Her Brother's Keeper

Another night in Josie's....Downtown Rob Brown had asked me to set in for him at the last minute...He and his quintet had a recording session and then a gig in Atlantic City the next day...I found a couple of guys, A guitarist, a bassist, a drummer and a keyboardist and agreed to take his place at Josie's tonight...

I play this trumpet on the side...My main gig is a Private Investigator....My name is Donnie Ray, Donnie Ray Alexander...

Josies was packed tonight... Not unusual for a Thursday Night...It was crab night...Crabs were half price , so was beer and people packed in to get those steamed crabs and half price beer...Reminded me of my native New Orleans... I liked Philadelphia, my new home just fine...Had to get used to this cold weather though...

The women were out in abundance...quite a few were shooting me the eye...And they were fine too, but I only longed for one and she wasn't here..My wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander...She was at home studying some briefs for a case..

Her niece, Attorney Beverly West wasn't here tonight either....Probably out with her new boyfriend, Nelson...That's all we heard now of days.."Nelson said this...Nelson did that." Olivia and I thought it was cute..

Even our office manager, Josie Boyd was not here tonight..I had no idea where she might be..

We played two sets and then we took a break...There was a man sitting up front who seemed kind of familiar...Something about his eyes...

He was older than me...A big hulk of a man..Looked like he worked out, like he might have played football at one time...He smiled at me as I went to the bar...

II-

He followed me to the bar....

"Gus...His drinks are on me." he said.  Gus smiled and rolled two draft beers down to us.

I turned and smiled...

''Thanks man." I said.

"I came to see Downtown Rob Brown...and I was disappointed when I heard that he wasn't going to be here tonight...but then I saw and heard you....Mannn you play a mean trumpet..I should have brought my camera with me." he said.

''Oh you're a photographer?"I asked.

"Yes...a freelance photographer...I just did a photo shoot for a Kevin Morris and his music magazine, HYPE." he said.

''I know him." I said.

''Oh excuse my rudeness..My name is Jimmy." he said.

"My name is Donnie Ray, Donnie Ray Alexander." I said.

"Pleased to meet you...I'm from Philly, but I haven't lived here in years...I got family here and I'm in town to see them..."he said.

"Family eh?" I said.

''Yeah..My sister and my daughter live here...They're both lawyers." he said.

''Oh really? I'm married to a lawyer...I only do this on the side...This music thing...I'm a private investigator for my wife's firm now...I used to be a cop when I lived in New Orleans.''I said.

"You don't sound like you're from Philly...You're from New Orleans eh?  That's a long way from here." he said.

''My wife is from here...I met her about three years ago when she was vacationing in New Orleans and it was kind of like an instant connection for both of us...We communicated by many long distance calls for awhile...and then eventually I quit my job on the force...got my P.I. license and came to work for her up here in Philly.."I said.

"Must have been a hell of a woman to make you quit your job, pull up stakes and move up here..." he said.

"I fell in love with her...She's amazing..She still does it for me.."I said.

''Wow!  How long you been married?" he said.

"Three months."I said.

''And yall two was together for like three years?" he asked as our beers arrived.

''Yeah man." I said.

"Hmmmm..."he mused..

"She has a niece...About eight or nine years younger who lives with us..she's an Attorney too!" I said.

His eyes got wide as saucers....

''Really??" he asked.

''Yeah...My wife and I live on the second floor of our duplex and she lives on the first floor."I said.

"Would this niece's name be Beverly? Beverly West?" he said.

''Yeah? How did you know that?" I asked.

He smiled...

"Because that's my daughter!!!  And you are my brother in law...Olivia is your wife's name right?? That's my little sister...That's who I'm here to see...You must take me to them." he said.

"You knew who I was all the time didn't you?" I asked.

He smiled..

"Yeah...Livy wrote me about you and her wedding and she sent me photos....and I asked Gus where she was living and he told me to ask you,because you were her husband." he said still laughing.

III-

It was 3:00 am in the morning when we got back to our place...

I knocked on the door...

"Olivia?? I got somebody with me...Put on a robe." I said.

Olivia came to the door slowly...I could tell that she'd gone on to sleep...She took one look at our guest and her eyes got wide..

"Jimmy?? OH MY GOD!! JIMMY???" she screamed and ran into his arms...He lifted her up and spun her around..

"LIVY!!!!" he yelled...

Olivia laughed like a school girl...I had never seen her so bubbly...She had told me a lot about her childhood and how she was practically an only child....Her brother was 12 years older....But she idolized him..That much I knew...

"Jimmy why didn't you call?...We would've picked you up." asked Olivia...

''I wanted it to be a surprise.." he said laughing...

"Oh My God...you caught me in my night gown and everything..."she said blushing...

''Liv...I've seen you in a diaper..What is a night gown?" he laughed..

He had been about 12 years old when Olivia was born...He was 21 when he and his girlfriend gave birth to Beverly.. just three days after Olivia's 9th birthday..Another reason why the two women were so close...They were the same Astrological sign....They understood each other from day one..

Liv blushed...

"Come on in, sit down." I said.

"I'll sit a little while...I'm stayin at the Marriott downtown...and I'm uh ruh...Not alone." he said laughing

"You got a girlfriend Jimmy?" asked Olivia..

"I've got  a wife Livy." he said.

''A wife ? You married Jimmy? Why didn't you tell me?"she asked..

''Well uh..I wanted to wait until my daughter was around so I could break it to her...I know how close you two are and I couldn't trust you not to tell Bev..." he said.

"I'll call down there and see if she's in." I said.

I called Bev...I didn't suspect that she was home....To my surprise...She was in!!!

"Hello..." came her voice...

"Bev, you sleep?" I asked.

"Nooooo, I'm talkiing to you D.R."she said.

"I didn't know if you were with Nelson or not."I said.

"I was, but I got a court date tomorrow and so does he...So I came home tonight...Why you asking me that?"she said.

"Somebody is up here that wants to see you...I think you should come up." I said.

''What? who?" she asked..

Olivia took the phone...

"Bev honey,come up here for a minute." she said.

"Okay Auntay." she said.

"She still calls you Auntay." he laughed...


Beverly walked up the stairs to our floor and her mouth dropped...

"OHH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, DADDDYYY!" she said and ran into his arms...

"BABY GURLLLLLLLLLL!!!" he said and spun her around just like he had Olivia...

I had known Olivia for three going on four years and Beverly for three and although they talked about him from time to time..Had never laid eyes on him until now...

"Hey look..I really got to get back to my room...but tomorrow, right after you guys get out of court..I'm going to take you all to lunch..on me...! Even you brother in law!" he said.

I laughed and he laughed and patted me on the back.

Olivia looked at Jimmy and cleared her throat...He smiled sheepishly and looked at Bev...

"Baby girl, I uh got a surprise for you...I uh..ruh..got married!" he said.

"You got married??" said Beverly...

"Yeah, about a year ago..baby..."he said.

"Jimmy why were you so hush hush about it?  Where is she from?  Out in L.A. where you live?" asked Olivia.

"Uhhh actually she's from here...She's somebody you know Liv...." he said.

"Somebody I know??" asked Olivia...

''Yeah..Uh look...I'll explain it all tomorrow at lunch.."he said and kissed Olivia and grabbed Beverly and hugged her...

He shook my hand and looked at Olivia...

''You got a keeper Liv..I like this guy...He can play the trumpet and he's crazy about you...He passed my test."he said.

''Oh he did huh?" she said ,smiling at her brother.

"Yeah...He had no idea who I was and we struck up a conversation at the bar after his set and all he talked about was how much he loved you... And it was lots of fine women in there and all he talked about to me was you! He's a keeper." said Jimmy..

Olivia looked at me and just beamed....

Olivia smiled at me , but then gave her brother the side eye as he walked down the steps and got in his car and pulled off...

"You never told anybody that you were in love with them did you Jimmy?" she asked aloud to no one in particular...as her brother's car pulled off into the night.

Bev just smiled weakly...She knew her father!

''Auntay...Daddy's married?" she said.

"I know right? Him??"said Olivia..

"I take it your brother is a bit of a ladies man?" I said.

"A bit of??....He originated that term....And if he married someone I know...They've got to be much younger than him or one of my clients." she said.

"I hope it's not one of MY girlfriends...but then again...He wouldn't know any of them." mused Bev...

"One thing is for sure... This is gonna be some lunch." I said.

Olivia and Beverly looked at me and laughed.

(TO BE CONTINUED)