“When we went out last week, I had a strange conversation with a neighbor of mine that may have had something to do with the Moretti trial,” I explained, going into the whole story, starting with neighbor Dan and ending with Mr. O.J. gloves and our plan to keep me in town.
“But won’t it be weird living together when you just started dating?” Cam asked.
“It’s not permanent and Adam and I have known each other since we were four. We spent every day together in school, every Saturday together in Hebrew school, and every summer together at camp.”
“And they’re sleeping together now,” Gab pointed out. “They’ll get along much better, since it was probably sexual frustration fueling their animosity.” Every now and then Gabrielle showed a scary smart flash of insight.
“You should know that I’m jealous,” Mark said and gave me a cute bad boy smile.
“Stop flirting with her,” Adam demanded, sitting down next to me.
“What do you have, radar?” Mark asked.
“I’ve already got to put up with Sachs leering at her from across the room. I don’t need to deal with you, Mr. Grabby Hands,” he shot back.
“And here comes hubby,” Jess smiled at Gab. “You don’t follow me around like that,” she said to Cam.
“Maybe I do and I just don’t let you know.”
“That’s creepy, honey.” She laughed and he leaned down and kissed her.
“Mark, I think you’re going to have to find yourself a girlfriend soon,” Braden teased, glancing at Cam and taking a seat next to Gabrielle.
“I guess so, since Adam won’t lend me his.” He laughed when Adam glared at him.
“Where’s Bruce?” I asked, changing the subject.
“He and Jason had plans,” Adam explained, sounding like he and Bruce were tight now.
“So, one of your neighbors may be involved in the Moretti case,” Braden said.
“I’ve been thinking about it and I have a few ideas…” Gabrielle started.
“Oh no. Here we go,” Cam interrupted. “What will it be this time, garbage cans, UFO conferences or underground sex parties?”
“Why don’t you throw a party, Lily?” Gab went on, ignoring him.
“I’ll be your partner,” Mark offered with a sexy smile. “I’ve infiltrated parties for Gabrielle before. I’ll even wear the costume again if you want me to.”
“That’s it!” Adam growled angrily.
“Cut it out, Mark,” Braden intervened, smiling, but giving him a warning look.
“You’ll never let me live that down, will you?” Gab asked, rolling her eyes. “One time, you ask somebody to dress up like a naughty schoolboy and sneak into and underground sex party and they’ll never let you forget it. For the record, though, I’m not talking about that kind of party. I mean just a regular old party and Lily can tell her neighbors that they should stop by.”
“And why would they want to do that?” I inquired before I could stop myself.
“Curiosity.” I must not have looked convinced. “And free booze – stress the free booze.”
“What are we going to do at the party, Sherlock?” Adam asked with a smile. “Play Beer Pong with the loonies and the hit man?”
“Yeah, why would I want to do that?” I asked.
“So we can observe them,” Gab said with a smile.
“Observe them do what, honey?” Jess asked. “Get drunk?”
“Observe them to see if anyone is acting suspiciously, but first, we’ll get McGuire’s door open and leave it open a little. Then we’ll watch from somewhere. Anyone innocent won’t try to go in, because they’ll think McGuire is there, but the Fox will know he’s not and he’ll probably want to go in and look around.”
“Hang on, get his door open?” Mark chimed in. “I could be wrong, but that sounds a whole lot like, oh, I don’t know, breaking and entering?”
“It’s not breaking and entering. It’s just breaking. We’re not going into his apartment.”
“This sounds like such a fun party,” Adam replied. “Should we vandalize the private citizen’s door and lie in wait for the contract killer, before or after we play Twister?”
“Forget about the legalities for now,” Braden spoke up and then paused. “I don’t believe I just said that.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“Gabrielle’s rubbing off on you, Braden,” Cam said with a laugh.
“What I want to know,” Braden went on, “is why he would want to look around McGuire’s apartment. What’s he looking for, baby?”
“The flash drive,” Gab answered, like that should make perfect sense to all of us.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, completely lost at this point.
“Don’t you remember what he said? Details on drive?”
“Yeah, I figured he meant he wanted a ride home, and he would explain whatever he wanted to tell me then,” I answered.
“That doesn’t make any sense, though. Who talks like that?”
“I guess it’s possible he was talking about a flash drive,” I said pensively. “Come to think of it, that federal agent did ask me if McGuire gave me anything.”
“So, how about next Saturday night?” Gab suggested. “That will give you some time to plan and let the neighbors know about it.”
“Oh that’s so sweet!” Mark laughed. “Adam and Lily are entertaining together.”
“Adam and Lily have always been entertaining together,” Braden joked.
We stayed for a while longer, talking about court that day. I explained a little bit more about my delightful parents and how my failure to practice law had made me a failure in general in their eyes. I pointed out, though, that it didn’t really matter since they had never seemed to like me much anyway. We ordered food and talked a little about my neighbors. Adam assured Mark that he would just love Donna. Somehow, I don’t think Mark believed him.
When it was getting close to eight o’clock, Adam and I said our goodbyes and headed out. I noted as we left that Jacob and his blonde were gone. I guess she was luckier than Adam’s blonde. When we got to the car Adam didn’t pull out immediately, turning to me instead.
“So, how about we go to my place and take a bath?” he said in a sexy voice.
“But won’t it be weird living together when you just started dating?” Cam asked.
“It’s not permanent and Adam and I have known each other since we were four. We spent every day together in school, every Saturday together in Hebrew school, and every summer together at camp.”
“And they’re sleeping together now,” Gab pointed out. “They’ll get along much better, since it was probably sexual frustration fueling their animosity.” Every now and then Gabrielle showed a scary smart flash of insight.
“You should know that I’m jealous,” Mark said and gave me a cute bad boy smile.
“Stop flirting with her,” Adam demanded, sitting down next to me.
“What do you have, radar?” Mark asked.
“I’ve already got to put up with Sachs leering at her from across the room. I don’t need to deal with you, Mr. Grabby Hands,” he shot back.
“And here comes hubby,” Jess smiled at Gab. “You don’t follow me around like that,” she said to Cam.
“Maybe I do and I just don’t let you know.”
“That’s creepy, honey.” She laughed and he leaned down and kissed her.
“Mark, I think you’re going to have to find yourself a girlfriend soon,” Braden teased, glancing at Cam and taking a seat next to Gabrielle.
“I guess so, since Adam won’t lend me his.” He laughed when Adam glared at him.
“Where’s Bruce?” I asked, changing the subject.
“He and Jason had plans,” Adam explained, sounding like he and Bruce were tight now.
“So, one of your neighbors may be involved in the Moretti case,” Braden said.
“I’ve been thinking about it and I have a few ideas…” Gabrielle started.
“Oh no. Here we go,” Cam interrupted. “What will it be this time, garbage cans, UFO conferences or underground sex parties?”
“Why don’t you throw a party, Lily?” Gab went on, ignoring him.
“I’ll be your partner,” Mark offered with a sexy smile. “I’ve infiltrated parties for Gabrielle before. I’ll even wear the costume again if you want me to.”
“That’s it!” Adam growled angrily.
“Cut it out, Mark,” Braden intervened, smiling, but giving him a warning look.
“You’ll never let me live that down, will you?” Gab asked, rolling her eyes. “One time, you ask somebody to dress up like a naughty schoolboy and sneak into and underground sex party and they’ll never let you forget it. For the record, though, I’m not talking about that kind of party. I mean just a regular old party and Lily can tell her neighbors that they should stop by.”
“And why would they want to do that?” I inquired before I could stop myself.
“Curiosity.” I must not have looked convinced. “And free booze – stress the free booze.”
“What are we going to do at the party, Sherlock?” Adam asked with a smile. “Play Beer Pong with the loonies and the hit man?”
“Yeah, why would I want to do that?” I asked.
“So we can observe them,” Gab said with a smile.
“Observe them do what, honey?” Jess asked. “Get drunk?”
“Observe them to see if anyone is acting suspiciously, but first, we’ll get McGuire’s door open and leave it open a little. Then we’ll watch from somewhere. Anyone innocent won’t try to go in, because they’ll think McGuire is there, but the Fox will know he’s not and he’ll probably want to go in and look around.”
“Hang on, get his door open?” Mark chimed in. “I could be wrong, but that sounds a whole lot like, oh, I don’t know, breaking and entering?”
“It’s not breaking and entering. It’s just breaking. We’re not going into his apartment.”
“This sounds like such a fun party,” Adam replied. “Should we vandalize the private citizen’s door and lie in wait for the contract killer, before or after we play Twister?”
“Forget about the legalities for now,” Braden spoke up and then paused. “I don’t believe I just said that.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“Gabrielle’s rubbing off on you, Braden,” Cam said with a laugh.
“What I want to know,” Braden went on, “is why he would want to look around McGuire’s apartment. What’s he looking for, baby?”
“The flash drive,” Gab answered, like that should make perfect sense to all of us.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, completely lost at this point.
“Don’t you remember what he said? Details on drive?”
“Yeah, I figured he meant he wanted a ride home, and he would explain whatever he wanted to tell me then,” I answered.
“That doesn’t make any sense, though. Who talks like that?”
“I guess it’s possible he was talking about a flash drive,” I said pensively. “Come to think of it, that federal agent did ask me if McGuire gave me anything.”
“So, how about next Saturday night?” Gab suggested. “That will give you some time to plan and let the neighbors know about it.”
“Oh that’s so sweet!” Mark laughed. “Adam and Lily are entertaining together.”
“Adam and Lily have always been entertaining together,” Braden joked.
We stayed for a while longer, talking about court that day. I explained a little bit more about my delightful parents and how my failure to practice law had made me a failure in general in their eyes. I pointed out, though, that it didn’t really matter since they had never seemed to like me much anyway. We ordered food and talked a little about my neighbors. Adam assured Mark that he would just love Donna. Somehow, I don’t think Mark believed him.
When it was getting close to eight o’clock, Adam and I said our goodbyes and headed out. I noted as we left that Jacob and his blonde were gone. I guess she was luckier than Adam’s blonde. When we got to the car Adam didn’t pull out immediately, turning to me instead.
“So, how about we go to my place and take a bath?” he said in a sexy voice.
