How (not) to date your brother's best friend

How (not) to accompany a lady

Beer.

Yes, this was the kind of night that required a few beers. It was her. It had to be her. Her style was a little different, but he'd recognize that smile anywhere.

Granted the last time he had seen her - she hadn't looked like that. Had those curves been there when she was seventeen? It had been hard to tell for two reasons.

First - the baggy overalls she used to wear. Second, he had been twenty-two years old and had refused to look at an underage girl like that.

Now though? It had required a slight amount of self-control to keep his eyes to himself.

She had grown up.

She's Stephen's little sister.

That nagging voice in the back of his head hadn't left him alone. He knew that. He didn't need the reminder. One question remained... why had she acted like she didn't know him?

It had almost made him doubt her identity. But, if that was the game she wanted to play, he would play along.

He had so many questions: what was she doing out here? Why did she drive such a piece of crap car? Why was she worried about money? None of it added up.

If he knew anything about her family, it was that everyone's life was planned out ahead of time.

At least, it was what happened to her brother. Shouldn't it be the same for her? No way her parents would have sent her to the middle of nowhere without two pennies to scrub together.

Whatever. It wasn't like he could ask her.

Chase pushed himself away from his desk, standing up as he dragged his hand down his face. If he wanted a beer, he had to go get some - they were out.

"I'll be back," he shouted towards the back, getting no response.

He wriggled his way back to the front, the counter now dark: he wasn't expecting any new customers now. As he closed the shop's door behind him, he refocused his gaze ahead of him.

That was when he noticed her. She was sitting on the curb with her legs stretched out in front of her. Had she not left over thirty minutes ago? He dared to get close to her, hoping she would turn around.

But she did not.

"Ya alright?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. She brought a hand to her chest before turning around, nearly laying on the sidewalk, and looked at him. "Oh." She paused. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Okay." He blinked. Not quite the answer he expected from a girl sitting on the curb in the middle of the night. "Do - do you need us to call ya a cab?"

"I tried to do that," she explained as she looked away from him. "But then, my cellphone died on me. Then I thought one might show up... and I guess I lost track of time."

"You can use the phone if ya want?" Why hadn't she come back into the shop? Did she think he'd leave her out there?

She really hadn't recognized him. Or was she that desperate to pretend she didn't know him?

"I probably should."

And yet, despite her answer, she made no motion to get up. For the first time, he let himself really take in her features, noticing the dark circles beneath her eyes. She was exhausted. "I - I can give you a ride home if you need."

"I-hm." She swallowed hard before glancing down at the sidewalk. "Well."

This was it. The perfect moment to stop whatever silly game this had been. "Sam, we both know I ain't some weird serial killer."