“More likely they just blew him in the bathroom. If he asks you out on a date, Gab, then he seriously likes you. He doesn’t date. He fucks.”
“So, why are you encouraging me here?” Get it On by the Power Station was playing and I was tempted to start drunk dancing but nobody needed to see that.
“Because I think that he does seriously like you.”
“Do you know more about this than you’ve shared?”
“Look, I don’t know anything for sure, but I have a gut feeling and my gut’s usually right. I’m also not sure that he’ll do anything about it, even if he does like you, but he might now he knows that you’re interested too.”
“He doesn’t even really know me, though. This is the first time he’s seen me outside of court.”
“Do you feel like you’ve gotten to know him by being in court with him practically every day for the past six months?” She had a point there. It was something I had thought about myself.
“I guess that I have gotten to know a lot about his personality.”
“Well, he’s gotten to know a lot about yours too. You guys do know each other well. You just don’t know all the details.” She looked up. “Uh oh. I think we’re being summoned now.”
That feeling I had before? That wasn’t panic. This was panic. Even a bit boozed up I was nowhere near ready for a face to face flirt. Flight seemed out of the question, though, as Jess was already up on her feet and I didn’t want to be left alone to face the horny drunken businessman brigade. I took a deep breath, grabbed my jacket and followed along. Several prosecutors had moved on and there were plenty of empty seats. Thanks to Jessica's decision to throw her body across three of them, though, I found myself seated directly across from Braden. This wasn't getting any easier.
“Was there something that you wanted?” I asked Adam, hoping that I just sounded saucy and not like my clients who worked the corner outside the Triple X Theater.
“Why don’t you tell her what you want, Braden?” Adam laughed. I had a feeling that I could guess. Braden was giving me a really heated look. I had never seen him look at me like that, but then I had only ever been with him in court. It would be kind of odd to glance over in the middle of a carjacking case and see opposing counsel looking at you like he was picturing you naked. And I was pretty sure that’s what he was doing. Although he wasn’t being openly rude, he seemed to really like how I looked in a tight shirt in a cold room, if you know what I mean.
“We figured we would save you from having to turn down any more guys trying to buy you drinks,” Mark said, tossing a peanut into his mouth.
“It’s the least you could do, since thanks to you I actually am under the influence now, Mr. there are people going to bed sober tonight all over the world.”
“Hey, it’s not my problem you’re a lightweight,” he teased. “I didn’t force you to chug those two cups of beer, Animal.”
“I can’t wait to hear what she has to say when she’s been drinking,” Adam joked.
“Perhaps I’ll just sit here quietly and be entertained by your sparkling wit,” I said and started torturing a napkin in a way that it had done nothing to deserve. Suddenly Braden, who had been quiet up until this point, reached down and picked up my hand. He held it up to examine it more closely and my pulse shot into the stratosphere. At this rate I was going to need a cardiologist soon.
“Yale?” he asked, looking at my class ring with amusement and then laying my hand back on the table. So, I picked up his hand and held it up for my own examination. It had seemed casually sexy when he had done it. I, on the other hand, was squinting, which made it look like I was giving him an appraisal. After two beers and two shots of tequila, I was lucky I could still see straight.
“You went to Harvard?”
“Go Crimson,” he said, giving me a cocky grin. I put his hand down, afraid that if I didn’t, I would yank him across the table and kiss him stupid for daring to be that sexy.
“The Bulldogs are ahead by ten games now you know.” Way to be charming, Gabrielle. Maybe you should arm wrestle him too.
“That's just because Harvard's busy attracting world class scholars.”
“You mean the ones who couldn’t get into Yale?”
“I’ve heard that anyone could get into Yale.”
“What?” I smacked him on the arm. Oh shit! I had just drunkenly hit a freaking prosecutor. I slouched down in my seat a little hoping to look less drunk and disorderly… and violent. He seemed to be highly amused though.