The morning of Andy’s birthday, she woke up Justin’s. She’d stayed the night because Justin hadn’t gotten off work until 3 am.

“Wake up Andy” she heard, slowly waking up. She groaned, then felt hands on her, and she was instantly awake. Alex was crawling on her in the guest room. Justin was standing next to the bed, holding Emma, a huge smile on his face.

”Good morning,” she mumbled and smiled back at him.

Justin sat on the bed next to her, handing her a gift. “Happy birthday,” he whispered. She pulled the red bow off the black velvet box and slowly opened it. Inside was a beautiful Hello Kitty necklace.

“That’s 18 karat white gold and the bow is yellow gold. Real diamonds. Your brother told me you kind of had a thing for Hello Kitty.”

Her jaw dropped as he told her about it, in disbelief. “Justin, I love it! But you-“

He pressed a finger to her lip to silence her. “It’s a birthday and thank you gift.”

“But…but it had to have cost you a small fortune. I-“

“Don’t worry about it. Nicole’s life insurance money came in the other day.”

Andy smiled and quickly hugged him. “Thank you.”

“No problem. Get up and get moving so you can go do your stuff with your mom. Your brother has a good present for you too.”

She stretched and mumbled an ok. She got dressed after Justin had left the room, then walked downstairs.

”Ok, I’m going to get going,” she said picking Alex up to give him a kiss and say bye.

”Have fun with the mom. I’ll see you tonight.”

“You will?” She was completely confused.

He smiled. “Yeah, your mom is going to baby sit for me to go out with you and Jason tonight.”

She laughed. “Gonna go out and get plastered with my brother on my birthday, huh?”

“Nope, me and you are. Your brother is playing DD.”

“Me? I’m only nineteen now, I can’t drink.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he smiled. “Jason had a fake ID made for you just for tonight. I didn’t tell you that though.”

“Two cops getting a minor a fake ID. You guys rock!” she said laughing.

Justin laughed too. “Get out of here woman and go enjoy your birthday.”

She hugged each of the kids, gave them a kiss, told Justin bye and was gone.

It had been a tradition of her and her mom for the past eight years that on Andy’s birthday, they went and got manicures, pedicures and facials. After, they had some lunch, then her mom gave her a $300 limit when she took Andy shopping.

As Andy was browsing through racks of clothes, her mom stopped her by grabbing her hand. “What are you looking for so hard?”

“A dress to wear tonight that matches my necklace.”

“What necklace?” Andy turned around and showed her mom the necklace hanging from her neck. “That’s beautiful! Where’d you get it from?”

“Justin gave it to me this morning.” Her mom smiled a knowing smile, making Andy blush. “No mom, it’s not like that.”

“Sounds like he’s wishing it was.”

”Get real mom. I’m his babysitter and best friends kid sister.”

“Stranger things have happened you know.”

“Don’t hold your breath on it.”

Andy searched a few more minutes, then found it. The perfect dress. It was a cream colored, crotched type dress. The front had a scoop neckline that dipped a little lower than Andy would have liked but she could deal with it, and went to her mid-thigh. She got white wedge heeled sandals to go with it.

”You’re going to get some lucky guys attention tonight,” Vivian told Andy on the way home.

“That’s my plan.”

”Andrea Leann!” her mom shouted, completely surprised.

“Not like that! Just…it’s been awhile since Travis’ accident. I think I’m ready to try moving on. And, I think if Justin saw me moving on after a loss, maybe he’d be more likely to try it too.”

Vivian just smiled, knowing her daughter had a good point.

Jason and Justin walked through the door of the Copeland house at 8, each carrying one of Justin’s kids and laughing. Until they saw Andy standing in her dress at the bottom of the stair case, Vivian fussing over how short it was.

”Damn girl, what happened to my baby sister?” Jason asked laughing.

“She’s all grown up now dude,” Justin mumbled, still gawking at Andy.

She smiled sweetly at Justin, the walked over to take Emma from him. “Hi baby,” she whispered to Emma, making her smile. “There’s that heart breaker smile.”

“I’m gonna go get changed then we can leave,” Jason announced, then took off up the stairs.

As Jason was getting ready and Vivian was rambling to Justin about nothing in particular, Andy kept stealing glances at Justin. He had on a white button front shirt, the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the shirt untucked. The top five buttons were unbuttoned revealing a wife-beater and a silver chain around his neck. The stone washed jeans he had on fit perfectly.

“Ok you two, we ready?” Jason asked, walking down the stairs in a pair of dark jeans and red polo shirt.

“Yeah, where are we going?” Andy asked, handing Emma to her mom.

“It’s a surprise. Gotta make a stop first.”

“Thanks for watching them tonight Viv” Justin said standing up.

“No problem! You guys have fun.”

The three walked out to Jason’s Camaro. Andy climbed in the backseat, the guys getting in the front.

“Oh, by the way, happy birthday kiddo,” Jason said and threw something at Andy. It was the fake ID, saying it was her twenty-first birthday instead of nineteenth.

“Thanks Jas. Where are we going?”

“Pick up this girl I’ve been dating. Her name is Maria.”

“Yay! Jason’s got a girlfriend!”

“Yeah, yeah, shut it.”

They pulled up to an apartment building and a Spanish-looking girl walked out to the car. She was beautiful, wearing a floral dress similar to Andy’s.

”Get in back with Andy dude,” Jason told Justin.

“What? Man, that’s bullshit,” he declared, but did it.

”Maria, this is my sister Andy, and my best friend Justin.”

”Hi,” Andy and Justin said together, both smiling.

”Hi! Happy birthday Andy,” she said with an accent.

“Thanks.”

The hour ride was quiet and kind of awkward. They ended up in a rougher part of the city.

“Jason, man, where the hell are we going?” Justin finally asked.

“A club Maria told me about. I told her about Andy loving to dance and she told me about it.”

“It’s a Latin type club. Latin music and kind of like a club I went to when I was visiting Jamaica.”

”I love dancing to that kind of music!” Andy said excitedly.

“One thing though,” Jason said as the pulled in the parking lot. “I need you two to act like a couple for me. I don’t want anything started over Andy.”

“What!?” Andy and Justin shouted from the backseat.

“Please guys? I don’t want Justin or me to get in a fight over defending Andy.”

“Jason, it’s my birthday! If I want to talk to guys, I’m going to. You-“

“Andy, you don’t want any of these guys, trust me,” Maria chimed in.

Andy sighed. “Fine, whatever.”

She wanted to dance and flirt with guys, maybe even get a few numbers or give a few guys her number. Now she was stuck playing the happy couple with Justin. Not that there was anything wrong with it as good as he looked tonight.

They made their way to the entrance and the bouncer checked their IDs, Andy’s last. “Ah, birthday girl, huh?” he asked with a heavy accent.

“Yeah.”

“Well happy birthday sexy. Free twenty-one shots and your party drinks for free tonight.”

“Thank you,” she said flirty, then they walked inside.

They made their way to the bar, where the bartender poured twenty-one shot of tequila. “I’m gonna be wasted,” Andy giggled and started the shots.

After nine of them, she almost tripped over her own two feet without even walking. “Do some shots guys,” she told the other three and they quickly helped her down them.

“Come on, Andy! Let’s go dance!” Maria shouted over the music, grabbing Andy’s hand and they left Jason and Justin at the bar alone. They got to talking as Andy and Maria were dancing.

“So how serious is it with Maria?” Justin asked.

”I think I’m falling in love with her man. It’s scary as fuck.”

“She seems like a nice gal.”

”She’s amazing. Works full time to pay for college, lives with her sister in that apartment. She graduates next spring.”

“That’s cool man. ‘Bout time you found a gal with a good head on her shoulders.”

They both took a drink of their beers, then Jason had to ask. “What’s going on with you and my sister?”

The question caught Justin off guard and he about choked on his beer. “Not a damn thing. Why?”

Jason shrugged. “Just curious.”

“Your sister is hot and all man, but on top of being your kid sister, I’m not ready for anything.”

”Justin, relax. I’m just being a shithead. However, I’d trust you with her before any other guy.” With that, Jason got up to make his way to the dance floor to dance with his girlfriend.

Justin just  stared after his friend, not believing he’d just said that. He ordered a double shot of tequila, tossed it back with the rest of his beer, then followed the route his friend had taken out to the dance floor.

By now Andy was very drunk and Maria wasn’t far behind. Justin was feeling pretty damn good and Jason just had a good buzz going since he was driving.

When Justin got to the others, Jason was behind Maria dancing, Andy in front of her. Justin smiled and touched Andy’s hand, scaring her. “Come dance with me sexy,” he growled, pulling her to him. After a few minutes of getting in tune with each other, they were dancing together like they weren’t drunk.

“You’re a good dancer,” Andy shouted to Justin over the music.

”Thanks.”

“I want another shot.”

”Let’s go get you one then,” Justin mumbled, smiling, and took her hand.

He led her to the bar, and got them each a double shot of tequila. “I’m so drunk,” Andy giggled, leaning against Justin.

He smiled at no one in particular. “I’m not feeling too bad myself.”

They went back out to dance in the crowd, the club dimly lit in a dingy yellow light as it was now past 11 pm. The air smelled of Cuban cigars, graffiti painting on the walls. Every one of Andy’s senses were enthralled in the experience.

A remix of ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by Shakira came on, one of Andy’s favorites. She grabbed Justin’s hand and put them on her hips, the two touching bodies for the first time all night.

”Andy,” he groaned in her ear and she leaned her head against his shoulder, one hand reaching around to feel his neck. Her other hand she placed over his hand on one of her hips that was now resting comfortably there.

He leaned forward, he nose touching her neck, breathing in the intoxicating smell of her. It made his head spin more than all the alcohol he’d consumed so far. When his lips met her neck, it sent waves of pure electricity through both of their bodies. When she didn’t stop him, he continued the kissing, licking, nipping and gentle sucking on her neck.

“That feels good,” she mumbled loud enough for only him to hear. She turned around in his arms, and they continued their dancing, grinding up against one another, never breaking eye contact. He slowly maneuvered them to a secluded corner area and backed Andy up against the wall, his hands against the wall next to her head.

”I may regret all this in the morning but god damn it Andy, I have to right now,” he said, his face inches from hers. He abandoned all feelings and emotions but for this girl standing in front of him, looking up at him with the same feeling he had in her eyes. He pressed his lips to hers, and she warmly welcomed it. He wrapped his arms around her, hers around him. She settled against the wall, and completely welcomed his attentions.

Jason and Maria were sitting at the bar talking when a large group of men walked in.

“Where’d your sister and friend go?” Maria asked cautiously.

“They’re around somewhere, why baby?”

“Those guys who just got here are bad news. Find them and let’s get out of here.”

Jason got up and went in search of Justin and Andy. After going through the crowd of people dancing, he saw the back of Justin’s figure, a woman’s arms around him, him holding on of her legs up around him. He began to march over to his friend, pissed he’d left Andy somewhere. Then he froze, a smile spreading across his face when he saw the woman was his sister.

”Justin,” Jason said, a hand on his shoulder still smiling.

“What?” he growled, his head turning. His face immediately sobered up when he realized it was Jason.

“Justin, I don’t care man. We gotta get out of here now though, bad news just walked in.”

Andy was so intoxicated from the tequila and the kiss, she didn’t care that her brother saw her and Justin all over each other.

”Damn it,” Justin groaned, the looked at Andy. “Let’s go,” he mumbled and kissed her one more time.

They all made their way out to the car just as all the trouble started. They climbed in Jason’s car, Justin and Andy in the backseat again. They picked up where they’d left off in the club almost immediately.

“How drunk are you?” Justin mumbled around her lips.

“I can’t even see straight.”

”Come back to my house with me,” he whispered, so Jason couldn’t hear.

“No, nothing beyond this,” she told him as she put his hands on her ass.

“Please?” he begged, then nipped at her lip.

“No.”

Jason dropped Maria off, walking her to her door. When he got back in the car, he told Justin to get in the front seat.

“Jason, no,” Andy whined, not letting go of Justin.

”Yes, Andy,” he told her firmly, and she let go for Justin to climb in the front seat.

Before they were even out of Maria’s apartment complex, Andy was passed out.

“So what brought on the…kissing?” Jason asked curiously.

“Jason, I’m sorry man. It just happened and she didn’t stop me. Told me no about coming back to my house though.”

Jason laughed. “It might be awkward tomorrow.”

“I won’t bring it up unless she does. We’re both pretty beyond wasted.”

“That’s fine. Just, don’t hurt her Justin. Please?”

“It was just kissing. Because of things heating up on the dance floor. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Thank you” Jason said as he pulled up in front of Justin’s.

”I’ll see ya at work tomorrow,” Justin said as he got out.

Jason drove home and managed to get a nearly unconscious Andy out of the car and up to her room.

“Where’s Justin?” she mumbled as Jason laid her on her bed.

“At home, probably passed out.”

“He kissed me.”

“I know. Go to sleep Andy, you’re wasted.”

“Tell him it was just kissing. I don’t want more from him.”

“He knows Andy. Goodnight.”

“Don’t be mad at him Jas.”

“I’m not. Now go to sleep Andy!” he told her firmly, turned out the light and closer her door as he walked out.

“He’s a good kisser though,” she mumbled, then passed out.