Link: Every Day Is Your Last Title Page and Description

--

The next day Rich called Heather and told her that Jack stepped aside, but Heather wouldn't have it. She insisted on a date with Jack and wouldn't take no for an answer. Jack said it was good, friendly and warm, but they quickly learned that he and Heather would never have worked out in the end. She was made for Rich and Jack could already see she was in love with him.

Heather and Rich were inseparable after that. For about six weeks, every minute of Liberty Rich had was spent with her, leaving Jack and I to fumble around on our own. It wasn't until Rich's twenty-fourth birthday that Jack and I got to spend any time with him again, but by then it was a foursome.

Rich was done dating and Jack was stuck as my 'boyfriend' for the interim. We went on a triple date once. Rich and Heather, Jack and... Marie I think her name was... and me and Julie. It was awkward because they were first dates for Jack and me, but Heather and Rich were a permanent couple, so I think it made our dates a little uncomfortable. We never did it again.

By the end of the following year, Jack was in a bit of a depression. He was happy for Rich and Heather, but he'd begun to feel like he was never going to find anyone that would love him. It was shortly before Christmas ninety-five that I found myself in a position to repay all the help Jack had ever given me, plus interest.

---

Brooke leaned against a rack of cards while Heather was crouched next to another rack. "Come on, Heather! Just pick something and get it over with!"

Heather wouldn't be rushed. She wanted to get the perfect card to go with her gift of a Rolex this year. She'd decided on something sweet and loving, but nothing said just what she felt. "Brooke, if you want to speed things up, help me find a Christmas card for Richard!"

Standing up, she stretched and wandered around. "Heather, I can't pick your card to Rich! It would be... weird! And gross!"

Laughing at her commentary, Heather stood back up and stopped suddenly. Picking up a card, she read it quickly and smiled. "Found it!" she gushed, running over to Brooke with it.

Reading the card, Brooke stuck out her tongue. "Blech! Disgustingly sappy! It's perfect for you two! Can we go now?"

"Jealous, much?" Heather teased. "Come on! I still need a ride to the library so I can get the book I need for French Literature."

Driving Heather to the campus library, Brooke enjoyed driving her white Firebird she'd bought new the previous fall. Even though it was the first day of winter, she had the top down and they both enjoyed the sunny weather; a significant improvement from the devastating storm only ten days earlier.

When they got to the campus, Brooke opted to wait in the car while Heather went in search of her book. Some time later, while lying back in the reclined driver's seat, she heard a woman clearing her throat. Opening her eyes and peering over her sunglasses at her intruder, she smiled. "Can I help you?" Brooke asked, sitting her head up slightly.

"Possibly." the girl replied. "I... I don't mean to be overly inquisitive, but I couldn't help but notice your car has a military base sticker on it. Are you from the Naval Base or is this someone else's car? Your boyfriend's, maybe?"

Brooke had thought she'd heard it all when it came to subtle inquiries about her availability and sexuality, but this one took the cake. "No, it's mine. I'm a Marine stationed at Alameda NAS. Why do you ask?" She shifted in her seat to get more comfortable and expose a little more cleavage to the college girl.

"I... I was just wondering, could I ask you a few questions?" the girl asked. "I'm a psychology major and I have to do a dumb report on women in male-dominated occupations. Would it be alright? It would only take about ten minutes or so. It won't include your name or anything! Just an anonymous set of answers!"

Taking a deep breath, Brooke watched the girl's body language. She was shy, but cute. Her wavy red hair, green eyes, and fair complexion made for a sexy combination. Clearing her throat, she sat up. "Sure. Take a seat... I'm just waiting for a friend of mine to get a book."

She came around the car, opened the passenger door, and sat with her legs outside. "Thanks! Who's your friend? Are they a student here?"

"Her name's Heather, Heather Moore. Maybe you know her? She's a psych major, too."

Shaking her head, she looked down at her paper. "The name sounds familiar, but I can't place it. I'm new! Alright, first question. 'Are you ever made to feel inferior by any of the men in your occupation?'"

Laughing, Brooke tossed her head back. "That's half their job description, honey! I'm an Enlisted Marine, not a Girl Scout! But to answer simply, yes. My superiors, most of whom are male, make me feel inferior. I don't think it could work any other way, though!"

"Good point." she replied. Jotting down some notes, she sighed. "Alright, question two. 'Have you ever been sexually harassed in the workplace?' It means only in your current occupation where men are prevalent, not any previous job."

Brooke shook her head. "No, but I know it's happened to other W-Ms. Just not to me personally."

"W-Ms?" she asked innocently.

"Women Marines. Sorry, the jargon is unavoidable. I'm a third-gen Marine."

"I see." Taking more notes, she sighed heavily as she read the next question to herself before asking it. "Some of the questions are a little leading!" she commented. "Alright, question three. 'How often have you been passed over for advancement due to your gender?'"

Brooke nodded. "Just a little leading, but I can still answer it. Never. Next?"

The girl made notes and pressed on. "Question four. 'On the occasions you were passed over, were you offered the opportunity to advance if...'" She sat back. "OK, this is stupid! This isn't applicable to you! They just assume the answer to three is yes! We'll skip it!"

Noting that the girl was getting frustrated, Brooke reached over and touched her shoulder. Seeing her reaction, the Marine realized that maybe her first impression of the girl was incorrect. "It's fine, really!" she said, drawing her hand back. "If you want, you can continue. I know you have to do the paper, so maybe with my help you can still do it, just with a twist your professor wasn't expecting!"

The girl shook her head. "You're very nice, but... Ugh! They expect that every woman is being sexually harassed all the time! Half these won't even apply to you! There's one that asks if you could ever feel physically threatened in the normal course of your work!"

Brooke laughed loudly, the girl joining her after a moment. Finally, Brooke managed to get out, "It goes with the territory! Warning! If you become a Marine, people may try to kill you!" The two ladies were laughing so hard that neither saw Heather walk up.

"Is this a private joke?" she asked, making the two laugh even harder.

Finally getting control of herself, Brooke wiped a tear of laughter from her eye. "Sorry, Heather! You had to be there!" She turned to the girl. "Heather? This is..." Pausing, she stopped laughing. "Oh! I don't believe you ever said your name!"

The girl stood up, closing her notebook. "It's Erica, Erica Hargrave! Are you her... um... girlfriend?" She'd had suspicions about Brooke from her body language and the way the Marine had looked at her.

Siting up in her car, Brooke stopped laughing. "Wait a minute! Did you say Erica Hargrave? You wouldn't be Richard Hargrave's sister, would you?" she asked, stepping out and around her car.

Looking at the two women nervously, Erica stepped back. "Um... yes? Do you two know Richie?" She paused a moment and looked at Brooke. "He... When he's home for holidays, he's told us about a woman he serves with. Your name wouldn't be Brooke, would it?"

"Last I checked!" she answered. "Damn! This is just too wild!"

Erica slowly turned at look at the other woman with Brooke. "Wait a minute! H-Heather? Heather Moore?" Her eyes widened in sudden realization as she nodded with a smile. "Oh... my... God! Richie wrote me about you! He... he doesn't know that I got into Stanford or that Daddy's paying for my college yet! I only transferred here this semester!"

Heather looked at her and smiled. "Well this will be a big surprise for him, then! I've heard so much about you, Erica! I've been looking forward to meeting you for over a year!"

Leaning on her car, Brooke nodded. "I've been hearing about you for over four years! I expected you to be some mousy little girl! Rich talks about you like you're still twelve!"

Rolling her eyes, she looked at Brooke. "You know big brothers! They think little sisters are children forever!" Looking down, she cleared her throat and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "Is... is Jack still around? I haven't seen him in years. When he gets vacation time, he never comes to visit with Richie."

"Marines get Leave, not vacation." Brooke corrected. "But yeah, Jack's still around. We hang out all the time! Doesn't Rich tell you about him?"

"Richie never talks about him at home." Erica shook her head sadly. "Jack and Mom don't get along, so Richie stopped talking about him years ago." She looked up at the two. "Is he doing OK? Does... does he have a... a girl?"

Heather and Brooke looked at each other with a knowing glance. Finally, Brooke suggested, "Why don't we go somewhere and talk a bit. It's about lunch time and I could use a few thousand Calories."

Nodding, Heather turned to Erica. "Do you have time? We don't want to get in the way of your class work."

"Oh, no!" Erica shook her head. "I can do this anytime! I have until middle of January to get it done, and lunch sounds divine!"

The three decided on a restaurant in walking distance, so very shortly they had a table and were sitting around and chatting like old friends.

Brooke looked down at her half-eaten burger, trying to formulate how to ask Erica what was on her mind. She'd been telling the girl about Jack for an hour and Erica never seemed to get enough, with hardly a word asked about her own brother. "Um... Erica? Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, Brooke!" Erica answered, taking a bite of her Caesar salad.

"Um... do you like Jack?" she asked delicately.

Erica flushed with embarrassment. She swallowed her bite hard and nodded shyly. "I... I've been in love with Jack for over ten years!" Turning sad, she sighed forlornly. "But he never noticed me. To him I'm just..." she sighed again, "...just Buttons!"

"Buttons?" they both asked together.

"Jack's old nickname for me." she answered with a wistful smile. When she saw they didn't get it, she explained. "Red hair? Red Buttons? Cute-as-a-button? It's OK, I didn't get it at first, either. But see? It's just like Richie! Jack will only ever see me as... as just a little girl!"

Looking Erica over, Brooke shook her head. "Speaking as an expert in the attractiveness of women, if you'll pardon me saying so Erica, if Jack saw you now?" She wolf whistled quietly. "You're no little girl anymore!"

Nodding, Heather agreed. "I may not be so inclined, but I can tell that you would be serious competition if you and I were both interested in Jack!"

Perking up, Erica smiled gaily. "Really? Do you think Jack..." Swiftly, she dismissed the idea. "No! It's stupid! Why should someone like Jack want someone like me?" speaking Jack's name almost reverently.

"Would you like a chance, though?" Brooke asked before she took a bite.

"If you think it would be alright! When can I see him? Is he busy tonight?"

"Slow down!" Heather advised with a laugh. "First of all, you need to appear not so anxious. All men get suspicious when a woman takes too much of an interest. They think she wants something out of him."

Brooke shoved a half-eaten bite of her burger into her cheek. "Besides, Jack doesn't have Liberty coming until New Years Eve, and that's only a forty-eight with the first half covering for Rogers." Seeing Erica's confusion she explained, "He has the weekend off, but Saturday he's covering for Corporal Rogers, so all he gets is Sunday."

"Oh." Erica said disappointedly, but she perked up quickly. "Does he have plans for New Years, do you know?"

Looking at Erica, Brooke swallowed. "Jack and I will be at our New Years party that night. You can come if you like!" She noticed Heather giving her a look, but Brooke shook her head subtly.

"Alright! Is it formal or casual?" Erica was hoping for something romantic.

"Casual... Jeans and shirt kind of thing." Brooke answered. "Whatever's comfortable. It's just a New Years house party. You twenty-one?"

Erica slumped back in her seat. "I... I won't be until January ninth."

Brooke shrugged. "Close enough!" she smiled. Glancing at her watch, she winced. "Damn! It's already fourteen hundred! I gotta get back! Look, call me and I'll give you the details." She grabbed Erica's notebook, scribbling her number in one of the margins. "Sorry, Heather! You're gonna have to bum a ride from someone else or cab-it back to your place!" Heading for her car, she heard Erica running after her. Stopping just outside the restaurant, she was surprised when Erica hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you so much, Brooke! Oh, and thank you for your service, too!"

Stunned for a moment, she cocked an eyebrow at Erica. "You know, when you first came up to me, I was sure you were hitting on me. I was actually a little disappointed when I figured out you weren't." She smiled at the girl after a moment. "Now I'm glad you weren't! See, I couldn't figure what to get Jack for Christmas this year. He's in so much trouble when he sees you!"

"Why?" Erica asked innocently.

"Because, he doesn't stand a chance against you! You being at the party is gonna be my present to you both! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas..." Erica replied confusedly as Brooke ran for her car.

With New Years Eve approaching, Erica was franticly trying to pick the perfect outfit. "Too casual, too obvious, too dressy... Ugh!" she screamed. Dialing Brooke's number, she waited for her to answer.

"Maintenance Shop, Hathaway." Brooke answered.

"Brooke? This is Erica. Is this a bad time?"

"No!" she replied happily. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you have time to come over and help me pick something for Sunday? I can't figure out what to wear and it's driving me crazy!"

Laughing, it took a moment for Brooke to compose herself. "Look, whatever you wear will be fine! He won't be looking at your clothes!"

"Brooke!" she whined. "I need your help! Please? This is really important to me! I just have to get it right!"

"Alright! Alright! I can't come over until Saturday, though." She heard the young woman squeal with delight. "So I'll see you then!"

When Brooke finally arrived Saturday afternoon, Erica had narrowed her choices down to three outfits: a green satin evening gown, a little black dress, and tight jeans with a T-shirt and white see through jacket.

Holding each up to herself, Erica looked at Brooke. "OK, so which one? The green dress, the black one, or just jeans?"

Pursing her lips, Brooke thought about it seriously, using everything she new about Jack and her own sense of attractiveness, she nodded. "OK, the green dress is right out. You'd look beautiful in it, but this isn't Prom, it's a house party. That leaves the dress or the jeans."

"OK, so which one makes me look hotter?" Erica asked directly.

Laughing, Brooke shook her head. "Jack isn't looking for hot! He probably won't even notice your outfit. All he'll see is you! Of course, I'm also biased. I don't care for dresses, but I know Jack and..." Looking at the two options, she pointed at the coordinate set. "Jeans! Don't get me wrong, you'd look smokin' in that dress, but the casual look will draw more attention to your face and..." She trailed off and blushed slightly.

"My chest?" Erica finished for her.

"Yeah! That!" she said, glad to not have to say it out loud about Richard's sister. "Seriously though, with an outfit like that you really need to hit your hair out of the park to dress it up." Picking at Erica's hair, Brooke hummed quietly. "Well, you could hit it with highlights, really bring out the color, use a curling solution and set and spray, light hold since you got fine hair, Yeah!" She looked at Erica. "I don't think any of the salons around town will have any openings this close to New Years, though."

Erica's hopes sagged. "You're right! I... I didn't think to make an appointment for one!" She dropped onto her bed feeling hopeless.

"So that's why I'm going to do you up myself!" Brooke smiled.

Erica sat up eagerly, but with a confused look. "You?"

"Don't act so surprised!" Brooke said defensively. "Mom was a beautician! She taught me everything she knows about it and I even worked in her salon as a beautician myself for most of a year. She figured someday it might come in handy, and it looks like today's the day!" Brooke sat next to Erica on her bed. "Between you and me, I think she figured it would give me a backup career because she didn't think I could 'Pack the Gear' in the Corps!"

Leaning over, she hugged Brooke. "You're the best!" After a moment, she felt the older woman stiffen. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she said embarrassedly.

Brooke took a breath and stood up. "It's fine, Erica! It's nothing! It's just... I haven't had a date in a while is all, and... well... you're cute, OK?" Letting out a breath, she turned to her. "...and taken. Very taken if I read you right! Are you sure that we're talking about the same Jack? Jack Dunning? Short guy? Skinny? Thinks he's funny?"

"He is funny!" Erica laughed. "He's been making me laugh since the first day I met him!" Turning sullen, Erica looked at the floor. "I think the only time he didn't make me laugh was the time he was in the hospital when I thought he was going to die." Her smile returning, she looked up at Brooke. "Then he woke up and the first thing he did was to make me laugh again!"

"Don't think I've heard this story." Brooke noted as she sat back down. "What happened to him?"

Erica started to tell a brief version, then found herself needing to backtrack through it, finally just telling the whole thing. "So I went to see him every day. Daddy told me that talking to him might help, so I did. I talked to him about school, about my friends, about everything I could think of! I even did my homework out loud next to him! And every day before I went home, I... I'd tell him I loved him, even though he would probably never know it."

Her mind a jumble of thoughts, Brooke found the story finally filled in some missing pieces to the puzzle that was Jack Dunning.

Taking a breath, Erica smiled. "And then on the last day, just after I said 'I love you', I saw him move! Eight weeks of talking to him every day and I finally saw him move! Oh, Brooke! You know what the first thing he said was? He told me, 'Ouch!' so it would make me laugh! I wanted to kiss him right then!"

Laughing, she looked at the younger girl. "Wait, how old would you have been then? Thirteen?"

"Fourteen." Erica blushed. "I... I tried to kiss him twice more before he left home. By then I was almost fifteen, and after my sixteenth birthday I wanted so much to just run away to California, find him, and marry him!"

"What stopped you?"

"Daddy." Erica said sadly. "Mom knew for longer, ever since I was thirteen, but Daddy figured it out the day Richie left home. He... after they left... he took me aside and I told him how I felt about Jack, how I've always felt about him. He held me and let me cry in his shoulder because I didn't get to say goodbye to him. Daddy told me if I ran away to be with him, I'd be on my own, but if I worked hard in school and got into college, he'd pay to send me to a college that was close enough to Jack that I would have my chance!"

She stood up proudly. "So here I am! I wasn't in a rush though, I wanted to do it right. I graduated, got accepted to Stanford, but I went to two years of Community College first. Getting a lot of core classes out of the way there meant Daddy could afford two years at Stanford! Pretty smart, huh?"

Brooke nodded. "Smarter than me! I won't get started with college until I'm Outside in two years!"

Sighing at the thought of seeing Jack the next day, Erica's expression became dreamy and far away.

"Wow! You've got it bad, girl!"

"Don't I know it!" she giggled. "I love him so much, Brooke! I just have to try! So you'll help me?"

She smiled. "When I get through with you, Jack won't know what hit him!"

Turning around, Heather smiled as she saw the three people she was waiting for enter. Making her way to the door, she saw Richard notice her approach and her heart fluttered with anticipation.

"Richard! I'm so glad you could make it!" she said as she got close enough for him to hear.

He smiled as he saw her approaching. Removing his cover, Richard ran his free hand through his short-cropped red hair. "Hey, beautiful! Couldn't leave you alone! You might come to your senses and realize you could do way better than me!"

Heather smiled coyly as she wound her arms around his waist. "Better than you? Who? Adonis? Apollo? John Wayne?"

Jack peered around him, having been standing next to him and being quietly ignored by the two lovebirds. "Ah, come on! This jarhead? I just don't get why you threw me over for that! What do you see in him when there's me to be had!"

Brooke tapped him on the shoulder. When Jack turned and faced her, she looked him up and down, then did the same with Richard, and simply shook her head. "Sorry Charlie, but even I can tell he's got you beat."

Jack, ever the comedian, took off his cover and held it to his heart. "Brooke! My sweetness! Say it ain't so!"

Pushing past Jack and snaking around Richard, Brooke smiled and hugged Heather. "Hey, beautiful! Still sure I can't tear you away from this clown? I can really make it worth your while!" She arched her eyebrows at Heather in a comically seductive way.

"You make an awfully tempting offer, Brooke..." she said in her low throaty voice. Releasing her and returning to Richard, she hooked an arm through one of his. "...but alas my heart is already spoken for."

Jack turned to his best friend. "Say Rich, you wouldn't mind if Heather took a little break from you, would you? Just a short one? Like say for an hour? Oh, I don't mean for myself, but think of poor Brooke!"

Turning to his best friend, Richard smirked at him. "Yeah, I know who you're looking out for, Jack."

Pleading as the four made their way through the other guests, Jack begged, "Oh, come on, Rich! Give a guy a break! Just let them go upstairs, alone, for ten minutes! I swear, you can even handcuff me to the front door! I just wanna know it happened!"

Brooke slugged Jack in the arm hard enough to bruise. "Can it, clown! I'm not your personal masturbation material."

"OK, OK. You know I was only kidding around." Turning to Heather, Jack smiled sincerely. "So how've you been?"

She put her other arm through Jack's as they walked slowly. "Can't complain, Jack." Thinking of how to segue into what Brooke wanted to talk about, she asked innocently, "Seeing anyone?"

He jerked his thumb at Brooke and Richard. "No one but these two yahoos. Alas, you were my last and final hope. My heart can never love another!"

Smiling, Brooke hoped to not give too much away. "Well, that's too bad. I was hoping you could help me with a little problem."

His smile melted immediately. "What's her name?"

Laughing, Heather reached the end table where she'd put her drink and the ones she'd already gotten for the trio. "Oh, Jack! Here I thought I'd ruined you for all other women!"

He nodded. "True, true, but what's her name, Brooke? Her name!"

Looking at him, Brooke smiled. "Her name's Erica. She's sweet, but shy. I met her while waiting for Heather at the campus library. I kind of got my signals crossed and thought she was hitting on me, but she was really just wanting to ask about my service. She was doing some psychology paper on the effect of women in predominantly male occupied professions."

Wincing as he picked up a beer bottle, he opened it, and handed it to her. "Please! Not another she-woman man-hater! I don't care how cute she is, they're more trouble than they're worth! You sure she wasn't hitting on you?"

Taking a drink, Brooke shook her head. "Positive. And she's not a left-wing wacko feminist, either. Her professor probably is, so it's the assignment she got, but she's actually quite nice, loves the armed forces, and even thanked me for my service."

Shaking his head as he took his own beer, Jack swigged it. "Then her old man's probably a swabbie at the base."

While Brooke laughed, Richard, who'd not been listening to the conversation, asked, "What about swabbies?"

Taking another drink, Jack grinned. "Nothing, Rich. Just go back to ogling your girlfriend."

Picking up his own beer, Richard glared at him. "I wasn't ogling her, I was admiring her beautiful eyes!"

Nudging him in the shoulder, Jack quipped, "Sure, sure, Rich. Increase your scanning elevation about twenty-five degrees to find her eyes."

His comment brought a laugh to the three and a blush to Heather's cheeks before Brooke turned and looked toward the door and checked her watch.

Noticing the action, Jack shook his head. "Oh, no! You didn't! Brooke! Say it ain't so! You set me up without even asking?"

She shrugged as she took another drink. "You'll love her, Jack. I swear."

He nodded. "Uh-huh. How many eyebrows does she have?"

"Three, one for each eye." Brooke smiled sweetly. "But you'll never notice because the hump on her back will draw all your attention." Almost sensing more than hearing the front door open over the clamor of conversations and the music, she turned and smiled when she saw Erica look into the throng of partygoers. Handing her beer over to Heather, she didn't even look back. "Excuse me." she said as she headed for the door.

Thinking she might've come to the wrong address before she spotted Brooke coming toward her, Erica smiled and embraced her. "Hi! I thought I got the wrong place. This is your party?"

Slinging her arm over Erica's shoulders, Brooke grimaced. "Not exactly my party, but I was invited, so the invitation is yours as well. Come on!" She leaned in close to whisper, "Keep calm, girl!"

Making their way through the crowd, Brooke walked toward the trio with her guest. Heather and Richard were looking at each other with stars in their eyes; Richard's back turned to their approach.

Jack was the only one who saw them coming. The two getting closer, his heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the room seemed very quiet, the noise and laughter seeming to fade into the background. He wasn't even seeing Brooke anymore, just the girl she was with. She was thin, but not skinny, with well-rounded hips and bust and a narrow tapering waist. The T-shirt she wore under a see-through white jacket emphasized her gracious curves, and her jeans covered long legs that Jack could tell were well formed and sexy. Her shoulder-length red hair bounced with every step, framing her beautiful face and haunting green eyes.

For her part, Erica saw Jack at the same moment and her breath caught. It wasn't his looks that had always taken her breath away. It was him. Most especially now, with a room full of half naked women surrounding her Jack, his eyes were locked on her and only her as though she, Erica Hargrave, were the best looking woman in the room.

Brooke stopped in front of him. "Jack? This is Erica." Seeing the two staring into each other's eyes and not even noticing her, Brooke pursed her lips. "Well, I can see you two don't have any further need of me." she said as she turned toward Richard and Heather, trying keep them distracted to give the two a moment alone in a crowded room.

Erica spoke first. "Hi."

"Um... hi!" Jack swallowed hard. Gathering his composure, but still unable to tear his eyes away from hers, he stammered as he held out his hand. "Jack, Jack Dunning. Lance Corporal, USMC."

She smiled and took his hand gently, only just then realizing that he didn't know who she was. "Erica, Erica Hargrave. Student. Stanford." Her eyes smiled along with her lips, but she could feel her hand nervously sweating in his.

Just then Jack heard from behind him, "Erica!?"

The young woman's eyes were torn away from Jack's enchanting stare when she heard the one voice that had been catching her attention her entire life. Looking over Jack's shoulder, she saw her brother looking at her in sheer astonishment. "Richie!? Brooke didn't say you were going to be here!"

Jack was confused as her full name hadn't even processed in his mind yet. In point of fact, Jack hadn't done much actual thinking since he first saw her. Suddenly, it all dawned on him, his eyes grew wide, and he looked at her again. "Erica... Hargrave? But... Rich's Erica?" What he remembered of her was the image of a little girl. Now before him stood a vision of lovely young womanhood.

Her brother pushed Jack aside. "What are you doing here, Erica? You're not twenty-one yet! You can't be here!"

Brooke halfway interposed between the siblings. "She's my guest, Rich! And she turns legal in like a week, so back off!"

"That's OK, Brooke." Erica's eyes flared. "I can see I'm not going to be allowed to have any fun here tonight. Maybe you can take me to another party! I can be your date!"

Pulling Richard aside, Jack tried to convince him to let her stay. "Listen, Rich! Come on, man! Let it be! If she stays here, you can keep an eye on her, and so can Heather, Brooke, and I, right? If she leaves, God knows what trouble she could get into! Think, man!"

Turning back to his sister, Richard lowered his gaze. "Look, Erica. I'm sorry. Just forget I said anything, OK? I... I overreacted. Please stay." He looked up at her as he finished his plea.

Her fury at still being treated like a child by her older brother melted quickly. Never one to carry a grudge long, she eyed him suspiciously. "Fine! But I don't want Sergeant Ramrod killing my good time, is that clear?" She poked him in the chest as she finished.

Raising his hands defensively, Richard backed away. "I give! I give! Why don't I get you a beer?"

"I'll get it!" Jack offered, his voice nearly cracking comically. Turning to Erica, he smiled. "Don't move a muscle, my angel! I'll be back to worship the ground you walk on in a flash!"

Erica looked to Brooke and her brother with a wistful smile as Jack ran to the bar. "Isn't he funny?"

Brooke tousled her hair. "Unfortunately, looks aren't everything."

"Don't let his outward clownish charm fool you, sis." Richard warned. "He's still the same Jack Dunning you've known for years."

Biting her lower lip, Erica swayed gently. "He always seemed really sweet to me."

"The word you're looking for is 'desperate'." Brooke said as she took another drink. "We call him Corporal Strikeout for a reason."

Erica shook her head, inwardly hopeful. "Doesn't do well with the ladies then?"

"He does fine at first." Heather interjected. "But once girls stop laughing at his jokes, his lack of things like a car or money, and thereby his ability to take them out, tends to make them lose interest quickly."

Furrowing her brow, Erica fumed. "Well that's awfully shallow of them!" Pausing, she asked, "Is he very bad with money?"

"Not really." Brooke shook her head. "He's just overly generous. He sends most of his pay to the place that's taking care of his mom."

Her heart melted, remembering the few times she'd met Mary Dunning and how torn up Jack had been about moving her into a home before he'd left Pittsburgh. "Oh! That's so sweet!"

"Yeah, other girls think its sweet too." Richard smiled. "Until it's time for their second date and he still can't afford to take them anywhere, let alone have a car to take them in."

She slapped her brother in the chest. "You know, you could be a little more generous with your dough back home, Sergeant! Daddy's not getting any younger, and he's about killing himself trying to put me through school!"

He nearly choked on his beer. "Hey! I send what I can! More than Jack!"

His sister crossed her arms. "But he makes less! I bet he leaves less to spend on himself than you do!"

"You're right, he does!" Heather nodded. Turning to Richard, she smiled as she draped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck. "You really should help your family more, Richard. Your money doesn't impress me!"

"Good lord!" Brooke rolled her eyes. "If this gets sweeter, I'm gonna barf!"

Nearly running back to the foursome, Jack handed Erica a beer and smiled. "Here! My treat, my beauty!"

Nodding at Erica, Brooke joked, "If she's Beauty that makes you The Beast."

Putting the drink down, Erica smiled. "That's very sweet of you, but you don't need to buy me drinks! I think I'd like to stay clear-headed." Slipping her arm into Jack's, she looked around. "Is there someplace quiet we could talk?"

"You could take him upstairs!" Brooke smirked.

"Brooke!" Richard barked as he nearly turned white, knowing what most couples went upstairs to do. "Over my dead body!"

Erica stiffened her back. "Is that so, Richie?"

Lowering his voice desperately, he leaned in toward his sister's ear. "Are you crazy? Do you know what Mom and Dad would do to me if they found out I let you 'go upstairs' with Jack?" he emphasized with air quotes. "I'd never live to see morning! Mom'd kill me over the phone!"

Erica tilted her nose up. "Well, Mom and Dad aren't here, Richie! So unless you want me to just leave and take Jack somewhere more private, he and I are going to go upstairs!" She paused to let her brother squirm. "...and talk!"

At that, Erica took her brother's beer, took a swig from it, handed it back to him, and practically dragged Jack toward the staircase.

Looking back at his best friend, Jack just shrugged. "What can I do, Rich? Buttons' got me hooked!"

Richard looked over at Brooke as the two disappeared up the stairs. "What the hell, Brooke? You set my sister up with Jack?"

"Would you rather I set her up with Corporal Strikeout, or have her end up with someone like you, Sergeant Trouser Snake?"

Heather turned his head to face her. "Relax, darling. I'm sure she's perfectly safe with Jack. Now would you mind not thinking about your sister and turn your attention back to me? It's kind of creepy if I kiss you while you're thinking about your sister."

"Ha!" Brooke busted out laughing. "Maybe that's why he's so protective!"

He pushed Brooke's shoulder. "Cram it, Brooke! That's not even funny! I'm just looking out for her is all!"

Once more Heather turned his head back towards her. "I'm over here, dear!"

As he finally returned his focus back to his girlfriend, Brooke sighed and took another drink. "Great job, Brooke." she said to herself as she looked up the stairs where Jack and Erica had gone and then to Heather and Richard starting to dance. "You've managed to help find love for everyone but you."