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.

"I can't believe you have the nerve to pretend you're not sleeping with Gage. God I'd be shouting it to the whole world, and yet he went and chose some ignorant troll like you to, to bang."

Jesse's mouth fell open even as the glass fell to the floor shattering on impact. They both rushed to clean the mess even as she continued to spew venom.

"You're so useless why in the hell would Gage want to fuck some little nothing like you," she said grabbing something to start picking up the broken pieces?

Marty and Gage had rushed into the kitchen after hearing something break only to hear Erica's demeaning and cruel words.

Taylor had been just inside the doorway since Erica left his side and heard everything. He was used to women being catty but this took the cake. She was being a total bitch and that never looked attractive on anyone.

Gage was furious, sure it was his fault for creating a fake girlfriend, but Erica had no say over his life and why she was being so cruel was beyond him. "That's between me and Jesse. Who I fuck is none of your business."

Jesse looked stunned.

Erica gasped in surprise turning to see him on the other side of the bar.

Marty was looking back and forth between Gage and Jesse, but only said something about getting a broom.

When the broken glass was cleaned up Jesse went ahead and got a fresh drink for Gage, not knowing what else to do.

Thankfully Samantha and Jeff were still outside talking and laughing so Jesse headed to the bathroom to try and settle her nerves. Although she thought at times that she might not be much to look at, surely she had something to recommend her. Tears filled her eyes as she stared into the mirror questioning herself.

Gage knocked on the door then opened it a second later. "Hey." He could see how damp her eyes appeared and frowned. "You don't really believe anything she had to say do you?"

Jesse shrugged, "I don't know, maybe."

"I'm really sorry, it's just I got tired of being pawed by her and the others, well I said I was dating someone and that they were here."

"So she's just jealous because she can't have you."

Taking a deep breath while releasing a sigh he shrugged, "Unfortunately yeah. It's annoying as hell, but I am sorry I drug you into this. It never occurred to me that she would hurl insults."

Nodding Jesse smiled into the mirror her eyes catching his in the reflection. "Is it wrong, me being happy that she can't have you?"

He gave the most enchanting smile she'd seen by far. "Nah, I feel the same way. Come on now, I'm dying for dessert."

Having said those words while wrapping his arm around Jesse in a half hug, he saw Erica glare as she grabbed her purse to leave.

Knowing she had heard something that could be construed a different way made Gage want to grin, but he held back, leading Jesse away from the diva into the kitchen.

Tyler came into the kitchen as Gage pulled the oreo pie from the fridge. "oo-rah brother, that looks amazing."

"Jesse made it, it's my favorite."

"It's about to become mine as well from the looks of it."

Jeff and Samantha came in a short time later hearing the happy conversation that filled the room after every bite.

"What are ya'll eating," Samantha asked curious?

"Oreo pie," moaned both marines.

"Hell yeah," said Jeff, "where's mine?"

Jesse laughed grabbing him a plate. "Would you like to try a little Samantha?"

"Call me Sam and of course, but put a lot on there, that way I can leave some and not feel I ate too much."

Marty laughed, helping herself to a plate as well.

"I absolutely love this stuff."

"Yeah me too," said Jesse, it's always a crowd pleaser.

"Especially for hungry Marines," noted Marty.

"So good," moaned Samantha beaming at Jesse.

When everyone was finished they leaned back glancing at the pan as if trying to decide how much more they could eat.

"Don't worry there's another in the fridge, just for the poor Marine's who have to go back to their barracks."

Jeff and Tyler high fived one another.

Tyler jumped up swinging Jesse around merrily.

When he stopped Jeff gave her an affectionate hug and kiss on the cheek. "You're the bestest."

"That she is," Gage said with a twinkle.

The night ended on a high note and Jesse soon made her way home, light one baking dish, that she was certain would disappear, since guys never thought of things like that.

Samantha hugged Marty thanking her for such a great evening and then hugged Gage, telling him how lucky he was to have both Jesse and Marty in his life. He agreed whole heartedly.

When everyone left and it was just Gage and his cousin she cornered him. "What on earth was that about earlier?"

Leaning back on the cabinet he groaned. "That slut friend of yours kept grabbing me, I thought she was going to rape me in the hall, until I told her I was dating someone."

"And that stopped her?" Marty was being sarcastic.

Gage groaned, "It almost didn't until I told her my girlfriend was here and to get her hands off me."

"Wow, so she did the math and came up with Jesse as your true love."

He nodded. "She really hurt her. I'm still pissed about that."

"No more dinner parties for Erica, check. What is it about guys that turn normal women into raving shrews."

"I don't think Erica is normal. She's a total whore and you need to rethink her as a friend of any kind."

Marty's eyes widened in surprise, she'd never seen him so angry certainly not over something that had happened to him a million times before. "Wow she really got to you didn't she?"

His eyes held hers briefly. "Not me, I can take care of myself, but she hurt my friend and that I won't have."

Her face softened hearing his possessive words. "You're such a good person."

Rolling his eyes as a blush filled his face he walked to his bedroom. "Night Marty."

"Night."