“Yeah, I think we will,” Brooke sighed, ” Now, come on, get your gorgeous backside out of that bed.”

Sam smiled at the thought of being called gorgeous, “In a minute or two. You can have the shower first, Hon,” then she rolled over to watch Brooke get up.

“Okay then, I’ll be right back.” Brooke winked and sauntered off toward the bathroom.

The small woman lay in the bed thinking about the last few minutes of their discussion. The rich tones of Brooke’s voice filled her mind as a certain phrase came back to haunt Sam.

“So I guess we shouldn’t wait that long.”

The woman shook her head, hearing it repeated over and over again. “Did she just mean what I think she meant?” Sam thought for a moment and in her heart she knew the answer. “Brooke Gordon, you sure are full of surprises.” The blonde rolled over in the bed, hearing the singing coming from the shower down the hall. “Yep, I could definitely learn to love hearing that every day of my life.”

Early that evening, the 300Z zoomed down the highway carrying three occupants toward a night of celebration. Brooke smiled looking into the rearview mirror knowing that her sister had no clue as to what was in store for her. Celebrating the twenty-first birthday was always a special occasion for the siblings of the Gordon family. It was the coming of age. The official welcoming day to the world of being an adult. It wasn’t the fact that they were legal to drink, but more that they had survived each other to get there. C.C.’s birthday marked the last in this tightly knit family’s coming of age and Brooke intended to make it a memorable one for her favorite sister.

“Well, I’m glad you could find some time to spend with me, Sis. I mean, you and the roomie there.” C.C. teased Sam, “I see you smiling.”

The blonde turned in her seat to face the driver, “Brooke, do I have a smile on my face?”

The driver glanced over quickly, then settled her eyes back on the road, “Why do you ask that?”

“No reason,” Sam waited for Brooke to glance back then winked at her.

The car slowed down, stopping at a traffic light. Making good use of her time, Brooke leaned over and gave Sam a kiss on the lips.

“Aw…Come on you two…”

As she came back behind the wheel, the driver couldn’t help but notice her backseat passenger rolling her eyes and looking up to the heavens. “What’s wrong C.C.?”

“Jeez, you two sure that you want me in the backseat here? You know, I could have driven myself and just met you there.”

The older woman looked over to Sam and winked. “Well, you could drive and let us get in the backseat…” Brooke looked in the rearview mirror for C.C.’s reaction.

One mean-looking eyeball gazed into the mirror from the rear seat as C.C. thrusted her upper body into the front seat as much as she could, still wearing her seatbelt. “Don’t go getting any ideas,” she looked from one to the other, “either one of you.”

“Why not, Sis?”

“God,” C.C. moaned and shook her head. “I’d have to cover up the rearview mirror with you two back here.” The woman laughed nervously, trying not to see the mental images in her mind. Then, as an after thought, C.C. added, “And put up a soundproof window.”

Sam reached out and touched Brooke’s arm, breaking the spell she was in with her own thoughts on the subject, “Drive Brooke, the light changed to green.”

“Okay, I’m driving…” Brooke tried to cover up her own daydreaming session. “It’s C.C.’s birthday. She’s legal now. I was just thinking of how we could celebrate.”

“Oh, and I was included in that little dream romp of yours, Sis? I think not,” she nudged the driver’s shoulder and grinned. “Speaking of celebrating, where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” The two front seat passengers exchanged glances, then Brooke continued, “I just thought we’d go out for a bit. You know, buy my baby sister her first legal drink.” The driver looked into the rearview mirror and grinned.

Ready to bust out laughing, Sam looked out the window, then reached for her purse. Rifling through it for a second or two before she spoke she came up with a frustrated look on her face. “Brooke, I need to stop at the house first. I need to change this shirt I’m wearing. It’s way too hot to wear into a crowded bar.”

Brooke nodded, checking her mirrors before making any lane changes. “Yes, Darlin’.”

“Besides, I left that fake ID of mine in my stuff at your house.” Sam closed the purse and set it back down as the car turned off the highway.

“Good thing you thought of that now, we’re right at the exit. We can go back and get it.”

“Whoa, fake ID?” C.C. asked.

The blonde turned around and answered her, “You don’t think that I’m sitting in the car to wait for you two, do you?”

“Nope, no way,” Brooke chimed in.

“I want to be able to say that I saw you take that first legal drink. God knows I’ve seen enough of the illegal ones,” Sam laughed, seeing the tongue sticking out at her from the backseat.

“Okay gang, we’re almost there.” Brooke pulled into her driveway.

“Besides,” Sam continued sheepishly, “It may be my last time to have an illegal one.”

“Hmm…” Brooke thought for a moment, “Good point.”

“I’ve been rather busy lately,” Sam chuckled, “No time to go bar hopping.”

Brooke glanced over to Sam and grinned, picking up the blonde’s small hand, she kissed it.

“Ugh…” C.C. shook her head, “T-M-I. You guys are way too mushy. I think maybe I screwed up trying to hook you two together.”

“You did what, C.C.?” Sam looked toward the backseat.

“What? Did what?” C.C. mimicked a startled duck as she quacked out the questions.

“Are you trying to take credit for us?” Sam egged the woman on.

“Ah…I’m asking if my trying to hook the two of you up was a bad idea?” C.C. crossed her arms and sat back in her seat, “Oh, yeah. Like either of you would have done it on your own.”

Sam’s head turned around to face C.C., “How did you…” then it dawned on her. “That movie. Brooke…” she reached out to touch the arm of the driver.

“Pulleezzze!” C.C. exaggerated the word, “Yeah, but I…” then thought it better to keep her mouth shut. “Well…er…uhm…never mind. I’m shutting up now.”

“You did set that up.” Sam eyed C.C., “Didn’t you?”

“Wow,” C.C. seemed distracted by something outside of the car, “Look, there’s Brooke’s house.”

The driver laughed at her sister’s antics, “You’ve done it now C.C.”

“Brooke,” Sam’s hands looked like she was directing some invisible orchestra as she tried to get the words out fast, “You aren’t going to let her change the subject like that, are you?”

“Honey,” Brooke grabbed and held Sam’s hands in her own. “I think you’re handling this just fine.” The dark-haired woman winked, “It’s her birthday. I’ll have plenty of chances to get her back…”

“Done what?” C.C.’s head popped up in between the front seats again, “Let two like bodies meet on common ground?”

Blue eyes centered on the rearview mirror. “C.C., did you set us up that night or not?”

Sam waited a moment then offered, “Well, she did point out our likes,” then laughed, remembering the good time she’d had at the movie.

“I…I was just doing what you were too bullheaded to do,” C.C. poked her sister in the shoulder.

“Bullheaded? C.C….” Brooke’s voice lowered almost an octave and C.C. knew she meant business.

“Now, before I answer that, remember Momma’s saying,” the backseat passenger grinned evilly, “No one gets killed on their birthday.” Then C.C. proceeded to stick out her tongue.

“You did set us up.” Sam unbuckled her seatbelt and turned around in her seat. “How did you know?”

“Okay, C.C.,” Brooke held her hands up in resignation. “No one gets killed on their birthday. Now, answer the lady.”

“I know that look, Brooke. I only saw it in your eyes one other time and it was there again, at the dinner when you met Sam.” C.C. nodded her head once, finally taking credit for her actions, “Yeah, I set you two up.”

“I thought so,” Sam let the words tumble out.

Brooke took in a deep breath letting it all sink in, then let the air very slowly escape her lungs. Turning, she reached out with lightning quick speed and grabbed C.C.’s face in her hands, bringing the youngest sister close enough to plant a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Sis.”

“Huh?” C.C. looked stunned, bringing her own hand to touch the cheek that had just been affectionately assaulted. “I guess I better live for today, ’cause tomorrow I die.”

The older sibling released the woman and smiled. “Not if you tell me when the one other time was.”

“Oh, that…that’s an easy one. It was when you played…ah…” C.C. stopped short and looked into the mirror at Brooke. “Ah…music.”

“Oh,” Brooke caught the near slip and helped in its cover up. “When I was playing the drums off and on?” She looked over to Sam, then back to her sister in the mirror. “Doesn’t even compare.”

“Good,” C.C. sat back, proud that she hadn’t let anything slip. “I’d hate to have to keep this a secret too.”

Brooke’s eyes riveted to the mirror and gave a subtle shake of her head from side to side.

“You’re going to have to, C.C.,” Sam spoke up. “At least to your family.”

“Yeah, C.C., just for now.”

The backseat brunette smirked at the two women, “What, you two aren’t sure?”

“No, we’re sure,” Brooke looked over to Sam and smiled. “I just don’t want Mom pressuring Sam too much. I don’t want this to turn into the next dinner joke.” The driver pulled the car up to the house. “Besides, we’d like to have a little more time to get to know each other.”