The Law of Attraction(75)

“Nobody else is ever up there and it’s a nice night.”

We took the stairs and when we got there Braden found a dark spot and once again lifted me up and braced me against a wall. The city lights sparkled in the distance. I felt him slide into me again and start moving more slowly. He buried his mouth against my neck and pushed into me deeply while I moaned and ran my hands up and down his back. Without any further distractions it wasn’t long before I felt myself get to where I needed to be. Braden sensed it and started talking to me again. This time, though, he didn’t talk dirty to me. The things he said were romantic instead and they turned me on just as much.

“Gabrielle, you’re so beautiful. And sweet. And sexy. It’s never felt like this before. I want to lose myself in you. I want to be inside you forever.”

“Braden, I need you so much.” I felt myself slip over and fall into oblivion and then a couple of minutes later he let go and joined me. We held on to each other tightly as sensation and release washed over us and then we stood there panting with our foreheads pressed together.

“Braden,” I said after a few minutes, “are we going to have to have sex on the roof from now on?”

“No, baby. We’re going to have sex in the bedroom and Bruno is going to wait in the living room. I just had to get out of there.”

“Okay. Just asking. I figured it might get cold eventually.” We headed back downstairs where Bruno met us at the door and gave us a dirty look. He was obviously deeply offended that we were not willing to involve him in our sex life.

* * *

I told Braden that I had to help Jess with something the next night. That was technically true. He said that he would watch Bruno and invite Adam and Mark over to play cards and hang out again. He still wanted to spend the night together, though, so I told him that he should come by and pick me up at ten and that I would go back to his place with him. I knew that I was cutting it close but I didn’t want to act suspiciously by being out late on a night before court. Besides, how much garbage could she have anyway? So the next night Bruno was off at Daddy’s place when Jess and Cam and I piled into my Mini Cooper at eight-thirty and headed for Marla’s townhouse. We parked down the street and strolled casually toward her address. When we were in front of it though, we encountered a little problem. The homes were narrow and attached and there were a whole bunch of garbage cans standing together. You couldn’t tell which one belonged to which house. Shit!

“Okay, okay, think, Gabrielle,” I said to myself as I put my hands on my hips and paced. “She’s a single woman, so if we see guy trash it’s probably not hers.”

“Guy trash?” Jess asked dubiously.

“You know, stuff that a guy has that women doesn’t.”

“A penis?” Jess shook her head in bewilderment.

“Cam, what kind of stuff would a guy have that a woman probably wouldn’t?”

“Uh, Playboy, Penthouse, cigars, Scotch. Actually, if you find that stuff let me know. I think I want to hang out with that guy.”

“Well, what kind of stuff would a woman have that a guy wouldn’t?” I was getting desperate.

“Tampons!” Jess yelled and clapped her hands like she was on Family Feud.

“Will you be quiet?” I hissed. “The point is we can figure out within maybe five cans which one is hers. It looks like there’s an alley over there and there are street lights. I say we carry the cans back there and figure out which one it is.”

“Okay, good luck with that. I’m the lookout, remember?” Cam said, walking away.

“I’m the driver,” Jess chimed in.

“And I’m the trash picker. Yes, I recall the conversation, but I need your help carrying it back there.” They sighed and both of them went over and picked up a can and hauled it back to the alley. I picked one up too and we soon had five cans back there. We had placed them directly under a street light and I opened the lid and started going through the first can. I was leaning into it covered in garbage myself when Jess finally broke.

“Oh Jesus, honey! I can’t watch you do this anymore. Move over!” She started going through a second can. I saw Cam squirm.

“I’m not going to do this.”

“So, don’t. You’re the lookout,” I reminded him.

“I’m serious. I’m really not picking through trash.”

“Ew! Is that a condom?” Jess asked.

“Ah man!” Cam made a face and kicked the base of the street light. “It’s like I can hear my mother saying ‘a gentleman picks through trash for a lady, Cameron’,” he grumbled. “Move over!” He stormed over and ripped the lid off a third can. “I don’t know if we’re going to find anything we can use,” he said, and suddenly a voice called out.