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barriers on either side of the carpeted walkway.

The theater, by contrast, was quiet and dim. Two uniformed guards escorted the pair down the carpeted aisle and into plush seats near the front where

they would have an unobstructed view of the movie. They remained, positioning themselves at either end of the row of seats, in order to keep the crowds

away.

Dylan was, as always, less than thrilled with this. While she valued her privacy, and understood the need for security measures in some public venues, she

hated the obvious lines drawn between what the public perceived as the “haves” and the “have nots”.

Still, she reminded herself of the reasons for being in this place, and resolved to grin and bear it as best she could.

She surprised herself by actually enjoying the movie. It was a light romantic comedy that was a vast departure from Hunter’s usual “he-man” roles, and he

was quite good in it. Ever gracious, she told him as much, and by the smile on his face, one would have wondered if she had just accepted a proposal of

marriage.

The two ran the gauntlet again on their way back to the limousine for a quick trip to the post-premier party being held at a popular, and trendy, nightclub

nearby.

Once they were inside the already packed club, Hunter’s agent swept him away to meet with the fawning critics, leaving Dylan blessedly alone at last. The

throbbing bass made her eardrums vibrate as she made her way to the bar to order a mineral water from a starry-eyed bartender.

Turning her back to the bar, she sipped the water as she eyed the crowd. Her height, easily topping all but the very tallest men, gave her a decided

advantage, and her eyes lit up with a predatory gleam as she spotted exactly who she was looking for shaking it up on the dance floor.

Easing her way through the crowd with sinuous grace, she approached the dance floor and laid a hand on the shoulder of her prey, causing the tousleheaded brunette to jump and spin and almost land in Dylan’s arms.

The young woman’s eyes widened. “My shrink was wrong,” she breathed. “There really are Goddesses still roaming the earth.”

Dylan rolled her eyes, grinning. “Evening, Haley.”

A slow smile lit up Haley’s face. “Dylan Lambert. God, it’s good to see you!”

The two women hugged, then pulled slowly away. “Jesus, Dylan…you look fantastic!”

“You’re not looking so bad yourself, my friend.”

“Maybe not, but…wow! What are you doing here? I mean…this isn’t exactly your type of hangout, you know? And this getup!”

Dylan laughed softly. “I see you and your brother still aren’t talking.”

“Hunter? What does he….” Her dark eyes widened again. “You?! You’re his date for the premier?!? Damn! If I would have known that, I’d have gone to

the damn thing!”

“Yeah.” Dylan looked around. “Can we go someplace a little quieter?”

Haley grinned. “Lead on, baby. I’m allll yours.”

Shaking her head, Dylan led them to a small enclosed patio at the rear of the club. The night was blessedly cool and quiet. “I need to ask you a favor.”

“Oh yeah?” Haley asked, grinning and moving closer to her tall companion. “What kind of favor?”

“Slow down, Romeo,” Dylan said, putting a hand on Haley’s shoulder. “A business favor.”

Haley pouted. “I haven’t seen you in months and you want to talk about business?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Alright,” she replied, sighing. “What do you need.”

“I need you to represent my first pick, Catherine Hodges.”

Haley’s brows knit. “Me? Why?”

“Because you’re the best,” Dylan replied. “And because she needs someone like you.”

“Someone like….? Oh! You mean because she’s gay.”

“Yes. She’s gay. And because of that, she’s going to have one hell of a time getting someone to fairly represent her. We both know it’s true.” Frustrated,

Dylan turned and stared over the stone wall into the darkness beyond. “I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t think it was important.”

Haley, normally a cool, competent, and yes—sometimes slimy—lawyer felt an unexpected burst of compassion for her normally unflappable companion.

Closing the distance between them, she laid a gentle hand on Dylan’s back. “Aww, D, you know I’ll help. I saw her at the press conference. She seems

like a good kid.”

“She is. But she’s also just out of college, and is used to having people accept her for who she is. This is gonna be a big transition for her, and she’s going

to need all the help she can get. I’d like you to be that help, Haley. You represent a number of well-known gay entertainers, and you know your way

around the system.”

“I’ll give her a call tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you.”

Haley smirked. “You’re welcome. Now, what’s in it for me?”

Dylan turned, and leaned down slowly so that a hairsbreadth separated their lips. Haley closed her eyes, her heart thundering in her chest.

“My…eternal…gratitude.”

Haley finally opened her eyes to find Dylan standing several feet away from her.

“You shit!!”

Dylan smirked. “A pleasure doing business with you, Haley.”

“God damn you, Dylan Lambert,” Haley said, laughing. “You should have been a lawyer.”