All The Players

"Mmmmmmmmmmmm this is sooo good." said Olivia as she sipped the Citris Martini... "I was introduced to this when we were in Seattle recently..and I'm hooked." she added..

We were all  enjoying a warm summer night out at Stephen Bristols's popular rooftop Bar- SKYBAR..

"Mmmmm, it is good Auntay." said Beverly , who took a sip herself...

of the Citris Martini...

 ''Come on Nelson, We might as well see what the fuss is about." I joked as we ordered two for ourselves..

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, it is good." said Nelson...

"See, I told you..." said Olivia, smiling..

The bar was an Aqua lit front...The D.J. was on the other side, Spinning Acid Jazz and Hip Hop,classic hip hop....

I had to admit, this was a pretty hip spot, Way above the teaming city streets....You could look out and see the entire city...

"That's right...you guys were out west..North West to be exact , a little while ago.."said Attorney Arthur Trout, a frequent adversary of the girls...Olivia and Beverly, but a friend outside of court...

"Heyyyyyyyyyyy Arthur...come join us....pull a chair over and taste this." said Olivia.

Arthur sipped and was hooked...

"Waitress...Two More of these...What is this drink called?" asked Arthur...

"A Citris Martini...We had it in Seattle... We hoped when we got home we could find it....Look where we found it." said Beverly...

"Stephen Bristol always has the good stuff....Donnie Ray, Liv, Beverly, Nelson...I want you to meet somebody....I have a new lady in my life.." he said as an attractive Blonde walked over to us..

"I'd like you all to meet Samantha.. Samantha Stevenson....Mandy, This is Olivia Bennett -Alexander, her niece, Beverly West , Her husband, Donnie Ray Alexander and Nelson East..."said Arthur Trout..

"Oh My God...Olivia Bennett-Alexander and Beverly West.....I've heard so much about you two...I'm so glad to finally meet you two..I think you and your niece are sooooo sharp!" said the woman ,gushing..

 "Thank You Samantha." said Olivia..

"Call Me Mandy...Please." she said.

Olivia looked at her...

"I've seen you somewhere before...Are you an Attorney also?" asked Olivia..

"Sure Am....You uh probably saw me on the news...I'm the one who testified in all of those trials, put those guys in that Super Pac away...and that guy who killed that girl 45 years ago and buried the body in the basement of that old funeral home.. and A.J. Miller too!  I sent em all to jail...Which is why I'm still practicing law and not in jail myself..I screwed up...I got with the wrong crowd...I admit it...but I'm doing better....Uh in fact...I'm an associate at your old law firm Olivia.."said Samantha..

"You put that crook A.J. Miller behind bars....I like you already!" I said...

"Really?  Well good for you....Way to come back...Listen ,we all make mistakes..Nobody is as bad as the worst mistake they made...I always say that..So how long have you two been uh, together??" asked Olivia.
 , smiling..

''About a month now..: said Arthur Trout, blushing...

''Arthur was the one friend I had through out the entire thing...He was the one person who didn't judge me or abandon me..I really screwed up getting involved with that group...I let A.J. Miller talk me into working for that Pac....but it wasn't just him...It was just too much money to turn away from at the time.."said Samantha.

"I can perfectly understand..but, forget about it...Tonight...We drink.."said Beverly as more drinks arrived..

Samantha's eyes got large...

"Nice....You guys have a rough week?" she asked laughing...

"I had a big Union Negotiation..."said Olivia..

"And I had a divorce settlement...I hate divorce settlements.."said Beverly...

"I work for both of them, so I was very busy...Those two cases almost made us forget about Seattle." I said..

"That's right...you're their in house investigator....Nice!" she said...

"The job has great benefits." I joked..

Samantha peered at Olivia and Beverly...

She really did think that the both of them were very sharp....She had followed some of their big cases...She really did admire both of them...

"I'll just bet it does...You're married to her and you work and live with two very beautiful women.."said Samantha..

"She's a gem isn't she?" said Arthur, gushing... As long as Olivia had known Arthur Trout and she'd known him as long as she'd known her ex-husband, Elwood...They were friends..She had never seen Arthur gush like this...He must really be in love, she thought..or serious lust...As she would tell me later...

"So the question of the night...Arthur...How did you two  get together?" asked Olivia..

"I gave a lecture at PENN LAW some years ago and she and I talked after it was over...I told her when she graduated to come see me...She graduated and passed the bar and she clerked for me for a bit, then she went off to find her fortune you might say...She worked at a number of law firms and we kept in contact ....After her recent troubles...We met again...I talked ,offered her counsel.." he said.

"Offered her counsel..." laughed Nelson...

I have to admit...I smiled too...

"Don't laugh...He did...And we realized that there was something there and we just got together...Stranger things have happened.." said Samantha..

"I'll say...Don't mind my boyfriend...He doesn't want me to tell the story of how WE hooked up."laughed Beverly...

"No...No..No..I don't.." Nelson protested..laughing..

"I like you guys already.."laughed Samantha...

 "You went to PENN  LAW?? So Did Beverly and I?" said Olivia...

''I knowwwwwwwww...in fact...I remember you Beverly...I was a class ahead of you.." said Samantha..

"Oh My Goddddd, wowwww! Imagine that!" said Beverly....

"It's a small world..I was two years ahead of Olivia.." said Arthur Trout.."

"Gee I'm the only lawyer here that didn't come through PENN.." said Nelson...

"Where did you go?" asked Samantha..

''St. Johns in New York City..but you and I do have one thing in common...I too clerked for Arthur Trout after graduation and upon passing the bar." said Nelson...

"Truly a small world.." said Samantha...

"Oh yeah...I'm gonna be out West myself for a few days..." said Arthur Trout...

''Seattle?" asked Beverly.

"No, Nooooooooooooo... L.A.  My firm is having it's annual convention..."said Arthur Trout..

"Oh wow...You should like that Mandy...You two get to go away together.." said Olivia..

''Normally I would, but I'm afraid I can't go..I'm second chair on a big case...real important client...So we are going to be seperated...First time, since we became a couple.." said Samantha with a fake pout..

"Awww ,I feel for you...You can hang with us. Auntay and I go shopping on Saturdays..." said Beverly...

"I'm not gonna be gone that long...Just a few days...I'm leaving ,day after tomorrow and I'll be back by Friday Night.." said Arthur..

"That's right man...Lock it up!" I joked..

"Oh Hush up" laughed Olivia..

We all laughed and ordered more drinks...

Everybody had a glass and toasted as the D.J. qued up his laptop, which was hook to two gigantic speakers and began playing some classic hip hop...

Samantha being only a year older than Beverly was well versed in Hip Hop and even knew some mean dance steps....

The two girls bonded and took turns dancing with Nelson... Arthur Trout and I sat back and watched..

Such an innocent meeting...None of us had any idea that this was the calm before a very big storm that was coming down the pike...

Olivia peered over into the city streets....She looked relaxed for the first time in weeks........and sexy as hell!

 Tonight...It was all about cool drinks,cool music, an ultra cool night spot and the night...

II- 

Monday Morning and we were were all back at work...

I sat in the conference room drumming my fingers on the table..

 My wife Olivia and her niece, Beverly walked in looking as stylish and sexy as ever...

"Morning Donnie Ray.." said Beverly...

"Morning Shortcake...Anything on your docket for today?" I asked.

"Nope...My slate is clean..." said Beverly...

"Nothing on mine either..." said Olivia, sitting on my lap...She smelled so good..."Going to put all of these files away...." she said.

''We have one appointment for today though..A real Heavy hitter..A Ms. Susan Goode.." said Josie.. "She's a Broker for H.Enright and Associates." said Josie..

"Oh I'm quite aware of who they are and her...My Old firm repped them ,many times...I repped her on more than one occasion..I handled a divorce from her first husband  and an annulment from husband number two....I also repped her in a DUI..I forgot all about her..."said Olivia..

''So you two have history?" I asked.

''Well when I announced I was leaving the firm and setting up my own firm...142 clients I had represented and had on retainer followed me here...She was not one of them...At first I was hurt..But in the end I understood..since it was no way a huge investment firm like H.Enright and Associates was going to break with an established firm like that and take a chance on an upstart like me and my little firm...She chose to stay with them...Which makes me wonder what she wants with me..Us???.."said Olivia..

I looked at Beverly...

''Did you bring any clients with you ,when you joined your aunt's firm?" I asked.

"I did...but you can imagine , they weren't the heavy hitters that my auntay brought...Together we had about 250 clients on retainer.. They kept us afloat for the first few months until you came and you joined us.."said Beverly...

"Yeah, once you came...It was like the floodgates opened..We started getting newer clients, wild cases, big money!"said Josie..

"What she means is we started having fun....Today we have more clients than you can shake a stick at...And we are making good money...But more important..We are having fun, aren't we girls?" asked Olivia.

"Sure am...I got a man....Josie got a man, Auntay has you and we have enough clients to keep us gainfully employed and in the money..."said Beverly...

''Which brings me to the question I asked before..What does Susan Goode want with us?  My old firm has many attorneys and investigators..What does she need with our small firm?" asked Olivia..

"Because I can trust you Liv...I always could.." came the voice of an attractive white woman ,standing in our conference room...

"Uh the door was open...I uh just let myself in..." said the woman..."You look great Liv." she continued..

III-

''So do you Susan..." said Olivia... "Let me introduce you to my staff... This is my niece and partner..Attorney Beverly West.." said Olivia..

"Hi Susan...I believe we met years ago..."said Beverly...

"I remember you came to have lunch with your auntie and she introduced you to everyone...You were working in the Public defender's office..And I remember when Liv was pregnant the second time..and had the miscarriage...You finished up her case..Won it for them...Yes..I remember you Bev.."she said.

"This is my new husband... Donnie Ray Alexander...He is also our in house investigator..." said Olivia..

"Pleased to meet you.." I said.

"Liv he's handsome...I'm so glad you divorced that creep you were married to and found this nice man..How long have you two been married? "asked Susan..

''Three years!" we both gushed in unison...

Olivia then introduced Josie..

"This is Josie Boyd...Our Office Manager /Paralegal...she'll be assisting Beverly and I in court..." she said..

"Pleased to meet you.."said Josie..

''Such a good looking staff...That's why I know I'll be in good hands.."said Susan..

''Don't you work for Enright and Associates..? Don't they use my old firm exclusively..?" asked Olivia.

"To Answer your question...Yes I still work for them for now.. and yes I'm sure they do...but I need you...I need your help Liv...I'm suing Enright himself.." she said.

"Wait , you're suing Hugh Enright? The Founder and CEO of H.Enright and Associates?"asked Liv..

"Not him...His son...He drugged me and raped me.." she said.

'When did this happen?" I asked.

"Two weeks ago.."she said..

''Did you report this to the police?" asked Beverly..

"No...I know I should have, but I was so confused..I wasn't even sure what had just happened...But I did see a doctor ,I did have a "rape kit" as they call it done..I'll give you her name and phone number."said Susan...

"That's a start."said Olivia..

"Does he know you are planning to take legal action against him?" asked Beverly..

"Oh Yes...I complained to Human Resources and him being the Bosses son...Nothing was done...I went to our Ombudsmen and all I got was platitudes ,but no action...Then I heard that he got a powerful attorney from your firm named Wallace Payton

...I know of him...He's a real shark..Cut throat as they come..He's a scary man...He sent somebody to try and buy my silence..But I wasn't having it...I was scared..Then I did some research...I found out that you and Bev handed him his only known defeat...recently in another sex assault case that was just like mine and I knew I had to have you as my attorneys.." she said..

Wallace Payton, the scary attorney with the expressionless face,...A true Psychopath if there ever was one..
We knew who he was...He predicted that we would meet again and that things would be different...I had hoped we didn't have to deal with him again...He seemed down right scary...

"Yes Susan..We know Mr. Payton quite well...He said we would meet again...I'm sure when he learns you have retained my and Beverly's services he's going to lick his chops.." said Olivia..

"That creepy guy...I'm calling Nelson...I don't want to sleep alone a night that we are on this case.."said Beverly..

Josie gave her the serious side eye and then laughed..

"I'm sure he won't mind that a bit.." said Olivia..

I cracked a smile...

"There's more.. He's got himself a real good attorney that will be second chair..Her name is Samantha..Samantha Stevens...

She's that Attorney that testified in all of those trials, put that Super Pac away and that dirty lawyer, A.J. Miller and that Funeral Director who murdered his girlfriend and kept the body in the basement for 40 years...That girl...She's good...Real good..The Two of them have partnered and won a number of cases recently.." said Susan..

''Wowwwwwwww Mandy....And I liked her too!"said Beverly.

"And you can still like her! Bev this is the job...She's an Attorney...She has to represent her client just like you and I do...We've gone up against

Arthur Trout how many times..We still like him don't we?

And ADA Keith Wallace and

ADA Nina Rios ...it's a job...We don't like her partner...but that shouldn't stop us from liking her."said Olivia..

"You're right Auntay...But I'm going to feel weird facing Mandy in court...We just met her.."said Beverly...

"So you guys know all of the players...?" asked Susan Goode.

"Yup , this is going to make a very interesting chess game we are about to play.." I said.

"Indeed"mused Olivia...

(TO BE CONTINUED)