Dream World

The house was beautiful...Perhaps a house like this was in Olivia and I's immediate future one day...We had talked about buying a stand alone house one day...And even Beverly had talked to us about purchasing a house of her own eventually...We would always be partners in the firm..but we didn't expect to always live in such close proximity of each other.

I'm Donnie Ray Alexander. Private Investigator....I work for my wife...Attorney ,Olivia Bennet-Alexander...

We were at the house warming party of Attorney Thomas Armstrong...a good friend and former colleguge of Olivia...They had worked together at the same law firm for years...We were outside of Bayside Township,Pennsylvania...a suburb of Philadelphia...We were in a tony mostly white section called Bayside Heights....It was beautiful...

Now he ,just like she had left...Olivia had started her own firm...Thomas had switched to another firm and quickly made partner...It didn't hurt that he had married the senior partner's daughter, Elizabeth, who was also an Attorney...

They both had done well for themselves....and they hosted this gala event and invited all of their friends..

I scanned the mostly African-American crowd...I smiled and mused to myself..."These can't all be just his friends..." I thought smiling...

After meeting and talking to his wife,Elizabeth or Lizzy as she preferred to be called..I understood that these people could very well be hers too...I don't know where she grew up...but I could bet it wasn't the inner city or mean streets of Philadelphia...Yet half of these people were her friends...and if you closed your eyes and talked to her...You would swear you were talking to a black woman...and not a blonde haired blue eyed white woman...

She was cool with me...

I scanned the room...Beverly and Nelson were standing in the corner talking a little bit and stopping every now and then to kiss..

Those two were something....

Millionaire playboy, Rollie Rollerson arrived ,uncharactoristically alone...with no date...He was congratulating Attorney Celeste Tate and her fiance and our former client, Soloman Foster on their engagement and upcoming new edition...Celeste was just starting to show...

I had never seen Soloman so happy in the entire short time I'd known him...He finally looked like he was at peace...

Thomas passed my wife a drink and smiled..

"We did alright for ourselves huh Livy?" he said.

"YOU sure did...Married, got this beautiful home...Made partner..."she said and toasted him....

"Look at you Livy, You are more than partner...You're the firm....I've been seeing you on the news from time to time...You've been reppin some very heavy hitters....and makin waves...I mean wow!"said Thomas..

"Ahhhhh, I do alright..." she said laughing...

They both laughed....

"And you got married again too...I'm happy for you....That knucklehead you were married to before used to make my skin crawl..He was so full of himself...What is he doing now anyway?" asked Tommy.

"Who knows? and who cares? Probably somewhere broke." said Olivia..."At any rate..I got a winner now and I'd better stop neglecting him before he leaves me." she laughed...and walked toward me..

"Leave you? I'm afraid you're stuck with me babes..." I said..

"Good to know.."said Olivia ,who took me by the arm and hugged me...."Cause you're stuck with me too honey."she said.

II-

The party was going on...A good time was being had by everyone.....This wasn't Josies on a Friday night, but it was still a good time being had...There was plenty of good food and drink....and great music being pumped over an iPod dock unit...

I was surprised that anybody heard the doorbell ring....

It was the police!!!

Two policemen to be exact....

One officer was young...about 25...Blonde haired...Blue eyed..He had that rookie look about him....The one with him was slightly overweight...had a high and tight marine haircut and carried himself with a bit of arrogant swagger....He reminded me of Officer,Bart Snark...The idiot we had put in jail in Dallas for murder last year and even more of Detective Bobby Grandon...That idiot detective and son of my former Lieutenant in New Orleans who botched up my father's murder trial and came close to sending my dad to jail for a crime he didn't committ,before Olivia,Bev and I and a pretty decent detective named Baptiste intervened and set things right...

Just looking at this guy gave me the image of the very types of cops that turned many of my people against the police force...The very type of cop I tried to not only distance myself from when I was a cop...but who I tried to be exactly the opposite of...

Elizabeth Armstrong came to the door...

"Is there a problem officer?" she asked...

He looked at her funny and then looked at all of the mostly African-American faces and then asked..

"Are you alright mam?" he said.

"Yes...why wouldn't I be?" she asked..

"UH...ruh..You live here?" he asked..

"Yes...Me and my husband just moved in last week..We were having a house warming party and we invited some of our friends over.."she said..

"Friends? You guys from Philly?" he asked.

"Yes..." she said...

Just then her husband,Thomas Armstrong walked up to the door...

"Is there a problem officer?" he asked..

"Who are you?" he asked..

"I'm the homeowner..."said Thomas...

"YOU?  You're her husband?" he asked incredulous...

"Yes...Is there a problem?" asked Thomas...

''So these are your friends?" he asked.

"They are our friends...I went to school with some of them...College....and some of them we both worked with...Some are former clients."said Elizabeth.....

''Clients???...You a lawyer or somethin?"he asked...

"We both are...My husband and I work for my father's law firm..." she said..

He laughed and shook his head...

"So most of these people here are ex-cons right?" he said laughing...

His partner looked uncomfortable..

"Bert...Come on man...That aint cool....There's no problem here...Come on let's go."he said.

"Shut up....I'm the lead dog here..." said Bert...

"You know I resent what you're implying...Most of these people are professionals...There is Rollie Rollerson,Millionaire entrpreneur over there...Olivia Bennett-Alexander, an attorney, Soloman Foster, an Attorney, Celeste Tate, an attorney...There are no felons here...The majority of these people here are professionals..."said Thomas..

Officer Bert Parker snarled...

"Well La dee dahhhh..." he said as he  he scanned the room...

The average person in this room made more than his annual salary easily....

''Well let me in...I want to make sure there is no under age drinking goin on in here..."he said.

"Oh My God, Are you for real?" said Elizabeth.

"Sir there is no underage drinking going on in here...The youngest person in here is about 27 or 28..We are all adults...There are a half dozen attorneys in here...We are quite aware of the law sir."said Thomas..

"Get out of my way and let me in."said Officer Bert Parker....

Samuel blocked him....

"You are going to have to produce a search warrant for that....I didn't invite you into my house...Now there is nothing illegal going on...Just some friends celebrating our new home with us..."said Thomas...

"Some of them might have warrants on them.."snarled Officer Bert Parker...

"Then produce a search warrant, produce probable cause and then you may enter...Other than that...I'm going to have to ask you to leave..."he insisted...

He looked at Elizabeth..

"Now look sugar britches...except for your choice of husband...you otherwise seem like a sensible gal...Explain to your husband that I'm loosing patience and that he'd better let me in."he said.

"Oh My God...You are incredible!!!!!!....What is your badge number?" she said..

He covered it up.....

Olivia, Bev ,Nelson and I were at the door at this point..

"You know good and damn well you can't do that..."I said.

He looked at me...

''Who the hell are you? Another fancy pants lawyer?" he said.

"As a matter of fact....I am not...I'm a P.I.  but I used to be a cop...I was a Homicide Detective...I know the drill...You don't have a search warrant, you have no probable cause and you don't even have a complaint...Half of the neighbors are in here at this party...Now there is nobody here younger than 27..There is no drugs or underage drinking going on....You really need to go."I said staring him down...

His partner grabbed his arm...

"Bert...Bert...They aren't causing any trouble...It's just a housewarming party..Leave em alone, come on."he said...

Bert Parker ignored them....

"Ex-cop eh?  You don't tell me what to do...P.I. and anyway...I'm not talking to you..."he snarled.

"I know your name is Bert...Bert Parker..Can't be too many more people in this town with that name...I'm going to call the precinct right now and file a complaint.."said Thomas...

"THE HELL YOU ARE !" snarled Officer Bert Parker, who pulled out a taser and zapped Thomas...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed as he fell backwards...

I immediately lunged for Bert  Parker trying to take the taser out his fat stubby hands...He hit me in the head with a sap and then tasered me also...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" I screamed.....and then I began to fall backwards on the grass...

People began screaming....

Everything seemed like slow motion....I fell to the ground....I remember Olivia cradling my head...

"Donnie Ray...Donnie Ray....Somebody call an ambulance!!!...Oh my god!!!...Donnie Rayyyyyy!"she cried...

''Auntay...He's gonna be alright...Auntayyyy...Isn't he going to be alright??.."screamed Beverly who was crying hysterically and helping her aunt to hold my head.....

."Ohhh man..I saw the whole thing...Olivia...We gonna sue this township....When we get through...This bama ass cop aint gone own  a damn pair of drawers.."said Soloman Foster...

"Livy....Livy...Get him to a couch...Get him some water..." yelled Celeste...

"Couch my ass!!!...Both Mister fancy pants lawyer over here and ex-cop turned P.I. are both under arrest..for assaulting an officer and obstruction of justice and all you sambo lawyers can eat it.!!!..Aint none of your fancy smancy titles gonna help you in this town...EAT IT BITCHES!"he yelled...

By now the crowd was getting unruly....A hail of bottles and beer cans went flying their way....

"Heyyy..Heyyy...what are you guys doin? Eddie call for back up...We got a situation here."yelled Bert...

"Bert...Bert what have you done?  You started  this...They didn't do anything to you!!!...Come on let's get out of here before you start a race riot!!"screamed his partner...as a bottle sailed past his head..

"SHUT UPPPPPP! YOUR JOB IS TO BACK YOUR PARTNER!!! NOW IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT..YOU DON'T BELONG ON THIS POLICE FORCE!!!!"all you sambo lawyers can eat it.!!!..Aint none of your fancy smancy titles gonna help you in this town...EAT IT BITCHES! EAT IT!!!"yelled Officer Bert Parker..as his partner pulled him inside the patrol car and they pulled off as a crowd of people gathered in the street and began shouting and throwing bottles at their retreating patrol car..

"Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God...My husband!!!!...What have you done?" screamed Elizabeth cradling Thomas's head...

Thomas was unconscious...I was losing consciousness...

"You shoulda married a white man!!!...What is a nice good lookin woman like you doing with this guy? SAMBO SPADE?? HUHHH??  I tried to talk to you in the market the other day and you ignored me...Looked at me like I wasn't good enough!!! NOW...Who isn't good enough NOW??HUHHH???WHO ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH NOWWW??? " yelled Officer Bert Parker..

''Bert..Is this what this is about? Some chick ?" yelled his partner..

"I'm tired of chicks TURNIN ME DOWN...I'M DAMN SICK OF IT!  "yelled Bert Parker...as their patrol car pulled off...

I wanted to ring his fat red neck...but I was too weak and I was already losing consciousness....The entire world was spinning...spinning out of control.....

III-

I don't know how many hours had gone by...but I woke up alone in a dark, dank cell...with windows that allowed sunlight to come in....I looked out into the street....I was still in Bayside Heights....

A guard walked to my cell and opened it...

"Donnie Ray Alexander?" he said.

"Yeah man that's me.." I said.

"You can go now..." he said.

"What?" I said.

"Your lawyer posted bail...All charges have been dropped." he said.

"Damn right they were dropped..they were bogus charges anyway..."I said.

"Yeah whatever."he said.

I was handed my belt,my shoes and socks...my tie, My suit jacket ,my wallet and my car keys...

I dressed and walked out of the police station...Nelson was sitting on the bench waiting for me..

"Heyyy Mr. Donnie Ray...You alright?" he said.

"Yeah..I'm good...Where are the girls?" I asked.

''What girls?" he asked.

"What girls? Our Girls...Olivia and Bev?" I said- ''Why aren't they down here?" I asked..

"Olivia and Bev sir?" he asked.

"My wife, Olivia Bennett-Alexander and your girlfriend, Beverly West?" I said.

He laughed....

"That cop really hit you hard last night...Are you talking about Olivia Barnes the attorney? and her niece ,Beverly West?"he said.

"Olivia Barnes? Olivia Bennett-Alexander..She's my wife...She has a practice...Beverly works for her...The three of us live together..You must have been hit on the head Nelson.." I said.

"Maybe when we get home...Mama will fix you a nice breakfast and some hot coffee and your faculties will come back to you."said Nelson...

''What are you talking about?" I said.

"First off...You are single...You came up here from New Orleans after you quit the police force and got your P.I.'s license....Your stuff is in storage and you live with me and my mama...You rent a room from us...You play the trumpet at Josies to make your money...You haven't had very many clients of late."said Nelson...

"Nelson....I'm married to Olivia...You and Beverly are dating..you have been for a year now...What are you talking about? Why are you talking so crazy?" I said.

"Mr. Donnie Ray....Beverly and I....uh...Well, she let me take her out once...and me and my stupid self...I left my wallet at home...She had to pay for everything...She never gave me the time of day again...I blew the one chance I had with her." he said.

I laughed...

"She told us about that...Me and her aunt...but she did go out with you again and even fell in love with you..."I said.

Nelson cracked up...

"You crazy as hell Mr. Donnie Ray...Beverly doesn't even live in Philly no more..She took a job with the U.S. Immigration Department in Washington D.C.  She's a big time attorney now..making big bucks...I'm uh out of her league now..I'm just a lowly public defender..." he said.

This was insane...What was coming out of his mouth....Maybe I was still dreaming....Bev in Washington, He still a public defender...Me living with him and his mother??No way.

We drove up to his house in West Philadelphia...A nice little row house...His mother, Mrs. East came to the door..

"Mister Donnie Ray....Heard you had a little dust up with a cracker cop out in the suburbs...You don't look no worse for the wear and tear...Come on inside and get some food....I know you want to shave and shower after spending the night in the drunk tank."she said.

"The drunk tank?" I said.

"The cop said you were drunk and abusive...and he hit you with a sap...but Mrs. Barnes said that that wasn't what happened at all...That he was trying to be fresh and you uh defended her honor...and you were attacked...She's the one who called me...She got your charges dropped..."said Nelson...

"You mean my wife, Olivia..." I said...

Nelson and his mother looked at each other sideways...

"You really took a whack on the head boy...Mrs. Barnes is married alright, but not to you, to some high siddity lawyer named Elwood Barnes...I can't stand him...but I've always liked Olivia...I remember her and Bev when they were growing up around here..in West Philly....I remember her older brother, Jimmy...that's Bev's daddy...He's out on the West Coast,makin porno movies." she said.

"Mom!" said Nelson...

''Well it's true..He come around here talkin bout Adult contemporary films...He's makin porn...I wasn't born yesterday."said Mrs. East...

I smiled at the thought of Livy's older brother and Beverly's father making porno movies..

Mrs. East made me and Nelson a delicious breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes, Hash browns and Sausage and hot coffee and orange juice...Afterwords ,I took a long hot shower and shaved and brushed my teeth...Put on a nice suit and different shoes...

I walked downstairs...

"Well look at you...You clean up nice."said Mrs. East...I kissed her on the cheek...

"Thanks again...for uh putting me up."I said.

I then walked outside...Nelson was standing on the sidewalk...

"Nelson...You said that Olivia is married..right?" I asked.

"Yeah." he said.

"Take me to where she is.." I asked..."I want to see her."I said..."Humor me.."I said again..

"Okay...She uh works for this Law firm ,Kimble ,Kimble and Hughes....It's downtown...I'll drop you off...I have to go to work..."he said.

''Where is my car?"I asked.

"It's in impound...You should have it tonight...When I get off work...I'll take you to get it.." he said.

IV-

I showed Nelson where Olivia,Beverly and I lived, where our office was...He laughed...

"That place has been empty for about a year....The man who used to live there murdered his wife..You don't live there and Mrs. Barnes certainly doesn't live there." he said..

I was incredulous...

Nelson drove me downtown to the building where the law firm was...He told me what floor...

"This is it...You want me to come up with you?" he asked...

''Nah..I got this...I'll see you after work." I said.

"Okay." he said....He looked at me with a kind of pitiful glance...

I got on the elevator...I felt an adrenelin rush as it headed to the 13th floor...I knew once I saw Olivia..everything would be back to normal...

I wasn't out of the elevator a minute before I saw a familiar sight....Olivia and Beverly...

"Livy...Bev....Oh am I glad to see you!!!" I said as I ran toward them both....Beverly looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time...I went to hug her and she backed away...

''Shortcake??..What's the matter?" I said...

"Do I know you?" she said.

"Ohhh,I remember you."said Olivia..."You were the guy who helped me the other night in Bayside when that cop tried to get fresh with me...How are you doing?" said Olivia..

"Liv, what are you talking about? I got tasered by that cop at Thomas Armstrong's house party?" I said.

Olivia looked at me with that same pitying look that Nelson had just showed me..

"Oh My God...You really did get a good whack on the head didn't you?"she said. "Thomas Armstrong works here with me..He couldn't afford a house out in Bayside Heights...I was out there talking to a client..When that cop tried to get fresh with me..You came  to my rescue, but he hit you with a night stick and you got arrested. I called Nelson and asked him to bail you out."she said.

"Liv stop playing...Where is Josie?" I asked.

''Who is Josie?" asked Beverly...

''She's our office manager...You and your auntay have a law firm...Josie is our office manager...Your aunt and I are married..." I said.

They both looked at each other and smiled..

"Mr. Alexander...I'm already married.....I am flattered that you think that highly of me...And you seem to be a nice man...If I was single..I would not mind being in your company..but before the other night...I've never seen you before in my life...You should see a doctor...You probably suffered a concussion..but thank you for helping me." she said.

"Beverly...Nelson came and got me..."I said.

"How's he doing? He still living with his mama?" she said.

"Bev..Me and your aunt were married..You and Nelson were a couple..He has his own apartment and works for Robert Foxworth...''I said.

"Auntay...I like him...He's as crazy as a crackhouse rat...but I like him...Imagine us having a law firm...and an office manager....Imagine you being married to anyone else but bum ass Elwood? Even crazy man here would be an improvement." she said.

''Well..At least that much didn't change....You didn't like Elwood.."I said looking at Beverly.

"Like him...I despise him!! I put up with him only because my aunt is married to him.."said Beverly...

"Okay ,Okay Bev...I think he gets it.."said Olivia...

"Auntay...How come you don't get it? He don't really love you? If he did he wouldn't treat you the way he does...buttt you know what? We've had this conversation before..It's your birthday tomorrow night ..I'm not here to get you upset..I'm here to visit with my favorite aunt..."said Beverly smiling and hugging her aunt..

"It was nice seeing you again Mr. Alexander...but I have to go...Do take care."said Olivia...

"Yeah, get some rest Mr. Alexander...."said Beverly laughing as we all got on the elevator and headed out into the street.....

 A 2003 Jetta was sitting out front...

''That's your car Livy?  You had a 2014 BMW, according to my memory."I said.  Both she and Beverly laughed..

''Auntay...I love this guy...He's got both of us living large..."laughed Beverly ...

"Yes he does.."laughed Olivia..."You are something else Mr. Alexander."laughed Olivia.

"You wanna drive baby?"said Olivia...who tossed Bev the keys...

''Sure....Next time I come up to visit...I'm gonna have a car by then Auntay." said Beverly...

She opened the door to the drivers side and adjusted the seat so that she could drive and a pair of panties and a bra fell from under the seat!!

"Whoa! What's going on here?" I asked smiling wryly...

"Those aren't mine!!!..."said Olivia in horror and embarrasment..

Beverly pulled them out from under the seat....

"Auntay, I take it these aren't yours?"said Beverly...

"Oh My God no....Not Again!...He promised me no more cheating!...."said Olivia, tearing up...both embarrassed and hurt...

"Auntay,when are you going to leave him? He's no good...He's a liar and a cheater...I've told you that...You know that? Why do you stay with bum assed Elwood?" asked Beverly...

''I don't knowwww...I don't know...Maybe...Maybe I'm just afraid to be alone.."said a tearful Olivia..

"He's crazy." I said.

"What?" said Olivia..

"Cheating on a woman like you....I wouldn't cheat on you...If-If you were mine...He's a fool....He doesn't know what he has."I said, disgusted...

"Even Crazy guy here would treat you better Auntay!"said Beverly.

Olivia looked as if she was about to cry...

"Don't cry Mrs. Barnes.."I said, hating to have to say that...

"It's not you...It's him..Bum assed Elwood." said Beverly ,holding her aunt and hugging her.

"I hate him for making my auntay cry." she spat...

"For what it's worth...I hate him too and I've never met him." I said.

I turned and walked down the street away from there...away from them....I didn't know what had happened to me...It was like the entire world had gone sideways....My wife and niece didn't recognize me...Everything I knew to be true was not...Maybe I was crazy...Maybe I was in an alternate reality...I had read about that....Somehow..Someway I had to find my way back to the world I knew.

(TO BE CONTINUED)