenty minutes?”

  Of course it was possible. He wouldn’t even take that long.

  “Yes, Sir,” he replied. It didn’t matter who was on the phone. Only a handful of people had his number and the base only called in emergencies.

  “Then we’ll see you in a few minutes, Corporal.” With that the call was ended and Jazz turned back to the waiting girls.

  “I gotta get back to base for a few minutes. It won’t take long, but they told me I could bring Tessa,” he said, trying hard to sound cheery. He just didn’t want Tessa to worry, but she was chewing her lip, obviously nervous. He reached out, pulling the soft skin from between her teeth.

  “We’ll go ahead to the diner and have some milkshakes that we will later on pretend didn’t belong to us,” his mother said and Jazz saw how Tessa looked from him to his family. Her expression darkened even more and he sighed.

  There were exactly two reasons why they called him back to base and told him to bring his girl: Either another comrade had died and Tessa would be meant to offer support, or there was an emergency. He’d be deployed very soon and he had to bring her along so they could talk this out. He didn’t know which possibility he’d choose if he could.

  “We’ll be there soon,” he promised, hugging both his mother and his sister. Then he took Tessa’s hand, tugging her along. She walked next to him, yet he could tell she was reluctant. Reaching the car he opened the door for her and waited for her to get in, but instead she looked at him for a long moment, taking a breath as if she was going to say something, then she shook her head and got in the car. He closed the door and went around, joining her inside.

  “Jesse,” she said and he groaned, warmth and tingles spreading in his body.

  “I don’t know what it is about the way you say my name, but I always feel as if it’s the very first time I’ve ever heard it,” he whispered, not being able to help himself, so he leaned in and kissed her long and sweet. He wished there was more time, or more space so he could pull her closer, but they were in a car and he had somewhere to be.

  He started the car and pulled into traffic, reaching for her hand. She started to draw little circles on the back of his hand, calming his nerves with that little gesture. She stayed silent, watching the streets go by while he constantly snuck glances at her.

  They reached the base after what seemed to be an eternity. The silence hadn’t been exactly uncomfortable, but still it was heavy and loaded.

  “Tess?” he murmured after parking the car and she turned to him. She gave him a smile. It was weak, but it was there and some more tension left his body. Then she leaned in, cupping his cheek and kissing him gently.

  “I’m right here, Jazz. Right by your side,” she then promised against his lips. It was exactly what he had needed to hear before going into the room that would definitely change his best night to his worst.

  Tessa looked around. They had walked around a few corners and some barracks, making it impossible for her to remember how to get back. Her sense of direction never had been the best, but that evening she was even less in the right frame of mind to watch where she went.

  Right now she was waiting in front of a door that looked surprisingly bland for being the opening to something bad. No matter what Jazz or his family had said, there was no denying the heaviness that had come over them the moment the phone had rung.

  Additionally Tank stood next to her, staring at the door as if he could look through it if he just tried hard enough. He had waited for them and a glance had passed between him and Jazz, and if it was possible, Tessa could have sworn there had been a whole exchange in that short moment.

  Don’t do it.

  I have to.

  You don’t.

  I do.

  Think about her.

  Cannot do that.

  Jazz had squeezed her hand before dropping it and lowering his gaze, then he had went through that terrible door.

  “Is he in danger?” she asked, not knowing what suddenly made her believe Tank would treat her normal.

  “Not if he’s doing the thing he should be doing,” Tank replied.

  “Will he be in danger?” Tessa asked again, turning to face him fully now. If someone knew how Jazz would decide, it was his best friend. She was sure by now that no one had died because then they simply would have told everyone together. It would have been the right thing to do; after all they could support and console each other best, but no, they had split this up instead.

  “Yes. Most likely he will be,” Tank finally admitted and Tessa could see the pain in his eyes and the stubbornness in the line of his lips. He was still trying hard to hold onto the hope of Jazz turning this down.

  For her.

  Finally, what seemed to be hours later, but in truth were only a handful of minutes, Jazz came back out, his face ashen. He was being followed by three official looking guys wearing medals. They came closer, shook her hand and said some words, but Tessa didn’t hear them. Her eyes were focused on the guy holding her heart. She knew she replied something, half a mind set on still being polite, but she wasn’t sure if she had said anything right. In the end the men gave her apologizing smiles, then they finally left.r />
  “You’re not going, Jazz, are you?” Tank instantly asked, being right in his face, but Tessa moved around him and Jazz took her hands, fully ignoring his best friend. The way he was looking at her sent shivers down her spine. It was as if his whole world had shifted in just a few tiny precious moments.

  “I’m gonna get my guitar and take you away tonight,” he said, raising his hands to frame her face. There was something ultimately tender in his expression and Tessa wanted to cry.

  “Corporal, we forgot to tell you that we’d leave at noon. Be here by noon sharp,” one of the uniform guys reported, having returned shortly after leaving. Jazz just nodded and finally the guy fully vanished.

  Following that, Jazz took Tessa’s hand, wanting to lead her away, but Tank reached out and pulled Jazz back.

  “Don’t you fucking dare ignore me like that,” he growled and Jazz spun around.

  “I’m not ignoring you, but neither will I justify my decision. I have less than twenty-four hours with Tessa and I’d love to use that time with her now.”

  “You are a mechanic, Jazz, not a doctor, or a sniper!” Tank sounded almost desperate and that was probably what scared Tessa the most. Tank wouldn’t be so worried if this wasn’t deadly serious.

  “I’m trying to make my way up the ladder in the Army. It’s what’s expected of me and I’m following that call. I’m sorry you cannot understand that,” Jazz replied.

  “You…” Tank started.

  Tessa stepped between them, touching Tank’s chest. “Thomas, please stop before you say something you can never take back!” she whispered. Emotions were running high and she was worried that those two would start fighting now when it was the last thing they should be doing.

  “You still think I should stop when he might never return from that mission?” he wanted to know and Tessa swallowed. She wanted to scream that she didn’t want him to go, but she knew as well that this was Jazz’s world.