Ghosts

Philadelphia....Just days before Christmas was always magic....At least to him, Attorney Soloman Foster...He was back in town now...For good!

He sat at the bar and talked to Gus...The Bartender and Owner of Josie's..Which had been one of his favorite places to hang out when he had been an Assistant District Attorney...

Once he had put major criminals behind bars...Once he commanded detectives and police alike into action...Once he had been a man of respect...until he became a criminal himself..well, sort of...He gave sensitive information about ongoing investigations to a childhood friend...Minolo Sentterro, a major drug kingpin...

That earned him a year and a half in prison for his troubles and disbarment...The Detective who put him behind bars..Detective Angie Belton...ironically enough became someone he was attracted to and eventually fell in love with..

He wrote to Angie and she even visited him in Prison....Twice!...but after awhile...She wrote to him and said that she didn't think she wanted to be involved with him....Months later he heard that she had gotten involved with a white Detective named James "Jimmy"Barlow...

Who was just a rookie when he had been an ADA...Now..He and Angie were married and sitting in a booth just a few feet from him kissing like two lovesick teenagers...That should have been him...Not that white boy ,he thought....

Then there was Olivia...sweet Attorney Olivia Bennett....

She had gotten his law license remarkably re-instated..She is a brilliant attorney...and with his life long friend, Attorney Robert Foxworth, gotten him paroled after 17 months of a five year sentence...He was  back on the streets and free to practice law again...He had been in love with Olivia..He had written her letters while he was in prison, but outside of legal advise and work on his case..She had never responded...The day his parole was accepted and he was given a release date ,he called her...ironically enough..that was her WEDDING DAY! In that short time..She had gotten engaged and married to a former detective, now a private investigator named Donnie Ray Alexander, who worked for her firm...

Donnie Ray is a good guy...His investigative work and Olivia and her sexy and beautiful niece, Beverly West's legal work got him out of another jam....

He had been accused of sexual harassment of a female employee at his former law firm.. It turned out...The woman was a psychopathic grifter who had set up a number of people..Olivia,Bev and Donnie Ray cleared his name....In spite of that..He was asked to resign from the company and he left town to work out in California.....

Then there was Josie...He couldn't forget her...

Josie was Olivia,Bev and Donnie Ray's young and trusting Office Manager...He had courted her and seduced her and wound up having surprisingly some of the best sex of his life one night and one morning with her...but he never called her back...and the next time she saw him...He was with the very same woman who would later accuse him of sexual harassment.

He had burned his bridges with Josie...She had a new boyfriend.....In fact..She and her new boyfriend...Paris were slow dragging in the corner as the D.J. played a very romantic song...Neither of them looked like they had a care in the world..

II-

Soloman looked at Gus and ordered another beer..

''Hey Gus...You ever go somewhere and the ghosts of your entire life come back to haunt you?" he asked ,laughing ruefully..

Gus looked at him and laughed...

"I try to stay out of places like that.."

Soloman raised his beer and said-"Touche'"

Gus looked into the crowd..

"Wow..Angela Belton...I mean, Angela Barlow....Josie Boyd.....You've had quite a track record young man." he laughed...

"Yeah...and here I am back here in the city and got to see both of them with other men."said Soloman.

"Why did you come back? I heard you was out California?" said Gus...

"Yeah..and it was cool for awhile..but I wasn't makin the kind of money I wanted to make...and it just isn't me Gus...This here...Philly..this is me all day." He said.

"You got a job, a place to stay?" he asked..

"Oh yeah...That's really why I'm back....I just started working at this huge law firm downtown...I been back a few weeks now..I sublet my condo...So I'm back there now and my car was in the garage." he said.

''So You Always planned to come back?" said Gus.

''More or less.."

''You talked to Keith Wallace or Robert Foxworth since you been back?"asked Gus.

''Yeah..Even hung out with them at uh Roxys a night or two....but uh you know,Sissy,Carlotta, Tyriq and Duke hate my guts...I can't go around them..." he said.

"Damn man...You need to make some new friends." laughed Gus who gave him another beer...."It's on the house." he said...

"Heyyyy Soloman Foster,Merry Christmas" came the melodic voice of Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander..She was standing behind him with her "crew as he called them...Her Husband, Donnie Ray,Her niece,Beverly and her boyfriend, an attorney who used to be a public defender , but was now working for Robert Foxworth named Nelson East...

''Hey Soloman"said Donnie Ray.

''Solomannnnnnnnnn."said Beverly ,surprisingly giving him a hug..

''What's up man?" said Nelson...nodding to him..

"See Gus..everybody doesn't hate me..I still got some friends in this town." he laughed..."Give them all whatever they are drinking...It's on me." he said.

"Hey man, you sure?" said Donnie Ray..

"Yeah..Yeah..I just started a new job here a couple of weeks ago...I'm good for it." he said.

"Robert Foxworth told me...Good for you....We are here celebrating...We just had two big cases.."said Olivia..

"I heard....I saw on the news that you were involved in that mess with Willie Crawley Jr..Oh My God...I never knew him to be such a big freak." said Soloman Foster....

Beverly laughed-"Don't even get me started on him.." she said.

"Yeah and I heard that you won a settlement for your client over Betty "Have no mercy" Mercy...That was some victory...I remember her when I was an ADA...Never liked her much..." he said.

"We are here celebrating with that client...She should be here shortly...Celeste Tate...You remember her don't you?" asked Olivia...

''I sure do...Haven't seen her in years...Didn't she get married?" he asked..

"She was going to..Her fiance committed suicide...because of Betty Mercy....It was a long story but that was the basis of our case.." said Beverly...

''Wow! Isn't that somethin...Well don't let me hold you guys up..You better grab a booth while you can...This place is getting crowded.." he said

"Yeah come on guys...We need a big table....Thanks for the drinks Soloman...and Merry Christmas if we don't see you soon." said Olivia..as she,Donnie Ray,Beverly and Nelson all headed for a large table in the center of Josies.

Soloman looked out over the crowd...It was a big crowd...

 He was surprised when he looked up and saw Detective Edwin ''Duke" Baylor and his beautiful wife..Forensic Investigator,Dr. Hazel Hunter -Baylor...They came up to order  beers..

It had been his concealing of evidence that had almost got Duke, once his close friend falsely accused of taking a payoff from Gangster,Minolo Sentterro..Luckily Duke was cleared of all wrong doing...The two hadn't spoke in years...but tonight was different...Duke spoke to him..

"Hey Soloman...Long time no see.." he said and held his hand out to shake it..

Soloman was stunned...

"Heyy Duke.. How are you doing?  This is your uh lovely wife huh..Wow..You did good for yourself."he said.

Hazel smiled...

"It's Christmas and all and that being said...All that old stuff is over..I'm here to bury the hatchet." he said and shook his hand...

''Sure thing Duke..." he said..

He looked behind him and to his surprise...Detective Tyriq Pile ,who had never been a fan of his and his wife, Detective Sirena Pile ,who he had dated before she met Tyriq was standing behind him ordering drinks.. They both spoke..

"Hello Soloman ,how you doing?" said Sirena..

"Hey Sirena..I'm good..I'm good.What's up Tyriq?"he said.

"Heard you were out in California...You like it out there?" asked Tyriq...

"Yeah..it was cool...but I'm a Philly boy at heart...I'm back here to stay....I got a job at a private law firm downtown." he said..

''Good for you man." said Tyriq..

Soloman looked at Gus  in surprise as they walked away...Gus just laughed and shrugged...The next couple he saw was his good friend, ADA, Keith Wallace and Detective Carlotta Rodriguez as well as Lt.Sissy Van Buren and her new husband....Eddie C..

''Welll, look who it is...Hangin out tonight eh?" said ADA Keith Wallace, who hugged his friend...

"Yeah man...As I was telling Duke and Tyriq...I gotta gig at a firm downtown..."said Soloman.

"Hello Soloman, Feliz Navidad."said Carlotta...Keith Wallace's wife and a woman he himself once unsuccessfully coveted..

"Ouu,I love it when you speak Spanish." he joked...And to his surprise , She laughed.....

"Hello Counselor.."came the sexy voice of the one and only Lt. Sissy Van Buren...who was now a married woman with her new husband...Eddie C.. A man he did not know..

"Heyyy Siss.." said Soloman, who was surprised when she hugged him..'How have you been?  My ex-husband (Robert Foxworth) told me that you're working at a prestigious law firm downtown now and back in your old loft." she said.

''Yeah...I'm just getting started...I'm doing alright." said Soloman..

Sissy introduced her husband to Soloman and the two men nodded....

"These are two of my collegues you never met....My newest detective Tony Hopkins and his wife, FBI Agent Sharon Hopkins.." said Sissy..

Soloman looked at Hop...

"I remember him when he was a patrolman...He used to fetch coffee for me...You're a Detective now huh?Good for you.." he said.

"I remember when I was in law school you lectured one of my classes " said Hop...Soloman stared at him...

"Yeah..I remember you....wow...We've all come a long way..." said Soloman..."And this is your wife?" he asked..

"Pleased to meet you."said Sharon...

Soloman looked at her...

"I remember you too, from High School......Carlotta's little friend....When you girls were in High School, you probably don't remember me.." he said..She didn.'t.

They ordered and received their drinks and took up the remaining booths in Josie's...They arrived at just the right time..

III-

It was Saturday Night after all...Pans of Fried Chicken, Crab Legs , Mac and Cheese, Candied Yams, Stewed Tomatoes, String beans ,Mustard Greens and Potato Salad were being served to the hungry customers and patrons courtesy of Mabel Jenkins Soul Food Joint..Who had catered tonight...There was no live entertainment tonight..Just three D.J.'s who were playing a combonation of Classic R& B, Classic Hip Hop and a few new things....People were eating and dancing and most of all drinking...Which meant Gus was making a pile of money....He looked over at Soloman who was downing his third Corona..

"Man, Am I going to have to offer you the room upstairs to sleep it off?" he joked..

"Nah Gus....I'm not going to get drunk...In fact..I might not stay much longer...Too many Ghosts in here man...too many reminders of my failures.." he said.

"Hey stick around...Just maybe..just maybe something extraordinary might happen tonight.."said Gus..

"Like what?" asked Soloman...

"Maybe somebody will come in that will say something different is all." He said..

"Really? everybody I ever wanted is in here now and they either married or hooked up."said Soloman...

''Have some faith son."said Gus, who gave him another Corona.

IV-

Attorney Celeste Tate walked into Josies....She looked like a million bucks..She was wearing a tight ,long black lace skirt that hugged every curve...Men's heads snapped as she walked by...

''Heyyyyyyy Gus." she said.

"Hi ya Red" said Gus...

He pointed to the table in the center....

"Your friends are over there Celeste." he said.

"Hey Celeste.."said Soloman...

"Soloman? Soloman Foster?" she said.

"How you doin baby?" he said laughing and hugging her...

"I'm fine...I heard you were in prison.." she said.

"I was...Now I'm out...I'm working at this law firm downtown...Here is my card." he said.

''You're still an attorney?? How??"she asked.

"You and I have someone in common...A brilliant and I mean brilliant attorney named Olivia Bennett-Alexander....She and her equally brilliant niece Beverly got me out of prison early and got my law license re-instated....They represented me again when I got in a little more trouble...I then went out on the West Coast for awhile and now I'm back....Workin and livin here..It's a long story....but uh go be with your friends..Maybe we can talk later...."said Soloman...

"Oh Uh Okay...It was nice seeing you again Soloman.."she said.

"Same here Red." he said..

She smiled..

"You used to call me that back when we both worked in the D.A.'s office." she smiled.

"Yeah...I remember " he said.

She joined Olivia,Beverly,Donnie Ray and Nelson at their table..They ordered a bottle of Champaigne and they toasted and laughed and drank for an hour...Josie and Paris joined them eventually....

While he sat at the bar...Josie soon stood beside him..

"Heyy Soloman." she said.

"Hey Josie...How are you doing?" he said...Surprised that she was even speaking to him...

"I'm fine...Heard you're back in the city and working downtown....Good for you." she said.

"Hey Josie...Look...I'm sorry for the last time I was here...I should have called and I'm sorry for everything before...I really am.....I wish nothing but the best for you and your new guy....Seriously.." he said.

"It's all good Soloman...We are about to start a new year...So uh, let's bury the hatchet....Friends? " she said.

He smiled- "Friends" and went to shake her hand...She moved his hand away and hugged him....Her body felt warm and round and those breasts of hers rubbed up against him...made him feel good...Plus she smelled amazing...How lucky Paris was to be taking her home..

"You didn't really want to shake my hand did you?" she said.

He smiled...but didn't say anymore...She got her drink and waved as she rejoined her friends..

Gus smiled..

" Ghosts gone huh?" he laughed.

V-

The lights dimmed and a slow romantic song came on...Everyone coupled up... Newlyweds Angie and Jimmy were dancing, Olivia and Donnie Ray were dancing, Beverly and Nelson were dancing...and Josie and Paris were dancing...Sissy and Eddie C, Keith Wallace and Carlotta,Duke and Hazel and Tyriq and Sirena were dancing....Hop and Sharon looked as if they'd need a room upstairs soon the way they were making out in the corner....All this depressed Soloman...



Gus poked Soloman on the shoulder and pointed to Celeste ,who was not dancing with anybody....


Soloman looked... Celeste was sitting alone...he walked over to her...

Gus just smiled and shook his head.

'Red,why don't you dance with me?" he said.

''Uh...Okay Soloman..."she said.

"Nothin like Smokey Robinson to bring out those romantic feelings in you." he said.

"Or remind you that you don't have any romance in your life." she said.

"I hear that...I heard you were in New York for awhile..How was that?" he asked..

"The money was off the hook...I uh met a guy...we hit it off and we got engaged...and I moved back here.."she said.

"Yeah ,uhh I heard about that....He was accused of being the uh "Selfie stalker." and he killed himself..I'm
soo sorry about all that...So Sorry Red..." he said.

"It's okay...I'm good...Olivia got me a major settlement...and some much needed absolution."she said.

"Yeah...but do you feel any better?" he asked.

She was quiet for awhile..

"No...I'm still lonely most days...I didn't want to come out tonight...but Livy and Bev insisted that we celebrate." she said.

"I'm glad you did.." he said.

"I've had my troubles you know...I did something stupid..Well, a couple of monumentally stupid things...but uh ruh...Good friends..real friends like ADA Wallace, Robert Foxworth and Liv,Bev and Donnie Ray kept me afloat...I don't know what I would have done without them." said Soloman...

"Wow..."she said.

Soloman joined the table with Olivia,Donnie Ray,Beverly ,Nelson ,Josie and Paris...He and Celeste talked quietly the rest of the night about his recent mishaps...She laughed until she cried...Soloman was always a great storyteller...It was what made him a good attorney...

They danced again...And exchanged numbers in their smartphones...

Olivia and Bev noticed what was going on between them....and spoke in private on the way back from the ladies room..

"Auntay..You think Soloman will behave himself...You know with Celeste...It's quite obvious he's interested in her and trying to put the moves to her slyly..." she said.

"I think all of the play is out of him...I can see the weariness in his eyes...The sadness and loneliness on his face..I think he's ready for a committed relationship." said Olivia..

When they got back to the table...Celeste and Soloman were standing up...

"Livy girl, Beverly, Donnie Ray....I can't thank you guys enough....I love you all soo much....Soloman and I are going to go to a little Wine Bar and talk some more..Catch up on old times.." she said..

Donnie Ray looked at Soloman and smiled sheepishly...but he didn't say anything...Soloman nodded and smiled back at Donnie Ray, who laughed a little bit..Nelson whispered in Donnie Ray's ear..

"Wine Bar? Talk some more..Catch up on old times?  Yeahhh, rightttttt and I've got a Ben Franklin Bridge to sell you." he said..

He and Donnie Ray gave each other dap and smiled sheepishly to each other......

"Panties are coming off tonight...."said Donnie Ray...

"No doubt" said Nelson..

VI-

They actually did go to a wine bar....And talk into the wee hours of the morning....but then Soloman and Celeste wound up back in his loft...

Later that night....His loft door swung open...Celeste and Soloman were kissing like two teenagers...

''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh...Ohhh my God...I've missed this sooo much..." she moaned...

"I've missed it too baby." he said as he continued to kiss Celeste..

"Ouuuuuu, ohhhh baby, you feel sooooooooooooooooooo good. Slow downn, slow down...mama isn't going anywhere.....ohhhhhhhhhhhhh goddddddd!"moaned Celeste...


Soloman unzippered her tight black skirt...Lawdd he thought...This woman has a body on her...He wondered how come he barely noticed her back when he was an ADA and chasing Sissy,Carlotta,Angie and everybody else with a skirt?


He slowly un fastened her bra and helped her slip out of her pantyhose and heels..


He wasted no time at all getting out of his clothes...

"Baby..."he moaned...

"Sweetie.." she moaned...

They stood in the middle of his bedroom floor kissing each other passionately....She fondled his now massive erection as he kissed and slobbered all over her nice sized breasts...

''Ohhh my god Soloman...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." she moaned.

He entered Celeste...slowly, very slowly....He wanted to savor every minute...every second..

He took his time and entered her and went in and eased out ,slowly, savoring her wetness and her warmness like a diner savors a fine steak...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."moaned Celeste as Soloman began to make sweet love to her...on his bed...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh baby!" he moaned..

She wrapped her legs around his waist ,so he could take all of her...and he didn't disappoint her...

"Take your time...Take your timeeeeeeeeeeee....Take your time...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu." she moaned.

The bed was soon rocking back and forth furiously...the headboard softly slamming against the wall...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY goddddddddddddddddddddddd!" he moaned...

  Celeste's kisses like Josie Boyd's were soft ...Her lips were like butter...

"Celeste...I'm losin my damn mind!" he said softly....

Three hours turned to five and Soloman was still going at it..He was making up for seemingly everything..   and soon he came like a gusher....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."moaned Celeste as he came furiously and his body shook....She had climaxed at least four times during the past five hours....

This really had been a good night...for them both..

She looked over at him...She was a very light skinned woman...Her father had been born in Ghana...Her mother was a half Puerto Rican, half African-American woman from Philadelphia..She was built like a ship as his daddy would have said...He just stared at her ..She smiled and gave him a soft kiss...she felt his penis and was shocked that it was still rock hard!!!...

"Oh My God...Oh My Goodness ,Soloman.." she said...

They stared each other in the eyes.....and began kissing hungrilly again.......Celeste  moaned and put her arms around Soloman's neck and drew him closer to her..She wrapped her legs around his waste and he entered her once again..and they began to move in a slow, yet deliberate rhythm for quite some time once again...She matched Soloman thrust for thrust and even squeezed him...She was so soft...so moist and smelled so good...He didn't know if he could take it..This woman, was something else..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Soloman,Ohhhhhh my goodnesss,Soloman.." she moaned...

Another three hours of slow sensual lovemaking continued...both of them moaning and groaning and kissing each other hungrilly....Celeste came first...shaking and with sweat and tears running down her face...Soloman came a little later...very intensely...He couldn't beleive how intense he came....He held on to Celeste for dear life...

My goodness she thought...This man is a machine...She thought and giggled to herself...

She fell asleep in his arms ..She was exhausted...It was close to daybreak...She hadn't expected this...She felt great.....

When she awoke...Soloman was just staring at her ,smiling...

"You are so beautiful...You were under my nose all this time and I never noticed you.." he said.

Celeste smiled...She kissed him and rubbed his penis a little...

"Oh My God...You're STILL HARD?? Have you been to sleep at all?" she asked..

He smiled sheepishly....

"Yes...I slept a little...Then I woke up and stared at you and well......Here I am...All of me!" He said.

"Yes indeed!!! Look at you!!!Woooohh!" she said..

She eased up on top of his hardness and allowed herself to move up and down...

"Ohhhh goood lawdddd..."she moaned...

"Ohhhhhh baby..." he moaned with delight!

"Sweetie.." she moaned...

"Babyyyyyy.." he moaned.....

Celeste moaned and put her arms around Soloman's neck and drew him closer to her..She wrapped her legs around his waste and he entered her once again..and they began to move in a slow, yet deliberate rhythm for quite some time once again...She matched Soloman thrust for thrust and even squeezed him again and again...She was so soft...so moist and smelled so good...He didn't know if he could take it..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Soloman,Ohhhhhh my goodnesss,Soloman.." she moaned...She was climaxing and felt the tears running down her face and felt her body shaking...Soloman was nowhere near to climaxing...

Another two hours of slow sensual lovemaking continued...both of them moaning and groaning and kissing each other hungrilly....Again Celeste  came first...shaking and with sweat and tears running down her face...
Soloman came like a gusher....Breathing hard and holding Celeste..She was surprised how tender he was with her..

"I think you just got me pregnant" she joked..

"Good...I want you to have my baby." he said half serious,half joking...

"Never heard a man say that before" she laughed...

''Celeste honey...it's close to Christmas....and ..and...look,I don't have anyone to spend it with...Why don't we...You and I....drive up to New York...Have a fabulous meal somewhere and rent a room.. or uh do you have plans?" he asked..

"I don't have any plans...That sounds great...I prayed I wouldn't have to spend Christmas alone...

"I did too..." he said.

He leaned over and kissed her softly....

"Soloman baby...Can we go out and get some breakfast?  All that screwing has made a girl hungry." she laughed...

He laughed....

"Sure..."

And this day, four days before Christmas had been his best early Christmas present yet!