VENTURES: Mums The Word

Southern Fried Lemon Fish

Slow Cooker Shrimp Jambalya

and a nice salad was on the table....

"Oh My God...It smells delish...Donnie Ray, did you fix this?" asked Beverly..

"Who else Shortcake?" I laughed...

"I helped." said Nelson.

"Did you Boo?" she asked before they both embraced in a kiss..

"Ummmmmmmm, I missed you." said Nelson..

"I missed you too!"said Beverly.

"You guys did well...It smells great." said Josie..who was with her boyfriend, Paris, who had flown out, rented an SUV and unloaded our laptops, tablets and law books...

"Hey Donnie Ray, Nelson."said Paris..who had slowly became our unofficial team member...He kept our quarters clean and he drove us around on these trips..

"Heyy Paris." I said.

Nelson tossed him a beer..

"Take a load off dude." he said..

"Heyyy Nels, Toss me one of those." laughed Ray , who was coming in..

''Where is Liv?" asked Kayla..

"Right Behind you.... " said Olivia, who was coming up the stairs with an old friend of ours. "Teel, this is my cousin Kayla and her husband Ray, they are attorneys too, but not involved with this case, and you know everybody else."said Olivia..

''Hi Guys."smiled Teel..

''Helllllo" said Ray seductively...

"Hi,pleased to meet you." said Kayla..

"Hello, please to meet you too!" said Teel.

"Heyyy Ms. Teel" said Beverly.

''Heyy Ms. Teel."said Nelson..

''Don't heyyy Ms. Teel me...You both better come over here and give Ms. Teel some love."said Teel, hugging both Beverly and Nelson...She then looked at Josie..

"Let me look at you..Last time I saw you, you were a very good para-legal, who was in law school...I hear you have graduated and passed the bar, Well congratulations Ms. Josie Boyd..."said Teel, hugging Josie.

"Hi Ms. Teel.... This is my boyfriend, Paris.." she said..

"Pleased to meet you..." said Paris..

"Pleased to meet you too! " she said and looked at Kayla..."And you're Olivia's cousin...and you and your husband are attorneys too? My word...One family with so many lawyers...Unbelievable.."said Teel..

"Yes, it does seem to be a family tradition.."said Kayla..

Ray was just smiling, thinking... "Bennett women are fine and the women they know are fine too..I'm glad to be in this family."

''What is that I smell? Is it Southern Fried Lemon Fish and Slow cooker Shrimp Jambalaya?" she mused..

looking at the food..

"Only a Louisiana Man can cook like that..Come here Donnie Ray, give me some love." said Teel, who hugged me...and kissed my cheek...

"Ummmmmmmmm that smells goood baby!" she said..

So did she! She always did and had a body so soft...I see why Larry North was so mesmerized by her!

"Hey girl...you joining us for dinner?" I asked.

"Well I..Uh I don't know...."said Teel. Olivia made her mind up for her..

'Yes she is!... Of course she is.. Here, take my phone call Larry

Tell him we are in town and he's invited too...Tell him to come over." said Olivia..

"Welllll, How can I not? I'm not turning down some home cookin, Louisiana style...It's making me homesick for Shreveport.."said Teel, who like me, was from Louisiana.

II-

We chowed down....

"Husband, you put your foot in this....Ummmmmmmmmmmm Ummmmmph!" moaned Olivia.

"Ouuuuuuuu Donnie Ray..Yesssssssssssss, you diddd!!!! This food is delish!"said Beverly...

"Glad you like it...I felt like cooking something a little different.."I said..

"Ummmmmm I'm glad you did.."said Nelson..

"Yessssssssssssssss"said Josie..

"Ditto that."said Paris.

"Donnie Ray....You're an Investigator, a Musician on the side and an excellent cook...You're a man of many talents."said Kayla.

"Yes he issss...I wish I could tell you of his many talents"said Olivia seductively , rubbing my back...

Ray laughed.. "My man.."

"Larry is on his way...but before he gets here, I might as well tell you why you're here.." said Teel.

"Last month area Attorney Joseph Porter was arrested and charged with one count of Capital Murder, Murder in the first degree for the murder of his live in girlfriend, Lorena Love...She was drowned in his jacuzzi... There is an eyewitness who claims he saw through his window across the street that Joseph was the killer because he was wearing his baby blue bathrobe...but Joseph claims he wasn't home....That he was driving all through Oakland, Daley City and the hills and that he didn't return until 7:00 am that morning.." said Teel.

"You believe this Joseph Porter is innocent, but you can't defend him because you're an Assistant District Attorney."said Beverly...

Teel smiled.. She liked Beverly....

"That's right.." she said.

"There are a lot of good defense attorneys in San Francisco....You must see them in court...but you called us...That means you two must have history and we are the only ones you trust to take this case."said Nelson.

"That's right.."said Teel...She remembered Nelson from two years ago.. "Olivia..you've got a sharp team..."she said.

"They are the architects of my success." said Olivia.

''Wait a minute....Joe Porter, Joseph Porter, Teel Porter...This is your ex-husband isn't it? You met him shortly after you graduated law school and passed the bar... You both wound up working at Cohen and Bashir..You were married for six years...He got a woman pregnant while you were married, you two divorced amically and he moved to Portland with the woman he got pregnant and got married to her..

Obviously something has changed...Enlighten us." I said.

Olivia smiled....

"Tell them what you told me Teel.."she said softly..

"I'll tell them more...I- I had two miscarriages during my marriage and my husband wanted a child...A son....After the second miscarriage...He began a two year affair with the second woman he wound up marrying...She had a daughter...Apparently they have divorced and he's back in San-Francisco and was about to make partner at our former firm, Cohen and Bashir when this happened... He and I ran into each other again and we started talking...Nothing romantic or sexual...Just conversation between trials in court and we uh went drinking a couple of times, but that was it...He has a girlfriend or at least he did."said Teel.

''What about Larry? Aren't you two still together?" asked Beverly.

"Yes...We live together...What I didn't tell you Liv is that he got me pregnant a year ago.....I tell you the man can't keep his hands off of me...I had another miscarriage...My third...I was devestated..We broke up for a little while...That's when I ran into Joseph and we started talking again...

It wasn't romantic...He was involved with someone...Living with her...but he helped me out during a very difficult time...Larry tracked me down, told me that he didn't care if I had had a miscarriage..Told me he couldn't live without me and so...We are now living together....We couldn't be Happier."

Everything was great until I got a call from Joseph saying that he was in trouble.. I went to Central Booking..The detective that busted him says he has motive...The two of them had a horrible row in a club here that was witnessed by at least ten people...and the eyewitness, who claims he saw him choke her out and drown her in the jacuzzi.

They know he's my ex-husband...I can't prosecute him...Which is a relief and I can't defend him either..

Joe has an attorney, who is pretty good..His name is Rick Lawson...

I mean he actually got him out on bail, despite him being charged with a Capital Crime.........I just think this case is a little above his pay grade...Not that he's not a good attorney..He is..but this case needs a little more. Plus....He's got a thing for me...It's real bad...and that just makes things kind of awkward...I want to stay as far away from this as possible.,

Joseph needed some real good attorneys or he's on his way to the little green room in San Quentin." said Teel...

The doorbell rang...

"I don't want Larry to know that I'm paying for Joseph's defense.." said Teel.

"Mums the word.." said Olivia as she opened the door..

"Well Hello Stranger." she said.

"OLIVIAAAAA, oh my god, you get cuter by the years girl!!!!" said Larry North as he hugged his old friend and spun her around..

"You are sooo silly Larry..put me down.."said Olivia, laughing..

His eyes zeroed in on Beverly, who he carried a torch for ,for years...

"Beverly...my lorrrrd girl...come here.." he said and hugged her, spinning her around..but limiting it to that..

"Hi Larry" said Beverly giggling.... "Put me down.." she giggled...

"Donnie Ray, Nelson, what's happening? And what is that I smell??....You better had made enough for me." laughed Larry North..

"Heyyy Larry, sit down...We've got plenty left over..."I said.

''Heyy Larry."said Nelson, who had not always had the best relationship with Larry because of his attraction to Beverly...

"HEYYYYY NELSON....HOW YOU DOIN PARTNER? " HE Said. He shook his hand.

"IS THAT KAYLA???WOWWW!!! IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME." He said.

"You know my cousin Kayla?" asked Olivia..

"YESSSSSS! She came down to the office a few times, to visit you and Bev..."said Larry..

"Yes, we've met...Larry , this is my husband, Raymond St. Jacques...He is an Attorney also."said Kayla..

"Hello." said Ray quietly...

"And this is your par-legal, Josie right?" he asked ,looking at Josie..

"No I'm not a Para-legal anymore."smiled Josie..

"She graduated from Law school and passed the bar and is now an Attorney herself.."said a proud Olivia.

"THAT IS OUTSTANDING! CONGRATULATIONS!!"said Larry..

"This is my boyfriend, Paris."said Josie..

"Hello."said Paris...

'What's Up Man?" said Larry North...who then fixated his eyes on Teel, who had made him a plate..

''I made you a plate.." she said softly..

He gave her a wet sloppy kiss...

"I missed you today baby!" he said..

"I missed you too." she said and sat in his lap and began to feed him the food...

"Ummmmmmmmm and I'm not talking about the food.." he moaned in her ear...

She giggled..

"Calm down horn dog!" she whispered and smiled...

IV-

We couldn't come to San Francisco and not go out with Larry North...He took us to a favorite watering hole of his on Fisherman's Wharf and insisted on paying for our first round of drinks..

"I appreciate this city the most when I'm entertaining.."said Larry North,,

" That's true.."said Teel...

"I certainly love this city.."I said.

"Next to Philly....It's my favorite city.." said Olivia..

Teel passed a piece of paper to Olivia...Olivia slipped it in her purse...It had the phone number of Joseph's attorney and the address of his office as well as an email address.This was for tomorrow..

Olivia looked at her and smiled...Amazing the bond they had now...Considering that two years ago, they fought a bitter courtroom battle against each other. We had all since become friends.

I rubbed Olivia's soft, shapely legs...

"I love the Wharf.." said Beverly...

"I love it too." said Nelson, who rubbed her soft legs as they both sipped their drink..

They kissed each other passionately....

Josie and Paris were kissing so passionately, I had a feeling they were going to be making love before we got home..

"Here somes another round of drinks."said Kayla..

"Mannnn this is a gas.."laughed Ray..

Beers

and Martini's arrived.,.

AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER-

I hoped Paris wasn't too inebriated...He was going to have to drive us back..

.He and Josie may have had one or two drinks a piece...

They spent the rest of the night kissing passionately at a table in the corner....

Teel was not drinking at all...Which was good because Larry was soused..

"Teel, I love you baby....I l-l-love you more than I believe possible....I-I-I'm gonna marry you baby." he said..

"I know baby...I know....I love you too...Come on...I'm taking you home.."she said and looked at Olivia and smiled..

"Call me.." she said.

"I will....my crew looks knocked out.."she said smiling...

Beverly was cradling Nelson's head on her lap....

Ray was cradling Kayla's head in his arms...and kissing her forehead...

"Come on kids...Time to go home.." I said.. My head was clear enough to drive..

"I'll call you tomorrow." whispered Olivia to Teel..

"Okay.....Thank you Liv...."said Teel... "Come on buddy, Mama is taking you home...You're calling out tomorrow.." she said as she took Larry's keys and all of us walked out to the parking lot..