Sleeping Dogs

My name is Donnie Ray Alexander...I'm an ex Homicide Detective from New Orleans...I live in Philadelphia ,PA. now and I'm an Investigator for my wife's law firm by day....

Some nights though,I play my trumpet at Josie's Bar and Grill...Either as a stand in for a member of Symphony Sam's house band or a headliner like Downtown Rob Brown or Reed Nelson or Bone Hampton...who couldn't make it that night...

I make a good living as an investigator for both my wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander and her niece, Attorney Beverly West....

But I like the pocket change I make playing gigs at Josies for these guys..My friends.. Tonight however was different...I wasn't in a courtroom...nor was I playing in Josies... I was at Meek Rollins recording studio.....

Meek Rollins, the successful producer and manager of most of these guys was recording his first solo album...He had just signed with a major label...a deal that ironically was worked out by his lawyer, none other than my wife, Olivia Bennett-Alexander...He was happily surprised when he found out that we were married...

"Wow Donnie Ray..I knew I liked you when I first met you...Great musician and good tastes in women...My kinda guy ."he joked..."She's got brains and a body...you're a lucky man boy." he said patting me on the back...

He was basically a producer...He played a little piano...But he was at home behind the boards...But he wanted an album with his name on it..So he called in all the cats who he produced to contribute original material and their talents...

Downtown Rob Brown and his quintet had shown through as well as Reed Nelson, his boy, keyboardist 88 and his quintet...

Bone Hampton and his group had contributed a song also....

Tonight some other players had stopped by to contribute tracks to his album..

Dutch Van Buren , a legendary saxophonist and the father of Police Lt. Sissy Van Buren...(Her late mother was African -American)

Chazz Gillison, Who may or may not have been blind, but was one of the funkiest keyboard players and arrangers in the game..

and singer Ingrid Rhodes stopped by..

I had heard that Honey Brown's husband, B-Flat had stopped by the night before and cut a few tracks on his organ earlier and singer-Guitarist, Brooke Taylor came all the way from San-Francisco to contribute to the album the week before.,....

I came by and added my trumpet solo to close to four tracks...

"Meek...I am honored that you called me to play with all of these superstars." I said...as Meek handed me an envelope with crisp twenties and fifties  in it..My pay for the four sets I played..

"Nonsense...Donnie Ray....This is a labor of love...I've produced all of these cats at one time or other...they were doing me a favor....I had always planned to record you one day....And one day I'm going to record a whole CD of just you." he said and looked at my wife who was sitting in the booth with us and winked..

Olivia smiled and waved back at us...

"Maybe I will one day when I get enough original material....I got a couple of guys that I play with sometimes at Josies..." I said, smiling..

"I know your little lady there keeps you busy with your courtroom work and all, but if work gets a little lean just give me a call."said Meek Rollins..

"Funny you should say that...We just finished two big cases...but I got a standing gig with this cat named Ralph Carter...a saxophonist from out of New York..Says he used to live here...I'll be sitting in with him at Josies a few nights.."I said.

By now , everyone was packing up and heading out...Olivia joined us in the hallway..She had put her arms around me..and kissed me on the cheek..

Meek Rollins looked worried...

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Man...Ralph Carter??  I sure wished you had of hollered at me before getting with that cat....He's bad news Donnie Ray.."said Meek..

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You signed a contract with him right?" he asked.

"Yeah" I said ,which was different for me...With Meek and the other guys, it was usually a verbal or handshake agreement..but I realized that this guy was not part of our circle..

"Good thing you're married to Livy here.."he said tapping Olivia on the shoulder.

"Is my hubby in trouble?" she asked laughing...

"He could be!!....This guy is real strict...If you're late, if you play a note off key, if you miss the beat..He'll dock you pay or not pay you at all...It's in the fine print of his contracts...Ask Downtown Rob Brown...He had to hire Robert Foxworth to get him out of his contract two years ago...None of us will play with him..Not studio work, not sitting in on gigs nothing...but yet he finds people to play for him..He's a real tyrant.. Carter has sued people before who tried to opt out of his contracts and usually won...He's got a real shyster attorney."said Meek...

"When we get home ,let me see that contract baby." said Olivia...

"Sure." I said.

"See? You covered Donnie Ray. You married to the sexiest ,brainiest lawyer in the game, She won't let nothing happen to you." he said as we left the studio and headed towards our cars...

Olivia smiled and blushed at the compliment...

"See ya around Donnie Ray....Livy.."said Meek Rollins.

II-

As Olivia and I drove home...The wind blew in our faces...Olivia laid her head on my shoulders...

I looked at her and smiled....

"Listen...Don't worry Donnie Ray...I'll look over this contract and if you want out, I'll work something out for you...There's no contract that can't be broken or negotiated."she said.

"Some people don't wish to negotiate." I said.

"Everybody has a price..It just comes down to how much you're willing to pay."she said..

I rubbed her hand with my free arm..

"I ever tell you that I love you?" I asked.

"Everyday and twice on Sunday." she said smiling...

I smiled at her....

"We'll work it out Donnie Ray...Don't you worry..Mama will take care of you." she said...

"Deal!" I said and rubbed her arm with my free hand again..

Just then her smart phone vibrated.....

She looked at it...

It was Beverly, her niece and partner in the firm...

"It's Bev!" she said.

"Bev? I thought she and Nelson were out tonight?" I asked.

"Auntay...I hate to bother you....Hope uh,I didn't wake you and D.R. up did I?" she asked..

"No ,In fact we aren't home....We were at the studio tonight...D.R. recorded some tracks for Meek Rollins..We are on our way home..."

"Oh yeah...He mentioned to me that he had a studio gig...Ummmm,Could you pick me and Nelson up?" she asked.

"Something Happen?" asked Olivia...

"We were at Aqua Bar and we came out and Nelson's car got towed....He said he had one outstanding ticket he hadn't paid...They booted the car and then towed it.." she said.

"In One Night?"asked Olivia...

"Yeah..I thought you had to have at least three and that they gave you up to 48 hours to pay to have the boot taken off?" asked Olivia..

"Yeah that's what I thought."said Beverly...

"Aqua Bar? ,We aren't too far from there...We'll be there within the next few minutes..."I said.

"Thanks you guys....I'm so sorry."said Beverly....

"That's Okay!"said Olivia.

Poor Nelson...His car got towed....He wasn't gettin any tonight...Poor guy, I thought.

III-

Nelson and Beverly stood outside Aqua Bar on the corner as we drove up.....

Nelson was apologizing profusely to Beverly....

"I'm so sorry Bev...I can't believe this happened..." he said..

"It's okay Nelson...It wasn't your fault...These things happen..."she said...

He looked like he was so embarrassed when we drove up...

They both got in the backseat.....

"I'll swing by and take you to the DMV tomorrow to get your ride."I said.

"Thanks D.R." he said.

"Did you guys have a good time otherwise?" asked Olivia ,who felt very sympathetic towards Nelson...He had taken Beverly out on a date, a long time ago and forgotten his wallet...She had roasted him for that...but that was before she really started liking him...Now this...He expected the same kind of roasting, but Beverly didn't...She was very understanding.

"Oh yes Auntay...That Bistro you told us about was off the chain....The food was great..." she said.

"I told you....Your father took me there after I passed the bar exam...I've loved that place ever since." said Olivia.

" I learned how to Salsa dance at Aqua Bar...It was the perfect night until we came out to get the car." said Beverly.

We dropped Nelson off at his apartment...Beverly kissed him and told him again that it wasn't his fault and said she'd see him tomorrow.. and then the three of us headed home....

I'm sure their night included Beverly staying over night and Nelson bringing her back in the morning...Now cruel fate had stepped in and ruined their night...Almost like this had been planned by somebody.....

IV-

The next day , We all sat in the office...Olivia, Bev, Josie and I talking about our night...and drinking steaming hot tumblers of coffee.

"My baby is gonna be a recording artist....I was at the studio last night with him." gushed Olivia to Josie...

I just smiled....

"I don't know about being an artist...but I'll take being a well paid sideman any day."I said.

''Oh wow... I can't wait to hear the final project...Good for you D.R. What you and Nelson do Bev? "asked Josie.

"Girl you gotta go to this Bistro Auntay told me about...Nelson and I had some amazing food there last night..."said Beverly...

"Yeah? So Did you guys go to Aqua Bar or Stoleys afterwords?" asked Josie..

"We went to Aqua Bar....I learned how to Salsa dance..We were gonna go to Stoleys ,but when we came out of Aqua Bar, Nelson's car was gone!!!."said Beverly...

"Whatttt?? His car got  Stolen??" asked Josie..

"Nah....Towed....Booted and Towed...The Philadelphia Parking Authority strikes again. I had to call Auntay and D.R. to pick us both up and to take both of us home..."said Beverly...

Josie tried to hold it...but she couldn't..She started laughing....

"I'm sorry Bev...Poor Nelson, he sure has had his share of bad luck with you...Went out without his wallet and now his car gets booted and towed..Poor guy....So I take it.....Nothing was popping last night....Considering you're here." she laughed.

"Nah...I came home with Auntay and D.R. He feels really bad about all of this, but I told him it was okay.."said Beverly.

"Wow...You really do like him...A few months ago you would have been roasting him"said Josie...

"Well this wasn't his fault...Not completely...but he should pay his traffic tickets in a timely fashion...We had a good time otherwise...What did you do last night?" said Beverly.

"I went out with Paris....Blake's friend....Just a friendship date, nothing heavy...We had dinner, We stopped by Josies and saw a set by the Liquid Love Band  and then we went out to Stoley's for drinks and a little dancing..Guess who I saw?? Your boy, Larry North.." she said.

"Oh yeah? Where was he?" she asked...

''At Stoleys ...and we saw him again at Roxys...He was on his phone a lot and kept looking over at me and Paris and laughing....He might be coming unglued.."she said.

I laughed...

"Interesting Observation..."I said.

"Donnie Ray...That's not nice.."said Olivia...who also laughed..

"Please don't bring him up...Let sleeping dogs lie....I'm glad he wasn't there when Nelson's car got towed..."said Beverly..

 

"Ohh god girl...he would've laughed and roasted you both." said Josie...

"Yeah and then offered just to take me home!" said Beverly..

I don't know why that deep in my gut, I had a strange feeling that this wasn't just happenstance and that something sinister was a foot! Sleeping dogs?  Indeed!

TO BE CONTINUED