The Home Court Advantage

“Yeah, it’s about time you two buried the hatchet,” Evan added with a smile and a glance at Braden and Cam. They waved and then turned and left.

Just then Jess and Lily came walking in and Kurt and Evan gave them an admiring look as they passed. Adam had been looking off in the direction of the lounge and when he turned and caught sight of Lily, he immediately did a double take. Even though he quickly hid it, the look he gave her appeared to be filled with more attraction than dislike. So, of course, he had to compensate.

“Why Lilith,” he said. “Do they let you out at night?” His body language reeked of cockiness and disdain. What a charmer he could be! I could see why the ladies flocked to him.

“Gentlemen,” Lily said. “Adam.” She looked at him dismissively. Lily knew how to give as good as she got and she wasn’t anybody’s little groupie. No wonder they didn’t get along. Although I wasn’t his groupie either, and I gave it back to him too. Same thing with Jess and we seemed to get along with him okay. Interesting.

“Your full name is Lilith?” Jess asked, looking at Lily curiously. “I didn’t know that.”

“No. Lily is my full name, but Adam finds it amusing to call me by the name of a female demon.” She threw him a sarcastic smile.

“If the shoe fits…” he said, returning the smile. As she turned away, though, he gave her a thoughtful look like he wasn’t sure that it was really her. She didn’t look like a mousy librarian tonight, did she, Adam?

Braden finally seemed to be getting over being in alcohol/lust induced shock and he moved over to stand by me and pull me to his side. He looked down into my eyes, gave me a sexy smile, and ran his fingers lightly up and down my bare back, making me all shivery.

“Lily,” Jess said, “that’s Cameron Clay and that’s Drew Pierce. Guys, this is Lily Adler.” Cam and Drew greeted Lily and she looked at Cam with fairly open curiosity. He seemed puzzled by the attention.

“I know that you’ve met Mark before but have you ever met Braden?” I asked, redirecting her attention before she got too curious.

“No, I haven’t, but Gab’s told me a lot about you.” She smiled at him and her eyes seemed to involuntarily drop to his package but she quickly ripped them away and blushed. He shot me a rather irked look and I smiled innocently.

“And of course you and Adam know each other already,” I added and both she and Adam cringed at the same time.

“Well, now we’re all assembled, let’s go check it out,” Mark said.

We went through the archway where Kurt and Evan had come from. There were tables built into alcoves along two walls and a long bar stood in front of a third. There was a circular dance floor in the center of the room surrounding a round opening with a railing where people could stand to watch couples gyrate on the main dance floor below. Hanging above the opening was a huge saucer-shaped object with blinking lights that I took to be a UFO. We all slid into a long cushioned bench seat that wrapped around a table in one of the alcoves.

“Braden, Cam! It’s Derek!” Drew said suddenly. Braden and Cam immediately followed his gaze to an exceptionally handsome guy at the bar who was presently feeling up a woman in a dress the size of a bikini. I could see the family resemblance right away. He was tall and he had classic good looks. His hair was a dark blonde, somewhere between Braden and Drew’s blonde and Cameron’s light brown. He had an air of confident sexuality and he surprised me. When Cam and Braden had spoken of Cousin Derek, the Larry Flint of the Main Line, I had pictured a greasy-looking guy, not this very sexy-looking guy. But then, he was their cousin, and they were both very sexy-looking guys.

“Oh shit!” Cam said and looked at Braden with panic.

“Just ignore him,” Braden said. “He’s busy. He probably won’t even see us.” We had only looked up at Derek for a moment, and now we were busy ourselves, staring at each other hotly and holding hands.

At that moment a bleach blonde waitress with boobs like watermelons spilling out of a skimpy silver space girl outfit came over to take our drink order. She looked like a cross between Dolly Parton and Barbarella. The second her eyes fastened on Braden I knew she recognized him. She gave him a flirtatious smile and licked her lips as she leaned down low to give him a good clear view of the melon match. He didn’t avail himself of her offer though. In fact, he turned nearly sideways to face me.

“So baby, I was thinking about having another beer.”

“Okay. Did you want me to order it for you?” I wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“No, sweetheart, that’s okay. Heineken in the bottle and whatever my girlfriend wants.” He glanced up at the barmaid and returned his attention quickly to me.

“I’ll have a white wine spritzer, thanks.” Dollarella gave me an unfriendly look and then slithered off. I didn’t know about anybody else, but I wasn’t leaving her a big tip.

“Did you know that waitress?” I asked Braden curiously.

“She used to work at another place I used to go to. I think she kind of liked me.” I had a feeling that was the understatement of the century but I didn’t pursue it. I didn’t have time to pursue it, truthfully. I looked up and saw Cousin Derek approaching our table. Uh oh. Things were getting better and better. Maybe Braden had been right about the club thing not being a great idea.

“Hello, Braden,” Derek said in a voice that sounded like he should have been saying “Hello Clarice” instead. It was kind of mesmerizing, though, and I found myself staring at him, almost fascinated. “I haven’t seen you out and about in quite a while.” His eyes traveled over to me. “And who is this lovely woman with you?” He gave me an almost boyish look, but with an obscene undertone, and then he raked his fingers through his hair in a very Braden-like way that surprised me and threw me off balance. He was almost like Braden’s evil twin.

“This is my girlfriend, Gabrielle,” Braden answered in a slightly menacing tone. “She’s not only lovely, she’s an intelligent, accomplished, fellow attorney, for whom I have the greatest respect. We’re a very happy, monogamous couple.”

“Uh, hi?” I said, trying to sound friendly. After all, he was a relative even if he did have some obscene tendencies. Every family had a black sheep. In my case it was my grandmother.

“A pleasure,” Derek replied. “And a surprise. It’s been some time since Braden was half of a ‘monogamous couple’. I’m not sure that he’s ever been part of a ‘happy’ one.”

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