VENTURES

Early Morning-

Funny what you think about when you're on a bus, headed to a prison to witness an execution..

My beautiful wife Natalie was kissing me slowly and softly...

"Mmmmmmmmmm, we'd better stop, don't want you to get too excited for nothing,." said Natalie, smiling and removing my hand from beneath her skirt..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh you're probably right.." I said

continuing to kiss her.....

"Mmmmmmmmmm, okay...okay...That's enough....I want to sleep the rest of the ride..." she said as she laid her head on my shoulder...

As she slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, I thought about a day a few years ago...

2022- A Friday Morning at Philadelphia International Airport

"Oh My God, Brooke Kennedy ! HOW ARE YOU? " I said, hugging her..

"David Charles....Hiiiiii...It's Brooke Marks now..I got married yesterday..." she said showing me her wedding bands..

"OH MY GOD!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Married huh? I was here seeing a friend off" I said..

"Yes...I'm waiting on my husband right now....He's a Federal Public defender...His name is Sean Marks..We used to be married when we all lived in D.C....We got divorced and we decided to give it another try...I know...Some people never learn right?" said Brooke.

"You told me about him...He's Black right? Everybody ,including your family was against the marriage...but if two people love each other...It shouldn't matter what race or religion the other person is."I said.

"You're so sweet David....I remember our talks back when we were both Public Defenders...I could always talk sensibly with you...You were one of the nicer guys there....You had nice manners.." said Brooke with a smile.

"You still rockin with your girl, Natalie? How is she?" I asked.

"Yes, we are still thick as thieves.... You liked her didn't you? YOU STILL LIKE HER!!....She's single...She's not dating anybody right now...You ought to look her up..."said Brooke with a smile."She'd love to hear from you." she added.

"You think so?" I asked.

"You won't know unless you ask her...I can't give you her phone number...but if you're in town tonight..She's meeting with friends at Aqua Bar...Do you know where that is?" asked Brooke.

"Oh Yeah, I've been there a few times...Aqua Bar eh?" I said.

"Yes.... Life is short....If you like Natalie, Now is the time to let her know...She's single and there are no roadblocks... Oh here comes my husband, now.... Sean...this is David Charles...We used to work together in the Public Defender's Office..." said Brooke.

"Hi David...Sean Marks...Pleased to meet you." said Sean..

"Same here." I said.. "Congratulations on the Wedding.." I said.

"Thank you..We got married in the courthouse...We may have a church wedding when we get home...

We are on our way to CANCUN!" said Sean...

"OHHHHH WOWWW! WELL CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN AND HAVE A GOOD TRIP!" I said.

I watched the two of them walk off towards their destination....I wanted that kind of happiness too one day, I thought..

II-

I went to Aqua Bar that night....Aqua Bar was in a relatively new part of town with new homes, apartment complexes, duplexes, lofts and what have you...Three shopping centers...and transportation..

A lot of people were suddenly moving into this area.. There were hip clubs , restaurants and bars there too...Aqua Bar was located on the third floor of what used to be a warehouse...

The Bar was a huge aquarium filled with Fresh water and fish....and a beautiful wooden top... The Bar maids were beautiful shapely women...

There was usually three or four Dj's spinning the latest hits...

It was a Friday Night...the place was packed....

I scanned the place and then just like Brooke said.. I saw her...She was beautiful....

Natalie was there with her friends.. I recognized them all, Beverly West, Olivia's niece and partner...Her husband, Nelson East...Both legendary attorneys who were once Public defenders, Jasmine Coley, Once a Public defender and an Assistant District Attorney, her husband, Dabnis Coley..a brilliant litigator, Kayla Bennett-St. Jacques, Olivia and Beverly's cousin,also a great attorney and her husband, Ray St. Jacques, another good attorney.. Former Public Defenders, Jessica Sanchez-Burrows and her Husband, Charles "Chip" Burrows...Olivia's other attorneys , Josie Boyd and her husband, Paris and Bresha Billips and her husband, Tony Billips...All fine attorneys... The other four attorneys, Keith Jones, his wife, Beatrice Evans-Jones ,Sofia Garcia-Ahmed and her husband, Kahlil Ahmed were all attorneys who worked with Yvette Jones.. All what I hoped to be one day...Successful and out of the Public Defenders office with a nice firm...

Natalie was as usual the life of the party...She had them all laughing so hard they were crying...He remembered when she was a Public Defender, he had had the biggest crush on her, but had never said anything...Now she was an Assistant District Attorney and he noticed...She was the only one that wasn't coupled up...

All of the other attorneys were with their significant others...If I was going to shoot my shot..Now was the time to do it.

"Girrrrrl you are so crazy, you haven't changed a bit since high school..."laughed Beverly....

"That was a funny story."laughed Nelson...

"She's got a plenty..."said Jazzy, laughing so hard, tears were coming out of her eyes..

"Oh My God...You guys were trips.."said her husband, Dabnis..

"I knowwwwww...You had to be there ." said Kayla...like Jazzy, laughing so hard, tears were coming out of her eyes.

"I wish I had of been there..." said her husband, Ray...

Jessica was laughing hard also.... "Aye Mios Dios.." she laughed.

"Oh My God,,,,You got anymore stories?" laughed Chip....

I used to work with Jessica and Chip at the Public Defenders Office...They had left to go work for the Innocence Project and gotten married.

"I don't think you can stand anymore." said Natalie..

"I know I can't "said Josie, still laughing...

"Are you this funny in court?" asked her husband, Paris..

"Nahhhhhh she's not funny in court...She's cut-throat..."said Bresha smiling, remembering their four courtroom battles with her and her partner, Brooke..

"You strike me as that type..Get em laughing and then hit em with the punch line." said her husband Tony...

"She's definitely an acquired taste."laughed Keith Jones.

''Awwwww was I that bad Bee Bee?" asked Natalie, smiling..

''Not once we got to know you..Out of court." said Bee Bee.

"Yeah, then we were friends..."said Sofia.

"You're all right with me.." said Kahlil..

''Awww thank you Kahlil...See...He gets me!"laughed Natalie..

The Music began playing...

They all began dancing... They were all couples...

Natalie didn't have a husband, or even a boyfriend.. So she sat down and watched her friends and their spouses...She never slow dragged with random guys she didn't know.

If I was going to shoot my shot, the time was now...

I sent a drink over to her...A Watermelon Martini!

"I didn't order this." said Natalie..

"The Gentleman over there sent it to you."said the Bartender.

I slid into the chair next to her.. She was so pretty and smelled so good.

"Hi Natalie...Uh I know this is someone's seat...when they come back...I'll move..." I said..."Do you uh remember me?" I asked.

"Of course I do...David Charles from The Public Defenders Office...How have you been?" she asked.

"You know how it is..A coronary a minute...Over worked, Under budgeted, under staffed...All the great attorneys either get burned out or they do like you and Brooke and countless others do..They get out!

I see your friends here...Some of em were Public Defenders...They know the deal." he laughed.

"So when are you gettin out? You've been there awhile.."asked Natalie..

"I don't know...One of these days..." he said.

We continued talking... We eventually moved to a separate table and continued talking...and drinking for the next THREE HOURS!

Her friends all began to leave.. It was nearly closing time..

"Ouuu Natalie has an admirer." observed Beverly...

"I know that guy, well slightly...He's a Public Defender...I met him when I uh recently lectured there. David Charles....Nice Guy!"said Nelson.

"That's right...You and Liv do go there and Lecture sometimes...I remember." said Josie.

''That's pretty cool ,inspiring the next generation of Attorneys."said Paris.

"Right now I think he's inspiring Natalie's Libido." joked Bresha, Noticing that my hands were on Natalie's shapely legs and had slowly inched up her skirt a few times..

"Hah Ha...that's funny."said her husband, Tony....

"Ole girl has attracted a beau.." said Keith Jones.

"Good for her...I imagine it must feel lonely for her sometimes..Hanging out with all of us and we are all coupled up."said Bee Bee.

''Yeah, even her partner, Brookie is in a relationship now."said Sofia.

"She got married yesterday!!!.....She and her husband left for their honeymoon this morning."said Kahlil.

"Yeah, I heard he's Black too! We'll have to do something nice for them when they return."said Jazzy.

"And don't forget...Ms. Virginia and Jetty are getting married soon!."said Dabnis.

"This group does sooo much...and to think , I used to be bored for lengths of time when I wasn't in court.."said Kayla.

"Me too! Glad we got married and moved around here."said her husband, Ray.

"I feel the same way...I have girlfriends to shop with now, Friends to Party with , the whole nine.."said Jessica.

''We are something aren't we?" said Chip.

All of these people were destined to become my closest friends and neighbors.

"I never knew you had a crush on me..Why didn't you say something?" said Natalie...

"I thought you were out of my league..I didn't think I had a shot."I told her.

"So What's changed now? How come you're shooting your shot tonight.?"asked Natalie.

"Life is short..." I said.

"It is.. It is indeed....Ouuuuuuuuuuu you are fresh..." laughed Natalie.. My hand had snaked up her dress and caressed her butt...

"Your friends left." I said.

"It's a quarter to two....most of the patrons have left....I can't believe I've been sitting here ,drinking with you and talking with you this long..practically all night...When we all worked at the Public Defender's Office, you hardly said two words to me.."laughed Natalie.

"I did buy you coffee a few times...Hey look it's last call...You need a ride home?" I asked.

"Noooooooo, I drove...David! How would you like to take this conversation a little further? Like to uh my place? It is Friday night, we aren't working tomorrow?" said Natalie.. Under the table,She slowly and descretely ran her hands down my leg, felt my now massive erection and squeezed it a little bit....Her eyes grew wide and she looked at Me...

"How bout if I made your dreams come true tonight?" she whispered.

"For Real?" I said.

"For real! Life is Short!" she said.

"BARTENDER!!!! CHECK PLEASE!" I said.

III-

The Bus moved along..

Brooke woke up... She kissed her husband, Sean..

He returned her kiss..

Virginia, who had dozed off peered at Brooke and Sean Kissing..... She peered in the back of the bus..

Natalie was sleeping peacefully in my arms...

I was awake, holding her...

Smudges from her lipstick all over my face....

Virginia smiled...She wished Jetty was here so she could plant kisses all over his face..

As for me....I was remembering that first night with Natalie-

It was a brisk fall night.. I followed her in my car to her apartment. She stared at my trousers which were standing out like a circus tent...

"You sure you gonna be able to drive with all that?" she jokingly asked..staring at the huge bulge in my trousers, while we were in the parking lot at Josies.

"I'll be just fine." I remember saying.

We drove to her apartment complex....I followed her in my car.

"I want you to know I don't always do this.. I'm not gonna lie and say you're my first one night stand..but I don't always do this."said Natalie..

"I'm not judgmental baby." I said.

"Oh I'm baby now huh? Look at you...You took your courage in one hand tonight." she laughed..

I kissed her passionately.... It was the first time I ever kissed her...I was in Heaven....Her lips were soft...very soft....I had to pinch myself....It was like a dream come true...

"Okay, let me get my key in the door first."she giggled.

Once inside, she put her keys and her purse on the kitchen table and we fell up against the wall, kissing passionately... I lifted her top and began unhooking her bra..

She unzippered my trousers and took my shirt, tie and suit jacket off... I helped her out of her skirt..

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm DAVID!!!! " she moaned as we kissed passionately....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHH MYYYY GODDD!" I cried out.

I helped her out of her dress...

She had on a nice pair of panties.....Sexy Lacey Aqua Blue....

She laughed..

I bent her over the sink....

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.......OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GODDDDDDDDD!" she moaned. She was having an intense orgasm already! Her body trembling/

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.LAWWWWWWWWWWD!!!" I moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned.. She was passionate enough when sober, but drunk she was even more horny and more passionate..he mused.. Thing was, she wasn't drunk, just slightly buzzed.

We were on her kitchen floor really going at it...I couldn't believe she was doing this and with me!

We wound up on her living room couch.... She eased herself down on me... She was wet, warm, smelled good and baby soft....I was delirious..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.......OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GODDDDDDDDD!" she moaned. She was having another intense orgasm! Her body trembling.. She was riding me like a surfer rides the waves...

She did have a spontaneous spirit..She always had...She was prone to do things she had never done before...We sat on the side of her living room couch and she moved up and down on me and kissed me passionately....

"OHHHHH LAWDDD! OHHHH YEAH! OHH YEAHHHHHHH!" she screamed to the top of her lungs.

I lifted her up...and was long stroking her...She was surprised.....I had probably fantasized about doing things like this to her for god knows how long..

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!! WOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! LAWDDDDDDDDDDD!" I moaned...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYY GODDDDDD!!OUUUUUUUUUUU
WOUUUUUUUUU!" she screamed. Tears flowed down her cheeks!

Her body trembled and she had a quick almost embarrassing orgasm....

I placed her on the bathroom sink, spread her legs and entered her slowly again...She had another intense orgasm and was now holding me for dear life..and kissing me like kissing was going out of style.

By the time we made it to the bed...she had had another intense orgasm..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYY GODDDDDD!!OUUUUUUUUUUU
WOUUUUUUUUU!" she screamed. Tears flowed down her cheeks!

."OHHHHHHH I'VE NEEDED THIS SOOO LONG!!!! OUUUUUUUUUU...I COULDN'T IMAGINE IT WOULD BE YOU!!! OUUUUUUUU SO GLAD IT IS." she cooed..

We made sweet, sweet love for the next NINE TO TEN HOURS.

She was driving me to near delirium...

I had lit a fire under her!! She had lit one under me...

She ended the night, sleeping on my chest....She would later tell me it was her most peaceful satisfying sleep in months.. I couldn't believe Natalie was actually in bed with me...on top of me...So round, so warm...I was glad I ran into Brooke at the airport and she had encouraged me...This might have never happened.

When we woke up, She fixed me breakfast in the morning.. Blueberry Pancakes, Hash Browns, sausage and coffee. She was a good cook...

After Breakfast, we met at the door.

"LAST NIGHT WAS INCREDIBLE...THANK YOUUUU!" I said.

"LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH!" she said.

We both pulled out our phones and exchanged information..

and kissed one last time at the door.. I didn't want to let her go..

We've been together ever since....Married for close to three years now!

Natalie woke up....

"We are almost there...Not much longer." she said. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked.

" Nah...I was just sitting here watching you sleep.." I said.

"That's so cute!" she said and smiled at me.

Natalie took out a disinfectant wipe from her purse and wiped her lipstick smudges off of my face...

She straightened out her clothes....

and applied lipstick....

Brooke walked to the back of the bus....

"We're almost there , a few more minutes." she said.

"You know , I am the only one here who was actually incarcerated and I've never been to an execution...

Keith, Bee Bee, Sofia and Kahlil have been to one, they described it to me.." said Virginia.

"We've actually been to one...Last month...It wasn't horrific." said Natalie,.

" Yeah, it wasn't that bad...It was some guy....Monique was with us...We were asked to come to his execution...He wasn't someone we knew or had prosecuted...Turns out he had some information about a wrongly convicted man...That was different."said Brooke.

"I guess it was different because you didn't know him and had no dealings with him..We actually know this girl...You two prosecuted her and I knew her in prison...Guess that's why we really don't want to be here."said Virginia.