The Home Court Advantage

“Oh my God, honey!” Jess laughed, rolling her eyes at me.

“I guess that it’s safe to assume that Braden went to Harvard?” Lily asked Jess with a surprised sounding laugh. I had a feeling that I might have been a bit overly candid again.

“Uh oh. Was that too much information? I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t be talking about the size of my boyfriend’s endowment, or Cameron’s endowment for that matter either, since he’s probably Jess’s future boyfriend.”

“It’s okay, honey. I asked you about that myself,” Jess reminded me. “I was more amused by how you put things.” She was just finishing up her makeup and she looked amazing. Her long auburn hair was gleaming and her skin looked like ivory. She was also wearing a killer dress in a deep green that was perfect for her. Cam would pass out when he saw her. Bruno was duly impressed. He decided that it was her turn to love him and so hopped down and went over to sit at her feet adoringly. He was more than a flirt. He was a little doggie player. She bent down and picked him up to pet him and he looked at her with pure bliss.

“Why is he probably Jess’s future boyfriend?” Lily asked, sounding very curious as she paged through a copy of Vogue.

“Because they make a great couple,” I explained. “You should see them together. They’re always laughing. And he said he thought she was very attractive and that he was thinking about exploring it more.” Jess blushed but she looked very happy.

“And do you want to be explored?” Lily asked Jess with a suggestive smile.

“Well, he’s really cute and smart, and sexy,” she said, blushing even more. “And I do have fun with him. So yeah, I would like to be explored, but there’s no rush. I want him to work through anything he has to work through with Braden being Gab’s boyfriend and me being her friend first. Then I’ll know that he’s ready to be involved, because I’m not interested in a one-nighter with a meal plan either.” She threw me a smile.

“I want to be as well-grounded as Jess when I grow up,” I said and poured myself another glass of wine.

“Slow down there, you lush,” Jess chided. “You’re not drinkin’ for the gold.”

“I hardly ever drink!” I pointed out and for some reason at the moment that argument seemed to make sense to me. Probably because I was drinking. I took another sip of wine.

“Uh oh, I see some drunk dancing on the horizon!” Lily teased.

“For an uncoordinated person I’m a very good drunk dancer. In fact, I think I dance better drunk,” I answered thoughtfully, wondering why that was.

“I hope so, if you’re planning to try to dance in those Loubies, honey. Maybe we had better bring a first-aid kit along with us,” Jess said, looking worried.

“Very funny. So, tell us about your latest novel!” I said to Lily, changing the subject.

“I assume you mean my latest thriller,” she teased. Lily wrote legal thrillers but she also wrote erotic romance under a pen name. Jess and I had definitely become addicted to her naughty books and we weren’t the only ones. She was developing quite a little following.

“You know what we want, honey!” Jess piped up. “Spill it! What kind of smut are you writing now and how soon can we buy it?” Lily sketched out the details for us and we made a show of fanning ourselves and giggling with wine-fueled, dirty-minded delight. Speaking of dirty-minded delight, Braden called just before nine. I grabbed my phone and headed into my own room to talk to him.

“Hey there, sexy guy,” I answered. Just hearing his voice made me all fluttery and I couldn’t help the big goofy grin that I saw gazing back at me from my vanity mirror.

“Uh oh, I think someone’s been drinkin’.” He laughed.

“You could tell from one sentence?” I asked, sort of surprised.

“Well, call me conceited, but I’m assuming that you meant to call me a ‘sexy’ guy not ‘sudsy’ guy, although I did just take a shower and I have had a few beers myself, I must confess.”

“Uh oh, you’ve been hanging around with me too long. You’re starting to tell corny jokes. So how was hanging out with the prosecutor types?”

“It was fun. I was catching up with everybody and letting them know where I’ve been. They were joking around saying they were going to put my picture on a milk carton and file a missing person’s report on me. Don’t worry though. I said lots of nice things about you.”

“Did you tell them that I’m a brilliant and incredibly gifted attorney and that you worship the ground that I walk on?” I plopped down on my bed and let his deep rich voice wash over me.

“Even better. I told them that you fondled me while I watched the baseball game and then knocked me over in bed and showed me who was boss.”

“Braden.” I laughed, hoping he was kidding. I heard him laugh too. Phew!

“Actually, I told them that I’ve never been happier and that I’m very content to spend my nights with you.”

“Oh. That’s sweet. Did Adam vomit?”

“Actually, I think he’s jealous.”

“Adam’s in love with you?” I teased.

“No! I think he’s jealous of the fact that I found somebody who I can go home with at night and who makes me so happy.”

“You must be drunk,” I teased. “He wouldn’t want to limit himself to having sex with only one woman.”

“He would if it were great sex. I know he’s jealous of our sex life. Just to let you know, not all casual hook-ups are great. Novelty just goes so far.”

“You tell him stuff about our sex life?”

“Not details. Just general stuff.”

“What kind of general stuff?”

“I don’t know. Like for example, if he said, ‘Hey, Braden you’re looking really cheerful, you must have gotten laid last night, I might point out that I get laid most nights, but I wouldn’t mention that I spanked you and you liked it.” He laughed.

“Well, that’s okay, I guess.”

“And I’ve told him that you blow my mind in bed but I haven’t mentioned that you’ve also blown it in the jury room. Although I suspect that Mark will so I’ll probably be hearing about that soon.”

“I’ve told Jess some general stuff about you, too.”

“Like what?”

“Like you have the stamina of an Energizer Bunny.”