A few weeks later Marty held a dinner party with four of her friends and three of Gage's marine buddies in which Gage cooked steaks and Marty made side dishes. It was a success of course, well to an extent. One of the girls after having two beers became somewhat clingy to Gage. An understatement, she was quite literally pawing him and he was trying his damnest to get away, finally after cornering him in the hall near the bathroom he said. "Look I'm sorry, but we can't I'm seeing someone."
"No you're not," Erica spat angrily, "or she'd be here. I wouldn't let you near another woman if you were mine."
Releasing a very heavy sigh his eyebrow arched he said firmly and perhaps a bit lethally, "She is here and she does care so take your hands off me."
Taking a step back she huffed indignantly, thankfully his best friend Taylor, who liked to play it fast and loose arrived.
"Hey Gage, am I interrupting something?," he asked in a husky voice while staring at the garish Erica.
Shaking his head he gave a grin nodding to the girl who was still pouting, although her eyes had begun to roam Taylors form. "Erica was just telling me how much she'd like to get to know you, but I said you were probably spoken for."
Gage rolled his eyes at his friend and Taylor knew what that meant. Immediately he turned on the charm backed Erica into a corner and started flirting pretty damn heavily with her.
Releasing a sigh he walked back into the kitchen only to feel another female put her hands on him. His peripheral vision said it was Samantha this time. She was lightly stroking his arm, saying he looked tense and could she maybe help him. "No thank you," he said quietly, "that's what girlfriend's are for."
Pulling her hand back she tilted her head, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were seeing anyone."
Feeling bad for taking his anger out on her when Erica had started the whole mess he apologized, "It's ok, we just started dating."
She shook her head grinning, "So I guess I'm not the first to hit on you tonight?"
Releasing a sigh and a laugh, he said, "Not really."
"Alright, well again I'm sorry hope your evening gets better." Taking a step back she turned to go out on the terrace where Marty and Jesse had remained laughing and cutting up with Jeff.
Mark and Tiffany were conspicuously missing for most of the evening, but eventually returned looking a bit rumpled. "Tiffany isn't feeling well and I offered to take her home."
Everyone knew that was code for a hookup so Marty simply grinned and said goodnight to them both, winking at Tiffany as she waved goodbye.
Taylor and Erica came out on the porch a minute later, "Did I see Tiffany leave," she asked slightly confused?
Everyone nodded and she looked over at Samantha who was now chatting up Jeff. Looking at the faces of those left she suddenly gasped. He was dating her surely not, she was nothing special.
Marty heard the girl gasp and then saw Erica focus a less than pleasant expression in Jesse's direction.
Jesse was sitting next to Gage relaxing and listening to the others with her eyes closed. He leaned in to ask her something and she nodded heading into the house a moment later.
Erica followed her.
"He picked you, out of everyone here why the hell would he choose you?"
Shaking her head Jesse grabbed a glass and poured some ice tea. "I'm sorry, what are you talking about?" Jesse hadn't a clue why Erica was so agitated.
