Are We Good?

The next night found Assistant District Attorney Miles Ellis in Red Bar ,

 having drinks with Assistant District Attorney Rockland Cambridge...

"It's not that often that I get invited to have drinks with my colleagues..I'm not that popular as you've probably heard.."said Rockland ,who was suspicious of why they were having drinks..

"Nooooo, I've heard you are like me a perfectionist and  next to ADA Keith Wallace, I hear you have the highest conviction rate...."said Miles..

"I hear good things about you too...Haven't lost a case....Not bad.....Especially since you come from the corporate world...Most of us leave here for a splashy corporate job..."said Rockland...

"That's what I hear.." said Miles...

"I uh happen to be up against a former acquaintance of yours...Yvette Jones.."said Miles.

getting aroused just saying her name..

And there it was...That;'s what this is about...

"Yvette and I used to date....Two years ago..She's a fine Attorney....From what I hear ,she 's giving you all you can handle with this Willie Childs Murder Case..."said Rockland..

"Yes...She rested her case yesterday...The jury is still out...They weren't able to come to a decision...Which could mean, a hung jury....." sighed Miles..

Rockland laughed...

"She is good...I was by the trial the other day...She's got her protoge's

Bee Bee Evans

and Khalil Ahmed...

both damn good Attorneys....I'm just glad I don't have to go up against them..."laughed Rockland..

"Yes They are....You know..She and Bee Bee and the other Black Guy, Keith Jones

represented me recently in a civil case...They won....They are very good...and that uh Jade Lee..

She's a damn good investigator too!." laughed Miles Ellis..

"Yessssssssss..it's good to have a good investigator...An Attorney's best friend..."said Rockland Cambridge

as the second round of drinks came..

''Speaking of investigators...You have a very good investigator too..

Gary Lockwood.."said Miles.

"Yes, he's the best...Former Lieutenant in Homicide and later Internal Affairs...."said Rockland..

II-

"Yesssssssss Yvette told me.."said Miles matter of factly...

"Yvette told you that huh?  She represented you once...Apparently ,you and Yvette have history..."said Rockland..

"Oh Yes..We go back...I was her supervisor at McCluskey, Cozen and Connor...I met her when she was still green, Two years out of law school, had just passed the bar the year before...Idealistic, Eager Beaver,wanted to be the female Perry Mason..She was a quick study...And she's teaching her four young attorneys quite well..."mused Miles..

"Yes she is...They are better than a lot of Attorneys with years of experience...I tried a case against Yvette years ago...It was just like your Willie Childs case...controversial...The Judge was being a real asshole, but he was especially abusive towards her...He didn't care for female attorneys.....During recess she was standing outside in tears...

I held her in my arms...told her everything was going to be alright and I fell in love with her on the spot...she was so soft, had such a womanly body...smelled so good...I couldn't resist her..After the trial, which I won....I got her number...I called her...We went out a few times and before we both knew it..We were a couple..

I was with Yvette for two almost three years....I screwed up..My temper tantrums...My perfectionism...It was grating...It ruined us as a couple...As a result ,I've been in therapy for years....I met a woman there a kindred spirit..We fell in love...

I'm with her now...Her name is Alfreda...She is the love of my life.."mused Rockland as he finished his drinks..He went in his wallet...

"Nah...it's on me...I'm enjoying talking to you..."said Miles..

Rockland looked surprised...

"Oh...Well thank you.." he said.  "Say, did you and Yvette ever uh...well you know?" asked Rockland..

"Oh Noo..No..No...I was her boss....remember?? That would have been unethical.."said Miles..

''Right, but you're not her anything now...After this trial...I suppose you and her could hook up..."said Rockland..

"Uh Well...She already has a boyfriend....Your investigator, Gary Lockwood...." he said..

He saw the look of utter surprise on Rockland's face...

"You didn't know?? She said they've been together for a year."said Miles..

"REALLY?" said Rockland......"That explains a lot..A lot.." he said and smiled snidely...

"Oh I -I-hope I uh didn't say too much...I-I-I mean I wouldn't want to make things uncomfortable for you..I uh thought you knew about them.."said Miles..

Rockland was no longer smiling...

"No,I didn't know about them.. You haven't made things uncomfortable at all..." he said..He stood up..."It's late...I'll be going now..Thanks for the drinks.." he said..

"Don't mention it....Don't mention it at all.."said Miles, smiling slyly...




III-

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE-FELONY CASES, the next morning...

D.A.'s investigator, Gary Lockwood was in a good mood..

He was still feeling good from the good loving, Yvette had given him the night before

 and the quickie they had had this morning..

but he was at work now...Time to get it together...

He walked in the office of Assistant District Attorney, Rockland Cambridge..and set some files on his desk..The culmination of two weeks investigation into a man Rockland would be prosecuting in a few days..

"That's the information you needed on the Billy Day case...."said Gary...

Rockland looked it over..He smiled..

"Damn Good work Gary..." he said...

"That's why you pay me the big bucks."joked Gary...

"I don't pay you...The City Of Philadelphia pays you.."said Rockland..

Something about the way he said that told Gary that there was something else on his mind...All of his cop senses told him so...

"Sooooooooooooooo Gary...You and Yvette huh?  You've been seeing her for a year now huh? Right under my nose and I never had a clue.."said Rockland,laughing and raring back in his chair..

This was the moment Gary and Yvette dreaded...The day he'd find out about them....They hadn't exactly tried to hide it...They were seen out at Josie's, Stoley's, Aqua Bar, Mulberry Street, Bottom of the C and other establishments..

A lot of people saw them together and knew..He was actually surprised that Rockland was just now finding out...

He breathed in and breathed out..

"I love her!" was his only defense..

"So All those nights...I dropped by your house late and you had company....It was her right?"asked Rockland..

"Guilty as charged counselor." said Gary...He knew that Rockland couldn't fire him...Not for that reason, but he could suggest he transfer to another ADA...He was ready for that inevitability....

"You and Yvette huh? Wowwwwwwwwwwwwww! You know...I never thought she liked you...Guess you can't figure women huh?" he asked and cracked up laughing at his own question...

"I Love Her...And she loves me."was all Gary would say...

"I thought that fragrance I smelled on your suit a couple of times was hers...I just couldn't place it...Guess that's why you're the detective and I'm an Attorney.."said Rockland..

"I can have my desk packed by lunch time.."said Gary softly...

"Packed for what? Where are you going?"asked Rockland..who actually looked hurt that Gary would suggest this.

"I suppose things will be a little weird for you, for us...Now that you know..."said Gary..

"Nahhhhh, I don't care....Maybe last year or the year before...but not now...Actually a great burden has been lifted off my shoulders...Remember I told you once that I wished Yvette would find somebody, so that I could finally move on?  Well that was crazy and selfish...I have moved on...I'm crazy about Alfreda...Beverly's mother...

That woman has put something on me like I've never had put on me before..Therapy has been working for me too!  I still care about Yvette...If you say you love her...and she loves you, then I'm happy for you both....And look, you're the best investigator I've ever had...We work well together..You're the closest thing I have to a male friend in this office..I'd hate for such a great team as us to be broken up.."said Rockland...

Gary looked at him..

"Am I hearing right?" he asked..

"Ohh come on Gary....."said Rockland..

"Are We Good?" asked Gary...

"Sure...We are good.." said Rockland..

"If I may ask....Who told you?" asked Gary...

"Nobody important...Somebody who thought they were scoring points...They missed the basket...completely!!" said Rockland..

"How About that?" said Gary...

Both men shared a hearty laugh....

IV-

Later that day!

Bee Bee and I were standing across the street from the courthouse kissing passionately...

"My Baby is going to argue before the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court...Ouuuu,I wish I could be there.."she gushed..

"I wished you could too...In My place.."I joked..

Sofia and Kahlil were kissing too...

''Don't forget you have a loving boyfriend back home..Miss arguing before the frickin State Supreme Court tomorrow.." he said in between kisses...

''Well then tonight you'd better give mamasita something to remember you by..."joked Sofia in between kisses.

Across the street from them, Yvette stood with Jade and Josie..

"I've never had a jury hold out this long before..It could go either way.."said Yvette..

"Olivia and Beverly had a jury hold out for two days....They wound up with an acquittal..."said Josie, smiling..

"It's always darkest before the dawn...You'll be alright...You gave Willie Childs the best defense you could..Better than he would have gotten with a Public defender...We left no stones un turned.."said Jade...

"I suppose you're right.."said Yvette...

Miles Ellis was smiling from cheek to cheek, observing them....He was getting ready to walk down the steps toward Yvette when Gary Lockwood walked up..

"Hey Baby...Good Luck with your trial tomorrow.."said Gary..

"Aww thank youuuuuuuuuuuu.."said Yvette and she placed a sweet kiss on his lips..

She looked around to make sure no one was looking...

"You never have to do that again bae...Rockland knows...He knows everything.."said Gary..

Yvette sighed..

"How are you?" she said..

"Never been finer...He knows and he doesn't care..He is so whipped by Alfreda...that it's not funny...He said he's happy for you, for us...and that now he can completely move on...He gave me some psychobabble he learned in Therapy.." said Gary...

"And you two are good? "asked Yvette..

"We are good...I'm taking you out to dinner tonight...Place of your choice.."said Gary..

"Ouu I know a Seafood restaurant and Bar I've been dying to visit.."said Yvette..

"We are there.."said Gary...

He and Yvette kissed passionately.....

Miles Ellis angrilly stomped his foot..

He wondered if Rockland had said anything yet....

(TO BE CONTINUED)