VENTURES: The Fourth Date

BROOKE KENNEDY- MARKS

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Graduated from Hallahan Catholic High School for Girls.Philadelphia PA.

B,A,- Administration Of Justice/Trial Advocacy/Pre Law- Lasalle University

J.D.- Middleton School of Law, Bayside,PA.

Speaks Spanish/French and Russian fluently.

Passed the Bar in Virginia/Maryland/ Pennsylvania/New Jersey/New York/ Deleware

Law Clerk for Pennsylvania's Chief Judge of Appeals, Carter Baum

Trial Attorney for U.S. Department of Justice's Anti- Trust Division, Washington D.C.

Married to Attorney Sean Marks, A Trial Attorney for The U.S. Department of Justice, Anti Trust Division. Washington D.C..

DIVORCED after two years. No Children.

Public Defender's Office-Philadelphia

Assistant District Attorney- Philadelphia District Attorney's office.

Married to U.S. Attorney Sean Marks

Staff Attorney-WRONGFUL CONVICTION UNIT

NATALIE JEAN TENNISON-CHARLES

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Graduated from The Philadelphia High School for Girls,Philadelphia PA.

B.A.- Trial Advocacy/ Pre Law/Administration of Justice - Temple University

JD-Georgetown University Law Center

Passed the Bar in Virginia/Maryland/Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Deleware / New York

Associate Litigation Attorney at Akin/Gerard/ Jordan/Hester & Field

Public Defender's Office- Philadelphia

Assistant District Attorney-Philadelphia

Staff Attorney - WRONGFUL CONVICTION UNIT

Married to David Charles.

DAVID KEITH CHARLES

Born in Philadelphia Pa.

Graduated from Simon Gratz High School, Philadelphia PA.

BA-Administration of Justice, Trial Advocacy, Pre-Law- Temple University.

JD- Temple University Beasley School of Law

Passed the Bar in Pennsylvania/New York/Deleware/New Jersey

Speaks Spanish And French Fluently..

Public Defender- Philadelphia PA.

Single, No children

Assistant District Attorney-Philadelphia District Attorneys Office.

Staff Attorney -WRONGFUL CONVICTION UNIT

MARRIED TO NATALIE CHARLES.

KAREN ALEXANDRIA PAGE

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Moved with her parents to Narberth, PA.

Graduated from Lower Merrion High School.

BA-Administration of Justice, Trial Advocacy, Pre-Law-University Of Pennsylvania.

JD-University of Pennsylvania School of Law

Passed the bar in Pennsylvania/New Jersey/Deleware/New York /California

Associate Attorney -McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Pratt

Married Civil Rights Attorney Lloyd Cantrell, Moved to San Francisco, where she worked as an assistant Attorney for Lloyd Cantrell's practice.

Lloyd Cantrell murdered and she returned to Philadelphia PA.

Assistant District Attorney- Philadelphia D.A.'s Office.

Now Supervisor- Wrongful Conviction/Conviction Integrity Unit

Married to Attorney /Podcaster/Talk Show Host- B.L. Benz.

Sean Marks

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Graduated from Northeastern High School.

B,A,- Administration Of Justice/Trial Advocacy/Pre Law- Villanova University

J.D.- Georgetown University Law Center

Speaks Spanish/French and Russian fluently.

Passed the Bar in Virginia/ Washington D.C./ Pennsylvania/New Jersey/New York/ Deleware

Law Clerk for Pennsylvania's Chief Judge of Appeals, Carter Baum

Trial Attorney for U.S. Department of Justice's Anti- Trust Division, Washington D.C.

Married to Attorney Brooke Kennedy, A Trial Attorney for The U.S. Department of Justice, Anti Trust Division.

DIVORCED after two years. No Children.

Federal Public Defender- U.S. Courthouse- Philadelphia PA.

Married to Attorney Brooke Kennedy again

Lee (Lisa Chou Lai) Phillips

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Her Father and Mother second generation American Citizens owned a successful Dry Cleaning Business...

Graduated from Philadelphia High School For Girls

B.A. -Administration Of Justice, Trial Advocacy, Pre Law-Temple University.

Studied Law at Middleton School of Law for two years, suspended studies because of pregnancy..

suffered a miscarriage.

Had transcripts transferred to Drexel University-Thomas Klein School of Law, where she has been a student for a year..

Has Interned for Olivia Bennett -Alexander/Beverly West East and Associates and Yvette Jones Lockwood-Managing partner of McCluskey/Cozen Connor and Pratt and associates. The Innocence Project and other law firms.

J.D.- from Thomas Klein School of Law, Drexel University

Passed the Bar in Pennsylvania/New York/New Jersey/Deleware

Staff Attorney-Women's Law Center

NATIKA SABREE SOMMERS-

Born in Philadelphia PA.

Father, Eldridge Sommers, a retired Common Pleas Court Judge

Mother ,Maries Sommers, a retired Attorney

GRADUATED from the Philadelphia High School for Girls

B.A. -Administration of Justice, Trial Advocacy, Pre Law- Temple University

J.D.-Georgetown Law School

Fluent in Spanish and French

Passed Bar in Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Deleware

Public Defender- Washington D.C.

Assistant District Attorney-Washington D.C.

Senior Associate Attorney- Remington and Steele Attorneys at Law.

Married to Attorney Roderick Remington (Partner's Son, also an Attorney)2017-Divorced 2019

Dismissed in May 2024, after lawsuit against Remington...

Returned to Philadelphia.

Senior Associate Attorney at The Harris Group (May 2024- April 2025)

Assistant District Attorney -City of Philadelphia.

OFFICE OF ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY TODD BAKER-

"Thank you for your background information on the Attorneys bringing this case back up." said ADA Todd Baker, a relative newcomer.

"You're not going to retry this case are you???...It's a stone loser..." said D.A. Investigator, Ingrid Stevenson.

"Yes I am...I respected "Cookie" Upton, may she rest in peace...I clerked under her and I resent her reputation being besmirched like this...Plus I don't like Wrongful Conviction Units...The whole idea of them." said Todd Baker.

"If you think so..."said Ingrid just looking at him.

II-

THE BRIDGE BUILDING- FRIDAY MORNING

The Cafeteria- Breakfast...

"I've got bad news guys...We are going to have to try this case... Some Hot shot new ADA named Todd Something or other says he can get a conviction." said Karen.

"That would be Todd Baker and he's out of his mind.."said Natalie.

"I know him....He's out to prove himself.. He's had 10 cases...won nine,lost one...and he clerked for the late "Cookie" Upton...He feels as though he owes it to her memory or something.. Aw Oh there goes my phone." said Natika.

"It's Bruce Greene, reminding me of our date tonight....He is sooo annoying... I don't even want to go." said Natika.

"Go....you never know when you'll get a chance to go to Gazspachos again..The Food is terrific I hear,"said Brooke.

"Yeah might as well enjoy your weekend... because Monday, we go to work on this case." I said.

"Wallace is going to be so disappointed.. I hear he got his old job back and is already working." said Sean.

"And speaking of this weekend...What are we doing?" asked Jazzy.

"We are supposed to be going to Bayside....but not roller skating." said Dabnis.

"Oh Cool." said Jazzy.

"Yeah...I may even do a little shopping." said Ray.

"That would be nice if you guys came along...You could tell us girls what to get and we wouldn't have to keep guessing." said Jessica.

"Capital Idea...I think I'll go too!" said Chip.

"Natika, you can leave after lunch....I imagine you have to get ready for your uh big date." said Karen.

"Beverly said she was going to do my hair and I did buy a new dress....I can try it on..." said Natika.

"All this for a guy you don't want to go out with!"laughed Natalie.

"Not so much about him....but rather the reputation of the Restaurant."said Natika.

"Next date, yall can go to Snellenbergers." I joked.

We all laughed.

"Ohhhhhhhhh you got jokes."laughed Natika.

Brooke was laughing too...Then she said.

"Who knows? Maybe it'll be a nice date...Maybe Bruce Greene will act like a human being...and not the world class jerk we all know and loathe." she said.

"Hope Springs Eternal." said Sean...

"Yeah really." laughed Natika.

"What time is he picking you up?" asked Zoey.

"He's not....I'm meeting him there in my car.....He doesn't know where I've been staying and I'd like to keep it that way....This way I'm not at his mercy." said Natika.

"That's smart." said Lem.

"I wish I would have been that forward thinking when I went out with him....I wound up having to take an UBER to get away from him.."laughed Renee.

"Wowwwww! Good thing."laughed Tyrell.

"She may be gone by the time we get over Olivia and Beverly's house." whispered Paris.

"Yeah, I wanted to see her all dressed up." snickered Tony.

"Well at any rate...it's No I.D. Bar for us tonight."said Ms. Yvette.

"Yeah ,I could go for a cold one right now."said Keith Jones.

"I hate to say it, but I could too!" said Bee Bee.

"I hope it's a real slow day today....I might take a little nap in my office."said Sofia.

"Yeah...Me too!" said Kahlil.

",I could go for a cold one right now."said Jade.

"Girrrrrrrl, say it again...Me too." said Virginia.

"That makes three of us." laughed Virginia's husband, Jetty..

A little later at Olivia and Beverly's place..

"Beverly, Josie...Thank you for washing and blow drying my hair...It looks great.....And Olivia, Bresha

thank you for helping me pick out this gorgeous dress..

"You're welcome....You look fabulous Natika." said Beverly...

"Bruce Greene is going to flip when he sees you."laughed Josie.

"I don't want him to flip too much....This is our fourth and final date." said Natika.

"Fourth Date??...You mean you've been on three prior dates with him?" asked Olivia,.laughing.

"Well he treated me to lunch at Sam Mother's Diner my first day on the job....Then he took me to a nice rooftop restaurant for lunch a week after that...and last week before I began this assignment...He treated me to lunch at Sam Mother's Diner again...So Yes, I suppose that was three dates..."said Natika.

"Don't let him run that Fourth Date jive on you that because you've gone on four dates you're supposed to give up some butt..." said Bresha....

"He's been hinting around to that....but it's not that kind of party..." said Natika.

"Make sure you make that clear baby girl." said Alfreda, laughing....

''Everybody Decent?" said Donnie Ray as he and Nelson walked in..

"We bring for you ladies... Food from the Orient via Chinese Bob's and refreshing cokes." said Nelson..

Everyone was ready to chow down for lunch anyway.

III-

GAZPACHOS -Philly's Toniest new Eatery....

Natika actually beat Bruce Greene there..

Buit when he did arrive, it was with a nicely tailored suit, a fresh fragrance and a bouquet of yellow roses....Natika was impressed...

He was impressed with her too...

"VA VA VA VOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" he said to himself. He couldn't take his eyes off of her in that dress... It hugged and accentuated her every curve..

Natika was turning a lot of men's heads tonight.

"Hello Bruce....Thank you for the Roses...Yellow is my favorite color...How did you know?" she asked.

"I make it my business to know as much about someone I'm interested in as possible." he said.

They both had a prime rib dinner with Rosemary Garlic.

This place was everything she had heard and more... The Food was excellent. She enjoyed every morsel...

Bruce ordered the most expensive wine the establishment had and they drank and ate to their hearts content..

All the while Bruce chattered on about his life, his accomplishments, his future accomplishments and some of his career set backs without allowing Natika to get a word in....Everytime she tried to talk about her past, she found he already knew about it and cut her off as if what she was about to say wasn't that important.. This annoyed her to no end.....Conversation wise...the night was frustrating to her and she was finding Bruce to be a self-absorbed bore...No surprise there... Renee had told her about him.

What really amazed her is that he had no clue as to how he was coming off.

"You know Natika....This is our uh fourth date." he said.

"Is it?" she said...She knew it was..

"Yes...Two dates at uh Sam Mothers for lunch and a lunch date at uh ruh that rooftop restaurant." he said and he slid his chair over near hers...He put one of his arms around her...The other was on her knee.

"You know Natika after four dates....when a man freely spends his money..he uh expects a little something in return..." said Bruce slyly...his hand going up her skirt, rubbing her legs and yanking a little bit on the waistband of her panties..

"Oh really? Bruce,You've had your hands on my legs and you've been running them up my skirt...Let me guess what that might be? Now look, we work together...I don't do this...I don't sleep with people I work with...it makes things a little weird." she said, knowing she was lying....Hadn't she slept with DDA Lester Burke, who was both of their supervisor, just 24 hours ago?

''Come on Natika, we are all adults here....You know what I'm talking about....It's late, almost 11:00 pm..You don't want to make that long drive home or whereever you are staying...Come over to my spot..and I'll bring you to your car in the morning baby..."he said..

"I don't think so....I can drive and I'm not drunk....I'll be alright."said Natika.

"You don't understand what I'm getting at." he said..

He leaned over and kissed her softly....His hand was still up her skirt..she finally removed his hands from under her skirt.........He attempted to kiss her again, but Natika moved her head...He tried to move it back, but she moved away....She was now totally disgusted with him...

"Bruce...Bruce...Stop it!!..We've had a nice meal and all things considered it was a nice afternoon, don't spoil it." said Natika.

"Don't you spoil it.....This is afterall our fourth date and you know what that means." said Bruce Greene.

His trousers now standing out like a circus tent..

"No I don't know what that means." said Natika.

He attempted to kiss her once again, but Natika moved her head...Bruce tried to move it back, but she moved away....
"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm, come here baby....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh you've got me hotter than a cigarette at a gas station.." he moaned..
He grabbed her and pulled her into him, He kissed her neck and the side of her face....She eased out of his embrace once again..

"Bruce! STOP IT PLEASE!"she said again..."WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU??"she asked.

She couldn't believe the sudden turn of events....

Bruce knocked over a chair.....He was now grinding Natika up against the wall and breathing heavily...
She had never seen him like this before.

"You've gotten in to me....I'd like to get INTO YOU!!! I can't stop....Do you really want me to stop Natika?I've been thinking about you alllll week..,ummmmmmmmmmm" he moaned...

"As a matter of fact, I would!!!!" she said She slapped him hard,so hard the slap was heard by other patrons who had been ignoring them up until now... and kneed him in the groin...!!!.

"OHHHH GOOD LAWD!" he moaned and fell to the floor....

There were only a few people in their section who saw what had happened... They all snickered

to themselves.

Bruce Greene, very embarrassed picked himself up off of the floor and sat down in his seat...trying to catch his breath...He was bent over in pain for a few minutes...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" he moaned, banging his hands on the table...

The Bill for their meal came...and Bruce promptly placed the drink tab on Natika's side of the table.

"WHAT IS THIS? THE DRINK TAB?? YOU WANT ME TO PAY THE DRINK TAB?" she asked.

"If you couldn't afford this place we could have gone someplace else."said Natika, flabbergasted...

"AFFORD?? WHY I CAN MORE THAN AFFORD THIS PLACE!" Bruce said proudly....

"Good!!, Pay for the drinks yourself....GOOOOOD NIGHT BRUCE!!!! LOSE MY NUMBER!" she said as she got up and stormed out...

The few people that witnessed this laughed a little louder.

Much to Bruce Greene's chagrin....He stomped his foot and angrilly kicked the table.

Natika drove over to the No I.D. Bar, where we all were hanging out.. It was 11:30 pm.

Her make up had run....and it was obvious she had been crying.. Olivia,Yvette and Karen, her self desinated Aunties, all hugged her and rocked her back and forth as she told of her date with Bruce Greene.

"It's alright baby." said Olivia.

"I had to do the same thing to fend off a guy's unwanted attention once." said Yvette.

"Serves him right...What a cad." said Karen.

"You did the right thing Natika..."said Jazzy...

"Old Bruce turned into an Octopuss eh? All hands..."laughed Dabnis.

"Serves him right and then had the nerve to ask you to pay the drink tab after all of that."said Kayla.

Her husband busted out laughing. "I'm not laughing at you Natika...I'm laughing at Bruce...The Audacity.."laughed Ray....

"Yes...the nerve....I could never go out with him....I 'm surprised at how many women have."said Jessica.

"They don't know they'll have to pay the drink tab" laughed Chip....

This brought the entire room to laughter.

"He is something else...I can't believe him."said Karen...

"You know what they say about the third or fourth date."laughed B.L.

"Yeah that's the "I'm supposed to get some butt date."laughed Natalie..

"Guess Natika didn't get the memo."I laughed.

"Or maybe she did and obviously wasn't about it." said Brooke.

"Damn ! Poor Bruce....."laughed Sean....

"I'm sure he's taking it out on a poor trash can in the lobby..."said Zoey...

"Or jumping up and down and spinning around on the floor like a petulant child..."said her husband, Lem.

"He's probably doing both or spinning around in a circle like a top."said Renee.

Tyrell was laughing..He had witnessed this type of behavior in the courtroom.

So did Lee Phillips and she was laughing equally hard.

Her boyfriend, Matthew was laughing too and just shaking his head.

"Well you went on the date,,,,You don't owe him anything else."said Olivia.

"I'm sure he's taking it out on a poor trash can in the lobby..."said Donnie Ray.

"We told you the fourth date was the "Butt" date..."laughed Beverly.....

"But, he didn't get none."laughed Nelson..

"He sure didn't..."laughed Josie.

"And he didn't con her into paying the drink tab either.."said Paris.

"That's a win win..all the way around." said Bresha.

"Sit down...Have a couple of cold ones..." said Tony....

"Yeah after the afternoon you had...You deserve it." said Alfreda.

"All that Notwithstanding....How was the food?" asked Rockland.

"Oh the food was incredible..We had Prime Rib with Rosemary Garlic...It was delish and the wine was superb...."said Natika.

''So See? The Night wasn't all bad... You had a great meal in one of the city's most Tony Eateries and Good Wine."said Yvette, also hugging her and rocking her back and forth.

"Yeah, just go there with a better class of man next time.."said her husband Gary.

"Mannn, I can see Bruce right now, spinning around like a top and tossing his suit jacket up in the air."said Keith Jones.

"Or rolling around on the floor."said Bee Bee.

"No if he carries on like that in there, they'll toss him out."said Sofia.

"Oh For Sure."said Kahlil.

Jade was laughing so hard , her entire body was shaking.. She had seen how Bruce Greene reacted to not having his way in court...She could imagine.

"I suggest you turn your phone off...Disable your GPS for the time being.."said Danny.

"Oh Yes..Bruce Greene strikes me as a stalker." said Virginia.

"He strikes me as a nut!" said her husband Jetty.

"Tell us how you REALLY feel Jetty?" laughed Nina Rios.

Her boyfriend Carlos cracked up....

Natika laughed... She would never forget the warmth and the friendliness of these people, some of her former classmates and their friends and associates...They had really made her feel welcome.

Our Buses arrived and everybody piled on....

We all left The No I.D. Bar at midnight...We wouldn't be closing the joint tonight...We all wanted to get home and get some sleep..Some Well deserved Sleep..

Natika followed the buses in her car to Olivia and Beverly's house..

She was glad she was able to wind down at the NO I.D. Bar with all of her new friends...She was thankful she didn't have to go home and cry alone in her room.

Bruce Greene sat in his car in the parking lot long after the restaurant had closed...He tried to call Natika, but her phone went to voicemail and she had disabled her GPS....He had no idea where she had gone. He knew she wasn't staying at her parents house this week..but he had no clue where she was..

He was angry, horny and frustrated...

IV-

1:00 AM

Natika was downstairs in the sub-basement.... She hadn't undressed yet...She was just trying to wind down....

She heard a tap on the door..

It was Deputy District Attorney Lester Burke.

"Hi uh I wanted to wait until I was uh sure you were back from the date...I tried to call you...Text you but your phone went to voicemail..So uh I just took a chance and waited....You look amazing..." he said.

"Bruce Greene was a lucky man tonight." he added.

"Not as lucky as he would have liked to get....He was Horrible..He was like an Octopus...all hands...Telling me this was the Fourth date and hinting that I was supposed to sleep with him because it was and asking me to pay the drink tab portion of the meal." said Natika.

"I'm sorry for laughing....I've heard he does that from other women around the office who have gone out with him..It really turns them off...He should have learned from that by now." said Lester..

"I'm done with him....No more dates....I told him to lose my number. I'm glad you have it though" she said.

He took her in his arms....

They began kissing..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I THOUGHT ABOUT HOLDING YOU IN MY ARMS AND KISSING YOU AGAIN ALL DAY.....I COULDN'T CONCENTRATE ON MY WORK!" he said.

"YOU SHOULDN'T LET ME GET YOU ALL WORKED UP LIKE THAT" she said.

as their kissing got more passionate,,

"BUT I'M GLAD YOU DO....UMMMMMMMM UNZIP ME!" she said.

"OHHHHHHHHHHH! OHHHHHHHH MY GODDD!" he moaned.

He unsnapped her bra and tossed it on the wicker chair on top of her dress...

He slowly slipped her panties down and off...

"And to think I bought this bra, these panties and this dress today and got my hair washed ,dried and set all to go out with that jerk Bruce.....I should've got this done for you..." she said.

"Next time....Next time baby...I know a nice restaurant in Cherry Hill." he whispered.

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm that sounds nice." she said as they continued to kiss..

"Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm" he moaned as he laid her across the bed, parted her legs and slowly entered her...

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cooed..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" he moaned.

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU OH MY GOD LESTER!!!....OUUUUUUUUUU!" she moaned.....

Her body began to tremble....Her head moved from side to side and once again, tears flowed down the side of her face..She was having a quick orgasm....

"OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" she cried out.