North By Beverly West

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING!

Attorney Beverly West was a happy young lady....

She was two days away from getting married....She was sitting in the conference room

With Josie Boyd....our para legal

and  her cousin, Attorney ,Kayla Bennett...

They were drinking coffee....

"Damnnn Bev...you are glowing girl....."said Kayla...

"Just what does that mean...Someone is glowing..?"asked Beverly,laughing..

"It means you are literally shining.........and frankly...I'm a tad envious....."joked Kayla..

"Just a tad Kay?Just a tad?" laughed Beverly....The two had competed for grades, boys, prestige since they were little girls and yet they fiercely loved each other.   Next to Olivia...I think Beverly loved Kayla the most...She hugged her cousin and kissed her softly on the cheek...

"Love You girl!" she said...

"Love you more Beverly.."said Kayla...hugging her cousin...

They were just three days apart in age..

"You do seem to be holding up well....Better than Nelson..."laughed Josie.

"You've seen Nelson?" asked Beverly....

Her fiance as Philadelphia tradition was not allowed to see his bride to be for a week leading up to the wedding, so Nelson was staying with Blake

In his apartment building..

"I went to see Paris and Blake...Nelson was over there...He asked about you...How you were doing....He misses you sooo much and it's only been a week..."said Josie...

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww I miss him too..." said Beverly......She did...She hated sleeping by herself now of days...Nelson had spoiled her...

"Two more days and he's yours cousin...This is sooooooooooo sweet..."said Kayla.
She had spent the night, the night before...but was going home today....

As they were laughing and drinking coffee, the bell rang...

Josie went to the door..

"I got it!" she said.

It was Larry North...The Attorney from the Innocence Project in San Francisco....Once an Attorney at the Philadelphia Public Defender's office...Once one of Beverly's lovers...or would be suitors...

We hadn't seen him since we'd been in San Francisco for Christmas...but we knew he was in the city...

Beverly was stunned...Shocked to see him and this close to her and Nelson's wedding..

''Larry...What are you doing here?" she asked.

He ignored her question...He was as usual dressed immaculately....and had on a nice fragrance...

He addressed Josie...

"I came to see Olivia...Is she in?" he asked..

''She and Mr. A. are out at the moment...We expect them back in the next hour or two...Should I tell them you came by?" asked Josie...

He sat down....

"No...I suppose I can wait...I'm not pressed for time." he said..

Kayla looked at Beverly....

Beverly sighed..

''What do you want Larry?"she asked.

Finally Larry addressed her...

"I've been in Philadelphia for three weeks now...We have a client ,who is right here under your nose that is the victim of a great injustice...I came to request your auntie's assistance in defending said client...You know the whole world doesn't stop just because you're getting married.." he said..

"That wasn't very nice."said Kayla..Coming to her cousin's defense....

She had met Larry North many years before when he was trying to romance Beverly...She had thought he was a nice guy at the time...

He ignored her!

''It's alright Kayla...I know it doesn't stop because I'm getting married!.....Larry...Larry....I know you are disappointed...and you're hurt...I suppose in your own way you do have feelings for me...Josie....Do we have an extra invitation?" asked Beverly..

Josie looked shocked...

"Uh Yeah.." she said..

''Give it to Larry...Larry, I want you to come to my wedding....We used to be friends...Even in the bad times....I always forgave you no matter how you hurt me or annoyed me..I always forgave you...I don't want us to go out like this...We can at least being friends..."said Beverly softly..

Kayla and Josie looked at each other in shock....This was not the Beverly they knew...The sharp tongued pit bull who would have sliced anybody else up verbally....This was a kinder ,gentler Beverly...

Larry North was shocked himself...He put the invitation in his jacket pocket.....

"Do you have another one?" he asked..

''We do."said Josie..

"You have a plus one Larry?" asked Beverly , smiling..

"I do...What makes you think I wouldn't?" he asked..

"Nothing...I'm glad you do..." said Beverly....

II-

Olivia and I walked in just then....

"Larry, what are you doing here?" asked Olivia..

''Wow...No Hi Larry ,How are you doing? No Happy New Year? Liv, I thought we at least were friends!" he said smiling...

"Hi Larry..." I said..

"Hey Donnie Ray." said Larry, who shook my hand and kissed Olivia on the cheek...

"I know you hate forehead kisses." he said to Liv and smiled..

Olivia looked at her niece...

Beverly looked as cool as a cucumber...

Kayla and Josie shrugged their shoulders...

Larry smiled..

"I know what you're thinking...I have not come here to aggravate your niece....In fact we've been quite civil...She has invited me to her wedding with a plus one and I think I may attend..." he said..

Now , even I looked shocked...

''Sooooooooooooo...Larry, What are you doing here? Really??" asked Olivia...

Kayla looked at me and I looked at Josie...

Beverly might have been kinder and gentler now of days...But Olivia was Olivia and she wasn't about to let anyone upset her precious little niece two days before her wedding... The three of us knew that and we backed up...

''As I was telling these beautiful young ladies...I came to see you Liv...Just you.." said Larry...

"Me? About What?" asked Olivia...

"I imagine you think that I uh am in Philadelphia to stalk your niece....Nothing could be further from the truth....I'm here on Innocence Project business and frankly I could use your help...I've been in town the past few weeks...I don't know if you know that or not....I'm sure Syl told you....I know you two talk....She didn't tell you about-Jason Trope.." he said.

"Jason Trope?" I asked..

Larry opened his briefcase...He put the case file on the conference room table and began leafing through it...

Larry now got serious  "

 In 2012  Jason Trope was arrested here in Philadelphia and accused of killing his girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter. After waiting in jail for three years for a trial to begin, Jason Trope was convicted of capital murder and sent to  death row...

"I've talked to Dr. Hazel Baylor....She said that DNA tests, which were sloppily done then might prove his innocence...Judge Turner S. Freeman found a number of inconsistances in his original trial and has overturned his original conviction...I'm working on his retrial..He's in County Lock up currently." he said.

"So what happened?" I asked.

Larry explained..

"In the early morning hours of May 3, 2012, Cynthia Melton, the three-year-old daughter of Jason Trope's girlfriend, Michelle Melton, was abducted from her home, raped and murdered. Jason had spent that evening babysitting little Cynthia and her two younger siblings, who were Jason's biological children with Michelle. Two days after little Cynthia disappeared, her body was found in Tacony creek in  about 500 yards from her home. Police suspected Jason Trope because he had been at home that night and there was no sign of forced entry; however, a broken window near where the child slept could have provided the point of entry for an intruder. he went on trial in 2015, was convicted.." said Larry...

''Wow!  This is soo much like a case you and I worked years ago..." said Olivia..."The Tolliver Case." she said.

"Yeah that was it.."

Larry looked at Beverly....

"Your husband to be worked that case with Liv and me...

He was great at picking a jury....and wonderful at doing the research...I thought then and still think that Nelson is a fine Lawyer.." he said..

Beverly smiled..

"He is a fine lawyer.." she said softly....

"It's a shame the two of you won't be here to work on this case..." he said..."You complement your auntie as well as anyone and Nelson's genius at reading juries is indeed a virtue..."he said sounding as conciliatory as I have ever heard him...

 So at one time...Larry and Nelson were contemporaries and allies...Not bitter rivals...A woman can do that.....I mused...

And while Larry may have thought Nelson was a competent or fine  attorney....He still thought of himself as a better fit , a better man for Beverly.... And that was where the line between the two men was drawn...

''Well Larry....I'll meet with him for the bail hearing tomorrow....but my time is limited...I mean, you realize there is the uh wedding..." said Olivia..

"It's all good Liv..We meet for a bail hearing tomorrow......then take a few days off...Maybe we'll meet for another preliminary hearing Friday or even Monday....

He stared at Beverly , who looked so good with the new hairstyle and the make up and the lip gloss..He wanted so bad to kiss her luscious lips...

He then said..

"Of course I know it's going to be difficult without your side kick..."he said....

 ''Well I have Josie...She's my para-legal...she's very good at research and she can help me structure a defense...  "said Olivia, hugging Josie..

Kayla smiled..

''If you need me...You got me Cousin Liv..."said Kayla..

Larry was staring at Kayla and Josie's boobs...He was salivating at the thought of working with both of them...

"Good to know...We'll see..." said Olivia..

III-

Larry looked at Beverly...

''So where is your uh hubby to be?" he asked.

"He's a few blocks away...with friends...You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."said Beverly...

Larry laughed...

"Ahhhh Yeahhh,That Old Philly tradition.....Yeah....What did you do Donnie Ray?...Since you lived here with Liv already?" asked Larry..

"I tried staying upstairs, but then there was the chance that we might run into each other on the stairway, So I went and stayed at Josie's Bar and Grill

  in that room Gus keeps upstairs...I hated it..."I said, smiling..

"Auntay suffered too....She even cried a little bit...She sent me to see if you were alright, Remember Donnie Ray?" said Beverly...

"I do...I enjoyed those visits....It was the only way I got to know what was going on with her.."I said and smiled.. "We took separate flights to New Orleans, where we got married."I said remembering...

Larry smiled..

''WOWWWW!  Who is your conduit Beverly?" he asked..

''Josie...He's staying with Josie's  boyfriend.."said Beverly...

For awhile there was a truce between them...It was a very nice conversation...between all of us...I for one was surprised...

But Larry being Larry had to spoil it..

"So Bev...How about we go out and have some coffee, somewhere we can uh talk in private?" he asked..

Beverly raised her cup to show she was already drinking coffee....

Larry looked totally exasperated.....

He stomped his foot...

"Just won't give me a break will you? Afraid!!! Afraid that a moment...A MOMENT with me and you might change your mind huh?" he asked..

The room was silent..If Beverly hadn't erupted yet We were all, even Olivia...afraid she was going to erupt now...

The room was silent...Olivia, Myself, Kayla and Josie all stood back...waiting for the storm that was about to come...But it didn't!

Beverly sighed...

"No.....I don't feel like drinking any more coffee actually....and I don't have anything I want to discuss privately with you at the moment...I'm actually going upstairs and take a nap...." said Beverly quietly..

"Well perhaps I uh can go upstairs with you??...I've never seen your floor.." said Larry...

"Nope!   I'm taking a nap alone....See you  Larry, Everyone!..." said Beverly quietly who got up and walked upstairs...

"Cousin Liv, Donnie Ray....I think I'm going too.." said Kayla , who got up and grabbed her car keys...and her bags....

"Kayla ,can you drop me off at my place?" said Josie.. "You guys don't need me for anything else do you?" asked Josie..

"No baby...you can go...I'll see you in the morning..."said Olivia..

I was stunned...

"I'll see you at the courthouse Liv, Donnie Ray..." said Larry North...who stomped his foot and stormed out!

I couldn't believe what had just happened...

Olivia kissed me...

"Don't think about it..." she said.

"With a kiss like that, there is only one thing I am thinking about..." I said.

"I'm sure!"said Olivia...

The doors were locked and we dimmed the lights....

Olivia took me by the hand and led me upstairs to our floor...

 Once inside....We began kissing passionately up against the wall....I don't know what led to these outbursts of kisses...but I wasn't arguing...Neither was Olivia...

I had her clothes off and was soon thrusting with wild abandon inside of her....She was so soft, so warm, so moist....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Donnie Ray....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." Olivia moaned..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu girlllllllllllllllll.." I moaned myself....

The kisses were wet, sloppy,passionate....

I think both of us were getting more excited the longer we continued making love...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" screamed Olivia..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"I moaned myself..

Beverly wasn't asleep...She was lying across her bed....looking at photos of her and Nelson.

In Atlantic City...Their very first weekend together as a couple, In San Diego, San-Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Washington, D.C. , Maine, Seattle, San Juan, New Orleans and Miami...She had been with Nelson the longest and traveled more places with him than any of her other boyfriends combined....There was one photo of Nelson with a pair of her panties on his head...

She cracked up laughing at that one...She leafed through many of her photos...There were a few of  a younger her with Larry North..in Virginia Beach , the only place outside of the city he ever took her..

She closed her photo album and put it away and walked upstairs and knocked on the door....by now Olivia and I had finished making love and had cleaned ourselves up and put back on our clothes...

''It's me Auntay...Is this a bad time?" asked Beverly...

"No...Noooooooooo come on in baby..." said Olivia , who hugged her and kissed her on the cheek..."You know I was soo proud of the way you handled yourself today..I know Larry was trying to goad you, but you didn't give him any energy!" she said..

"I was proud of you too Shortcake!...Surprised...but proud!" I said, smiling...

"I'm Happy....And not just because I'm getting married...I'm happy you two are in my life....I'm happy we are a team and hope we'll always be a team forever..." said Beverly...

"Of course we will...."said Olivia..

"That goes without saying.."I said..

''Well Auntay...Since Nelson and I will be gone for two weeks...You're gonna need a second attorney to back you up...My vote is that you get Bee Bee...Beatrice Evans....She's tough and she's smart...She's the closest thing to me you got going for you.."said Beverly with a laugh..

"You're absolutely right baby! I'll call Yvette and see if she's available....I sure hope Larry North doesn't pester her the way he pestered you...." said Olivia...

"Oh I think Bee Bee can handle herself.." said Beverly...

I smiled...I hugged Olivia and Beverly, my girls....It was going to be alright....

(TO BE CONTINUED)