“You’re not going to have a heart attack or something, are you?” I asked nervously. I could just picture that story on Page Six – senator’s son winds up in hospital…
“No.” He laughed. “But we’ll have to be careful when I’m Mr. Davis’ age.”
“Okay. No oral attention for you when you’re one hundred and five or however old he was.”
“I just said we would have to be careful. Not that we had to stop completely. Now trade places with me because I want to see if you can handle my sharp tongue.” Inner-Gabrielle hit the floor.
We finally made it to my bathroom to wash up for bed. Then we snuggled in together and I thought about how warm he always felt, like my own personal furnace.
“So what did you think of my crazy family?”
“I love your parents. They have a great sense of humor and they seem really down-to-earth.”
“I’m glad you like them. They like you too. I can tell.”
“Well, that’s good. Your other relatives are pretty wild but they’re funny as hell.”
“You say that now.”
“It’ll just make your dad and me closer.”
“He always wanted a son. We should sleep now. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Good night baby. I’ll dream about you.”
“Me too, Braden,” I said quietly and leaned up to kiss him goodnight.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
We slept late, enjoyed some leisurely morning sex, showered together and made our way downstairs, where my parents had set up a nice spread with genuine New York bagels, cream cheese, veggies and fresh fruit. There was also fresh squeezed juice and the nectar of the gods, good hot coffee. After breakfast my dad took Braden out for a walk to show him some more of the neighborhood, and presumably, to get to know him better. I decided to use the opportunity to check in with Jess and find out how Marla night with Cam had gone. I got out my cell and gave her a call. She answered on the first ring. I think she had been waiting for my call.
“You are not going to believe this, Gab!”
“Well hello to you too. The trip is going very well, thanks.”
“Yeah, that’s good. Listen! You are not going to believe this!”
“So you said. What is it I’m not going to believe?”
“I think that maybe she’s a hooker!”
“What?!”
“Well, technically, I guess you would call her a call girl because she met rich-looking guys at the best hotels in Philly. She went in, met them in either the lobby or the lounge, got into the elevator with them and then left again, usually about a half an hour or an hour later. She met four different guys in four different hotels.”
“Are you sure that’s what she’s doing?”
“No. Maybe she’s a freelance chambermaid.”
“Oh wow. Why would Marla be hooking if her family’s rich?” I wondered out loud.
“Maybe they cut her off.”
“That’s an interesting idea. That would make her pretty desperate to land a rich husband, wouldn’t it?”
“Maybe even desperate enough to try to scare off someone’s girlfriend.”
“Hmm. I wonder if Marla’s as crazy as everyone thinks she is.”
“We eventually followed her to a drag club called Gili’s Cabaret.”
“Wait! Gili’s Cabaret? That place is supposedly associated somehow with those parties!”
“Well, that makes sense because we saw a flyer for one in there.”
“A flyer? They advertise underground sex parties with flyers?”
“Hey, it’s a business. They might have a Facebook page for all we know. Anyway, there is a party next weekend. And it’s a costume party. You’re supposed to dress up like your favorite sexual fantasy.”
“Well, we can figure out what fantasy a naughty boy might be into.”
“So do you think Marla, the call girl, goes to these parties?”
“Supposedly some pros do, but I don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket. I think we should still treat her as a separate mission, especially since she lives right here in the city.”
“Okay, I hear you. I have to admit to you, Gabrielle, Cam and I have been having fun.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, this is actually kind of exciting. Should we watch her again?”
“I guess so. Maybe we can figure out a way to leave a note for her to reply to at one of these hotels or something.”
“We’re on it,” she said, and hung up.
My mom and I sat down to talk for a little while and she made it clear in no uncertain terms that she and my dad approved of Braden. Dad and Braden got home about a half an hour later and they seemed to be happily bonding. All was well at the Ginsberg residence. Then my dad went to check the mail.