“Maybe you’ll get lucky later,” I joked.

“I get lucky every night. Let me know if you get lucky tonight, and what conclusions you come to.” I watched as the door closed behind him.

“You’re actually going out tonight looking for some action?” Adam asked.

“I don’t know that I’m ready for anything else yet, and I have to get laid, man. I’ve got an important job and I have to be able to concentrate.”

“So, what’s your plan?”

“I’ll have to find myself another blonde, dim the lights, and try not to call her Beth. I spend plenty of time fantasizing about her already. I’m good at it.”

“Yeah, nothing weird about that,” Adam said on his way out.

Chapter Three

Beth

6:00 PM

When I got to the pub, I saw that the others had found a couple of tables in a corner and pushed them together. I walked over and saw a seat across from Mark. At least I would have a nice view. I pulled the chair out carefully and made sure there were no full cups of beer anywhere near me.

“About the art museum thing,” Braden said as I sat down. “Mark’s free to go with you tomorrow if you want.” I froze. If I wanted? He was kidding, right?

“You don’t mind?” I asked Mark, swallowing hard. “I don’t want to impose. I mean, if you had plans.”

“No imposition, it would be my pleasure,” he answered quickly and took a big swallow of his beer. I saw Adam give him an amused look.

“I know that I can trust Mark,” Braden said. “And that neither one of you would do anything in public that would create gossip.”

“But we can have sex in the limo on the way there, right?” I joked and Mark almost choked. At least I made Adam laugh.

“The tabloids are always lurking around at those things,” Gab said.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like they’ll be rolling around on the floor together. Oh wait,” Adam joked as Mark glared at him.

“Well, as for the details,” I said, ignoring him and speaking to Mark. “It’s black tie and it starts at seven. I have a car coming, so you can just meet me at my place at about quarter of. Like Lily mentioned, the theme is Old Hollywood.”

“Do they all have a theme?” Lily asked.

“Most do. It’s how they make these things seem more like a fun evening, and less like hitting people up for money,” I explained as I caught myself peeling the label off my beer bottle, distractedly. I couldn’t seem to keep my hands still. “There’s one coming up soon where everyone stays at a mansion for the weekend. You play a famous detective and try to solve a crime. I was thinking that you might enjoy that, Gab.”

“Oh my God! I would love that!” she beamed. “Braden, let’s go! In fact, we should all go!”

“Thanks, Beth,” Cameron said as he and Jess lifted their beers in a toast to me.

“Any of them have an underground sex party theme?” Adam asked. “Mark has the perfect outfit.” Poor Mark would never live down the night that Gabrielle convinced him to take part in one of her crazy plans.

“It’s not like I’m going to kill you. Oh wait…” Mark responded.

9:00 PM

I couldn’t believe I was home alone at 9:00 on a Friday night. Well, not completely alone. I was doggie sitting, so that Braden and Gabrielle could go out together. Still, I was an uncoupled twenty-six year-old woman spending my Friday night with a Chihuahua. Braden was right. There was something wrong with that.

I stood there in a smock, preparing to paint a picture of a street performer from a photo I had taken. According to my artistic vision, he was purple. As I paused and mixed my palate, I wondered what, or who, Mark was doing at that moment. I was an open-minded person, and so that kind of thing had never really bothered me. Ironically, despite my attitude, casual hook-ups were something very hard for me to indulge in myself. Senator’s sons ‘sowed their wild oats,’ while senator’s daughters created scandals.

“So Bruno, here’s the story.” Hearing his name, the tiny dog paused and pricked up his enormous Chihuahua ears. “I’ve got a ‘thing’ for your Daddy’s friend, Mark. And I even happen to suspect, that he likes me too. But it’s complicated. And so, he’s probably out having sex with a stranger, and I’m here talking to a dog.” Bruno yipped. He got it.

As I slid under the covers with a book, later that night, Bruno begged to get into bed with me. “Do Gabrielle and Braden let you sleep with them?” I asked. Great, now I was not only talking to a dog, I was asking him questions. He just whined and gave me a sad little stare.

Oh well, I wasn’t sleeping with anyone else. I scooped him up and put him down next to me. And so I lay there, at midnight on a Friday night, trying to fall asleep with a tiny Chihuahua poking me in the ribs. Something had to change. Before I dozed off I wondered again where Mark would be sleeping that night.

Chapter Four

Mark

11:00 PM

I had never had a problem finding female companionship. Usually, I only had to be at a club or a bar for fifteen minutes or so before I was heading off to a hotel or some chick’s apartment. Occasionally I brought one back to my place, but I usually liked to keep my private space private. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if Beth… Okay, don’t think about Beth, Mark.

I hit a local bar that was trendy at the moment, and when I arrived, I was determined that I was going to find a companion who would keep me busy all night. As I sat there, nursing a beer, I told myself that I needed to get it out of my system, so that I could behave at the fundraiser the following evening with a minimum of discomfort. Until I was ready to make some kind of serious move, I had to be on my best behavior with Beth. Okay, thinking about Beth again, dude. I looked at my watch. I had already been there an hour. It was time to get off the fence and into bed.