Too Close

Monday, Start of the work week...

Inside Ms. Yvette's office, She was standing in the middle of the floor kissing her boyfriend, Gary Lockwood, an investigator for the D.A.'s office passionately..

"Gary honey, you're going to have to let me go now...You have to go to work and I have work to do.." she whispered..

"I know...it's just so hard to let you go.." he said in between more slow, passionate kisses.

but he eventually relented and released her from his embrace...

"Where are the babies?" he asked, referring to us..

"They'll be here soon... They've been pretty busy...All of them have had about three individual cases a piece...

 "Bee Bee worked a case with Olivia , Beverly and Donnie Ray recently...She was in hog heaven, working with her idols."giggled Yvette.

"It was during the time Josie was doing her mock trial and Nelson was helping her..

"I  tried to get in to see Josie, but I was busy with a case of my own."said Yvette..

"Yeah, I heard about that...Wasn't really a mock trial..It was a real trial, real defendant....She got him off.." said Gary.

"Josie is sharp...I remember when she worked with us...She's going to be a fine lawyer.." said Yvette.

"Keith and Kahlil worked a case with Nelson, the next week right after that...I did get in to see them..it was a very good case.."noted Yvette...

 and Sofia and Bee Bee did some work for Olivia and Beverly....

 Helping one of their clients get his citizenship....That guy accused of killing his wife with the meat cleaver...The African guy they got off..."said Yvette..

 Smiling at the recent work of her four young charges...

 "You and Olivia are training the next generation of Defense Attorneys." laughed Gary..

They kissed some more..

"Ummmmmm I wished you had some more time to get me off.."mumbled Gary...

"You are so nasty...bye Gary.."laughed Yvette..

"See ya later." he laughed as he walked out....

Robert Connor, a partner and not a friend of Yvette or any of us walked into her office, uninvited..

I guess as a partner, he didn't feel as though he had to...

"Ms. Yvette..Ms. Yvette Jones..how long has it been?" he said..

"Clearly not long enough." Yvette mused.

II-

None of us had seen him since he failed in his bid to have one of the other partners. Mr. Pratt, who we all loved , removed and disbarred.

Now here he was...

"I've been hearing a lot of good things about your four young attorneys...You guys have been handling labor disputes, civil rights cases, Capital Punishment cases..immigration cases ,class action suits...All amazing things...but the kind of cases that don't bring a lot of money to this law firm." he said.

"We didn't want to take from you.."said Yvette sarcastically...He had forgotten that she and her associates had brought in a major client , who was loaded and was so appreciative, he brought in more of his wealthy friends who were put on retainer..

"Your sense of humor is enchanting Ms. Jones...or is it Mrs?  That was the uh investigator for the District Attorney's office that just left here wasn't it?" he said snidely...

"It's Ms. I take it you're not here to ponder my marital or relationship status."said Yvette..

"No I'm Not ...I've got a client I want you and your team to represent.....A Well heeled client...If you do well it will bring a lot of money this firm's way..."said Robert Connor..

"And why aren't YOU taking on this case?" asked Yvette...

"I can't...I'm too close to the case..." he said.,.






III-

It seemed as though we hadn't been back in the office in weeks...The four of us had been in court a lot..and we had been with Olivia, Beverly, Donnie Ray, Nelson and Josie working cases...Finally with our case load down , we were back in our office...

Bee Bee and I were in her office..The one she shared with Sofia Garcia...The door was locked shut and the shades were drawn...

We were kissing passionately...

''Obviously, you like my new sundress." she said and giggled in between slow, smouldering kisses..

"Ummmm, I love it and the person in it.." I said and continued kissing her slowly and passionately...

It was very colorful and sheer...

I ran both of my hands up her sundress rubbing her soft legs and hips and buttocks...

"You're fresh Keith.." she giggled..

I tugged on the waistband of her panties...She softly removed my hands..

"Uh Uh, not in here...Not now..anybody might come in.."she said ,which was true...

Kahlil and Sofia were in the next office, but they weren't kissing, they were talking to Jade

 ''Wow! Shawn Columbsy, The ICE Agent is in New York and he still Text's you?" laughed Kahlil,looking at Ms. Jade's phone..

 "Oh My God...There is almost 70 text messages here...Are you sure you haven't given him some on the side Ms. Jade?" laughed Sofia..

"No...I don't know what was worse...When he was trying to deport me or now...He tells me he loves me everyday and when he's not telling me he loves me , he's telling me how horny he is for me..Oh My God...it's a bit much..." said an exasperated Ms. Jade..

"You've got to delete these texts....You can't let Danny see them."said Sofia.

"No doubt!" said Kahlil...

"I delete them everyday...This is the latest batch...He asked me to send him a photo of me in my bra and panties... and one of me nude...I deleted those immediately...I may have to block him....He is starting to be creepy."said Ms. Jade.

''Starting to be? He is Creepy." said Sofia..

"If he's like this and you two haven't done anything...Imagine if you did do something?" said Kahlil...

"I know...I wouldn't be able to get rid of him...I may have to block his number and possibly complain to ICE...I don't want to have to do that!." said Jade..

"Maybe you can introduce him to a nice Asian Girl you know."joked Kahlil..

"Kahlil!!!!"said Sofia..

"It's okay Sofia...That's actually not a bad idea.."laughed Jade..

Bee Bee and I were still kissing....

"Ummm you're getting me hot..." she said..

"You always get me hot" I said.

"I know that." she said and laughed...

She sat on her desk and I leaned into her and continued to kiss her..

"I can see we are not going to get any work done today..."I joked as we stopped kissing and began to get ourselves together..

''Not a lick!" Bee Bee said and wiped her lipstick off of my face and off of the lapel of my suit jacket.. She put her lipstick back on and her make up and touched up her hair..

For my part....I sat down in her chair and attempted to calm myself down....



IV-

"Tell me about this case." said Yvette.. She knew that just by the fact he had come to her...He was desperate....

"Her name is Victoria Winters...

.

This is a photo of her." he said and handed Yvette a photo.

"Nice looking woman.." mused Yvette.

"She's in trouble but she can pay....She's willing to pay anybody except me....She can't know that I sent you and your team to represent her..."said Robert Connor

''What kind of trouble is she in?" asked Yvette...

"The worst kind....Murder....I understand you are a very good trial attorney as are your young bucks..That's why I'm putting you on this case.. You Ever hear of Harrison Boxley?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, he writes real lurid novels and Non-Fiction exposes of the uh rich and famous..."said Yvette who then did a double take..

''What?  You think all I do is read law books and journals...It was good stuff to read on a plane or at the hair dresser.."said Yvette.

''Or on the toilet! Victoria was engaged to be married to him...

Well he wrote a very very lurid expose about people in the entertainment business and somebody bashed his head in for it two weeks ago...

He's dead and Victoria is a suspect in his murder...Apparently she and a certain individual are also portrayed in his book though not by name..She is many things, but not a murderer..I need you to get her off. She's willing to pay you and this company handsomely.." he said.

''When she learns we work for McClusky /Cozen /Connor & Pratt what have you...won't that be a dead giveaway that you're involved?" asked Yvette.

"We have offices around the country...there are several attorneys here, you and your associates being  five of them, I don't have to have anything to do with this and please do not mention my name..I'm asking this as a favor...Just as Mr. Pratt has asked you for favors...I'm asking, no demanding the strictest confidence in this matter...The end result being , this firm gets business...and there is a hefty financial reward in this for you and your associates if you get her off." said Connor.

"Who is she to you? She's more than just some wealthy client....This is personal.."said Yvette.

Connor was quiet...Then he said..

"We were once engaged to be married..  Are you in or out Ms. Jones?"he asked again..

Yvette could tell he didn't plan to go any further in detail as to their relationship.

"I'm in...and I'll keep this in the strictest of confidentiality... But engaged? You two? You're...You're old enough to be ..." said Yvette..

"I know....I know...I'm old enough to be her father...In fact, her dad is only two years older than I...But, I loved her...I was crazy about her...I met her and I felt something I never felt before.."said Robert Connor,who was known around the office as the Angel of Death...

He had never married and if you weren't afraid of him ..then you hated his guts...One or the other. This wasn't that Robert Connor...

Yvette was amazed that he was being this open, this vulnerable to her.

 "Like I said...I'll keep this in the strictest of confidentiality." said Yvette

Thank you...Thank You....I'll have my assistant provide you with the particulars of the case tomorrow." he said and walked out.

We saw him walk out of Ms. Yvette's office...

He smiled, something rare for him and waved at us as he left..

Ms. Yvette emerged from her office..

''Everything alright?" I asked.

Out of all of us...I was always the most concerned about Ms. Yvette's well being..

She sensed that and she found it sweet...

''Everything is fine....Babies...We've got a case...A big case...A well heeled client." said Yvette.

"I guess the bosses said it's time we make the firm some real money huh?" joked Sofia..

''Yes, exactly...Go home and get some rest...I'll tell you all about it tomorrow or rather, Robert Connor will tell you." said Yvette with a half smile.

"What's up with that?" asked Bee Bee..

"Yeah, we are the last ones I'd expect he'd be throwing a bone to.." said Khalil..

"Oh I agree....He's scared and he's desperate....plus no one else around here will go a foot near him..."said Yvette..

''Talk about strange bedfellows." laughed Ms. Jade..

Strange indeed...and this case would get stranger as it went on...

(TO BE CONTINUED)